Waun-hir post-medieval lluest farmstead

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of a small lluest farmstead, probably dating to the 17th or 18th century. The footings of a building (measuring 11.1m from NE to SW by 3.7m transversely, within grass-covered drystone rubble walls 0.7m in thickness and up to 0.6m in height) are surrounded by several enclosures and are situated on the upper NW-facing slopes of the northernmost ridge of Mynydd y Betws. The farmstead is depicted on the Betws Parish tithe map (1846) and noted as 'Penybanc house and land', farmed by a Richard Hopkin. The state of cultivation is described as 'meadows and pasture'. The farmstead represents the remains of a small lluest farmstead, a settlement predominantly concerned with the upland pasture, its lifespan perhaps extended (when compared to others in the vicinity: see CM332) by its location and proximity to the edge of the enclosed farmland.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of post medieval land use, settlement and economy. It is a well-preserved, relatively rare and little-understood example of upland settlement; and it retains great archaeological potential to enhance our knowledge of post medieval stock rearing practices in the upland zone, whether as permanent settlement, regular transhumance, or intermittent opportunistic expansion. Its importance is further enhanced by the surviving historical documentation.

The area scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is irregular and measures 115m from NE to SW by up to 55m transversely.