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Gurnos ring cairn is a prehistoric ring cairn in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR385. Ring cairns of this type, typically dating to the Bronze Age, consist of a circular bank of stones surrounding an open or partly filled central area, and often served ceremonial or burial purposes within their local communities. The monument sits upon bedrock composed of Ashgill rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Ashgill period of the Ordovician. This solid geology would have provided a stable foundation for the cairn's construction, whilst the surrounding landscape of Wales offered readily available stone for building.
The precise arrangement and internal features of Gurnos ring cairn remain characteristic of Bronze Age ritual monuments, though the specific history of its use and any associated finds have shaped understanding of prehistoric practice in the region. Its survival to the present day, now under statutory protection, allows the monument to contribute to our knowledge of ancient Welsh communities and their relationship with the land they inhabited.
Gurnos ring cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR385. View the official record →
Gurnos ring cairn is a prehistoric ring cairn in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference BR385.
Gurnos ring cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a ring cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Gurnos ring 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 BR385.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bryn round cairn (3.1 km), Bryn ring cairn (3.1 km), Earthworks SW of Church (4.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Gurnos ring 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.
Gurnos ring cairn stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.