The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Tan-y-Muriau

Chambered Cairn

Fieldnotes

The first time I came here I parked in a house that was in mid renovation, but is now fully being lived in, so I couldn't park there. In stead I went down hill from the long driveway leading to Tan y Muriau, not far, only about twenty meters or so and left the car under a holly tree at the side of the road, still leaving plenty of room for other road users to get past.

But like on my first visit, there was no one in at the house to ask permission from, so we just walked over to the chambers which are about fifty yards away in the next field. There were no animals to harangue us, but a high growth of bracken and some sort of yellow flowering plant were definitely going to make us pay for this visit. Seeing as no one was in at the house we started cutting back and trampling down the almost overpowering vegetation. In the end it really opened the place out, before it was head high in places and only the tops of the capstones could be seen, but this was much better. It was early spring on my first trip here, there was no bracken and no flowering plants of any colour, I think on balance I prefer summer but hope it will indulge me with a ten minute clear up.

This is another fantastic must see gem of the lleyn peninsula, two chambers for the price of one. On the map it's down as a simple long cairn so should be just like this one http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/14330/cwmbiga.html .....except that ones not on the map at all, there is so much difference between the two it's just not funny. Long cairn indeed.
You can get in and have a good sit down in the big chamber, it's dry and slug free, but watch your head on the upside down whale fin on the underneath of the capstone. Now i've had another look at the smaller chamber i'm not so convinced it has slipped off, rather it could be an earthfast chamber like at Garnwnda, I don't know, i'm open to either.
The capstone is a big beautiful death gods hat, I mean neolithic axe, no, I mean underworld pointer. Could just be a stone, but it looks more like the Delta flyer from Voyager to me, either way it's a good stone for a burial chamber.
postman Posted by postman
23rd August 2012ce
Edited 23rd August 2012ce

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