Scheduled MonumentsWalesCwm-Bran Camp
Prehistoric · Enclosure

Cwm-Bran Camp

Carmarthenshire, Wales
Cadw SAM CM171
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Enclosure
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM CM171
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1955-06-07
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Cwm-Bran Camp is a prehistoric enclosure located in Wales, situated on bedrock composed of Ashgill rocks—a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Ashgill period. The underlying geology of this undifferentiated rock provides a solid foundation for the earthworks, though the softer sedimentary nature of the bedrock would have made quarrying for stone more challenging than on harder substrates. The camp itself represents a form of enclosed settlement or defensive site characteristic of Welsh prehistory, though the precise dating and functional purpose remain matters of archaeological interpretation.

The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation responsible for safeguarding the nation's archaeological and historical treasures, under the reference CM171. This designation recognises its significance as a surviving example of prehistoric settlement patterns in the Welsh landscape. The camp's survival to the present day, despite the passage of millennia and the softness of the underlying geology, speaks to the substantial nature of its original construction and its enduring place within the archaeological record of Wales.

Cwm-Bran Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM171. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cwm-Bran Camp?

Cwm-Bran Camp is a prehistoric enclosure located in Wales, situated on bedrock composed of Ashgill rocks—a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Ashgill period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM171.

What period does Cwm-Bran Camp date from?

Cwm-Bran Camp dates from the prehistoric 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 Cwm-Bran Camp?

Cwm-Bran Camp 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 CM171.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cwm-Bran Camp?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castell Meurig (3.8 km), Waun Pwtlyn Long Barrow (5.3 km), Llys-Brychan Roman Site (5.9 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cwm-Bran Camp

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cwm-Bran Camp'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 Cwm-Bran Camp

Cwm-Bran Camp stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.