Penyrwrlodd Long Cairn View all content for Penyrwrlodd

How does something this size escape attention for so long, hidden in plain view, yet not "discovered " until 1972. We unknowingly followed Elderfords directions, and parked right outside the Penywyrlod farmhouse, hoping to grab a bit of easy parking courtesy of the obliging farm owner, we were blessed indeed, the farm was empty, unoccupied, gone away, as we say at work. With no one about we made our unhurried and unhindered way over to the long cairn. It was our first site of the day, a list of Black mountain chambered long cairns fortuitously never far from a road, which was a world of comfort to Simon, our new field wandering friend, who had knee issues. It was so much bigger than we anticipated, much much bigger, and the terrible road building scar where they'd dragged off tonnes of cairn material and almost all the chamber stones, broken up like so much peanut brittle, sandstone isn't a very durable stone at the best of times. Three large stones are to be seen at the rear ? one is poking out of the cairn, the other two are having a lie down, another large flat stone resides by the front north side. Elderford seems to know what all the stones are, but it's a bit of a confusion and so much is gone that I find it a struggle to believe anything can be said for certain. But there are some certainties, it is a giant of a cairn, with a giant fatal wound, but in a beautiful place with cracking views, it is a nice place to lay down and die, for a cairn.

Posted by postman 20th May 2013ce Edited 20th May 2013ce

Comments (3)
Nice one Chris. I couldn't quite believe what I was looking at at first. It's like some kind of huge cairn eating monster has turned up and taken a bite out if it. But it still retains its poise somehow, a great site. It was a great day all round. And not a peep from the knee! ;)	Posted by Evergreen Dazed 20th May 2013ce
I just had no idea it was so big, and that's so much better than finding it's smaller than you thought. It was a shame it had been so brutally treated. And our new mate Ralph was the topping on the cake.	Posted by postman 20th May 2013ce
Haha, yep, an absolute gem of a bloke. If a menhir has got to turn up in somebodys back garden, I'm glad it was in his.	Posted by Evergreen Dazed 21st May 2013ce
You must be logged in to add a comment