Scheduled MonumentsWalesCrugian Bach stone circle
Prehistoric · Stone Circle

Crugian Bach stone circle

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR274
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Stone Circle
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM BR274
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1999-09-13
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Crugian Bach stone circle is a prehistoric monument comprising a ring of standing stones set upon Ashgill bedrock in Wales. The underlying geology of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, formed during the Ashgill period, has weathered to create the soft foundation on which the circle was constructed. This stone circle represents a type of ritual monument commonly erected during the Bronze Age, when such sites served as focal points for ceremonial and communal gatherings.

The monument stands within a landscape shaped by ancient sedimentary deposits, typical of the upland terrain where many Welsh stone circles are located. The Ashgill rocks beneath the site, though susceptible to erosion, would have presented the Bronze Age builders with accessible stone for quarrying and shaping, alongside the naturally occurring boulders which may have been incorporated into the ring structure.

Crugian Bach stone circle is today protected by Cadw, the historic monuments service of Wales, under reference BR274. This statutory protection recognises the monument's archaeological significance as an example of prehistoric ceremonial architecture. The site remains an important record of Bronze Age ritual practice and settlement patterns across the Welsh landscape.

Crugian Bach stone circle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR274. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Crugian Bach stone circle?

Crugian Bach stone circle is a prehistoric monument comprising a ring of standing stones set upon Ashgill bedrock in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR274.

What period does Crugian Bach stone circle date from?

Crugian Bach 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 Crugian Bach stone circle?

Crugian Bach 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 BR274.

What other scheduled monuments are near Crugian Bach stone circle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gorllwyn round cairns (3.9 km), Carn Pantmaenllwyd cairn (4.3 km), Gurnos ring cairn (4.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Crugian Bach stone circle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Crugian Bach 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 Crugian Bach stone circle

Crugian Bach stone circle stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.