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Round Hut and Cairns on NW Slope of Braich Ddu is a prehistoric ring cairn situated on the north-western slope of Braich Ddu in Wales. The monument consists of a round hut associated with cairn structures, representing a form of settlement and burial practice characteristic of the prehistoric period. The site is built directly upon Ordovician extrusive rocks—ancient mafic lava and mafic tuff that underlie the Welsh landscape—which would have been exposed bedrock or thinly covered ground when the monument was constructed.
Ring cairns typically served dual purposes as both domestic and funerary structures, though their exact chronological placement within prehistory remains subject to archaeological interpretation. The combination of a round hut with associated cairns suggests a settlement pattern adapted to upland terrain, where the naturally rocky substrate required careful site selection for habitation. The geological foundation of Ordovician volcanic rocks influenced both the construction method and the landscape context of occupation at this location.
The monument is protected by Cadw (the Welsh Historic Monuments service) under reference ME100, securing its preservation as a key example of prehistoric settlement archaeology in Wales.
Round Hut and Cairns on NW Slope of Braich Ddu is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME100. View the official record →
Round Hut and Cairns on NW Slope of Braich Ddu is a prehistoric ring cairn situated on the north-western slope of Braich Ddu in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME100.
Round Hut and Cairns on NW Slope of Braich Ddu 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.
Round Hut and Cairns on NW Slope of Braich Ddu 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 ME100.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Allt Lwyd Cairn I (4.8 km), Allt Lwyd Bronze Age Ritual Complex (4.9 km), Craig yr Aderyn Hillfort (5.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Round Hut and Cairns on NW Slope of Braich Ddu'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.
Round Hut and Cairns on NW Slope of Braich Ddu stands on Unnamed Extrusive Rocks, Ordovician, bedrock that formed in the Ordovician. The rock here is mafic lava and mafic tuff.