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Cup-Marked Stone 350m E of Tre-Fael is a prehistoric rock outcrop incised with a series of shallow hemispherical depressions, known as cup marks. The stone lies upon bedrock of Ashgill formation comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, geology typical of the Ordovician period. Such cup-marked stones are widely distributed across Britain and Ireland, dating chiefly to the Neolithic and Bronze Age, though their precise chronology and purpose remain subjects of archaeological debate. They may have held ritual significance, served practical functions in processing ochre or other materials, or marked territorial or ceremonial boundaries.
The monument's location in the Welsh landscape places it within a region rich in prehistoric activity. The Ashgill bedrock upon which it sits would have been accessible and suitable for the repeated percussion required to create the cup marks. The stone's survival reflects the durability of such carved marks when inscribed into solid rock.
The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Heritage Monuments service, under the reference PE313, recognising its archaeological and cultural importance as evidence of prehistoric human activity and belief systems in Wales.
Cup-Marked Stone 350m E of Tre-Fael is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE313. View the official record →
Cup-Marked Stone 350m E of Tre-Fael is a prehistoric rock outcrop incised with a series of shallow hemispherical depressions, known as cup marks. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE313.
Cup-Marked Stone 350m E of Tre-Fael dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cup marked stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cup-Marked Stone 350m E of Tre-Fael 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 PE313.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Foel Feddau Round Cairn (7.9 km), Bedd Arthur (8.2 km), Cerrig Lladron stone row (8.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cup-Marked Stone 350m E of Tre-Fael'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.
Cup-Marked Stone 350m E of Tre-Fael stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.