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Cilgerddan ring cairn is a prehistoric monument located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM329. Ring cairns are circular or oval arrangements of stone constructed during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, typically comprising a rubble core encircled by a defined outer kerb. They are thought to have served ritual or ceremonial purposes, possibly as territorial markers or gathering places, and may have associations with burial practices, though evidence varies considerably between sites.
The monument sits upon bedrock formed from Ludlow Rocks, an undifferentiated sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Ludlow period of the Silurian epoch. This geology has shaped the local landscape and would have provided stone suitable for cairn construction, though the specific selection and transport of materials by the prehistoric builders cannot now be determined.
Like other ring cairns across Wales, Cilgerddan represents a significant phase of prehistoric monument building. The survival of such sites depends greatly upon their moorland or upland settings, where later agricultural activity has been limited. The monument's preservation as a protected site underlines its importance for understanding prehistoric settlement patterns, ritual practices and the relationship between Bronze Age communities and their landscape.
Cilgerddan ring cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM329. View the official record →
Cilgerddan ring cairn is a prehistoric monument located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM329.
Cilgerddan ring cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a ring cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cilgerddan 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 CM329.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carnau'r Gareg Las (6.6 km), Pont Clydach settlement (6.9 km), Cwm Clydach settlement (7.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cilgerddan 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.
Cilgerddan ring cairn stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.