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Carreg Wen Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM317. The monument stands on bedrock composed of Ashgill rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Ashgill period of the Ordovician era. This geology, typical of upland Wales, provided the local material from which standing stones were selected and erected during the prehistoric period, most likely in the Bronze Age or earlier Neolithic phases of monument construction.
The stone's name, Carreg Wen, means "white stone" in Welsh, suggesting its distinctive appearance within the landscape. Such isolated standing stones served varied purposes in prehistoric communities, potentially functioning as territorial markers, burial monuments, or focal points for ritual gatherings. The survival of Carreg Wen into the modern era reflects both the durability of stone monuments and the significance these landmarks held across successive generations of Welsh inhabitants.
The monument's preservation under Cadw protection recognises its archaeological importance and its role in understanding prehistoric settlement patterns and land use across the Welsh uplands. Standing stones of this type remain among the most enigmatic prehistoric structures, their original contexts and precise functions continuing to engage archaeological study.
Carreg Wen Standing Stone is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM317. View the official record →
Carreg Wen Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM317.
Carreg Wen Standing Stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Carreg Wen Standing Stone 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 CM317.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Garreg Wen Standing Stone (3.5 km), Cynwyl Elfed Anti-invasion Defences (6.5 km), Defended Enclosure 300m W of Pen y Gar (6.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Carreg Wen Standing Stone'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 Wen Standing Stone stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.