Scheduled MonumentsWalesPen Celli Standing Stone
Prehistoric · Standing Stone

Pen Celli Standing Stone

Carmarthenshire, Wales
Cadw SAM CM122
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Standing Stone
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM CM122
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1951-07-05
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Pen Celli Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM122. The monument rises from bedrock composed of Pridoli rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Pridoli epoch. These durable geological foundations have anchored the stone in place for millennia, their layered composition providing stable ground across the surrounding landscape.

Standing stones of this type typically date to the Bronze Age or earlier prehistoric periods, serving purposes that remain enigmatic but likely held ritual, territorial or commemorative significance for local communities. The Pridoli geology underlying Pen Celli is characteristic of upland Welsh regions, where such stones were frequently erected on elevated ground commanding views across valleys and ridges.

The monument survives as a testament to prehistoric Welsh engineering and cultural practice. Its protected status recognises its archaeological importance and ensures its preservation as a record of early Welsh settlement patterns and beliefs. The stone's persistence through thousands of years reflects both the skill of those who raised it and the stable geological substrate that has supported it ever since.

Pen Celli Standing Stone is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM122. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Pen Celli Standing Stone?

Pen Celli Standing Stone is a prehistoric standing stone located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM122.

What period does Pen Celli Standing Stone date from?

Pen Celli Standing Stone dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a standing stone. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Pen Celli Standing Stone?

Pen Celli Standing Stone 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 CM122.

What other scheduled monuments are near Pen Celli Standing Stone?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Limekilns at Penymynydd, Pedair Heol (4.3 km), Remains of Blast Furnace at Pont Henry (5.8 km), Pen-Lan-Uchaf Standing Stone (6.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Pen Celli Standing Stone

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Pen Celli Standing Stone'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 Pen Celli Standing Stone

Pen Celli Standing Stone stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.