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![Cyrtau and Bryn Hownant](webphotos/cyrtaubrynhownant.jpg)
CYRTAU & BRYN-HOWNANT
GRID REFERENCE: SN 705601
AREA IN HECTARES: 117.8
Historic Background
The early history of this area is unclear. It may have
formed part of one of the granges of Strata Florida Abbey, or part of
the demesne of the abbey. The granges were granted to the Earl of Essex
upon the Dissolution, who sold them to the Crosswood estate in 1630. In
the late 18th century some land in this area was in the possession of
Crosswood, and may have been obtained by this route. John Stedman acquired
Abbey demesne in 1567. However, Richard Stedman died intestate in 1746
and the estate passed to the Powells of Nanteos. Nanteos had considerable
holdings in this area in the 19th century. It is likely that by the end
of the Medieval Period, if not earlier, abbey granges and demesne were
divided into farms that were leased out on a commercial basis. There is
also evidence that some holdings in this area, by the 18th century, were
in the possession of another estate, that of Thomas Johnes’s Llanfair
Clydogau estate, which may have come to him through the purchase of part
of the Bishop of St David’s Llanddewibrefi estate. Whatever the
tenurial system, this landscape has changed considerably over the past
200 years. An 1819 estate map (NLW Vol 45, 70) shows the area around the
later established Waun-Gota farm (Waun-Gota farm was not established until
after 1845) as unenclosed with intermixed strips, but to the east of Cyrtau
as medium-sized fields. An earlier map of 1791 (NLW Vol 36, 151) depicts
the hillside to the east of Bryn-Hownant as dispersed, strip enclosures.
By the tithe survey of 1845 (Caron Tithe Map and Apportionment) only a
few strips close to Waun-Gota were recorded; the remainder having been
enclosed. From these historical map sources it would seem that this block
of regular, medium-sized enclosures has evolved from a subdivided field
system (almost certainly shared pasture and not arable), which was still
partly operational through to the early-mid 19th century. On modern maps
the area of former strip enclosures in the vicinity of Waun-Gota farm
is depicted as a series of rectangular enclosures aligned northwest to
southeast. The holding known as Waun-Gota has been created out of the
earlier strip system. As in other areas demographic pressures and changes
underlie this 19th century pattern: extreme pressure on marginal land
in the first half of the century, emigration, depopulation and the combining
of holdings in the latter.
![Cyrtau and Bryn Hownant](webphotos/cyrtaubrynhownant2.jpg)
Description and essential historic landscape
components
An area of regular, medium-sized enclosures on gentle
northwest and southwest facing slopes of the Afon Groes between 200m and
320m. Earth banks topped with hedges form the enclosures. On the lower
slopes the hedges are in fair condition, higher up the slopes they are
derelict, and on the highest levels they have been replaced with wire
fences, even where they are in fair condition hedges are supported by
wire fences. Improved pasture dominates the area, though at the northeast
end near to Waun-Gota there is a considerable tract of poor quality grazing
and rushy ground. There are no settlements in this area.
The only recorded archaeology consists of a post-Medieval
cottage.
Boundaries are not well defined between this area and
lower-lying ground, but towards higher, unenclosed land the definition
is clearer.
![Cyrtau and Bryn Hownant map](webphotos/cyrtaubrynhownantmap.jpg)
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 |