Although there is little to suggest an exact date for Cwarel Uchaf, the Llanfihangel Ystrad tithe map of 1843 displays the cottage at the entrance to Cilerwysg, then spelt Kilerwisk, when it was rented by the Owens family. The form of the property in conjunction with the tithe map indicates a construction date somewhere in the early 19th century. The location and name of the property suggest that it is linked with the quarry that lays directly in front of the cottage as displayed on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch to 1 mile map of 1888; Cwar ? quarry. Local knowledge tells us that Cwarel Uchaf later became a farm labourer's cottage then a smallholding, before becoming derelict in the late 20th century. In 2012 Cwarel Uchaf was bought with the intent of renovation, which has been focusing on consolidating the stonework to secure the overall structure before being `modernised?.

Cwarel Uchaf is constructed of roughly coursed rubble with lime mortar, oak trusses with pine tiebeams and a corrugated iron roof; the cottage was once thatched with gorse and reed. Before renovation work the oak under-thatch remained, unfortunately this has now been removed and disposed of. The kitchen once had a wickerwork fire hood, evidence for this can be seen in the oak lintel near the top of the stack, a low tiebeam to support the hood and smoke blackening to the trusses, caused by smoke escape. A notable feature of Cwarel Uchaf is the east gable for its central entrance and two windows, which entered in to a small room/store/office once separated from the cottage by a stud partition. The cottage comprises two main phases; Phase I, being the initial phase of the cottages construction, of the early 19th century; and Phase II, which saw the modernisation of the cottage in the early 20th century with the addition of the brick fireplace, enlargement of the windows and the possible blocking of the gable doorway.

Cwarel Uchaf is a rare survival of a typical Ceredigion stone built cottage, retaining trusses and evidence of thatch. Further to this, the cottage is an unusual example of this form of dwelling, as the gable end is possibly unique and in scale the cottage is larger than most, possibly because the raw materials to construct it lay just forward of its location.

Ross Cook & Geoff Ward, RCAHMW. 13th August 2013