© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Worsell Wood cairn cemetery is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD151. The monument sits upon bedrock formed during the Neoproterozoic era, comprising an unnamed mafic igneous intrusion that has weathered over hundreds of millions of years to create the underlying geology of this burial site.
Round cairns of this type typically date to the Bronze Age, when burial beneath stone mounds became a widespread funerary practice across Britain and Ireland. The choice of location at Worsell Wood reflects prehistoric settlement patterns, with communities selecting elevated or prominent terrain for their commemorative monuments. The igneous bedrock beneath the cairn, composed of mafic rock, would have provided a stable foundation and possibly influenced the distribution and character of stone available for cairn construction.
The cemetery designation indicates multiple burials or phases of use across time, suggesting this location held significance for successive generations. Such sites often contain inhumations, cremations or both, accompanied by pottery, metalwork or other grave goods reflecting the status and beliefs of the deceased. Cadw's protection ensures this important record of prehistoric Welsh burial practice and landscape use is preserved for study and public understanding.
Worsell Wood cairn cemetery is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD151. View the official record →
Worsell Wood cairn cemetery is a prehistoric round cairn located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD151.
Worsell Wood cairn cemetery dates from the prehistoric period, and is classified as a round cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Worsell Wood cairn cemetery 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 RD151.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castle Twts (3 km), Huntington Castle (4 km), Turret Castle (4.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Worsell Wood cairn cemetery'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.
Worsell Wood cairn cemetery stands on Unnamed Igneous Intrusion, Neoproterozoic, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is mafic igneous-rock.