Carnedd Dafydd

Nearest town:
Bethesda (5km WNW)
OS reference:
SH66246303
OS sheet:
115
Latitude:
53° 8' 50.15 N
Longitude:
4° 0' 0.91 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Carnedd Dafydd towers top right, an immense mass of rock, plunging down to the Afon Llafar below. Seen from Mynydd Du.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.8.2017)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 11, 2017
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

A hint that there is a world below, looking west with the cairn’s guardian.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.8.2017)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 11, 2017
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The cairn seen across the summit plateau of shattered rock from the northeast.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.8.2017)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 11, 2017
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Showing the damage done by walkers creating shelters from the stones of the cairn.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.8.2017)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 11, 2017
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The cairn is positioned right at the top of the slopes of Carnedd Dafydd.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.8.2017)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 11, 2017
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Seen from Pen Llithrig Y Wrach Carnedd Dafydd is left of centre skyline.... with the great cairn of Garnedd Fach visible to its left... and sentinel peak Carnedd Llewelyn to the right, together forming the most uncompromising Bronze Age cemetery in Wales. Pen Yr Helgi Du is sunlit in foreground.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Dec 22, 2015
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking towards Cwm Llafar from Carnedd Dafydd...... note that Coflein cites a prehistoric settlement near the terminus of the prominent north-western ridge Mynydd Du settlement with another Cwm Caseg sheltering beneath the far ridge leading to Drosgl [scan of archive print]

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 10, 2015
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

Carnedd Dafydd looks on, Yr Elen looking good.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 28, 2015
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The high plateau of the Carneddau, an awesome Bronze Age cemetery, seen from Elidir Fawr. L-R: Yr Elen, Carnedd Llewelyn, Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Fach, Pen yr Ole Wen.

Image credit: A. Brookes (10.11.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jan 18, 2014
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The Carneddau present their southern aspect to the Glyderau. Carnedd Dafydd is in shadow just left of centre, with Pen yr Ole Wen on its left and Carnedd Llewelyn behind to the right. Tristan’s Cairn is on the very far right skyline.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.9.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Nov 21, 2013
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

Taken from the ridge next to Gwern Gof Isaf hut circle, Carnedd Dafydd and its three cairns are at the high point on the right, scary climb Pen yr Ole Wen is the dark mountain the shade.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Sep 16, 2013
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

The three cairns upon Carnedd Dafydd are just about visible.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Sep 16, 2013
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

A long way up to Carnedd Dafydd, but its three cairns and the astounding views are worth it.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Sep 16, 2013
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

The over impressive bulk of Pen Yr Ole Wen as seen from above Cwm Idwal, Carnedd Dafydd and its three cairns reside mostly in the cloud at the top.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Sep 16, 2013
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The be-cairned summit of Carnedd Dafydd, seen from Bera Bach. Someone will tell me if that’s the cairn on Garnedd Fach visible to the right?

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.4.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 23, 2013
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

Carnedd Dafydd is on the right, Carnedd Llewelyn on the left and the shapely Yr Elen in the middle.
What a view, taken from Bera Bach

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 21, 2013
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Carnedd Dafydd from Carnedd Llewellyn summit, showing the ridge connecting the two.

L-R: Tryfan, Glyder Fach, Glyder Fawr, Snowdon, Crib y Ddysgl, Y Garn, Carnedd Dafydd, Moel Eilio, Elidir Fawr, Carnedd Filiast.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.5.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 28, 2012
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

From Carnedd Llewelyn, with pyramidal Tryfan far left, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) is high center, and the wide bulk of Carnedd Dafydd in front of it all, cairn on the highest peak.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman May 27, 2012
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

Pen yr Ole Wen on the left and on the right Carnedd Dafydd, with a long shoulder of Pen yr Helgi Du below, as seen from Pen Llithrig y Wrach.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Mar 27, 2012
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

This stone is almost six feet tall and has an erected feel to it, just off the path between Dafydd and Llewelyn

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Feb 17, 2011
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by postman

Looking back up to Carnedd Daffyd from the beginning of the dangerous part of the route between Dafydd and Llewelyn

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Feb 17, 2011
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Was this the most extreme processional route in all Wales? Heading toward Carnedd Llewleyn from Carnedd Dafydd...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Aug 22, 2010
Image of Carnedd Dafydd (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The tremendous Bronze Age burial site viewed from the equally so Carnedd Llewelyn. The brutal cliffline known as Ysgolion Duon [Black Ladders] lives up to its name, centre left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Aug 21, 2010

Articles

Folklore

Carnedd Dafydd
Cairn(s)
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Feb 12, 2010

Behind the mist
That shifts and stirs, to lap itself again
Round the enduring patience of the crag
A sheep, somewhere amid old drifts of snow
Wails out its wet and solitary grief
And gets no answer but the moss’s drip....

(E H Young – Ysgolion Duon)

Miscellaneous

Carnedd Dafydd
Cairn(s)
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Aug 21, 2010

At 3,425ft Carnedd Dafydd is one of Wales’ premier mountains, with the topography to match... aye, on the rare occasions mist does not engulf the summit, the scenery is truly awe inspiring. However there is more; for here the brutally extreme, mountainous landscape is given a human association by the presence of a couple of Bronze Age burial cairns upon the summit ridge...the abode of the gods....Coflein describes these thus:

SH66246303 – ‘Burial cairn, probably Bronze Age, on the NE-facing edge of the summit of Carnedd Dafydd. Stone built circular cairn, measuring c. 12m in diameter and up to 2m in height. Several kerbstones are visible on the SE arc. It has been disturbed in the past, with the construction of a now-destroyed Ordnance Survey triangulation pillar and several drystone shelters’.

SH66136293 – ‘circular burial cairn, 10.5m diameter and up to 2m in height’.

Together with neighbouring examples upon the even higher Carnedd Llewelyn (3,490ft) and Garnedd Fach, these cairns form the highest, most extremely sited Bronze Age cemetery in England and Wales. It therefore goes without saying please ensure you know what you’re doing [map, compass, waterproofs etc] if you decide to visit. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to state the obvious... this is an extreme, other worldly place. And, of course, was always supposed to be.

There is a natural line of ascent fron Gerlan to the NW, although the most popular route takes in the whole ridge from Pen Yr Ole Wen [via Cwm Lloer], past Garnedd Fach’s great cairn to Carnedd Llewelyn, descending via Y Braich.

Sites within 20km of Carnedd Dafydd

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