Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 23.10.2016

Directions:
On the southern verge of the busy A3052 at the junction with the minor road turning south to Branscombe. You can pull in on the grass verge next to the stone for a quick visit.

The stone is very small but was easy enough to spot in the short grass. If the grass had not been cut for some time (must play havoc with the council grass cutters!) it could be difficult. A non-descript stone which would pass you by had you not been specifically looking out for it. Not one to go out of your way for.

Visited 23.10.16

When visiting the Kingston Russel stone circle you simply must take the short detour off the bridleway to visit this ruined, but nevertheless impressive burial chamber.

Despite the cold wind myself and Dafydd spent a fair bit of time here looking over the stones. Needless to say we had the place to ourselves. I think you would be quite unlucky to find someone else here the same time as you.

To be honest I think this is a better preserved more interesting site than its more famous nearby stone circle. I note that it was nearly two years to the day since my last visit. A lot of water has passed under the bridge in that time! Although these sites are a bit out of the way (O/S map recommended) they are well worth the effort.

Visited 23.10.2016

Whoo-hooo.......... Found it! How I managed to NOT find it on my last visit is now a bit of a mystery!

Directions:
Park in the small lay-by just before the cattle grid leading to Gorwell Farm (room for two cars). All you then need to do is follow the signposted bridleway, remembering to go through the wooden gate in front of you as the graveled track bends round to the right. Stay on the bridleway (starts a bit rough but eventually flattens out) and it will take you straight to the stone circle. (In a signposted field on your right)

I am sooooo pleased to have finally got here. This has been something of a ‘monkey on my back’ for the last two years and something I have wanted to put right. The late afternoon weather had a very late autumn/early winter feel about it. Grey overcast clouds, with a cold, biting wind. It took me 25 minutes to walk from the car to the circle.

As for the stone circle itself, I counted 18 stones of various size and shape. I have no idea if these are 18 different stones or represent fragmented parts of fewer stones? In all honesty the circle itself isn’t a ‘classic’ by any means but at least it is still with us and it does occupy a ‘classic’ stone circle location – a level area in a prominent position. If the nearby trees and hedges were removed there would be decent 360 degree over the surrounding countryside.

That’s another English Heritage site ticked off the list – only 119 to go! It also feels good to get rid of that monkey................ :)

From the Fountainhead cairn we headed back east onto the track and into the sunlight heading north west on a forestry track. Unlike the maps the track continues until a tee junction. At this point heading east there are two tracks. One decent effort and one that wasn’t so good. We took the latter. After about 200 meters we plunged back into the forest and headed south avoiding the fire lakes. Conditions underfoot weren’t good and branches made walking for tall people equally difficult. However we made it.

Yet again this kerb cairn has taken one almighty battering and yet again several kerbs remain defiantly in place. Others are scattered but the site still sits at almost a metre tall and 10 metres wide. Cairn material sits on top. At the cairns centre the cist still survives and the slab is near the south side of the cairn.

After a good look round it was back to the so called track.

Visited 17/10/2016.

Site visit 21.10.16

My cycling days are over so I sent OH and the Teenage HD on down the barely surfaced road from Kingshouse to Gualachulain. My loudly complaining exhaust disturbed a rock band who were shooting a video in front of Stob Dearg. Sorry guys.
About 15km of bad road later and I pulled up at the wee car park. I’d seen the cairn as I passed it a few hundred yards back. Bright white and shining in the autumn light.
The drop-dead rugged scenery and pristine surroundings would normally attract huge numbers of tourists to views like this, but the sump-rupturing pot-holes and uneven road surface seems to put all but the usual idiots like myself off. I’d passed the other two thirds of my family throwing sangwidges at the Red Deer a mile or two back so I figured I’d have a little mosey over to the cairn near the cottage at Gualachulain. It would give my hissing engine a little time to cool and rest that clattering exhaust in preparation for the return up the glen.

The clear-felling of the small patch of surrounding forestry has been instrumental in exposing the cairn but thankfully there has been no manicuring of the landscape around the cairn. The only concession to visitors has been the erection of a fine four-step stile (with a top resting platform) over the top of the Deer Fence. This allows easy access and a grand elevated view of the site. The bark, twigs and tree-stumps are gradually being consumed by Nature’s decomposers and munchers.
The cairn is constructed from white river-rounded stones. It stands to a fine height. There is a lot of it left. A fine curiously veined boulder tops the cairn. The loamy peat has been washed off a lot of the cairn mound now and exposes most of the stones. They gleam a bright white with just a couple of rounded stones being of a rosey-pink.

The nearby cottage garden on the other side of the Deer Fence does not intrude at all on the site’s atmosphere. From atop this lovely cairn I watched the sun sweep amber rays across the foot of the mountains on the far side of Loch Etive. I heard the sound of screeching brakes and a voice shouted “Hi Dad! I think Mum’ll be about ten minutes.” I headed back over to the stile. Time to go.
Ten minutes later we were heading back up the glen, exhaust spluttering, engine hissing, two bikes slung on the back of the otherwise uncomplaining Golf. Oban Fish Bar beckoned with its blonde, pony-tailed waitresses and the finest fish and chips available anywhere.

We started by parking at the car park near the quarry entrance at the foot of Dun Davie. From here follow the path up the hill. Instead of heading west towards the fort keep going straight on until the track veers west. Follow the track, going alongside the quarry, in a zig zaggy way until a clearing. Head cross country for about 300 meters to the covered reservoir. At this point a proper forestry track returns. Head northish then take the sign west to General Wades road. We followed this north and then cut across west on nightmarish conditions, deep puddles, rotting tree trunks, branches, deep ruts, as a clearing in the trees could seen in the general area of the cairn. Better still it turned out to be a forestry road. Follow this track north west until it starts heading downhill. Instead of walking on the track walk on the tree clearance on the west side. Look for a small track heading into the trees. Follow this for approx 150 meters and you will walk straight to the southern arc of cairn situated in a small clearing amongst thick fir trees.

Forest agriculture has taken its toll on this monument but several kerbs remain proudly in place. More importantly the middle of the cairn is somehow undamaged. Cairn material is strewn everywhere covered in deep green moss. It still stands to a height of just under 1 meter and is over a 11 meters wide. There is a good vibe about this place with the trees adding to a sense of age. Still at the back of my mind there is sadness as when this place is harvested this site will be battered again. After a good look round it was back to the track moving northwards to the next cairn.

Conditions on the longer than expected walk from Dun Davie had gone from good to excellent to terrible. Soon it was to get worse, a lot worse.

Visited 17/10/2016.

Barely more than a week after my first failure here, I’m back for another go at this elusive cairn and cist. Once more I drive up through the forest on a very rough track, hairpin right turn, then a long looping left bend, the map shows a footpath running through here, couldn’t see it last time and I couldn’t find it this time, it has, most regrettably, gone.
So I end up having to park in the same place as I did last time, but I now know where the stream is, and to turn left there. The cairn is, map says, in between the stream and the footpath, I’ve already verified that the footpath has now gone, so I follow the mountain biking path to said stream , turn left and make my appearance on the large clearing seen on maps and google earth.
What an unpleasant place this is, absolutely dreadful, just awful, let me explain. It’s not Wales’ fault, that’s to be sure, they put up a forest here, and then reaped it completely, I’ve seen what the earth looks like after they’ve taken all the trees, like a hundred bombs went off, like the Somme without the bodies, sorry, but it’s just that bad, with tall grass all over it, at times chest height, holes that are leg deep, streams pass by heard but unseen, it is very slow going, nay it is a dangerous place to walk/wade.
Needless to say, that after two hours of solid swearing at the ground I failed to find it again, it’s not big to start with, only ten feet wide and zero feet high, but the cist in the middle should be visible, V.P.Williams or maybe F.Foster from Coflein was there in March 2006, so I’m a bit stumped. I found a couple of likely looking maybe cairns, but both were too high and no cist. I looked under trees, I looked at all the grassy bits, all the stones, anything that peaked my curiosity got a good staring at, but, in the end I had to admit defeat. So I slumped onto the ground on what wasn’t a cairn, and stared intently at the Snowdonian view north and west, it is a very good vantage point to see all the big mountains, on that ground alone I am still convinced there is a cairn with a cist up here somewhere. But in the back of my mind I remember that were all human and prone to making mistakes now and then.
Back down by the stream I start looking in a place I know the cairn not to be, but the hillock had short grass and some stones were visible, so I had a look, and found a low wall, with a horseshoe shaped open enclosure built into the lower end, I dont know what it is , but it’s not a cairn with a cist in it, I decide to ask coflein when I get home, perhaps I can pin down the cairn if I know exactly where this “thing” is. I did, it’s not on there.
Siiiiiiiiigh !
Defeated.
If someone else finds this cairn before me I’ll drop me pants on Burton’s corner on Saturday afternoon.

The second last stop of the day saw us land Tordarroch and after a quick revisit to the Ring Cairn it was onwards to the fort. I pulled in due west of the cairn on a wide grassy part and then followed the road north west towards Tordarroch Lodge. (which looks like a refashioned tower castle) Just before the lodge there is track heading south west near some wooden chalets. Jump 2 gates and walk about 200 meters and the fort is in front of you to the north west, easily recognisable as a small rocky outcrop.

Defences include earthfast stones, massive glacerials and a sheer drop into the River Nairn. Today it was also defended by a bull, a speciality in the area apparently. The entrance to the fort is in the east but not accessible, today, thanks to the efficient guard bull. However I walked to the far west of the fort, went a wee bit downhill, jumped the fence and climbed up into the central fort thwarting the security with the help of a fence which splits the site in two.

Great all round views in an area that has a lot more sites to be explored.

Visited 18/10/2016.

This was the final stop of the day and I’m glad to say that there has been massive improvements to the cairn. Overgrown grass has been replaced by ‘chuckies’/gravel highlighting the clava.

The cairn is fairly difficult to find despite being near the road. We stopped and asked directions from a person who invited me to look over his garden wall. He asked if this is what I was looking for, the answer obviously being it was. He also told me that the house in front of the cairn was called Stonehenge.

The kerb is in fairly decent condition, being over a 11 meters wide and the passageway is clearly visible heading towards the centre.

Turn west onto the Tordarroch road in Farr and the cairn is in the first space to the right. This is a public access path to the cairn past garages and sheds. Go through the gap in the wall and cairn appears. I also went and asked at the aforementioned Stonehenge in a rare show of good manners.

Well done to the locals for looking after this superb site!!

Visited 18/10/2016.

From Castle Findlay I headed north east back over the ramparts, through the wee glen and back onto the track. The track led north west so I headed north east through the trees until they cleared. (I hoped to find the hut circle on the way back!) From here it was dreadful walking conditions with rotting trunks, deep ruts and puddles. Eventually I found a track and walked east. However the dun was to the north so once again it was back into trees, some fallen, to head to the clearing housing the dun.

The clearing is set on steepish slope and has many young firs growing on it making walking conditions a complete nightmare. However I made it to the top and found what little remains of the dun are left. Underneath the turf the rocky tor still survives and it can be seen in parts despite all the new growth. After a long and good look round I found the tumble down walls mentioned in Canmore. Sadly from this point onwards things became much much worse.

From nowhere the skies darkened, thunder and lightning was banging/flashing everywhere and the rain went straight to monsoon. After all the looking for the remnants I had become completely disorientated and probably headed south, completely the wrong direction. I found tracks I didn’t know existed, paths heading nowhere and ditches that had become torrents, several of which I fell into. Still I kept heading downhill in the hope of reaching a road. (I actually walked past 2 cairns I’d visited before). Eventually and at last I’d found a road, near Mid Urchany. In a bedraggled and sorry state I started to walk in which I thought was the right direction. Maps were soaked and the phone had stopped working so I had no clue where I was. Suddenly white van man came to my rescue and asked if I was lost. Explaining that my car was near Regoul, I was told it was 5 miles away. Seeing that I was completely drenched and had enough of the day he kindly took me to my car.

Very easy to get lost in the hills even if experienced. To easy!

Visited 28/7/2016.

Leskernick North & South Stone Circles and Stone Row clearance, including the re-exposure of buried ring stones by the TimeSeekers Clearance Group.
(Part 3 of 3 reports)

The Stone Row

files.acrobat.com/a/preview/c7ec2aff-1594-4e26-8deb-6324a1985d03

Visited Stonehenge for the Autumn Equinox 2016 and had a look for these.
Couldn’t find any trace and when I questioned an E.H. bod, he told me they were safely buried for prosperity.
“We know exactly where they are and we intend to reinstate them in due time”, I was told.

The clearance and re-exposure of the North Stone Circle at the base of Leskernick Hill in Cornwall. Part 2 of 3 Field Reports and Surveys.

files.acrobat.com/a/preview/faf36977-d26f-407b-92d3-95454e060a62

This is the link to the Field Report and Survey of the work carried out by the TimeSeekers Clearance Group of which I am a member – at the South Circle at Leskernick, Cornwall in June 2016.

files.acrobat.com/a/preview/fae48890-2b80-4642-81eb-3c6a9d25aa59

I spent a couple of hours yesterday photographing both Fernacre and Louden Hill stone circles, including making a 360° panorama of each. It was a beautiful morning and well worth the walk with a heavy camera bag and tripod.

I hope it’s OK to put a link to the one of Fernacre here as there’s no way to add the panorama. (Admin – please delete this if it’s breaking any rules.)

reeddesign.co.uk/panoramas/cornwall/fernacre.html

No field notes for eleven years, that’s not right.
When approaching by car head for the dead end lane that takes you to Meddiant and Bryn-popty, round about here you’ll come across a field gate on the right side of the lane with a footpath, leaving annoying children in the car by the gate, strike off into the field beyond. Follow the car tracks through the field into the field further up the hill, left and across the next field through the gate in the hedge, and the burial chamber is across this field in the trees.
Easy, even with cows, which kept a respectful distance of about two feet.
This is a very good place, even without the ancient site this would be a good place to sit and watch the world unfold, as I approached the stones I interrupted a pair of Buzzards, which called loudly as they flew off. My only little niggles are the state of preservation of the chamber and the trees that cover the view of the mountains. The trees I can forgive, but I would really rather the chamber stood up a bit more, its quite difficult working out which way is the front and back. But these are very minor niggles, easily overlooked when compared to the fact that you can still get into the chamber, under the capstone you can see the size of the supporting stones, and whats more no red paint.
The two tall pillars that look like they are behind the monument but aren’t are good, if a little choked by barbed wire, and the capstone is a big one, very impressive big, a big stone with two smaller ones, humph, i’m reminded of the two obnoxious kids in the car and remember they couldn’t be trusted with an angels innocence and start the short but cow barred walk back, the cows were good, perhaps they recognised another put upon soul and commiserated with me, and I them.

The 1:25000 map confidently states there is a cairn circle here, Coflein says there was once a cairn here but is now mostly destroyed, precisely they say.....A vague, turf-covered rise, c.12m in diameter & 0.2m high, showing a few scattered stones, remains of a mound levelled in 1951.
I couldn’t even see that, there’s nowt left of it at all, please don’t turn up expecting to see something cool, it has gone, I’ve been so you don’t have to.

When I first started looking at Snowdonia with an eye for ancient things, naturally my eyes turned to the areas around Betws Y Coed and the Fairy Glen my favourite places from childhood holidays, with the right map you’ll notice a pair of cairn circles not far from Rhydlydan, just south of the A5.
So it was quite a while since I last came here, quite a while since I last failed to find it, so after an aborted attempt to find Iwerddon cist I thought I’d give this place another go, a well overdue another attempt.
I probably parked in the same place, by some large black bin bag barrels, I probably jumped the fence in the same place too, but unlike last time I came alone, leaving negative nay sayers in the car.
Two, small, barely wet streams need to be crossed, the cairn circle is right next to the stream furthest from the road, ive been doing this for a number of years now and was quite confident of finding it this time round, but, I just couldn’t see it. It was difficult to discern stream from ditch or dyke or what ever, I could feel the site slipping away from me again, so I note that on the map the stream the Cairn circle is next to runs down across the hill side from the very corner of the field, so I go up to the corner grab the stream by the tail and doggedly follow it down the hill.
A supremely fantastic idea which paid off handsomely, on the way down the stream I noted a few groups of stones which I though might be it, then I saw it standing there brazenly winking at me, it was right there all the time, I must have walked within feet of it several times.
No wonder I couldn’t find, what I usually do is go to high ground and look round from there, but from this angle it just melts away into the hillside, it’s even more invisible from below it, only stood right next to it can it be seen.
A low doughnut half buried in the grass with a few stones passing them selves off as kerb stones.
This site wont get your groin fizzing, but is maybe worth a look if your going along the A5 before you get to Snowdonia proper.
After my earlier failure it was good to find something so elusive, thumbs up? nay, a fist in the air.

Three or four miles south of Betws Y Coed is the small but nice village of Penmachno, and about a mile east of Penmachno amid a profusion of footpaths and low walls is a duo, or trio of cairns, one with a cist.
I parked on the road south of the cairns and followed the path through the back yard of Foel house, where a nice old man pointed out the way the path went, but beyond that he couldn’t help, we went off the way he’d pointed.
The 1:25000 map says there are three cairns, but one is represented on the map only as a dot, it’s not mentioned on Coflein, and we couldn’t find it, so either it’s not ancient, or it’s not there.
So ignoring the dot cairn we rove and roam in what I hope is the direction of the other two, but I’m struggling to orient myself in this maze of paths, farm tracks and low hill tops.
It doesn’t help that I did not re look over Coflein to make sure I know what i’m looking for, I just know there is a cist here somewhere.
Whilst i’m looking over towards Snowdonia and pointing out Moel Siabod to anyone who’ll listen, ie: talking to myself again, I turn around and there, plain as day is a good large cist, I giggled slightly but no one noticed, a cist with a view of a well known becairned mountain, I’d hoped Id be able to see it but you never know till you get there. There are more cists in cairns much closer to Moel Siabod, I wondered if there was a link, further than the rocky mount.
The good large cist has all four sides, but one end has fallen outwards a bit, and all contained in what we must presume to be cairn, there are no stones, no cairn material showing, just a few lumps and bumps that are scarcely any higher than the cist.
Looking for the other cairn was a futile and fruitless concern, how far from the other cairn is it? don’t know, in what direction precisely? don’t know, What does it look like? don’t know.
There are several low knoll’s between the cist and a farm track, one of them must be it, but then, who’s interested in maybe cairns, cairns are definitely one thing where size matters.

The entrance to this cave is getting a bit overgrown, there’s lots of dead wood and a fire pit mar the extreme beauty within, so after a bit of a tidy up I take to photographing this apparently small cave.
The cave has a smaller cave at the back, but it is a short dead end. Another smaller grotto goes into the right wall, but it is an even shorter dead end. The left wall of the main chamber kind of resembles elephant teeth, between one of the teeth is a small passage, crouching low I waddle inwards, as the passage turns right it goes over a step and I’m able to stand up. The walls have red stuff running down them, the bleeding heart of Elderbush cave it’s like i’m in a living beast. Then the battery went in my camera and I’m entombed in darkness, after a short but intense freak out I put my clothes back on and wriggle free of the small tight space, blinking in the bright light in the main chamber, I try to coax my camera into a few more pictures but it’s well and truly dead, not pining for the Fjords, just dead.

I’d need about a dozen pictures to convey the wonderful loveliness in this cave, it is everything Tolkien would have liked, as well as the elves themselves, I can imagine sitting in this cave, fully clothed, just as the sinking sun poured it’s magical embrace all over us, I’d really like that I think.

Ps, I never take my clothes off at ancient places, I’ve thought about it, but never have, don’t be scared.

From the entrance of Thors cave follow the path up round the back and up to the top of the Tor, so the cave is directly below you, after admiring the view up and down the wooded Manifold valley, go left, right on the edge of the cliff is this fast getting overgrown cave.
A rather odd name, don’t you think? seven ways what, into the cave or steaming fish?
The entrance to the cave today is through the large collapsed wide open area, once your in there, theres three arches through which to observe the sun not doing anything in particular. 180 degrees from the three arches the cave continues to go back for a while, it’s not a big one, compared to Thor’s cave it is but a slight depression.
Dont stay too long or you might not have enough time to explore Elderbush cave, one of the best places in all of England.

It wasn’t easy getting to the car park South of the caves, a diversion took me round Alstonefield, I got all turned round and my mind seemed to melt, getting there was a fairly hit and miss episode, but get there I did, eventually.
I followed the river Manifold for about a mile during one of it’s disappearing underground tricks, there’s one quite cool thing to see already, then the huge rocky tor comes into view and ones gaze is thrust upwards, it’s a long way up.
Crossing a now rather defunct bridge the path goes upwards through the woods, taking a right hand turn I am only guessing which way to go, it’s been at least decade since I was last here. Suddenly I realise I’m getting very close, and then I’m there, thankfully I was the only one present.
I carefully scramble up the entrance to the cave and learn early on how slippy it is in there, imagine a cartoon character suddenly finding themselves on ice, how I remained vertical I’ll never know, perhaps it’s ‘cause I’m a big fan of everything Asgardian.
First I go over to the big crack in the right hand wall, it is apparently a serviceable entrance/exit to the cave but you need to have the skills of a snow leopard mountain goat, my skills barely approach those of a long legged bird, or something else totally without balance. I call this crack the suicide exit. Turning 180 degrees the cave splits in two, Thors nostrils Stubob called them, I see no reason not carry on this simile. So I slip and skip off up the left nostril, the simile carries on once inside, the floor is covered in a lubricious muddy clay.
There are gaps in the cave wall where you can see into the other nostril, the feeling is one of being in a cathedral, so I did what I always do in a cathedral, I took all my clothes off and writhed around on the floor speaking in tongues.
No, of course not.
The right nostril was just as slick, but it goes further back and it’s got puddles, I really must invest in a big torch, it was most unseemly getting about in the dark using only the flash on my camera.
I find a dry spot on what would be Thor’s philtrum and sit round for a while, marveling at all the colours in the cave, reds, greens, browns and all in between, the trees out side the entrance going up the Manifold valley are perfection.
I’m snapped back into reality by voices, I build up the fire rouse my family grab the spears and run off into action, yelling like madmen.
Could have happened, once.

From the Arr Wood cairn I headed back south on the minor road to the A939, then headed north west until the crossroads with the B9101. Head south west from here and take the first minor road south. I parked just after the small hamlet of Regoul at the entrance to Torrich Beg at the bottom of the Geddes Burn valley. Walk south for a small distance and a wee bridge will be seen to east crossing the burn.

Cross the bridge and follow the track uphill which follows a valley which further up houses the fort. About 3/4 of a mile up there is a sharp corner. From here leave the track and head north down into the valley. A small ridge indicates the first rampart which surrounds the fort. I followed this heading north east finding a small gap higher in the defences, a hornwork as Canmore suggests. This might well be the front door. However today it is a nightmare with all the vegetation including brambles. After battling over the defences, often on hands and knees crawling underneath branches, I made it to the internal fort.

The ramparts/stone walls are still there and stretch to over 3 meters in width and in most parts over 1 meter in height. This surrounds the fort which is over 30 meters in length and 16 meters wide. To see the walls the best place is underneath the trees as the fort has been conquered by ferns. As well as the ditches and ramparts the steep valley slopes and Geddes Burn add to the defences.

Well worth the effort despite a severe battering from various plants. With that it was the arduous trek to the supposedly nearby dun where anything that could go wrong did go wrong.

Visited 28/7/2016.

22 September 2016

The coast path runs a hundred yards from the church at Llanedwen, so it’s no hardship to detour off for a quick rummage around the churchyard. Cloudless blue sky, sun sparkling on the deeper blue of the Menai Straits, a picture perfect backdrop of the mountain ranges of North Wales from Carneddau to Nantlle ridge, this couldn’t be a nicer spot for a hill-free post-equinox walk.

Llanedwen is one of two possible locations for Maen Morddwyd, fittingly for its reputation as a wandering stone. The other is Llanidan, a couple of miles further along our route today.

Rhiannon has found lots of slightly contradictory information about the stone. The sources don’t seem to agree about which church(yard) it’s in, none really give a description other than the fact it’s shaped “like a thigh” and all of them predate some fairly big upheavals at both sites. And they seem to agree that it went missing before all of that anyway. There seems to be a lack of engravings, woodcuts, potato prints, watercolours and etchings of the stone.

Llanedwen church has been completely rebuilt, but appears to have retained its original churchyard. Llanidan by contrast was replaced by a brand new church, with the original left to fall into disrepair, ruin and private ownership.

So I hold out little hope of finding the missing stone, but it’s always worth a look. Now, I’m not claiming anything here, just reporting what I found.

Round the back of the church (the east end if you like your directions more directional), just inside the wall but not part of it, is a slim, slightly tapering stone, buried in the ground so that its top surface and the upper parts of its sides are visible above the grass.

It’s the shape of a chunky human thigh, if that’s what you want to see. It’s a little over 2 feet long, broader and one end that the other, much like a thigh.

The church itself is locked, so there’s no opportunity to investigate the interior for further thigh-shaped stones. When we get to Llanidan a little later in the day, the whole site is locked, but someone over on the portal has drawn a blank in there. So this might be the best bet we have. Or it might be nothing at all.

Is it Maen Morddwyd? No idea. I don’t even know if this is the right churchyard, after all. But it’s nice to do a bit of investigative nosing about, especially in such a lovely spot.

A walk to the City of the Giants. 25 September 2016

A spur of the moment decision to pop down to North Wales and see Auntie Betty and the family turned into a marvellous weekend of stormy seaside strolls, some good dining (with a few beers) and a Sunday Afternoon walk to the City of the Giants. A few years back when myself, my OH and son were en-route to a wedding at Nant Gwrtheyrn, I’d seen the signpost for the footpath and promised a walk up to Tre’r Ceiri next time we were down. Cousin Gavin had described the place to me and I’d checked it out on Google and Bing Maps. I had since seen the photos on TMA from postman, GLADMAN and thesweetcheat. On Saturday Night last, at dinner in Pwllheli, Gavin suggested a stroll to the City of the Giants on Sunday afternoon. We had spent Saturday watching kite-surfers riding a frothing cauldron and getting airborne at Hell’s Mouth, so I was a little uncertain as to what the weather would bring on Sunday, but a plan was made.
Sunday dawned bright and fair. Gavin and June brought the Gavmobile round to pick us up and we headed off. From Pwllheli you just head out on the A499 towards Caernafon and turn off to the left down a wee narrow street at Llanaelhaearn and head round the foot of the hills between Tre’r Ceiri and Mynydd Carnguwch. There is a great wee pull in spot here.
goo.gl/maps/WtLaa5RKoto
The footpath begins right across the road. A little steep at the start, then up over a stile at the top of the field, a little to the left around the big rocky crag of Caergribin and then it is a fairly level walk across the moorland to the foot of the crag which is the City of the Giant’s perch. I was genuinely floored with amazement as the bright sunlight picked out the faces of the massive stone walls. The flat tops of the mighty defences looked wide enough to drive a car around. My son ran ahead and I watched him dart up the steep entrance while I sweated it out on the heather flanks below. We were less than 30 minutes from the Gavmobile and hadn’t been forcing any kind of hard pace. This is a fairly easy walk and boy does it pay every easy stride back in spadefuls!
I’ll let everyone’s photos of this historical wonder do most of the talking here. There is an awful lot of stone meeting the eye. It is hard to take in the scale of the construction at Tre’r Ceiri. All around are the stoney, scree-strewn peaks of Yr Eifl, Moel-Pen-Llechog and the lower (yet strikingly beautiful) peaks which unfold down the length of the Llyn Peninsula towards Nefyn. But standing straight across from the City of the Giants is the mighty upright cairn of Mynydd Carnguwch, time and again I found my eye was dragged back to look at its profile. The Welsh sun shone all afternoon. We could have stayed all day.
The preservation is exceptional, the walls are a wonder, the simple areas of restoration are easy to spot (with their little drill holes). This is the most amazingly preserved, mightiest, most grandest, finest, panoramically stupefying-est, weirdly intoxicating hillfort I have ever been in. If you are in North Wales and can walk for half an hour or so on fairly easy terrain, get yourself up to Tre’r Ceiri, the City of the Giants. It’s a monster!