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Wales
Gelli HillStone Circle
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9 posts
Gelli Hill Cairn Cairn(s) |
7 posts
Gelli Hill stone Standing Stone / Menhir |
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The journey here had been full of ideal photographic conditions, but once we had driven up the old track, the fog closed in and stayed there. The first time I came I found the shouldnt be there circle first, which confused me greatly when I found the actual circle on the way back down, further musing and reading (with sweetcheats help) have proved that the less impressive of the two is the real macoy, whilst I was there the first time I could see the fallen stone from the circle and that should have said something to me but it didnt, the circle on top of the hill had thrown a big spanner in the works, dont know why it just did. But this second time I knew where everything was, even in the fog. Up to the trig pointed barrow first, over the dilapidated fence to the confusion circle. Still dont know what to make of it, if it was farmer, I would say he has been to a few real carn circles, if it was missed by ordnance survey and CADW and Aubrey Burl then , well its just unthinkable. The stone circle is right next to a fence, which should help with locating it, if you were a "hillwalker" you might walk right through it without noticing it. The stones are small, some flush with the ground, two or three a foot or so high, two bigger fallen stones there are, one inside the circle one outside In the next field there is a fallen menhir, perhaps marking a festivals sunrise, Burl said as much I think, memory not as good as it once was. |
Posted by postman28th November 2010ce Edited 28th November 2010ce |
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Prior to a nightly stop over in the Elan Hills, I take the opportunity to visit this obscure stone circle in predictably poor weather. Hey ho.... this is Wales after all, I guess. Approaching from Llandrindod Wells, an attractive town sited within a loop in the Afon Ithon - and judging by a nearby Roman Fort (Castell Collen) and castle (Cefnllys), its strategic value was evident from the off - I skirt a large lake (complete with dodgy 'sea monster' sculpture) and, passing the obligatory golf course, park near the steep access road to Carregwiber. Unlike Postie - images of him careering down the track, like Postman Pat not going to Specsavers, come to mind - I decide to walk from here and spare my already battered car further mischief. Not that the crab-apple tree dropping copious fruit onto my roof gives a monkey's about that. At least it wasn't my head, I suppose. To be fair it's quite a walk, verging on a proper hillwalk (so an OS map is essential), overlooked in the initial stages by a hillfort. Nice.... Follow the track to the SE, ignoring any turnings, until you meet another track running along the ridge of Gilwern Hill above and beyond. Follow this to the left until, just before a prominent copse of trees, you should head eastwards towards the summit of Gelli Hill. This is crowned by a trig point and a rather large burial cairn, boasting a superb view of the Wye Valley and The Radnor Forest rising to the east - the conical summit of Whimble obvious and alluring. Something about the shape, I guess. The circle itself is sited a little to the west of the 1,440ft summit, the stones not very big, and with some apparently modern 'additions'. But orthostat size is of little relevance here, as I'm sure the erectors would confirm if someone could invent a time machine and go have a word. Up here location is everything, the stones simply demarking a sacred space. No need to impress when the landscape says all that needs to be said. And then some. But needless to say I am impressed. What a great vibe! Well worth the effort, despite the fearful hammering I get from Mother Nature! |
Posted by GLADMAN10th November 2009ce Edited 10th November 2009ce |
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On top of a hill in the middle of no-where is this stone circle so it's a given that it's not dead easy to get to, but it doesn't have to be too hard. Presuming that you've got an OS map and can see the circle on it, firstly the narrow rough and bumpy track is navigable a good distance, when the track makes a 90 degree left turn park by the gate and footpath stile and head east making for the trig point on a barrow, go down hill avoiding marshy area then back up and its away to the left through the gate. A good circle with one heck of a view, eight stones stand mostly on the western edge of a circle twenty metres across. Not far to the east on the highest point is a barrow with a trig point on it. On the way back to the car I found what looked like another circle, more ruined, with smaller stones, Aubrey Burl doesn't mention it and niether does coflein (though the latter does mention a fallen menhir close to this suspect circle). A good circle and relatively easy to get to for those with a care free attitude to their cars underside. |
Posted by postman 15th March 2008ce Edited 15th March 2008ce |
Latest posts for Gelli Hill |
Showing 1-10 of 16 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
Gelli Hill stone (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Images (click to view fullsize) |
  
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Posted by thesweetcheat26th December 2010ce |
Gelli Hill Cairn (Cairn(s)) — Images |
  
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Posted by thesweetcheat 26th December 2010ce |
Gelli Hill stone (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Fieldnotes |
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After stepping through the fence next to the circle we walked rather blindly into the fog with no more than my memory to go on, it was adequate, we went straight to it, first it was my imagination , then it was a sheep, Eric said its a tractor, it wasn't, it was the fallen stone. It looks like a big door wedge or block of cheese, with lots of smaller stones about it. If it was standing it wouldnt be much more than a couple of feet tall, but from the circle it might have been edge on and a perfect horizon marker. |
Posted by postman 28th November 2010ce |
Gelli Hill stone (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Images |
 
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Posted by postman 28th November 2010ce |
Gelli Hill Cairn (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes |
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The weather had been perfect on the way here, blue skies and golden morning sunlight and fog covered the valley floor between the hills, but it was only just the way there, there was as foggy as you don't want it to be. No sunrise and no view, it was just Eric, me and the the foggy ancient left behinds. The barrow is much bigger than it looked from a distance through the fog, some exposed cairn material has a couple of big stones in it, and I liked to think of them as remnant cist stones. Erics feet are starting to get wet now so were off to find the weird shouldn't be there circle. |
Posted by postman 28th November 2010ce |
Showing 1-10 of 16 posts. Most recent first | Next 10
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