Historic background

This upland area contains a wealth of well-preserved relict archaeological monuments. There is a single (and outlying) neolithic burial chamber at Gwern Einion in the southern part of the area which seems to be focussed on the Afon Artro although no contemporary settlement has been identified in the surrounding, improved fields. To the north is one of Ardudwy’s two main concentrations of second millennium BC funerary and ritual monuments (the second is around Mynydd Egryn (principally area 2)). The Moel Goedog group appears to be deliberately approached along a track defined by standing stones, possibly originally an ‘avenue’ which leads between two ring cairns, one of which has produced evidence of much ceremonial as well as funerary activity and a range of dates between about 2000-1750BC (Lynch 1984). The area has very intense relict archaeology with a variety of funerary monuments as well as areas of settlement and fields. It seems significant that it also adjoins a major natural route and it may be that it represents a specialised funerary centre somewhat distant from the main areas of population.

Environmental study has shown that these uplands saw a significant phase of woodland clearance during the second millennium BC. The bronze age clearance of the uplands continued into the middle of the first millennium BC, when a deteriorating climate or simply unsustainable agriculture on thin soils led to the development of blanket peat as demonstrated at the settlements of Erw-wen and Moel y Gerddi. Indeed, the main focus of settlement in this later period was on the fringes of the upland, on the better- drained, west-facing hill slopes with numerous settlements of various forms surviving where modern agriculture has not been too intensive (see also area 33).

The settlements at Erw Wen and Moel y Gerddi were single, concentric enclosed round houses and there are also remains of a range of sub-circular settlements that are not unique to Ardudwy but are locally typical, although there no actual hillforts in this area. There is some evidence that this settlement style continued from bronze age styles. It evolved into more complex groups of structures, incorporating strongly built stone-walled buildings of different shapes and sizes for different purposes. The main later style of settlement was of more nucleated groups of houses in compact enclosed or unenclosed homesteads of which there are some 25 surviving in Ardudwy. The majority of them still retain a mainly curvilinear shape that can be seen as developed from an original circular layout, for instance at Muriau Gwyddelod, Llanfair.

The nucleated enclosed and unenclosed hut settlements are to be found all along the west-facing margins of the upland of Ardudwy and associated with many of them are remains of strongly terraced field systems that indicate intensive arable cultivation, and which give the current landscape much of its distinctive local character. The same settlement areas were also often re-used in the medieval period but generally retained the outlines of the Romano-British enclosures or field patterns, although there is little evidence for this in this area.

There are several post-medieval upland farms in the area (see below), and the field patterns around some of these (comprising small, regular enclosures, often in a row (for example near Groes Lwyd) reflect economic improvements in agriculture carried out during the late 18th or 19th century. Some of the fields have been cleared of stone in relatively recent years, although this has probably now stopped.

Key historic landscape characteristics

Relict prehistoric settlement sites and field systems, fieldscapes, upland farms

Much of the relict archaeology that it is particularly characteristic of this area is described in the above section. There is a single neolithic burial chamber at Gwern Einion, and a concentration of standing stones and ring cairns to the north. Particularly characteristic features in the landscape here are the nucleated groups of houses in compact enclosed or unenclosed homesteads, many of them retaining a mainly curvilinear shape that can be seen as developed from an original circular layout, many of them associated with remains of strongly terraced field systems, also often curvilinear in plan. The field patterns around some of the upland farms are later, reflecting economic improvements in agriculture carried out during the late 18th or 19th century. These comprise small, regular enclosures, often in a row (for example near Groes Lwyd) or grouped together around a farm (e.g. Brwyn-llynau).

There is an interesting range of stone-built, upland farms. Drws Yr Ymlid has been mentioned before; Cefnfilltir has a range of stone outbuildings set informally around a courtyard; Merthyr is a low, single storey farm, with side extensions and an informal courtyard of outbuildings; while Rhydgaled uchaf and Foel area simple, small 19th century farms with no outbuildings. there are also outlying barns such as that near Rhydgaled isaf.

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