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

Esgair Gorlan

Round Cairn

Miscellaneous

The elevated ridges of Esgair Gorlan and Esgair Nant-y-Moch stand to the (approx) south of the enigmatic Pumlumon outlier Disgwylfa Fawr (the 'Watching Place') and, as such, are well worth a wander in their own right when events/weather/downright exhaustion conspire against a more challenging outing. Although nothing is indicated upon current OS mapping, prehistoric upland cairns are to be found here. Well, this is Pumlumon, after all. What else did you expect?

I parked up beside the ford overlooked by the cairn namechecking the Nant Geifaes, following the stony byway heading southwest into the hinterland.

Coflein reckons the following:

"Located on a summit on the eastern side of Esgair Gorlan is a robbed round cairn. It is a turf-covered stony mound measuring 9.5m in diameter and 0.5m high but higher on the south-west where spoil from a central hollow has been piled up. The hollow measures 4m long (NW-SE) by 1.5m across and 0.4m deep. It was presumably the site of a cist, or at least thought to be, though its stony base may point to a cist cut into the old land surface." [D.K.Leighton, RCAHMW & R.S. Jones, Cambrian Archaeological Projects, 29 May 2015]

Note that there is - unbeknown to me at the time of my visit - another cairn surmounting the western summit of Esgair Gorlan at SN7241082620. Another time, perhaps?
GLADMAN Posted by GLADMAN
24th December 2023ce
Edited 24th December 2023ce

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