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Galchen-Fach Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference PE287. The monument stands on bedrock composed of Arenig Rocks, undifferentiated sedimentary deposits of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Arenigian period of the Ordovician. This geological foundation, typical of upland Wales, would have been well established in the landscape when the stone was erected during prehistoric times.
Standing stones such as Galchen-Fach were erected across Britain and Ireland during the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, serving purposes that remain partly mysterious but likely included territorial markers, burial monuments or sites of ritual significance. The survival of this stone reflects the enduring quality of the Arenig bedrock beneath it, which has resisted erosion across thousands of years.
Today, Galchen-Fach Stone remains a visible link to Wales's prehistoric past, standing as evidence of the early communities who shaped the Welsh landscape. Its protected status ensures that this monument continues to inform our understanding of prehistoric settlement patterns and ceremonial practices in upland regions.
Galchen-Fach Stone is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE287. View the official record →
Galchen-Fach Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference PE287.
Galchen-Fach Stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Galchen-Fach Stone 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 PE287.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llandre Entrenchment (7.5 km), Crugiau Round Barrows (8 km), Gelly Earthwork (8.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Galchen-Fach Stone'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.
Galchen-Fach Stone stands on Arenig Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Arenigian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.