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Carn Ferched is a prehistoric platform cairn situated in Wales on bedrock of mafic igneous origin, laid down during the Silurian period as an unnamed intrusion within older Ordovician strata. The dark, dense volcanic stone that forms the natural foundation would have been readily available to its builders, who constructed this earthen platform with a stone cairn in the later Neolithic or early Bronze Age. Platform cairns represent a distinct regional tradition, differing from simple burial cairns in their broader, flatter construction that served both ceremonial and funerary purposes for prehistoric communities.
The monument sits protected under Cadw's heritage register as PE499, reflecting its archaeological significance in understanding prehistoric land use and ritual practice in Wales. The choice of this particular rocky locale, with its natural outcrop of hard igneous stone, provided both material resources and a commanding position in the landscape. Such platforms typically served important functions within their communities, whether as burial sites, meeting places or territorial markers.
The surrounding geology has preserved evidence of human activity across millennia, making Carn Ferched an important witness to Bronze Age and later settlement patterns in the region. Its protection ensures the site remains available for future archaeological study and public understanding of Wales's prehistoric heritage.
Carn Ferched platform cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE499. View the official record →
Carn Ferched is a prehistoric platform cairn situated in Wales on bedrock of mafic igneous origin, laid down during the Silurian period as an unnamed intrusion within older Ordovician strata. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE499.
Carn Ferched platform cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a platform cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Carn Ferched platform 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 PE499.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pant y Menyn Round Barrow (7 km), Round Barrow SE of Goodwins Row, Efailwen (7.1 km), Standing Stone 630m NNW of Pant-yr-Odyn (7.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Carn Ferched platform 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.
Carn Ferched platform cairn stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Ordovician To Silurian, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.