Scheduled MonumentsWalesBedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn
Prehistoric · Round Cairn

Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME102
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn is a prehistoric funerary monument located in Meirionnydd, Wales, designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument under the reference Cadw SAM ME102. The cairn dates to the Bronze Age and represents a burial tradition characteristic of that period, when such stone-built mounds served as repositories for the dead and functioned within a broader ritual landscape. The monument survives as a substantial rounded stone heap, though like many such cairns it has been subject to degradation and stone robbing over the millennia. Its name, meaning "the King's Grave" in Welsh, reflects local tradition associating the site with burial of elevated social status, though archaeological evidence establishes its primary function as a Bronze Age funerary monument.

Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME102. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn?

Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn is a prehistoric funerary monument located in Meirionnydd, Wales, designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument under the reference Cadw SAM ME102. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME102.

What period does Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn date from?

Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn?

Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn 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 ME102.

What other scheduled monuments are near Bedd-y-Brenin Round Cairn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Allt Lwyd Bronze Age Ritual Complex (4.3 km), Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort (4.7 km), Alltwyllt Slate Quarry Incline (6.8 km).

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