Scheduled MonumentsWalesThe Whimble Barrow
Prehistoric · Round Barrow

The Whimble Barrow

Radnorshire, Wales
Cadw SAM RD191
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Round Barrow
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM RD191
Authority
Cadw
Designated
2000-11-23
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

The Whimble Barrow is a prehistoric round barrow located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD191. Round barrows of this type were constructed during the Bronze Age as burial monuments, typically comprising an earthen mound raised over a central grave or cremation deposit. The barrow at Whimble sits upon bedrock of Ludlow age origin, specifically composed of undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. This geological foundation has influenced the monument's survival and the soil conditions surrounding its construction, as the underlying Ludlow Rocks create the solid base upon which the barrow was raised.

The monument's landscape setting in Wales places it within a region rich in Bronze Age funerary traditions. The Ludlow Rocks geology prevalent across the site would have affected how the barrow's builders selected and worked with local materials for the mound's construction. The mudstone and siltstone bedrock beneath the barrow creates distinctive soil conditions that have shaped the monument's form and preservation over more than three thousand years.

As a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw's care, the Whimble Barrow remains an important archaeological resource recording Bronze Age burial practice and settlement patterns in Wales. The barrow stands as evidence of prehistoric communities' investment in permanent landscape features, marking significant individuals or family groups through enduring monumental construction.

The Whimble Barrow is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD191. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is The Whimble Barrow?

The Whimble Barrow is a prehistoric round barrow located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD191.

What period does The Whimble Barrow date from?

The Whimble Barrow dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round barrow. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting The Whimble Barrow?

The Whimble Barrow 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 RD191.

What other scheduled monuments are near The Whimble Barrow?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llannerch cup-marked rock (6.3 km), Gilwern Brook round barrow (6.8 km), Worsell Wood cairn cemetery (7.2 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about The Whimble Barrow

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of The Whimble Barrow'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under The Whimble Barrow

The Whimble Barrow stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.