Latest Fieldnotes

Not an artificial mound, east part of saddle hill. Other part quarried away until 1975.

Not much to add here ‘cept to say that the new M1 extension will be passing about 100 metres from this site soon.

This site is more interesting than Hafod y Garreg but that’s not saying much! However there is a clear row of stones on the north-west side that have been set upright and which leads to a cairn to the south-west.

The description in the visit report from RCAHMW is useful: “It comprises approx. 120 small stones set into the turf and aligned generally in rows N.E.-S.W. incompletely covering an area of about 20 M. square. The N.W. most row of stones seems to point towards a mutilated cairn c. 8 M. to the S.W. The stones occur singly and are in every case but one, a boulder 0.6 M. by 0.4 M. and 0.9 M. high, of a generally uniform size. Distances between the stones vary between 0.5 M. and 1.8 M. A clear pattern of regularity is deiscernible although the pattern is incomplete and obscured by turf.”

No photos sorry – camera problem!

What stones there are lie in the eastern corner of the field, rather further east than shown on the OS 1:25,000 map. Don’t try to use the wood to the west of the track to get your bearings – it has been cut down!

The stones are very small and it is very difficult to make out any clear pattern. In fact if I hadn’t got copies of the visit reports from the RCAHMW I would have dismissed them as just stones in the ground!!

It was raining, there was a bull in the field and next morning the back came off my camera ruining the mediocre photos I had taken. All in all a visit to forget and I have still got no idea what the rows are all about.

The Coflein description sounds interesting:
“Remains of a cairn defined by a circular ring or kerb of upright edge stones and a central burial cist lined by stone slabs. The cairn is accompanied by two simple round barrows, possibly satellite cairns, both 3m in diameter and 0.3m high.”

Unfortunately I couldn’t identify anything amidst the mass of stones that lie around!

The description in Coflein reads:
“Two cairns set in close proximity on the slope of the Cefn Penagored ridge. Both cairns are about 6m in diameter but are of different forms. The upper cairn has a clearly defined structure marked by a prominent ring of large stones, some over a metre in length. The lower cairn is dedined by an earth and stone bank which includes a large quantity of white quartz. Ther is a small stone lined cist at its centre.”

I couldn’t find anything in the thick gorse!

Immediately to the north-east of the path by the footpath sign. GPS reading SJ 0469 3346. Three very low banks with lots of stones are visible.

Coflein gives the following description: “Three eccentrically concentric stony rings, each c.2.0m thick, 20m overall diameter, the innermost circle, c.6.0m overall diameter. Part of what is designated the ‘Cwm Tywyll ritual complex’”

There is also a round cairn of 6m diameter immediately on the other side of the path. GPS reading SJ 0466 3344.

Both are on a plateau with superb 360 degree views.

On open sloping ground 40m to the south of Nant Cwm Tywyll. GPS reading SJ 0475 3353. 75cm high, 35cm wide, 30cm deep. Ideal for sitting on while drinking a cup of coffee but only room for one!

From the Knowe of Geoso you can easily make out the twin hump of this site as you spy along the fenceline towards Yesnaby. Only a few barred metal gates between the two sites, two-and-a-bit fields, passing by the practically invisible Knowe of Nebigarth along the way. Unlike the Knowes of Nebigarth and Geoso this is named for an individual – presumably like Craw Howe, named for the excavator. Being me I came the hard way, sneaking up on the main mound. Something didn’t quite add up when I compared what I saw with the description.

Approaching from the field’s eastern wall slightly downhill the first mound I came to had a central concavity where someone had dug the top. Looking past this (the much mutilated barrow or the rise?) I saw directly the left-hand hump of the big stuff with the knowe up and over to its right with big stones on top. Finding nothing I proceeded to the Knowe of Angerow itself, circling round taking pictures. No grass lies on the upper part of the mound, it lies bare with a few big stones mostly around the soil’s edge and on the surface. On the very top two slabs over a metre square rest on one another at an angle to the ground supported by just one blocky stone. Despite being rather less than half the size and sitting on a mound the setting reminds me a little of the Stones of Via. To its side some smaller stones lie on and in a low earthen platform (about a metre across) as if this had simply eroded out – it looks too fragile to have lasted long. There seems to be a bank or ditch about the knowe. I am not sure if this is so or whether it is part of the space between the two humps. Could the Knowe of Angerow be the remains of a bell barrow maybe ?

Well this is an odd one! There’s been so much destruction its hard to imagine what originally stood here, but its not anything like a mis-interpretation of a ruined kerb from a cairn as I had thought in the back of my mind. The stones are massive, much larger than I expected, Burl says four are standing but on the ground its a bit more complicated. There are indeed four large stones, as tall, if not taller, than those around Newgrange but only one is quite as bulky. These stand in a sort of bent and stretched square but there are also large stones prostrate inside the area of the circle, to one side is a pile of field clearance or a ruined wall which has a large block sitting almost upright with what looks like packing stones underneath.
Beside another large upright there are two low stones, one about 6ft long and the other much smaller but they seem to arc around on a tangent from what would have been the circle. Very odd. They are much smaller than the upright beside them and look very mismatched but original nonetheless. There are lots of large and small slabs just visible around the place, inside and outside the circle and there is what looks like a large pit surrounded by heaps of large stones (field clearance?) off to the west of the circle, about 150 yards maybe. I didn’t venture over here because of a large herd of tetchy cows and calves watching my every move. Didn’t see any of the rock art Martin Brennan referred to but I think some was carted off to the National Museum in Dublin. Gave up looking in the gloomy light, not a great time to photograph or hunt rock carvings!

The owner of the land seemed ok with visitors but the directions were vague enough to border on the unhelpful so a bit hard to judge. Seemed cheery though so do call in as you have to go through his yard and down a very, very muddy track. Wear good boots and a smile and you should be alright!

The stone is 3m to the east of the fence corner. GPS reading SJ 0274 3432. 1.40m high, 0.95m wide, 0.55m deep. It is pointed with a step on the east side. The long axis runs SE-NW. It stands on the edge of a ridge with super views from the north to the west and on to the southeast. I guess it was a route marker up to the Cefn Penagored ridge above.

These 5 stones all lie on the ridge which leads from Cwm Pennant up to Pen-y-Garnedd at SJ 0410 3092 where there is a round barrow (cairn). All are listed by the Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust as being from the bronze age. It seems likely that they marked the route up to Pen-y-Garnedd which would also be a good route to get over to the stone circle and row at Rhos y Beddau in the Disgynfa valley.

Some of the stones are pretty small but they are all quite slim and have been set upright in the earth. I can’t see any logic to the directions in which they have been set. The ground is grassy with almost no other exposed stones visible.

This stone looks like a beached whale. It is clearly visible in the middle of the field on gently sloping ground in a slight hollow. GPS reading SJ 0332 3329. 1m high, 1.5m wide, 0.65m deep with long axis 80-260 degrees

Yr Aran Standing Stone I – leaning over in a hollow on sloping ground. GPS reading SJ 0355 3314. 45cm wide, 15cm deep, at least 60cm long but leaning over so that the tip is only 35cm above the ground. The long axis runs 120-300 degrees

Yr Aran Marker Stone II

In a hollow to the west side of the ridge on sloping ground. GPS reading SJ 0357 3312. 55cm high, 50cm wide, 13cm deep with long axis running N-S

Yr Aran Marker Stone I

A tiny stone on the east side of the ridge, well clear of the bracken. GPS reading SJ 0372 3278. 40cm wide, 12 cm deep, at least 40cm tall of which 20cm is visible. The long axis runs 120-300 degrees.

This is one of Wales’ lovely pointy hatted Dolmens.It is situated halfway up a sloping field not far from the hedge wall.I really found this by chance.I was driving to Aberdaron and glimpsed this whilest passing.I stopped in a farm drive way and went back.Glad I did,well worth looking for if you are in the area.

As people say, this is stunning, It was quite exciting being here. I have always wanted to come here but never had the opportunity. Another ambition achieved.

What a wonderful place and easy to find. I take my hat off to the builders,the way the capstone is balanced is quite amazing.

What an absolute whopper! Can’t believe no-one’s posted pictures before now. Park by the house and ask permission (no-one was in when we went).

With Bwlch Mawr in one direction and Mynydd Graig Goch in the other, it occupies a great position despite the nearby farmhouse, quarry and tall antenna. The two cairns are close too, just the other side of a fence. What a great stone!

Fantastic RSC-is there any other kind? Although its pretty obvious that all megaliths are heavy, the first thing I thought on stepping out of the trees is ‘Wow, this is big.’ A real feeling of scale is given by this site, assisted by the fact that the remaining standing stones are all over 6 feet.

A real use of colour was again made here: the embanking stones being a mixture of pink & grey granite, the circle stones all grey. The recumbent, huge and pitted was obviously set in place ‘just so’. It would have lain much easier rotated around 180 degrees, but the use of chocking stones to achieve a particular relationship with the horizon is very obvious.

a23’s directions are spot on, and we should be thankful he suffered, so we don’t have to ;-) I will just add that ACC have installed some ‘Stone Circle’ road signs to assist you as you get nearer.

From Prenteg go west, Park next to cattle grid and walk down hill following path to Hendre Hywel passit and another house and you can see it next to a wall.

This Menhir has one of the best views of any stone in Wales so long as one only looks east which is easily done with Cnicht(the Knight) and Moelwyn Mawr in the distance .
The stone is about 7.5 feet tall and very photogenic

The rain was coming across sideways, so it was hop out of the car, quick photo & back in again. Nice stone, nice setting-terrible weather. I’ll look for signs of a possible circle another day.

It’s a fair walk to the stones, so go prepared. Park by the road near the golf course and follow the footpath (it’s not a big one but you can see it). If you come across a long cliffy rock face you’ve gone too far. Retrace till you pick up the path again. When you come to a house with the path on the left hand side, you’re nearly there. Then down and right, and the stones are in a field to the left.

Funny stones these. I presume it was a burial chamber, but a capstone on them would be very precarious, so its no wonder its gone. Very white stones stand out against the rocky hills. Just twenty yards to the S.W is a rocky outcrop with faint cupmarks and in a line (ish).

Moel-y-Gest has a hillfort on top. Fantastic place. Mountains, forest, and sea all meet in one place and you can see Criccieth castle too. Even the kids loved it.

A nice walk through the field from the road,four fields to be exact.Easy to miss so keep an eye to the left.This one is a little sad, not a lot left to let us see what the ancestors saw.