Scheduled MonumentsWalesCae Gwyn Cave
Prehistoric · Cave

Cae Gwyn Cave

Flintshire, Wales
Cadw SAM FL070
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Cave
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM FL070
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1950-09-29
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cae Gwyn Cave is a prehistoric cave site situated in Wales and carved into Dinantian limestone bedrock. The underlying geology comprises undifferentiated Dinantian rocks of Mississippian age, dominated by limestone with subsidiary bands of sandstone and argillaceous material. This geology is characteristic of the upland limestone karst landscapes of Wales, where natural cave systems developed through solution weathering over millions of years. The cave would have provided shelter for human occupation during the prehistoric period, when such rock formations offered protection from the elements and strategic positions for hunting and gathering communities.

The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw, the historic environment service of Wales, and is registered under reference FL070. This designation reflects the archaeological significance of cave sites in understanding early human settlement patterns and behaviour in Britain. The Dinantian limestone in which Cae Gwyn Cave formed is particularly important, as Wales's limestone regions contain numerous prehistoric occupation sites where evidence of early human activity has been preserved in deposits and associations with the cave environment.

Cae Gwyn Cave is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL070. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cae Gwyn Cave?

Cae Gwyn Cave is a prehistoric cave site situated in Wales and carved into Dinantian limestone bedrock. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL070.

What period does Cae Gwyn Cave date from?

Cae Gwyn Cave dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cave. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cae Gwyn Cave?

Cae Gwyn Cave 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 FL070.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cae Gwyn Cave?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Denbigh Friary Church (6.4 km), Old Foxhall Earth Circle (7.1 km), Old Foxhall Round Barrow (7.2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cae Gwyn Cave

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cae Gwyn Cave'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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Cae Gwyn Cave report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cae Gwyn Cave

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