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Nant Esgeiriau Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference DE259. Built upon bedrock of Caradoc Rocks—a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Caradocian period—the cairn exemplifies the enduring tradition of communal burial monuments constructed across Britain and Ireland from the Neolithic period onwards. The underlying geology of Caradoc Rocks would have provided readily available stone for cairn construction, making this an economical location for a Neolithic or Bronze Age community to establish a substantial burial marker.
Round cairns typically served as focal points for ritual activity and ancestral commemoration within prehistoric societies. The monument's positioning in the Welsh landscape reflects the deliberate choices of its builders, who selected prominent locations visible across the surrounding terrain to mark the presence of the dead and reinforce community identity.
Nant Esgeiriau Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE259. View the official record →
Nant Esgeiriau Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference DE259.
Nant Esgeiriau 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.
Nant Esgeiriau 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 DE259.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Craig Ty Glas Kerb Cairn (5.5 km), Craig Rhiwarth Ancient Village (6 km), Y Gribin Round Cairn (6.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Nant Esgeiriau 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.
Nant Esgeiriau Cairn stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.