Tŷ Newydd Chambered Tomb

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of a chambered tomb, dating to the Neolithic period (c.4400 BC to 2900 BC). Chambered tombs were built and used by local farming communities over long periods of time and there appear to be many regional traditions and variations in shape and construction.

This megalithic chamber is comprised of a massive capstone nearly 1 m thick at the east end resting on three uprights, each about 1 m high, a fourth upright is free-standing. The capstone, over 3.5 m long, has split and extra support has been provided in the form of two stone pillars and a concrete plinth.

Early records suggest the previous existence of a second chamber beside the first and the results of excavation in 1935 suggest that it is a small, early passage grave, set in a typically prominent position and originally covered by a round cairn. The few finds from the excavation suggest that, though the tomb was probably built early in the Neolithic era, it continued long in use.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual. The monument is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact burial or ritual deposits and environmental and structural evidence, including a buried prehistoric land surface. Chambered tombs may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.

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