Tristan’s Cairn

Nearest town:
Bethesda (7km W)
OS reference:
SH68916418
OS sheet:
115
Latitude:
53° 9' 29.58 N
Longitude:
3° 57' 38.95 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by thesweetcheat

Where does the cairn stop and the natural rock start? Who knows.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.5.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 28, 2012
Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by thesweetcheat

Approaching the prominently sited cairn along Carnedd Llewellyn’s east ridge.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.5.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat May 28, 2012
Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by thesweetcheat

The view from Carnedd Llewellyn. Tristan’s Cairn is at the nearest end of the descending ridge (far left of the picture). Beyond lies the rocky climb up to Pen yr Helgi Du and then the round-shouldered Pen Llithrig y Wrach. Ffynon Llugwy is the lake to the right, the shoulder of Moel Siabod on the far right of the picture.

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

From here it is unsure whether the cairn is the small pile of stones on the mound or is it the mound itself.
Perplexing.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman May 28, 2012
Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by postman

Tristan’s cairn occupies the high point left of center, with flying monster for scale

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Nov 9, 2011
Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by GLADMAN

The landscape setting spectacular, to say the least.... the be-cairned Pen Llithrig-y-Wrach is the mountain centre right.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Nov 5, 2011
Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by GLADMAN

Unless I’m very much mistaken (if so please correct me) the legendary Tristan’s Cairn resides upon the prominent ‘mini summit’ approx centre right.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Nov 5, 2011
Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by GLADMAN

Late Spring snow upon the 3,490ft summit plateau of Carnedd Llewelyn, near the Bronze Age cairn..... Tristan’s Cairn is prominently sited upon the sunlit ascent ridge, centre left. Pen Llithrig-y-Wrach rises beyond – centre – blessed by its own monument.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 21, 2011
Image of Tristan’s Cairn (Cairn) by GLADMAN

Looking across Bwlch Eryl Farchog to the Bronze Age cairn crowned Carnedd Llewelyn. What I assumed to be a ‘marker cairn’ upon the ascent ridge is, according to Coflein records, Tristan’s Cairn [indicated]. Perhaps the prominent location – subservient to the summit monument, yet outstandingly sited above Cwm Eigiau – is instructive.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 21, 2011

Articles

Tristan’s Cairn

thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 6, 2012

Approaching the cairn from Carnedd Llewelyn, it looks like a nothing of a marker cairn. The cairn itself is very small, even a walker looking for a pile to drop a stone onto might turn their nose up. In fact, my eye is drawn far more to the amazing views, down to Cwm Eigiau and Ffynnon Llyfant far below to the left, Ffynnon Llugwy to the right. Not to mention the Bwlch Eryl Farchog ridge below Pen yr Helgi Du. And Tryfan.

However, as we draw near it becomes clear that the cairn is beautifully positioned on a natural knoll of rock, right above the cliffs that drop away to Cwm Eigiau. If you want a suitably awe-inspiring place to lay a heroic warrior to rest, you couldn’t imagine anywhere much better. Whether this really was the final resting place of a Bronze Age chieftain, or an Arthurian knight, I still couldn’t say. The sky gods certainly have this place in their eye-line whatever.

I leave not knowing any more about its prehistoric authenticity than I did when I came, but I’m glad we came to find out. If you want a high, lonely spot away from the crowds, with breathtaking views, this might do it for you too.

Tristan’s Cairn

postman
postman May 28, 2012

You wont be able to see this cairn from the car, in fact you can’t see this cairn from anywhere except up in the mountains, way up in the mountains. So get off your arse, get some comfortable clothing and some stout shoes (don’t know what that means but..) and come and see not just this cairn but some of the best countryside there is in Wales, or Britain for that matter.
Situated just below Carnedd Llewelyn, third highest mountain in Wales and England, and just above Craig yr Ysfa, a narrow ridge between Pen yr Helgi Du and Pen Llithrig y Wrach, I may have said at times that some other areas are beautiful, but if that is so then this place is heaven, an earthly paradise for those of us who like beautiful places.

Tristan, as in Tristan and Iseult, was a Knight of Arthur’s round table, Tristan whose name in Cornish means sadness, went on the grail hunt with all the other knights. After not finding the grail (we all know it is a person) he was buried here in Snowdonia. Or so they say.....
The cairn itself is a bit of a weird one, it is either the small, very small pile of stones on a natural knoll half way up the mountain ,or it is the knoll itself. From the south the knoll looks very cairn shaped, if it is the cairn it would be bigger than the two on Grach and Llewelyn.
But regardless of who is buried here if anyone at all and regardless of how big the cairn is it’s the place that boggles the mind, and my mind was utterly boggled, I wish I was there right now.

Sites within 20km of Tristan’s Cairn

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