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Ergyd Uchaf Round Barrow is a prehistoric round cairn situated on bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. The underlying geology here comprises mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interspersed with coal and ironstone deposits formed during the Westphalian period, typical of the coal-bearing strata that characterise much of South Wales. This harder geological substrate would have provided suitable ground for prehistoric burial construction.
Round cairns of this type represent one of the most widespread funerary monuments forms of the Bronze Age in Wales, typically constructed as mounds of stone heaped over a central burial chamber or inhumation. The monument at Ergyd Uchaf exemplifies this tradition of commemorating the dead through substantial earthwork structures that would have been visible across the landscape for generations.
The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage service, and is registered under reference GM159. Such preservation ensures that this Bronze Age cairn remains available for study and understanding of prehistoric burial practices and settlement patterns in South Wales. The barrow contributes to our knowledge of how prehistoric communities used and marked the landscape they inhabited.
Ergyd Uchaf Round Barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM159. View the official record →
Ergyd Uchaf Round Barrow is a prehistoric round cairn situated on bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM159.
Ergyd Uchaf Round Barrow 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.
Ergyd Uchaf 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 GM159.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ty'n-y-Cellar Standing Stone (5.1 km), Sculptured Cross Llanmihangel Farm (6.1 km), Kenfig Castle & Medieval Town (6.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ergyd Uchaf 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.
Ergyd Uchaf Round Barrow 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.