Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Maes Merddyn Ring Cairn
Pentrefoelas, Conwy, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Ring Cairn
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Date of designation
- 12 April 2001
- Community
- Pentrefoelas
- Unitary authority
- Conwy
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 53.07668, -3.70443
- SAM number
- DE273
- Cadw record number
- 1693
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesLlyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of WalesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1795 "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).
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 a ring cairn of earth and stone, which probably dates to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). The cairn comprises two elements, with a small round barrow lying within a larger ring cairn. The mounument is surrounded by an earth and stone bank which measures 10m in diameter, 1.75m wide x 0.6m high. This encloses a circular area measuirng 6.5m across within which a stone and turf mound measuring 3.75m in diameter and 0.4m high has been constructed. There is a hole in the top of the inner mound which may indicate antiquarian invstigations.
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. Ring 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. It is circular and measures 2m in diameter.
Nearby in the register
- Nest boxes and bee boles at Maes MerddynAgriculture and Subsistenceunder 1 mi
- Nant y Foel long hutDeserted Rural Settlement1 mi
- Maen Sertan Boundary StoneBoundary Stone1 mi
- Cefn-y-Gadfa Stone Rows and CistsCist burial1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.