Scheduled MonumentsWalesDol-Wilym Burial Chamber
Prehistoric · Chambered Tomb

Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber

Carmarthenshire, Wales
Cadw SAM CM031
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Chambered Tomb
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber is a prehistoric chambered tomb located in Wales and protected by Cadw under the reference CM031. The monument sits upon bedrock of Llanvirn age, composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Whiterock period. This geological foundation of mixed sedimentary deposits reflects the varied lithology typical of the region's Ordovician geology.

As a chambered tomb, Dol-Wilym represents a form of monumental burial architecture common across prehistoric Britain and Ireland, constructed during the Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods. Such monuments typically comprised a stone-built internal chamber, often accessed through a passage, with the structure then covered by a substantial cairn or mound of earth and rubble. The use of locally available stone for construction would have been practical given the site's situation on exposed bedrock.

The survival of Dol-Wilym as a protected monument reflects its archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric burial practices and social organisation. The site contributes to understanding of the widespread adoption of communal burial practices across Wales during the Neolithic period, whilst the underlying geology demonstrates the relationship between monument placement and local stone availability. Its protection ensures continued preservation of this important archaeological record.

Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM031. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber?

Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber is a prehistoric chambered tomb located in Wales and protected by Cadw under the reference CM031.

What period does Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber date from?

Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a chambered tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber?

Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber 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 CM031.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Canna's Chair (6.9 km), Llangan Church Cropmark Enclosure (7 km), Roman Road 300m East of Bryn Farm (7.5 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber'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 Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber

Dol-Wilym Burial Chamber stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.