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Maes Merddyn Ring Cairn is a prehistoric ring cairn located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference DE273. Ring cairns are distinctive funerary monuments consisting of a circular bank of stones surrounding an open or partially filled central space, typically constructed during the Bronze Age. The monument sits upon bedrock composed of Wenlock Rocks, a geological formation of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate that would have been familiar stone sources to prehistoric communities in the region.
The construction of such monuments reflects the funerary practices and social organisation of Bronze Age societies. The choice of this location, on Wenlock Rocks geology, suggests that builders selected accessible local stone for the cairn's construction. The circular form and central focus are characteristic of ritual and burial monuments across prehistoric Britain and Ireland, serving both as burial markers and territorial statements within the landscape.
Today, Maes Merddyn Ring Cairn remains an important archaeological record of prehistoric settlement and belief systems in Wales. Its scheduled status ensures protection for future study and preservation. The monument contributes to our understanding of Bronze Age funerary practices and the relationship between ancient communities and their local geological environment.
Maes Merddyn Ring Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE273. View the official record →
Maes Merddyn Ring Cairn is a prehistoric ring cairn located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference DE273.
Maes Merddyn 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.
Maes Merddyn 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 DE273.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cefn-y-Gadfa Stone Rows and Cists (2.2 km), Maes-Gwyn Castle Mound (2.3 km), Y Foelas Castle Mound (2.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Maes Merddyn 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.
Maes Merddyn Ring Cairn stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.