Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Foel Fynyddau Round Cairn
Cwmavon, Neath Port Talbot, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Round Cairn
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Date of designation
- 2 February 1960
- Community
- Cwmavon
- Unitary authority
- Neath Port Talbot
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.62796, -3.75993
- SAM number
- GM279
- Cadw record number
- 2895
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
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (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 a burial cairn, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). It is situated on the summit of Foel Fynyddau at 371m above OD with extensive views in all directions. The cairn is circular on plan and measures 19.2m in diameter by 0.9m high. Robbing in the centre has resulted in an oval hollow 6.7m by 5.5m and 0.6m deep; the stones within are reddened by fire, possibly from the use of the cairn as a beacon. On the southern edge of the hollow is an Ordnance Survey trig point.
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
- Cwmafan copper works flueChimneyunder 1 mi
- Deserted Rural Settlement North of Foel FynyddauHouse Platformunder 1 mi
- Pontrhydyfen ViaductTransportunder 1 mi
- Bethel ChapelReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.