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Carreg Lefain Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected as an ancient monument by Cadw. The site sits upon bedrock composed of Neoproterozoic felsic tuff, unnamed extrusive rocks formed during the Neoproterozoic period over 540 million years ago. This ancient volcanic geology would have been exposed or close to the surface when the cairn was constructed during the Bronze Age or earlier prehistoric periods.
Round cairns of this type typically served as burial monuments, constructed by stacking stone to create prominent landscape features that marked significant locations for scattered communities. The felsic tuff bedrock beneath Carreg Lefain would have provided some stone for building, though much material may have been gathered from the surrounding area. The exposed volcanic rock outcropping characteristic of this geological formation would have made the site visually distinctive.
Today the cairn remains a testament to prehistoric burial practices and territorial marking in the Welsh landscape. Its Cadw registration (CN390) reflects its importance as part of Wales's protected archaeological heritage. The monument preserves evidence of how early communities utilised the local geology and topography to create enduring markers of significance.
Carreg Lefain Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN390. View the official record →
Carreg Lefain Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected as an ancient monument by Cadw. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CN390.
Carreg Lefain 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.
Carreg Lefain 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 CN390.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Small Fort Near Nantlle (8.3 km), Drws y Coed Copper Mine (8.3 km), Pen Y Bryn Quarry and tips (8.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Carreg Lefain 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.
Carreg Lefain Cairn stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Neoproterozoic, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is felsic tuff.