Bryn y Maen Alignment (Four Stones)

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 stone alignment of five stones situated to the SW of Bryn-y-maen round barrow and probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC). The most southerly stone (A) is recumbent and c.0.6m high, the second (B) is c.0.75m high, recumbent and c.7m north-east of (A). (C) is c.0.8m high and c.4.8m north-east of (B). (D) is c.0.5m high and c.2m north-east of (C). (E) is c.0.4m high and c.2.97m north-east of (D).

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. It 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 and ritual deposits and environmental and structural evidence. Stone alignments are often part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further be 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.