Moel yr Henfaes cairn cemetery

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 prehistoric cairn cemetery, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC). The cemetery contains the remains of at least four small round burial cairns and is situated within enclosed moorland on a prominent terrace on the W facing slopes of Moel yr Henfaes. The cairns measure between 1.5m and 4.5m in diameter and between 0.2m and 0.5m in height. The cemetery boasts fine views over the Dee valley to the NW.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The features are important relics of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retain significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact burial or ritual deposits and environmental and structural evidence. The importance of the monument is further enhanced by the group value formed by the association of the individual cairns within the cemetery - and the topographical association of the cemetery with other monuments within the surrounding area.

The area to be scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is square on plan and measures 50m from N to S by 50m transversely.