Tir Lan round barrow 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 six round barrows probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC). Situated in enclosed pasture on the south-east end of the Cefn Merthyr ridge, three barrows are situated to the north-west of Tir Lan farm. The northernmost barrow is roughly circular on plan and measures about 8.5m in diameter and up to 0.7m in height. The central barrow is roughly circular on plan and measures about 9.5m in diameter and up to 0.9m in height. The southernmost barrow is irregular on plan but measures about 7m in diameter and up to 0.8m in height. All three, although reduced by ploughing in the past, remain substantially intact.

Three further barrows are situated to the south-east of Tir Lan farm. That to the north-east is roughly circular on plan and measures about 11.5m in diameter and up to 1.3m in height. A further barrow is situated immediately to the west and probably originally measured around 7m in diameter; its north-west side is now partially overlain by a fence. It stands 0.7m in height. The southernmost barrow is the best preserved within the cemetery. It measures about 12.5m in diameter and up to 1m in height. All three, although reduced by ploughing in the past, remain substantially intact.

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 and environmental and structural evidence. Several further barrow cemeteries are situated to the NW.

The areas to be scheduled comprise the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.