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

St. Lythans

Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech

Fieldnotes

If you're coming from the direction of Tinkinswood, this place is well signposted, and there's just enough room to park at the side of the road. It's a short uphillish climb to the stones (through a kissing gate at the edge of the rough field) and then you can't help wondering why this place gets all the height and view compared to its neighbour just down the road. The sign at the road said 'burial chambers' so I thought I was supposed to look for something else, so like SwastikaGirl, I got confused by the (ex) ring of trees. It might be nothing old but it's a peculiar sort of thing in any case.

The tomb couldn't be more different from Tinkinswood and yet it's equally impressive. It really is like a giant greyhound's kennel, any giant greyhound would be happy to live here out of the rain chewing on a bone. I had the urge to draw it from all four directions, it's just so sculptural and solid. The drawings didn't come out very well but it was enjoyable at least, I felt like I'd seen it properly. Unlike Kammer it didn't occur to me to leap up onto the capstone - I'm sure you'd feel on top of the world up there - it would have been an undignified failure in any case.

Any sensible person might travel a long way to see either of these places. But here you have two top quality megalithic destinations just down the road from each other. What more do you people want.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
13th March 2010ce
Edited 14th March 2010ce

Comments (2)

It's really nice to hear that youve been out and about and youve picked a couple of crackers to visit, I might even try putting pencil to paper this summer myself, though i'm a terrible artist.
What more could people want ?
more kissing gates maybe and someone to kiss whilst in them.
postman Posted by postman
14th March 2010ce
Thanks for the encouragement. It's been very good for my head to be able to get out there, maybe things are getting better now spring's finally here. I might head out somewhere this afternoon in fact. Doubtless you're right about the kissing gates, that can't go amiss either.

You should just go for it with the drawing. Ditch the pencil if it makes you worry and fiddle about too much, take something like a big fat oil pastel and a bit of charcoal and say hell to that nagging voice in your head with its unhelpful taunts about unartisticness. Drawing'll make you stop properly and empty your mind :)
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
14th March 2010ce
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