Ancient Monuments

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Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed

A Scheduled Monument in Coity Higher (Coety Uchaf), Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr)

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.5338 / 51°32'1"N

Longitude: -3.5646 / 3°33'52"W

OS Eastings: 291573

OS Northings: 182816

OS Grid: SS915828

Mapcode National: GBR HF.GL28

Mapcode Global: VH5HC.5QD1

Entry Name: Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed

Scheduled Date: 28 September 2001

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 1063

Cadw Legacy ID: GM491

Schedule Class: Agriculture and Subsistence

Category: Pillow mound

Period: Medieval

County: Bridgend (Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr)

Community: Coity Higher (Coety Uchaf)

Traditional County: Glamorgan

Description

The monument consists of the remains of a pillow mound dating to the medieval period. A pillow mound is a pillow-shaped, flat topped rectangular mound surrounded by a shallow ditch used to farm rabbits. The three mounds remain, out of eleven on the common at Cefn Hirgoed. They are probably associated with the medieval moated site to the south and/or Coity Castle. Rabbits were a source of meat restricted largely to the higher social strata until the 16th or 17th centuries. Warrens were constructed away from arable crops and were devised to encourage nesting. Documentary sources suggest that rabbits were chased out by ferrets and caught in nets. Partial excavation of two mounds revealed that the mounds were formed of earth piled over a grid of stones laid on the earlier ground surface, forming a series of stone lined compartments.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of agricultural techniques. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.

Source: Cadw

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