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Daylight Rock Mesolithic Site is a prehistoric cave located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference PE426. The site represents human occupation during the Mesolithic period, when hunter-gatherer communities exploited the landscape following the retreat of ice age glaciers. The cave's formation within Devonian claystone bedrock, with associated sandstone, siltstone and carbonate deposits, provided natural shelter and access to resources in the surrounding terrain.
The geology underlying the site reflects its origins in the Carboniferous period, when these rock layers were deposited in ancient marine and fluvial environments. Over subsequent millennia, natural processes enlarged the cave system, creating habitable spaces attractive to Mesolithic groups. The bedrock composition would have influenced the cave's microclimate and the availability of water, factors that shaped human use of the shelter.
The cave's archaeological significance lies in its evidence of Mesolithic settlement patterns and subsistence strategies. The preserved deposits within the cave retain information about the diet, technology and seasonal movements of prehistoric communities. As a recorded Cadw-protected monument, the site contributes to understanding human adaptation and settlement in Wales during the early postglacial period.
Daylight Rock Mesolithic Site is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE426. View the official record →
Daylight Rock Mesolithic Site is a prehistoric cave located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference PE426.
Daylight Rock Mesolithic Site dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a cave. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Daylight Rock Mesolithic Site 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 PE426.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Nanna's Cave (0.5 km), Potter`s Cave (0.8 km), Fort St Catherine (3.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Daylight Rock Mesolithic Site'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.
Daylight Rock Mesolithic Site stands on Devonian claystone, bedrock that formed in the Carboniferous. The rock here is major:{claystone}, Minor{sandstone,siltstone,carbonates, consolidated}.