© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Twyn-Yr-Oerfel Round Barrows is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. This geological foundation comprises mudstone, siltstone and sandstone interspersed with coal seams, ironstone and ferricrete, which would have weathered to create the surrounding landscape visible to Bronze Age communities who constructed the monument. The barrow represents a form of burial architecture widespread across Britain during the Bronze Age, serving as a territorial marker and focal point for ritual activity across the generations.
The monument stands protected by Cadw under reference MM070, ensuring its preservation as a significant archaeological resource. Round barrows of this period typically contained inhumation or cremation burials, often accompanied by grave goods reflecting the status and beliefs of the interred individual. The specific character of Twyn-Yr-Oerfel would have been shaped by local topography and the availability of stone and soil derived from the underlying Coal Measures geology.
Twyn-Yr-Oerfel Round Barrows is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM070. View the official record →
Twyn-Yr-Oerfel Round Barrows is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM070.
Twyn-Yr-Oerfel Round Barrows 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.
Twyn-Yr-Oerfel Round Barrows 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 MM070.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ruperra Hillfort and Motte (5.5 km), Ruperra Castle (5.6 km), Ruperra Castle lower summerhouse remains (5.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Twyn-Yr-Oerfel Round Barrows'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.
Twyn-Yr-Oerfel Round Barrows stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.