Maen Llia

Visited 1.10.15.

A visit to Maen Llia is an obvious stop-off when showing someone the prehistoric highlights of this part of the Brecon Beacons. After reading Cerrig’s notes on the damage recently caused I was fearing the worst.

To my pleasant surprise and relief I couldn’t see anything obvious. In fact, at first, I couldn’t see any damage at all. I then saw the initials T D chiseled into the stone (the side opposite the road) but (thankfully) these are small and looked old to me. They certainly didn’t look fresh, nor was I able to see any others. Perhaps the sun was at the wrong angle?

Ironically enough Danielle was quite taken be the carved initials G Hay 1869? on the other side of the stone. She liked the quality of the ‘work’. It has to be said it is well done. However, that was then, this is now. No defacing (however well done or not) is excusable in this day and age. I hope the initials I saw are the ones Cerrig reported and that I haven’t somehow missed something much more serious.

Maen Llia is an outstanding stone and one of the gems of prehistoric South Wales. I just wish everyone had as much appreciation for it as we do. At least we now have one new member of the Maen Llia appreciation club!