These ruins were thought to have been a medieval chapel, and were recorded by Leland in the sixteenth century and by Edward Lhuyd in around 1700. The association with the saint may have been arisen from the fabrications of Iolo Morganwg, and were sufficient for the site to have been described by Samuel Lewis in 1833 as 'an ancient religious house, said to have been a monastery dedicated to St.Cawrdav'. Wade-Evans lists it as a lost chapel, Gelli Gawrdav. The Iolo Manuscripts list a further place-name, Gallt Cawrdaf, in Gwent, which Baring-Gould and Fisher assume is a reference to this site.

However, none of the various spellings attested before the end of the eighteenth century are demonstrably associated with Cawrdaf, which include, for example, Galthe Caurde (c.1538), Alltekarthey (1541), Alltgawrddy (c.1612). More recent forms have incorporated cewri (giants).