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Garn Fawr round cairn is a prehistoric burial monument located in Wales, built upon bedrock of the Millstone Grit Group. This stone-rich geological foundation, composed of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Namurian period, would have provided accessible building material for the cairn's construction. The abundance of stone in the local landscape shaped both the monument's form and its visibility across the surrounding terrain.
Round cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age, when they served as communal or individual burial markers across Britain and Ireland. The mound of stones would have originally been more substantial than its current appearance, with successive phases of use and modification common at such sites. The Namurian bedrock beneath Garn Fawr, naturally fractured and weathered into workable blocks, supported both the monument's construction and long-term stability.
Garn Fawr round cairn is protected under Cadw, the Welsh heritage conservation body, as a scheduled monument under reference BR322. This designation recognises its archaeological importance and ensures that the site and its surrounding landscape remain preserved for future study and public access.
Garn Fawr round cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR322. View the official record →
Garn Fawr round cairn is a prehistoric burial monument located in Wales, built upon bedrock of the Millstone Grit Group. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR322.
Garn Fawr 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.
Garn Fawr 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 BR322.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Afon Sirhowy hut circle (3.2 km), Sirhowy Ironworks, Site of (5.4 km), Rhymney Upper Furnace (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Garn Fawr 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.
Garn Fawr round cairn stands on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.