Images

Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking from the southern flank of Gurnos (near Craig y Mynach) to the approx north-east and highlighting the splendid Nant Paradwys... all kinds of excellent prehistory to be seen by following that there track..

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Drygarn Fawr from Carnau... sure, I’ve been to more dramatic places, but few which get closer to defining that ultimately indefinable essence of ‘wilderness’.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Some more detail of the substantial footprint of the summit cairn beneath the beehive...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The eastern cairn has a much more substantial footprint... although whether that’s the result of a historic partial collapse of the beehive I don’t know?

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The beehive erected upon the eastern cairn is a more ragged affair (perhaps due to collapse?... wish I’d have taken some pictures 21 years ago now) consequently, contrary to the Coflein report, the underlying cairn is (now, at least) much more substantial. Hence I felt the upland vibe was better here, electing to spend most of my available time on site.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

It’s actually quite a distance to the mountain’s second monument to the east. There are more cairns upon the distant hills, among them those upon Y Gamriw and Pen-y-Gorllwyn.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Drygarn Fawr’s OS trig pillar can be seen beyond.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The substantial, grassy footprint of the summit cairn.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The modern beehive well supported by its ancient base. One does wonder if all the component stone was on-site?

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

21 years since I was last here... and no doubt my last visit since the approach was so tiring due to blanket bog... the summit is crowned by a massive, perfect beehive cairn sitting upon the ancient footprint.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Approaching from Llethr Garw to the SW... serious bog.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by cerrig

The first sight of Drygarn Fawr from the South Western approach.

Image credit: cerrig
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by cerrig

Looking N/E, towards the Eastern cairn, with Y Gamriw beyond.

Image credit: cerrig
Image of Drygarn Fawr (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Photo taken June 1995... I’ve aged a bit since then, but remain the dedicated Citizen Cairn’d early encounters such as this clearly inspired. Yeah, just what is something like this doing upon what is a contender for Wales’ most remote 2,000 footer, a modern – not to mention giant – beehive cairn surmounting the original Bronze Age footprint? Was this how the original looked? Maybe not, I guess, but considering there is little surface rock in the vicinity I’d surmise much of this stone was brought to the site ‘back then’. To paraphrase Mr Morecombe..... everything’s here, but not necessarily in the right order.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

Articles

Drygarn Fawr

Rising to 2,103ft, Drygarn Fawr is an isolated mountain within the Cwmdeuddwr Hills, near Rhayader.

Crowning the summit ridge are two enormous beehive-shaped cairns, the western of which marks the actual summit. These are extraordinary structures for such an out of the way place, so full marks to those persons unkown who actually maintain them so the traveller may continue to appreciate what an ancient cairn (probably) looked like millennia ago. They are all the more remarkable bearing in mind that these hills feed the Elan Valley reservoirs, so bad weather is not exactly an infrequent occurrence here.

The majority of the Cwmdeuddwr summits – literally ‘Valley of The Two Waters’ – boast summit cairns of varying stature, so clearly this area was one of major significance to our ancestors. Although I haven’t returned since 1995, a recent visit to neighbouring Gorllwyn confirmed these Drygarn Fawr cairns remain prominent landmarks for miles around, as clearly they were always intended to be.

Best approached from Llanerch-yrfa in the Irfon Valley to the south-west. It goes without saying that waterproofs, map, compass etc are prerequisites for a visit.

Miscellaneous

Drygarn Fawr
Cairn(s)

Further to my fieldnotes, Coflein has the following for Drygarn Fawr’s two original Bronze Age cairns.... or at least for what lies beneath the massive modern beehives...

Western cairn – SN86315846:

‘The base of a robbed cairn, 8.8m in diameter, for which kerbing has been claimed, but dismissed. A visually dominant ‘beehive’ cairn 5.8m in diameter and 3.7m high, stands upon, and is probably responsible for, its wreck.‘

Eastern cairn – SN86755858:

‘A scant remains of a cairn, 8.8m in diameter and posibly kerbed, is utterly dominated by a large ‘beehive’ cairn, 5.6m in diameter and 2.7m high, constructed upon it.‘

So yeah, although there’s not a great deal of prehistoric structure left – if the truth be told – somehow the modern cairns super-imposed on top actually enhance this mountain top, in my opinion. And at least the bleedin’ hillwalking nerds won’t be building storm shelters in these anytime soon....... Ha!

Sites within 20km of Drygarn Fawr