Scheduled MonumentsWalesNant Croes-y-wernen stone circle
Prehistoric · Stone Circle

Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle

Denbighshire, Wales
Cadw SAM DE300
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Stone Circle
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM DE300
Authority
Cadw
Designated
2008-10-28
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle is a prehistoric ceremonial monument located in Wales, protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference DE300. The site stands on bedrock of Ashgill Rocks, a geological formation comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Ashgill period of the Ordovician era. This ancient bedrock provides the foundation for one of Wales's stone circles, monuments typically erected during the Bronze Age to serve ritual, burial or astronomical functions.

Stone circles represent a distinctive monument type distributed across the western and northern regions of Britain and Ireland. Their construction required substantial communal effort, suggesting these sites held significant ceremonial importance within prehistoric societies. The stones themselves were often selected from local geological sources, making use of naturally available materials.

The positioning of Nant Croes-y-wernen within the Welsh landscape reflects the Bronze Age preference for elevated or visually prominent locations. The site's preservation under Cadw's protection ensures that this monument continues to contribute to our understanding of prehistoric ritual practice and the organization of Bronze Age communities in Wales.

Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE300. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle?

Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle is a prehistoric ceremonial monument located in Wales, protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference DE300.

What period does Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle date from?

Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a stone circle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle?

Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle 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 DE300.

What other scheduled monuments are near Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craig Berwyn Round Barrow (7.1 km), Y Foel Ddu Round Barrow (7.8 km), Cairns, Settlements & Field Systems of Prehistoric & Medieval date at Pennant above Nant Esgeiriau (7.9 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle'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 Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle

Nant Croes-y-wernen stone circle stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.