Prehistoric · Cave

Cefn Cave

Denbighshire, Wales
Cadw SAM DE115
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Cave
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cefn Cave is a prehistoric cave site located in Denbighshire, Wales, with archaeological evidence indicating occupation during the Palaeolithic period. The cave is situated within the limestone geology characteristic of the region and has yielded material remains that contribute to understanding of early human activity in Wales. As a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw protection, the site preserves stratigraphic deposits that document human use of the cave during prehistoric times. The exact nature and extent of occupation remains subject to ongoing archaeological interpretation, though the site represents an important record of early settlement patterns in north Wales.

Cefn Cave is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE115. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cefn Cave?

Cefn Cave is a prehistoric cave site located in Denbighshire, Wales, with archaeological evidence indicating occupation during the Palaeolithic period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE115.

What period does Cefn Cave date from?

Cefn 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 Cefn Cave?

Cefn 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 DE115.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cefn Cave?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including New Foxhall Dovecot (3.2 km), Old Foxhall Round Barrow (3.4 km), Old Foxhall Earth Circle (3.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cefn Cave

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cefn Cave's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cefn Cave

Cefn Cave stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.