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

Uplands Initiative – Nant y Moch & Pumlimon Fawr / <strong>Plynlimon</strong> 20047 RESULTS OF FIELD SURVEY (see drawings in Appendix I)The following section relates the results of the field survey by topographical area for ease of description.Only key significant sites will be mentioned in this section. For further sites and details within areas seeGazetteer and Map Index Sheets.Area 1. DrosgolWith regards prehistory in this area, the cairns atop Drosgol have been much disturbed over the centuries,so much so that the southernmost cairn is now a small circular shelter or sheepfold. The presence of a ringof stones is between the two cairns. Whether this ring is the remains one of the disturbed cairns or else alater modification is unknown. The northernmost cairn however still remains as a stone pile. At the time ofthe field visit it was generally a fairly calm day, however once at the summit of Drosgol the wind was sostrong as it drove up the Rheidol valley from the south, that standing upright was a task.No new prehistoric sites were discovered on or on the slopes of Drosgol, except for a possible burial cairnat the far north (NPRN: 282176), however this mound because of its close proximity to an enclosure and apossible early Lluest site (NPRN: 282714), is more likely a clearance cairn.In the main this area is dominated by post medieval industrial sites and features, in the form of the remainsof Camdwr Lead Mine on the southern slopes of Drosgol by the edge of the reservoir, and mine shafts andspoil heaps running in an NE-SW direction across Drosgol following a fault line. With regards CamdwrLead Mine there is not much to see today as much has now been either flooded or else washed away by thewaters of the reservoir.On the north facing side of Drosgol is the remains of Drosgol farmstead (NPRN: 282548). This desertedfarmstead is now in complete ruin with standing remains only to a height of approx. 1m. The ground plan ofthe house and byre is still fairly evident, but both are heavily covered by vegetation within the interior. Aseries of sitka spruce have also been planted in the small rear enclosure of the house garden. Surroundingthe main house are two small sheepfolds alongside the stream that runs to the west of the house. The mainhouse is surrounded to the north and east by a series of high field banks forming large enclosures. These arestill in fairly good condition. The farm of ‗Maesnant‘ to the east on the other side of the Rheidol is in clearview of Drosgol House.No new sites were noted on the east facing slopes of Drosgol.Area 2. Nant y Moch ReservoirThis area is represented by the Nant y Moch Reservoir and as such all sites in this area are now submergedbeneath its waters. However along the banks of the reservoir a few sites have managed to survive. At the farnorth of the reservoir are a few remains of the former Bryn-y-afr Lead Mine. These consist of formerenclosures, sluice channels, a level, a shaft and parts of the foundations of the former crushing and jigginghouses (NPRN: 282563). These latter however are merely footings, as the greater part of these structureshave been submerged.Also in this northern area much of the former South Cambrian Lead Mine has suffered the same fate asBryn-y-Afr Lead Mine, in that nearly all of the mine complex is either beneath water or else has been underwater at some time, and as a result the majority of the structures are now absent.Along the west banks of the reservoir, the field survey discovered the remains of a possible long hut,possibly one of those mentioned by Lewis Morris (NPRN: 282810). The building ground plan is whollylost, but there is with the ‗eye-of-faith‘ a possible entrance at the north end with two internal rooms and a<strong>central</strong> hall. Very close to this feature is the remains of a small hut (NPRN: 282811), 8m x 4m with twointernal divisions at the south end.71CAP Report No: 355