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Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb is a prehistoric chambered long cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference BR175. The site lies upon bedrock of Lower Devonian age, comprising undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Early Devonian period. This geology would have presented considerable challenges to those who constructed the monument in Neolithic times, as quarrying and moving stone for the cairn structure and burial chamber would have required substantial effort.
The cairn represents a communal burial monument typical of the Neolithic period in Wales. Chambered tombs of this type served as focal points for ritual and burial practice, often constructed by settled farming communities. The long cairn form, with an internal burial chamber, reflects the monumental architecture and social organization of early agricultural societies in prehistoric Britain.
The monument survives as a landscape feature that contributes to understanding Neolithic settlement patterns and funerary practices in Wales. Archaeological investigation of such sites has revealed insights into the lives of early farming communities, their burial customs and their relationship with the wider landscape. The protection of Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb by Cadw ensures the preservation of this important prehistoric heritage for future study and public access.
Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR175. View the official record →
Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb is a prehistoric chambered long cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference BR175.
Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a chambered long cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb 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 BR175.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ffynnon Las Round Cairn I (8.1 km), Ffynnon Las Bronze Age Ritual Complex (8.5 km), Cefn Moel Round Houses (8.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb'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.
Penywyrlod Chambered Tomb stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.