Scheduled MonumentsWalesMaen Llwyd Standing Stones
Prehistoric · Standing Stone

Maen Llwyd Standing Stones

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME115
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Standing Stone
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM ME115
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1991-04-09
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Maen Llwyd Standing Stones is a prehistoric standing stone monument located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference ME115. The stone stands upon bedrock of Lower Cambrian age, comprising sandstone and conglomerate layers that were laid down during the Early Cambrian period over 500 million years ago. This ancient geological foundation provides a landscape that has remained largely stable since the monument's erection in prehistory.

The monument belongs to a widespread class of standing stones found across Wales and the broader Atlantic seaboard, typically raised during the Neolithic or Bronze Age periods. These vertical monoliths often marked territorial boundaries, served ceremonial functions, or commemorated significant individuals or events within prehistoric communities. The specific geology of the site, with its durable Cambrian sandstone and conglomerate base, would have provided stable ground for the monument's construction.

The monument's survival to the present day reflects both the durability of its stone and the continuity of its landscape. Standing stones such as Maen Llwyd represent tangible connections to Wales's prehistoric past and remain important markers within the cultural and physical geography of their regions. The site's protected status ensures its preservation for future generations and ongoing archaeological study.

Maen Llwyd Standing Stones is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME115. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Maen Llwyd Standing Stones?

Maen Llwyd Standing Stones is a prehistoric standing stone monument located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference ME115.

What period does Maen Llwyd Standing Stones date from?

Maen Llwyd Standing Stones 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Maen Llwyd Standing Stones?

Maen Llwyd Standing Stones 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 ME115.

What other scheduled monuments are near Maen Llwyd Standing Stones?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cefn Clawdd Early Settlement and Fields (1.9 km), Roman Kilns 225m SE of Pen-y-Stryd (2.2 km), Hut Circle and Field System at Craiglaseithin (2.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Maen Llwyd Standing Stones

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Maen Llwyd Standing Stones'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 Maen Llwyd Standing Stones

Maen Llwyd Standing Stones stands on Lower Cambrian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Cambrian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.