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Wernlas ring cairn and cairnfield is a prehistoric ring cairn located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference GM558. The monument sits on bedrock composed of Dinantian rocks, which date to the Mississippian period and consist primarily of limestone interspersed with subordinate bands of sandstone and argillaceous rocks. This solid foundation of limestone would have been readily available to the monument's builders as stone for construction.
The ring cairn itself represents a distinctive form of megalithic burial monument, comprising a circular or near-circular mound of rubble and stone arranged in a ring plan. Such monuments typically date to the Bronze Age, though some may have earlier origins. The associated cairnfield extends the archaeological significance of the site, indicating broader patterns of prehistoric land use and activity across the locality.
The limestone geology underlying Wernlas would have shaped both the character of the landscape and the practical possibilities for its prehistoric inhabitants. The ready availability of stone from the local bedrock makes it probable that material was quarried nearby for the monument's construction, a common practice at sites of this type. The preservation of both the ring cairn and its attendant cairnfield provides important evidence for understanding prehistoric settlement and burial practices in this region of Wales.
Wernlas ring cairn and cairnfield is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM558. View the official record →
Wernlas ring cairn and cairnfield is a prehistoric ring cairn located in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference GM558.
Wernlas ring cairn and cairnfield 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.
Wernlas ring cairn and cairnfield 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 GM558.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Tarren y Bwlch round cairn (6.8 km), Iron Tram Bridge, Robertstown (6.9 km), Craig y Bwlch round cairn (6.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Wernlas ring cairn and cairnfield'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.
Wernlas ring cairn and cairnfield stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.