DE259

Nant Esgeiriau Cairn  

29/02/2000  

Designated  

Denbighshire  

Llandrillo  

304405  

332965  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Round Cairn  

Prehistoric  

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument. The monument comprises the remains a burial cairn, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). The Nant Ysgeiriau cairn is marked by a stony bank measuring 12m in diameter. There is a central stone cist measuring 2m x 0.7m, which is covered by a large capstone resting on three stone uprights. It is likely that the entire structure was originally covered by a cairn of stones, many of which remain in situ, while others have been re-used in the construction of a sheep fold which partially covers the site. 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 and retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact burial or ritual deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. 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 50m in diameter.