Barclodiad y Gawres

Barclodiad y Gawres (Welsh for 'The Giantess's Apronful'; Welsh pronunciation: [barkˌlɔdjad ə ˈgau̯rɛs]) is a Neolithic burial chamber between Rhosneigr and Aberffraw on the south-western coast of the island of Anglesey in North Wales.^[1] It is an example of a cruciform passage grave, a notable feature being its decorated stones. Similar graves and marks exist across the Irish Sea in the Boyne Valley.^[2]

170m
185yds

Barclodiad y Gawres

Cable Bay

   

Location of Barclodiad y Gawres, on the headland north of Cable Bay, Anglesey

Panorama from above burial chamber in 2014

Burial chamber entrance

Excavations

Full excavations were performed in 1952–53, after which the chamber was re-roofed with concrete and covered with turf to resemble the original structure. During the excavations two cremated young male burials were found within the south-western side-chamber. The central area of the main chamber contained the remains of a fire on which had been poured a stew which had been made with wrasse, eel, frog, toad, grass snake, mouse, shrew and hare, then covered with limpet shells and pebbles.^[2][3]

During the excavations five stones with carvings—spirals, zig-zags, lozenges and chevrons—were discovered. A sixth stone with carvings was discovered in 2001.^[4]

Location

More or less equidistant from Aberffraw and Rhosneigr, it is on the north side of Porth Trecastell, on the Anglesey Coastal Path, and a short walk from the A4080. It is cared for by the Welsh heritage organisation Cadw.

Gallery

• 
  View from the entrance, surf in Cymyran Bay
• 
  View eastwards over Porth Trecastell cove from the side of Barclodiad y Gawres
• 
  The chamber; small adult for scale
• 
  Chevron marks on stone in chamber
• 
  Spiral mark on stone in chamber

See also

• Petrosomatoglyph Wavy lines, spirals, chevrons and lozenge petroglyphs.
• List of Cadw properties