Colston Burial Chamber

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 a chambered tomb, dating to the Neolithic period (c. 4,400 BC - 2,900 BC). Chambered tombs were built and used by local farming communities over long periods of time. There appear to be many regional traditions and variations in shape and construction.

This burial chamber forms part of a modern hedge bank and is formed by a large capstone measuring 1.8m in length, 1.7 wide and 1m thick, supported on the north by two side-stones both of which are slumped but still upright. The southern side of the capstone would appear to be supported by the ground and to be earthfast. The small chamber has internal dimensions of c. 0.5m in height and a section of 1.5m square. The raised levels of the ground around the chamber would appear to be natural to the north but at the least, enhanced by human endeavour to the south forming a mound with a diameter c. 20m.

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. Chambered tombs 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.