Tanat Valley

The River Tanat and its dendritic tributaries dominate this narrow valley landscape running east to west in north Powys.

Summary

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Ref number: HLW (P/C) 1

OS map: Landranger 125

Unitary authority: Powys (Denbighshire)

The Tanat separates the Berwyn Mountains, to the north, from the rolling Mongomery Hills, to the south.

The influence of man in this area has been present from prehistoric times and has not been confined to the valley floor. Consequently, the area presents a landscape of great historic diversity with evidence of land use and settlement patterns from several periods and of varied nature.

The earliest evidence for occupation in the valley consists of a series of Bronze Age monuments now only visible from the air as crop-marks. The individual sites are often small and discrete, but together they comprise one of the best surviving groups of this type of archaeological evidence in Wales.

A full published description for this landscape area is available as a pdf download within the Related Articles section below.

Principal area designations:

The north western side includes part of the Berwyn National Nature Reserve. The area includes: Craig Rhiwarth hillfort Scheduled Ancient Monument; Llangynog, Llanrhaeadr-y-Mochnant and Penybontfawr Conservation Areas.

Criteria: 3, 4

Contents and significance:

A narrow lowland river valley situated between the Berwyn Mountains and the Montgomery Hills, containing diverse evidence of land use from prehistoric to recent times.

The area includes:

significant crop-marks of hidden prehistoric ritual and funerary sites; large, well-preserved Iron Age hillforts; prehistoric to recent mining remains; medieval mottes, settlements and Pennant Melangell Church.