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Cefn Penagored Cairn and Ring Cairn is a prehistoric kerb cairn located in Wales. The monument consists of a central mound of stones surrounded by a defined kerb, a characteristic construction method of Neolithic and Bronze Age communities. The site sits upon bedrock composed of Caradoc Rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Caradocian period—which would have influenced the availability of building materials and the landscape visible from this elevated position.
Kerb cairns served multiple purposes within prehistoric societies, functioning as territorial markers, burial monuments or ritual sites. The specific arrangement of stones at Cefn Penagored, with its ring structure, reflects the careful organisation typical of such ceremonial constructions. The local geology provided suitable stone for both the cairn's construction and the defining kerb that delineates its form.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage conservation organisation, under reference number DE257, ensuring its preservation for future study and public access. Such cairns contribute significantly to understanding prehistoric settlement patterns and burial practices across upland Wales, where stone-built monuments remain among the most enduring archaeological features.
Cefn Penagored Cairn and Ring Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE257. View the official record →
Cefn Penagored Cairn and Ring Cairn is a prehistoric kerb cairn located in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE257.
Cefn Penagored Cairn and Ring Cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a kerb cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cefn Penagored Cairn and Ring 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 DE257.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Afon Disgynfa Cairn (5 km), Craig Ty Glas Kerb Cairn (6.1 km), Craig-y-Mwyn Lead Mine (6.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cefn Penagored Cairn and Ring 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 Penagored Cairn and Ring Cairn stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.