Scheduled MonumentsWalesSand Hill round cairn
Prehistoric · Round Cairn

Sand Hill round cairn

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR331
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM BR331
Authority
Cadw
Designated
2006-02-27
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Sand Hill round cairn is a prehistoric mound monument comprising stones gathered and piled into a circular form. The cairn sits on bedrock of Millstone Grit Group, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Namurian period, whose harder strata would have provided suitable stone for construction. Round cairns of this type are characteristic burial monuments of Bronze Age communities, typically dating between approximately 2200 and 700 BC, though some may have earlier or later use.

The monument is located in Wales and is protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference BR331, recognising its archaeological importance and statutory status. The underlying geology of the site, dominated by the Namurian Millstone Grit Group, would have shaped both the availability of building materials and the visual character of the monument within its landscape.

As with many round cairns, the original interior arrangements and any associated deposits remain largely unknown without excavation. The survival of the monument testifies to its construction in solid stone, a durable material that has allowed such Bronze Age burial places to persist for over three thousand years across the Welsh countryside.

Sand Hill round cairn is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR331. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Sand Hill round cairn?

Sand Hill round cairn is a prehistoric mound monument comprising stones gathered and piled into a circular form. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR331.

What period does Sand Hill round cairn date from?

Sand Hill round cairn dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Sand Hill round cairn?

Sand Hill round cairn 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 BR331.

What other scheduled monuments are near Sand Hill round cairn?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pillow Mounds at Pant Mawr (1.8 km), Dyffryn Nedd (3.2 km), Carnau Gwynion cairn cemetery (3.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Sand Hill round cairn

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Sand Hill round cairn'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 Sand Hill round cairn

Sand Hill round cairn stands on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Sand Hill round cairn

Caerphilly CastleArchaeological site · ~23.9 miles