Historic Landscape Characterisation

The Clywedog Valley: Hafren Forest
Trefeglwys and Llanidloes Without communities, Powys
(HLCA 1189)

Extensive conifer woodland planted by the Forestry Commission upland plateau and hill edge from 1937/38 onwards; the area formed part of a medieval monastic grange and prior to afforestation contained dispersed upland farmsteads of possible medieval to early medieval farmsteads, some possibly originating as seasonal settlements; discrete area of 18th and 19th century metal-mining remains.

Historic background

Key historic landscape characteristics

A number of recorded placenames in the historic landscape area indicate an historical association with upland grazing and livestock husbandry. The placename Cefn Hafodcadwgan and Hafod Cadwgan (the latter just outside the western boundary of the area) contain the element hafod (‘summer house’), suggesting the former existence of seasonally-occupied upland farms perhaps of the medieval to earlier post-medieval periods. The second element of the name Cwmbiga (buga) is thought to be related to buarth (‘farmyard’) and buwch (‘cow’), suggesting an association with medieval stock rearing or dairying, although derivation from a personal name has also been suggested. The names Cwm y Ffridd, Banc y Ffridd, Ffridd Newydd, and Ffridd Fawr all contain the element ffridd suggesting enclosed rough pasture on the mountain edge, the element being first recorded as ffreeth Cwm Bigga in 1540-41. The name Fign Aberbiga includes the element mign indicating boggy ground.

Early prehistoric settlement and land use is indicated by a cluster of upland Bronze Age burial mounds and a possible fallen standing stone on Cefn Lwyd, and a barrow in the hillslope at Pengeulan, and by a number of chance finds including a flint dagger of Beaker type found near Ysgubor Pen-y-bryn and a polished stone axe from Croes Uchaf.

About 12 upland sheep farms were purchased for the creation of the Hafren Forest by the Forestry Commission but only a small number of structures are known within the character area, including buildings at Ysbubor Pen-y-bryn and Ysgubor Banc-y-ffridd and a number of sheepfolds. The two farmsteads are associated with early field systems shown on Ordnance Survey maps of the 1880s and may both represent earlier farmsteads reduced to the status of a field barn (ysgubor) by the later 19th century. The farmstead of possible medieval origins at Cwmbiga is also included within the area. Only part of the southern area of the character area was subject to parliamentary enclosure in the early 19th century. Some of the north-western part of the area at Fign Aberbiga and Bwlch y Garreg-wen formed part of the manor of Talerddug that was excluded from parliamentary enclosure. Unenclosed areas here and in the remainder of the area not subject to parliamentary enclosure formed moorland enclosed by private agreement, that was subdivided into large straight-sided enclosures at the time of its afforestation.

Metal mining activity is represented by the remains of the 18th and 19th-century mine sett at Nantmelin, towards the head of the Nant Felen stream, below Llechwedd y Glyn, towards the southern part of the area, which was worked for copper and lead ore. Visible working remains include a deep adit, an upper level, shaft and the remains of tramway track beds and waste heaps. Water power was harnessed to drive pumping and processing equipment.

One of the few surviving early buildings in the area is the small farmstead of Cwmbiga which is mostly late 18th century but retains fragments of an earlier building. In name the farm is associated with the medieval upland grange belonging to Cwmhir abbey and may in origin represent the emergence of a permanent upland farm on the site of an earlier seasonal settlement during the later medieval to early post-medieval periods.

Sources