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Y Garnedd, Hirnant is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on bedrock of Ashgill mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. The monument sits upon geological foundations typical of the upland regions of mid-Wales, where such deposits create heavy, moisture-retentive soils. The barrow represents a burial practice that flourished during the Bronze Age across Britain, when communities constructed earthen mounds over the graves of their dead as permanent markers of significant individuals or family groups. The monument's location on these Ashgill rocks reflects the settlement patterns of prehistoric peoples, who often chose elevated terrain with access to water sources and grazing land.
The barrow's survival to the present day is testament to its durable construction and the relative stability of its upland setting. Like others of its type, Y Garnedd would originally have comprised a central burial chamber surrounded by an earthen mound, though the specific form and contents remain unknown without modern investigation. The monument is now protected by Cadw under reference CD041, recognising its significance as evidence of prehistoric funerary practice and cultural continuity in the Welsh landscape. Such barrows form part of a widespread Bronze Age burial tradition spanning thousands of years.
Y Garnedd, Hirnant is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD041. View the official record →
Y Garnedd, Hirnant is a prehistoric round barrow situated in Wales on bedrock of Ashgill mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CD041.
Y Garnedd, Hirnant 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.
Y Garnedd, Hirnant 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 CD041.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn Circle 200m NNW of Dolgamfa (4.9 km), Lluest Nantycreuau Deserted Rural Settlement (5.6 km), Banc Erw Barfe Deserted Rural Settlement (5.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Y Garnedd, Hirnant'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.
Y Garnedd, Hirnant stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.