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Mynydd y Gelli kerb cairn is a prehistoric burial monument consisting of a central mound of stones retained by a kerb of larger rocks. Located in Wales, it stands upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a Westphalian deposit of mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete that would have shaped both the landscape and the stone available to the monument's builders. Kerb cairns represent a characteristic funerary tradition of the Neolithic and Bronze Age, with the formal kerb serving to define and contain the burial mound in the round or oval plan typical of the type.
The monument's precise location on exposed coalfield terrain reflects the prehistoric communities' use of high moorland areas for burial. The ironstone and ferricrete within the bedrock geology would have weathered to produce the rusty-coloured stones visible in the upland landscape, and these materials would have been readily accessible for cairn construction.
The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage body, under reference GM354, ensuring the preservation of this important Bronze Age burial tradition for future study and understanding.
Mynydd y Gelli kerb cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM354. View the official record →
Mynydd y Gelli kerb cairn is a prehistoric burial monument consisting of a central mound of stones retained by a kerb of larger rocks. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM354.
Mynydd y Gelli kerb cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a kerb cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Mynydd y Gelli kerb 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 GM354.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Mynydd Ton Cairns (2.8 km), Bwlch y Clawdd Dyke (3.6 km), Carn-y-Wiwer Cairnfield & Platform Houses (5.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Mynydd y Gelli kerb 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.
Mynydd y Gelli kerb cairn stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.