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Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference GM353. Ring cairns represent a distinctive funerary tradition of the Bronze Age, typically comprising a circular bank of stone with an internal hollow or depression at their centre. This monument exemplifies this characteristic form, though its precise dating and any associated burials remain undetermined without excavation. The structure would have been constructed by communities who exploited the upland landscape for both settlement and ceremonial purposes.
The cairn sits upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, a geological sequence laid down during the Westphalian period of the Carboniferous era. This formation comprises mudstone, siltstone, and sandstone interspersed with coal seams, ironstone and ferricrete, creating a landscape of exposed strata and natural stone. The local availability of stone from these deposits would have provided the material for the cairn's construction, making it an expression of settlement intimately shaped by local geology.
The monument occupies a position on Tor Clawdd, situating it within the upland terrain typical of Bronze Age ceremonial and burial landscapes in South Wales. Such locations, often on high ground with commanding views, may have held particular significance for prehistoric communities. The survival of the Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd today offers evidence of Bronze Age funerary practice in the Welsh landscape.
Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM353. View the official record →
Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference GM353.
Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd 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.
Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd 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 GM353.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llangyfelach Cross-Base (7.7 km), Round Cairn with Cist on Mynydd Drumau (8 km), House Platforms West of Dyffryn Wood (8.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd'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.
Ring Cairn on Tor Clawdd stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.