Ffos Toncenglau cross ridge dyke

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument comprises the remains of a cross ridge dyke - a linear bank running along the upper edge of the west-facing slopes of a small steep valley situated in moorland at the head of the Rhondda Valley. The tradition of cross ridge dyke building appears to roughly span a millennium, beginning in the middle Bronze Age and lasting throughout the Iron Age (although perhaps with reuse and limited construction in the medieval period). They have been interpreted as territorial boundaries, defining areas of political influence (including internal territorial boundaries and land allotment within communities) and perhaps having ritual associations.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric land division and perhaps ritual practices. The monument is an important relic of a prehistoric landscape and retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of environmental and structural evidence. The exceptional size of the cross ridge dyke increases its importance.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.