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History • Heritage • DiscoveryRhayader · Mid Wales
Abandoned buildings · Local history • Elan Valley

Lost places of the Elan Valley

From abandoned farmhouses and mountain sheepfolds to the remains of vanished communities: follow the stories still written into the landscape.

Discover the places
Elan Valley historical archive
The valley's forgotten places

A history waiting to be explored

Across the Elan and Claerwen valleys, ruined buildings tell the stories of former residents, farmers, workers and families. This archive brings together original photographs, site visits, map references and historical notes. Choose a place to begin exploring.

Lost beneath the reservoirsThe Submerged ValleyExplore the homes and places changed by the water scheme Original photo collectionThe photographic archiveBrowse the original illustrated records and descriptions
Explore the landscape

Map of abandoned buildings & ruins

OS map locations taken from recorded grid references. Click a single pin for details, or a numbered pin for a list of nearby places.

28 mapped locations from the database. Browse the alphabetical OS references.

Browse the archive

Historic buildings & sites

Search the recorded locations or browse by type.

60 places

Ordnance Survey

OS map references (A–Z)

Search by place or grid reference. Places without a confirmed reference stay on the list, but are not pinned on the map.

Showing all 61 entries.

Place / featureOS grid referenceNotesLinks
Baich Y Wern Sheepfold Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Blaen Coel Farm SN89050 64030
Blaen Methyn Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Blaen Mwyro Sheep Fold SN79355 64147
Blaen Y Cwm Long Hut SN85536 75624
Bryn Glas Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Bryniago Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Cerig Llwydion Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Cerrig Cwplau Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Clettwr Troedrhiwdrain SN86960 68901
Craig Llanerch Cawr Barn SN89820 61260
Cringyn Cottage SN90660 65790
Cwm Clyd Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Cwm Clyd Hafod Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Cwm Elan Water Storage and Leat Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Cwm Nant Y Fald Enclosure SN89757 72528
Dol Folau Railway Siding Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Dol-y-Mynach Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Domen Milwyn Sheepfold SN81254 72260
Esgair Beddau House SN86410 68640
Esgair Ganol Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Esgair Gris Long House Needs checking
Original: SN8870 668470
 Unusual digit grouping in original index (4 east / 6 north digits). Please verify against an OS map before using as a mapped location. View page
Esgair Gwar Y Cae / Nant Rhyd Goch Settlement Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Esgair Gyncog Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Esgair Y Ty Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Fuches Sheep Fold SN86080 68480
Garreg Felen Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Garreg Naw Llyn Long Hut SN79775 70307
Hafod Allt Coch Barn SN9081 6774
Llanerch Llwyn SN895 680
Llanerch Ty Newydd SN90910 65500
Llanerchi Farm Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Lluest Aber Caethon Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Lluest Calettwr House Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Lluest Cwmbach Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Lluest Pen Rhiw Long House Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Lluest Tor-Clawdd House SN89560 70400
Lluest Wen Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Lluest Y Gadair Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Llwydnant Long Hut SN87735 62283
Llwyn Dale Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Llywd Nant Enclosure SN8956 6359
Moelfryn Barn and Hafod Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Nant Gris Sheepfold Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Nant Hesgog Sheepfold SN91176 69147
Nant Y Car Farm Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Nant Y Wern Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Nant Yr Iau SN85145 64314
Pant Tawel Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Pant y Beddau SN83773 64955
Pant Y Cerdin SN9166 6628
Pant Y Llyn House SN93571 68885
Pen Cae Haidd House SN9080 6242
Pen Cae Mynydd SN89662 64245
Rhiwnant Hafod SN8763 6005
Rhiwnant Sheepfold SN8767 6010
Trawsnant Sheep Fold SN90222 73263
Ty'n Y Ffald SN90700 65680
Tyn y Pant Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Tyrpeg y Mynydd Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page
Unrecorded Places Not recorded No OS grid reference supplied in the uploaded Ruins index; check the individual page or original field notes. View page

Six-figure OS references locate a 100 m square, eight-figure references a 10 m square and ten-figure references a 1 m square. Each marker is centred within its square. Any missing or questionable references are deliberately not plotted until checked.

From the original collection

See the photographs and field notes

The original extended illustrated archive has been retained, including site descriptions and photographs that may not yet have their own individual page.

Open the original archive →
Page visits: 95

Explore the Elan Valley on the map

Explore the Elan and Claerwen valleys using Ordnance Survey Leisure mapping.

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