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Darren round cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected as an ancient monument by Cadw under reference BR383. The monument sits upon Ashgill Rocks, a geological formation comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Ashgill period. This stable bedrock would have provided a firm foundation for the cairn's construction.
Round cairns represent a widespread funerary tradition across upland Britain during the Bronze Age and later periods. Their construction typically involved the accumulation of stone gathered from the surrounding landscape, creating mounds that served as burial monuments and territorial markers within the Bronze Age settlement pattern. The Ashgill formation's outcropping stones would have offered ready material for such work.
The monument's survival to the present day reflects both the durability of stone construction and its recognition as a site of cultural significance worthy of statutory protection. Darren round cairn contributes to the archaeological record of prehistoric Wales, particularly the evidence for Bronze Age mortuary practices and settlement patterns in areas where suitable stone was readily available. Its presence in the landscape demonstrates the enduring visibility of these ancient burial monuments across the Welsh countryside.
Darren round cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR383. View the official record →
Darren round cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected as an ancient monument by Cadw under reference BR383.
Darren round cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Darren round cairn 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 BR383.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bryn round cairn (1.5 km), Bryn ring cairn (1.6 km), Garn Wen round cairn (3.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Darren round cairn'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.
Darren round cairn stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.