Scheduled MonumentsWalesMynydd Llangorse Cairn
Prehistoric · Round Cairn

Mynydd Llangorse Cairn

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR059
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Mynydd Llangorse Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales on bedrock of Lower Devonian sandstone and conglomerate. The underlying geology, formed during the Early Devonian period, consists of interbedded deposits that would have provided readily available stone for cairn construction. The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under the reference BR059.

Round cairns of this type represent funerary or ceremonial monuments typically constructed during the Bronze Age, though some may be earlier. Built as heaps of stone, often covering burial deposits or cremations, they constitute prominent markers within the landscape. The choice of location on Mynydd Llangorse reflects prehistoric settlement patterns and the strategic visibility afforded by elevated terrain.

The cairn's preservation and scheduled protection recognise its archaeological significance as evidence of prehistoric ritual practice and land use in Wales. The local sandstone and conglomerate geology determined both the availability of construction materials and the character of the site's landscape setting. Such monuments contribute to understanding prehistoric communities' funerary traditions and territorial organisation across the Welsh uplands.

Mynydd Llangorse Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR059. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Mynydd Llangorse Cairn?

Mynydd Llangorse Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales on bedrock of Lower Devonian sandstone and conglomerate. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR059.

What period does Mynydd Llangorse Cairn date from?

Mynydd Llangorse 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 Mynydd Llangorse Cairn?

Mynydd Llangorse 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 BR059.

What other scheduled monuments are near Mynydd Llangorse Cairn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Twyn Disgwylfa platform cairn (8.4 km), Carreg Waun Llech Prehistoric Standing Stone (8.7 km), Carreg Wen Fawr y Rugos cairn cemetery (9.3 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Mynydd Llangorse Cairn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Mynydd Llangorse 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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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 Mynydd Llangorse Cairn

Mynydd Llangorse Cairn stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.