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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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
Uplands Initiative - Nant y Moch & Pumlimon Fawr / <strong>Plynlimon</strong> 2004north of the village of Ponterwyd (old county of Cardiganshire, which is now Ceredigion), north of EisteddfaGurig (Ceredigion) and north of Pont Rhydgaled, in the old county of Montomeryshire or the modern countyof Powys. In line with the aims of the Uplands Initiative programme, the Nant y Moch and <strong>Plynlimon</strong> fieldproject aimed to rapidly identify and record the archaeological resource in the area north and above 250mO.D. of Ponterwyd, Eisteddfa Gurig and Pont Rhydgaled, through systematic field survey, where there aresignificant gaps in the existing record of the area.The study area comprises c. 57.74 km 2 of uplands as outlined in red on the Location Map (See Fig 1). Theapprox. centre of the survey area is at NGR SN 7800 8600. The landscape lies at the northernmost part ofthe Ceredigion Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest in Wales (HLW No: 4). The area is entirelywithin the Cambrian Mountains Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). This uplands landscape isdominated <strong>central</strong>ly by ‗Pumlumon Fawr‘, otherwise known as ‗<strong>Plynlimon</strong> Mountain‘. This reaches amaximum height of 753m O.D. This marks the highest point in the survey area and is a Site of SpecialScientific Interest (SSSI). West of <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Mountain the landscape is characterised by the Nant y MochReservoir (300m O.D) and the Afon Rheidol water-course, which cuts its way through the Cwm Rheidolvalley southwards, whereupon it reaches the Dinas Reservoir (250m O.D) and then continues onwardtoward the village of Ponterwyd. The area to the far east of <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Mountain is characterisedtopographically by a peat covered landscape punctuated by the activities and remains of former 19 thcentury Lead Mines. Presently, most of the far eastern area is used for auto rallying by the Sweet LambMotorsport Complex.Although no systematic field study using the methodology of 30-50m transects had been undertakenpreviously in the area, there has already been some focused archaeological investigation on certain areasand sites within the project area, by both the RCAHMW, the Dyfed Archaeological Trust (DAT) and theClwyd Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT).Essentially, the proposed survey area may be divided for ease of description into three main zones: thefirst, the <strong>central</strong> area dominated by <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Mountain, the second, the landscape west of the AfonRheidol, and the third, the landscape east of <strong>Plynlimon</strong> within the old county of Montgomeryshire.Previously known significant sites within the survey area include a series of Bronze Age barrows alongboth the eastern banks of the Afon Rheidol (Area 7) and a further series of barrows submerged by theNant y Moch Reservoir (Area 2). The remains of an Iron Age hill-fort is to be found atop the hill knownas ‗Dinas‘ (Area 4). On the western side of Dinas, a medieval settlement is also known to exist, althoughthis has never been investigated systematically. Further west from Dinas, toward the base of ‗DisgwylfaFach‘, there exists three Bronze Age standing stones. The area west of <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Mountain as a whole, isalso home to several post medieval deserted rural farmsteads and farmsteads still in use as dwellings andworking farms. At the summit of <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Mountain itself (Area 9) and on the summit of ‗PenPumlumon Arwystli‘ (Area 12) are a series of Scheduled Bronze Age cairns. East of <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Mountain,known prehistoric sites are very scarce, significant sites predominate however in the form of abandonedpost medieval Lead Mines, such as <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Lead Mine, West Wye Valley Lead Mine, Nant Iago LeadMine and Nant y Eira Lead Mine.The Pumlumon Fawr / <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Uplands Initiative survey was undertaken by a small team fromCambrian Archaeological Projects Ltd., headed by Richard Scott Jones.2 AIMS & OBJECTIVESThe aim of the Pumlumon Fawr / <strong>Plynlimon</strong> Uplands Initiative survey was to systematically rapidlyidentify, record and interpret the archaeological resource within the uplands survey boundary area, bymeans of a desk-top study, a field assessment, the production of an illustrated report, to include a gazetteerof all recorded sites and incorporate all of the collected information into the National Monuments RecordCORE database. The survey aimed to record evidence of all periods. Work began on the desktop of thecontract in July 2004 and the fieldwork was undertaken between the months of September and December2004.15CAP Report No: 355
Page 1: Uplands Initiative - Nant y Moch &
Page 7 and 8: Uplands Initiative - Nant y Moch &
Page 53 and 54:
Uplands Initiative - Nant y Moch &
Page 55 and 56:
Page 57 and 58:
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
APPENDIX 1: SITE ILLUSTRATIONSUplan
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75:
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?