Scheduled MonumentsWalesCefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound)
Medieval · Pillow Mound

Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound)

Radnorshire, Wales
Cadw SAM RD116
Period
Medieval
Site type
Pillow Mound
Broad class
Agriculture and Subsistence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cefn Bychan Mound is a pillow mound located in Radnorshire, Wales, and represents a form of medieval field management associated with rabbit warren construction and operation. The monument, designated as Scheduled Ancient Monument RD116 by Cadw, consists of the characteristic elongated earthwork typical of pillow mounds, which were deliberately constructed raised beds designed to improve drainage for the breeding and containment of rabbits, an important source of meat and fur during the medieval period. Dating to the medieval period, such mounds reflect the intensification of agricultural subsistence strategies in Wales during this era, when rabbit warrens became an established feature of the medieval landscape. The survival of this earthwork demonstrates the enduring physical legacy of medieval agricultural innovation in the Welsh borderlands.

Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound) is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD116. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound)?

Cefn Bychan Mound is a pillow mound located in Radnorshire, Wales, and represents a form of medieval field management associated with rabbit warren construction and operation. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference RD116.

What period does Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound) date from?

Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound) dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a pillow mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound)?

Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow 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 RD116.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound)?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Banc Ystrad-wen cairn cemetery (8.7 km), Three Round Cairns on y Gamriw (8.9 km), Cairns and Standing Stones on Carnau Cefn-y-Ffordd (9.4 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — 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 Cefn Bychan Mound (Pillow Mound)