Blaen Brefi Longhouses

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument consists of two ruined buildings which are very well preserved examples of Welsh upland longhouses, barns or dwellings under one roof. They were probably built and occupied during the 16th and 17th centuries AD, although earlier medieval origins could be possible.

The two houses have been deliberately sited on sloping ground and are divided into three internal units, the upper end probably intended for use as a dwelling and the lower end for housing animals. In both cases the lower room is separated from the rest of the building by a step down and a small central chamber, possibly used for storage.

The longhouses are in good condition and have retained many indications of their form of construction. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval or post-medieval settlement organisation. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits, as well as interior and exterior floors preserved beneath the present ground surface. A longhouse 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.