© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock is a prehistoric kerb cairn situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Llanvirn rocks—mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Whiterock period. The monument comprises a substantial earthwork constructed with a defined kerb of stones that once contained and shaped an accumulation of stone and rubble. The site is distinguished by the presence of cup-marked rock, which bears the distinctive shallow, circular depressions created by repeated percussion during the Bronze Age or Neolithic period, suggesting ritual or symbolic significance.
The cairn's location on the Llanvirn substrate reflects the builders' practical knowledge of the landscape and available stone. Such kerbed cairns served as burial monuments and territorial markers across prehistoric Britain, typically constructed to house inhumed or cremated remains within a central chamber or cist. The cup-marks represent one of Britain's oldest surviving art forms, their purpose debated amongst archaeologists but frequently associated with ceremonial or spiritual practices.
The monument is protected by Cadw, Wales's historic monuments service, under reference ME242, ensuring its preservation for future study and public access. Its survival makes it an important record of prehistoric funeral practices and artistic expression on the Welsh landscape.
Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME242. View the official record →
Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock is a prehistoric kerb cairn situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Llanvirn rocks—mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Whiterock period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME242.
Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a kerb cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock 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 ME242.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Allt Lwyd Cairn II (4.9 km), Allt Lwyd Cairn I (5.2 km), Allt Lwyd Bronze Age Ritual Complex (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock'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.
Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.