Scheduled MonumentsWalesCraig yr Uchain
Unknown · Enclosure

Craig yr Uchain

Denbighshire, Wales
Cadw SAM DE230
Period
Unknown
Site type
Enclosure
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM DE230
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1987-05-21
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Craig yr Uchain is a unknown enclosure situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference DE230. The monument occupies ground underlain by Ashgill Rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposits laid down during the Ashgill period of the Ordovician. This geological foundation has shaped the landscape and likely influenced the site's settlement history.

The enclosure's precise function and dating remain undetermined, reflecting the challenges of identifying Iron Age and Romano-British monuments in upland Welsh terrain where surface features often survive without accompanying diagnostic finds. The position of Craig yr Uchain on this Ashgill bedrock places it within a broader landscape of prehistoric and early medieval activity, typical of areas where communities exploited both the accessible lower slopes and higher ground for settlement and pastoral use.

Cadw's protection of the monument ensures its preservation for future investigation. The combination of its archaeological potential and the stable geology of the Ashgill rocks provides a stable foundation for the earthwork features that define this enclosure, which may yet yield evidence of its construction and purpose through more detailed survey or excavation.

Craig yr Uchain is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE230. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Craig yr Uchain?

Craig yr Uchain is a unknown enclosure situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference DE230.

What period does Craig yr Uchain date from?

Craig yr Uchain dates from the unknown period, and is classified as a enclosure. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Craig yr Uchain?

Craig yr Uchain 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 DE230.

What other scheduled monuments are near Craig yr Uchain?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Foel Cwm Sian Llŵyd cairn (5.6 km), Moel Sych Round Barrow (6.3 km), Cwm Rhiwiau Stone Circle (6.9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Craig yr Uchain

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Craig yr Uchain'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 Craig yr Uchain

Craig yr Uchain stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.