Scheduled MonumentsWalesFour Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog
Prehistoric · Round Cairn

Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog

Wales
Cadw SAM GM522
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM GM522
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1999-09-29
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog is a prehistoric round cairn monument in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference GM522. The site comprises four distinct cairn structures positioned on moorland underlain by Millstone Grit Group bedrock, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Namurian period. This geological foundation would have provided readily available stone for cairn construction, the harder sandstone layers fracturing naturally into suitable blocks for building.

Round cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age and served as burial monuments, often marking the graves of individuals of status within their communities. The grouping of four separate structures suggests either sequential use across generations or contemporary ritual significance within a single landscape. The upland setting on Mynydd-y-Glog is characteristic of Bronze Age burial practices, with exposed moorland chosen for its visibility across the surrounding terrain.

The monument survives today as four earthwork features whose structural integrity reflects the durability afforded by their stone construction in this well-drained upland location. The site forms part of the broader archaeological record of prehistoric activity across the Welsh moorlands, contributing to understanding of Bronze Age burial customs and settlement patterns in upland regions during the later prehistoric period.

Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM522. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog?

Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog is a prehistoric round cairn monument in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference GM522.

What period does Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog date from?

Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog?

Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog 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 GM522.

What other scheduled monuments are near Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tarren y Bwlch round cairn (6.1 km), Gadlys Ironworks (Remains of Blast Furnace) (6.4 km), Rhondda Fach Cairn (7.2 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog

Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog stands on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Four Round Cairns on Mynydd-y-Glog

Caerphilly CastleArchaeological site · ~17.6 miles