The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Hafodygors Wen

Ring Cairn

Fieldnotes

I felt this trip was a going to be a bit special just six miles into it when we had a close encounter with a barn owl of which Iv'e seen maybe a dozen all of them at or going to or from the stones. Then the police closed the road and we had to detour half an hour out of our way.
Almost there the road goes crazy steep and hairpinny, Eric near wet himself and scolded me for going too fast.
We parked at the footpath sign and I squeezed effortlessly into the one car parking place, there is a carpark further along but it gets so full theres no room to turn around.
We crossed the stile and headed off into the wilds, the first thing you notice about the area is its jaw dropping beauty, I dont know if it was the early morning light shining on the colours of Autumn or the buzz of exploration but I didnt even see the second thing you notice and thats how quickly your feet and lower legs get wet, being a stoopid 'uman that usually narks me off, but not today, this is better than perfect.
On the south side off the Afon Dulyn are lots of rocky outcrops, hiding amongst them are the ruins of inhabitants past, from here across the river the land rises slowly untill it aburptly goes up climbing into a mountain. boulders share the hillside with spikey gorse and it is here that Hafodygors wen hides, the only clue to its location is a nearby rock the biggest on this side of the river, the ring cairn is fifty yards south.
I almost couldnt beleive it when I read Cofleins discription of it, the words that most jumped out from the page are Scottish four poster, and that is what it looks like. Four large stones much akin to the Goatstones are surrounded by and partly in a low ring of cairn material, it looks like any four poster ive been to only with a ring cairn.
Over the mountain is circle 275 a five stone ring of Irish origin why not have a circle of Scottish origin, we already have the Radnor four stones, so I dont see much reason why it cant be. My only problem is this what are the chances of finding something like this whilst doggedly clicking on blue spots on the coflein map, surely there must have been more stones in the ring and these are the last four left, but you never know.
Its appearance is inescapeable, if it waddles, quacks and looks like a duck...........
postman Posted by postman
18th October 2009ce
Edited 1st April 2010ce

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