Scheduled MonumentsWalesCerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle
Prehistoric · Stone Circle

Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle

Conwy, Wales
Cadw SAM CN130
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Stone Circle
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle is a prehistoric stone circle located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference CN130. The site stands upon bedrock composed of felsic tuff, an Ordovician extrusive rock formed over 440 million years ago during the early Paleozoic era. This volcanic geology is characteristic of the Welsh uplands, where such rocks underlie many Bronze Age and late Neolithic ritual monuments.

Stone circles in Wales typically date to the Bronze Age, though some may have earlier origins. These monuments served ceremonial, calendrical or burial functions within their communities, often positioned on elevated terrain where the bedrock would have been exposed or easily worked. The choice of this Ordovician volcanic foundation suggests the builders selected a naturally prominent location, possibly exploiting existing rock outcrops for the circle's construction.

The felsic tuff bedrock would have provided suitable stone for monument building, though the specific materials of the circle's uprights reflect the local geological resources available to its constructors. Such stone circles remain important markers of prehistoric land use and ritual practice across Wales, testament to the enduring relationship between ancient peoples and their landscape.

Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN130. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle?

Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle is a prehistoric stone circle located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference CN130.

What period does Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle date from?

Cerrig Pryfaid 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle?

Cerrig Pryfaid 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 CN130.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Hafod y Garreg Deserted Rural Settlement (4.2 km), Clogwyn yr Eryr Deserted Rural Settlement (4.7 km), Pant y Griafolen Huts and Enclosures (4.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle

Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is felsic tuff.

The wider landscape

Around Cerrig Pryfaid Stone Circle

Bryn Celli DduArchaeological site · ~13.5 miles