Cwm Beusych Deserted Rural Settlement

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of a well preserved deserted upland settlement of probable medieval date, likely to be associated with the summer grazing grounds on the ridges of the black mountains. The site comprises six rectangular house platforms cut into the sheltered, south-west facing shelf of Partrishow Hill, together with an embanked dam and associated pond. The house platforms are all a similar size, measuring roughly 12m long by 6m wide, with one larger platform measuring 17m long by 7m wide, and all are orientated NE/SW. All the platforms are similarly constructed with a 0.5m to 1m high cut into the slope of the hill at the NE end, the bulk of the platform terraced into the slope and a battered dry stone revetment wall at the SW end. The revetment walls vary between 1m and 1.5m high depending on the topography and all are covered by moss and grass. On platform D the remains of a wall are visible along the SE side of the platform, with a cross wall at the SW end. The rest of the platforms are featureless and grass covered. The pond is located to the E and above platform F and comprises a small circular depression around 4.5m in diameter with an earthen bank at the W end forming a dam (now breached). A small pile of stones at the SE side of the dam may be part of the original structure.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of settlement organisation. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structures themselves may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques and their importance is further enhanced by their group value.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is in seven rectangles, each containing their corresponding platforms and measuring, respectively, 13m by 7m (A; NGR SO 2624 2147), 14m by 8m (B; NGR SO 2622 2152), 14m by 8m (C; NGR SO 2618 2158) 19m by 9m (D; NGR SO 2618 2158), 14m by 7m (E; NGR SO 2613 2167), and 14m by 8m (F; NGR SO 2612 2170); area G (NGR SO 2615 2170) is a rectangle, measuring some 15m by 10m, aligned on and containing the pond and dam.