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Gesail Gyfarch Inscribed Stone is an early medieval inscribed stone located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CN019. The monument belongs to a class of carved stones that mark important sites of early medieval Wales, typically dating between the 5th and 10th centuries. These stones frequently carried inscriptions in Latin or the early Welsh language, serving purposes ranging from commemorative markers to territorial indicators or religious monuments.
The stone rests upon bedrock formed from Llanvirn Rocks, an undifferentiated sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposits laid down during the Whiterock period of the Ordovician. This geology is characteristic of mid-Wales, where such sedimentary substrates have influenced both settlement patterns and the preservation of archaeological remains throughout the region's long history.
As a surviving inscribed stone from the early medieval period, Gesail Gyfarch represents evidence of literacy, Christianity or commemorative practice during the post-Roman centuries when Wales maintained distinct cultural and linguistic traditions. The monument's survival to the present day, secured under heritage protection, makes it valuable for understanding the early medieval landscape and the communities who left their mark upon it through stone inscriptions.
Gesail Gyfarch Inscribed Stone is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN019. View the official record →
Gesail Gyfarch Inscribed Stone is an early medieval inscribed stone located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CN019.
Gesail Gyfarch Inscribed Stone dates from the early medieval period, and is classified as a inscribed stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Gesail Gyfarch Inscribed 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 CN019.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Roman Bath-House, Tremadoc (2.3 km), Moel y Gest Camp (2.9 km), Enclosed Hut Circle Settlement North of Coed Gwlyb (2.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Gesail Gyfarch Inscribed 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.
Gesail Gyfarch Inscribed Stone stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.