Scheduled MonumentsWalesMaes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow
Prehistoric · Round Barrow

Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow

Wales
Cadw SAM GM321
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Barrow
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow is a prehistoric burial mound situated in Wales on Dinantian bedrock of limestone, sandstone and argillaceous rocks. The monument stands upon geological foundations laid down during the Mississippian period, when these rocks formed in ancient marine environments. The underlying geology has shaped the landscape through which this Bronze Age barrow rises, its construction taking advantage of the existing terrain.

Round barrows were built across Britain and Wales during the Bronze Age as monuments to the dead, typically covering inhumation or cremation burials within their earthen mounds. They often served as territorial markers and focal points for ritual activity, with the most prominent examples commanding views across their surrounding countryside. Maes-y-Hwyaid represents this widespread burial tradition, its form and location characteristic of many Welsh examples from this period.

The monument is protected under Cadw's heritage designation GM321, reflecting its significance as an archaeological resource. Like other round barrows, it has the potential to contain evidence of Bronze Age burial practices and material culture. The survival of such monuments depends on appropriate management and protection from damage, making their Cadw registration essential for their long-term preservation and study.

Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM321. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow?

Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow is a prehistoric burial mound situated in Wales on Dinantian bedrock of limestone, sandstone and argillaceous rocks. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM321.

What period does Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow date from?

Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow?

Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow 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 GM321.

What other scheduled monuments are near Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llancadle Deserted Medieval Village (6.8 km), Deserted Medieval Village North East of Rock Farm (7 km), East Orchard Manor House (7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow

Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.

The wider landscape

Around Maes-y-Hwyaid Round Barrow

Caerphilly CastleArchaeological site · ~10.5 miles