Scheduled Monuments- Full Report
Summary Description of a Scheduled Monument
Reference Number
CN261
Name
Hut Circle Settlement North of Bryn Mair
Date of Designation
17/12/1997
Status
Designated
Location
Unitary Authority
Gwynedd
Community
Betws Garmon
Easting
251577
Northing
358849
Broad Class
Domestic
Site Type
Hut Circle Settlement
Period
Prehistoric
Description
Summary Description and Reason for Designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.
The monument comprises a well-preserved nucleated settlement of four hut circles, the foundations of round houses probably dating to the Iron Age or Romano-British period (c.800 BC - AD 400), along with some contemporary enclosures and fields. The huts vary in size and are of variable construction. They have a variety of surviving structural features, including an unusual funnel-shaped entrance porch associated with the largest hut. The monument stands on a level terrace, set on gentle north-facing slopes.
The hut group was not a defensive site, the significant views would have been medium and short over the fields farmed from the settlement, the majority of which would probably have been on the lower land to the north.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric domestic life and social organisation. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of structural evidence and associated archaeological features and deposits, including surviving internal and external floor levels. The importance of the site is enhanced by the presence of other contemporary settlements and extensive field systems within the vicinity.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.