Scheduled MonumentsWalesPillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel
Post Medieval/Modern · Pillow Mound

Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel

Wales
Cadw SAM GM517
Period
Post Medieval/Modern
Site type
Pillow Mound
Broad class
Agriculture and Subsistence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel is a Post-Medieval artificial warren constructed to manage rabbit populations for food and fur production. Located in Wales and registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (GM517), the site consists of an earthen mound with the characteristic elongated, rounded form typical of pillow mounds, which provided optimal conditions for rabbit burrows and breeding. The monument dates to the Post-Medieval period, when such rabbit warrens became established features of the Welsh landscape as intensified agricultural management practices. The mound represents evidence of specialised subsistence and commercial activity during a period when rabbits, introduced to Britain by the Normans, had become an important managed resource.

Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM517. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel?

Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel is a Post-Medieval artificial warren constructed to manage rabbit populations for food and fur production. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM517.

What period does Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel date from?

Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a pillow mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel?

Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel 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 GM517.

What other scheduled monuments are near Pillow Mound at Bryn y Gwyddel?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gadlys Ironworks (Remains of Blast Furnace) (4.1 km), Darren Fawr Round Cairns (5.3 km), Rhos-Gwawr cairn cemetery (6.8 km).

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