Trichrug Round Barrows

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of four burial cairns, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). They lie in a rough line running north-west to south-east along a prominent summit ridge in open moorland at an altitude of 343m above OD.

Cairn A, situated at the north-west end of the group, is c.19.8m in diameter and 5m high with steep sides. A hollow in the centre suggests old robbing. It consists of a mound of earth and small stones covered with turf.

Cairn B is located c.20m south-east of Cairn A, and is c.22m in diameter and 3m high with steep sides. A concrete OS pillar stands on top of the mound which is not apparently disturbed in any other way.

Cairn C lies immediately to the south-east of Cairn B. It is a small mound c.13m in diameter and 1.3m high, much spread.

Cairn D is situated close to Cairn C, to its east-south-east, and forms the south-east end of the group. It comprises a ring c.20m in diameter enclosing a flat area c.12m in diameter. The enclosing bank is c.4m wide and 1m high and there is no apparent ditch. The central area shows signs of disturbance.

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 be 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.