Scheduled MonumentsWalesCefn Clawdd Cairn
Prehistoric · Cairn

Cefn Clawdd Cairn

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR204
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM BR204
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1993-11-15
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cefn Clawdd Cairn is a prehistoric burial monument situated on Welsh upland terrain where Pridoli rocks of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone form the underlying geology. The cairn represents a form of funerary construction common across Britain and Ireland during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, built by stacking stone to create a prominent mound over a burial or cremation deposit. The exposed bedrock of the Pridoli formation would have provided suitable stone for construction, and the elevated position typical of such monuments would have made it a recognisable landmark in the surrounding landscape. The cairn's survival testifies to its robust construction and the enduring nature of stone monuments in Welsh moorland environments. The site is protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw, the Welsh Heritage Monuments service, and is registered under reference BR204, ensuring its preservation for archaeological study and public access.

Cefn Clawdd Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR204. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cefn Clawdd Cairn?

Cefn Clawdd Cairn is a prehistoric burial monument situated on Welsh upland terrain where Pridoli rocks of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone form the underlying geology. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR204.

What period does Cefn Clawdd Cairn date from?

Cefn Clawdd Cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Cefn Clawdd Cairn?

Cefn Clawdd Cairn 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 BR204.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cefn Clawdd Cairn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castell Madoc Ringwork (3.6 km), Castle Madoc Mound (3.7 km), Gaer Fach (4.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cefn Clawdd Cairn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cefn Clawdd Cairn'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cefn Clawdd Cairn

Cefn Clawdd Cairn stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.