Description

The monument comprises the remains a burial cairn, probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). Bedd Taliesin is situated on a level shelf with views over the Dyfi estuary to the west and north and rising ground to the south-east. It is an asymmetrical cairn, measuring c.12m north-east to south-west by 13m, and c.0.8m high. Within it are traces of an apparent kerb, c.6.0m in diameter, inside which is a ruinous cist, 2.0m by 0.5m, with a displaced capstone, 1.75m by 1.1m by 0.25m thick, lying to the north. The site is reputed to be the burial place of the 6th-century bard Taliesin; a skull was recovered before 1800. Numerous graffiti of considerable age can be seen on the capstone in favourable light conditions.

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.

Source: Cadw