Scheduled MonumentsWalesWernlas hut circle
Prehistoric · Hut Circle Settlement

Wernlas hut circle

Wales
Cadw SAM GM562
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Hut Circle Settlement
Broad class
Domestic
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM GM562
Authority
Cadw
Designated
2004-01-06
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Wernlas hut circle is a prehistoric settlement situated on slopes underlain by Dinantian limestone and associated sedimentary rocks. The exposed bedrock of mixed limestone, sandstone and argillaceous strata would have influenced both the settlement's location and the building materials available to its inhabitants. The site consists of one or more circular or oval structures typical of Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement patterns across Wales, where hut circles were the dominant form of domestic architecture.

The monument lies within terrain characteristic of upland Welsh settlement zones, where such roundhouses were constructed with stone-built or timber-framed walls, often set into slight depressions in the ground. These structures typically ranged from 4 to 10 metres in diameter and served as dwellings for pastoral communities herding livestock across the open moorland and hillsides.

Wernlas hut circle is protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw's care, reference GM562. The site remains archaeologically significant as evidence of prehistoric land use and domestic life in Wales. Although no detailed excavation records are specified for this location, hut circles of this type continue to provide important information about settlement patterns, building techniques and the adaptation of communities to upland environments during the prehistoric period.

Wernlas hut circle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM562. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Wernlas hut circle?

Wernlas hut circle is a prehistoric settlement situated on slopes underlain by Dinantian limestone and associated sedimentary rocks. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM562.

What period does Wernlas hut circle date from?

Wernlas hut circle dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a hut circle settlement. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Wernlas hut circle?

Wernlas hut circle 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 GM562.

What other scheduled monuments are near Wernlas hut circle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tarren y Bwlch round cairn (6.4 km), Craig y Bwlch round cairn (6.4 km), Iron Tram Bridge, Robertstown (6.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Wernlas hut circle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Wernlas hut circle'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 Wernlas hut circle

Wernlas hut circle stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.

The wider landscape

Around Wernlas hut circle

Caerphilly CastleArchaeological site · ~18.3 miles