Scheduled MonumentsWalesHengwm Stone Circles
Prehistoric · Stone Circle

Hengwm Stone Circles

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME136
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Stone Circle
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM ME136
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1993-10-11
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Hengwm Stone Circles is a prehistoric stone circle located in Wales and scheduled as an ancient monument under Cadw protection (reference ME136). The monument stands upon Lower Cambrian bedrock, a foundation of sandstone and conglomerate laid down during the Early Cambrian period over 500 million years ago. This ancient geology provided the local stone from which the circle was constructed.

Stone circles represent one of the most significant monument types of later prehistory in Britain and Ireland, typically dating to the Bronze Age or earlier. They served ceremonial, ritual or astronomical functions within their communities. The interbedded sandstone and conglomerate beneath Hengwm would have yielded suitable stone for the construction of the circle, making the site's geology integral to its creation.

The monument remains under state protection, reflecting its importance to Wales's prehistoric heritage. The combination of the Early Cambrian bedrock outcropping at this location and the builders' choice to establish the circle here demonstrates how prehistoric communities engaged with their landscape, selecting sites where geology and topography aligned with their ceremonial and practical needs.

Hengwm Stone Circles is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME136. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Hengwm Stone Circles?

Hengwm Stone Circles is a prehistoric stone circle located in Wales and scheduled as an ancient monument under Cadw protection (reference ME136).

What period does Hengwm Stone Circles date from?

Hengwm Stone Circles dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Hengwm Stone Circles?

Hengwm Stone Circles 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 ME136.

What other scheduled monuments are near Hengwm Stone Circles?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cyfannedd-Fach Homestead (8.6 km), Bron-Llety-Ifan cairns and cup-marked rock (8.8 km), Afon Arthog Standing Stone (9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Hengwm Stone Circles

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Hengwm Stone Circles's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Hengwm Stone Circles

Hengwm Stone Circles stands on Lower Cambrian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Cambrian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.