© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Cairn Cemetery on Mynydd Bach, Bedwas is a prehistoric round cairn situated on the upland moorland of south Wales. The monument stands on bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, where mudstone, siltstone and sandstone underlie the coal-bearing strata typical of this Westphalian-age geology. This elevated setting, with its exposed ferricrete and ironstone bands weathering through the surface, would have been a conspicuous location in the Bronze Age landscape.
The cairn is a substantial burial monument of rubble construction, characteristic of prehistoric funerary practice in Wales. Such monuments often served as communal repositories for the dead, with burials sometimes deposited over extended periods. The site's designation as a cemetery suggests multiple interments, marking it as a significant place of ritual importance for Bronze Age communities.
Scheduled under Cadw's protection as a monument of national importance, the cairn survives as a physical record of prehistoric burial custom and settlement patterns in the south Wales valleys. Despite the extensive industrial and agricultural development of the surrounding landscape, this upland monument remains a tangible connection to the region's ancient past.
Cairn Cemetery on Mynydd Bach, Bedwas is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM196. View the official record →
Cairn Cemetery on Mynydd Bach, Bedwas is a prehistoric round cairn situated on the upland moorland of south Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM196.
Cairn Cemetery on Mynydd Bach, Bedwas 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.
Cairn Cemetery on Mynydd Bach, Bedwas 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 MM196.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Caerphilly Iron Furnace (5.1 km), Caerphilly Castle (5.1 km), Caerffili Mountain Shaft Mounds (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cairn Cemetery on Mynydd Bach, Bedwas'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.
Cairn Cemetery on Mynydd Bach, Bedwas 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.