
Three stones and an Abbey
By way of a compromise we agreed to spend an afternoon visiting the ruins of Strata Florida Abbey near Pontrhydfendigaid, as well as a few nearby standing stones. We started with Penmaen-Gwyn, visited the Abbey, then drove south to Nant-y-Ffrwd and Nant-y-Maen.
Penmaen-Gwyn was good, if only because we got some peace and quiet there. I was a bit sceptical about the Abbey part of the excursion, but it turned out to be rather pleasant. There are a load of early Christian grave stones there, which kept me interested. Of the two standing stones we visited after that I was really taken with Nant-y-Maen. Then we grabbed something to eat in Tregaron at the Talbot Hotel, and headed home.
Kammer x
Visited 23rd March 2003: We visited Penmaen-Gwyn after spending an hour or so at Strata Florida Abbey just down the road. The stone stands on a small hill just north of the road (south of the forestry track, contrary to the impression given by Multimap).
There’s a picnic place nearby, but also ample parking at the bottom of the forestry track. The boys were asleep when we arrived, but the stone is so close to the road that there was no problem leaving them in the car. The sunlight through the trees was beautiful, and we took the opportunity enjoy the place in a strange child-free quiet. Very pleasant.

Taken 23rd March 2003: Looking south towards the road (and our car), you can see just how accessible the stone is.

Taken 23rd March 2003: Penmaen-Gwyn stands on a small hill just above the road. This shot is taken looking north, up the hill.

Taken 23rd March 2003: This is how you’ll see Penmaen-Gwyn from the road, and you really can’t miss it.
Visited 23rd March 2003: This stone stands to the south of the mountain road between Tregaron and Beulah, and may not be prehistoric. The only reference I’ve yet found for it (Cambria Archaeology) suggests it may be a post-Medieval milestone or standing stone. They list it without a name, so I’ve named it after the stream that runs nearby.
Having visited the stone, I’m not sure whether it’s prehistoric or not. It looks to me like it’s too far off from the road to be a milestone, but it could be a boundary marker (a small one at that though). Could it be a kerb stone from a cairn? Not the most awe inspiring site in itself, but enigmatic, and beautifully positioned.

Taken 23rd March 2003: The stone from the north west, with my hand-held GPS for scale.

Visited 23rd March 2003: From this angle (the east) the stone looks suspiciously squared off at the top.
Visited 23rd March 2003: We drove up to the farm and asked permission to go and see the standing stone. The farmer was fine with this, and asked us to park in the yard. Here we were met by a big friendly horse who thought he was about to get his dinner (William loved that).
The stone is very near the farm, but approaching from the farm it’s difficult to spot until you’re almost next to it. I found this site rather charming because the stone itself leans at an extreme angle, and is surounded by farmyard tat (a tractor tyre, an old gate and a water tank). The objects around the stone probably protect it from livestock.
We spent a while at the stone, and came away with a a good feeling about it. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area, but only if you don’t mind standing stones that are barely standing.

Taken 23rd March 2003: This is the view of the stone from the farm track, through a telephoto lense. If you don’t get permission to visit the stone, this is about as close as you’ll get to it.

Taken 23rd March 2003: The stone from the north, as seen on the approach from the farm.

Taken 23rd March 2003: From the south west, with Louise and Alfie posing for scale.
In the background (above Lou’s head) is Cefncerrig, which has a cairn just west of it’s summit, and another on it’s southern slope.

Taken 23rd March 2003: I took this shot to try and show the two thin seams of quartz running through the Nant-y-Maen stone. They’re very distinctive, and must have been a contributing factor for the people who chose the stone.

Taken 23rd March 2003: As we we leaving the sun set over the hills, so I grabbed this shot with the stone in the foreground.