Moel ty Uchaf Cairn circle View all content for Moel ty Uchaf

Visited 29.8.13 My last site of the day and what a great place to finish with! The weather had been glorious and I was eager to watch the sun go down from this stone circle, high in the hills – who wouldn’t? I took the turning east, off the B4401, just north of Llanrillo, and headed up the lane. Where the lane forked I made the mistake of continuing to drive up hill instead of parking. The lane soon became a narrow rough track but there was nowhere to turn and I was committed to keep on driving. The track was very steep and I had to continue in 1st gear only. At the top of the track I was confronted by a closed metal field gate which I had no choice but to open and drive through. I decided to leave the car parked here (there was no one about this time of day) and continue uphill on foot. I then came to another closed gate which had a warning notice attached stating that this was a SSI area and that motor vehicles were prohibited beyond this point. This made me feel a bit better about where I had left my car further down hill. The circle was still not visible so I made my way up to the highest point, over to my left. As I approached the top of the hill - there it was, a small but perfectly formed stone circle. I first walked around the outside of the circle (anti-clockwise as usual) and then walked around the inside, studying each stone in turn. In the centre of the circle was a depression and a couple of large flat stones lying on the grass. They seemed to by overlying the cist – presumably to protect it? Either way, they made for a good place to sit. The circle consists of about 40 stones and is approximately 10m across. It really was a beautiful evening and I sat and admired the views up and down the valley. The sun was starting to set behind the distant hills, silhouetting them against the reddening sky. All was quiet except for the bleating of the sheep and the chirping of birds. A bird of prey glided silently overhead. Nothing more than the faintest of breezes. Bliss would be a good word to use to describe how I felt. I couldn’t have wished to have been anywhere else. This is a fantastic site and has to be a ‘must see’ when in the area. It reminded me very much of a mini Castlerigg – I can give it no higher compliment. Like Castlerigg the distant hills seemed to form a natural amphitheatre. When the ancients chose this site they knew what they were doing. ‘Primitive man’ indeed!!!!!!!! After the sun had set I made my way back to the car, opened the gate, and carefully drove back to the main road. All was well with the world – my world at least! If you do get the chance please pay Moel ty Uchaf a visit but best to park at the first fork in the road. There is ample room there but it will require a fairly long and steep walk to reach the circle. You will think it well worth it! P.S. After arriving home I looked at Burl’s book (page 179) to see what he had to say. Burl mentions an outlying stone to the NNE and the remains of a Cairn 80 yards to the south – neither of which I knew about or spotted. I was too entranced with the stone circle!

Posted by CARL 5th September 2013ce

Comments (3)
You made it then. Seems you tend to quite literally 'walk the walk' Carl. Nice one.	Posted by GLADMAN 5th September 2013ce
Or "drive the walk"! :) Well worth the effort, however you get there. Great stuff.	Posted by thesweetcheat 5th September 2013ce
Thanks both. I just like to think I do what I can when I can. This is a great pastime of ours!	Posted by CARL 6th September 2013ce
You must be logged in to add a comment