Pencraig y Pistill Round 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 turf-consolidated round cairn, which probably dates to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). It is located on the highest point of a NE-SW ridge. The cairn is circular in shape on plan and measures c. 12m in diameter and a maximum of 1m in height. The centre of the mound features a depression, which probably represents an episode of grave robbing or antiquarian investigation. It measures c. 2.5m in diameter and 0.3m in depth. Despite the disturbance, the cairn survives largely intact.

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 20m in diameter.