© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Carn y Groes cairn is a prehistoric round cairn sited in Wales on bedrock comprising the interbedded sandstone and conglomerate of the Llandovery series. The monument stands protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference RD208. Round cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age and served as burial monuments, though some may incorporate earlier Neolithic material. The underlying geology of sandstone and conglomerate would have provided suitable stone for construction, with material either quarried locally or gathered from the landscape surface.
The cairn's preservation reflects the enduring character of these monuments across the Welsh uplands, where they remain prominent features of the prehistoric settlement pattern. The specific Llandovery bedrock geology is characteristic of much of mid and west Wales, forming an essential part of the regional landscape that shaped human activity and monument placement in prehistory.
The cairn remains an important record of Bronze Age burial practice and territorial expression. Its protection by Cadw ensures that this physical evidence of prehistoric Wales is maintained for future study and public understanding.
Carn y Groes cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD208. View the official record →
Carn y Groes cairn is a prehistoric round cairn sited in Wales on bedrock comprising the interbedded sandstone and conglomerate of the Llandovery series. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference RD208.
Carn y Groes cairn 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.
Carn y Groes 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 RD208.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craig y Lluest cairn cemetery (3.1 km), Carn Nant-y-ffald cairn (3.2 km), Carn Wen cairn (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Carn y Groes 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 y Groes cairn stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.