RHOS BRYNBERLLAN

GRID REFERENCE: SN 745668
AREA IN HECTARES: 75.9

Historic Background

This area probably formed part of Strata Florida Abbey’s demesne. This was acquired in 1567 by John Stedman, and remained in the Stedman family until 1746, when Richard Stedman died intestate. The estate then passed to the Powell family of Nanteos. It is likely that this area was open sheep-walk throughout the Medieval Period through to modern times. The earliest large-scale maps of the area, an 1819 estate map and the tithe map (NLW Vol 45, 73; Gwnnws Tithe Map and Apportionment, 1847), show the area as sheep-walk fringed with woodland on its south and southwest slopes (roughly the same as the present woodland extent). It is only recently that subdivision seems to have occurred.

Description and essential historic landscape components

This is a steep-sided and craggy hill to the east of Pontrhydfendigiad ranging in height from 250m to 350m. Some low earth banks are present on the lower slopes, although they no longer act as stock proof barriers, except where they are reinforced with wire fences. Wire fences are also present on higher ground; these sub-divide the area into a series of large enclosures. However, none of these boundaries detract from the unenclosed appearance of this area. Land-use is mostly of improved pasture with rougher ground on steeper slopes. The southern slopes of the hill are clothed with ancient broadleaf woodlands.

As well as several earthworks of undefined age and character, the recorded archaeology includes the major Iron Age hillfort of Pen y Bannau.

This area is well defined by field systems of small enclosures to the south, west and north. To the east the boundary between this area and the block of large enclosures of area 35, is less clear.

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