CD228

Cairn Circle 200m NNW of Dolgamfa  

24/04/2008  

Designated  

Ceredigion  

Blaenrheidol  

274573  

279172  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Cairn Circle  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a prehistoric cairn circle, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). It is located on a flat terrace on a NE-facing slope above the steep ravine of the Afon Rheidol. The structure consists of a low, stone-built mound covered by turf. It is circular in shape on plan and measures c. 0.25m in height and 7m in diameter. Eleven upright stones emerge from the cairn and describe an oval shape on plan, measuring c. 5m NW-SE by 4m transversely. The stones have mostly been erected on their sides and lean outwards. The two largest stones are located on the SE arc. The largest stone measures 0.8m in height and 1m in length, but others are much smaller in size. There is a gap on the S side of the circle, possibly the former location of a now missing stone. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. The monument is an important relic of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact burial or ritual deposits, together with structural evidence. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and an area around within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is circular in shape and measures 15m in diameter.