Scheduled MonumentsWalesCefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform
Prehistoric · Round Cairn

Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR293
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM BR293
Authority
Cadw
Designated
2002-07-23
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR293. The monument sits upon Lower Devonian bedrock comprising sandstone and conglomerate layers interbedded together, formed during the Early Devonian period. This geological foundation of ancient sedimentary rock has provided a stable base for the cairn throughout its existence.

The round cairn represents a form of burial monument typical of Bronze Age communities in Wales, when the construction of substantial stone mounds marked significant social and ritual practices. The incorporation of a ritual platform within or adjacent to the main cairn structure suggests that the site served ceremonial functions beyond its primary mortuary purpose, indicating the importance placed on this location by its builders.

The monument's survival on this weathered Devonian sandstone and conglomerate landscape reflects the durability of both materials across millennia. The specific topographical setting and local geology have shaped how this prehistoric ritual and burial site is preserved today, making Cefn Moel an important example of Bronze Age ceremonial practice in the Welsh uplands.

Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR293. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform?

Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR293.

What period does Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform date from?

Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform?

Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform 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 BR293.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carn Caws round cairn (8 km), Pant Serthfa round cairn (8.4 km), Pant Serthfa stone row (8.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform'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 Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform

Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

The wider landscape

Around Cefn Moel Round Cairn and Ritual Platform

KenchesterRoman town · ~20.9 milesCaerphilly CastleArchaeological site · ~23.1 miles