Scheduled MonumentsWalesPen-Isa'r-Waen Camp
Prehistoric · Enclosed hut circle

Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp

Conwy, Wales
Cadw SAM CN050
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Enclosed hut circle
Broad class
Domestic
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp is a prehistoric enclosed hut circle located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference CN050. The site sits upon Lower Cambrian bedrock, comprising interbedded sandstone and conglomerate deposits laid down during the Early Cambrian period, which provides a firm foundation of ancient stone beneath the archaeological layers.

The monument belongs to a class of prehistoric domestic structures characterised by circular or oval stone foundations that once supported timber-framed roundhouses. These enclosed hut circles, typically dating to the Iron Age or Bronze Age, reveal the settlement patterns and domestic arrangements of early Welsh communities. The construction method took advantage of the naturally occurring stone, quarried from or exposed by the Lower Cambrian geology underlying the site.

The scheduled monument status reflects the archaeological significance of this well-preserved example of prehistoric settlement architecture. Such enclosed hut circles contribute important evidence to understanding how people organised their domestic spaces, chose defensible locations, and exploited local stone resources in prehistoric Wales. The site's protected status ensures its preservation for future research and public understanding of early Welsh settlement history.

Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN050. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp?

Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp is a prehistoric enclosed hut circle located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference CN050.

What period does Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp date from?

Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a enclosed hut circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp?

Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CN050.

What other scheduled monuments are near Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ystrad Rural Settlement (6.4 km), Hafod-y-Wern Long Hut (7 km), Cwm Brwynog Deserted Rural Settlement (7.8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp

Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp stands on Lower Cambrian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Cambrian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

The wider landscape

Around Pen-Isa'r-Waen Camp

Bryn Celli DduArchaeological site · ~4.9 miles