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Pencad Cymru Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Wenlock sandstone and conglomerate. The site lies within a geological zone typical of the Welsh uplands, where interbedded sandstone formations have influenced both the landscape and the availability of building stone for monuments of this period. The cairn represents a burial or ceremonial structure dating to the Bronze Age or earlier, when such stone-built mounds served as focal points for communities and served funerary or ritual purposes across Britain and Ireland.
The monument's construction would have exploited the stone-rich environment of its location, with builders selecting suitable material from the surrounding Wenlock bedrock and deposits. Round cairns of this type typically contained central burial chambers or cremation deposits, though such internal features vary considerably between sites. The landscape setting—characteristic of Welsh upland terrain—would have been significant both practically and ceremonially to prehistoric peoples.
Pencad Cymru Cairn is protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, recorded under reference MG164. This protection recognises its archaeological importance as a surviving example of prehistoric monumental architecture and its potential to contribute to understanding Bronze Age settlement, burial practice, and land use in Wales.
Pencad Cymru Cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG164. View the official record →
Pencad Cymru Cairn is a prehistoric round cairn situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Wenlock sandstone and conglomerate. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MG164.
Pencad Cymru 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.
Pencad Cymru 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 MG164.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Moel Ddolwen Camp (1.5 km), Boncyn y Llwyn round cairn (2.2 km), Gogerddan Camp (2.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Pencad Cymru 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.
Pencad Cymru Cairn stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.