Recorded Talk Dr Jemma Bezant has been working with the Abbey Cwmhir Heritage Trust team to investigate the landscapes of the home grange of the Cistercian Abbey Cwmhir in Radnorshire in remote central Wales. Founded in the late 12th century at a time of great political upheaval in the Welsh marches, the early origins of …
Dr Jemma Bezant Talk: The archaeology of Abbey Cwmhir Read More »
Recorded Talk Julian Ravest moved to mid-Wales some five years ago and became entranced by its archaeology. He saw the potential opened up by the availability of drones for the exploration and discovery of archaeological sites. From the beginning, Julian has worked closely with the Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust for whom he has contributed photographs …
Recorded Talk Amy is a PhD researcher at the University of Bangor and an alumnus of Aberystwyth University. She is researching medieval mid-Wales, focusing on the Cistercian monasteries of the Welsh/March borderlands in central Wales. She has spoken on her research online and in person, including a range of academic conferences and for …
During the course of the Demystifying the Abbey project, a number of previously unrecorded sites of archaeological interest have been identified on land once held by Abbey Cwmhir. It is not possible to date them with any precision and hence attribute them to the Cistercian period. However, their form suggests a medieval origin and it …
Medieval sheep farming 3: Cwmhir Archaeological sites Read More »
The significance of manure from sheep, cattle and humans for soil fertility was well known in the medieval period. Manure could be bought, sold, borrowed and stolen and, of course, produced in situ. Sheep were commonly grazed on open upland pasture, sheepwalks, during the day and folded on arable stubble or ploughed land during the …
Cistercian monasteries were renowned for their sheep farming and Abbey Cwmhir, with its extensive upland land holdings, would have been no exception. Unfortunately, there are no extant records of the Abbey’s sheep farming activities so evidence must come indirectly from a general understanding of the historical context and an interpretation of the archaeological features in …
Medieval sheep farming 1: The historical context Read More »