© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Bachwen Burial Chamber is a prehistoric chambered long cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument. The site occupies bedrock composed of Llanvirn rocks, an undifferentiated sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Whiterock period. This geological foundation of fine-grained sedimentary stone would have been available locally for construction, though the cairn builders likely selected larger boulders and stone slabs from the surrounding landscape.
The monument dates to the Neolithic period, when communities across Britain and Ireland constructed elaborate burial monuments. Chambered long cairns represent a distinctive tradition of collective burial, combining a stone-built chamber—where the dead were deposited—with an elongated mound of stone covering the entire structure. These monuments typically show evidence of multiple burials accumulated over generations, serving as permanent focal points within the landscape.
Bachwen Burial Chamber preserves remains of this ancient funerary practice. The monument's form and construction reflect widespread Neolithic practices in Wales and neighbouring regions, though its specific architectural details and history are unique to this location. The site remains an important archaeological resource for understanding prehistoric mortuary customs and settlement patterns in Wales.
Bachwen Burial Chamber is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN008. View the official record →
Bachwen Burial Chamber is a prehistoric chambered long cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument.
Bachwen Burial Chamber dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a chambered long cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bachwen Burial Chamber is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CN008.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tyddyn Mawr, standing stone to SSW of (5.5 km), Tre'r Ceiri Camp (5.9 km), Yr Eifl Summit Cairns (6.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Bachwen Burial Chamber's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Bachwen Burial Chamber stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.