Scheduled MonumentsWalesRing Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog
Prehistoric · Ring Cairn

Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR208
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Ring Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM BR208
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1994-09-26
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. The site lies on bedrock composed of Llandovery rocks, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Llandovery period, which provides the underlying geology of this upland location. Ring cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age and were constructed as burial monuments, consisting of a circular bank of stones surrounding a central open or slightly depressed area.

The monument is recorded under Cadw reference BR208. The local geology of undifferentiated Llandovery sedimentary rocks would have provided readily available stone for cairn construction, the durable materials weathering slowly across millennia on the exposed Welsh uplands. Ring cairns are distinguished from other cairn types by their characteristic form: a ring or bank rather than a solid mound, making them architecturally distinct monuments within the Bronze Age funerary landscape.

The site represents an important element of prehistoric settlement and burial practice in this region. Its survival to the present day, despite exposure to upland weather conditions and agricultural activity over subsequent millennia, demonstrates the robustness of ring cairn construction. The monument contributes to understanding Bronze Age communities and their relationship with the Welsh landscape.

Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR208. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog?

Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR208.

What period does Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog date from?

Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a ring cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog?

Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog 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 BR208.

What other scheduled monuments are near Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gurnos ring cairn (3.7 km), Darren round cairn (4.3 km), Drygarn Fach round cairn (5.7 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog'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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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog

Ring Cairn on Esgair Ceiliog stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.