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![Bryngwyn Bach](webphotos/bryngwynbach.jpg)
BRYNGWYN BACH
GRID REFERENCE: SN 757574
AREA IN HECTARES: 3916
Historic Background
This extremely large historic landscape character area
crosses from Ceredigion into Carmarthenshire. It is entirely upland and
included within it are parts of the Bishop of St David’s Llanddewi
Breifi estate and Strata Florida Abbey’s Penardd Grange. It is likely
that by the late Medieval Period both of these holdings would have been
divided into farms, which were leased out and farmed on a commercial basis.
The antiquity, however, of all the upland farms contained within this
area is uncertain, and while it is likely that some originated in the
Medieval Period in the manner indicated above, others may well have started
as squatter settlements in the 18th or early 19th century. The 20th century
has witnessed an abandonment of these farms, and only a handful are now
occupied. The surviving chapel at Soar y Mynydd testifies to the once
more populated nature of this area. The farms are clearly an important
element in the landscape, but the vast majority of the land in this area
is, and has been for at least the last few centuries, unenclosed, and
would have been claimed by the Crown. Crossing the area are important
trans-mountain natural route-ways linking the farming communities of Ceredigion
with lands and towns to the east. These trans-mountain route-ways are
celebrated for their use by drovers in the historical period, but they
are likely to be of great antiquity, and not only provided communication
across the Cambrian mountain chain, but allowed access onto the high moorland
for the establishment of permanent or seasonal settlement, for the grazing
of animals and for peat cutting.
![Bryngwyn bach](webphotos/bryngwynbach2.jpg)
Description and essential historic landscape
components
This is a very large tract of unenclosed upland with
an uneven and widely dispersed settlement pattern of upland farms. At
the northern end unenclosed land runs down to as low as 200m, but with
heights of over 500m achieved in the central area. On average the height
range is between 300 and 450m. The landscape is rarely craggy, and wide
stretches of undulating moor with blanket bog on higher levels and peaty
hollows are the norm. There is abundant evidence of deserted settlements
across this area, particularly along the route-ways. Occupied farms, of
note is Nantymaen, are traditionally stone built, surrounded by a collection
of modern farm buildings, and situated within a system of just a few fields.
Older boundaries of these fields consist of earth banks, but wire fences
now provide the stock-proof barriers. These fields now comprise improved
pasture, and there are further blocks of unenclosed improved pasture close
to the farms. Apart from a block of recent forestry, this is a treeless
landscape.
The recorded archaeology of this area is rich and varied.
Considerable time-depth to the landscape is provided by the numerous Bronze
Age monuments that include single round barrows, groups of round barrows
and cairns, standing stones and a stone circle. No occupation sites of
this date are known, but the density of these ritual and funerary monuments
surely indicates a settled landscape. Castell Rhyfel is an Iron Age site
situated towards this area’s border, and Gwys-yr-Ychen Bannog is
a defensive or administrative linear earthwork. Numerous abandoned cottages
and other settlement sites indicate a greater level of population across
this area through to the 19th century. Agricultural features and evidence
of peat cutting testify to this former occupation.
This is a very well defined area; to the east and west
lie very extensive forestry plantations. To the north and northwest there
is mainly lower lying enclosed and settled land.
Base map reproduced from the OS map with the permission
of Ordnance Survey on behalf of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery
Office, © Crown Copyright 2001.
All rights reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown Copyright
and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Licence Number: GD272221 |