Beacon Hill, Radnorshire - Royal Commission on the Ancient and ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

RCAHM Wales Uplands Initiative – <strong>Beacon</strong> <strong>Hill</strong>2006; Suggett 2005). No definitive evidence of medieval strip-field cultivation wasfound. Therefore it is suggested that the earliest evidence for settlement on <strong>Beacon</strong><strong>Hill</strong> is of the later medieval period, when the economy of <strong>Radnorshire</strong> recoveredfollowing the aftermath of the Glyndwr revolt. In the fifteenth century the economy of<strong>Radnorshire</strong> was dominated by stock rearing, especially cattle sold to Englishmarkets. From the late sixteenth century stock rearing became less profitable and inthe eighteenth century sheep became the mainstay of the farming economy. In termsof farmsteads, it has been argued that new sites were selected for house building in thefifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The profitability of farming allowed for cruckframedfarmhouses to be built professionally, often at high altitudes – one example ofwhich at Upper Cwm yr Ingel (nprn 81573) is close to the edge of <strong>Beacon</strong> <strong>Hill</strong>common. Cottages were built on the common from the seventeenth century by farmlabourers and the younger sons of freehold farmers, while later population growth sawsmall squatter cottages built around the fringes of the common (Suggett 2005, 12). On<strong>Beacon</strong> <strong>Hill</strong> the latter class of dwellings are all just outside of the survey area, butinclude The Scrubs, a squatter settlement on Cefn Pawl, and cottages with ironicallygrand names such as Golden Grove, High Park and Sycamore Hall. Tracks associatedwith these dwellings are found on the common.Medieval settlement is represented by building platforms. In general the platforms arelocated close to the edge of the common, a tendency that has also been observedelsewhere (Silvester 2004, 57). They were dug to accommodate downslope houses,and are typically 11x5m (figure 5). Some of them are not associated with otherarchaeological features. These include isolated platforms on Wernygeufron <strong>Hill</strong> (nprn244234), although this is next to a spring, and above Lawn Farm (nprn 244218).Platforms are found in pairs side-by-side on Warren Bank, as described below, and inclose proximity on Cefn Pawl (nprn 244069, 244071).Figure 5. Building platform on Cefn Pawl (nprn 244069).There is no direct evidence of seasonal occupation, comparatively little evidence forwhich has been found in eastern <strong>Radnorshire</strong> (Silvester 2004, 59). Hafod and Lluestplace names exist only on lower ground at Hen Hafod and Llanlluest, both just7
RCAHM Wales Uplands Initiative – <strong>Beacon</strong> <strong>Hill</strong>outside of the survey area. In 1573 the Council of the Marches directed that cottagescould only be built on the common if habitation was limited to the period between 15May and 15 August, a throwback to what must have been customary practicethroughout the area. Therefore some of the platforms may have been seasonaldwellings. On Warren Bank are two platforms (nprn 244106, 244107) close to WarrenBrook, which is the typical streamside location for dairy houses in which butter andcheese was made (Suggett 2005, 249).Field systems of possible late medieval date include those at the upper end of Cwm yrIngel. The house Upper Cwm yr Ingel, mentioned above, is on the valley floor. Thenorth (i.e. south-facing) slope is enclosed, whereas the south side is a relict fieldsystem (nprn 244182, 244185, 244186), which may have been associated with thefarmstead, although it was unenclosed common by the time of the Tithe survey of1846. Further uphill is another field system (nprn 244173) within which is a singleplatform (nprn 244174).Another possible late medieval farmstead is at Wern y geiniog, although the evidenceis complicated by later settlement. In a sheltered east-facing valley it was an idealsettlement location. Wern y geiniog is discussed below as one of the post-medievalintakes, but on the south side of the farmstead is a relict field system (nprn 244092).This has small rectangular fields unlike the irregular fields of the seventeenth oreighteenth century, suggesting that it is not the abandoned portion of the postmedievalintake, but an earlier system. Another relict field system on the north-eastside of Wern y geiniog (nprn 244091) also comprises mainly rectangular fields. Aplatform (nprn 244085) and a long hut (nprn 244093) are associated with it (figure 6).Figure 6. Long hut on Warren Bank (nprn 244093).8
Page 1 and 2: The Uplands InitiativeBeaco
Page 3 and 4: AbstractThe Beacon
Page 5 and 6: List of mapsMap 1Map 2Map 3archaeol
Page 7 and 8: RCAHM Wales Uplands Initiative - <s
Page 11: RCAHM Wales Uplands Initiative - <s

Beacon Hill, Radnorshire - Royal Commission on the Ancient and ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?