Mynydd Troed Chambered Cairn View all content for Mynydd Troed

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! This is a brilliant site! Visited 10.4.2010 in lovely spring sunshine, walking from Bwlch up over Mynydd Llangorse. After descending from the promontory fort, the barrow is visible in its situation at the head of the cwm. It boasts a wonderful setting, perhaps the best of almost any site I've ever visited in some ways, not because it is at a great height (albeit it is 350m above sea-level), but just because of the diversity of scenery, all of it lovely. I couldn't stop grinning to myself once I got here, this is a truly special spot on such a lovely day. The view north is blocked by Mynydd Troed itself, which was my next objective. From here the route to the summit of the mountain is steep and forbidding (but well worth the climb). To the north west the countryside faded away into a blue-green haze, across towards mid-Wales. To the immediate south the steeply sloping bulk of Mynydd Llangorse rises up. But the best views are to the south west and south east. To the south west the waters of Llyn Syfadden (Llangorse Lake) are beautiful in the sunshine, and behind rises the formidable central Beacons range, the highest peaks in Southern Britain. And south east there is a lovely view down the steep-sided Cwm Sorgwm, abruptly cut off by the bulk of Pen Allt-mawr. Many hundreds of years after Mynydd Troed tomb was built, these peaks would be topped by the burial cairns of bronze age people, striving to demonstrate their mastery of this wild and inhospitable landscape. But their neolithic forebears chose to place their tomb in a relatively lowly position, respecting the landscape rather than claiming respect from it. What a wonderful, wonderful place. The tomb itself survives as a low, oval-shaped, grassy mound, with a few visible stones from a ruined central chamber. There may have been several chambers at one point, but there is little to see to indicate what the original structure included. However, this is a highly recommended site to visit. There is a parking area nearby, so access is simple, but I really enjoyed the walk over the Mynydd Llangorse summit ridge from Bwlch and if you can come on foot, it's a really rewarding place to reach. From here I headed up to the summit of Mynydd Troed itself, which also boasts terrific views, across both the central Beacons but also eastwards to the main Black Mountains ridge. Wow. [P.S. I would happily visit this as a birthday treat myself.]

Posted by thesweetcheat 27th April 2010ce Edited 6th May 2010ce

Comments (2)
Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Enthusiasm worthy of The Drude himself......	Posted by GLADMAN 27th April 2010ce
I loved this one, it's really something.	Posted by thesweetcheat 27th April 2010ce
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