Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Priory Farm Cave
Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales
A scheduled monument in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, recorded as Cave (Prehistoric).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Cave
- Period
- Prehistoric
- Date of designation
- 22 February 1989
- Community
- Pembroke
- Unitary authority
- Pembrokeshire
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.67880, -4.92487
- SAM number
- PE435
- Cadw record number
- 2084
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
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1865 · England and Wales. England No. 6. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Sheet 10. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. . (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1898 · 245 Pembroke (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1901 · Sheet 13. (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 consists of a cave containing archaeological deposits that can date from as early as the Palaeolithic period and an Early Medieval settlement. A cave may have been used for occupation, storage, burial, refuse, or as a temporary shelter. Priory Farm Cave is located at the base of a low cliff on the valley side overlooking the Pembroke River. The entrance to the cave is 6m wide and the passage is approximately 30m in length. The cave was excavated in the early 20th century, however, the Palaeolithic finds were not recognised as such until 1933. The assemblage also included finds from the Mesolithic and the Bronze Age and human and faunal remains. The faunal assemblage is thought to have pre-dated the human occupation. Further work in 1999 discovered evidence of flint processing and a Bronze Age shell midden.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric settlement, ritual and funerary practices. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.
Nearby in the register
- Dovecote in field to NW of Priory FarmhouseDomesticunder 1 mi
- Monkton Priory Dovecotdovecoteunder 1 mi
- Pembroke CastleDefenceunder 1 mi
- Priory FarmhouseDomesticunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.