Ancient Cynon Valley

This wonderful collection of information and photographs from ‘Ancient Cynon Valley’ was supplied to AberdareOnline by Ian Headford, Rhondda.

Carn Pentyle-hir

This round cairn is found very close to the mast that is on the summit of the mountain in between Aberdare and Merthyr (SO 0201 0528). The diameter of the cairn is 6.1m and its height 0.6m. Two loose slabs are at the centre- this may possibly be what remains of a cist. This cairn is found on the edge of the moorland plateau while another is found next to the mountain trackway. The measurements are the same as the first. Round cairns are from the Bronze Age, particularly 1700 and 1200 B.C.

Ref. Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part1,Tthe Stone and Bronze Ages. 1976. Page 67. CADW Scheduled Ancient Monument Record : GM402(RCT) Carn Pentyle-Hir & Adjacent Round Cairn. (Report).

Cefny-gyngon Settlement

Mynydd Cefnygyngon is found 1km away to the northwest of Bwllfa Dare (SN 9573 0340). The dating of this settlement is uncertain, it is possible that these huts and enclosures were occupied from the Iron Age (600 BC – AD 100) to the Dark Age (AD 410 – 871). The huts and enclosures are in poor condition and later additions and modifications have confused the first structure. The main enclosure is 3m thick and 0.5m high. To the south of the main enclosure is a hut that is 3.7m in diameter, and the walls are 2m thick. A ruined wall extends to the east from the south side of the hut.

These ruins are considered to be the earliest remains of this settlement. A modern fold is incorporated into the eastern part of the settlement. Twenty metres south of the modern fold is another enclosure. Built into the middle of its west side is a hut. These two are thought to be medieval or later. Many huts surround the main settlement to the north and east, some are original while others are hafotai (summer dwellings), shepherds’ shelters and lambing pens. There are sixteen such huts found at this site.

Ref. Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part 2, The Iron Age and the Roman Occupation. 1976. Page 76

Garn Las Round Cairn

This round cairn is found on the mountain between Aberdare and Merthyr (SO 0290 0385) and is a heap of large stones 14m in diameter and 1.5m high. The cairn occupies the northwest side of a forestry crossroads. Round cairns are from the Bronze Age, particularly 1700 and 1200 B.C.

Ref. Royal commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part1,Tthe Stone and Bronze Ages. 1976. Page 67.

CADW Scheduled Ancient Monument Record : GM236(RCT) Garn Las Earthwork. (Report).

Gwesyll Hillfort

This hill-fort was constructed during the Iron Age (600 BC – AD 100) and is found on the mountain between Aberdare and Merthyr (SO 0271 0405). The fort is unfinished and this gives the fort its semi-circular shape. The entrance was intended for the east end of the rampart, the diameter of the rampart is 52m and the bank, ditch and counterscarp bank are 11m wide by 2m high. Within the fort are two rare platform cairns. Platform cairns are dated as Bronze Age, mainly between 1700 and 1200 BC. Standing 0.3m high, each cairn is slightly oval. The largest measures 11m by 10.1m and the smaller is 7m by 6.1m.

Ref. Royal commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part1,Tthe Stone and Bronze Ages. 1976. Page 67.

Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part 2, The Iron Age and the Roman Occupation. 1976. Page 22 – 23.

CADW Scheduled Ancient Monument Record : GM239(RCT) Gwesyll. (Report).

Rhos Gwawr Cairn Cemetery

This site is found on the left hand side of the road that travels from Aberdare to Maerdy. As the summit is reached the site is near to the first major pull in on the left (Centred at SN 9920 0090, 9947 0079, 9957 0037). The entire area covers 1200m NW – SE by 600m along the SW side of the mountain. There are three main groups of cairns with a few scattered around the clusters. The cairns number forty-four in total and are mostly circular, less than 6m in diameter. But two of the cairns (each one at an opposite end of the total area), are 10m in diameter. The large cairn found closest to the road has an exposed cist. There is even a ring-cairn at this site with the capital B engraved on the stone at the centre. Cairns are dated as from the Bronze Age, particularly 1700 and 1200 B.C.

Ref. Royal commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part1,Tthe Stone and Bronze Ages. 1976. Page 110 – 111.

CADW Scheduled Ancient Monument Record : GM404(RCT) Cairn Cemetery on Rhos-Gwawr. (Report).

Tarren y Bwlch Settlement

These four huts are found on sloping ground SW of Hirwaun (SN 9511 0351). The dating of this settlement is uncertain, it is possible that these huts were occupied from the Iron Age (600 BC – AD 100) to the Dark Age (AD 410 – 871). They all measure roughly 3m in diameter and are quite damaged and fairly scattered.

Ref. Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part 2, The Iron Age and the Roman Occupation. 1976. Page 74 – 76.

Twyn Ddisgwylfa Settlement

This settlement is also known as Buarth Maen and it is found a little way to the west of the summit of the mountain between Aberdare and Merthyr (SO 0126 0530). The two masts that crown the summit can be seen from all over Aberdare. The settlement has been damaged slightly by opencast mining. Found on sloping ground from north to south are three enclosures, lengths of wall, huts and mounds of stones. The ruins are well preserved but in some places the walls are incomplete.

To the west of the southern enclosure is a cairn. The enclosure walls are 0.6m high and 1.8m wide, the huts are 1.2m wide and 0.3m high and range from 2.5m up to 6m in diameter. The dating of this settlement is uncertain, it is possible that these huts and enclosures were occupied from the Iron Age (600 BC – AD 100) to the Dark Age (AD 410 – 871). There are 15 – 18 huts and two rectangular huts within the settlement.

Ref. Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part 2, The Iron Age and the Roman Occupation. 1976. Page 78

CADW Scheduled Ancient Monument Record : GM401(RCT) Hut Circles & Enclosures on Buarth Maen. (Report).

Twyn-y-Briddallt Roman Camp

The Romans were here in Aberdare in the 1st century AD and they slept over night after building a marching camp at this site south of Cwmaman (ST 0015 9820). The defences were built to take advantage of the geography on top of this mountain ridge. The enclosing bank and ditch measures 5.5m wide and 0.9m high (this is the best preserved), and the whole area 402m NW – SE and 183m wide. The camp was probably only used once and it was made to defend the Romans overnight. A palisade of wooden stakes (pila muralia) would have helped defend the bank and ditch, two were carried by each soldier.

Ref. Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales : Glamorgan Vol.1 Part 2, The Iron Age and the Roman Occupation. 1976. Page 99 – 100.

CADW Scheduled Ancient Monument Record : GM259(RCT) Twyn y Briddallt Roman Camp. (Report).