12/05/2022
Pentre Ifan burial chamber in Pembrokeshire is perhaps the most impressive Neolithic monument in Wales, standing against a dramatic backdrop encompassing the Preseli Hills and Newport Bay. It is also the largest prehistoric structure in the country, with its 16ft-long capstone being estimated to weigh around 16 tons. It is supported by three uprights (or orthostats) some 8ft above the ground. When the monument was erected approximately 5,500 years ago, it was originally covered with a huge mound of earth and the burial chamber itself was accessed through the now sealed portal on the tomb’s south side. Pentre Ifan stands at the heart of a prehistoric landscape littered with Neolithic monuments including a number of dolmens, standing stones, and enclosures.
