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Cefn Merthyr Cynog Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR401. The monument sits upon bedrock of Lower Devonian age, comprising undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation would have shaped how the cairn's builders sourced and worked stone for the monument.
Round cairns of this type are typically Bronze Age in date, constructed as burial monuments or ceremonial centres serving their local communities. The cairn at Cefn Merthyr Cynog follows the characteristic form of such monuments: a mounded structure of stones built above ground, likely to contain an internal chamber or burials. The specific landscape setting and surviving fabric of the cairn contribute to understanding prehistoric settlement and ritual practice in this region.
The monument's protection by Cadw recognises its archaeological significance as part of Wales's prehistoric heritage. The survival of the cairn allows investigation of Bronze Age construction techniques, the use of local stone sources, and the spatial organisation of burial and ceremonial activity across the Welsh landscape during the prehistoric period.
Cefn Merthyr Cynog Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR401. View the official record →
Cefn Merthyr Cynog Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR401.
Cefn Merthyr Cynog Cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cefn Merthyr Cynog 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 BR401.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Corn y Fan Camp (3.7 km), Maen Richard Prehistoric Standing Stone (4.3 km), Gaer Fach (4.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cefn Merthyr Cynog Cairn'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 Merthyr Cynog Cairn stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.