Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Cefn Sychbant Round Cairns
Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Round Cairn
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Date of designation
- 25 May 1956
- Community
- Hirwaun
- Unitary authority
- Rhondda Cynon Taff
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.78556, -3.47586
- SAM number
- BR137
- Cadw record number
- 4376
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The monument comprises the remains of a ring cairn and three round burial cairns, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). The cairns are situated in open moorland on the saddle between Cefn Sychbant to the south-east and Cadair Fawr to the north-west.
The cairns are roughly aligned from north-east to south-west.
Cairn A - This is the north-easternmost cairn and is circular on plan measuring approximately 12m in diameter and up to 0.3m in height.
Cairn B - This is situated immediately to the south-west and is circular on plan and measures about 18.6m in diameter and up to 1.8m in height.
Cairn C - The south-westernmost cairn is circular on plan and measures about 18m in diameter and up to 1m in height.
Cairn D - A ring cairn circular on plan and measuring approximately 20m in diameter within a stone ring bank 3m in thickness and up to 0.4m in height.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. 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, together with environmental and structural evidence. Cairns 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.
Nearby in the register
- Cwm Cadlan Settlement and Field SystemHut Circleunder 1 mi
- Cefn Sychbant, round cairns to the S ofRound Cairnunder 1 mi
- Twyn Bryn Glas round cairnRound Cairnunder 1 mi
- Nant-Maden Round CairnRound Cairnunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.