Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal: Nomination as a World Heritage Site

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal:
Nomination as a World Heritage Site

In its first century, the Royal Commission has produced more than 55 major publications. These have already made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, and many more books are in the pipeline. All of the publications are available in public and institutional libraries throughout Wales as well as in the Commission’s library and archive search room in Aberystwyth. Books still available for sale are listed in the Bookshop. 

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal: Nomination as a World Heritage Site

Gan A.P. Wakelin, 2008.

Golygwyd gan Peter Wakelin, 2008

Mae Traphont Ddwr Pontcysyllte yn eicon o Chwyldro Diwydiannol cyntaf y byd ac am ddau gan mlynedd hi oedd y draphont uchaf ar unrhyw gamlas yn y byd. Cafodd dwy draphont ddwr arloesol Pontcysyllte a’r Waun eu codi yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru rhwng 1795 a 1808 yn rhan o un filltir ar ddeg o’r Gamlas Arwrol gyntaf yn oes aur codi camlesi, a hwy oedd gwaith mwyaf dau o’r dynion galluocaf yn hanes peirianneg sifil, Thomas Telford a William Jessop. Yn y gyfrol awdurdodol hon, sy’n gyforiog o ddarluniau, fe asesir pwysigrwydd rhyngwladol y cyfan, manylir ar lwybr y gamlas ac fe drafodir y gwaith cadwraeth. Nod llunio’r gyfrol yw cyfiawnhau’r cais i gynnwys y gyfres hon o henebion, sydd o bwys byd-eang, ar Restr Treftadaeth y Byd. Cyhoeddir y gyfrol gan y Comisiwn Brenhinol a Chyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam, gyda chyllid gan Cadw ac ar ran Grwp Llywio Safleoedd Treftadaeth Byd, gr?p a gyd-arweinir hefyd gan Ddyfrffyrdd Prydain.

Clawr: Caled
Maint: 210 x 297mm
Tudalennau: 232
Darluniau: 401
ISBN: 1871184310

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal: Nomination as a World Heritage Site
By A.P. Wakelin, 2008.

Edited by A.P.Wakelin

An icon of the world’s first Industrial Revolution, the ‘sky-borne’ waterway over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct remained the world’s highest canal aqueduct for two hundred years. Built in north-east Wales between 1795 and 1808, the innovative Pontcysyllte and Chirk Aqueducts were built on eleven miles of heavily engineered waterway that formed the first Heroic Canal of the great age of waterways construction. It was the greatest work of two of the outstanding figures in the history of civil engineering: Thomas Telford and William Jessop. The international importance is assessed, the route described in detail and conservation work discussed in this profusely illustrated and authoritative volume written to justify the inscription of this globally important series of monuments on the World Heritage List. Published by the Royal Commission and Wrexham County Borough Council with funding from Cadw, on behalf of the World heritage Site Steering Group which is also co-led by British Waterways.

Cover: Hardback
Size: 210 x 297mm
Pages: 232
Illustrations: 401
ISBN: 1871184310

Related Links:
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal: Nomination as a World Heritage Site Welsh
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal: Nomination as a World Heritage Site English

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Commission’s Image Inspires National Eisteddfod Art

The Smalls lighthouse,
Pembrokeshire.
DI2008_0797     NPRN 34350

One of the most prominent artworks in the Lle Celf, the art exhibition at this year’s National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale, was inspired by the work of the Royal Commission. Sculptor David Hastie from Swansea was prompted to build his 8-metre high timber installation ‘Model of an Abandoned Lighthouse’ after seeing a reconstruction drawing of the Smalls lighthouse by the late Douglas Hague, who was an investigator with the Royal Commission from 1948 to 1981. Hague surveyed the remains of the structure on the Smalls in the 1970s and researched early accounts of the building. His illustration, showing how the spindly structure may have looked, has been published in two of the Commission’s books – Hague’s Lighthouses of Wales – their Architecture and Archaeology (1994) and Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales (2008).

The Smalls lighthouse, off the western tip of Pembrokeshire, was the first in Britain to be built on piles, and represented a pioneering use of cast iron. Completed in 1776, it was designed by a musical instrument maker, John Phillips. The timber and cast-iron piles allowed the sea to pass beneath the light and it survived the harsh conditions for nearly a century, being replaced by a stone tower only in 1861.

Model of an Abandoned Lighthouse by
David Hastie

David Hastie has even followed up his interest in the lighthouse by going out to the site and finding a remaining piece of one of the piles. He has asked the Royal Commission for information about other structures that may inspire future works.




Photograph courtesy of David Hastie




Link:
www.davidhastie.info

Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru

Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru

In its first century, the Royal Commission has produced more than 55 major publications. These have already made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, and many more books are in the pipeline. All of the publications are available in public and institutional libraries throughout Wales as well as in the Commission’s library and archive search room in Aberystwyth. Books still available for sale are listed in the Bookshop. 

Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru

Gan A.P. Wakelin, golygydd and R.A. Griffiths, golygydd, 2008.

Yn Trysorau Cudd dangosir sut y mae treftadaeth Cymru wedi’i hailddarganfod a’i hail-ddehongli yn ystod canrif o ymchwil. Ceir ynddo gant o draethodau ac amryw byd o luniau, ynghyd â rhagymadrodd cryno i bob cyfnod, a’r cyfan yn darlunio safleoedd, adeiladau a henebion sy’n cyfleu hanes Cymru o gyfnod cynhanes hyd heddiw. Bydd y llyfr hardd hwn yn gydymaith gwybodus i bawb sy’n ymddiddori ym mywyd a threftadaeth Cymru, boed hwy’n byw yng Nghymru, yn ymweld â hi neu’n ei hedmygu o bell.

Yn fuan ar ôl cyhoeddi Trysorau Cudd, fe ddarlledir ar BBC2 Cymru, o fis Tachwedd 2008 ymlaen, gyfres deledu mewn pum rhan gan y BBC o dan y teitl Hidden Histories. Bydd hi’n dilyn arbenigwyr y Comisiwn Brenhinol wrth iddynt ddadlennu dehongliadau newydd o dreftadaeth Cymru.

Gwerthu Llyfrau


CYNNWYS
Rhagair gan Huw Edwards
Capel Cymraeg o Fri: Capel Als, Llanelli

Rhagymadrodd: Trysorau Cudd

Can Mlynedd o'r Comisiwn Brenhinol
Yr Inventories Cynnar
Cloddio ym Mhenllystyn
Houses of the Welsh Countryside
Inventories Morgannwg

Cynhanes
Ogof Pen-yfai (Paviland) a Helwyr Oes yr la
Wedi Oes yr la
Banc Du: Clostiroedd Sarnau Cymru
Beddrodau Siambr Neolithig
Hengorau Neolithig: Llandygai
Carn Meini a Cherrig Glas y Preseli
Gweithgynyrchu Neolithig: Ffatri Fwyeill Mynydd Rhiw
Llociau Neolithig Mawr: Basn Walton
Cylchoedd Cerrig Cymru
Tarddiad Bryngaerau

Cymru'r Oes Haearn a Chymru Rufeinig
Archwilio Bryngaerau o'r Oes Haearn: Y Gaer Fawr
Dehongli Cymru'r Oes Haearn: Yr Hen Gaer
Tre'r Ceiri a Chaerau Cerrig Llyn
Llociau Amddiffynedig Coll
Tirweddau sydd wedi goroesi ers adeg y Ffermwyr Cynhanesyddol: Crosygedol
Ymgyrchoedd y Fyddin Rufeinig
Datblygiadau mewn Astudiaethau Milwrol Rhufeinig: Tomen-y-mur
Ffyrdd Rhufeinig
Filau: Llanilltud Fawr
Trefi Rhufeinig

Cymru'r Oesoedd Canol Cynnar
Arysgrifau Cynnar a'u Hiaith
Anheddiad Canoloesol Cynnar: Ynys Gateholm
Cofnodi Meini Arysgrifenedig Canoloesol Cynnar
Cerfluniau Canoloesol Cynnar
Amddiffynfa rhag y Llychlynwyr: Llanbedr-goch
Dirgelwch Cloddiau Cymru'r Oesoedd Canol Cynnar
Safle Brenhinol: Crannog Llyn Syfaddan
Arysgrifau Diweddarach a'r leithoedd arnynt
Coffau Brenin: Piler Eliseg
Dod o hyd i Safleoedd Crefyddol Canoloesol Cynnar

Yr Oesoedd Canol
Y Dirwedd Dirion
Cestyll a Llysoedd
Y Cestyll a'r Preswylfeydd Diweddarach
Bywyd Crefyddol a'r Eglwysi
Mynachod a Phererinion
Trefi
Y Mor a'r Arfordir
Tai a Chartrefi
Gwaith a Hamdden
Coffau a'r Celfyddydau

Cymru Foden Gynnar
Ty Hir: Nannerth-ganol
Royal House, Machynlleth
Manylion Pensaerniol Cudd yn Ninbych
Murluniau Eglwysig Ol-Ganoloesol
Dr John Davies, Mallwyd a'i Dwr
Marsh House: Warws Amddiffynedig
Ty Newton (Plas Dinefwr), Llandeilo
'Tapestriau Peintiedig': Darganfyddiadau yn y Ciliau
Capel Maesyronnen ger y Clas-ar-Wy
Y Twlc Corbelog: 'Palas i Fochyn'

Y Genedl Ddiwydiannol Gyntaf
Dod o hyd i Olion Gwaith Copr yn abertawe
Cludiant Diwydiannol: Camlas Abertawe a'i Rheilffyrdd
Campwaith Peirianyddol: Traphont Ddwr Pontcysyllte
Lard Longau Frenhinol a Thref Newydd: Doc Penfro
Oes y Gwelliannau
Y Trefi Haearn: Blaenagfon
Diboblogi'r Uwchdiroedd: Penblaenmilo
Cludiant Mor
Diogelu'r Lonydd Hwylio: Goleudai
Cymru Bictwresg a'r Twristiaid Cynnar: Yr Hafod

Cymdeithas Oes Fictoria
Bywyd mewn Bwthyn
Lles a'r Tloty: Castell Albro
Addysg ac Ysgolion
Y Diwydiant Llechi
EglwysiOes Fictoria
Capel Anghydffurfiol
Ystrad Leighton Park
William Burges a Phensaerniaeth Uchel-Fictoraidd
Anterth Byr y Plasty Fictoraidd
Twf Twristiaeth ar Raddfa Fawr

Cymru ym Mlynyddoedd Cynnar yr Ugeinfed Ganrif
Sefydliadau Cenedlaethol
Adeiladau Swyddogol: Casgliad y Gweithredwyr Gwasanaethau Eiddo
Dwr i Birmingham: Cynllun Dwr Cwm Elan
Pensaer yn y Gogledd: Casgliad Herbert L. North
Mudiad y Gardd-Bentrefi
Profiad o Ryfel: Ffosydd Ymarfer Penalun
Y Rhwyg o Golli'r Hogia
Dyddiau Gorau'r Maes Glo: Pwll Glo Taf Merthyr
Moderneiddio yng Nghefn Gwlad: Ffatri Laeth Pontllanio
Amddiffyn rhag Goresgyniad yn ystod yr Ail Ryfel Byd

Cymru wedi'r Ail Ryfel Byd
Moderniaeth: Ffatri Dunlop Semtex
Tai wedi'r Ail Ryfel Byd: Tai Parod Casnewydd
Dirywiad Bywyd y Bwthyn: Llythyr Kate Roberts at Peter Smith
Dirywiad y Rheilffyrdd: Casgliad Rokeby
Clough Williams-Ellis a Poertmeirion wedi 1945
Tai Arobryn: 1-6 Little Orchard
Pensaerniaeth i Gymru: Plas Menai
Cau'r Gwallgofdai
Goroeswyr: Gwaith Argraffu Gwasg Gee
Eco-dai

Ymlaen i'r Dyfodol
Prosiectau Adeiladu Mawr: Stadiwm y Mileniwn
Dyddio Gwaith Pen-saer: Old Impton
Adeiladau mwen Perygl: Gwersyll Gwyliau Prestatyn
Edrych tua'r Dyfodol: Technolegau Digidol
Treftadaeth Ansicr: Chwilio am Safleoedd Brwydrau

Y Comisiynwyr Brenhinol, 1908-2008
Darllen Pellach
Prif Gyhoeddiadau'r Comisiwn Brenhinol, 1911-2008
Rhestr o'r Cyfranwyr
Diolchiadau
Map o'r Siroedd Hanesyddol
Mynegai

•     328 o dudalennau, lliw llawn
•     100 o brif ddelweddau gwych
•     Dros 300 o ddelweddau atodol
•     Ysgrifau deongliadol a chyflwyniadau i gyfnodau gan rai sy’n awdurdodau yn eu maes
•     Rhagair gan Huw Edwards
•     Darllen pellach
•     ISBN: 978-1-871184-36-5 (yr argraffiad Cymraeg)

Related Links:
Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru Welsh
Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru English

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International Transport & the Significance of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal (Industrial Patrimony 18)

International Transport & the Significance of the
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal
(Industrial Patrimony 18)

In its first century, the Royal Commission has produced more than 55 major publications. These have already made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, and many more books are in the pipeline. All of the publications are available in public and institutional libraries throughout Wales as well as in the Commission’s library and archive search room in Aberystwyth. Books still available for sale are listed in the Bookshop. 

International Transport & the Significance of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal (Industrial Patrimony 18)

Gan L. Bergeron, Editor, 2007.

Golygwyd gan Louis Bergeron, 2007.

Mae tri-chwarter y gyfrol hon, a gyhoeddir yn y gyfres ryngwladol ar archaeoleg ddiwydiannol Industrial Patrimony, yn ymwneud â thrafodaethau gr?p o arbenigwyr rhyngwladol yn y gynhadledd arbennig a gynhaliwyd yn gynnar yn 2007 i benderfynu ar bwysigrwydd byd-eang Traphontydd D?r Pontcysyllte a’r Waun a Chamlas Llangollen. Ymhlith y papurau, sy’n cynnwys darluniau helaeth, mae un gan Peter Wakelin ar ddylanwad Traphont Dd?r Pontcysyllte; ar dreftadaeth ddiwydiannol y byd gan Stuart Smith; Stephen Hughes ar gamlesi rhyngwladol; adfywio Blaenafon gan John Rodger; y Ffordd i Gaergybi gan Barrie Trinder; John Hume ar Gamlas Telford-Jessop yn yr Alban; Treftadaeth Gwybodaeth Telford gan Gordon Masterton; David Gwyn ar Reilffyrdd Camlas Llangollen; tirwedd ddiwylliannol hyfryd y gamlas gan Barrie Trinder a David Gwyn; Susan Fielding ar gofnodi Camlas Llangollen; cadwraeth gan Peter Birch a Nigel Crowe; Miles Oglethorpe ar Bont Afon Forth a chasgliadau’r gynhadledd gan Stephen Hughes.

Clawr: Caled
Maint: 212 x 297mm
Tudalennau: 163
Darluniau: 133

International Transport & the Significance of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal (Industrial Patrimony 18)

By L. Bergeron, Editor, 2007.

Edited by Louise Bergeron, 2007.

Three-quarters of this volume published in the international industrial archaeology series Industrial Patrimony is concerned with the discussions of a group of international experts at a special conference held in early 2007 to determine the global importance of the Pontcysyllte and Chirk Aqueducts and the adjacent Llangollen Canal. Well illustrated papers include Peter Wakelin on the influence of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct; on industrial world heritage by Stuart Smith; Stephen Hughes on international canals; Blaenavon regeneration by John Rodger; the Holyhead Road by Barrie Trinder; John Hume on the Telford-Jessop Canal in Scotland; the Knowledge Legacy of Telford by Gordon Masterton; David Gwyn on the Llangollen Canal Railways; the sublime cultural landscape of the canal by Barrie Trinder & David Gwyn; Susan Fielding on recording the Llangollen Canal; conservation by Peter Birch & Nigel Crowe; Miles Oglethorpe on the Forth Bridge and conclusions of the conference by Stephen Hughes.

Cover: Hardback
Size: 212 x 297mm
Pages: 163
Illustrations: 133

Related Links:
International Transport & the Significance of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal (Industrial Patrimony 18) Welsh
International Transport & the Significance of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Llangollen Canal (Industrial Patrimony 18) English

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Wales Reconstructing Landscapes

Beili Bedw, St Harmon, Radnorshire:
a Deserted Rural Settlement showing
in low winter sunlight.

Beili Bedw, St Harmon, Sir Faesyfed:
Anheddiad Gwledig Anghyfannedd
yng ngolau haul y gaeaf.

Ail-lunio Tirweddau
Mae henebion yn yr uwchdiroedd wedi ysbrydoli hynafiaethwyr ac archaeolegwyr ers cyfnod y Tuduriaid, ond ar y cyfan fe’u hastudiwyd ar eu pennau eu hunain neu fel cynrychiolwyr dosbarthiadau o safleoedd o gyfnod arbennig, megis bryngaerydd Oes yr Haearn. Dim ond yn ddiweddar y dechreuwyd rhoi olion diwylliannol yr uwchdiroedd yn eu cyd-destun ehangach fel rhan o dirweddau sydd wedi esblygu dros gyfnod o amser. Gwnaeth Cynllun yr Uwchdiroedd gyfraniad pwysig at hyn, drwy ddewis rhannau penodol o’r dirwedd a’u chwilio’n systematig. Darganfuwyd nifer syfrdanol o safleoedd archaeolegol newydd o ganlyniad. Mewn rhai ardaloedd, daethpwyd o hyd i un ar ddeg gwaith yn fwy o safleoedd hysbys. Yn dra annisgwyl, darganfuwyd olion llawer iawn o systemau caeau cynnar ac aneddiadau canoloesol ac ôlganoloesol tymhorol ar gryn uchder.


Reconstructing Landscapes
Monuments in the uplands have inspired antiquaries and archaeologists since Tudor times, but generally they have been studied in isolation or as representatives of classes of sites of a particular period such as Iron Age hillforts. It is only recently that cultural remains in these areas have been viewed in broader terms as part of landscapes that have evolved over time. The Uplands Initiative has contributed significantly to this approach, requiring systematic searching of specified blocks of landscape. The number of new archaeological sites found has been startling. In some areas the increase in known sites has been eleven-fold. The extensive remains of early field systems and seasonal medieval and post-medieval settlement at high altitude have been unexpected discoveries.

Ysgir Fawr, Mynydd Epynt, Brecknock:
post-medieval longhouses and fields by an uplands watercourse.

Ysgir Fawr, Mynydd Epynt, Brycheiniog:
tai hir a chaeau ôlganoloesol ger cwrs dŵr heldirol.

Related Links:Menter Archaeoleg yr Uwchdiroedd

Uplands Archaeology Initiative

Pembrokeshire: Historic Landscapes from the Air

Pembrokeshire: Historic Landscapes from the Air

In its first century, the Royal Commission has produced more than 55 major publications. These have already made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, and many more books are in the pipeline. All of the publications are available in public and institutional libraries throughout Wales as well as in the Commission’s library and archive search room in Aberystwyth. Books still available for sale are listed in the Bookshop. 

Pembrokeshire: Historic Landscapes from the Air

Gan T.G. Driver, 2007.

Mae tirweddau hanesyddol Sir Benfro gyda’r mwyaf amrywiol a diddorol ym Mhrydain. Ar hyd glannau trofaus y sir hon ym mhen draw gorllewin Cymru, sir sydd â dyfroedd Môr Iwerddon ar dair ochr iddi, y ceir olion rhai o’r aneddiadau hynaf ym Mhrydain. Mae cannoedd o safleoedd hanesyddol Sir Benfro o’r golwg am eu bod ar dir preifat, ar gopaon a chlogwyni nad oes modd eu cyrraedd, neu wedi’u claddu gan ganrifoedd o droi’r tir. O’r awyr yn unig y mae gwerthfawrogi holl hyd a lled treftadaeth gyfoethog y sir. Mae’r persbectif newydd hwn yn dadlennu henebion cudd ac yn fodd i ni gael cipolwg unigryw ar y rhai mwy cyfarwydd. Yn y llyfr newydd a phwysig hwn ceir llu o awyrluniau diweddar, awyrluniau hanesyddol o gyfnod y ddau Ryfel Byd, arolygon a mapiau archaeolegol, adluniadau a lluniau ‘rhithwir’ – sydd heb eu gweld o’r blaen – o dirweddau archaeolegol y sir, ac mae’n adrodd stori Sir Benfro a’i phobl o’r cyfnodau cynharaf hyd y gorffennol diweddar iawn. Fe welwch chi awyrluniau’r Comisiwn Brenhinol o Sir Benfro bob mis yn y cylchgrawn 'Pembrokeshire Life'.

Clawr: Meddal
Maint: 245 x 255mm
Tudalennau: 286
Darluniau: 379
ISBN: 1871184334

Pembrokeshire: Historic Landscapes from the Air

By T.G. Driver, 2007.

The historic landscapes of Pembrokeshire are among the most diverse and fascinating in the British Isles. Within the winding boundaries of this far-westerly county of Wales, bordered on three sides by the turquoise waters of the Irish Sea, are traces of some of the oldest settlements in Britain. Hundreds of Pembrokeshire’s historic sites lie hidden from view either on private land, on inaccessible peaks and cliffs, or simply buried by centuries of cultivation. Only from the air can the true extent of Pembrokeshire’s rich heritage be appreciated. This new perspective reveals concealed monuments and allows us to appreciate more familiar ones from a unique point of view. Richly illustrated with recent aerial photography, historic wartime aerial views, archaeological surveys and maps, reconstruction drawings and previously unseen ‘virtual’ views of the county’s archaeological landscapes, this major new book tells the story of Pembrokeshire and its people from the earliest times to the very recent past. See Royal Commission aerial photographs of Pembrokeshire each month in 'Pembrokeshire Life' magazine.

Cover: Softback
Size: 245 x 255mm
Pages: 286
Illustrations: 379
ISBN: 1871184334

Related Links:
Pembrokeshire: Historic Landscapes from the Air Welsh
Pembrokeshire: Historic Landscapes from the Air English

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Houses and History in the March of Wales: Radnorshire 1400-1800

Houses and History in the March of Wales:
Radnorshire 1400-1800

In its first century, the Royal Commission has produced more than 55 major publications. These have already made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, and many more books are in the pipeline. All of the publications are available in public and institutional libraries throughout Wales as well as in the Commission’s library and archive search room in Aberystwyth. Books still available for sale are listed in the Bookshop.

This title is now out of print, but is available as an eBook.
Buy eBook Now Houses and History in the March of Wales: Radnorshire 1400-1800 at Google Play. 
Houses and History in the March of Wales: Radnorshire 1400-1800
Gan R.F. Suggett, 2005.

Mae’r dystiolaeth ynghylch codi tai tua diwedd yr Oesoedd Canol yn arbennig o gryf yn y Gororau, yn enwedig o ran y nenfforch enwog. Mae gwaith maes gofalus gan Gomisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru wedi dod o hyd i rai cannoedd o aneddiadau a godwyd yn Sir Faesyfed yn ystod yr Oesoedd Canol. Mae’r llyfr yn diffinio ac yn dyddio amrywiaeth o dai neuadd, o dai’r werin i dai’r arglwyddi, ac yn olrhain eu datblygiad dros bedwar can mlynedd. Mae pwys arbennig wedi’i roi ar yr adluniadau sy’n darparu dehongliadau o adeiladau sydd wedi’u newid yn aruthrol neu wedi’u dinistrio ers i’r arolwg gael ei wneud. Bydd y llyfr o werth parhaol i haneswyr, cadwraethwyr a pherchnogion a phreswylwyr tai hanesyddol, nid yn unig yn Sir Faesyfed ond ledled Cymru a’r Gororau. Yn y llyfr clawr-caled hwn cewch lu o luniau a ffrwyth arolwg mawr o aneddiadau mawr a bach a godwyd yn Sir Faesyfed yn ystod yr Oesoedd Canol.

Clawr: Caled
Maint: 225 x 285mm
Tudalennau: 344
Darluniau: 284
ISBN: 1871184231

Houses and History in the March of Wales: Radnorshire 1400-1800
By R.F. Suggett, 2005.

The evidence for late-medieval building is particularly strong in the March of Wales, especially in the form of the famous cruck-truss. Careful fieldwork by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales has identified several hundred dwellings of medieval origin in Radnorshire. The book defines and dates a range of hall-houses, from peasant halls to halls of lordship status, and traces their development over four hundred years. Special emphasis has been placed on the reconstruction drawings which provide interpretations of buildings that have changed dramatically or have been destroyed since survey. This book will be of permanent value to historians, conservationists and the owners and occupiers of historic houses, not only in Radnorshire but throughout Wales and the March. This lavishly illustrated hardback book presents the results of a major survey of the great and small medieval upland dwellings in Radnorshire, central Wales.

Cover: Hardback
Size: 225 x 285mm
Pages: 344
Illustrations: 284
ISBN: 1871184231

Related Links:
Houses and History in the March of Wales: Radnorshire 1400-1800 Welsh
Houses and History in the March of Wales: Radnorshire 1400-1800 English

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Coflein National Monuments Record of Wales Database

Coflein the online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales

Coflein is the online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales (NMRW), the national collection of information about the historic environment of Wales. The name is derived from the Welsh cof (memory) and lein (line).

Coflein allows access to details of many thousands of archaeological sites, monuments, buildings and maritime sites in Wales, together with an index to the drawings, manuscripts and photographs held in the NMRW archive collections.

www.coflein.gov.uk

Related Links:
Coflein Online database for the National Monuments Record of Wales

• Ymchwilio I Coflein
• Explore Coflein

Guns Across the Severn: Victorian Fortifications of Glamorgan

Guns Across the Severn:
Victorian Fortifications of Glamorgan

In its first century, the Royal Commission has produced more than 55 major publications. These have already made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, and many more books are in the pipeline. All of the publications are available in public and institutional libraries throughout Wales as well as in the Commission’s library and archive search room in Aberystwyth. Books still available for sale are listed in the Bookshop. 

Guns Across the Severn: Victorian Fortifications of Glamorgan

Gan A Saunders, C.J. Spurgeon, H.J. Thomas and D.J. Roberts, 2001.

Yn Guns Across the Severn ceir astudiaeth fanwl gan staff y Comisiwn Brenhinol o'r prif amddiffynfeydd a godwyd ym Morgannwg yn ystod oes Victoria, sef ar Ynys y Mwmbwls ger Abertawe, ar Drwyn Larnog rhwng Caerdydd a'r Barri, ac ar Ynys Echni ym Môr Hafren. Darlunnir y disgrifiadau â chynlluniau gwreiddiol a ffotograffau. Yn y rhagymadrodd mae Andrew Saunders yn gosod y safleoedd yng nghyd-destun strategaethau amddiffyn ehangach yr oes yn y Deyrnas Unedig.

Clawr: Caled
Maint: 200 x 245mm
Tudalennau: 48
Darluniau: 27
ISBN: 1871184258

Guns Across the Severn: Victorian Fortifications of Glamorgan

By A Saunders, C.J. Spurgeon, H.J. Thomas and D.J. Roberts, 2001.

Guns Across the Severn is a detailed study by Royal Commission staff of the principal Victorian fortifications of Glamorgan, at Mumbles Head Island near Swansea, Lavernock Point between Cardiff and Barry, and on Flat Holm Island in the Bristol Channel. The descriptions are fully illustrated by original plans and photographs. An introduction by Andrew Saunders sets the sites in the context of the broader contemporary defence strategies for the United Kingdom.

Cover: Hardback
Size: 200 x 245mm
Pages: 48
Illustrations: 27
ISBN: 1871184258

Related Links:
Guns Across the Severn: Victorian Fortifications of Glamorgan Welsh
Guns Across the Severn: Victorian Fortifications of Glamorgan English

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Archaeologists Investigate post-Roman Settlement In Powys

Archaeologists investigate what might be a rare 5th Century Saxon hall or palace on farmland at Gaer Farm in Forden, near Welshpool, Powys.

Aerial photographs and preliminary excavations have revealed a post-Roman settlement. Large post holes, which would have formed the foundations for a large building, have been discovered.
www.bbc.co.uk

Related Links:
Ancient Powys site might reveal Saxon hall

Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea

Copperopolis:
Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea

In its first century, the Royal Commission has produced more than 55 major publications. These have already made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales, and many more books are in the pipeline. All of the publications are available in public and institutional libraries throughout Wales as well as in the Commission’s library and archive search room in Aberystwyth. Books still available for sale are listed in the Bookshop.

This title is now out of print, but is available as an eBook.
Buy eBook Now Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea at Google Play.

Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea

Gan S.R. Hughes, 2000.

Abertawe oedd y rhanbarth diwydiannol cyntaf yng Nghymru ac fe enillodd y teitl ‘Copperopolis’ oherwydd ei hamlygrwydd fel canolfan ryngwladol mwyndoddi copr ar ddiwedd y ddeunawfed ganrif a thrwy gydol y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg. Yn y gyfrol hon caiff llawer o’r dirwedd ddiwydiannol a chymdeithasol arloesol honno ei mapio, a cheir disgrifiad o’i harwyddocâd yn y cyd-destun cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol.

Clawr: Meddal
Maint: 240 x 270mm
Tudalennau: 358
Darluniau: 339
ISBN: 1871184274

Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea

By S.R. Hughes, 2000.

Swansea was the first industrial region in Wales and its pre-eminence as the international centre of copper-smelting at the end of the eighteenth century and throughout the nineteenth century earned it the title Copperopolis. In this volume much of this pioneering industrial and social landscape is mapped and its significance in the national and international context is described.

Cover: Softback
Size: 240 x 270mm
Pages: 358
Illustrations: 339
ISBN: 1871184274

Related Links:
Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea Welsh
Copperopolis: Landscapes of the Early Industrial Period in Swansea English

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Launch of People's Collection Wales

People's Collection Wales website

 Today sees the Launched of the People's Collection Wales at the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale by Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones.

A wide variety of archive material from museums has been used, but the developers are now looking for contributions from the public to tell their story of Wales and the past.

The website has been developed by Sequence in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government, National Museum Wales, National Library of Wales, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales and Llafur: The Welsh People's History Society.

View: People's Collection Wales website!

Related Links:
People's Collection Wales www.bbc.co.uk

Construction of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

Visualization showing the construction of Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

Produced by See3D Ltd. on behalf of The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

Accessing Information On The Go

Through the People’s Collection Wales website project the Royal Commission has been making the most of mobile technology to enable remote access to this new resource sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Use your mobile phone to take a photograph of this barcode (a QR or "Quick Response" code).
What can you see? What information have you received?

Quick Response Barcode

The barcode is an image that contains a URL for a specific webpage.  It can be read using the camera on most mobile phones.  If you have a camera phone with the correct software installed, you can link from this image directly to the relevant web content.

What do you need?
If you don’t currently have QR reading software installed on your phone, you can follow the instructions below (there are a large number of other free readers available online).
By SMS - Text the word i-nigma to: 07797 882325 (for the price of a standard text message). You will receive back a message containing a link to the i-nigma software download site.

People's Collection Wales, Roman Caerleon trail

If you are visiting Caerleon you can use this on the Roman Caerleon trail to access information about various sites in the Roman fortress whilst out and about.

Information where you need it most for a cost of a phone call.

Grants For Historic Buildings In Wales

Wales’s oldest theatre, its largest chapel and an Anglesey church with Tudor connections are among 24 historic buildings sharing funding of £999,124 announced today by Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones.

The Welsh Assembly Government historic building grants have been offered to carry out essential repairs and restoration work to these buildings across Wales.
www.newswales.co.uk

Read in full: Wales spends to save its historic fabric

National Eisteddfod Ebbw Vale 2010

Royal Commission exhibition panel on Ebbw Vale

One of the many fascinating exhibition panels at this years National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale. Come along to the stand (257-258) of the Royal Commission and find out more abouts it's work as the investigating body and national archive for the historic environment of Wales.


Glynebwy: Tref Haearn a Dur Tyfodd tref Glynebwy o amgylch y gwaith haearn, ac yn ddiweddarach y gwaith dur, a sefydlwyd gyntaf yng Nglynebwy ym 1786. Yn y 1860au datblygodd Glynebwy’n gynhyrchydd dur nodedig a hwn oedd y gwaith dur mwyaf datblygedig ym Mhrydain erbyn y 1960au. Ym 1979 fe ailddatblygwyd y safle’n ffatri dunplat ond cafodd honno’i chau a’i dymchwel yn 2002-2005.

Ebbw Vale: Town of Iron and Steel
The town of Ebbw Vale grew up around the Ebbw Vale ironworks, later steelworks, which were first established in 1786. In the 1860s Ebbw Vale became a noted steel
producer and by the 1960s it became the most advanced steelworks in Britain. In 1979 the site was redeveloped as a tinplate plant, which was closed and demolished in 2002-2005.

Do you remember the Glyn Ebwy Eisteddfod in 1958?

Bid To Make Fourth National Park In Wales

A campaign is under way to make a north Wales mountain range a national park.

If successful it would make the Clwydian range Wales' fourth national park joining Snowdonia, the Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons.

The "Clwyds" span 35km (22 miles) in length from the Vale of Clwyd in the west to the foothills of the Dee estuary to the east; from Prestatyn Hillside in the north to the Nant y Garth pass in the south.

Its highest point is 554 metres (1817ft) at the summit of Moel Famau in the centre of the range.
www.bbc.co.uk

Read in full: Bid to make Clwydian mountain range a national park

Walks In The Historic Landscape Of Mid-Wales

If you're interest in history and archaeology then check out the series of self-guided walks being developed by the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust.

The walks cover mid and north-east Wales and the first to be developed focus on prehistoric burial and ritual monuments, principally the stone circles, standing stones and burial cairns dating to around 2300-1200 BC.

To find out more about the walks visit: www.cpat.org.uk/walks
thebmc.co.uk 

Read in full: Historic landscape walks in mid-Wales

Garn Goch & National Festival of British Archaeology

Aerial photo of Gaer Fawr, Royal Commission, Crown Copyright.
AP_2007_0753   NPRN 100866

Visitors to Garn Goch hillfort will be invited to walk back in time as part of the national festival of British Archaeology.

On the weekend of 31st July and 1st August, Dyfed Archaeological Trust and Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, with the support of Garn Goch graziers and the community of Bethlehem, will be laying on a host of archaeological and historically themed activities at the largest hillfort in Wales.


Read full story: Garn Goch Archaeology Festival

Contact: Alice Pyper at the Dyfed Archaeological Trust 01558 823131 or log on to www.dyfedarchaeology.org.uk

Coflein Site Description
Gaer Fawr is a very large stone-walled defended enclosure occupying a dramatic isolated ridge. It is a later Prehistoric type hillfort, the largest in south-west Wales. Its walls enclose an area of about 11ha, roughly 680m north-east to south-west by 130-190m. The principal entrances face north-east and south-west towards the gentler slopes along ... Read full Gaer Fawr Coflein description.

Related Internet links:
Gaer Fawr Y, Hillfort On Garn Goch Link to Coflein
Gaer Fawr images on Coflein 

Archaeologists Excavate A Roman Home Or Trading Post

A Roman home or trading post is being excavated at Tai Cochion near the village of Brynsiencyn.

Dave Hopewell, senior archaeologist, said: "Over 15 volunteers have joined Gwynedd Archaeology Trust staff to excavate the Roman settlement in Brynsiencyn during the last three weeks. This excavation was made possible due to funding from CADW.

The excavation is to be the subject of a TV programme which will be screened on S4C in November.
www.theonlinemail.co.uk

Read in full: Excavation of Roman site near Brynsiencyn

Series II of Hidden Histories To Be Repeated

BBC Two Wales is repeating Series II of Hidden Histories every night in the coming week, Monday 2nd to Friday 6th August, at 7pm (7.30 Friday).

Filming Hidden Histories 2 at Abermagwr Roman site.
Image: DS2009_263_001 / NPRN: 405315 / Source: RCAHMW

 The second series of Hidden Histories, which follows the investigative work of the Aberystwyth-based Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales is narrated by Huw Edwards. Once again, in this series the investigators visit sites across Wales and across time, from Anglesey to Swansea and the Bronze Age to the 1960s.

Read more about each episode!

Hidden Histories 2 Episode 1
How the key to Stonehenge lies in the Preseli hills
Swansea – The Blitz and Aerofilms
The highest house in Wales

Hidden Histories 2 Episode 2
Laser Scanning at Vivian slate quarry
Rediscovering medieval coastal fishtraps
Herbert Luck North – architecture for Wales?

Hidden Histories 2 Episode Three
Rediscovering a Roman villa in mid Wales
St David’s Cathedral
Jonah Jones sculpture under threat

Hidden Histories 2 Episode Four
Can Waun Farm be restored?
Penally Practice Trenches.
Amlwch

Hidden Histories 2 Episode Five
Iron Age people living on the edge
The historic buildings of Denbigh
Strata Florida

Related Internet links:
Hidden Histories II Royal Commission

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