Scheduled MonumentsWalesThree Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed
Medieval · Pillow Mound

Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed

Wales
Cadw SAM GM491
Period
Medieval
Site type
Pillow Mound
Broad class
Agriculture and Subsistence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed is a group of three earthwork mounds located in Wales, representing medieval agricultural land management practices. These pillow mounds, which date to the medieval period, were constructed to improve drainage and facilitate cultivation on marginal or waterlogged ground. The site reflects the medieval expansion of arable farming into less favourable terrain, demonstrating how communities adapted their agricultural techniques to maximize productive capacity. The mounds are now recorded as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw, the Welsh heritage body, and remain visible as earthwork features within the landscape.

Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM491. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed?

Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed is a group of three earthwork mounds located in Wales, representing medieval agricultural land management practices. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM491.

What period does Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed date from?

Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a pillow mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed?

Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed 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 GM491.

What other scheduled monuments are near Three Pillow Mounds on Cefn Hirgoed?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Corntown causewayed enclosure (6.5 km), Promontory Fort on Fleming's Down (6.5 km), Ogmore Stepping Stones (6.7 km).

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