Hut Enclosure and Early Field System South of Mynydd Graigwen

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument consists of a portion of relict landscape, probably dating to the prehistoric or medieval period. The area includes the remains of a field system, incorporating two stone-built enclosures, lynchets (banks formed at the end of a field by soil which, loosened by the plough, gradually moves down slope through a combination of gravity and erosion), clearance cairns and a number of small enclosures or huts. The two enclosures occupy the higher points of the area, with a lower saddle between them and a slope running away to the north. The features lie close to an ancient routeway through the Meirionnydd hills, and are among a number of sites in the local area which represent the ritual and settlement landscape along this routeway.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric/medieval settlement and agricultural practices. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The site forms an important element within the surrounding landscape. The site is well preserved and retains considerable archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of evidence relating to chronology, building techniques and functional detail. This field system is part of a larger cluster of monuments, the importance of which is 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.