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Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber

The Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber is the most iconic and special monument to visit in Pembrokeshire and the largest and best-preserved Neolithic dolmen in Wales.

Set in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, you could say it’s a Pembrokeshire version of Stonehenge. Many consider it a spiritual and mystical place and it’s easy to understand why when you visit it. It is the stuff of legends. Literally translated, Pentre Ifan means Ifan’s Village.

If you’ve been planning on visiting the Pentre Ifan Cromlech, have a read of our guide to this impressive monument!


Exploring the Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber

Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber

The monument dates back to about 3500 BC and is oriented north-south. It stands on a foothill slope of the Preseli hills with wonderful views towards Carningli (Mount of Angels), Newport Bay and the Nevern Valley.

Pentre Ifan is a splendid burial chamber with a huge capstone and six uprights. The enormous stones used to make the chamber are all of local igneous rock. The capstone is elegantly balanced on just three of the 6 uprights. The capstone alone is estimated to weigh over 16 tons and is 5m (16ft 6in) long, 2.4m (8ft) wide and 2.4m (8ft) off the ground.

The nearby Preseli Hills were the source of the spotted dolerite bluestone used to build Stonehenge though just how they were transported the 140 miles to Amesbury in Wiltshire remains a mystery.

On June 20 1884 – two years after parliament passed John Lubbock’s Ancient Monuments Act, and a mere 12 days after General Augustus Pitt Rivers visited the site to assess its suitability Pentre Ifan became Wales’s very first scheduled ancient monument. Today Cadw look after it. Please do not take anything away from Pentre Ifan except for memories and photographs.

The nearest places to eat at Pentre Ifan are a little drive away at the Salutation Inn in Felindre Farchog or the Trewern Arms in Nevern.

Planning on seeing the Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber for yourself? Enjoy a stay in one of our cosy cottages in Pembrokeshire. From coastal apartments to rural retreats, there’s something for everyone. Or why not discover these 14 wonderful things to do in Pembrokeshire for a holiday to remember!