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Gilwern Brook round barrow is a prehistoric earthwork monument situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference RD242. The barrow rises from ground underlain by Ludlow Rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Ludlow Series of the Silurian period. This varied bedrock would have been a familiar landscape to the prehistoric peoples who constructed the mound, providing accessible stone suitable for cairn construction or the stone tools of their time.
Round barrows represent one of the most enduring monument forms in the British prehistoric landscape, with construction concentrated in the Bronze Age though some traditions extended into later periods. They functioned primarily as burial mounds, with the earthwork itself serving both as a repository for the dead and as a prominent territorial marker across the local landscape. The construction and use of such monuments typically involved considerable communal effort, reflecting the social importance of the deceased and their kin.
The Gilwern Brook barrow survives as an earthwork monument within the distinctive Welsh landscape, where such structures contribute substantially to understanding prehistoric settlement patterns and burial practices across the region. The barrow's presence, along with others recorded in the wider area, helps map patterns of Bronze Age and later activity in this part of Wales.
Gilwern Brook round barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD242. View the official record →
Gilwern Brook round barrow is a prehistoric earthwork monument situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument under reference RD242.
Gilwern Brook round barrow dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Gilwern Brook round barrow 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 RD242.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pillar Stone in Church (6.6 km), Red Hill Cross Ridge Dyke (7.2 km), Gaer Roman Site (7.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Gilwern Brook round barrow'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.
Gilwern Brook round barrow stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.