Bryn Celli Ddu

Bryn Celli Ddu is a prehistoric passage tomb on Anglesey, near Llanddaniel Fab. Its name means ‘the mound in the dark grove’. The site was once a henge with a stone circle before it became a tomb. Excavations in the late 1920s revealed the burial chamber and a smooth pillar of blueschist inside. A replica of the Pattern Stone, carved with serpentine designs, now stands outside the chamber. The passage is aligned with the summer solstice sunrise, allowing light to reach the back wall. The site draws interest for its alignment with the solstice and its layered history. Radiocarbon dating shows the earliest remains date from around 4000 BC. Later, a henge was built with a stone circle and cremated remains buried beneath some stones. Around 1000 years after that, the henge was replaced by a passage grave with a larger mound and kerbstones. Visitors enter through a stone passage into the burial chamber. Inside stands a tall, smooth pillar of blueschist. Outside, a ring of kerbstones marks the original mound’s edge. Nearby, a standing stone and rock outcrops with cup marks add to the ancient landscape. The site remains one of Wales’ finest passage tombs, still buried under a reinstated mound.