Ty Illtyd 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 the early Neolithic (c. 4,200BC - 3,000BC). A long barrow is a roughly rectangular or trapezoidal mound of earth and/or stone, usually between 25m and 120m long, with a length exceeding twice its greatest width. The mound may be edged with a timber or stone revetment, and they contain one or more stone or wooden burial chambers at one end. This mound was probably originally 100ft long and is 56ft wide at the south end, decreasing in height southwards. The chamber at the north end is 5ft 9in long and 3ft 4in wide. The capstone measures 7ft by 6ft and more than covers the chamber, which has been disturbed. There are symbols on three of the uprights and are probably Christian. There are five uprights in front and at the north of the chamber and is probably part of an entrance passage or another chamber.

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.