© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MG265. The monument sits upon bedrock of Llandovery age, composed of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate that would have been exposed or near-surface when the cairn was constructed. This undifferentiated Llandovery geology provided both the physical foundation and likely the stone material used to build the mound itself.
Round cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age and served as burial monuments for individual or family groups. The stone-built construction would have been visible across the surrounding landscape, marking a significant place and serving to commemorate the dead. The specific character of this cairn reflects the local geology and the prehistoric communities' adaptation to the Llandovery bedrock terrain where it stands.
Today Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns remains an important surviving example of prehistoric monumental architecture in Wales. Its protection by Cadw ensures the preservation of this archaeological site for future generations, maintaining a tangible link to the Bronze Age peoples who built and used this burial monument.
Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG265. View the official record →
Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MG265.
Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns 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.
Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns 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 MG265.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Twr Gwyn Mawr Round Cairn (3 km), Carreg Lwyd Ritual Complex (3.2 km), Bryn yr Aran Ring Cairn and Ritual Platform (3.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns'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.
Ffridd yr Ystrad Cairns stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.