Scheduled MonumentsWalesBurry Menhir
Prehistoric · Standing Stone

Burry Menhir

Wales
Cadw SAM GM134
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Standing Stone
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Burry Menhir is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference GM134. The monument stands upon bedrock of Dinantian age, formed during the Mississippian period approximately 359 to 323 million years ago. This geological foundation comprises limestone with subordinate layers of sandstone and argillaceous rocks, typical of the carboniferous deposits underlying much of South Wales.

The menhir exemplifies the class of upright stone monuments erected during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, likely between 4000 and 1500 BCE. Such standing stones served various functions within prehistoric communities, from territorial markers and gathering points to ritual or commemorative monuments. The precise dating and original purpose of Burry Menhir remain undetermined without excavation, though its survival and protection reflect its significance to the archaeological record.

The monument's continued presence on this limestone bedrock provides evidence of human activity and landscape use in prehistoric Wales. Its survival into the modern era, despite centuries of land use change and agricultural activity, underscores the durability of stone monuments and their importance to Welsh cultural heritage. The site contributes to our understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns and ritual practices across the Welsh uplands.

Burry Menhir is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM134. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Burry Menhir?

Burry Menhir is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference GM134.

What period does Burry Menhir date from?

Burry Menhir dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Burry Menhir?

Burry Menhir 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 GM134.

What other scheduled monuments are near Burry Menhir?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cave 40m SE of Deborah's Hole (4.8 km), Deborah's Hole Camp (4.9 km), Paviland Camp (4.9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Burry Menhir

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Burry Menhir's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Burry Menhir

Burry Menhir stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.