Carn-y-Wiwer Cairnfield & Platform Houses

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 several prehistoric round cairns - burial mounds probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC) and platform houses of unknown date. The 19 cairns lie in moorland on a ridge. They are spread over approximately one acre, are turf covered and range in size from 3m in diameter and 0.3m high to 6m in diameter and 0.5m high. Some are very low and flat, some are conical and some, saucer-shaped.

The platform houses are located slightly to the west of the cairnfield. Nearer the edge of the ridge top are two pairs of platform houses in a north-south line. The pair furthest south are similar in shape and dimensions: 5m wide; 13m and 9m long (southern and northern respectively), with slopes at their eastern ends measuring 1.5m high. They are turf covered. The pair further north are more different, and the northernmost one is slightly above the other. The northernmost one is shallow, 7m wide, 12m long with a 1m high back slope. The other one is 8m wide and 14m long. The back slope is 2.5m high from the platform, topped by a bank 2m-5m wide.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual and settlement 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. Cairnfields 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.