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Survey Details for CYNONHL675 - 2026-06-04

CYNONHL675

Historic Landscape

H18 Bridgend Urban Sprawl

Bridgend-Caerphilly-Rhondda

2017-03-15

  • Level 1: Built environment
  • Level 2: Settlement
  • Level 3: Nucleated Settlement

Monitoring

Q1 - Date of monitoring?

  • 2017-03-15

Q1a - Monitoring undertaken by

  • Historic Landscape change detection work completed by the relevant Welsh Archaeological Trust (WAT) for this area, the planning authority have been included. Quality Assurance of change detection work was completed by Trysor. Trysor have completed the monitoring amendments to the changed surveys and the WATs to the GIS boundaries. SmartData analysis and update using Designated Historic Asset GIS Data for questions 17, 18, 19, 20 (2025-2026)

Q1b - Has this record been updated following monitoring work?

  • This record has been updated following monitoring work, there was a real change in the aspect area

Q1c - Change indicated by

  • OS Data, Aerial Photographs

Q1d - What has changed?

  • Description
  • Boundaries

Q1e - Has the information ever been verified in the field?

  • Yes
    • 1:25,000

Q2 - Does this area have a special or functional link with an adjacent area?

  • Yes
    • Expansion of H17 Bridgend Historic Core (CynonHL173)

Description

Q3 - If Classification is "Other", specify here

  • Empty value

Q4 - Summary Description / Key Patterns and Elements

  • This aspect area encompasses the expansion of the town after the 1920s. It consists of a mix of housing, public buildings, shops and services, together with some industry, though the greatest part of the industrial capacity of the town, which is located to the southeast of the historic core, has been characterised separately as H17 Bridgend Southeast Industrial Area. The Brackla industrial estate, one of those included within the urban sprawl, owes its origin to a Second World War airfield. Before the expansion of the town and its associated facilities, this area was all farmland (H13 St Brides Minor to Coychurch and H19 Cornelly to Laleston); some post-medieval farmhouses and cottage still survive within the built-up area Earlier periods are well represented in the archaeological record. Although only scattered finds have been recovered from the Neolithic period, two fine Bronze Age cairns (Pond and Simonston cairns) have been excavated by the National Museum of Wales. A possible Roman road may run through Coity, on the line of Heol Simondston and Heol Spencer, but this has not been confirmed. Coity may have originated as an Early Medieval ecclesiastical site, since an Early Christian monument has been found there, although this is of 11th or 12th century date and may be post conquest (RCAHMW 1976c, 62). Coity also has the remains of its medieval castle, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Q5 - If working at level 3, the classification describes the dominant historic pattern, but which other patterns are important to the historical pattern of this area? (Tick all that apply)

  • Processing/Manufacturing
  • Communications
  • Recreational

Q6 - If working at level 4 ,which other 'details' are also significant to the historic character of this area? (Please tick all that apply)

  • No Answer

Q7 - If working at level 4 only, which building types prevail in the area? (tick all that apply)

  • No Answer

Q8 - If working at level 4 only, which periods prevail in the area? (tick all that apply)

  • No Answer

Q9 - If working at level 4 only, which architectural types prevail in the area? (tick all that apply)

  • No Answer

Q10 - If working at level 4 only, which traditional walling materials prevail in the area? (tick all that apply)

  • No Answer

Q11 - If working at level 4 only, which traditional roofing materials prevail in the area? (select up to three)

  • No Answer

Q12 - Which traditional boundary types prevail in the area?

  • Hedgerow
  • Mortared Wall

Q13 - What is the nature of any archaeological interest in the area?

  • Buried-dry
  • Buildings & Structures
  • Industrial Archaeology

Q14 - Which chronological period is visually dominant in the area?

  • Medieval (to 1536)
  • Post Medieval (1536+)

Q15 - Is this a Historic Landscape Character Area (HLCA)? If yes, provide detail

  • No

Q16 - HLCA description url

  • No Answer

Q17 - Are there Scheduled Monuments here?

  • Yes
    • GM265 Remains of Iron Furnace near Angleton, GM145 Bridgend Standing Stone, GM004 Coity Castle, GM444 Derwen Moated Site.

Q18 - Are there Listed Buildings here?

  • Yes
    • Number of Listed Buildings in this area: 31

Q19 - Are there Registered Historic Parks and Gardens here?

  • Yes
    • Checked and change updated January 2025.1 overlap(s)

Q20 - Are there Conservation Areas here?

  • Yes
    • Coity Conservation Area.. Checked January 2025, no change.4 overlap(s)

Q20a - Are there Historic Battlefields here?

  • No Answer

Q21 - Are there World Heritage Sites here?

  • No

Q22 - Is this within a Registered Historic Landscape (RHL)?

  • No

Q22a - Registered Historic Landscape description

  • No Answer

Condition

Q23 - Unused

  • No Answer

Q24 - Condition:

  • Unassessed

Q25 - Trend:

  • Unassessed

Recommendations

Q26 - Existing management

  • Unassessed

Q27 - Management recommendations

  • Empty value

Q28 - Sector Adaptation Plan

  • Historic Environment and Climate Change in Wales Sector Adaptation Plan. https://cadw.gov.wales/sites/default/files/2020-02/Adaptation%20Plan%20-%20FINAL%20WEB%20-%20English%20%281%29.pdf Assessment of likely impacts of climate change on historic assets and significance p8-11. Buildings and Settlements p23 Marginal and upland p26 Marine and coastal p28 Rivers, canals and freshwater p30 Farmland p33 Woodland p36 Industrial landscapes p38 Designed landscapes, parks and gardens p40 Historic landscapes p42

Q29 - Unused

  • No Answer

Aspect Area Boundary

Q30 - To what level was this information site-surveyed?

  • Level 3

Q31 - At 1:10,000, how much of the Aspect Area boundary is precise?

  • Most

Q32 - What baseline information source was used for Aspect Area boundary mapping?

  • OS Landline

Q33 - If OS Data was used, what was the scale?

  • 1:10,000

Q34 - What is the justification for the Aspect Area boundaries?

  • This comprises those sections of the Bridgend built-up area which are not included in H16 Bridgend SE industrial area and H17 Bridgend historic core. This area has no historic integrity.

Evaluation

Q35 - Evaluation Criteria: Integrity

  • High
    • The dominant landscape pattern in this area, represented by extensive modern suburban development (housing estates, industrial estates etc) surrounding the historic core of Bridgend, is extremely coherent in visual terms; however, little evidence survives of the pre-1920s pattern of irregular enclosure and dispersed farmsteads shown on the OS 1st and 2nd edition maps.

Q36 - Evaluation Criteria: Survival

  • Moderate
    • Extensive modern development has significantly reduced the archaeological resource in this area, including two Bronze Age cairns at Pond Farm and Simondston Farm (GGAT PRN 00369m; 00375m), which were destroyed to make way for a Second World War airfield (now the Brackla Industrial Estate)......... However, some limited evidence of prehistoric and Roman activity has survived......... Medieval settlement is poorly attested in the archaeological record, although there are a number of surviving early post-medieval farmhouses which have been absorbed into the urban sprawl of Bridgend or occupy its periphery, such as Simondston Farm (GGAT PRN 02127m).........

Q37 - Evaluation Criteria: Condition

  • Moderate

Q38 - Evaluation Criteria: Rarity

  • Moderate
    • One of two major areas of 20th century urban sprawl within the Bridgend UA, the other being Porthcawl (Cynon HL760).

Q39 - Evaluation Criteria: Potential

  • Moderate
    • This area has not been covered by a detailed historic landscape characterisation. There appears to be only limited potential for further investigation, based on the reduced quality of the archaeological resource in this area.

Q40 - Evaluation Criteria: Overall Evaluation

  • Moderate
    • Modern urban development has significantly reduced the value of this landscape in archaeological and historical terms; hence, the overall assessment is moderate.

Q41 - Justification of overall evaluation

  • Modern urban development has significantly reduced the value of this landscape in archaeological and historical terms; hence, the overall assessment is moderate.

Information Sources

Q42 - Sources and additional assessments

  • Successive OS 6', 1:10,000 and 1:25,000 maps. Questions 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 Designated Historic Asset GIS Data, The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), 14/02/25, licensed under the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Living Heritage

Q43 - Are there any art/artistic expressions associated with the landscape/area?

  • No Answer

Q44 - Are there any folklore/ legends associated with the landscape/area?

  • No Answer

Q45 - Are there any events/traditions associated with the landscape/area?

  • No Answer

Q46 - Are any famous people associated with the landscape/area?

  • No Answer

Q47 - Are there any technical / scientific discoveries associated with the landscape/area?

  • No Answer

Q48 - List of Historic Placenames

  • https://rcahmw.gov.uk/discover/list-of-historic-place-names/