Scheduled Monuments- Full Report
Summary Description of a Scheduled Monument
Reference Number
RD194
Name
Rhos y Gelynnen Ring Cairn
Date of Designation
31/10/2002
Status
Designated
Location
Unitary Authority
Powys
Community
Rhayader
Easting
290618
Northing
263045
Broad Class
Religious, Ritual and Funerary
Site Type
Ring Cairn
Period
Prehistoric
Description
Summary Description and Reason for Designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.
The monument comprises the remains of a ring cairn of earth and stone, which probably date to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC) and stands on the summit of Rhos y Gelynnen, with extensive views to the east and south. It comprises a circular bank of turfed-covered stones some 7m in diameter, 1.0m wide and 0.5m high, with a 0.75m wide entrance on the east side. Along its southern and western edges, the heap of stones making up the body of the cairn is held in place by a kerb of upright stones.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The feature is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of both intact ritual and burial deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. Ring cairns may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is a circle and measures 10m in diameter, centred on the cairn.