CPAT871

CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
The following information is from the on-line database 'Archwilio'.
Use the icons in the sources section below to download further digital information.

Beddaufolau chambered tomb

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 871
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Rhayader
Unitary authority : Powys
NGR : SN9219565997
Site Type (preferred type first) : NEOLITHIC CHAMBERED TOMB
Status : scheduled monument

Summary :
Well preserved and largely intact small chambered tomb. Oval turf covered cairn, 6.7m long and 5.8m wide, aligned north by south. Set within the body of the cairn are the remains of a megalithic burial chamber made up of six large, stone slabs- four upright and two recumbent. Scheduled 14/1/03.

Description :
Four upright slabs of a sub-rectangular chamber. 2. 7m n-s internally by 2. 4m. 2 slabs lie fallen in chamber. Others to s partly buried. Chamber stands in centre of 6. 7m long (n-s) mound. 5. 8m wide. Floor is sunk 0. 6m below surface of mound (RCAHMW, 1971).

Well preserved and largely intact small chambered tomb. Oval turf covered cairn, 6.7m long and 5.8m wide, aligned north by south. Set within the body of the cairn are the remains of a megalithic burial chamber made up of six large, stone slabs- four upright and two recumbent. Scheduled 14/1/03. (Cadw, 2003)

Beddau folau stones. Prior to interference when building waterworks, site is remembered as a circle of stones pitched on end and standing close to one another. Only 6 stones now stand erect, and 5 fallen. They do appear to have formed a circle. Standing stones are 3ft above ground and set close, edge to edge forming half a circle 7ft in diameter. Stones are unhewn mountain slabs, average 2ft wide, 6in thick. A few yards to se is a standing stone, standing 29in above ground, 43in girth. This is remembered as part of a cist (end and 2 side stones have disappeared) (rcahm, 1913). Os have converted the latitude & longitude of rcahm 1913 location of circle to sn92256594 - it falls on the location of prn1645, and the stone to sn92336591. They question the accuracy of the location of the features described (grid refs are 85m apart). If the stone is cairn prn 1645, the stone circle description must apply to prn 371. Os 1977 and rcahm 1970 found only a shale outcrop at sn92256592. Exposed and disturbed burial chamber measuring c. 2. 5m x 2. 5m, although chamber is not rectangular but polygonal. Four large edge-set slabs survive in situ with smaller or broken slabs in between. Two large slabs lie on the ground in interior. Surrounding mound has been substantially denuded to expose chamber, but appears to have been roughly circular, 8m diameter and now 1m high. Public footpath cuts base of mound on n side and trackway is close to s side. Outcrop of rock 10m to s has been quarried, presumably to supply stone for cairn and chamber. No trace of standing stone/cist mentioned by rcahm. Some erosion of interior by sheep. Area around stream 60-80m to e is very boggy and possibly of good palaeoenvironmental potential (cpat, 21/8/00). Well preserved and largely intact small chambered tomb. Oval turf covered cairn, 6. 7m long and 5. 8m wide, aligned north by south. Set within the body of the cairn are the remains of a megalithic burial chamber made up of six large, stone slabs- four upright and two recumbent. Scheduled 14/1/03 (cadw, 2003). Situated below rocky outcrop. Approx. 8m diameter. Central sub-rectangular hollow approx. 3m wide. 4 upright stones each c. 0. 8m high x 0. 8m width x 0. 1m-0. 2m depth. Stones in round flat central chamber area with 1 fallen? stone on base (cap 2000). Exposed and disturbed burial chamber measuring c. 2. 5m x 2. 5m, although chamber is not rectangular but polygonal. Four large edge-set slabs survive in situ with smaller or broken slabs in between. Two large slabs lie on the ground in interior. Surrounding mound has been substantially denuded to expose chamber, but appears to have been roughly circular, 8m diameter and now 1m high. Public footpath cuts base of mound on n side and trackway is close to s side. Outcrop of rock 10m to s has been quarried, presumably to supply stone for cairn and chamber. No trace of standing stone/cist mentioned by RCAHM. Some erosion of interior by sheep. Area around stream 60-80m to E is very boggy and possibly of good palaeoenvironmental potential (CPAT, 21/8/00). Site is not typical of chambered tombs in its form or location, the chamber sets it apart from other round barrows and it may be that it dates from the later Neolithic or earlier Bronze Age (Jones, Nigel W, 2004, pp156)

Situated below rocky outcrop. Approx. 8m diameter. Central sub-rectangular hollow approx. 3m wide. 4 upright stones each c. 0. 8m high x 0. 8m width x 0. 1m-0. 2m depth. Stones in round flat central chamber area with 1 fallen? stone on base(rsj 2000). Situated below a rocky outcrop on high ground to the east of the elan valley. An unusual monument, thought to be a ruined chambered cairn of late neolithic or early bronze age date. There is little evidence of a cairn or barrow but the apparent chamber survives, defined by six upright stone slabs, four of which still stand. Visible on aerial photographs. (Trysor, 2017).

A ruined funerary monument which is thought to be a Neolithic chambered cairn. It consists of the vestiges of a turf-covered mound, measuring 8 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres high. Set into the mound is the remains of a chamber, composed of 4 upright stone slabs and several recumbent slabs surrounding and within the chamber. (Trysor, 2023)

Sources :
Bull, D E , 2004 , Lower Llanfadog, Elan Valley - E/09/4795: Tir Gofal Management Plan. Heritage Management Information (HE2)
Bull, D E , 2004 , Tir Gofal Management Plan: Heritage Management Information (HE1). Lower Llanfadog - E/09/4795
Cadw , 2002 , Cadw Field Monument Wardens Report - RD202(POW)
Cadw , 2003 , Scheduling map - RD202(POW)
Cadw , 2003 , Scheduling map - RD202(POW)
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1979 , Site visit record - PRN871
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 2000 , Site visit record - PRN871
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 2003 , CPAT Project Archive - 715
Grimes, W F , 1939 , OS correspondent's annotated record map
Hall, J. & Sambrook, P. , 2017 , Elan Links Heritage at Risk Part One
Hall, J. & Sambrook, P. , 2017 , Elan Links Heritage at Risk Part Two - Site Gazetteer
Hall, J. and Sambrook, P. , 2023 , Elan Links Upland Survey 2022/2023: Part 2: Gazetteer (

© Trysor)
Jones, Nigel W , 2004 , Prehistoric Funerary and Ritual Monuments in Radnorshire , The Transactions of the Radnorshire Society : 74 : 151-168
Ordnance Survey , 1963 , OS map
Ordnance Survey , 1977 , OS record card SN96NW 3
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales , 1913 , Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Wales and Monmouth III - County of Radnor
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales , 1970 , RCAHMW archives - SN96NW

Events :
166057 : Elan Links Heritage at Risk survey 2017 (year : 2017)
164238 : Elan Valley, Elan Links Upland Survey, 2022-2023 (year : 2022-2023)

Related records
National Monuments Record NPRN 261705 http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/261705/

Compiled date : 31-12-1980

Images :

Archaeological data, from the Historic Environment Record, supplied by The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust in partnership with Local Authorities, Cadw and the partners of ENDEX © CPAT, 2025 (and in part © Crown, 2025). It is intended to be used for private research only and is not for use as part of commercial projects. If you wish to use this information for publication in printed or multimedia form or to compile resources for commercial use, prior permission must be obtained in writing. Use of this information is subject to the terms and conditions of access to HER data published on CPAT's website. Please contact the HER if you have any further questions regarding this information. Please quote the Primary Reference Numbers (PRNs) in any correspondence.
March 28, 2025, 1:55 pm - File produced for Archwilio from CPAT's Regional HER.
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, The Offices, Coed y Dinas, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8RP
tel (01938) 553670, email her@cpat.org.uk, website www.cpat.org.uk

Comment on this record? Privacy and cookies