Plynlimon (central) - Royal Commission on the Ancient and ...

Uplands Initiative - Nant y Moch & Pumlimon Fawr / <strong>Plynlimon</strong> 2004Non Technical SummaryThe Uplands Initiative – ‘Nant y Moch’ / ‘Pumlumon’ or ‘<strong>Plynlimon</strong>’ survey, covers the upland hillsimmediately north of the village of Ponterwyd and the small farming settlement of Eisteddfa Gurig, bothwithin the old county of Cardiganshire or the modern county of Ceredigion. The eastern quarter of thesurvey area is located immediately above the small farming settlement of Pont Rhydgaled, within the oldcounty of Montgomeryshire, the modern county of Powys. The survey area reaches just north of themountain of <strong>Plynlimon</strong> itself and just north of the Nant y Moch Reservoir. From these northernmost areas,the survey area stretches down through the Rheidol Valley, otherwise known as the ‘Cwm Rheidol’.The survey area covers approx. 57.74 Km 2 . There has already been some focused archaeologicalinvestigation on specific sites and areas within the project boundary by the <strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Commission</strong> on Ancientand Historic Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), the Dyfed Archaeological Trust (DAT) and the ClwydPowys Archaeological Trust (CPAT), within the last few decades.Several significant sites within the survey area are featured in the RCAHMW contribution to ‘The Historyof the County of Cardiganshire’, including several prehistoric round barrows along the banks of the AfonRheidol, as well as a series of barrows now submerged by the Nant y Moch Reservoir, a handful of themeven having been excavated. Field surveys by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust have focused mainly onDeserted Rural Settlements within the area as a whole. Field Surveys by the Clwyd Powys ArchaeologicalTrust have included the Metal Mines Survey initiated in 1996 and a small assessment for a wind farmproposal atop ‘Y Foel’ in the 1990s.In total the uplands survey of the <strong>Plynlimon</strong> area recorded 1216 sites and features. Of this number 67were already recorded on the RCAHMW database. A further 261 sites and features were recorded on theDAT county Sites and Monuments database, and a further 99 sites and features were recorded on theCPAT county Sites and Monuments database. Although these researching bodies had already carried outsurveys in the area, no systematic survey had been undertaken before using the methodology of 30-50mtransects as prescribed by the Uplands Initiative programme.Of particular interest in the project area are the remains of 17 post medieval lead mines, each with itsown network of leats. The majority of these mines began work either in the mid-late 18 th century or else inthe early-mid 19 th century,, however a few have much earlier 18 th century origins. Most of the mines cameinto disuse in the late 19 th century, however a few, such as Bryn yr Afr Lead Mine, were still in productionin 1912.Also of significance, the field survey discovered the existence of several more Bronze Age round barrowsalong the banks of the Afon Rheidol. Also discovered was a possible small prehistoric settlement on theupper eastern slope of <strong>Plynlimon</strong>. Again, still of prehistoric origin, was the remains of a stone row towardthe south-western base of ‘Disgwylfa Fach’. Also, again likely of prehistoric origin, the field surveydiscovered the existence of two small Iron Age forts or camps, one on the upper slopes of ‘Pen-Lluest-ycarn’,and the other on the top of the southernmost summit of ‘Esgair Gorlan’. The surface evidence forboth of these sites is slim however, the one on Esgair Gorlan being only evidenced by a low curvilinearbank, the other a deep cut ditch and bank on the southern slope of ‘Pen Lluest-y-carn’. Again, on the eastside of <strong>Plynlimon</strong>, at the southern base of ‘Pen-Lluest-y-carn’, the field survey recorded the existence of asmall deserted settlement, possibly of medieval origin. Also discovered were several other bronze ageburial cairns throughout the survey area. Several deserted rural farmsteads were also recorded.The largest single category of site type recorded during the survey were banks, 68 in total. This typeincludes field, boundary and enclosure banks. The following report details the results gathered from theuplands Initiative survey of the area known as ‘Nant y Moch’ and ‘Pumlumon’.1 INTRODUCTIONAs part of the ongoing <strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Commission</strong> on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW)Uplands Initiative programme 2004-2005, in March 2004 Cambrian Archaeological Projects Ltd. (CAP) wereawarded a grant for the systematic survey of the area of ‗Nant y Moch and Pumlumon‘ or ‗<strong>Plynlimon</strong>‘, just15CAP Report No: 355