Scheduled MonumentsWalesTyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement
Prehistoric · Enclosed hut circle

Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME120
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Enclosed hut circle
Broad class
Domestic
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM ME120
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1989-04-27
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement is a prehistoric enclosed hut circle situated on Lower Cambrian bedrock in Wales. The underlying sandstone and conglomerate geology of the Early Cambrian period would have provided practical stone sources for construction, shaping settlement patterns across this upland landscape. The monument consists of a circular or sub-circular habitation structure surrounded by an enclosing bank or ditch, a characteristic settlement form dating to the Bronze Age or Iron Age in Wales.

The settlement's position exploits the local topography and stone-rich substrate typical of Early Cambrian terrain. Such enclosed hut circles represent domestic and defensive organisation during prehistory, with the outer earthwork providing both boundary definition and potential protection for the occupying community and their livestock.

The site is protected under Cadw's heritage register as monument ME120, reflecting its significance as evidence of prehistoric occupation and social organisation in Wales. Tyddyn Du contributes to understanding settlement patterns and land use during the later prehistoric period in this region, where similar enclosed structures are distributed across the upland zones.

Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME120. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement?

Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement is a prehistoric enclosed hut circle situated on Lower Cambrian bedrock in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME120.

What period does Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement date from?

Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement 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 Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement?

Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement 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 ME120.

What other scheduled monuments are near Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pen y Dinas Cairn (8.8 km), Enclosed Hut Circle North of Tyddyn Mawr (9.1 km), Pen y Ddinas Camp (9.1 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement

Tyddyn Du Enclosed Settlement stands on Lower Cambrian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Cambrian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.