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Tan-y-Coed Burial Chamber is a prehistoric chambered long cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. The structure was built on bedrock composed of Ashgill rocks, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that provided both a stable foundation and a ready source of stone for construction. Like other long cairns of the Neolithic period, the monument would originally have comprised a substantial mound of stones and earth extending in length, with an internal chamber designed to serve as a communal burial space.
The chamber itself represents a significant investment of labour and resources by prehistoric communities. Its orientation and architectural form follow conventions established across Britain and Ireland during the fourth and third millennia before present, reflecting shared building traditions and beliefs about the treatment of the dead. The specific geological setting at this location, with local Ashgill bedrock exposed or near-surface, would have made quarrying stone practicable, influencing both the monument's construction and its integration into the surrounding landscape.
Today Tan-y-Coed survives as a visible testament to Neolithic burial practices and communal identity. Its legal protection under Cadw ensures the preservation of this important archaeological resource for study and public understanding of prehistoric Wales and the broader settlement patterns and social organisation of early farming communities.
Tan-y-Coed Burial Chamber is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME048. View the official record →
Tan-y-Coed Burial Chamber is a prehistoric chambered long cairn situated in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference ME048.
Tan-y-Coed Burial Chamber dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a chambered long cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Tan-y-Coed Burial Chamber 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 ME048.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cefn Penagored Cairn and Ring Cairn (6.1 km), Cefn Penagored Ridge Cairns (6.1 km), Ffridd yr Eglwys Deserted Rural Settlement (6.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Tan-y-Coed Burial Chamber'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.
Tan-y-Coed Burial Chamber stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.