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Bwlch Bach a'r Grib round cairn is a prehistoric burial monument situated in Wales. The cairn stands upon bedrock of Lower Devonian rocks, comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formations that date to the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation provided the stone sources and building material available to Bronze Age communities constructing funerary monuments across the upland regions of Wales. The site benefits from statutory protection as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw's reference BR316.
Round cairns of this type represent the characteristic burial practice of Bronze Age Wales, typically constructed as stone mounds raised over inhumed or cremated remains. The monument's location reflects the Bronze Age preference for elevated terrain with good visibility across the surrounding landscape. The combination of accessible stone from the underlying Devonian bedrock and the topography of the site would have made this location suitable for the construction and maintenance of a communal burial marker.
As a scheduled monument, Bwlch Bach a'r Grib contributes to our understanding of Bronze Age mortuary practices, territorial organisation and land use across Wales. The preservation of the site under Cadw's protection ensures that this archaeological evidence remains available for future study and allows visitors to appreciate the relationship between prehistoric communities and their physical landscape.
Bwlch Bach a'r Grib round cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR316. View the official record →
Bwlch Bach a'r Grib round cairn is a prehistoric burial monument situated in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR316.
Bwlch Bach a'r Grib 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 the UK.
Bwlch Bach a'r Grib 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 BR316.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pen Cerrig-calch, cairn on NW side of (8.9 km), Standing Stone North of Tretower (8.9 km), Castell Blaenllynfi (9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Bwlch Bach a'r Grib round 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.
Bwlch Bach a'r Grib round cairn stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.