Ancient Monuments

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The Giant's Cave, Piercefield

A Scheduled Monument in St. Arvans, Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)

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Coordinates

Latitude: 51.6633 / 51°39'47"N

Longitude: -2.6888 / 2°41'19"W

OS Eastings: 352457

OS Northings: 196283

OS Grid: ST524962

Mapcode National: GBR JL.6JC4

Mapcode Global: VH87M.BGX8

Entry Name: The Giant's Cave, Piercefield

Scheduled Date: 4 August 2000

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 850

Cadw Legacy ID: MM282

Schedule Class: Monument

Category: Cave

Period: Post Medieval/Modern

County: Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy)

Community: St. Arvans

Built-Up Area: St Arvans

Traditional County: Monmouthshire

Description

The monument consists of a cave, partly natural but adapted as a principal feature of the famous 18th century Piercefield Walks. Giant’s Cave is a curving tunnel, cut into the rock-face through which the walk passes. The cave comprises a partially natural main chamber, with subsidiary chambers to the east. At the southern entrance is a bastion defined by low walling. The bastion outside the cave gives added interest as the point from which echo effects were created using mounted guns to fire across the Wye Valley. A statue of a giant once stood above one of the entrances.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric settlement, ritual and funerary practices. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.

Source: Cadw

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