More from Coflein..
. RECUMBENT RECTANGULAR SECTIONED QUARTZ BLOCK 0.8M BY 0.7M AND 2.6M LONG. POSS RELATED TO `VANISHED' CAIRN PAR 3437 (RCAHM archive, 1972). (SS 8) On DRUM NANT-Y-GORLAN, 550 m above O.D. is a fallen monolith of white quartz, roughly rectangular in section 0.8 m by 0.8 m and 2.7 m in length. It appears to have fallen to the S.W. and its base on the E. remains partly buried. It tops a ridge on a S.W.-projecting moorland spur. From cartographic study it has been proposed1 that a cairn originally stood nearby. However, the earliest available source shows a quartz block here2 and the first published O.S. map depicts an enigmatic uninscribed circle.3 Lying on the S.E. edge of the same spur, some 24 m to the S.S.W. of the stone, is an oval, turf-covered mound. Its diameter is 13.8 m (N.E.-S.W.) by 9.5 m by up to 1 m high. Stone projecting from beneath it on the S.E., might indicate the existence of a kerb if the site is man-made. 1. O.S.Card SN 85 NW 3;W.E.Griffiths, Arch.in Wales, 12 (1972), p.10. 2. O.S. 2-inch MS drawing 31O W (1820-21). 3. O.S. First Edn. 1-inch (1835). RCAHMW, 1995 - Draft Inventory description. Recumbent quartz stone near the peak of Drum Nant y Gorlan. Extensive views to the Brecon Beacons in the south. Base of stone protrudes from earth. Length 2.6m, Width 0.9m, Thickness 0.83m.
Much more.
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From Coflein,
Four, possibly seven, stones stand at the head of a remote mountain pass near to a spring on the boundary between the cantrefs of Buellt and Deuddwr. The largest stone is 0.9m high and three others are 0.4-0.6m high. The stones may constitute an ancient ritual or ceremonial monument if they are not comparatively recent boudary markers. The name 'Bwlch-y-Ddau-Faen' means 'two stones pass'.
It is sometimes suggested that this is a stone circle roughly 30m across
There are three pictures here
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/304685/images/BWLCH-Y-DDAU-FAEN%2C+STONE+CIRCLE/
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From Coflein
A fallen monolith, broken at its base, thought to have originally been some 1.8m high by 1.5m by 0.3m; set c.90m SE of stone circle .
Is a fallen standing stone worthy of a visit ? after all isn't a non standing stone just a stone ? My dad would say so, but I disagree, and there is that stone circle just 90 metres away.
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Coflein says this about the standing stone A tapering stone, 1.4m high by 0.8m by 1.0m, in a field formerly known as Dol maen gwyn
When we tried a visit we took a wrong turn and found ourselves knocking at a door where had anyone been in they would have told us they didn't know anything about it.
Twenty minutes later the kids and I entered a farm yard and asked a young lady if she knew the best way to the stone " oh the stone yes i'll ask me dad the best way, come with me " she said. We did as we were bidden, but then the canny welsh farmer played his role to the hilt "What stone ?" he said (If his daughter knows of it then so must her dad)
I showed him the map and "Ooooh that stone, that stone? he would have been entertaining had we not come so far. Then he went on to say the stone was on a neighbours land who was now in the middle of bailing hay and you dont want to go trampling his hay do you. I could see I wasnt going to get far today ( perhaps a dawn raid in full surveilence mode was needed) we thanked him and turned to leave, then looking at the map I saw that a public footpath went straight through his farm and straight to the stone. I was tired and we had already lost the light. Decidedly unhelpful Welsh farmer 1
Curious warrior postman 0
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Coflein knows....
Remains of a cairn with a large centrally placed stone cist. This measures 2m x 0.7m and is covered by a substantial capstone resting on three stone uprights. The cairn perimeter is marked by a stony bank 12 m in diameter. It is likely that the entire sturcture was originally covered by a cairn of stones, many of which remain in situ, while others have been re-used in the construction of a sheep fold which partially covers the site.
Large cists? capstones? uprights? Yaaaaaay
Sheepfold ? Boooooo
Oh well you can't have it all.
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Already got my next trip out planned, these places just keep popping up out of the wood work, literally, I think this one is in a forest, Coflein entices us with this.....
Thought to have been a round cairn, 20-25m in diameter, with a central megalithic chamber, the present form of the monument, a sub-rectangular drystone enclosure, c.10m square and 2.0m high, is thought to result from systematic treasure hunting/excavation.
The mound survives to 0.8m high and a possible capstone, 2.5m by 1.5m crowns the rubble fill of the enclosure.
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I'm sad and dissapointed to say I couldnt find this stone circle or the two ring cairns nearby, I was sad because I couldn't find them and dissapointed because it was my own fault.
I only half remembered there whereabouts, and did no checking up on it, poor performance being prevented by prior preparation.
If its any help the stones appear to be on the higher ground than where I was looking, not down on the flat ground just north of the farm Hafod-y-pant.
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It had been such a hard morning that by the time I'd climbed this hill checked out the stone, mound and cairn, I forgot about this cairn which coflein says little about........
A cairn, 8.0m in diameter and 0.5m high, having a well preserved central cist, without a capstone.
...........
But just enough to make me kick myself, I like a good cist, capstone or not.
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Three cairns are upon this summit 1.2 , 1.3 and 1.6 metres high, also in the locale are several low barrows and other small cairns.
I shall be visiting as soon as funds allow.
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As we didnt take a trip down to the barrow fieldnotes would be a bit of a fib, so a short misc note.
The barrow is at the bottom of a river valley (the Afon Aled) unlike the other barrows we'd seen this morning which were on hill tops and crests.
Coflein says that in 1892 human bones were found in a cist or chamber, maybe bronze artifacts too.
From the road I couldnt tell whether there was any stones protruding from the barrow which still looked about two metres tall and enclosed behind a wire fence, a closer look seems warrented.
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This sounds like an interesting place, I wonder why Greywether never made it here,
This cairn, situated on a low knoll on the hillside overlooking Loch Fyne and 800m ESE of Ardno, measures about 10m in diameter and 2m in height. A large central cist, aligned WNW and ESE, measures 2.05m by 1m and 0.9m in depth; it was constructed of six large upright slabs, five of which remain in position. The two NE side-slabs have slipped a little, but the two end-slabs and one of the SW side-slabs are still firmly set. The SE end-slab still stands to a height of 0.9m above the interior of the other slabs, it is possible that the capstone may have butted against it rather than overlain it.
Visited May 1986
From Canmore.
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I tried in vain to find this cairn and a nearby Roman hut circle, I think I went too far up the hill,
but I was rewarded with a brilliant view of llyn Cowlyd reservoir, and a strange looking rock formation called I think Maen Trichwmwd, I hope it translates as the hawk as that is what it most resembled to me.
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Another cairn/cist that lies in thrawl of mighty Tryfan, coflein says;
Burial cairn, probably Bronze Age, on the lower south-west facing slopes of Cwm Tal-y-braich. Stone built circular cairn, measuring c. 8m in diameter and up to 0.9m in height. The cairn has been disturbed in the past, with several rubble-filled hollows visible in the centre and a large exposed cist (with adjacent capstone) on the south-west side.
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Whilst trawling through coflein I came upon this
interesting sounding cairn, it's now on the list of places to go.
Cairn consisting of two very large slate slabs sitting on top of one another. The top stone is at least 1.8m long and 0.8m wide with possible polished stone axe grooves or incised rock art. The rock art consists of approx. 20 incised lines, 'v' shaped in profile and roughly 5-8mm deep and between 10cm-30cm long. 5 other quartz blocks are placed around the slab. Cairn is situated on a knoll with views to the sea and up the valley. Might be capstone of dolmen?
rock art ? dolmen ? I'm on my way. (almost)
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A day off work often sees me dissapearing into the Welsh wilderness, a bit of snow wasnt going to put me off so at about 10.30 am I turned off the snowcleared main road and made my way onto the horseshoe pass.
The radio mentioned closed roads in the Peak district but nothing close by, with much lip biting and wheel spinning I gave it a go. Just a hundred metres shy of the restaurant/shop/carpark I could go no more, maybe I couldve struggled on at half a mile an hour, i'll never know because infront of me reversing towards me came a big 4x4 with tow rope ready, after some general piss taking they towed me to the crest of the hill, and there the car was going to stay whilst I climbed the modest hill. So far not so good .
Equipped for any type of weather, I strode forward like someone who rarely fails, I would have made it too if it weren't for those pesky snow drifts, with every footfall my booted feet sank all the way to my knees, it was more tiring than any other kind of walking, my breathing got hard, my chest hurt, all I could do was try and make it to the big stone I could see further up the hill, only it wasn't a stone , and like the straw that broke the reindeers back it was actually an igloo, three of them, igloos ? in Llangolen ? I'm not going to make it this time, I took a few arctic photos and turned back, after not even getting a quarter of the way. It was easier getting back down than getting up. I'm off work next week maybe another attempt with slightly less snow will afford some success.
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A round cairn, 30m in diameter and 3.0m high, set on the Llandegla-Penycae boundary.
Coflein helps me out for yet another big bump survey. Coming soon
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After visiting nearly a thousand ancient places and driving between fifteen to twenty thousand miles every year I can only conclude that I'm obsessed with these places, and finding this website seven years ago only compounded that obsession, at least I'm not alone anymore.
My favourite places are:
Ring of Brodgar
Callanish
Balnauran of Clava
Torhouskie
Swinside
Nine stones close
Bryn Celli Ddu
The Druids circle (penmaenmawr)
HafodyGors Wen
Gwal y Filiast
Grey Wethers
Boscawen Un
La Roche au Fees
Drombeg
Uragh
Talati De Dalt
and these are only the ones that immediatly spring to mind, so many stones and not enough lifetimes.
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