The fallen Maen Llwyd in its own litte clearing, how thoughtful !
Images
Taken from the point of view that this might have been the stone circle, it isn’t. 7yr old stone hunter Eric for scale.
Articles
Visited 29.10.10
There is no longer any scrambling through trees or undergrowth as the approach to this site, and Bryn Beddau close by, have been made easy by a neat stone path through the trees without any loss of ambience (for me this was my first visit, alone and in a very quiet wood, except for the wind in the trees... with an occasional look over my shoulder!).
With clearance of the scrub and trees around Maen Llwyd there are now three other smaller stones visible. How these are associated, or not, with the main stone is not recorded but they add to the general vista. Maen Llwyd is vast but as far as I know its total mass is not known so I cannot guess how far into the earth it extends. It’s right-angled ‘corner’ rises from the ground and resembles a huge cheese wedge.
Could it possibly be a waymarker stone, perhaps one of a series, showing the route to Bryn Beddau or the site that is now Llyn Brenig beyond?
Other stones/cairns may have also been lost to forestry I suspect and may only be returned to us after felling, albeit damaged. As it appears to be the felling time for many FC plantations in this area now who knows? (a good example being the damaged cairn being more visible for the past few years on Nercwys Mtn OS:117-221581)
Located off the B5105 between Ruthin and Cerrigydrudion.After passing south through Clawdd newydd look for a carpark to your right, if it has an information board your there, pay attention to the board it has directions for both stone and circle . Watch out for wild Przewalskis horses( I kid you not)
Initially it was really difficult to find this one, I
was going mainly on the goole earth image , which is slightly off, instead of looking on the north side of the path (where I thought the stone circle should be) I was looking on the south side and it just wasn’t there. This is where the youngest trees are, the ground is uneven to say the least my whole leg dissappeared into a wet invisible ditch at one point. I decided that blundering around the thick vegatation was no good even climbing up a tree was no use wet and severely scratched I gave up, the stone was lost to us....for now.
Back at the path I strode north through the not so thick undergrowth looking for the stone circle and eventually found the clearing that was so visible from the google earth images. In that clearing was a large rock, did the circle go round it? I probed the grassy tussocks with my trusty shears, but found only one stone, a bit dissappointed I took a photo and sat for a while with my chatty young stone hunting buddy.
The stone, I found out later was indeed the Maen Llwyd I had been looking for, its almost horizontal only its bulky nature stopped it falling completly, It may have stood 6ft tall when upright and i half fancy it had a cupmark on it but thinking it was just a rock I didnt pay much attention, I doubt the stone would have been visible from the stone circle just a couple of hudred yards away.
On returning to the carpark i saw the info board and realised my mistake it felt good knowing i’d found the stone but not good knowing i’d not found the circle,another time maybe.
Coflein is giving nothing away about this stone. But there is a story that relates to its vicinity:
A tradition connected with [the slopes above the stone], and related to me by the present tenant of Waen-canol, runs thus, and must be taken for what it is worth: “A great battle was fought on this spot by two armies of Welshmen, commanded by two brothers. The fight had been in progress some time, and the slaughter had been great, when the two brothers met in mortal conflict, while the other combatants ceased fighting to watch the struggle. A terrible thunderstorm, however, sprang up, and so fearful were the flashes of lightning that they thought it was a sign from the heavens to make peace, and they did so.”
From ‘Archaeological Notes and Queries’ by A Stepney-Gulston, in Archaeologia Cambrensis 15:60, 1898.
Sites within 20km of Maen Llwyd (Cloceinog)
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Bryn Beddau
photo 14 description 4 -
Garw Fynydd
photo 1 description 1 -
Capel Hiraethog
photo 1 -
Bryn Du
photo 3 -
Dinas Melin y Wig
photo 6 description 1 -
Pincyn Llys
photo 1 description 1 -
Pen-y-Gaer (Efenechtyd)
photo 9 description 2 -
Llyn Brenig 6
photo 8 -
Twr-yr-Hill
photo 2 description 1 -
Llyn Brenig 51
photo 24 description 1 -
Llyn Brenig 8
photo 20 description 1 -
Caer’ Bryn
photo 11 description 1 -
Pwll-y-Clai
photo 1 link 1 -
Llyn Brenig 46
photo 8 description 1 -
Craig Adwy Wynt
photo 14 description 2 -
Llyn Brenig 44
photo 12 description 2 -
Boncyn Arian
photo 6 description 1 -
Brenig 47
photo 6 description 2 -
Llyn Brenig 41
photo 5 description 1 -
Hafod-y-Llan Isaf
photo 1 -
Brenig 42
photo 3 description 1 -
Brenig 40
photo 3 description 1 -
Caer Drewyn
photo 18 description 4 link 2 -
Caer Caradog
photo 16 description 4 -
Tyn-y-Cefn Cursus
description 1 -
Carreg y Big yn y Fach Rhewllyd
photo 2 forum 1 description 3 -
Corwen Cross
photo 7 description 1 link 1 -
Maen Huail
photo 2 description 4 -
Cronglwyd Fawr
description 1 -
Gwernclas Mound
description 1 -
Gwerclas
photo 2 forum 1 description 1 -
Gorsedd Bran Tumuli A-F
photo 7 description 1 -
Rhoslydan
photo 3 description 2 -
Pant y Maen
photo 3 description 3 -
Caer Eini
photo 11 description 2 -
Ty Mawr Rhos Ganol
description 1 -
Moel y Waun
description 1 -
Owain Glyndwr’s Mount
photo 12 description 2 -
Cefn Caer Euni Circles
photo 16 description 4 -
Moel y Plas
photo 1 -
Tan-y-Coed
photo 17 description 3 -
Nant Heilyn
photo 13 description 1 link 1 -
Rhiwiau
photo 8 description 2 link 1 -
Moel y Gaer
photo 10 description 3 link 1 -
Moel Gyw
photo 8 description 2 -
Cwm Main
description 1 -
Tyfos
photo 15 forum 1 description 4 -
Moel y Gaer (Llanbedr Dyffryn-Clwyd)
photo 20 description 2 -
Blaen y Cwm
photo 5 description 1 -
Foel Fenlli
photo 18 description 3 -
Foel Fenlli cairn
photo 4 description 2 -
Moel y Gamelin
photo 8 description 2 -
Nant Croes-y-Wernen
photo 6 description 2 -
Moel Fferna
photo 13 description 2 -
Coed-y-Bedo Standing Stone
photo 5 description 2 -
Garnedd Fawr (Foel Goch)
photo 9 description 1 link 1 -
Moel ty Uchaf
photo 83 forum 5 description 11 link 1 -
Branas Uchaf
photo 21 description 6 -
Garn Prys
photo 5 description 1 -
Pen yr Orsedd
photo 5 description 1 -
Boncyn Crwn
photo 9 description 1 -
Pant
photo 2 description 1 -
Cerrig Bwlch y fedw
photo 11 description 1 -
Hafod y Dre
photo 5 description 1 -
Cefn Ddwysarn Camp
photo 1 description 1 -
Cae Du
photo 1 description 1 -
Moel Pearce
photo 3 description 1 -
Cyrn-y-Brain
photo 10 description 2 link 1 -
Afon Ceirw (Destroyed)
photo 2 description 1 -
Graig Yr Arian (Silver rock)
photo 4 description 2 -
Moel Arthur
photo 29 description 5 link 1 -
Hafod y Garreg
photo 2 forum 1 description 1 -
Plas Newydd
photo 8 description 3 -
Trawsnant
photo 6 description 1 -
Eliseg’s Pillar mound
photo 8 description 5 -
Penycloddiau
photo 29 description 4 link 1 -
Penycloddiau cairn
photo 9 description 2 -
Carnedd Wen
photo 6 description 2 -
Ddol-Frwynog
description 1 -
Ffridd Camen, Y Berwyn
photo 9 -
Nant Cornwall
photo 2 description 1 -
Bwrdd Arthur
photo 23 description 3 -
Penagored
photo 4 description 2 -
Pen-Plaenau
photo 8 description 1 -
Tomen y Meirw
photo 3 description 2 -
Nercwys Mountain
photo 4 description 1 -
Foel Frech
photo 7 description 1 -
Maes Maelor
photo 8 description 1 -
Cefn Penagored
photo 11 description 2 link 1 -
Cwm Tywyll
photo 2 description 1 -
Cefn Penagored Ridge
photo 13 description 4 -
Aber Sychnant
photo 5 description 4 -
Cwm Tywyll
photo 26 forum 1 description 2 -
Bwlch Maen Gwynedd
photo 8 description 1 -
Creigiau Eglwyseg
photo 8 description 2 -
Pontnewydd Cave
link 1 -
Pennant cairn
photo 22 description 1 -
Moel y Gaer (Bodfari)
photo 13 description 1 -
Carnedd-y-Filiast
photo 2 description 1 -
Rhyd-y-Gethin
photo 2 description 1 -
Moel y Parc
photo 8 description 1 -
Cefn y Gader
photo 4 description 3 -
The Four Stones of Gwytherin
photo 11 description 4 link 1 -
Yr Aran
photo 4 description 5 -
Eglwyseg kerb cairns A&B
photo 9 description 1 -
Nant Esgeiriau
photo 31 description 2 -
Cefn y cist
photo 3 description 2 -
Eglwyseg
photo 8 description 1 -
Eglwyseg mountain cairns I, II, III
photo 5 link 1 -
Eglwyseg stone
photo 2 description 1 -
Creigiau Eglwyseg
photo 5 description 1 -
Yr Aran cairns
photo 29 description 2 -
Carnedd Rhys Goch
photo 3 description 1 -
Eglwyseg
photo 10 description 3 -
Cefn y Gader cairn 1
photo 6 description 1 -
Rhyd-y-Gethin (Cairns)
photo 19 description 1 -
Cader Berwyn
photo 8 description 2 -
Castell Dinas Bran
photo 30 description 9 link 1 -
Penbedw
photo 21 description 3 -
Bedd y Cawr
photo 1 -
Cader Berwyn cairn II
photo 18 description 2 link 1