BR396

Gro Hill round cairn  

19/08/2008  

Designated  

Powys  

Llanwrthwl  

292489  

262044  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Round Cairn  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a burial cairn, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c.2300 BC - 800 BC) and situated in open moorland on a slight ridge on the level summit of Gro Hill. The stone-built cairn is circular on plan and measures about 6.5m in diameter and 0.4m in height. Although it has been disturbed in the past - there is evidence of a slight central hollow and a spread of stone to the SE - the majority of the base of the cairn remains largely intact. The cairn has a well-defined kerb throughout. A small satellite cairn is situated immediately to the SW, measuring 1.6m in diameter and 0.1m in height. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The well-preserved monument is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape and retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact primary deposits and environmental and structural evidence. The topographic association with the other cairns and cairn cemetery on Gro Hill (BR394, BR395, BR397 and BR398) and the major stone circle to the E (BR274) further increases its importance. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is circular and measures 20m in diameter.