Cwm Fforest Long Barrow

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of the remains of a chambered long barrow, dating to early Neolithic (c. 4,200BC - 3,000BC). The long barrow is located adjacent to the stream on the steeply sloping western side of the Rhian-goll valley. It is located within an area of woodland. The barrow is roughly rectangular, measuring 18m long and 6m wide and is orientated NW/SE. At the NW end the mound is 1.4m high and well-defined, with steep turf-covered sides. The height of the mound decreases towards the southern end and the body of the barrow has been partly eroded away on the SW side by a small seasonal stream. Around 12m from the northern end of the barrow a roughly rectangular possible chamber is exposed. This measures approximately 1.5m N/S by 2m E/W and is defined by drystone walls on three sides. The walling survives to a maximum height of 0.8m. To the south of the possible chamber two large slabs are exposed on the surface of the barrow. These are lying horizontally across the barrow and may be covering an entrance passage.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The features are an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retain significant archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of both intact ritual and burial deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. Chambered long barrows 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 areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.