Pen-yr-Alltwen

Pen-yr-Alltwen is a chambered tomb near Cilybebyll in Neath Port Talbot. It stands on a gentle slope above the Afon Pyrddin, a small river that winds through the valley. The site dates back to the Neolithic or early Bronze Age, between 3000 and 2400 BC. It belongs to a type of burial chamber known as a Severn-Cotswold tomb. Cadw has listed it as a protected monument under reference GM514. The tomb was built long before the Celts arrived in Britain. It served as a place to bury the dead and may also have been a focus for rituals connected with death. Archaeologists recognise it as part of a wider tradition of chambered tombs found across Wales and western England. Such sites often contain human remains and artefacts left by Neolithic communities. Visitors find a low, grass-covered mound with a rectangular chamber inside. The entrance faces south-east, aligned with the rising sun at certain times of year. The surrounding landscape is quiet farmland with distant views of the Brecon Beacons. A footpath leads from the road to the site, making it easy to reach on foot. The tomb itself is small but well preserved, offering a quiet place to reflect on the distant past.