© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Plas Maen Cottage round barrow is a prehistoric funerary monument situated in Wales and protected under Cadw's care as monument FL203. The barrow belongs to a widespread tradition of burial mound construction that flourished across Britain and Ireland during the Bronze Age, typically constructed over cremated or inhumed remains and often accompanied by grave goods reflecting the status of the deceased. These monuments served not only as places of burial but as enduring territorial markers within the Bronze Age landscape.
The barrow lies upon geological foundations formed during the Westphalian period of the Carboniferous age. The underlying bedrock comprises the Pennine Lower Coal Measures Formation and South Wales Lower Coal Measures Formation, composed of alternating strata of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interbedded with seams of coal, ironstone and ferricrete. This complex geology would have influenced both the prehistoric inhabitants' perception of the landscape and the practical construction of the monument itself.
The survival of Plas Maen Cottage round barrow into the present day provides valuable evidence of Bronze Age burial practices and settlement patterns in Wales. Though the mound's internal structure remains unexcavated, the monument contributes to our understanding of how prehistoric communities used the high ground across the South Wales coalfield region and marked the significance of their deceased within the wider landscape.
Plas Maen Cottage round barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL203. View the official record →
Plas Maen Cottage round barrow is a prehistoric funerary monument situated in Wales and protected under Cadw's care as monument FL203. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL203.
Plas Maen Cottage round barrow dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Plas Maen Cottage round barrow 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 FL203.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Moated Site near Groesfoel Farm, Rhostyllen (7.7 km), Croes-Foel Round Barrow (7.8 km), Bersham Colliery: No 2 Winding Gear (7.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Plas Maen Cottage round barrow'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.
Plas Maen Cottage round barrow stands on Pennine Lower Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Lower Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.