Scheduled MonumentsWalesMeuryn Isaf Cairn
Prehistoric · Round Cairn

Meuryn Isaf Cairn

Conwy, Wales
Cadw SAM CN308
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM CN308
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1999-08-26
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Meuryn Isaf Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CN308. The monument stands on bedrock of Llanvirn Rocks, an undifferentiated formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Whiterock period. This solid geological foundation would have provided a stable base for construction and would have been well-known to the prehistoric communities who built the monument.

Round cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age and served as burial monuments for individuals or small groups. They were constructed by heaping stones over a central burial chamber or cremation deposit, often marking the resting place of a community leader or respected member. The form remained in use across Britain and Ireland for over a thousand years, representing a widespread and persistent tradition of monumental commemoration.

The Llanvirn bedrock underlying Meuryn Isaf would have determined the availability of stone for construction. Local sources of suitable material from the surrounding landscape would have been quarried or gathered to build the cairn. The monument's survival to the present day, despite centuries of weathering and potential disturbance, reflects both the robust construction methods of its builders and the protective status it now enjoys under Cadw's stewardship.

Meuryn Isaf Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN308. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Meuryn Isaf Cairn?

Meuryn Isaf Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CN308.

What period does Meuryn Isaf Cairn date from?

Meuryn Isaf Cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Meuryn Isaf Cairn?

Meuryn Isaf 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 CN308.

What other scheduled monuments are near Meuryn Isaf Cairn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cwm Caseg Deserted Rural Settlement (5.1 km), Hut Circle Settlement on Mynydd Du (6.4 km), Carnedd Llewelyn cairn (6.6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Meuryn Isaf Cairn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Meuryn Isaf Cairn'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 Meuryn Isaf Cairn

Meuryn Isaf Cairn stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Meuryn Isaf Cairn

Bryn Celli DduArchaeological site · ~10.2 miles