Scheduled Monuments- Full Report
Summary Description of a Scheduled Monument
Reference Number
RD114
Name
Castell y Garn
Date of Designation
Status
Designated
Location
Unitary Authority
Powys
Community
Abbey Cwmhir
Easting
301876
Northing
273578
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 dates to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). The cairn occupies the highest point of Garn, at the junction of three fences. It consists of an unbroken ring c.1.2m wide and up to c.0.3m high, with an internal diameter of c.14m. It was reported in 1858 has having a ‘stone chest’ with human bones, but no cist is now in evidence. The site has suffered over the years both from robbing and from dumping of clearance stone.
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.