Maes carneddau Mynydd Eglwysilan

Maes Carneddau stands on Mynydd Eglwysilan in Caerphilly County Borough. It is a group of round cairns built towards the end of the Stone Age and the start of the Bronze Age. These cairns were probably used in burial ceremonies and religious rites. Cadw has listed the site and given it the SAM number GM352. The same builders also raised chambered tombs, burial mounds, stone circles and hillforts across the landscape. The cairns sit on a broad ridge above the village of Senghenydd. Their stone heaps are simple yet striking against the open moorland. The site is quiet and feels remote, though it is close to the town of Caerphilly. Visitors can walk among the cairns and see how the builders arranged the stones. The views stretch over the valleys and hills of South Wales. A path leads across the moor to the cairns, letting walkers explore without disturbing the stones. The air is fresh and the ground is firm underfoot. From the ridge the whole group of cairns can be seen at once. The site shows how ancient communities marked their sacred places in the landscape.