Scheduled MonumentsWalesCairn Groups on Garn Fawr
Prehistoric · Ring Cairn

Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr

Carmarthenshire, Wales
Cadw SAM CM224
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Ring Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CM224. The monument lies upon bedrock of Llandovery sandstone and conglomerate, geological formations dating to the Llandovery period that provide the raw material for the cairn's construction. These indurated sedimentary rocks, naturally fractured and weathered into workable stone, would have been gathered from the immediate landscape to build the monument.

Ring cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age and served ceremonial or funerary purposes. They consist of a circular or near-circular arrangement of stones defining an enclosed central space, distinguishing them from simple burial mounds. The stone composition at Garn Fawr reflects the local geology, with blocks drawn from the surrounding Llandovery bedrock giving the cairn its characteristic appearance and anchoring it firmly to its landscape.

The monument's survival and protection under Cadw recognise its archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric settlement and ritual activity in Wales. The ring cairn form, combined with its upland setting, indicates the extent to which Bronze Age communities utilised the higher ground, adapting their constructional practices to the stone resources available in their immediate environment.

Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM224. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr?

Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales, protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CM224.

What period does Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr date from?

Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a ring cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr?

Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr 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 CM224.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hut at upper end of Annell Roman Aqueduct (5.1 km), Annell Aqueduct (upper section) (5.4 km), Cothi Roman Aqueduct (5.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr'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 Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr

Cairn Groups on Garn Fawr stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.