Ancient Monuments

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Burial Chamber

A Scheduled Monument in Solva (Solfach), Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro)

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.871 / 51°52'15"N

Longitude: -5.1797 / 5°10'46"W

OS Eastings: 181200

OS Northings: 223941

OS Grid: SM812239

Mapcode National: GBR C9.S7VY

Mapcode Global: VH1R3.57KJ

Entry Name: Burial Chamber

Scheduled Date:

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 2662

Cadw Legacy ID: PE043

Schedule Class: Religious, Ritual and Funerary

Category: Chambered tomb

Period: Prehistoric

County: Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro)

Community: Solva (Solfach)

Traditional County: Pembrokeshire

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a chambered tomb, dating to the Neolithic period (c. 4,400 BC - 2,900 BC). Chambered tombs were built and used by local farming communities over long periods of time. There appear to be many regional traditions and variations in shape and construction.

The burial chamber lies on flat ground, 400m from the sea at the junction of two paths on the National Park footpath. It consists of a large capstone which measures 3.3m in length, 2.4m wide and is 0.7m thick and supported on the south by a small side stone, 0.7m in height. The chamber has an internal measurement of 4m square and has a maximum height of 1m. It is open on the east, while the other sides are closed by several small boulders lying at ground level. A group of small boulders lie in a mound all around this chamber and joins it to a second group of massive stones, which consists of two large side stones with a massive probable capstone lying between the two. The eastern most sidestone has been used as a gatepost in times past and has an iron rod sticking into it and is 2m in length, 0.7m wide and 1.5m in height. The capstone is 2.7m square and is 0.6m thick. The western most sidestone is 1m in height, 2m wide and is 0.6m thick.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric burial and ritual. 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 and environmental and structural evidence, including a buried prehistoric land surface. Chambered tombs 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

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