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Bodyst-uchaf ring cairn is a prehistoric ring cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM330. Ring cairns of this type were constructed during the Bronze Age and consist of a circular or sub-circular bank of rubble surrounding an open central space, typically interpreted as ritual or ceremonial monuments rather than burial sites, though some contain burials or cremations. The form reflects a widespread tradition of monumental construction across upland Britain during the second millennium BCE.
The monument sits upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a sequence of mudstones, siltstones, sandstones, coal seams, ironstone and ferricrete deposits laid down during the Westphalian period of the Carboniferous. This geological setting is characteristic of South Wales mining country, where such solid substrates would have provided a stable foundation for the substantial stone constructions required for ring cairns.
Bodyst-uchaf's preservation within the designated heritage protection framework recognises its importance as a visible survival of Bronze Age monumental practice. The site contributes to understanding patterns of ceremonial land use in the upland regions of Wales during prehistory, where ring cairns often occur in association with other contemporary monuments in the broader Bronze Age ceremonial landscape.
Bodyst-uchaf ring cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM330. View the official record →
Bodyst-uchaf ring cairn is a prehistoric ring cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM330.
Bodyst-uchaf ring cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a ring cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bodyst-uchaf ring 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 CM330.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Penlle'r Castell (2.5 km), Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd (5.9 km), Cairn 250m SW of Banc Llyn-Mawr (6.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Bodyst-uchaf ring cairn'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.
Bodyst-uchaf ring cairn stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.