Scheduled MonumentsWalesTwo Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll
Prehistoric · Ring Cairn

Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll

Meirionnydd, Wales
Cadw SAM ME145
Period
Prehistoric
Site type
Ring Cairn
Broad class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM ME145
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1994-03-22
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales, protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference ME145. The monument comprises two concentric or adjacent circular stone structures typical of Neolithic or Bronze Age burial practices, when such rings were constructed as ceremonial or funerary focal points in the upland landscape. The cairns are built upon bedrock composed of Caradoc Rocks, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone laid down during the Caradocian period in the Ordovician. This hard, weathered geology has supported the survival of the stone rings through millennia of exposure to the Welsh climate.

The monument's positioning west of Cwm Tywyll reflects the settlement patterns of prehistoric communities who utilised the uplands for pastoral and ceremonial purposes. The dual cairn structure suggests either a development over time or the simultaneous construction of linked ritual centres, a configuration found at other Bronze Age sites across Britain. Such monuments served as durable territorial markers and focal points for ancestor veneration, persisting in the landscape long after their original construction.

Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference ME145. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll?

Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll is a prehistoric ring cairn situated in Wales, protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument under reference ME145.

What period does Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll date from?

Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a ring cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll?

Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll 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 ME145.

What other scheduled monuments are near Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cwm Rhiwiau Stone Circle (3.8 km), Rhos-y-Beddau Stone Circle, Avenue and Cairn (4.1 km), Afon Disgynfa Cairn (5.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll'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 Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll

Two Ring Cairns West of Cwm Tywyll stands on Caradoc Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Caradocian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.