Historic background
This area contains a fine distribution of relict archaeological sites, including hut circles and deserted rural settlements, many of which have been recently scheduled. Many of the circular patterns of field boundaries characteristic of the area (for example around Cae Mawr (SH580651) are almost certainly prehistoric in origin. Overlying these are areas of late eighteenth or early nineteenth century encroachment on the Gwaen Gynfi, latterly forming part of the Vaynol and Penrhyn estates. There are remains of a twentieth century wartime military camp at SH571648 interspersed with earlier relict remains.
Key historic landscape characteristics
Relict archaeology, field patterns
Visually, an area dominated by a pattern of small irregular fields mixed in with recent forestry plantations and a number of smallholdings. The importance and wealth of the relict archaeology has only relatively recently been recognised, but requires greater study.
