Description

The monument comprises two parallel ditches 380m long and 12m apart, running in a NE to SW direction, within fields to the west of the A483, south of Welshpool. The monument was identified as crop marks from aerial photography. Archaeological investigation revealed the ditches to be shallow, with flat bases, and to contain silting consistent with the erosion of former banks. Calibrated radiocarbon dates suggest the monument dates from c.4000-3600 cal BC, the Neolithic period. Also within the immediate area are several further Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments forming the Sarn y Bryn Caled complex. These include a pit circle, a timber circle, and ring and pennanular ditches.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of earlier prehistoric ritual and funerary activity. The site forms an important element within the wider prehistoric context and within the surrounding landscape. The site contains well-preserved sub-surface deposits and retains considerable archaeological potential. There is a strong probability of the presence of evidence relating to ritual, funerary and environmental detail.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. The scheduled area is a narrow rectangular strip encompassing the cursus.

Source: Cadw