ME125

Waen Bant Standing Stone  

26/04/1989  

Designated  

Gwynedd  

Arthog  

265177  

313253  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Standing Stone  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument. The monument comprises the remains of a standing stone, which probably dates to the Bronze Age (c.2300 - 800 BC). It tapers towards its top and stands 1.9m high, measuring approximately 0.6m x 0.5m at its base. It is situated on the crest of a north-south ridge, at the south end. It commands extensive views towards the north and west and is visible from some distance away. It overlooks an ancient routeway through the Meirionnydd hills, and is among a number of sites in the local area which represent the ritual and settlement landscape along this routeway. The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual practices. It 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 intact burial or ritual deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. The importance of the standing stone is further enhanced by its group value with other prehistoric monuments nearby. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.