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Cairns, Settlements and Field Systems of Prehistoric and Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau is a ring cairn set within a multi-period landscape in Wales. The monument sits on bedrock of Caradoc Rocks, composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, which would have been cleared from the surrounding land during construction. Ring cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age and served ceremonial or domestic purposes within their communities, though some may relate to later periods of use and reuse.
The site is protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference ME146, reflecting its archaeological significance. The ring cairn exists within a broader complex of prehistoric and medieval settlement remains and field systems, indicating sustained human occupation and land use across multiple millennia. This layering of activity demonstrates how communities continuously adapted to and shaped the upland landscape above Nant Esgeiriau.
The survival of field systems alongside the cairn provides insight into how prehistoric and medieval inhabitants organised their environment for agriculture and pastoral activity. The Caradoc bedrock, exposed through centuries of weathering and human activity, forms part of the material landscape that defined settlement patterns and land use in this region of Wales.
Cairns, Settlements & Field Systems of Prehistoric & Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME146. View the official record →
Cairns, Settlements and Field Systems of Prehistoric and Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau is a ring cairn set within a multi-period landscape in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME146.
Cairns, Settlements & Field Systems of Prehistoric & Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau 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.
Cairns, Settlements & Field Systems of Prehistoric & Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau 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 ME146.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craig Ty Glas Kerb Cairn (5.7 km), Glan Hafon Ring Cairn (5.9 km), Craig Rhiwarth Ancient Village (6.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cairns, Settlements & Field Systems of Prehistoric & Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau'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.
Cairns, Settlements & Field Systems of Prehistoric & Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.