Tryfel Cairns and Stone Setting

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 three burial cairns (identified A-C) and a stone setting (D), probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). The remains run in a NW-SE direction running for 130m. Cairn A is situated at SH 9702 1608 and is the most southerly of the group. It comprises a turf-covered cairn, 4m diameter by 0.3m high, with a small heap of stones at SE end. There is some disturbance by encroachment of slight trackway along SW side. Cairn B is situated at SH 9700 1612 and is the central cairn of the group. It is a partially turf-covered kerb cairn, 4.5m diameter by 0.3m high, with two kerb stones in situ (each 0.8m x 0.3m x 0.4m) and some central disturbance. Cairn C is the most northerly of the group, situated at SH 9694 1615. It forms a prominent turf-covered cairn, 10.5m diameter and 0.7m high with central disturbance (1.0m x 1.5m),and possible kerb stones to SW. A spread of surface stone to SE may be spoil from central disturbance. Stone Setting D is located at SH 9699 1609 and forms a double row of stones running SE from cairn B for 10m towards cairn A. It comprises four prominent uprights (largest 0.5m x 0.15m x 0.3m high), and possibly 8 pairs of stones in all, but not all on a common axis.

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. It is in two parts, area A being a circle 20m in diameter centred at SH 9694 1615 and area B being a rectangle 80m by 20m with its NE corner abutting the fenceline of the field in which the sites stand.