First Tara.. and now the welsh assembley has followed suit by sneaking through the distruction of one of the most sacred sites on anglesey.
2km from Holyhead is Ty Mawr and Trefignath and surrounding tombs and circles.
Excavators are currently ploughing up the area so as to build a buisness park on the site... continues...
EXPERTS have been brought in to help turn ancient bronze age copper workings in North Wales into a major tourist attraction.
Focus for the Copper Mountain project, which includes the old port of Amlwch in Anglesey, will be the historic Mynydd Parys mines and open cast sites... continues...
Maybe half a mile away, in the same narrow band of land between the Afon Braint and the Afon Rhyd y Valley, there was another massive stone:
On a farm within this parish [Llangeinwen] there was, within these few years, a large stone pillar, which was probably one of those called Meini Gwyr, by Rowlands. It was about twelve feet high; but when the present farm-house was built, having no fear of antiquarian anger before their eyes, it was blasted, to make lintels for the doors and windows. The name of the farm, Maen Hir (the Long Pillar), however, preserves its memory.
From 'The History of North Wales' v2, by William Cathrall (1828).
Rowlands = his 'Mona Antiqua Restaurata'.
On the 1:25,000 map, very close by, you will see 'Ffynnon Gybi' marked.
The Revd. Mr. Owen says, "Upon Clorack farm there is an upright stone with a large protuberance on one side of it, called Lleidr Ty Dyvridog, i.e. the Tyvrydog Thief, concerning which there is a tradition, that a man who had sacrilegiously stolen a church bible, and was carrying it away on his shoulders, was for his transgression converted into this stone.
There are also two wells on this farm, one on each side of the road leading to Llanerchymedd, and exactly opposite to each other, remarkable not for their medicinal virtues, but as having been, according to tradition, where St. Seiriol and St. Gybi (the former the patron of Ynys Seiriol, and the latter of Caer Gybi or Holyhead,) used to meet near midway between both places, to talk over the religious affairs of the Country. The wells are called Ffynnon Seiriol and Ffynnon Gybi, i.e. Seiriol's Well and Gybi's Well, to this day."
From 'The History of North Wales' v2, by William Cathrall (1828).
The sun is out, turning the sky blue as we arrive at this pair of dolmens. Again another site I've not visited before, despite many past visits to Anglesey, and this was top of my list to see this time. Unlike nearby Ty Newydd the dolmen here now stands proud alone, I'm so glad the ridiculous wooden truss had been removed. I squeezed under the capstone of the southern chamber, trying not to get my feet too wet in the huge pool of water which had puddled in there, and putting my faith to the test that that wooden truss really was never necessary.
Two dolmens for the price of one can't be bad, although the northern chamber is now just a jumble of stones. It feels like the dolmen of elemental water here, being near to a lake and standing on very waterlogged ground, but it has a most warm and welcoming atmosphere, and not just due to the improving weather!
I'm not sure if this would have been one large mound with two chambers, or just two neighbouring smaller cairns, without archaeological evidence its difficult to say. The vague construction date (according to the sign it was built some time within a 2,000 year period!) also may allow for the possibility of it being a multi phase monument.
It's certainly a special dolmen in fine pristine surroundings, its just a shame the trees screen the view of the nearby lake. Still a great place to spend some time on a lovely New Year's Eve.
Plas Cadnant (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Fieldnotes
Visited 2nd January 2012
Stopped off to see this beauty on the way back from our New Years stay on Anglesey.
Not as difficult to park as I feared, there is a small layby (well probably a passing place!) up the lane, but we took Postman's advice and parked at the field gateway.
The field was extremely soggy after the recent rains and whilst everyone else took the sensible option and photographed the stone from the gateway I picked my way ankle deep in mud into the field. (Well its not a proper visit if you can't hug the stone!)
Up close the stone is impressively tall and its elevated position looks out like a sentinel towards Snowdonia just across the straits. The wind was whipping up as I huddled up against the stone to avoid some of the bitter chill, and as the clouds scudded across the sky the sun sent fingers of light lancing down over the mountains. It's a fantastic setting for a stone, and well worth the visit, I didn't want to leave.
Access to the wonderful Bryn-yr-Hen-Bobl has always seemed problematic. However plan in advance and my solution - although admittedly back in October 2006 - was to write to The Marquess of Anglesey to see what the position was..... I quote from his (handwritten) reply:
'Just back from S. Italy to receive your [letter] of 29 Sep. I am v. pleased to give you permission to visit the 2 sites you mention in week beginning 23 October. Remember to shut the gate at the Hen Bobl! Every good wish.....'
Not exactly unfriendly, it has to be said, so suggest this may well be the best option if you wish to hang out at the site in peace. If so, the address is:
The Marquess of Anglesey,
Plas Newydd,
Llanfair P.G.
Anglesey,
North Wales LL61 6DZ
Those familiar with this great site will know all about it, but two things struck me this morning as I waited alone for daybreak - why the junk and vandalism and the mysterious 'Owl Stick'?
A piece of broken, candle-wax encrusted vase at the base of the mound and plastic bottles and mud-hand prints and dawbings across the concrete lintel (the modern unsympathetic strenghtening) inside the chamber.
Who placed the 'Owl Stick' in the top of the mound?
This is one of my favourite sites, but have not yet ventured over to view it from the gorsedd stone. As the farmer was already inhis fields tending to his flock in the breaking light I chose to walk around the other side of the gorsedd, down the lane towards his farm and got a great new perspective of the site.