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Sweyne's Howe chambered cairns is a prehistoric chambered tomb situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM027. The monument lies upon bedrock of Upper Devonian age, comprising interbedded sandstone and conglomerate formed during the Late Devonian period. This geological foundation provided the stone resources available to the tomb's builders.
Chambered cairns of this type represent burial monuments constructed during the Neolithic period, typically featuring one or more internal burial chambers accessed through a passage or entrance, all covered by a substantial mound of stones. Such monuments often served as collective burial places for communities over extended periods, with evidence of repeated use and ritual deposit of the dead.
The surviving structure at Sweyne's Howe preserves evidence of its Neolithic origin, though like many examples across Wales and Britain, the original superstructure may be partially denuded. The local Devonian sandstone and conglomerate would have provided readily accessible stone for construction, making the site's location geologically favourable for monument building. The site's survival and protection reflect its significance as evidence of Neolithic burial practices and territorial occupation in prehistoric Wales.
Sweyne's Howe chambered cairns is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM027. View the official record →
Sweyne's Howe chambered cairns is a prehistoric chambered tomb situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM027.
Sweyne's Howe chambered cairns dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a chambered tomb. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Sweyne's Howe chambered cairns 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 GM027.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old Castle Camp (2.1 km), Lewes Castle Promontory Fort (2.5 km), Thurba Camp (2.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Sweyne's Howe chambered cairns'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.
Sweyne's Howe chambered cairns stands on Upper Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.