Pen-Ucha'r-Llan Ringwork

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 well preserved castle-ringwork, which dates to the medieval period (c. AD 1066 - 1485), situated upon a low N-S ridge below the W-facing slopes of Moel y Llan, at the entrance to the Ceunant Morgan valley and above the village of Llanfor. It measures about 45m N-S and 37m E-W. It is surrounded by a bank 5.0 - 6.0m high on the west, and 3.5 - 4.0m high on the east. The bank on the south side is only 0.5m high, and there is a levelled rectangular area at a lower level than the interior. This may indicate the presence of a gateway, or a later building, or quarrying. There is no ditch surviving on the north side, but a mound 1.2m high and some 14m long curves round the north side of the ringwork, so giving the impression of a ditch 4.0 - 5.0m wide. A ditch may be found by excavation, and traces of a scarp on the east side may mark the outer edge of a counterscarp bank. The west side of the ringwork was badly eroded by quarrying and the effects of weathering around tree roots formerly, but has since been repaired. The interior is some 14m wide by 26m long and is fairly level, with the exception of the disturbances on the south side. The height of the bank above the interior varies between 1.6m on the north and 0.5m on the west.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval settlement and defence. 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.

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