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Coed y Polyn round barrow is a prehistoric burial monument located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR321. The barrow was constructed during the Bronze Age, when such mounded earthworks served as high-status burial chambers for individuals within their communities. Round barrows of this period typically comprised a central grave cut into the bedrock and covered by a substantial mound of soil and stone, visible from considerable distances across the landscape.
The monument sits upon Pridoli rocks of undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, deposits formed during the Pridoli epoch of the Silurian period. This geology, relatively soft and workable for grave construction, characterised much of the surrounding terrain and influenced settlement patterns across prehistoric Wales. The accessible bedrock would have allowed Bronze Age communities to create the deep burial pit necessary for the primary interment.
Today the barrow remains a significant archaeological record of Bronze Age burial practice and social organisation. Its location, name and protected status reflect the long-standing recognition of its importance to understanding prehistoric Wales. The monument stands as tangible evidence of ritual and ceremonial practices that distinguished Bronze Age societies, though like many such features its specific date and associated finds remain matters for archaeological investigation.
Coed y Polyn round barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR321. View the official record →
Coed y Polyn round barrow is a prehistoric burial monument located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR321.
Coed y Polyn round barrow dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Coed y Polyn round barrow 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 BR321.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mynydd Bychan platform cairn (6.5 km), Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb (7.4 km), Trefecca Fawr Garden Earthworks (7.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Coed y Polyn round barrow'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.
Coed y Polyn round barrow stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.