Upper Neuadd cairns

Also known as:
Nant yr-hen heol
Nearest town:
Brecon (9km N)
OS reference:
SO02821915
OS sheet:
160
Latitude:
51° 51' 43.06 N
Longitude:
3° 24' 41.07 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The wonderful elevated view of Blaen Taf Fechan from the slopes of Corn Du. A perfect location for a Bronze Age cairn cemetery, next to the headwaters of a major watercourse.

Image credit: A. Brookes (10.1.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 10, 2015
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking down on Blaen Taf Fechan and the Upper Neuadd Reservoir from Craig Gwaun Taf. The cairns are at the near end of the reservoir.

Image credit: A. Brookes (10.1.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 10, 2015
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Landscape context for the various Bronze Age monuments of the Blaen Taf Fechan. Seen from Tor Glas, near another possible BA cairn.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.12.2013)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Feb 19, 2014
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Another view of the “possible” fourth ring cairn at the southern tip of the island.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

At the southern tip of the “island” is a wide circular mound, surrounded by an apparent ring of earthfast stones. A determined (or wishful) eye could see this as a denuded fourth ring cairn, but Coflein has nothing about it.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Cairn III, looking up the Blaen Taf Fechan towards a snow-covered Pen y Fan, the summit near-invisible under mizzle.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Cairn II, looking NE. Cairn I can be seen behind on the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Upper Neuadd II ring cairn, the largest of the group, looking south.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Upper Neuadd I ring cairn, looking south across the reservoir.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking up the Blaen Taf Fechan towards snow-covered Corn Du and Pen y Fan.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Nant Yr-hen-heol cairn, looking south across the Upper Neuadd Reservoir.

Image credit: A. Brookes (14.4.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 30, 2012
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Reservoirs of the Taf Fechan. Upper Neuadd with its cairns is the nearest, Lower Neuadd with its standing stone is the next, just beyond to the right. The other two are the Pentwyn and Pontsticill Reservoirs. Needless to say, the monuments marked a reservoir-free river valley, and perhaps a route up to the highest peaks. Taken from Pen y Fan.

Image credit: A. Brookes (30.10.10)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 27, 2010
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The site viewed from Graig Fan Ddu to the west. Note that a Bronze Age cremation burial was located upon Fan y Big, the peak rising above. This has been subsequently excavated, with grave goods recovered.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Sep 27, 2010
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Landscape context – Fan y Big behind. Although the OS map shows the cairns on an island in the reservoir, water levels have dropped and joined the island to the shore to the north. The cairns are on what is now a tongue of land, just to the right of the small clump of trees.

Image credit: A. Brookes (22.5.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 3, 2010
Image of Upper Neuadd cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The cairns are to the right of the trees on the “tongue” of land sticking out into the reservoir. Seen from the slopes of Fan y Big.

Image credit: A. Brookes (22.5.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 3, 2010

Articles

Miscellaneous

Upper Neuadd cairns
Cairn(s)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 3, 2010

Four bronze age cairns in the vicinity of Upper Neuadd reservoir. Updated descriptions from Coflein:

Upper Neuadd cairn I (SO0283219182)

A small ring cairn, one of three cairns on the southern end of an “island” in Upper Neuadd Reservoir (see Nprn305683). The RCAHMW Brecknock Inventory, published in 1997, references this site on page 113 as RC 207. The ring cairn measures 7m east-west by 6.5m north-south. It is composed of stones which form an uninterrupted ring bank 2.2m wide and up to 0.40m high. NPRN 305683 lies 2.5m to the southwest of it, and NPRN 246303 ten metres to the south of that. The cairns are now above the water and covered by grass but in the past have been submerged.

J.J. Hall, Trysor, 6 December 2008.”

Upper Neuadd cairn II (SO0282619178)

A ring cairn, one of three cairns on the southern end of an “island” in Upper Neuadd Reservoir (see Nprn305682). The RCAHMW Brecknock Inventory, published in 1997, references this site on page 112 as RC 205. The ring cairn measures 10.4m north-south by 9.6m east-west. It is composed of stones which form an uninterrupted ring bank averaging 2m wide and up to 0.30m high. NPRN 305682 lies 2.5m to the northeast of it, and NPRN 246303 ten metres to the south of it. The cairns are now above the water and covered by grass but in the past have been submerged.

J.J. Hall, Trysor, 6 December 2008.

Upper Neuadd Ring Cairn (III?) (SO0282519161)

A ring cairn, one of three cairns on the southern end of an “island” in Upper Neuadd Reservoir. The RCAHMW Brecknock Inventory, published in 1997, references this site on page 113 as RC 206. It has a diameter of 4.25m, the stone bank forming the ring being 1m wide and 0.20m high. NPRN 305683 lies 10m to the north of it, and NPRN 305682 lies 2.5m to the northeast of that. The cairns are now above the water and covered by grass but in the past have been submerged.

J.J. Hall, Trysor, 9 November 2008.

Nant-yr-Hen Heol cairn (SO0288419501)

An oval cairn lying in the valley bottom close to a small stream, recorded as RC204, page 112 in the RCAHMW Brecknock Inventory, Part I, published in 1997. It measures c. 6.5m northwest-southeast x 5.3m and up to 0.5m high with a flat top. The cairn is largely composed of small rounded sandstone. A modern cairn, NPRN 246478, has been constructed on top of the cairn towards its north side. When visited during Uplands Survey in October 2008 it was largely turf covered but exposed on the northwest side.

J.J. Hall, Trysor, 22 November 2008.

Sites within 20km of Upper Neuadd cairns