Scheduled MonumentsWalesDan-y-Lan Camp
Prehistoric · Enclosure

Dan-y-Lan Camp

Wales
Cadw SAM GM268
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Enclosure
Broad class
Monument
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM GM268
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1959-09-18
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Dan-y-Lan Camp is a prehistoric enclosure situated in Wales on bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. The underlying geology comprises mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete deposited during the Westphalian period. The monument is protected by Cadw under reference GM268.

Prehistoric enclosures of this type typically served multiple functions within their communities, functioning as defensive settlements, ritual centres, or livestock corrals. The specific topography and geology of this location would have influenced both the positioning of the enclosure and its accessibility to water and exploitable resources during prehistory.

The Coal Measures bedrock underlying the site represents the remains of ancient deltaic and swamp environments. This geological foundation, along with the survival of the earthwork itself, preserves evidence of human settlement patterns and land use during prehistory. The monument's protection recognises its significance as part of Wales's archaeological heritage.

Dan-y-Lan Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM268. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dan-y-Lan Camp?

Dan-y-Lan Camp is a prehistoric enclosure situated in Wales on bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM268.

What period does Dan-y-Lan Camp date from?

Dan-y-Lan 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 Dan-y-Lan Camp?

Dan-y-Lan 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 GM268.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dan-y-Lan Camp?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Penmaen Burrows Church (8 km), Chantry Acre medieval chapel (8 km), Penmaen Burrows Burial Chamber (8 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Dan-y-Lan Camp

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Dan-y-Lan 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 Dan-y-Lan Camp

Dan-y-Lan Camp stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.