Esgair Naint Deserted Rural Settlement

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The deserted rural settlement at Esgair Naint comprises a large house platform (which is a levelled area of ground on which a house is built), with the foundations of a domestic dwelling upon it, probably the abandoned shepherd’s cottage referred to on a 1764 Estate map. Associated with this are two large agricultural enclosures and at least eight earthwork platforms of varying forms, including sub-circular, rectangular and linear. Some of these display evidence of internal stonework and were probably intended to support simple structures, either domestic dwellings constructed from perishable materials or ancillary buildings or animal shelters. Evidence would suggest a site which has had a long history of use and re-use, with the main dwelling probably representing the last phase of occupation, ending in the early 18th century. The platforms around the site could represent much earlier settlement

The complex of structures at Naint has archaeological importance because of the variety of features present, the general lack of disturbance of the remains and their good visible state of preservation. 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, including historic floor levels. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques. A platform house may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can be 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.