Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Carn Fawr Round Cairns
Blaenrheidol, Ceredigion, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Round Cairn
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Date of designation
- 5 February 2008
- Community
- Blaenrheidol
- Unitary authority
- Ceredigion
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 52.50004, -3.74219
- SAM number
- CD246
- Cadw record number
- 1225
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 1608 "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
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 stone-built round cairn, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). It is located on a slight knoll on a high plateau above the NW-facing flank of Plynlimon Fawr and overlooking the Afon Hengwm to the N. The source of the River Severn lies c. 750m to the SE. The cairn is circular in shape on plan and measures c. 14m in diameter and a maximum of 2m in height. The centre of the mound features a depression, which probably represents an episode of grave robbing or antiquarian investigation. It measures c. 2m in diameter and 1m in depth. Despite the disturbance, the cairn survives in good condition.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The feature is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of both intact ritual and burial deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. The importance of the monument is further enhanced by the group value it shares with neighbouring cairns.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and an area around within which related evidence may be expected to survive. The scheduled area is circular in shape on plan and measures 25m in diameter.
Nearby in the register
- Hengwm Ring CairnsRing Cairnunder 1 mi
- Carn Fach BugeilynRound Cairnunder 1 mi
- Hut Circle Settlement below Foel Isaf, BugeilynHut Circle Settlementunder 1 mi
- Carn Biga, Pumlumon Fawr/PlynlimonRound Cairnunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.