Carn-Yr-Arian

Nearest town:
Aberdare (11km ESE)
OS reference:
SN93901252
OS sheet:
160
Latitude:
51° 48' 2.67 N
Longitude:
3° 32' 19.96 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Carn-Yr-Arian (Round Barrow(s)) by GLADMAN

Mist closes in around the great cairn...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 3, 2016
Image of Carn-Yr-Arian (Round Barrow(s)) by GLADMAN

The monument is much more substantial than I anticipated... a little embarrassing to have driven past for some 25 years before the felling of the forestry plantation revealed all.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 3, 2016
Image of Carn-Yr-Arian (Round Barrow(s)) by GLADMAN

Rain drops keep lashing into my face; but that doesn’t mean an afternoon should go to waste... awfully wondrous conditions at Carn-Yr-Arian

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 3, 2016
Image of Carn-Yr-Arian (Round Barrow(s)) by mattbotwood

The forestry has now been cleared and the cairn completely exposed. Very easy to visit now.

Image credit: Matt Botwood
M
mattbotwood Oct 15, 2015

Articles

Carn-Yr-Arian

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CARL Oct 2, 2015

Visited 1.10.15

The second stop-off on my mini tour of Brecon sites with my niece. When I tried to find this cairn 5 years ago I failed due to the trees. This time, as mattbotwood informed, the trees have been ‘harvested’ and the cairn is easily see from the road running past it. I can now see that the last time I visited I was looking in the wrong part of the plantation – no wonder I didn’t find it!

There was no forestry work going on, the trees are all gone and only large piles of stacked timber remain. We parked on the grass verge and carefully picked our way through the sawn tree trunks and branches.

We soon reached this large cairn of grey stones which has a large hole in the centre where it has previously been dug into. I climbed right to the bottom (a fair drop) to look for any signs of a cist but couldn’t see any. This is a fine (if mangled) cairn and well worth a visit. I am glad to have finally seen it.

I noticed that when the trees were growing thay had been planted in a circle around the cairn to protect it. Hopefully the same will be true when they plant the next generation of trees?

Carn-Yr-Arian

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mattbotwood Jun 10, 2015

The cairn is now completely exposed and visible from the road. Currently inaccessible due to forestry operations but I will get a new image uploaded sometime soon.

Carn-Yr-Arian

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mattbotwood Feb 16, 2015

Visited 16/2/15

This may be much more accessible in the future as they are currently starting work clearing the forest here. There were working diggers within 100m of this site creating a new forest clearing and if you use this new track you can get to the cairn without any risk of wet feet.

I took the opportunity today to capture a Google Photosphere so you can have a virtual look around yourselves: google.com/maps/views/view/109208834756377410190/gphoto/6116463123741184482

Carn-Yr-Arian

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mattbotwood Aug 4, 2014

I have visited this site several times in the last year and is relatively easy to find from the closest road if you have a GPS enabled OS map app for your phone, it is only 100m or so into the forest which is not as dark as it first seems (the map location of the cairn is very accurate despite it being in thick forest).

As previously noted the ground is usually very damp, so appropriate footwear is essential.

Carn-Yr-Arian

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CARL Nov 2, 2010

‘Visited’ 30.10.10
No so much a visit, more a ‘couldn’t find it’!
I parked on the side of the minor road north of Ystradfellte (plenty of room) and trudged off into the trees. Luckily I was wearing my wellies because as soon as you get in amongst the conifers the ground is completely sodden with hidden puddles aplenty. It was difficult to see far ahead due to the density of the trees and despite my best efforts I was unable to see the Barrow. I know I was in the right area but this one escaped me I am afraid to report.
One piece of advice to anyone else that goes looking for the Barrow – make sure you wear your wellies!

Sites within 20km of Carn-Yr-Arian

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