Nant Gwyddel Deserted Rural Settlement

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises a well preserved deserted settlement which lies beside the Nant Gwyddel. The settlement consists of the ruined remains of a building 12m x 8m in size and defined by relatively wide stone foundation walls and a series of well preserved enclosures or small fields. This is believed to be the tyddyn referred to in a boundary deed dated 1631. This records a “Tythyn Nant y Gwyddyl, late in the tenure of David ap Ieuan Llewelin, deceased” and describes the boundaries of its associated landholding.

Documentary references mentioning identifiable rural settlements have proved to be difficult to identify making this site an unusual and important rarity. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of early post-medieval settlement. The monument forms an important element within the wider early post-medieval context. The scheduled area may be expected to contain a wide range of archaeological information, including preserved contemporary floor levels, chronological detail and evidence in regard to construction techniques and agricultural methods. Rectangular huts may be part of a larger cluster of settlements 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.