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Maen Llwyd Standing Stone is a prehistoric monument standing in Wales, protected by Cadw under the reference DE255. The stone rises from bedrock of Wenlock age, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that dates to the Silurian period, roughly 430 million years old. The underlying geology would have been well exposed and familiar to the Neolithic and Bronze Age communities who erected such stones across the Welsh landscape.
Standing stones of this type typically served multiple purposes within prehistoric societies, functioning as territorial markers, burial monuments, ritual focal points or astronomical aligners. The Wenlock rocks beneath Maen Llwyd, composed of alternating layers of fine sediments, would have provided a stable foundation for the monument's long survival on the Welsh hillside.
The stone's preservation as a scheduled monument reflects its significance within the archaeological and cultural heritage of Wales. Such monuments are increasingly rare in their original upright state, making Maen Llwyd an important record of prehistoric stone-working practices and the ceremonial or domestic landscape of early Welsh communities. Its location and setting remain central to understanding settlement patterns and belief systems across the period.
Maen Llwyd Standing Stone is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE255. View the official record →
Maen Llwyd Standing Stone is a prehistoric monument standing in Wales, protected by Cadw under the reference DE255.
Maen Llwyd Standing Stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Maen Llwyd Standing 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 DE255.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mynydd Rhyd Ddu Enclosure (4.7 km), Bwrdd y Tri Arglwydd Boundary Stone (7.9 km), Mwdwl Eithin Round Cairn (7.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Maen Llwyd Standing 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.
Maen Llwyd Standing Stone stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.