Situated on improved moorland pasture at the edge of enclosed land on the southern slopes of Cefnen Wen, 340m above sea level, are the remains of multiple stone rows. These are now ill defined due to later field improvements and comprise a cluster of some 150 small stones set over an area 40m northwest by southeast and 70m northeast by southwest. The majority of stones are less than 0.2m in length and protrude only 0.1m above ground.

The stones were first noted in 1884 following a field visit by Canon Jones and Alfred Cocks. They were described as a large quantity, appearing just above the surface or hidden by turf and moss. The best row ran on a west-north-west by east-south-east alignment with the stones set at intervals 4 - 5ft. apart. Other rows ran roughly parallel to this, with others at right angles. They dug around one of the stones and found it comprised two stones placed on end, one leaning against the other, with a piece of quartz lying on the point of the junction between the two.

The site was visited by the Rev. Ellis Davies in 1918 and was described as comprising around 60 stones, set in a rough oblong about 120 by 47 paces. Most of the stones were said to be slab like, and many were set edge-wise at right angles to each other. He noted a further alignment of 15 stones, 25 paces in length on the south side of the main area.

In 1979 following a visit and survey by the Ordnance Survey, the stones were said to number around 450 in an area 65m square. Within the setting a close group of four larger stones, 0.6m by 0.4m was also noted.

A comparable monument, in a better state of preservation is located 750m to the north-east at Hafod-y-dre (NPRN 303307). There are few other comparable monuments within Wales, and further afield Dartmoor provide some of the best comparisons. As a monument type stone rows/alignments are thought to belong to the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. Like so many, Hafod y garreg is situated close to a series of cairns and cists (NPRNs 300897 & 412143), thus suggesting that it may have performed some ritual function.

A detailed survey of the monument was carried out by RCAHMW in 2008.

Louise Barker, RCAHMW, November 2010

Sources
Cocks A. H. 1918 `Antiquities on the Voelas Estate, Denbighshire? Archaeologia Cambrensis 18 (6th series), 123-32
Davies, E. 1929, The Prehistoric and Roman Remains of Denbighshire, 383
Ordnance Survey OS495 card (SH 89 SE 8) Cists and Stone alignments: Hafod-y-Garreg (RCAHMW)
Owen, E 1884 Discovery of Ancient Graves near Pentrevoelas Archaeologia Cambrensis 1 (5th series), 78-79