Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Pen y Dinas Cairn
Dyffryn Ardudwy, Gwynedd, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Round Cairn
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Date of designation
- 13 March 2003
- Community
- Dyffryn Ardudwy
- Unitary authority
- Gwynedd
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 52.77161, -4.06014
- SAM number
- ME236
- Cadw record number
- 4002
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 LibrariesLlyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of WalesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1795 "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.
The monument comprises the remains of a burial cairn, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC) and situated within rough grazing on the NW-facing slopes below the Llawlech ridge. The grass-covered stony mound is circular on plan and measures about 12m in diameter and up to 0.7m in height. Several large boulders define its edge and bedrock is visible on the SE side. An exposed cist, measuring 1.5m from ESE to WNW by 0.5m transversely and 0.2m in depth, is visible in the centre of the cairn. A large capstone, measuring roughly 1.2m in length by 1.1m transversely, lies immediately to the SW.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual. 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, including a buried prehistoric land surface.
The area scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is circular and measures 20m in diameter.
Nearby in the register
- Llecheiddior Stone CircleStone Circleunder 1 mi
- Hengwm Stone CirclesStone Circleunder 1 mi
- Ceunant Egryn Hut GroupEnclosed hut circleunder 1 mi
- Pen y Ddinas CampHillfortunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.