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![RHEIDOL VALLEY WOODLAND](webphotos/rheidolvalleywoodland2.jpg)
RHEIDOL VALLEY WOODLAND
GRID REFERENCE: SN 744783
AREA IN HECTARES: 712.2
Historic Background
This area on the steep valley sides of the Rheidol represents
the only block of ancient woodland in north Ceredigion. As with so many
landscape areas of Ceredigion its early history has not been researched.
By the 18th century almost all of the area had come into the possession
of the Nanteos estate, and was divided amongst several farms, with some
holdings belonging to the Crosswood estate. The first large-scale maps
of the woodland are estate maps of 1819 (NLW Vol 45, 16-19, 22, 27-28,
30, 35). These show that the broadleaf woodland covered an almost identical
area to that of today. The tithe survey demonstrates that this did not
change during the 19th century. Set close to or in the woodlands are the
remains of a lead mining industry. Mining is reputed to be of some antiquity
in the valley (Prichard 1985, 6), although the main period of activity
was the 19th century. Clearly the co-existence of large stands of woodland
and lead mining - an industry that consumed large quantities of timber
for a variety of purposes - indicates that the woodland was carefully
managed. It must therefore have been under the control of the large estates
and not of individual tenant farmers. Certainly Crosswood was carefully
managing its woodlands from the early 18th century (Edlin 1959, 19). This
is a topic that further research would elucidate. In the 20th century,
conifer plantations have filled in open areas on the valley sides. Most
of the remains of the lead mining industry have been assigned to the valley
floor of the Cwm Rheidol historic landscape character area, and are included
in its description, though shafts and spoil heaps lie in the woodland
as does the Rheidol valley railway built to serve the mines in 1902. Temple,
an important mine, lies wholly in this area. It was worked from 1876 to
1881.
Description and essential historic landscape
components
This area comprises the steep north and south valley
sides of the Rheidol, which rise from 50m on the valley floor to over
300m. The steepest slopes are those closest to Devil’s Bridge. Though
mostly ancient broadleaf woodland, there are plantations of conifers and
just a few pockets of open pasture and rough grazing. There are some boundary
banks in the open areas; it is not known whether there are subdivisions
within the woodland. The tips, shafts and levels of a lead mining industry
lie within the woodland, but it is at Parson’s Bridge at the extreme
northern end of the area that the more substantial and various mining
remains of Temple mine can be found. Here there are dressing floors, remains
of buildings and a massive wheel-pit (Bick 1983, 27). The Vale of Rheidol
Railway, open in 1902 to serve the mining industry, runs along the southern
valley side and now functions as a tourist line, conveying people from
Aberystwyth to Devil’s Bridge.
The recorded archaeology of the area is almost entirely
confined to remains of the metal mining industry. These are numerous and
varied. Otherwise the only other major archaeological site is Tan-y-ffordd
Iron Age hillfort.
This area of woodland is defined by farmland either on
the floor of the Rheidol valley or on the surrounding hills.
![RHEIDOL VALLEY WOODLAND MAP](webphotos/rheidolvalleywoodlandmap.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 |