4th Century Roman Villa Discovered In Wales

Villa discovery
re-writes history of Romans in the west

Most north-westerly Roman villa in Wales
confirmed by trial excavation

Abermagwr Roman villa. Aerial photograph from 2006 showing the discovery of the site, with the great double-ditched enclosure of the Romano-British farm enclosing footings of the villa, upper right (Crown Copyright RCAHMW).

The Abermagwr Roman villa, a remarkable discovery in mid Wales
Archaeologists working near Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, mid-Wales, have discovered a small Roman villa of ‘winged corridor’ plan in a part of Wales previously considered to be well outside the bounds of the Welsh villa-belt. The discovery of this, the most north-westerly Roman villa in Wales, certainly occupied in the early 4th century AD, has forced archaeologists to reconsider the whole nature of Romano-British rural settlement across mid and north Wales.

An imposing Roman building in mid Wales
Roman villas were high-status homes of wealthy landowners which sat at the heart of a farming estate. They are common throughout southern England and to a lesser extent in south-east Wales, with a few outliers in south-west Wales and a singleton in the middle reaches of the Usk valley.  Trial excavations in July 2010 have shown that the Abermagwr villa had all the trappings of established villas in south Wales and southern England, including a slate roof and glazed windows. It was roofed with local slates, but these were cut with five sides and a fine point to form a highly decorative roof of pentagonal form, common amongst villas in south-west England and the Isle of Wight. The walls were built of local stone on cobble foundations though the upper storey (If such existed) may possibly have been timber-framed and plastered.  The villa was fronted by a cobbled yard.

Roman finds
Finds from the site indicate occupation in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries AD. They include vessels in Black Burnished ware, a practical kitchen pottery imported from Dorset, and fine ware bowls from Oxfordshire. Three coins of Constantine I, minted in the first quarter of the 4th century AD, were crucial for the dating the site and were all found lying on or near late clay floor surfaces underneath the collapsed slate roof.

Two pentagonal Roman roof slates from the Abermagwr villa,
the one on the right nearly complete. Made from local
stone, with square nail holes, these slates constitute
what may be the earliest slated roof in mid Wales. The
right hand slate measures 38cm from top to base.

The villa was heavily robbed for its building stone, probably in the medieval period. ‘Robber trenches’ were dug into the ruins and most useful blocks removed leaving only the substantial clay and stone packed foundations. The building became lost from memory, and the land returned to the plough. Only the local name ‘Magwr’, meaning a ‘ruined homestead’ preserves a memory of a building here.

Abermagwr Roman villa excavations: clay and stone packed foundations of the Roman building.

The 2010 excavations were directed by Dr Toby Driver, of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Dr Jeffrey Davies, formerly of the Department of History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth University, who excavated at the nearby Trawscoed Roman fort. The excavation was funded by the Cambrian Archaeological Association with support from the Royal Commission and the Dyfed Archaeological Trust.

Archaeologists Toby and Jeffrey explain:
‘Our trial excavations this year have confirmed the remains of an imposing Romano-British building in the heart of mid-Wales, where no Roman villas were previously known. The nearby Roman fort at Trawscoed was abandoned by AD 130, yet here we have a later Roman building where the owners were importing pottery, using coinage, and insisting on decorative slate roofing akin to the largest Roman villas in England. The discovery raises significant new questions about the regional economy and society in late Roman Wales, and raises the possibility of future villa discoveries in the surrounding countryside’.

Excavation and the local community; visits by local schools
The excavation would not have gone so well without the help and support of the landowner, Huw Tudor, and the interest of the local community. The excavation was visited by pupils from three local primary schools in Llanilar, Llanafan and Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, and the local Young Archaeologists Club. Finds will be displayed in the Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth.

Original discovery
A probable villa was discovered during Royal Commission aerial photography in 2006, and buried remains of a winged building on site were revealed during a geophysical survey in 2009. These remains were only confirmed and dated by excavation in July 2010.

In the drought of 2006, aerial photographs taken by Dr Toby Driver for the Royal Commission revealed a large double-ditched enclosure at the site, with the parchmarks of a buried stone building in one corner. It was obvious that this was a large and important archaeological monument, lost to knowledge beneath modern fields and not depicted on early maps.

Geophysical survey by David Hopewell of the Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, showing the buried footings of the Abermagwr Roman villa.

While filming for BBC2 Wales’ ‘Hidden Histories’ programme in 2009, Dr Toby Driver was joined by Dr Jeffrey Davies, formerly of Aberystwyth University and an authority on Roman Wales, in a geophysical survey of the field. Just like the ‘geofizz’ of Time Team, the survey revealed not only a vast ditched enclosure and annex, but the buried footings of a winged stone building. With three principal rooms, two projecting wings and a south-facing verandah this 20 metre long building had all the hallmarks of a classic Roman villa. This was so unexpected that a trial excavation was carried out in July 2010.


Related Internet links
Investigating a probable Roman villa near Aberystwyth Heritage of Wales News
Abermagwr Link to Coflein

Archaeologists Start Excavations On Burial Mound

Archaeologists start excavations on a suspected ancient burial site on which the Pillar of Eliseg stands, to try to understand the significance of this 9th Century monument and Llangollen landmark.

During the dig, David Crane and Sue Evans plan to give daily updates via the Llangollen Museum Facebook page, along with members of the dig team.

The public will be allowed on-site during an open day (31 July), between 11am-3pm.
news.bbc.co.uk

Further details:
Pillar of Eliseg: Archaeologists dig beneath 9th Century monument News BBC 
Eliseg's Pillar, cross and burial mound Coflein

Bwlch y Pentre Survey Area - North Wales

Bwlch y Pentre Survey Area - North Wales

Crynodeb
Ymgymerwyd ag arolwg archeolegol i adnabod yr ardal fynyddig ar ochr ddeheuol Dyffryn Conwy, o amgylch Bwlch y Pentre (SH 883 476 canol), rhwng Awst a Hydref 2009, gan Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) ar ran Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru (CBHC) fel rhan o Fenter yr Uwchdiroedd. Cyflawnodd y prosiect astudiaeth archeolegol wrth y ddesg i ddechrau, yn cael ei ddilyn gydag arolwg adnabod yn y maes ar gyfer yr ardal astudiaeth.

Mae ardal yr arolwg, Bwlch y Pentre, yn cwmpasu ardal 12.1 cilomedr sgwâr, yng nghysgod copaon uchel ar yr ochr ddeheuol, yn cynnwys yr esgair rhwng Carnedd y Filiast a Trum Nant Fach, gyda chadwyn o fryniau is yn rhedeg o Foel Frech i Foel Eglwys. Mae’r ardal dan astudiaeth yn cynnwys gweunydd llechweddog agored a chaeedig, sy’n codi o tua 300m i dros 600m ar yr esgair uchaf, ac mae’r gweunydd wedi’u hamgylchynu gan dir caeedig wedi’i wella a’i led wella ar y llethrau isaf.

Pennodd yr astudiaeth ddesg gyfanswm o 16 safle oedd wedi’u cofnodi dan HER a NMR, ac fe ddiweddarwyd pob un gyda 14 yn cael rhifau NMR newydd, ychwanegol. Nodwyd cyfanswm o 88 safle newydd gan yr arolwg maes, sy’n gynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y safleoedd o fewn ardal yr astudiaeth.

Roedd y safleoedd a ganfuwyd yn flaenorol ac a nodwyd yn yr NMR a’r HER wedi’u cyfyngu i ddwy garnedd angladdol Oes Efydd, a 14 safle ôl-ganoloesol yn cynrychioli strwythurau rheoli stoc, chwareli a cherrig ffiniau.

Yn fwyaf pwysig, mae’r arolwg presennol wedi adnabod adnodd cynhanesyddol arbennig o gyfoethog, sef maes carnedd/system maes amaethyddol yn cwmpasu tua 31 hectar sydd wedi’i amgylchynu gan gofebion angladdol/defodol. Hefyd canfuwyd nifer o garneddau angladdol newydd.

Nid oedd unrhyw safle o ddyddiad canoloesol pendant wedi’i ganfod cyn hyn o fewn yr ardal astudiaeth, ond mae’r arolwg cyfredol wedi medru ychwanegu tri safle trawstrefa newydd o strwythurau cartref uwchdirol sydd yn ôl pob tebyg yn gynharach nag ôlganoloesol o ran dyddiad.

Priodolwyd cyfanswm o 64 safle i’r cyfnod ôl-ganoloesol, mae naw yn fodern a thri ar ddeg o ddyddiad anhysbys. Mae’r mwyafswm o’r safleoedd a nodwyd yn adlewyrchu’r defnydd cymharol ddiweddar o ddarnau mawr o weunydd agored a chaeedig ar ôl y Ddeddf Amgáu Tiroedd. Mae safleoedd o’r cyfnod yn cael eu rhannu’n gymharol gyfartal rhwng corlannau/strwythurau rheoli stoc, a cherrig ffiniau a charneddau marcio yn yr ardaloedd uwch, a charneddau cliro o fewn y caeau isaf wedi’u gwella. Mae nodweddion eraill yn cynnwys llwybrau gweunydd, ardaloedd torri mawn cyfyngedig, a chrafbantiau chwareli bychain.

Summary
An archaeological identification survey of a mountainous region on the south side of the Vale of Conwy around Bwlch y Pentre (SH 883 476 centred), North Wales was undertaken between August and October 2009, by Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) on behalf of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW) as part of the Uplands Initiative. The project comprised an initial archaeological desk-based study, followed by a field identification survey for the study area.

The survey area of Bwlch y Pentre covers an area of 12.1 sqkm and is dominated by high peaks at the southern end consisting of the ridge between Carnedd y Filiast and Trum Nant Fach, along with a chain of lower hills running from Foel Frech to Moel Eglwys. The study area consists of sloping open and enclosed moorland which rises from approximately 300m to over 600m on the highest ridges, with the moorland being fringed by improved and semiimproved enclosure on the lower slopes.

In total, 16 sites were established by the desk-based study as being recorded within the HER and NMR, of which all were updated and 14 were given additional new NMR numbers. In total, 88 new sites were identified by the field survey, representing a substantial numerical increase in the number of sites within the study area.

The previously discovered sites identified in the NMR and HER were limited to two Bronze Age funerary cairns, and 14 post-medieval sites representing stock management structures, quarries and boundary stones.

Most importantly the present survey has identified a particularly rich prehistoric resource, in the form of an agricultural cairnfield/field-system covering some 31 hectares which is surrounded by funerary/ritual monuments.

No sites of definitively medieval date had previously been discovered within the study area, but the present survey has been able to add three new transhumance-type sites of upland domestic structures that are probably earlier than post-medieval in date.

In total, 72 sites have been ascribed to the post-medieval period, nine are modern and thirteen are of unknown date. The majority of the identified sites reflect the relatively recent exploitation of large tracts of open and post-Enclosure Act moorland sheepwalks. Sites from the period are divided relatively equally between sheep folds/stock management structures, and boundary stones and marker cairns in the more elevated areas, and clearance cairns within the lower improved fields. Other features consist of moorland trackways, limited peat cutting areas, and small-scale quarry scoops.


Related Uplands Archaeology Links:

Read in full: Bwlch y Pentre Survey Area - North Wales (PDF file, 5.2MB)
The Uplands Archaeology Initiative Royal Commission Website

Royal Commission At The Royal Welsh Show 2010

 Royal Commission At The Royal Welsh Show, 2009

Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru
Dewch i wybod mwy am ‘Hanesion Cudd’ Cymru drwy ymweld â stondin y Comisiwn Brenhinol i weld arddangosfeydd yn amlygu’n gwaith yn cofnodi ac arolygu treftadaeth Cymru. Mae delweddau arddangosfa eleni delweddau o’r archif genedlaethol, yn dathlu treftadaeth Ceredigion (sir nawdd Sioe 2010), Maent yn cynnwys delweddau o safleoedd archeolegol, adeiladau hanesyddol a thirweddau cyfareddol lu y sir.

Dewch draw i gyfarfod â’n staff.
Dydd Llun a dydd Mercher, mae archaeolegwyr y Comisiwn Brenhinol, Louise Barker a Susan Fielding, yn arddangos rhywfaint o’r dechnoleg ddiweddaraf ar gyfer arolygu safleoedd archeolegol ac adeiladau.
Ymunwch â ni ar ddydd Mawrth 20 Gorffennaf am 2 y pnawn ar gyfer sgwrs Dr Peter Wakelin ar ‘Celfyddyd heb Artistiaid – Delweddau o Archif y Comisiwn Brenhinol’.

Edrychwn ymlaen at eich gwled yn y Sioe.



Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
Find out more about Wales’ ‘Hidden Histories’ by visiting the Royal Commission’s stand to see displays highlighting its work of recording and surveying the heritage of Wales. This year’s exhibition, celebrating Ceredigion (the 2010 Show’s host county), includes images from the national archive of the county’s many fascinating archaeological sites, historic buildings and landscapes.

Come along to meet our staff.
Monday and Wednesday, Royal Commission archaeologists, Louise Barker and Susan Fielding, demonstrate some of the latest technology for surveying archaeological sites and buildings.
Join us on Tuesday 20 July at 2pm for Dr Peter Wakelin’s talk on ‘Art without Artists – Images from the Royal Commission Archive’.

We look forward to seeing you at the Show.

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal - Historical Background

 The Llangollen Canal, formerly the Ellesmere Canal, originated in a scheme to link the rivers Mersey and Severn, which would also access the iron and coal fields around Shrewsbury, Ellesmere and Ruabon. This plan was fuelled by the need for improved forms of transport, both for an agricultural economy increasingly dependant on long distance trade, and the Industrial revolution that swept across Britain in the second half of the eighteenth century. Shropshire, heavily reliant on the trade of its agricultural output, was dependent on the River Severn providing a trade route to the port at Bristol, but many in the county also wished to take advantage of the new industrial trade afforded by the iron and coal fields situated along the Welsh Border.

Man cychwyn Camlas Llangollen, Camlas Ellesmere gynt, oedd cynllun i gysylltu afonydd Mersi a Hafren. Byddai’r cynllun hefyd yn fodd i gyrraedd y meysydd haearn a glo ger Amwythig, Ellesmere a Rhiwabon. Yr ysgogiad iddo oedd yr angen i wella’r cyfleusterau cludo a oedd ar gael bryd hynny i economi amaethyddol a ddibynnai fwyfwy ar fasnachu dros bellteroedd maith, ac i wasanaethu’r chwyldro diwydiannol a oedd yn lledu fel tân gwyllt ar draws Prydain yn ystod ail hanner y ddeunawfed ganrif. Er bod Swydd Amwythig yn dibynnu’n drwm ar fasnachu ei chynnyrch amaethyddol, ac yn dibynnu hefyd ar gludo nwyddau ar hyd Afon Hafren i gyrraedd porthladd Bryste, yr oedd llu o bobl yn y sir yn awyddus i fanteisio ar y fasnach newydd a ddeilliai o ecsploetio’r meysydd haearn a glo ar hyd y ffin â Chymru.

Read full article:
Historical Background of the Aqueduct and Canal English
Cefndir Hanesyddol y Draphont Ddŵr a’r Gamlas Welsh

Uplands Initiative Elenydd (South) Archaeological Survey (Part One)

Uplands Initiative Elenydd (South)
Archaeological Survey (Part One)

Crynodeb
Mae De Elenydd yn ymestyn dros 19.36 cilomedr sgwâr ac yn ffurfio tua thraean o ardal ehangach ym mryniau canolbarth Cymru a archwiliwyd gan Trysor yn ystod haf a hydref 2009. Ceir adroddiadau ar wahân ar gyfer arolygon ardaloedd Canol Elenydd a Gogledd Elenydd. Cariwyd y gwaith allan gyda chymorth ariannol Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru, fel rhan o brosiect Menter yr Ucheldiroedd.

Mae ardal yr astudiaeth yn cynnwys cyfres o fryniau a chymoedd bychain ar ochr ogleddol Llyn Claerwen, yng ngorllewin yr hen Sir Faesyfed. Mae De Elenydd wedi aros yn ardal hollol wledig ei naws hyd heddiw, ymhell o drefi a phentrefi’r canolbarth. Y pentref agosaf yw Pentref Elan, 4km i’r dwyrain, tra bod tref Rhaeadr Gwy rhyw 8km i ffwrdd i’r un cyfeiriad. Dyma ardal go anghysbell; yr unig ffordd gyhoeddus sy’n ymlwybro trwy’r ardal yw’r heol garw ar hyd ochr ogleddol Llyn Claerwen, gan gysylltu Dyffryn Elan ag ardal Ffair Rhos, yng Ngheredigion. Mae’r heol yn rhy arw i ganiatáu llawer o drafnidiaeth ac felly nid yw’r ardal yn gweld llawer o ymwelwyr, er bod Argae Claerwen, sydd ychydig i’r de-ddwyrain, yn fan boblogaidd ar hyd y
flwyddyn.

Yn ystod y Canol Oesoedd, ffurfia’r ardal hon rhan o Gwmwd Deuddwr, un o ystadau abaty Ystrad Fflur, Ceredigion. Maes o law, ar ôl Diddymiad y Mynachlogydd, roedd yr hen ystâd fynachaidd wedi syrthio i ddwylo preifat fel rhan o Ystâd Cwm Elan. Daeth y rhan fwyaf o Ystâd Elan yn eiddo i Gorfforaeth Birmingham yn ystod yr 1890au, pan roddwyd hawl iddynt, drwy ddeddf gwlad, feddiannu dyffrynnoedd Elan a Chlaerwen, a’r tiroedd cyfagos. Gwnaed hyn er mwyn creu llynnoedd enwog Dyffryn Elan i gyflenwi dŵr i Ganolbarth Lloegr a chymoedd De Cymru. Agorwyd Llyn Claerwen ym 1952, yr olaf o’r llynnoedd i ymddangos. Hyd heddiw, mae bryniau De Elenydd o dan reolaeth Ystâd Elan, sydd bellach yn nwylo Dŵr Cymru.

Cofnodwyd 114 o safleoedd ac olion archaeolegol gan yr arolwg maes, cyfanswm hynod isel am ardal fynyddig mor fawr. Mae’r rhan fwyaf o’r rhain yn safleoedd a nodwyd am y tro gyntaf. Ymhlith prif ganfyddiadau’r arolwg oedd rhai carneddau claddu sy’n dyddio Oes yr Efydd ac olion nifer o dai hirion, sydd o bosibl yn dyddio yn ôl i’r oes pan fu mynachod Ystrad Fflur yn gyfrifol am yr ardal. Serch hynny, mae’r cofnod archaeolegol yn cael ei dominyddu gan safleoedd ôl-ganoloesol neu fodern, gydag enghreifftiau niferus o hen fawnogydd ar fryniau’r ardal; rhaid cofio mai mawn oedd prif danwydd ffermydd a bythynnod y fro hyd at ddiwedd y 19eg ganrif. Un o nodweddion amlycaf De Elenydd yw’r trwch o laswellt y waun (Molinia Caerulea) sydd bellach yn gorchuddio rhannau helaeth o fryniau a chymoedd yr ardal. Mae’r gorchudd o lystyfiant yn rhwystr difrifol i archaeolegwyr yn y maes, gan guddio olion archaeolegol a gwneud y tir yn anodd ei gerdded. Yn ogystal, mae’n achosi dirywiad yn ansawdd y porfeydd mynyddig a bioamrywiaeth y fro yn gyffredinol.

Er gwaethaf hyn, mae’r ardal yn atyniadol ac yn gyfoethog o ran y rhywogaethau o adar gwylltion a phlanhigion sy’n bresennol. Ychydig iawn o gerddwyr sy’n mentro allan ar y bryniau yma, ac mae’r ardal yn cael ei gyfrif fel un o’r ardaloedd mwyaf anghysbell a digyfnewid yng Nghymru. Gall y cynnydd parhaol mewn poblogrwydd gweithgareddau hamdden megis cerdded a beicio mynydd newid y sefyllfa yn y dyfodol. Gobeithir y bydd y cofnod cyflawn o olion archaeolegol yr ardal a grëwyd gan y prosiect hwn yn fodd i ddiogelu’r dystiolaeth archaeolegol brau am weithgarwch dynol ym mynyddoedd Elenydd.


Summary
The Elenydd (South) study area extends across some 19.36sq km and forms about one third of a larger area surveyed in the Cambrian Mountains by Trysor during the summer and autumn of 2009. Separate reports have been prepared for the surveys of Elenydd (North) and Elenydd (Central). The projects were undertaken with grant-aid from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales, as part of their Uplands Initiative project.

Elenydd (South) is focused on a series of hills and tributary valleys along the northern side of the Claerwen reservoir, in western Radnorshire. It is an area which remains thoroughly rural in character, far from the villages and towns of mid-Wales. The nearest village is Elan Village 4km to the east and the town of Rhayader lies 8km to the east. The only public route through the study area is a rough track which runs along the northern edge of the reservoir and ultimately connects the Elan Valley with Ffair Rhos in Ceredigion. This track is too rough to carry road traffic and therefore very few visitors enter the area, although many thousands annually visit the striking Claerwen Dam, just to the southeast of the study area.

During medieval times, the area formed a part of Cwmwd Cwmdeuddwr, one of the upland granges of Strata Florida abbey, Ceredigion. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the old monastic grange was transformed into the private Cwm Elan estate. During the 1890s the whole district was passed into the ownership of the Birmingham Corporation, when an Act of Parliament granted them permission to occupy the Elan and Claerwen valleys, and the watersheds of their rivers, to create a new Elan Estate around the famous Elan Valley reservoirs, which were constructed to supply water to the English Midlands and the valleys of South Wales. Claerwen was the last of the reservoirs to appear, not being opened until 1952. To the present day, the hills of Elenydd (South) are managed by the Elan Estate, which is now in the hands of Welsh Water.

The field survey recorded 114 archaeological sites in the area, a very low figure for an upland area of this size. Most of these features were noted for the first time. Amongst the most significant discoveries were a small number of Bronze Age funerary cairns and the ruins of long huts, some of which may have been in use in medieval times, when the area was controlled by the monks of Strata Florida. The record is dominated by post medieval and modern archaeology, including evidence for the once important peat cutting industry; peat was of course the main source of domestic fuel in the district until the end of the 19th century.

One of the most important characteristic of Elenydd (South) is the vigorous growth of purple moor-grass which now covers a significant portion of the hills and valleys. This mat of vegetation is a hindrance to archaeological survey as it obscures surface features and makes the land difficult to walk. It is also causing deterioration in the quality of the upland pasture and affecting the bio-diversity of the area in general.

Despite this, the study area remains an attractive landscape and is still rich in terms of its wildlife, especially in terms of bird species and its flora. Is rarely frequented by walkers; most visitors to the area keep to the road. The area is considered to be amongst the most remote and undisturbed in Wales. It is not impossible that the continuing rise in popularity for outdoor pursuits such as walking and mountain biking might yet have an impact. It is hoped that the complete record of archaeological features created by this project will help protect the fragile evidence of human activity in the area and enable an increased understanding of the history and development of this special landscape.

Related Uplands Archaeology Links:
Read in full: Uplands Initiative Elenydd (South) Archaeological Survey (Part One) (PDF file, 4.4MB)
The Uplands Archaeology Initiative Royal Commission Website

Uplands Initiative Elenydd (North) Archaeological Survey (Part One)

Uplands Initiative Elenydd (North)
Archaeological Survey (Part One)

Crynodeb
Mae ardal astudiaeth Gogledd Elenydd yn ardal sy’n ymestyn dros 19.51 cilomedr sgwâr ac yn ffurfio tua thraean o ardal ehangach ym mryniau canolbarth Cymru a archwiliwyd gan Trysor yn ystod haf a hydref 2009. Ceir adroddiadau ar wahân ar gyfer ardaloedd Canol Elenydd a De Elenydd. Cariwyd y gwaith allan gyda chymorth ariannol Comisiwn Brenhinol ar Henebion Cymru, fel rhan o brosiect Menter yr Ucheldiroedd.

Gorwedd y rhan fwyaf o ardal astudiaeth Gogledd Elenydd ar ddwy ochr rhan uchaf Dyffryn Elan, rhwng Pont ar Elan a tharddle’r afon yng Nghors Lwyd, yng nghornel gogledd-orllewin hen Sir Faesyfed. Yn ystod y Canol Oesoedd, roedd yr ardal yn rhan o Gwmwd Deuddwr, un o ystadau abaty Ystrad Fflur, Ceredigion. Maes o law, roedd yr hen ystâd fynachaidd wedi dod yn rhan o Ystâd Cwm Elan, yn nwylo preifat. Hyd at y 19eg ganrif, roedd cornel uchaf Gogledd Elenydd yn syrthio fewn plwyf Llangurig, Sir Maldwyn, yr unig ran o hen arglwyddiaeth Arwystli oedd ym meddiant mynachod Ystrad Fflur yn y Canol Oesoedd. Unwyd yr ardal i gyd o fewn Sir Faesyfed, ac yna Sir Powys yn ystod y 20fed ganrif.

Ardal hollol wledig ei naws yw Gogledd Elenydd hyd heddiw, ymhell o drefi a phentrefi’r canolbarth, gyda dim ond ychydig o ffermydd o fewn ei ffiniau. Y pentrefi agosaf yw Llangurig, 4km i’r gogledd, Cwm Elan, 7km i’r de-ddwyrain a Chwmystwyth, tua’r un pellter i’r gorllewin, tra bod tref Rhaeadr Gwy rhyw 8km i’r dwyrain. Er hynny, nid yw Gogledd Elenydd yn anghysbell, oherwydd ei leoliad ym mlaenau Dyffryn Elan. Mae’r ffordd rhwng Rhaeadr Gwy a Chwmystwyth yn rhedeg ar hyd rhannau uchaf y dyffryn tra bod ffordd arall yn cysylltu Pont ar Elan â llynnoedd Elan i’r de, sy’n golygu bod hon yn ardal hynod boblogaidd gydag ymwelwyr ar hyd y flwyddyn.

Daeth y rhan fwyaf o’r ardal yn eiddo i Gorfforaeth Birmingham yn ystod yr 1890au, pan roddwyd hawl iddynt, drwy ddeddf gwlad, i feddiannu dyffrynnoedd Elan a Chlaerwen, a’r tiroedd cyfagos, er mwyn creu Ystâd Elan a llynnoedd enwog Dyffryn Elan. Hyd heddiw mae’r rhan fwyaf o Ogledd Elenydd o dan rheolaeth yr Ystâd, sydd bellach yn cael ei rheoli gan Dŵr Cymru.

Cofnodwyd 238 o safleoedd ac olion archaeolegol gan yr arolwg maes, y rhan fwyaf yn safleoedd a nodwyd am y tro gyntaf. Ymhlith prif ganfyddiadau’r arolwg maes oedd nifer o garneddau claddu sy’n dyddio Oes yr Efydd ac olion cytiau hirion oedd ar un amser yn cael eu defnyddio gan ffermwyr a bugeiliaid wrth warchod eu preiddiau ar fryniau’r ardal. Mae’r cofnod archaeolegol, fodd bynnag, yn cael ei dominyddu gan safleoedd sy’n dyddio i’r cyfnodau ôl-ganoloesol a modern. Mae hyn yn cynnyws olion o’r diwydiant torri mawn; rhaid cofio mai mawn oedd y prif danwydd a ddefnyddid yn yr fro hyd at diwedd y 19eg ganrif. Mae cyfres niferus o bostiau concrît yn brawf o ddylanwad Ystâd Elan yn ystod y 20fed ganrif, a gwelir olion maes tanio milwrol ar y bryniau uwchben Pont ar Elan yn ogystal.

Er bod yr ardal yn hynod atyniadol, ychydig iawn o gerddwyr sy’n mentro allan i’r bryniau. Mae’r ardal yn cael ei gyfrif fel un o’r ardaloedd mwyaf anghysbell a thawel yng Nghymru. Y llynnoedd sydd yn denu ymwelwyr i’r fro yn anad dim, ond fe all hynny newid yn y dyfodol, gyda’r cynnydd parhaol mewn poblogrwydd cerdded a beicio mynydd. Felly, bydd y cofnod cyflawn o olion archaeolegol yr ardal a grëwyd gan y prosiect hwn yn gymorth i ddiogelu’r olion archaeolegol brau sy’n cynrychioli miloedd o flynyddoedd o weithgarwch dynol ym mynyddoedd Elenydd.


Summary
The Elenydd (North) study area extends across some 19.51km2 and forms about one third of a larger area surveyed in the Cambrian Mountains by Trysor during the summer and autumn of 2009. Separate reports have been prepared for the surveys of Elenydd (South) and Elenydd (Central). The projects were undertaken with grant-aid from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales, as part of their Uplands Initiative project.

The study area is focused on the hills flanking the upper reaches of the Elan Valley, between Pont ar Elan and the source of the river at Gors Lwyd, in the northwestern corner of the historic county of Radnorshire. During medieval times, the area was part of Cwmwd Cwmdeuddwr, one of the granges of Strata Florida abbey, Ceredigion. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the old monastic grange was transformed into the private Cwm Elan estate. Until the 19th century, the most north-westerly corner of Elenydd (North) fell within Llangurig parish, in the historic county of Montgomeryshire, which had been the only part of the medieval lordship of Arwystli possessed by the monks of Strata Florida. The whole area was united into the old county of Radnorshire, and later Powys, during the 20th century.

Elenydd (North) has remained wholly agricultural in character to the present day, far from the villages and towns of mid-Wales and with only a small number of farmsteads within its boundaries. The nearest villages are Llangurig, 4km to the north, Elan Village, 7km to the southeast, and Cwmystwyth, a similar distance to the west. The town of Rhayader lies 8km to the east. Despite this, Elenydd (North) is not remote, due to its location in the upper Elan Valley. The main road from Rhayader to Cwmystwyth passes along the valley, and a second road connects Pont ar Elan with the area of the Elan reservoirs to the south, which means that the area is popular with visitors throughout the year. Most of the area came into the ownership of the Birmingham Corporation during the 1890s, when they were granted permission, by Act of Parliament, to purchase the Elan and Claerwen valleys and adjacent lands to create the Elan Estate and the famous Elan Valley reservoirs. Over a century later, most of Elenydd (North) is still managed by the Elan Estate, which is now under the control of Welsh Water.

The field survey recorded 238 archaeological sites in the area, most of which were noted for the first time. Amongst the most significant discoveries were a number of Bronze Age funerary cairns and the remains of huts, which were once used by shepherds tending their flocks on the mountain pastures of the area. The record is dominated by post medieval and modern archaeology, including evidence for the once important peat cutting industry; peat was of course the main source of domestic fuel in the district until the end of the 19th century. Features such as a large number of boundary posts show the influence of the Elan Estate during the 20th century, whilst the target area of an early 20th century artillery range can be seen on the hills above Pont ar Elan.

Elenydd (North) is an outstandingly beautiful area but, surprisingly, is rarely frequented by walkers; most visitors to the area keep to the road. The area is considered to be amongst the most remote and undisturbed in Wales. The Elan Valley lakes, more than anything, ensure that many visitors do pass through the area, and it is not impossible that the continuing rise in popularity for outdoor pursuits such as walking and mountain biking may yet have an impact on Elenydd (North). It is hoped that the complete record of archaeological features created by this project will help protect the fragile evidence of human activity in the area and enable an increased understanding of the history and development of this special landscape.

Related Uplands Archaeology Links:
Read in full: Uplands Initiative Elenydd (North) Archaeological Survey (Part One) (PDF file, 6.4MB)
The Uplands Archaeology Initiative Royal Commission Website

Uplands Initiative Elenydd (Central) Archaeological Survey (Part One)

Uplands Initiative Elenydd (Central) 
Archaeological Survey (Part One)

Crynodeb
Mae Elenydd (Canol) yn ymestyn dros 23.47 cilomedr sgwâr ac yn ffurfio tua thraean o ardal ehangach ym mryniau canolbarth Cymru a archwiliwyd gan Trysor yn ystod haf a hydref 2009. Ceir adroddiadau ar wahân ar gyfer arolygon ardaloedd De a Gogledd Elenydd. Cariwyd y gwaith allan gyda chymorth ariannol Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru, fel rhan o brosiect Menter yr Ucheldiroedd.

Mae Elenydd (Canol) yn cynnwys ardal o dirwedd fynyddig, anghysbell rhwng rhannau uchaf cymoedd Elan a Chlaerwen. Lleolir ym mhlwyf Llansanffraid Cwmdeuddwr, yng ngorllewin yr hen Sir Faesyfed, rhan o sir Powys bellach. Dyma ardal sydd heb gael ei effeithio’n drwm gyda gweithgareddau dynol, ar wahân i’w defnydd fel tir pori gan ffermydd y cymoedd cyfagos. Dim ond dwy fferm fynyddig sydd o fewn ei ffiniau heddiw. Y pentref agosaf yw Pentref Elan, 4km i’r dwyrain, tra bod tref Rhaeadr Gwy rhyw 8km i ffwrdd i’r un cyfeiriad. Yr unig ffordd gyhoeddus i gyffwrdd â’r ardal yw’r heol garw sy’n cysylltu Dyffryn Elan â Ffair Rhos, Ceredigion, gan ddilyn ochr ogleddol Llyn Claerwen. Serch hynny, mae’r ffordd hon yn rhy arw i ganiatáu llawer o drafnidiaeth. Ceir llwybr arall, sy’n croesi trwy ganol yr ardal o Ffair Rhos i ran uchaf Dyffryn Elan, sef y llwybr a elwir “Ffordd y Mynachod” heddiw. Mae hon yn un o’r ychydig ffyrdd cyhoeddus yn Elenydd (Canol).

Yn ystod y Canol Oesoedd, ffurfia’r ardal hon rhan o Gwmdeuddwr, un o ystadau abaty Ystrad Fflur, Ceredigion. Ar ôl Diddymiad y Mynachlogydd, roedd yr hen ystâd y mynachod wedi syrthio i ddwylo preifat fel rhan o Ystâd Cwm Elan. Daeth y rhan fwyaf o’r ystâd yn eiddo i Gorfforaeth Birmingham yn ystod yr 1890au, pan roddwyd hawl iddynt, drwy ddeddf gwlad, feddiannu dyffrynnoedd Elan a Chlaerwen, a’r tiroedd cyfagos. Gwnaed hyn er mwyn creu llynnoedd enwog Dyffryn Elan i gyflenwi dŵr i Ganolbarth Lloegr a chymoedd De Cymru. Llyn Claerwen oedd yr olaf o’r llynnoedd i agor, ym 1952. Hyd heddiw, mae bryniau Elenydd (Canol) o dan reolaeth Ystâd Elan, sydd bellach yn nwylo Dŵr Cymru.

Cofnodwyd 122 o safleoedd ac olion archaeolegol gan yr arolwg maes, y rhan fwyaf o’r rhain yn safleoedd a nodwyd am y tro gyntaf. Dyma gyfanswm hynod isel am ardal fynyddig o’r maint yma. Ymhlith prif ganfyddiadau’r arolwg oedd rhai carneddau claddu sy’n dyddio I Oes yr Efydd, yn ogystal ag ychydig o gytiau hir, sydd o bosibl yn dyddio i’r oes pan fu’r ardal yn nwylo mynachod Ystrad Fflur. Serch hynny, dominyddir y cofnod archaeolegol gan safleoedd ôl-ganoloesol neu fodern, llawer ohonynt yn gysylltiedig â gweithgareddau Ystâd Elan.


Adnabyddir Elenydd fel ardal sy’n gyfoethog mewn bywyd gwyllt, yn enwedig mewn rhywogaethau o adar a phlanhigion. Un o nodweddion amlycaf Elenydd heddiw yw’r trwch o laswellt y waun (Molinia Caerulea), sydd bellach yn gorchuddio rhannau helaeth o’r tir yma. Mae’n rhwystr difrifol i archaeolegwyr yn y maes, gan guddio olion archaeolegol a gwneud y tir yn anodd ei gerdded. Yn ogystal, mae’n achosi dirywiad yn ansawdd y porfeydd mynyddig a bioamrywiaeth y fro yn gyffredinol. Mawnogydd a geir dros rannau sylweddol o Elenydd (Canol) hefyd, ond ychydig o dystiolaeth sydd am dorri mawn nac erydiad o’r mawn yn gyffredinol.

Ychydig iawn o ymwelwyr sy’n mentro allan ar y bryniau yma, ac mae’r ardal yn cael ei gyfrif fel un o’r ardaloedd mwyaf anghysbell a digyfnewid yng Nghymru. Gall y cynnydd parhaol mewn poblogrwydd gweithgareddau hamdden megis cerdded a beicio mynydd newid y sefyllfa yn y dyfodol. Gobeithir y bydd y cofnod cyflawn o olion archaeolegol yr ardal a grëwyd gan y prosiect hwn yn fodd i ddiogelu’r dystiolaeth frau am weithgarwch dynol ar fryniau Elenydd.


Summary
The Elenydd (Central) study area extends across some 23.47km2 and forms about one third of a larger area surveyed in the Cambrian Mountains by Trysor during the summer and autumn of 2009. Separate reports have been prepared for the surveys of Elenydd (North) and Elenydd (South). The projects were undertaken with grant-aid from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales, as part of their Uplands Initiative project.

Elenydd (Central) is focused on a remote hilly area which lays between the Claerwen and upper Elan valleys. It is in the parish of Llansanffraid Cwmdeuddwr, in western Radnorshire, part of the modern county of Powys. It is an area which appears to have seen very little human activity apart from pastoral farming and has only two occupied hill farms within its boundaries. The nearest village is Elan Village, 4km to the east, whilst the town of Rhayader lies 8km in the same direction. The only public road through the study area is the rough track which connects the Elan Valley with Ffair Rhos in Ceredigion, which runs along the northern edge of the Claerwen reservoir, via Claerwen farm, at the southern edge of the area. This track is too rough to carry road traffic and is therefore rarely used. A long distance trackway runs through the heart of Elenydd (Central), from the Ffair Rhos and Strata Florida area in Ceredigion to the upper Elan valley, the so-called “Monks’ Way” or “Monks’ Trod”. This is one of very few public footpaths in the district and is also infrequently used.

During medieval times, the area formed a part of Cwmdeuddwr, an upland grange of Strata Florida abbey, Ceredigion. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the grange was transformed into the private Cwm Elan estate. During the 1890s the whole district passed into the ownership of the Birmingham Corporation, when an Act of Parliament granted the Corporation permission to occupy the Elan and Claerwen valleys, and the water catchments of each river. This created a new Elan Estate focused on the famous Elan Valley reservoirs, constructed to supply water to the English Midlands and the South Wales valleys. Claerwen was the last of the reservoirs to appear, not being opened until 1952. To the present day, the hills of Elenydd (Central) are managed by the Elan Estate, now in the hands of Welsh Water.

The field survey recorded 122 archaeological sites in the area, most of which were noted for the first time. This is a very low figure for an upland area of this size. Amongst the most significant discoveries were a small number of Bronze Age funerary cairns and several long huts, some of which may have been in use in medieval times, when the area was controlled by the monks of Strata Florida. The record is, however, dominated by post medieval and modern archaeology, much of which is associated with the activities of the Elan Estate.

Elenydd (Central) is rich in terms of its wildlife, especially in terms of bird species and its flora. However, one of the most important characteristics of Elenydd (Central) is the thick mat of purple moor-grass (Molinia Caerulea) which now covers a significant portion of the area. This proved a hindrance to the archaeological survey as it obscures surface features and makes the land difficult to walk. It is also affecting the quality of the upland pasture and the bio-diversity of the area in general. Elenydd (Central) also has extensive areas of peat bog, with remarkably little evidence for peat cutting or peat erosion.

The Elenydd landscape is considered to be amongst the most remote and undisturbed in Wales, and this part of it is rarely frequented by visitors. It is not impossible that the rise in popularity for outdoor pursuits might yet have an impact. It is hoped that the complete record of archaeological features created by this project will help protect the fragile evidence of human activity in the area and enable an increased understanding of the history and development of this special landscape.



Related Uplands Archaeology Links:
Read in full: Uplands Initiative Elenydd (Central) Archaeological Survey (Part One) (PDF file, 5.5MB)
The Uplands Archaeology Initiative Royal Commission Website

Launch of Archwilio - Access To 100,000 Records By The Welsh Archaeological Trusts

The first of July sees the launch of the new on-line access system to Wales' Historic Environment Records - Archwilio - by the Minister for the Heritage Alun Ffred Jones AM at the Treftadaeth Conference at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea.

The system gives access to over 100,000 records maintained by the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts.

Investigating a probable Roman villa near Aberystwyth

Abermagwr Project 2010

Investigating a probable Roman villa near Aberystwyth

What are archaeologists doing in Abermagwr this summer?

We think we have found a Roman villa buried beneath fields on the outskirts of Abermagwr. There are no Roman villas currently known in Ceredigion, and none this far north or west in Wales. We are carrying out a small excavation this summer to try to date the building.

When was an archaeological site found at Abermagwr?

Aerial archaeologists from Cambridge University, flying over Abermagwr in 1979, first saw green lines or ‘cropmarks’ in the fields caused by old buried ditches. In the summer of 2006 the Royal Commission overflew Abermagwr and saw cropmarks of a great double-ditched enclosure, with a stone building inside. A circular Iron Age farmstead was also discovered close by. Both sites lie a mile north of Trawsgoed Roman fort.

What do we know about the probable Roman villa?

In 2009 a magnetometry survey, like the ‘geofizz’ of the Time Team, was used to scan the field. It revealed the tell-tale floor plan of a building with stone foundations and two projecting wings, most likely to be a Roman villa.

Old Trawsgoed estate maps do not show any buildings on this site in the last 300 years, and its plan is unlike any medieval houses or churches. It is similar to excavated examples of ‘winged-corridor’ Roman villas in south Wales and England, built between AD 70 and AD 400. The building faces due south, maximising sunlight to the front corridor and rooms. A small room at the back could be a stoking room for a hypocaust – a system of central heating with floors raised up on pillars. We would expect this building to have been home to a wealthy farmer or landowner, at the centre of a large estate. The Abermagwr villa probably had a tiled roof and possibly even mosaic floors in the principal rooms, especially the dining-room. It sat within a large rectangular enclosure.

What excavations are planned?

Archaeologists are only planning a small-scale ‘evaluation’ exercise this year, just large enough to recover finds to date the building and, hopefully, show its relationship to the enclosing ditches. The main rooms of the villa will not be explored.  The dig is funded by the Cambrian Archaeological Association, with equipment loaned by the Dyfed Archaeological Trust. It is being directed by Dr Toby Driver of the Royal Commission based in Aberystwyth and Dr Jeffrey Davies, a Roman expert formerly with the Department of History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth University, who excavated at the nearby Trawsgoed Roman fort.

Can we visit the excavations?

The site is on private land, but the landowner has kindly allowed some local schools to visit the dig. People can visit the dig via a footbridge off the Abermagwr-Pontrhydygroes road while excavations are in progress in July, but there is no parking close to the site. We hope to keep the local paper updated and to give a public talk in the autumn to tell people what we have found.

How can I find out more?

The Abermagwr site can be found on the Royal Commissions’ online database, www.coflein.gov.uk . Search for ‘Abermagwr’ or ‘Nant Magwr Roman site’ in the Quick Search option. The Internet can be searched for ‘Trawsgoed Villa’ - there are lots of references and articles already online. Alternatively, contact Toby Driver on 01970  621207 or toby.driver@rcahmw.gov.uk

Further Abermagwr information

Abermagwr Link to Coflein

Prosiect Abermagwr 2010

Ymchwilio i fila Rufeinig debygol ger Aberystwyth

Beth mae archaeolegwyr yn ei wneud yn Abermagwr yr haf hwn?

Rydyn ni’n credu i ni ddod o hyd i fila Rufeinig o dan gaeau ar gyrion Abermagwr. Gan nad oes yr un fila Rufeinig yn hysbys yng Ngheredigion ar hyn o bryd, na’r un mor bell i’r gogledd a’r gorllewin â hyn yng Nghymru, fe wnawn ni ychydig o waith cloddio yno yn yr haf i geisio pennu dyddiad i’r adeilad.

Pryd y cafwyd hyd i safle archaeolegol yn Abermagwr?

Wrth hedfan dros Abermagwr ym 1979 y gwelodd archaeolegwyr-o’r-awyr o Brifysgol Caergrawnt linellau gwyrdd neu ‘ôl-gnydau’ yn y caeau gyntaf. Achoswyd y rheiny gan hen ffosydd a gawsai eu claddu. Yn ystod haf 2006, wrth hedfan dros Abermagwr, gwelodd y Comisiwn Brenhinol ôl-gnydau lloc mawr ac iddo ffos ddwbl, ac ynddo roedd adeiladau cerrig. Cafwyd hyd hefyd i fferm gron o’r Oes Haearn gerllaw. Mae’r ddau safle filltir i’r gogledd o gaer Rufeinig Trawsgoed.

Beth wyddon ni am y fila Rufeinig debygol?

Yn 2009 defnyddiwyd arolwg magnetometrig, tebyg i ‘geofizz’ y Time Team, i sganio’r cae. Dangosodd hwnnw gynllun llawr adeilad ac iddo sylfeini cerrig a dwy aden ymestynnol, sef fila Rufeinig, yn fwy na thebyg.

Does yr un o hen fapiau ystâd Trawsgoed yn dangos adeilad ar y safle hwn dros y 300 mlynedd diwethaf, ac mae ei gynllun yn wahanol i gynllun tai ac eglwysi’r Oesoedd Canol. Mae’r adeilad yn debyg i’r enghreifftiau o filâu Rhufeinig â ‘choridor adeiniog’ a godwyd rhwng OC70 ac OC400 ac sydd wedi’u cloddio yn ne Cymru ac yn Lloegr. Mae’r adeilad yn wynebu’n union tua’r de er mwyn i gymaint o heulwen â phosibl lifo i’r coridor a’r ffenestri blaen. Gallai ystafell fach yn y cefn fod yn ystafell dân i hypocawst, sef system gwresogi canolog lle mae’r lloriau wedi’u codi ar golofnau. Bydden ni’n disgwyl i’r adeilad fod wedi bod yn gartref i ffermwr neu dirfeddiannwr cyfoethog ac wedi’i godi ar ganol ystâd fawr. Mae’n fwy na thebyg i fila Abermagwr fod â tho teils a hyd yn oed loriau mosaig, efallai, yn y prif ystafelloedd, ac yn enwedig yn yr ystafell fwyta. Safai o fewn lloc mawr petryal.

Pa waith cloddio sydd ar y gweill?

Ymarfer ‘gwerthuso’ graddfa-fach yn unig sydd gan archaeolegwyr mewn golwg eleni, sef dim ond digon i allu dod o hyd i eitemau iddyn nhw allu rhoi dyddiad i’r adeilad a hefyd, gobeithio, i ddangos ei berthynas â’r ffosydd o’i amgylch. Fyddwn ni ddim yn ymchwilio i brif ystafelloedd y fila. Cymdeithas Hynafiaethau Cymru fydd yn ariannu’r cloddio a chawn ni’r offer ar fenthyg gan Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Dyfed. Dr Toby Driver o swyddfa’r Comisiwn Brenhinol yn Aberystwyth, a Dr Jeffrey Davies, arbenigwr ar y Rhufeiniaid, fydd yn cyfarwyddo’r gwaith. Arferai Dr Davies weithio yn Adran Hanes a Hanes Cymru ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth, ac ef gloddiodd y gaer Rufeinig yn Nhrawsgoed gerllaw.

Gawn ni ymweld â’r gwaith cloddio?

Er bod y safle ar dir preifat, mae perchennog y tir wedi bod yn ddigon caredig iawn i ganiatáu i rai ysgolion lleol ymweld â’r lle. Gall pobl ymweld ag ef drwy groesi pont droed oddi ar ffordd Abermagwr-Pont-rhyd-y-groes yn ystod y gwaith cloddio ym mis Gorffennaf, ond does dim lle parcio ger y safle. Rydyn ni’n gobeithio rhoi gwybod i’r papur lleol yn gyson am y datblygiadau, a rhoi anerchiad cyhoeddus yn yr hydref i sôn wrth y cyhoedd am ein darganfyddiadau ni yno.

Sut mae cael gwybod rhagor?

Gallwch chi ddod o hyd i safle Abermagwr ar gronfa ddata ar-lein y Comisiwn Brenhinol, www.coflein.gov.uk . Dewiswch Chwiliad Cyflym a chwiliwch am ‘Abermagwr’ neu safle Rhufeinig ‘Nant Magwr’. Gallwch chi chwilio’r we am ‘Trawsgoed Villa’ - mae peth wmbredd o gyfeiriadau ac erthyglau arni ar-lein eisoes. Dewis arall yw ffonio Toby Driver ar 01970  621207 neu anfon e-bost ato i toby.driver@cbhc.gov.uk

Further Abermagwr information

Abermagwr Link to Coflein

Launch of CADW's Maintenance Matters Website

 Alun Ffred Jones AM, Minister for Heritage (left) with Greg Stevenson,
at the launch of CADW's new website: maintenance matters.

Cynnal a chadw yn fyw!
Mae gwefan newydd Cynnal a Chadw! (www.cynnalachadwcymru.org), sydd wedi ei gynllunio gan Cadw, nawr yn fyw ar ôl cael ei lansio gan Alun Ffred Jones AC, Gweinidog Treftadaeth, a’r cyflwynydd teledu Greg Stevenson yn Fferm Treberfedd, ger Llanbedr Pont Steffan.
Gwaith cynnal a chadw rheolaidd yw’r peth pwysicaf y gall perchnogion ei wneud i ddiogelu ei adeiladau hanesyddol a bwriad gwefan Cynnal a Chadw! yw helpu perchnogion nodi problemau bach yn gynnar, atal difrod difrifol a’r angen am waith atgyweirio drud yn nes ymlaen.
Mae’r wefan yn cynnig cyngor arbennig ynghyd â ffotograffau a lluniau i ddarparu canllaw ar-lein i gynnal  a chadw adeiladau hanesyddol, beth i edrych allan amdano, pryd a sut i’w gadw yn y cyflwr gorau posibl.


Maintenance Matters goes live!

Maintenance Matters! (www.maintenancematterswales.org), a new web resource designed by Cadw,for owners of historic and listed properties, is now live after its launch by Alun Ffred Jones AM, Heritage Minister, and television presenter Greg Stevenson at Treberfedd Farm in Ceredigion.
Routine maintenance is probably the most important action that owners can take to protect their historic buildings and the Maintenance Matters! web resource is aimed at helping owners to spot minor problems early, preventing serious damage and the need for expensive repairs later on.
The website offers expert advice coupled with photographs and drawings to provide an online guide to maintaining historic buildings what to look for, when and how to keep the properties in best possible condition.

Eurwyn Wiliam To Be Honoured By The Gorsedd

On the 16 June 2010 the National Eisteddfod announced the list of those to be honoured by the Gorsedd this year. A number of people are honoured by the Gorsedd each year to celebrate their contribution to Wales.  Eurwyn Wiliam, Chairman of the Royal Commission and his wife Mary are to be honoured at the Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod.

Full details: 

http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english/content.php?nID=258&newsID=214

Tŷ Mawr's 550th Birthday

The largest restored medieval aisled hall in Wales celebrates its 550th anniversary this year with a series of special weekend events.

Tŷ Mawr near Castle Caereinon is also featured in an upcoming television documentary to mark the event.

Find out more:
Marking medieval Tŷ Mawr's 550th birthday
Tŷ Mawr Coflein Site Details
Tŷ Mawr is a rare surviving example of a Medieval Aisled Hall House.

Fishguard Capel Day

The latest Capel meeting was held at Fishguard on Saturday, May 8^th  and attended by members of RCAHMW working on the Chapel project. As appropriate in this strongly Baptist, the day commenced with a talk on ‘The Welsh Baptist Heritage in West Pembrokeshire’ by the Reverend D Carl Williams, minister at Hermon Welsh Baptist Chapel. This was followed by a short introduction to history of chapel organs and well received organ recital, both held in Hermon, before an opportunity to tour the chapel (NPRN 10937 www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/10937/details).   

After lunch, there was a tour of some of the most notable chapels in the town including Tabernacle Independent Chapel (NPRN 10935, www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/10935/details),  Pentowr Calvinist Methodist chapel (NPRN 30047, www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/30047/details) and Bethel English Baptist Chapel (NPRN 10936, www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/10936/details) . More unusually, there was a visit to St Mary The Virgin Anglican Church (NPRN 193, www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/193/details), marked out for its non-conformist architect, whose religious views to an extent are reflected in the layout of the church. Within the churchyard can also be seen the memorial stone to  Jemima Nicholas ‘The Welsh Heroine’ , who marched to defeat the French invading Fishguard in 1797. The day, as usual, ended with a spectacular tea prepared by the ladies of Hermon Chapel.

The next Capel Meeting will be held in Wrexham on Saturday, 9^th October. For more details of membership and dates of further meetings, as well as downloadable newsletters and publication  visit the Capel website at www.capeli.org.uk. For more details of the RCAHMW Chapels Project contact the Royal Commission at www.rcahmw.gov.uk/HI/ENG/Our+Services/Enquiry+Services.

Medieval Remains Buried at Eisteddfod Maes

"As workers were digging a hole to lay a pipe, they came across two ditches believed by experts to be either a ditch surrounding the remains of a small hamlet or medieval drove way,” said Aled Siôn, Director of the Urdd National Eisteddfod. “Naturally, work came to a halt and we had to change our plans pretty quickly and no pipes will be laid in that part of the Maes so as not to disturb the remains.

Link:
Dig With a Difference at Urdd Eisteddfod Site

The Welsh Cottage - Seminar and Book Launch

COMISIWN BRENHINOL HENEBION CYMRU
mewn cysylltiad ag Amgueddfa Cymru

Y Bwthyn Cymreig
Seminar a lansiad llyfr
Sefydliad Gweithwyr Oakdale, Amgueddfa Werin Sain Ffagan, Sain Ffagan, Caerdydd Dydd Llun 24 Mai 2010

Bydd y seminar yn ymchwilio i hanes a chadwraeth y bwthyn traddodiadol, un o nodweddion mwyaf arbennig tirwedd Cymru. Er bod miloedd o fythynnod wedi mynd i ebargofiant dros y ganrif ddiwethaf, dysgwyd llawer iawn wrth astudio’r adeiladau sydd wedi goroesi ac wrth gofnodi rhai eraill cyn iddynt ddarfod o’r tir. Er bod cryn her yn wynebu’r rhai sy’n ceisio sicrhau cadwraeth bythynnod traddodiadol a chadw gwybodaeth am fywydau’r sawl a’u cododd ac a fu’n byw ynddynt, mae’r adeiladau diymhongar hyn yn dal i wneud cyfraniad pwysig i arbenigrwydd lleol ac i ddiwylliant Cymru. Y seminar hwn fydd achlysur lansio arolwg mawr newydd o’r pwnc gan y Gweinidog dros Dreftadaeth, Alun Ffred Jones AC –

Y Bwthyn Cymreig. Arferion adeiladu tlodion y Gymru wledig, 1750-1900
gan Eurwyn Wiliam

10:30 Cofrestru a choffi
11:00 Gair o groeso gan Dr Peter Wakelin (y Comisiwn Brenhinol) a Dr John Williams-Davies (Amgueddfa Cymru)
11:15 Dr Eurwyn Wiliam (Cadeirydd y Comisiwn Brenhinol): Y Bwthyn Cymreig: rhai myfyrdodau
12:00 Taith dywys o waith a bythynnod clom a thoeon gwellt yn Sain Ffagan dan arweiniad Dr Gerallt Nash (Amgueddfa Werin Sain Ffagan)
12:40 Anerchiad gan y Gweinidog dros Dreftadaeth, Alun Ffred Jones AC
13:00 Egwyl cinio: mae mannau arlwyo ar gael yn yr Amgueddfa Werin
14:00 Paul Sambrook (Trysor): Atseiniau o’r Gorffennol
14:30 Judith Alfrey (Cadw): Gofalu am y Bwthyn Cymreig
15:00 Panel o siaradwyr: cadwraeth a defnyddio bythynnod a diogelu technegau traddodiadol – ffyrdd ymlaen
16:00 Te a chloi

Bydd arddangosfa o waith y Comisiwn Brenhinol yno. Bydd copïau o Y Bwthyn Cymreig a chopïau o gyhoeddiadau eraill y Comisiwn Brenhinol ar gael a bydd disgownt o 10% ar eu pris.

I archebu lle’n rhad ac am ddim yn y seminar, cysylltwch â Lilwen Jones yn y cyfeiriad isod neu ar 01970 621200 neu lilwen.jones[AT]cbhc.gov.uk

Gan fod nifer y lleoedd yn gyfyngedig, fe’ch cynghorir i archebu lle’n gynnar.

Related Links:
Y Bwthyn Cymreig

*****************************************************************************

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS OF WALES
in association with Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales

The Welsh Cottage
Seminar and Book Launch
Oakdale Workmen’s Institute, St Fagans National History Museum, St Fagans, Cardiff Monday 24 May 2010

This seminar will explore the history and conservation of the traditional cottage, one of the most distinctive features of the Welsh landscape. Thousands of examples have been lost over the past century, but a great deal has been learned from studying cherished surviving buildings or recording others before they were lost forever. Challenges exist for those seeking to conserve traditional cottages and maintain knowledge about the lives of the people who built them and lived in them. However, these humble buildings continue to make an important contribution to local distinctiveness and to the culture of Wales. The seminar will be the occasion of the official launch, by the Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones AM, of a major new survey of the subject –

The Welsh Cottage. Building traditions of the rural poor, 1750-1900
by Eurwyn Wiliam

10:30 Registration and coffee
11:00 Welcome address by Dr Peter Wakelin (Royal Commission) and Dr John Williams-Davies (Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales)
11:15 Dr Eurwyn Wiliam (Chairman, Royal Commission): The Welsh Cottage: some reflections
12:00 Guided tour of clom and thatch work and cottages at St Fagans led by Dr Gerallt Nash (St Fagans National History Museum)
12:40 Address by the Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones AM
13:00 Lunch break: catering outlets are available at the National History Museum
14:00 Paul Sambrook (Trysor): Atseiniau o’r Gorffennol / Echoes of the Past
14:30 Judith Alfrey (Cadw): Caring for the Welsh Cottage
15:00 Panel of speakers: conservation and use of cottages and preservation of traditional techniques – ways forward
16:00 Tea and close

There will be an exhibition of the work of the Royal Commission. The Welsh Cottage and other Royal Commission publications will be available at a 10% discount.

For a place at the seminar, which is free of charge, please contact Lilwen Jones at the address below or on 01970 621200 or at: lilwen.jones[AT]rcahmw.gov.uk

As places are limited, you are advised to book early.

Related Links:
The wonders of the Welsh Cottage

Llafur Day School on 19 June 2010

The next Llafur event will be held on Saturday 19 June 2010 at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwth between 10am and 4pm.  The day school on Victorian Wales will celebrate the 90th birthday of Llafur's President, Ieuan Gwynedd Jones. The event is being organised in conjunction with Ceredigion Historical Society and speakers include Ryland Wallace, Russell Davies, Geraint Jenkins, Paul O'Leary and Richard Ireland.  To reserve your free place, please contact me.  Email: s.f.williams[AT]swansea.ac.uk

The following events might be of interest: 

'Biography and identity in the making of British radicals' on Saturday, 22 May 2010, Swansea Museum.  This is a one-day conference in commemoration of the life and work of Nina Fishman, late Honorary Research Professor at Swansea University, also marking the Swansea launch of Nina's Arthur Horner:

A Political Biography (Lawrence and Wishart, 2010).  Further details are attached or are available from Professor Chris Williams, Swansea University.

Email: christopher.m.williams[AT]swansea.ac.uk

On Saturday 12 June 2010, a one-day conference 'Swansea and the Second World War' will be held at Swansea Museum to mark the publication of The Swansea Wartime Diary of Laurie Latchford, 1940-41, edited by Kate Elliott Jones and Wendy Cope and published by the South Wales Record Society.  Further details are attached or are available from Professor Chris Williams, Swansea University.  Email: christopher.m.williams[AT]swansea.ac.uk

Also, the Chartist Annual Conference will be held at the Sorbonne in July.

For further details, please see:

http://education.newport.ac.uk/displayPage.aspx?object_id=12971&type=PAG

Translate Page Text From English Into Welsh

Screen shot from Blogger, showing html code 

You can now read the Heritage in Wales News blog in Welsh, thanks to the Google translate. No matter what page you are viewing, clicking the Cymraeg link above, will translate the page from English into Welsh.

The following code was used:
<a href="#" onClick="javascript:window.location='http://www.google.com/translate_c?hl=en&langpair=en%7Ccy&u='
+ window.location.href;" >Cymraeg</a>

New Heritage Trail In North Montgomeryshire

From May 2010 a new heritage trail will guide visitors through north Montgomeryshire and reveal some of Wales's best kept secrets.

The buildings on the Heritage Trail are: Pendref Chapel and St Myllin's Church, Llanfyllin; Christ Church, Bwlch-y-cibau; the Ann Griffiths Memorial Chapel, Dolanog; Hen Capel John Hughes, Pontrobert; St Tysilio & St Mary's, Meifod; St Michael's, Llanfihangel-yng-ngwynfa; St Wddyn's and Sardis Chapel, Llanwddyn; St Dogfan's and Capel Seion, Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant; St Silin's, Llansilin; St Ffraid's, Llansanffraid; St Garmon's, Llanfechain; St Cedwyn's, Llangedwyn and St Melangell's, Pennant Melangell.

Launch event date, the Living Stones Heritage Day, held in Llanfyllin on Saturday, 22 May.

Further Links of Interest:
New trail reveals Montgomeryshire's hidden heritage from BBC

Wedi 7 Talkes To Eurwyn Wiliam Writer Of The Welsh Cottage

A thatched tyddyn, Swtan, Church Bay, Anglesey. In this pre- 1940 photograph the roofs of both the cottage and the nearest outbuilding are tied down to the gables. 
By permission of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, NMW DF106409.
 
Wedi 7 talkes to Eurwyn Wiliam, Chairman of the Royal Commission and writer of its new book 'The Welsh Cottage', interview takes place from a thatched cottage, Swtan, Church Bay, Anglesey, now the only thatched building remaining on the island. Also a chat with a builder/restorer from Llyn.

On S4C 7pm Thursday 2010/05/06

Also see:
Y Bwthyn Cymreig: Arferion adeiladu tlodion y Gymru wledig 1750-1900
The Welsh Cottage: Building traditions of the rural poor 1750-1900

Book Sales
RCAHMW
Plas Crug
ABERYSTWYTH
Ceredigion
SY23 1NJ
U.K.

Telephone 01970 621200
Fax: 01970 627701
e-mail Book Sales via the Enquiry Form

Bronze Bell; Tal-y-bont Maritime Wreck

The site was found in 1978 by divers from Glaslyn and Harlow Sub Aqua club who came across the large stone blocks, cast and built-up iron guns and a Bronze Bell. The divers formed themselves into the Cae Nest Group and together with the Welsh Institute of Maritime Archaeology and History at the University of Wales (Bangor) applied for site designation and a licence to survey. Haverfordwest Museum offered to conserve the finds and the Royal Armouries undertook to excavate, raise and conserve one of the breech-loading wrought iron guns. Finds include a bronze bell cast with the date 1677 and a stack of pewter concreted to one of the main guns. One of these platters is shaped like a cardinal's hat with a halmark stamp of Lyon dated 1700. Coins from 10 countries suggest a date of post 1702 for the wreck. Other finds include navigational dividers, fine cutlery, a dental plate, a seal, remains of pistols and a rapier, and a gunner's rule.
The weight of the marble blocks calculated at 66 tonnes, suggest that the vessel was not large despite all the armament. The origin of the guns and majority of coins suggests that the vessel was a French trader, and was carrying marble from the Italian quarries of Carrera exported via Genoa or Leghorn. There is a strong location tradition that artefacts from the wreck found their way into everyday use within Cors y Gedol Hall. The ship's timbers were incorporated into a building in the hall's grounds. A survivor called Juan Benedictus may also have lived as part of the local community. His death is entered in Llanendwyn Parish Register in 1730. Many of the recovered items from the wreck are now on display at local museums, including Barmouth.

Full site details: Bronze Bell; Tal-y-bont

Learn about other fascinating maritime wrecks around Wales on Coflein, the online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), the national collection of information about the historic environment of Wales.

Other useful links:
Maritime Archaeology In Wales
Maritime wrecks - Cadw

Royal Commission Dates for Your Diary 2010

 Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, takes a look at Trysorau Cudd/Hidden Histories with the Royal Commission's education officer Angharad Williams at the National Eisteddfod in Bala, Gwynedd, 2009.

This year the Royal Commission’s stand will have a number of displays and events highlighting its work of recording and surveying the built heritage of Wales, with images from the national archive relating to archaeological sites, historic buildings and landscapes.

Exhibition and show dates for Royal Commission in 2010:

Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
31 May - 05 June 2010

Royal Welsh Show
Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, Powys
19-22 July 2010

The National Eisteddfod of Wales
Blaenau Gwent and Heads of the Valleys
31 July – 7 August 2010

Come along and learn how to use the resouces from the Royal Commission such as Coflein the public online database.
Did you know? The National Monuments Record of Wales contains information about 70,000 sites across Wales and maintains an archive of over a million items.

More Reviews for Hidden Histories

The Royal Commission’s book, Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales, has been getting some excellent reviews in various journals as they come out. Last year, British Archaeology called it ‘an inspiring tool for anyone engaged with Welsh heritage.’ The latest generous comments are in Morgannwg, the journal of the Glamorgan History Society (2009), by the Society’s President, Professor Gwynedd O. Pierce. Professor Pierce says that the arrangement of the book ‘makes the reader’s progress through the pages of this sumptuous volume a journey of sheer pleasure’. He concludes, ‘it can be regarded as the most beautiful fully comprehensive social history of Wales that has been hitherto produced.’

Another enthusiastic recent review has come out in Landscape History (2009). Paul Stamper of English Heritage writes,  ‘this is a very classy offering indeed’ and ‘a fine publication which deserves to find a wide readership.’ His only criticism is the apparent omission of any mention of the heritage of sport, and in particular rugby. Happily, there is in fact a two-page spread by Neil Harries on the demolition of the old Cardiff national rugby stadium and the construction of the Millennium Stadium in its place.

Hidden Histories and the Welsh-language edition Trysorau Cudd are still available from bookshops or direct from the Royal Commission.

National Monuments Record of Wales Library Closures

The library will be closed on the following dates:

23 April 2010 pm

27 April 2010 am

28 April 2010 am

30 April 2010 am

Y Bwthyn Cymreig: Arferion adeiladu tlodion y Gymru wledig 1750-1900

Y Bwthyn Cymreig
Gan Eurwyn Wiliam, 2010

Er mai'r bwythyn traddodiadol yw o nodweddion mwyaf arbennig tirwedd Cymru, mae ef bellach yn adeilad eithaf prin am i filoedd o enghreifftiau ohono ddiflannu dros y can mlynedd diwethaf. Er hynny, dysgwyd llawer iawn amando drwy astudio'r adeiladau sydd wedi goroesi a thrwy gofnodi eraill yn ofalus cyn iddynt ddarfod o'r tir. Mae'r waliau o bridd neu goed, y lloriau cerrig a'r toeon o frwyn, tywyrch neu gerrig yn yr adeiladau diymhongar hynny, a'u nodweddion eraill, yn adrodd hanes eithriadol o ddiddorol am draddodiadau lleol arbennig, am y sgiliau a drosglwyddwyd o genhedlaeth i genhedlaeth, ac am ymdrech gwerin gwlad i oroesi.

Clawr: Caled
Maint: 280 x 220mm
Tudalennau: 288
Darluniau: 212
ISBN: 9781871184389
Pris: £29.95
Clundiant: £0.00

Gwerthu Llyfrau
CBHC
Plas Crug
ABERYSTWYTH
Ceredigion
SY23 1NJ

Ffôn: 01970 621200
Ffacs: 01970 6217701
neu e-bostiwch yr adran Gwerthu Llyfrau gan ddefnyddio’r Ffurflen Ymholiad

Related Links:
Y Bwthyn Cymreig

The Welsh Cottage: Building traditions of the rural poor 1750-1900

The Welsh Cottage
By Eurwyn Wiliam, 2010

The Traditional cottage is one of the most distinctive features of the landscape of Wales. With the loss of thousands of examples over the past century it has become almost an endangered species, but a great deal has been learned from studying cherished surviving buildings and making a careful record of others before they were lost forever. The earth or timber walls, pebble floors, and roofs of rush, turf and stone in these humble buildings, among other features, tell a fascinating story of distinctive local traditions, skills handed down from generation to generation, and the struggle to survive.

Cover: Hardback
Size: 280 x 220mm
Pages: 288
Illustrations: 212
ISBN: 9781871184372
Price: £29.95
Postage: £0.00

Book Sales
RCAHMW
Plas Crug
ABERYSTWYTH
Ceredigion
SY23 1NJ
U.K.

Telephone: 01970 621200
Fax: 01970 627701
or email Book Sales via the Enquiry Form


Related Links:
The wonders of the Welsh Cottage

Copperopolis: Swansea Copperworks

Pen and ink drawing of the elevation of Swansea Copperworks. Fig 619 from Tomlinson's 'Cyclopedia of Useful Arts, Manufacturing, Mining and Engineering' Vol 1, 1854.
Copyright reserved: Contact RCAHMW for details


Swansea University has recently announced a new project to celebrate one of Swansea's famous copperworks. Hafod Copperworks was one of the largest in Swansea and only closed in 1980. Significant remains still stand and the project plans to involve the local community in activities and exhibitions and to produce computer generated animations, bringing the copperworks "back to life".

The history of Swansea as the centre of the copper-smelting industry and its significance in the national and international context of the industrial revolution are explored in the Royal Commission's publication: Copperopolis.

Visit the Swansea University website to read about the project in more detail

Cadw Grant For Restoration of Melingriffith Waterwheel & Pump

Cadw and Cardiff City council have agreed to award a grant of over £100,000 to restore the Melingriffith water wheel, which was originally used to power a water pump feeding waste water from the Melingriffith Tinplate Works, back into the Glamorganshire Canal. This water wheel was renovated in the 1980s but has deteriorated since then.

The undershot waterwheel is 18.5 feet in diameter and 12.5 feet wide. It is connected to the the pumps via two twenty-two feet long beams made from American oak. The measured drawings you see here were produced by R.V. Bayliss and I. Payne.  Copyright on these images is reserved, please contact RCAHMW for details.

Look up the database entry for the Melingriffith Water Pump on Coflein.


Measured drawing showing the south elevation and a black and white image of the waterpump produced by R.V. Bayliss and I. Payne, undated. Copyright reserved: contact RCAHMW for details.

Measured drawing showing the north elevation and two black and white images of the waterpump produced by R.V. Bayliss and I. Payne, undated. Copyright reserved: contact RCAHMW for details. 

Measured drawing showing the west elevation and three black and white images of the waterpump produced by R.V. Bayliss and I. Payne, undated. Copyright reserved: contact RCAHMW for details. 

 Measured drawing showing plan and five black and white images of the waterpump produced by R.V. Bayliss and I. Payne, undated. Copyright reserved: contact RCAHMW for details.

Measured drawing showing the east elevation and three black and white images of the waterpump produced by R.V. Bayliss and I. Payne, undated. Copyright reserved: contact RCAHMW for details.