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Cefn Llechen Stone Circle is a prehistoric monument located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference CN124. The circle stands on bedrock formed from Caradoc Rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Caradocian period. This stable foundation of mixed sedimentary rocks would have provided suitable terrain for the monument's construction and has helped preserve the site through millennia.
Stone circles represent one of the most significant ritual and ceremonial expressions of prehistoric communities in Britain and Ireland, typically erected during the Bronze Age though some may originate in the Neolithic period. Their purposes remain subjects of scholarly debate, though they likely functioned as gathering places for ceremonial, astronomical or burial practices, and served as territorial markers within the landscape.
Cefn Llechen's position within the Welsh uplands reflects the distribution of such monuments across variable terrain. The monument's survival to the present day, grounded in its solid geological foundation, provides important evidence for understanding prehistoric settlement patterns, social organisation and spiritual beliefs among the communities who inhabited this region.
Cefn Llechen Stone Circle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN124. View the official record →
Cefn Llechen Stone Circle is a prehistoric monument located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference CN124.
Cefn Llechen Stone Circle dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cefn Llechen Stone Circle 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 CN124.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Kanovium Roman Site (5.7 km), Pen y Gaer Camp (6.1 km), Carnedd y Ddelw Cairn (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cefn Llechen Stone Circle'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 Llechen Stone Circle stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.