The ruins of six farmsteads are set about an area crossed by tumbled field walls, some 500-600m across, about the flanks & summits of a low mountain spur: of the six, at least one, at SN72756088, is shown as deserted on OS County series 1st ed. (Cardigan. XXI.15 1888); of the remainder three are shown as intact on the 2nd ed. (1905): Ochr-bryn-lloi (Nprn5959); Bryn-lloi, at SN72616094, & Tan-y-graig, at SN72926060; Tan-y-garn, at SN72966076, & Gwar-ffynnon, at given NGR, being shown as ruinous: tree-clumps presently occur around the the ruinous farm buildings, these apparently representing shelter trees shown on the OS 1st ed., the conifers also shown appear not to have flourished.

J.Wiles 31.01.05

Bryn-lloi is a remote hill about 5 km east of Tregaron, overlooking the upper reaches of the Groes Fechan valley and just uphill of the existing farmstead of Gwar-castell. The ruins of at least six farmsteads and associated field enclosures survive across the hillside.

The site probably represents an early-19th century squatter encroachment onto marginal land. All the farmsteads are shown on the Caron tithe map of 1845, apart from Tan-y-graig which had yet to be built. Of the others, only Tal-y-garn is depicted with the same ground plan as today - the rest are depicted as small solitary buildings with adjoining gardens. Clearly the settlement continued to grow after that date, and the existing ruins display clear linear development from the original single dwellings.

Information from Paul R Davis, December 2021.