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Tomen Fawr is a medieval ringwork located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference CN031. The site occupies ground underlain by Llanvirn rocks of the Whiterock formation, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that shapes the local terrain. This solid bedrock provides a naturally stable foundation for the defensive earthworks that define the monument.
The ringwork represents a common form of medieval fortification across Wales, consisting of a circular or near-circular defensive bank and ditch. Such structures typically date from the Norman period through the medieval centuries and served as strongholds for local lords or garrison points. The earthworks at Tomen Fawr would have enclosed a defended area suitable for military or administrative purposes.
The monument's survival reflects both the durability of its earthen construction and the relatively undisturbed landscape in which it lies. The Llanvirn bedrock and overlying soils have enabled the banks and ditches to maintain their form across centuries. As a scheduled monument under Cadw's protection, Tomen Fawr remains an important physical record of medieval defensive strategies and settlement patterns in Wales.
Tomen Fawr is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CN031. View the official record →
Tomen Fawr is a medieval ringwork located in Wales and protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference CN031.
Tomen Fawr dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a ringwork. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Tomen Fawr 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 CN031.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Capel Gallt-Coed (3.1 km), Standing Stone N of Bettws Fawr (3.1 km), Pennarth Fawr (3.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Tomen Fawr'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.
Tomen Fawr stands on Llanvirn Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Whiterock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.