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Cairns around Llangollen/Wrexham


A general life-long interest in all things prehistoric has over the past couple of years lead to an active, (very) amateur 'search and record' all the known listed sites in my own backyard that is North Wales. With the help of a well used TMA and other local guides I am now about a quarter of the way through that journey and hope to share my humble thoughts/pics on this site soon.

This is my first blog on TMA and it starts with a cry for help! I carry my OS maps in the car with all the cairns, stones & chambers marked. When no time for a visit to a major site I've been seeking out those un-named cairns and stones you find on OS maps in the hope something remains to positively identify it's location. Whether it's a small bump/hollow in the ground or a solitary rock it's good enough for me to record it. The help? I'm never quite sure what I find is 'it' and wondered is there a publication or website dedicated to 'minor' sites in north Wales?

Today I traveled along the Llangollen-Minera road that passes World's End and Eglwyseg Mtn. I passed by Rock Farm without visiting the Eglwyseg cairns/stones because of the torrential rain and picked out two roadside cairns of unknown status further up the road. They can be seen on the map at 117.233486 & 235497. If I have identified them correctly then the 1st appears to be at the bottom of a gully, but this could easily just be spoil (Minera lead mines are a few miles up the road). The 2nd is (to me anyway) clearly a cairn with an outlying upright (now leaning) about 3ft high several yards away, a large stone in it's hollowed-out centre/top which is not visible from the road and many smaller cairnstones visible around it. This 2nd site is clearly visible from, and very close to, the road with views across to Llandegla Forest and is almost upon the line of Offa's Dyke pathway (also shown on the OS). I may post the pics of this 2nd site in the Eglwyseg folder, but perhaps someone out there can help me out and put a name to it or point me in the right direction?
Originally from the Wirral but lived in North Wales since the age of 12. Retired early at 57 (recommended if you can get it!), so much more time available to visit and revisit the sites across North Wales and beyond.

Life long Neil Young / CSNY / Todd Rundgren fanatic along with an extremely varied musical taste along the way. This includes JC with the Teardrops, Echo & TB, Pale Fountains, Wild Swans, amongst others from the Eric's days.

JohnAko (2015)

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