© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Cefn Bryn Burnt Mound is a prehistoric monument located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM543. Burnt mounds are typically small, steep-sided heaps of fire-cracked stone accumulated through repeated episodes of heating and quenching, usually dating to the Bronze Age. They are commonly associated with hot-stone cooking, metalworking, or bathing practices, though their precise function remains debated. The mound at Cefn Bryn sits upon Dinantian bedrock comprising limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks, geology that would have influenced both the availability of suitable stone for heating and the practical working of the site.
The monument's form and distribution reflect the character of its upland setting. Like other burnt mounds in Wales, Cefn Bryn represents evidence of sustained, purposeful activity during prehistory, with the accumulated burnt stone recording multiple phases of use. The underlying limestone landscape would have provided access to stone suitable for heating, whilst the local terrain shaped the site's function within Bronze Age land use and settlement patterns across this part of Wales.
Cefn Bryn Burnt Mound is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM543. View the official record →
Cefn Bryn Burnt Mound is a prehistoric monument located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM543.
Cefn Bryn Burnt Mound dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a burnt mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cefn Bryn Burnt Mound 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 GM543.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Penmaen Burrows Burial Chamber (1.7 km), Penmaen Burrows Ringwork (1.9 km), Penrice Ringwork (3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cefn Bryn Burnt Mound'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.
Cefn Bryn Burnt Mound stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.