Y Gyrn Cairn(s) View all content for Y Gyrn

Last time on The stone hunters guide to Wales..... Snow and ice coupled with miles of difficult walking meant the stone hunters missed the freaky settlement site of Maes y Caerau, and it meant they didn't have a really good look at the pair of cairns nestling under the rocks of Y Gyrn, so after three years of tripping elsewhere our intrepid explorers are back in the hills above Harlech for a more in depth look around. 21st May 2016..... From the A496 a mile north of Talsarnau turn east up hill towards the little but lovely Llyn Tecwyn Isaf pass it by and take the next right, we parked just across the river and walked from there. The map is a bit confusing after here, you could try following the footpaths or just strike out on your own heading for the right side of big and obvious rocky Y Gyrn. The leaves are back on the trees, the streams are all full of dark water, birds are singing and the weather is trying it's best not to rain on us, as per our request, likable, to say the least. After much map reading, some serious leg work, spotting the freaky settlement site across a falling stream and a lot of staring at the views we arrive at the two cairns. Map still says there are three cairns, but we can still see only two, the third is either buried or it's some kind of mistake. I head straight for the higher of the two, it's a nice little kerb cairn with an opened cist at it's centre. One of the two side slabs has fallen inwards obscuring a proper scootch about in there, I cant even tell if the two end slabs are in attendance, the kerb stones now free of snow stand out much more. Y Gyrn looks like a really good play ground from here, no swings and slides, but rock and boulders, nooks and crannies, distant views and in your face nature. Over a little stream about a hundred yards is the other cairn, we knew it was a ring cairn but in the snow three years ago that was not very evident but now the ring is naked and brazen and she is showing it all and we can see it all. She is definitely a ring cairn, and one with a view through a gap in the hills to the sea. Why are they always female ? No prizes. After butties under a rock shelter with a view of both cairns, and a walk over to Bryn Cader Faner we climb up to the top of Y Gyrn, where a long eye full reveals all three sites, looking down to the ring cairn is as always especially rewarding. A revisit to these cairns and the freaky settlement site has been high on the list for over three years, now we've done it I can cross them off, it's not a physical list, but excising them from thought should make the whole thing run smoother, just like my lovely car.

Posted by postman 29th May 2016ce

Comments (3)
Looking forward to the next installment.	Posted by thesweetcheat 29th May 2016ce
Me too, special guest appearance by The voodoo priestess and Lisa Tarbuck.	Posted by postman 29th May 2016ce
Uh-huh, their input is necessary.	Posted by thesweetcheat 29th May 2016ce
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