Post Medieval/Modern · Bridge

Pont Fawr

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME027
Period
Post Medieval/Modern
Site type
Bridge
Broad class
Transport
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Pont Fawr is a post-medieval bridge in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference ME027. Spanning across bedrock of Wenlock age, the bridge crosses terrain where sandstone and conglomerate beds interleave beneath the surface, geological formations that have shaped the waterway and the bridge's construction. The Wenlock rocks, dating to the Silurian period, provide a stable foundation typical of this region, though their variable nature—alternating between harder and softer strata—would have influenced the original builders' choice of crossing point and abutment placement.

The bridge represents the functional engineering tradition of post-medieval Wales, constructed to maintain communication across what was evidently a significant watercourse. Its survival to the present day reflects both the durability of its design and the lasting importance of the route it carries. The name Pont Fawr, meaning 'great bridge' in Welsh, suggests a structure of considerable local significance, likely serving agricultural, commercial and social needs for the surrounding community over several centuries of use.

Pont Fawr is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME027. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Pont Fawr?

Pont Fawr is a post-medieval bridge in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference ME027.

What period does Pont Fawr date from?

Pont Fawr dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a bridge. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Pont Fawr?

Pont Fawr 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 ME027.

What other scheduled monuments are near Pont Fawr?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llanfor Roman Fort and Camps (revealed by Aerial Photography) (4.6 km), Foel Cwm Sian Llŵyd cairn (5.1 km), Castell Gronw Castle Mound (5.4 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Pont Fawr

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Pont Fawr'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 Pont Fawr

Pont Fawr stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.