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Clo Cadno is a prehistoric platform cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR372. Platform cairns are broadly contemporary with passage tombs and represent a distinctive form of Neolithic monumental architecture, typically comprising a stone platform with a central burial chamber or cist. The monument sits on bedrock of Dinantian limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks, geology that would have provided readily available stone for construction and offered natural outcrops suitable for foundation work.
The cairn's location on this limestone bedrock is archaeologically significant, as the underlying geology shaped both the monument's construction methods and its preservation. Stone-built structures on limestone foundations have generally survived well, and the local geology would have supplied the material for the cairn's fabric. The Dinantian formation, laid down during the Mississippian period, creates the characteristic landscape of this region of Wales.
As a protected monument, Clo Cadno remains an important resource for understanding Neolithic burial practices and the relationship between prehistoric communities and their landscape. Platform cairns such as this demonstrate the investment of labour and resources in monumental structures during the early farming period, offering insight into the beliefs and social organization of Wales's earliest agricultural societies.
Clo Cadno platform cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR372. View the official record →
Clo Cadno is a prehistoric platform cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference BR372.
Clo Cadno platform cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a platform cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Clo Cadno platform 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 BR372.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Trefil Tramroad (4.4 km), Afon Sirhowy hut circle (4.4 km), Waun y Gwair Cairn (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Clo Cadno platform 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.
Clo Cadno platform cairn stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.