A pretty significant Bronze Age cairn located within the ramparts of Darren Camp Hillfort... so either can be viewed as a bonus site, depending upon your point of view. Yeah, I quite literally had no idea this was here prior to noticing it within the interior of the enclosure. In fact, the archaeologists reckon there may possibly be another here, something only excavation would confirm, I guess?
As per the hillfort, the cairn boasts fabulous panoramic views for relatively limited effort expended - although I was wearing waterproofs owing to the threat of thunderstorms, this making the going a little harder.
Interestingly, perhaps, Coflein notes that the cairn is the site of a relatively recent cremation burial (according to a local villager). Still relevant after millennia, then?
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Bwlch Corog is a 1,266ft outlier of Pumlumon (despite the somewhat misleading name suggesting 'mountain pass') which, together with its more imposing neighbour, Pen Carreg Gop, overlooks the north-eastern aspect of Cwm Einion... Ceredigion's celebrated 'Artists Valley'. Hey, for once the moniker checks out, too, the locale having received formative visits from one JMW Turner and, much more recently, being home to a certain Mr Plant who (apparently) was inspired to write 'Stairway to Heaven' here with some other bloke amongst the ancient tilio-acerion native woodland. Just so you know.
The cwm is indeed aesthetically pleasing, the cascading Afon Einion engaging in all manner of gymnastics within the dense foliage. This was The Citizen Cairn's first venture into this artistic realm, having viewed it from the heights of Foel Goch and Esgair Foel-ddu to the southwest previously, both crowned by prehistoric cairns. I park beside Badge Lodge and head along a forestry track to the isolated farm of Pemprys to the northeast, this name-checking the river flowing through the isolated cwm.
Heading east now, exchanging waves with the cheery, turban-wearing occupant, I cross a tributary before beginning what in the end proves a very tiring ascent to the summit. Yeah, this is Mid Wales, blanket bog and purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea) ensuring the going is very, very difficult indeed and making a mockery of the 'limited height gain'. Not before time, I arrive at the small Bronze Age round cairn not quite at the summit.
Occasional thundery showers rake me with their aqueous content... but this is nonetheless a good place to be. To the west rises the aforementioned Pen Carreg Gop, perhaps surmounted by another such monument not marked on my map? I hadn't intended to visit; however, somehow the undertaking now becomes an imperative...
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This linear group of (four?) Bronze Age cairns gracing the slopes of Mynydd Bach, to the east of Llyn Eiddwen Nature Reserve, acts as a fine Hors d'oeuvre to the excellent Garn Wen located some distance to the north.
Despite only standing at a little over 1,000ft, there is a good upland vibe to be had here, this accentuated by the clear lack of visitors and sweeping views across Ceredigion.
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Mid Wales is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered by the curious traveller prepared to do a touch of homework before venturing forth... Yeah, I know, you're right... homework is not exactly The Citizen Cairn's forte, either... however when intriguing reminders of who we once were are not even noted upon OS mapping, one has to bite the bullet, so to speak. Or miss out upon some real treasures.
The small, unassuming grouping of Bronze Age cairns crowning the southern flank of Craig y Lluest, the rocky eminence overlooking the head of Cwm Ystwyth - and in cahoots with Esgair Elan, forming the jaws of a forbidding entrance 'portal' to the valley - is very much a case in point. Simply put, one would have no idea it was here at all from a perusal of the map... certainly not from the roadside below.
OK, none of the cairns located up here is anywhere near the scale of the superb monument gracing Glan Fedwen to the immediate east; nor even those crowning Cistfaen overlooking the Afon Ystwyth's birthplace. And yet... venture a little further to the west and the visitor is accorded - in my long experience - one of the finest views Mid Wales has to offer. Worth a look.
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Located above the Afon Bran, a little way south of Cynghordy, this obscure defensive enclosure appeared - from a quick perusal of the map - to represent the remains of a promontory fort. However, upon arrival, it became apparent that there is more here than initially meets the eye....
Yeah, sure enough, the visitor is confronted by powerful banks covering the northern aspect, these curving around to the west. However, this is no highly defensive promontory, meaning additional earthworks - not immediately apparent - would have been required to the southwest.
Consequently, The Citizen Cairn went walkabout to discover what appeared to be the remains of said southern defences some way downhill. Now whether what I found are actually of prehistoric origin is perhaps open to interpretation.. just saying I believe such a conclusion is supported by the evidence on the ground. See what you think? Whatever, it is a wondrous, tranquil spot to hang out for a while, the northern earthworks more than enough for any interested punter.
Incidentally, the map indicates an additional, smaller enclosure some way to the north. I did not visit - since I was intent upon an audience with the Tri Chrugiau (upon Mynydd Epynt) during a break in the Army firing schedule - but worth a look, too?
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Located within the obscure Mid Walian uplands between Beulah and Abergwesyn, this overgrown Bronze Age round cairn takes a bit of finding... however, the vibe to be enjoyed within its forestry clearing is pretty special. Worth the effort. I arrived during the calm following an intense night of torrential thunderstorms spent within the Irfon Pass.... sunshine illuminating the webs of grass-dwelling spiders adding a somewhat surreal visual aesthetic to the cairn's locale.
Furthermore, the enigmatic (apparent) ring cairn of Pen Twr is spectacularly sited a little over a mile due east, sweeping views contrasting with the intense myopia of Banc Paderau. Combining a visit to both, based upon Ty'n-y-cwm farm, makes for a satisfying walk of two complementary halves. What's not to like?
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One of the curious things about scanning OS maps for antiquarian stuff is that - like Forrest Gump's mum's 'box of chocolates' - very often you don't know what you're gonna get. Such is the case with Darren Camp, a first-rate prehistoric fortress rising to the south of the hamlet of Pen-bont Rhydybeddau, some distance west of Pumlumon. Appearing somewhat insignificant upon the 1:50k variety, the site never seemed to rise to the top of the 'list', so to speak. That is... until a chance viewing of an aerial image made clear the error of my assumption. Ah, assumptions, don't you just love 'em?
Yeah, although univallate, the fort is fabulously sited, with correspondingly top-class views to all points of the compass. Furthermore, although somewhat confused by the presence of a former open cast 'silver-lead mine', the western approach is additionally protected by quadruple outworks. Oh, and the summit of the hilltop, within the ramparts, is crowned by at least one Bronze Age cairn.... which the inhabitants clearly saw no need to remove. Or maybe even erected themselves, seeing as a 'small cordoned pot sherd' discovered here during a limited 1996 excavation by the wondrous Mr Toby Driver apparently has 'Late Bronze Age parallels'? Intriguing,.
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Set upon the mountain road between Abergwesyn to Tregaron, Esgair Gerwyn is apparently the location of a small Bronze Age cairn cemetery. I say 'apparently' since I was unable to categorically pinpoint the remaining archaeology to the same degree as during previous visits... which even then were far from conclusive. Yeah, sadly it would seem that (relatively) recent road improvements have taken their toll upon what must once have been a fabulously located grouping of monuments.
Motorists struggling up the gradient may well be tempted to pause a while within the viewpoint, looking south to follow the serpentine course of the Nant y Gerwyn as it joins the Afon Tywi to flow towards Llyn Brianne. The Dolgoch Youth Hostel can be found in the valley below, although I haven't had the pleasure... having always wild-camped. One thing's for certain: can't argue with the location, right?
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As those familiar with the Welsh vernacular will already have guessed, the Tri Chrugiau are a group of three large, earthen round barrows, in this instance gracing the Mid Walian uplands of Mynydd Epynt. Located a little to the northeast of the 1,560ft summit of said mountain, each monument is still in the region of 6 – 8ft high; consequently, a visit would appear a 'no-brainer' for any Citizen Cairn. There is, however, a pretty sizeable catch. Please take heed....
During those dark, dark days of 1940 – with murderous psycho-loon Adolf Hitler poised across The Channel after overrunning Europe with his automaton Fascist goons – the locale of Mynydd Epynt was occupied by the MOD for Army training purposes, with all inhabitants forcibly evicted, albeit supposedly only for the duration. Desperate times call for desperate measures etc, so no argument there. Trouble is, the Army never gave the land back and is thus still utilising the mountain as an artillery/small arms range, thus limiting access to the archaeological punter big time. It is what it is.
OK, I'm not about to engage in the trendy 'army bashing' so prevalent among the chattering classes nowadays. No, what with the likes of Putin's Communists doing what states governed by extremist ideologues have always done by murdering civilians – this time in Ukraine – clearly, the need for our Armed Forces is as great as ever... and the UK's soldiers need to be trained somewhere, right? Furthermore, the general public can be as stupid as stupid can be, endangering themselves and others in the process... so one can sympathise with the military viewpoint. However, a little better organisation on behalf of SENTA wouldn't go amiss....
As it happens The Citizen Cairn, for once, did his homework and checked out the SENTA firing times upon their web-page (see link) to make sure I wasn't going to be a part of the problem. Job done, or so I thought. So you can imagine my confusion when, upon approaching from the west along a bridleway from Cynala, I'm greeted by a red warning flag where no red flag should be. The confusion is heightened upon calling the stated number (0187 4635599) to ascertain that the red flag here is apparently "always flying"... (not those damn, murderous Commies again?) You what? Yeah, I know what you're thinking: so what is the point of the OS depicting a public right of way upon their maps and, furthermore, SENTA publishing firing times if the Army can't be bothered to adhere to its own procedures? The jolly, bewildered chap on the other end of the line – bless him – had no idea, to be frank... of the topography of the range, of where the Tri Chrugiau are located... why anyone would want to visit ... or much else for that matter, simply repeating Major someone or other would not be pleased if I ventured forth without 'permission'. So you're saying I need 'permission' to venture upon a public bridleway to Tri Chrugiau having received confirmation that no firing is scheduled? Nonsense. Absurd, obviously, so I assumed I was fine to proceed and extra map reading lessons should be within the local Army curriculum?
The monuments themselves were well worth the hassle, to be fair, so I would encourage everyone to visit. Just please MAKE SURE YOU CHECK FIRING TIMES BEFORE MAKING THE TRIP AND DOUBLE-CHECK WITH THE HELPLINE SHOULD THE RED FLAG STILL BE FLYING. The Army have a difficult job and clearly need upstanding Citizens Cairn to make allowances for any military muppetry and not add to their problems. Who knows, it might even prompt a little more reciprocation?
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Located upon the high ground between the Afon Pysgotwr Fawr and Doethie Fawr, this obscure round barrow/cairn(?) is not shown upon current OS mapping and is not to be confused with the much larger Carn Penrhiwllwydog just under half a mile uphill to the east. Combining a visit to both sites, along with a sojourn at the stone circle upon nearby Bryn y Gorlan, would make for an intriguingly satisfying day in unfamiliar surroundings.
Yeah, obscure is the appropriate adjective for this one, The Citizen Cairn walking right past before sussing what was what. As with many a Bronze Age funerary site, just who got to be buried here... what 'position in society' so to speak... and who was reserved for the larger, higher monument is something we can assume, I guess. But will never have a definitive answer.
As it was, I had a few hours to make use of before striking camp ready for an early start to search out that elusive Bryn y Gorlan 'circle the next day... so what better place to hang out than here, with far-reaching views southwards towards the summits of Y Mynydd Du?
Dyfed Archaeological Trust reckon:
"When visited as part of the PFRS project in 2004 the site was found to be a circular mound, 12m in diameter and 0.75m high, located on a break of slope just below the top of a hill." [Cook, N. , 2006 , Prehistoric Funerary & Ritual Sites Project Ceredigion 2004-2006]
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Set amongst the glorious scenery of eastern Mynydd Epynt... away from all the (unfortunately, what with Communist lunatics murdering civilians for fun in Ukraine, all too necessary) squaddie training business... south of Builth Wells, this mutilated round cairn might well draw no attention at all from those passing by upon the very minor road... even from the antiquarian-minded lacking a 1:25k OS map. Combine a visit here with the even more obscure Banc y Celyn stone circle to the north, however, and you're laughing.
Yeah, the scenery is superb, the backdrop of The Black Mountains, viewed in profile while approaching across the hilltop to the northwest, being arguably the finest The Citizen Cairn is aware of. That of The Brecon Beacons, enjoyed by diverting the gaze a tad to the south, is worth writing home about, too. If only one still did those things.
As for the monument... OK, it is very 'messed about with'. Nevertheless, several orthostats strongly suggest a 'chambered cairn' of some description to me. Coflein notes:
"A much disturbed round barrow with stone structural elements.... approximately 10m in diameter and up to 0.5m high..... Three edge-set stones are visible and appear to be part of a structure within the cairn... To the south of the barrow there is a large edge-set slab 1.05 x 0.15 x 0.6m high, aligned northeast-southwest..." [J.J. Hall, Trysor, 16/2/2009]
As it was, I happened to be in the locale for 'logistical reasons', but was more than happy to reprise my original 2016 visit and take advantage of the fabulous summer evening light to hang out for a while.
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Fantastic site, this.... in a fantastic location, too. Just too far 'down the slope' to visit following an audience with the Hafen stones/Drum Ddu cairns a couple of years back, I congratulate myself upon my untypical restraint back then. Yeah, you'll want to devote a fair bit of time to this one, such is the form and vibe.
I approached in a rather, er, roundabout way, starting from road's end below Gors-wen, at the head of the beautiful Cwm Chwefri, subsequently arcing to the right around the trees north of Little Pudding Cottage, prior to heading uphill above the eastern bank of the Nant Hafen. Pretty rough going through high fern... but there you are. It's well worth a detour in order to make the final approach from above and to the northeast to enjoy as splendid a view of a cairn as I've had the pleasure in a long time.
The first thing to strike the blissed-out traveller is "wow, this is a big one" .... some 60ft in diameter, in fact. OK, some fool might've taken a chunk out of it at some point, but nevertheless (in my experience) relatively intact... Needless to say, the Coflein description doesn't begin to do the site justice. Or convey much at all really:
"A cairn, 18.3m in diameter and 0.9m high, much disturbed." [J.Wiles 23.04.02]
The cairn is seemingly positioned by those who took such great trouble to fashion such a massive stone pile here millennia ago so Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du just grace the southern horizon... incidentally in a manner very similar to the not-so-distant Saith Maen stone row. As I hang out in the sun, Gorllwyn, with its cairn cemetery and massive prostrate monolith, graces the western aspect... and the thought occurs: isn't it about time I re-visited that brutally wild summit? Oh dear, here we go again. You know those moments when you can curse your grey matter for coming up with such hair-brained schemes? Tell me about it.
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Briefly stopping off for a shufty following a full day spent checking out Craig Twrch's numerous cairns, I have to admit to being somewhat baffled here. The archaeologists at RCAHMW reckon the site represents the remains of a Roman signal station, sitting as it does beside Sarn Helen..... a Roman Road. However, for balance, this view has to be contrasted with CADW's official scheduling (CD156) which states the following:
"The monument comprises the remains of a circular earthwork, which probably dates to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC). It stands on a prominent saddle in the hills with a wide panorama to the south and north-west, alongside Sarn Helen, the preserved line of the Roman road. It consists of an inner mound of c.14m diameter, standing up to 1.4m high, the central area of which is dished, lying c. 0.3m below its rim, except in the centre where an area has been dug away and later fires built, and on the southern side where a massive boulder c.3.6m long resting on its long side lies in a deep hollow. The inner mound is surrounded by a ditch c.1m wide and c.0.5m deep with traces of a slight counterscarp bank outside it. Opposite the boulder the ditch is discontinuous for a distance of c.3.5m, giving the impression of a causeway which has five smaller boulders on its western side. The origin of the site seems to be as prehistoric funerary monument consisting of features of a round barrow and recumbent stone circle. The large boulder may have originally been upright. It has also been suggested that the site was re-used as a Roman signal station."
Now, while I've no wish (no, really) to be thought of as biased against the bloody Romans (and, let's face it... of all the things they did for us, building signal stations probably wasn't the most inspiring), perhaps the 'recycling angle' might fit best here, bearing in mind the wealth of 'metaphysical' lore associated with Carreg y Bwci... aka 'The Goblin's Stone'? The name presumably a reference to the large recumbent 'boulder' which sits upon/within the mound, it's hard to imagine the perfunctory actions of legionnaires who probably died of boredom - or hypothermia - two millennia or so ago putting the wind up a passing traveller to the same degree as lingering folk memories of burial rights/rituals made manifest in the apparent antics of a mythical Welsh supernatural creature? Or is it just me?
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This heavily overgrown hillfort is located within Coed y Neuadd, its rocky site towering over the course of the Afon Rheidol as it winds a serpentine course towards Aberystwyth from its cradle in the bosom of Pen Pumlumon Fawr.
Indeed, the site is so overgrown I initially assumed the 'knoll' to the immediate east was where I wanted to be.... However, once the radar's attuned, the fact that 'things really are not making sense' usually saves the day. Usually. And Tan-y-Ffordd is well worth the effort of finding, proving to be a powerful hillfort, making full use of the dramatic natural slopes to the south. Now any medieval-heads out there may well find themselves aghast at the fact that the site is completely overlooked by high ground to the north... and would've been a doddle to take in any siege situation... but, of course, that wasn't a consideration back then. Let's face it, you wouldn't have wanted to try and storm it with your war party.... unless you were some lunatic nutter like Putin.
The most powerful artificial defences naturally face the 'path of least resistance' and loom above the track upon which one still approaches, this presumably a pretty established short-cut over the millennia accessing the valley bottom from the direction of Cwmbrwyno? The main entrance appeared to be to the west, with an impressive rocky ditch to the east
I approached along said track starting at the farm of Pen-rhiwlan, the walk also affording the opportunity to visit a nice round barrow at SN705800, not to mention boasting some pretty cool views of Cwm Rheidol.
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As with its neighbour surmounting Bryn Mawr, the cairn crowning the summit crags of Craig Twrch has been substantially messed about with by fools with no regard for who they are... where they are from... and, presumably, where they are going. However, unlike Bryn Mawr's poor monument, the great circular footprint can still be readily discerned here.
Furthermore, the enclosure and particularly large marker cairn created from the stone pile (arguably) do possess a kinda dodgy charm. The positioning is excellent, the monument perched upon - and encroaching upon the edge of - impressive rocky crags, this reminding the impressed visit somewhat of, say, a Dartmoor 'tor cairn'?
The monument overlooks a number of other, smaller cairns, like Mother Hen watching over her brood. One, however, located just off the main path beyond the fence line to the south, is quite unexpectedly probably the finest - after Carn Fawr, obviously - upon the whole ridge, bearing the well preserved remains of a cist.
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A more or less trashed summit cairn stands in stark contrast to the magnificent Carn Fawr just a third of a mile to the Northeast, a large rectangular drystone enclosure having obviously consumed much of the former structure. Nevertheless, Bryn Mawr is a great viewpoint, has clear prehistoric pedigree and, as part of a far-ranging funerary landscape encompassing some two miles, well worth a visit.
Coflein reckons:
"A much disturbed Bronze Age cairn. It has undoubtedly been robbed for stone to build the nearby sheep fold .... It is impossible to determine how large the cairn was originally, and now only a strip of cairn material survives, 8 metres long by 2 metres wide and up to 0.60 metres high." [R.P. Sambrook, Trysor, 28/3/2013]
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Two Bronze Age cairns still reside upon Esgair Fraith, the south-western terminus of what (for convenience sake) I'll term Craig Twrch, in deepest Mid Wales. Having missed out on an audience last year due to a cloud base seemingly down to my ankles - or at least it appeared that way - I duly return this year... and was not disappointed.
The southern of the two appears the larger nowadays, owing to a modern 'marker' cairn surmounting the prehistoric base; however, I reckoned its neighbour, although lower in profile, possessed more detail: the remains of a kerb, perhaps? Hey, or even that of a cist?
What was not in any doubt was the fabulous views to be enjoyed... looking out across the enigmatic Carreg y Bwci (now what is THAT all about?) or, upon swinging around, to the north-east to gaze along Craig Twrch itself. Plenty more cairns a mile or so that-a-way, should one be curious enough and fancy going walkabout. As it happened, I did.
Coflein reckons:
Southern: "A large summit cairn, measuring 12 metres in diameter and still up to 0.40 metres high, although a modern marker cairn has been built with cairn stones on top of the monument. There is some evidence of a kerb... A possible cist, measuring 0.70 metres square, lies just to the south of its centre."
Northern: "A stone cairn, measuring 10 metres in diameter by up to 0.40 metres high. There is some evidence of a kerb and also a possible central cist appears to be exposed" [both R.P. Sambrook, Trysor, 26/3/2013]
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The last of a quartet of cairns featuring upon my 'visit wish list' to this obscure upland wilderness between Teifi Pools and Cwm Ystwyth (the others having been Carn-y-Rhyrddod; Llan Ddu Fawr and Bryn Dafydd) this is another deceptively substantial monument, its obvious prehistoric foundation apparently dismissed by most - although to be fair the latest 1:25k mapping does depict the cairn in antiquarian typeface - owing to a large parasitical shelter augmenting an otherwise very low profile. It has to be noted that to not look at where one is treading is such an elementary error - and not a very good idea at all when walking rough terrain such as this - the significant circular footprint about as blatant a clue as a Citizen Cairn could wish for.
I approach via the minor road accessing the aforementioned Teifi Pools from Ffair-Rhos, a VERY rough (just about driveable) track/road branching northward near Tynfron farm to terminate within forestry beneath Llethr Brith (the latter possessing another cairn well worth seeking out). On foot now, the track meanders in a northeastern direction to eventually access Blaen-Marchnant. I circled across very boggy ground to the right in order to ascend the hillside beyond... in retrospect there are probably better routes.
The cairn is a great vantage point, Pumlumon naturally a prime focus. However, as with its companion monuments upon neighbouring tops, it is the sheer vibe here that impresses above all else. It would seem there are the remains of other monuments upon this hill top? To these eyes nothing was clear... however, I believe I possibly located one such overgrown monument downhill to the south(ish)....
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Although located a little under a mile to the approx NNW of Pen y Corn's twin cairns to the south-east of Llanddewi Brefi, extensive intervening forestry ensures a visit to the prosaically-named Garn upon Banciau Duon is no simple extension, instead requiring an expedition in its own right.
The 1:25k map suggested a reasonably straightforward - if tedious - stomp across Bryn-y-rhyd to the southwest to bring one within striking distance. To be fair, this is how things turned out.... it was just the final 'getting to the summit' bit that proved to be a problem. A major, major problem at that, owing to perhaps the most dense forestry I've seen in many a year offering not a hint of a way through. The Citizen Cairn, therefore, attempted to circle around from the northeast via the Banciau Duon themselves... which, in retrospect is probably the best option. Needless to say, I retreated and ended up somehow wriggling a way through from the south.
The summit clearing - a long time a' coming - was worth the effort however.... the cairn, although disturbed through the imposition of a 'shelter'/enclosure sometime during the past (presumably not by walkers?), still significant, some 41ft in diameter, in fact. I even reckon the cairn displayed possible traces of a kerb-like structure? Furthermore, isolated within it's own Lost World, the vibe was truly incredible to behold, the ground covered by some of the thickest moss I've ever encountered. Anywhere. So copious, in fact, I would have sworn the laws of gravity had been suspended if I didn't know better, such was the 'spring' in the blissed-out traveller's step. But there you are. Not so much 'Walking on the Moon'..... rather bouncing around on, well, a bouncy castle, I guess? Hey, 'Walking like a Goon'?
All good things must end, however, and, loathe to endure more twig-induced punishment, I head north-eastward, thankfully managing to locate a somewhat easier route down. Well, sort of. Not that it was at all evident from ground level.
Incidentally, the professionals at Coflein have the following to say:
"A circular cairn, 12.5m in diameter & 0.6m high, having a drystone shelter, 3.0m in diameter, set NW of its centre, with a collapsed drystone-walled fold, 7.0m by 5.0m, set along its NE side." [J.Wiles 21.07.04]
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Saith Maen translates as 'Seven Stones' in English... which may or may not be true since the very disturbed nature of the terrain underfoot - possibly a combination of bovine action and dodgy 'excavation' (for some reason the trenches were not back-filled) - ensuring my arithmetic is even less precise than usual. The disintegrating, not to mention mostly collapsed, 'protective' wooden enclosure surrounding the site also does it no favours.
Nevertheless, 'a number' of stones can still be found here still in position among quite a few others, suggesting the possibility of former multiple rows? Whatever, the location is excellent, overlooked by the bleak mass of Gorllwyn some two miles to WSW, Y Gamriw to NW and the enigmatic Hafen stone setting to east. In short, there is a surfeit of prehistory in the locale. Just check the map.
As I sit and take it all in two things become apparent: 1) I really must re-visit Gorllwyn some day before it becomes physically beyond me; 2) is it me, or is the rather idiosyncratic location of this stone row governed by the fact that Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du feature perfectly up the skyline. Coincidence? Well, no doubt some muppet or other will insist Google Earth (or whatever) shows no such thing. My view is: "Come and see for yourself" since, funnily enough, prehistoric people didn't have access to satellite imagery. As far as I'm aware.
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Hi, I'm Robert ... with a passion for attempting to understand the lives of the pioneering prehistoric inhabitants of these British Isles, seeking out the remains they left behind in order to ask myself "why here ... why did it matter so... why such commitment?".. Needless to say, I'm still pondering such intangibles. Just as an empty house appears to retain echoes of past humanity... so does the stone circle, the chambered cairn, the long barrow and the mountain-top funerary cairn. Visiting them, I think, helps engender a certain 'connection' with this land of ours, with ourselves - our past, our present and our future; a reference point for those of us perhaps struggling to make sense of this so-called 'computer world' Kraftwerk warned us was a'coming in 1981.... danke, mein herren. And thanks also to those who picked up their gauntlet and ran with it.
Should my posts provide inspiration for others to venture into the Great Outdoors, please bear in mind the hills and mountains of these Isles are unpredictable, potentially dangerous places. Ensure you have map/compass/waterproofs... and learn how to use them. It could save your life. Weather conditions can change bewilderingly quickly - even in high summer - so don't get caught out. Please engage with landowners wherever possible... being a cartoon 'class warrior' might be jolly good fun for the narcissistic 'rebel'... but not for those who may choose to follow.
Joni Mitchell - 'Don't it always seem to go; That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone?'
George Orwell - 'The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.'
Martin Gore - 'Like a pawn
On the eternal board
Who’s never quite sure
What he’s moved towards
I walk blindly on'...
Truman Capote - 'Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavour.'
Oscar Wilde - 'The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.'
John Lydon - 'It is a reward to be chastised by the ignorant.'
Winston Churchill - '“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” [Perhaps one day people may finally grasp the reality that, for all his many faults, Churchill is the reason we are currently able to proffer personal views today that are not dictated by a totalitarian state.]
Charles Bukowski - “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the stupid ones are full of confidence.”
Ultravox - 'Taking shelter by the standing stones
Miles from all that moves....'
Catch site videos from the Citizen Cairn at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFk6mRD0QCGTnUXRBlSJ44w
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