Abercriban

Nearest town:
Merthyr Tydfil (5km S)
OS reference:
SO066121
OS sheet:
160
Latitude:
51° 47' 57.23 N
Longitude:
3° 21' 16.64 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Abercriban (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Northern cairn... the exposed stone surmounts an extensive grassy footprint; this must have been quite a monument in its time.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 7, 2020
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Image of Abercriban (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The northern of the pair... with Cribyn and Pen y Fan upon the skyline. Couldn’t locate this upon my ascent to Twynau Gwynion owing to thick snow cover.... just goes to show what 5 hours a’melting can achieve in the interim.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 7, 2020
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Image of Abercriban (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

View NW from Abercriban, towards the central Beacons across Pontsticill Reservoir. The cairns are over on the right, above the treeline.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.9.2010)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 25, 2010
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Articles

Abercriban

thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jan 26, 2012
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A confused set of fences and gates at the edge of access land appears to bear no relationship to what the map is showing me and I emerge into an area of limestone outcrops and broken pavement, in which somewhere – so the map tells me – are two cairns, the first stop of the day. Rather overshadowing everything is the panoramic view to the northeast, sweeping across the reservoir to the central Beacons peaks.

I wander around amongst the limestone for a while, not really looking in the right place and finding nothing cairn-ish. Eventually I come across the northern cairn, a turfed-over mound with limestone blocks protruding here and there. The centre of the cairn has been scooped inevitably, but not recently if the covering turf is any indication. Treasure seekers rather than walkers have disturbed this one, it seems. The view of Pen y Fan is obscured by a small stand of trees, but would otherwise be the perfect backdrop. I fail to find the other cairn and eventually decide that bigger and better sites await.

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Miscellaneous

Abercriban
Cairn(s)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 25, 2010
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Pair of cairns on slopes overlooking Pontsticill Reservoir. Coflein descriptions:

Northern cairn

A large circular cairn 14.6m in diameter and about 0.6m high with a slightly dished centre, probably robbed to build a nearby field wall to the W.

Southern cairn

Located in open moorland, a circular cairn 5.8m in diameter and 0.45m high showing traces of a kerb, overgrown with grasses and heather.

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Sites within 20km of Abercriban

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