Pen y Garn Cairn

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 a large burial cairn, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC), standing on the summit of Pen y Garn. It is visible as a mound of stones 18m in diameter and 0.5m high. Although surmounted by a shelter and trig point the main body of the cairn appears to be intact. An unusual stonework structure extends outwards from the western side of the cairn.

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. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of intact burial or ritual deposits and prehistoric land surfaces preserved beneath the cairn, as well as 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.