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Esgair Irfon round cairn is a prehistoric funerary monument situated in Wales, built from stones gathered across the surrounding landscape. The cairn was constructed upon bedrock composed of Llandovery rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposits laid down during the Llandovery period of the Silurian era. These soft sedimentary layers would have provided accessible stone suitable for building, and the slightly elevated terrain of the locality would have offered both practical advantages for construction and prominent visibility across the surrounding terrain.
The monument is protected under Cadw reference BR368 as a nationally significant archaeological site. Round cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age or Late Neolithic period, serving as burial monuments for individuals of status within their communities. The form—a mounded heap of stones—represents one of the most enduring monument types across prehistoric Britain and Wales.
The specific positioning of Esgair Irfon reflects landscape choices made by its builders. The Llandovery bedrock beneath would have influenced both the quality of available stone and the drainage characteristics of the site, practical considerations that shaped the location of funerary monuments in prehistoric Wales.
Esgair Irfon round cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR368. View the official record →
Esgair Irfon round cairn is a prehistoric funerary monument situated in Wales, built from stones gathered across the surrounding landscape. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR368.
Esgair Irfon 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.
Esgair Irfon 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 BR368.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Banc Paderau Round Cairn (3.6 km), Cwm Irfon Standing Stone (4.9 km), Esgair Garn ring cairn (5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Esgair Irfon 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.
Esgair Irfon round cairn stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.