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Dyffryn Lane Ring Ditches & Pit Alignments is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on bedrock formed from Caradoc Rocks, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Caradocian period. The monument consists of ring ditches and associated pit alignments, landscape features characteristic of Bronze Age burial construction and ritual activity. Originally designated as a simple round barrow, more detailed investigation has revealed the complexity of the site's archaeological composition, with the linear arrangement of pits suggesting organised Bronze Age land-use practices alongside funerary purposes.
The barrow was constructed on stable Caradocian bedrock, whose mixed geology would have provided varying conditions for the digging of ditches and pits. The ring ditches represent the principal earthwork, created by excavating material to form an enclosing ditch around a central burial mound, a standard mortuary practice across Bronze Age Britain and Wales. The accompanying pit alignments may relate to territorial demarcation, ritual processional routes, or structured activity zones within the wider ceremonial landscape.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage monuments agency, under reference MG157, recognising its significance as evidence of prehistoric funerary and settlement practices. The site contributes to understanding Bronze Age communities in Wales and the varied functions served by ritual monuments beyond simple burial provision.
Dyffryn Lane Ring Ditches & Pit Alignments (Formerly Dyffryn Lane Round Barrow) is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG157. View the official record →
Dyffryn Lane Ring Ditches & Pit Alignments is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on bedrock formed from Caradoc Rocks, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Caradocian period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MG157.
Dyffryn Lane Ring Ditches & Pit Alignments (Formerly Dyffryn Lane Round Barrow) dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dyffryn Lane Ring Ditches & Pit Alignments (Formerly Dyffryn Lane Round Barrow) 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 MG157.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cefn Llan Hillfort (6.7 km), Bryn-Derwen Mound and Bailey Castle (7.5 km), Motte castle 400m north east of Upper Gwarthlow Farm (7.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Dyffryn Lane Ring Ditches & Pit Alignments (Formerly Dyffryn Lane Round Barrow)'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.
Dyffryn Lane Ring Ditches & Pit Alignments (Formerly Dyffryn Lane Round Barrow) stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.