Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Cairns on Cefn Bryn
Ilston, Swansea, Wales
A scheduled monument in Ilston, Swansea, recorded as Round Cairn (Prehistoric).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Round Cairn
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Community
- Ilston
- Unitary authority
- Swansea
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.57936, -4.13518
- SAM number
- GM038
- Cadw record number
- 3758
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
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1865 · England and Wales. England No. 6. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Sheet 10. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. . (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1897 · 247 Swansea (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1920 · Sheet 100. Llanelly. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
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 burial cairns, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). Situated on the Cefn Bryn ridge, the cairns have commanding views over the north and south of Gower.
Cairn A - This cairn measures 13.4m in diameter by 0.4m high. At the west is part of a retaining circle, consisting of two lines of boulders set 1.5m apart.
Cairn B - This cairn has been scattered widely and measures 25m in diameter. It sits on top of the rocky outcrop.
Cairn C - This cairn measures 21m in diameter and is much spread. It is almost conjoined with the central cairn (Cairn B).
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The monument is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact burial or ritual 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.
Nearby in the register
- Cefn Bryn Burnt MoundBurnt Moundunder 1 mi
- Penmaen Farmhouse and adjacent cottageAgriculture and Subsistenceunder 1 mi
- Church of St NicholasReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Preaching cross in St Nicholas' ChurchyardReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.