Tair Carn Uchaf Cairns

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of three grit stone rubble cairns which probably date to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC) and which are situated on the long hogback summit of Tair Carn Uchaf. The easternmost cairn measures c 18m in diameter and is 2.3m high, disturbance in the past has left a central depression that measures c 8m in diameter and 1.8m deep and the body of the cairn has fallen away on the north east side. The central cairn is situated 250m to the south west and measures 22m in diameter and is 3.2m high with steeply sloping convex sides, there is a slight depression on top measuring 2m in diameter and up to 0.5m in depth. The westernmost cairn is situated 110m east of the centralcairn and measures 17m in diameter and is 2.6m high, disturbance in the past has left a central oval depression measuring c 4m by 3m and 1m in depth.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The features are an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retain significant archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of both intact ritual and burial 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.