Scheduled MonumentsWalesCat Hole Cave
Prehistoric · Cave

Cat Hole Cave

Wales
Cadw SAM GM349
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Cave
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cat Hole Cave is a prehistoric cave located in the Gower Peninsula near Swansea in South Wales. The cave has yielded evidence of occupation spanning the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods, with artefactual material indicating human use during the late glacial and early post-glacial phases. Excavations have recovered flint tools and bone implements alongside faunal remains, demonstrating its significance as a residential or seasonal shelter site. The cave remains an important resource for understanding hunter-gatherer settlement patterns and subsistence strategies in prehistoric Wales.

Cat Hole Cave is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM349. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cat Hole Cave?

Cat Hole Cave is a prehistoric cave located in the Gower Peninsula near Swansea in South Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM349.

What period does Cat Hole Cave date from?

Cat Hole Cave dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cave. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cat Hole Cave?

Cat Hole Cave 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 GM349.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cat Hole Cave?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Penmaen Burrows Church (2 km), Penmaen Burrows Burial Chamber (2 km), Penmaen Burrows Ringwork (2 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Cat Hole Cave