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Merlin's Cave, Great Doward is a natural cave system located on the limestone hills of the Doward in Herefordshire, England. The cave has prehistoric origins and contains evidence of human occupation dating to the Iron Age, with archaeological finds including pottery and animal remains indicating its use as a settlement or refuge site. The cave's name derives from later medieval Arthurian legend, though the site itself predates this literary tradition by many centuries. The natural rock chamber, situated within a commanding landscape overlooking the River Wye, represents a significant archaeological resource for understanding Iron Age settlement patterns in the Welsh Borderlands.
Merlin's Cave, Great Doward is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1012448. View the official record →
Merlin's Cave, Great Doward is a natural cave system located on the limestone hills of the Doward in Herefordshire, England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1012448.
Merlin's Cave, Great Doward is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1012448.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Offa's Dyke: section 340m south east of Coxbury Farm (8.2 km), Offa's Dyke: section in Church Grove, 240m south west of Ferney Leaze (8.6 km), Clearwater Paper Mill (8.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Merlin's Cave, Great Doward'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.
Merlin's Cave, Great Doward stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.