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Bryn Llydan Round Barrow is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales. Round barrows are monumental earthworks constructed during the Bronze Age as burial monuments for prominent individuals or community leaders. These structures typically comprise a central burial chamber surrounded by an earthen mound, often accompanied by a ditch from which material was quarried. The barrow would have functioned as both a sepulchre and a visible territorial marker on the landscape.
The monument stands upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, geological strata formed during the Westphalian period of the Carboniferous era. This underlying geology comprises mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interlayered with deposits of coal, ironstone and ferricrete. The friable and oxidised nature of ferricrete in particular would have influenced the soil character and drainage patterns around the barrow site, shaping the local environment in which it was constructed.
Bryn Llydan Round Barrow is protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw, the Welsh heritage agency, under reference GM538. This designation recognises the site's archaeological significance and ensures its preservation for future study and public benefit. The barrow contributes to the wider pattern of Bronze Age settlement and ritual activity across the Welsh landscape.
Bryn Llydan Round Barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM538. View the official record →
Bryn Llydan Round Barrow is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM538.
Bryn Llydan Round Barrow dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Bryn Llydan Round Barrow 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 GM538.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Clawdd Mawr, Mynydd Caerau (6.2 km), Mynydd Caerau Round Cairns (6.7 km), Bwlch yr Avan Dyke (7.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Bryn Llydan Round Barrow'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.
Bryn Llydan Round Barrow 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.