Scheduled MonumentsWalesRectangular Hut, Afon Tawe
Medieval · Rectangular hut

Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR260
Period
Medieval
Site type
Rectangular hut
Broad class
Domestic
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM BR260
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1999-05-18
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe is a medieval rectangular hut located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR260. The structure represents a domestic building type common to the Welsh medieval period, constructed as a simple rectangular dwelling that would have served as a primary residence for a rural household. The hut's form reflects the practical building traditions of its era, when single-roomed or multi-roomed rectangular structures provided the standard domestic accommodation across Wales.

The site sits upon Lower Devonian rocks of undifferentiated character, comprising interbedded sandstone and conglomerate formed during the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation would have influenced both the construction methods available to the medieval builders and the landscape's broader suitability for settlement and agriculture. The underlying bedrock's composition shaped the local stone resources that would have been quarried or gathered for the building's construction.

The hut's survival as a visible archaeological monument testifies to the durability of its basic structural form. Although the precise date of its construction within the medieval period cannot be determined from the location alone, such rectangular structures typically date between the 11th and 15th centuries. The monument now exists as a valued record of medieval domestic life and building practice in the Afon Tawe locality, preserved under Cadw's stewardship as part of Wales's protected heritage.

Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR260. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe?

Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe is a medieval rectangular hut located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR260.

What period does Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe date from?

Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a rectangular hut. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe?

Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe 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 BR260.

What other scheduled monuments are near Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Burnt Mound South of Fan Hir (3.9 km), Allt Fach Deserted Rural Settlement (4.3 km), Craig-y-Rhiwarth Hillfort (6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe'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 Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe

Rectangular Hut, Afon Tawe stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.