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Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on geology derived from the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. The underlying bedrock comprises mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interbedded with coal seams and ironstone, a complex stratigraphy laid down during the Westphalian period of the Carboniferous era. The ferricrete layer within this geology would have weathered to create iron-rich soils across the landscape. The monument, constructed from stone gathered from this mineral-rich terrain, consists of a raised earthwork supporting a circular cairn. Such round barrows typically served as burial monuments during the Bronze Age and are amongst Wales's most enduring prehistoric structures. The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference GM288, ensuring its preservation as an important record of Bronze Age funerary practice and settlement patterns in the Welsh uplands.
Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM288. View the official record →
Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on geology derived from the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM288.
Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork 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.
Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork 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 GM288.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rhos-Gwawr cairn cemetery (4.5 km), Remains of Iron Furnace at Cwmaman (4.7 km), Ring Cairn 350m W of Penrhiw Caradoc, Llanwonno (5.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork'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.
Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.