Cynon Corn-Drying Kiln

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument consists of the remains of a corn drying kiln - a building used for drying corn prior to grinding. Such kilns are usually in use from the 14th century to the early 19th century. It is a dry-stone walled pit in the form of an inverted cone 2m in depth standing on a low mound on the hillside. The pit is roughly 3m in diameter at the top, tapering to 1m at the base. There is a stone lip around the top of the pit. At the bottom of the pit a tunnel about 4m long connects it with the edge of mound on the downhill side. A cloth or skin was stretched across the top, probably from a wooden frame set within the lip, and a fire was lit in the end of the tunnel. Grain was spread across the membrane to dry before being stored.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval settlement and agricultural practices. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques, together with a strong probability of environmental evidence. A corn drying kiln may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can 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.