Garn Wen (Crucorney)

Nearest town:
Crickhowell (9km SSW)
OS reference:
SO28032553
OS sheet:
161
Latitude:
51° 55' 23.41 N
Longitude:
3° 2' 48.04 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Zoom on the next visitors. The ramparts of Twyn y Gaer hillfort can be seen in the background.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.8.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 2, 2018
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Retrospective view on the way to Craig Ddu. The cairn is framed by Ysgyryd Fawr and The Sugarloaf.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.8.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 2, 2018
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Pen y Gadair Fawr, boasting the highest Bronze Age cairn in the Black Mountains, is briefly illuminated far left.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.8.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 2, 2018
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking southwest, with Pen-y-Fal/The Sugarloaf far left.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.8.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 2, 2018
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

There is an awful lot of material in this cairn, despite the relative lack of height. Bal-mawr (cairnless) is the skyline peak.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 1, 2016
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Note the massive circular footprint...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 1, 2016
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Pen y Gadair Fawr – for me The Black Mountains’ sentinel summit – can be see far left background, possessing its own great cairn. Not as fine as this one, however.

Image credit: Robert Gladsone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 1, 2016
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The resident bees more or less tolerated our presence here, allowing the Mam C and I to hang out as one should. Thank you, my pollenating friends.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 1, 2016
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The massive Hatterrall Hill promontory fort crowns the skyline here. The sunburst was most welcome.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jan 1, 2016
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The pretty fine landscape setting of Garn Wen (far centre right) as seen from Bal Mawr. Twyn y Gaer rises above, with the hillfort-cum-sacred-hill Ysgyryd Fawr dominating top left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Mar 25, 2014
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The silhouetted Mam C kindly emphasises the very substantial circumference of this great upland cairn.... filling all the viewfinder.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Aug 27, 2013
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Wide angle to show the full size of the cairn mound, underneath the modern beehive effort.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.6.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 7, 2011
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking south. The cairn extends right under the greenery in the foreground.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.6.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 7, 2011
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking NW along the ridge towards Bal-Mawr, with Chwarel y Fan behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.6.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 7, 2011
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Showing the upper surface of the cairn. Ysgyrd Fawr can be seen to the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.6.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 7, 2011
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking to the SE, with the Sugarloaf behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.6.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 7, 2011
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Approaching Garn Wen from the south, showing the wide diameter belied by the modern additions.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.6.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 7, 2011
Image of Garn Wen (Crucorney) (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The first sight of the distinctive beehive (centre) seen from the south, along the ridge leading up from Twyn y Gaer hillfort.

Image credit: A. Brookes (4.6.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 6, 2011

Articles

Garn Wen (Crucorney)

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 9, 2013

Although ultimately failing to deliver the total isolationist vibe the Mam C and I crave when out and about in the South Walian uplands – and indeed I had erroneously anticipated – a visit to the great Garn Wen nevertheless proved to be a very worthwhile experience. Yeah, not sussing that the Beacons Way (unfortunately another of those long distance marching routes) passes right by, en-route to 2,000ft(ish) Bal Mawr and Chwarel-y-Fan, I reckoned I had a cunning alternative destination avoiding the brightly-clad hordes sure to be upon the Offa’s Dyke path today. Not quite, one frightfully upper class young ‘laydee’ exclaiming to her father .... “but, but ... there’s nowhere to go to the toilet... take me on a proper walk next time!“.... or words to that effect. Suffice to say there appears to be no evidence of excrement here, Mr Holmes. I swear I can almost hear the old stones sigh, although, to be fair, such people were never going to stay long, huddled within the ‘muppet shelter’ as they were.

Following TSC raising the profile of the site with the pioneering TMA visit, I actually deferred a pilgrimage to Garn Wen twice during March. You can’t hurry love, as they say. As long as ‘they’ doesn’t include Phil Collins, that is. However the Mam C has a ‘pass’ today, so... why not? Approaching the serene Vale of Ewyas with John Foxx’s, er, idiosyncratic take of ‘Have a Cigar’ upon the car stereo, is probably not the norm, but then neither is our intended route.... starting from the small hamlet of Lower Henllan, complete with its own chapel.... although I’d recommend parking a little beforehand (assuming you approach from the south) where the road achieves a quite inconceivable width for these parts. Ascending the farm track to, appropriately enough, Upper Henllan, we are greeted with a beaming smile from an attractive middle aged woman driving downhill, the response at odds with the ‘keep to the path etc’ notices. Class act. At the farm, however, with are met with a dismissive discourtesy for being courteous enough to ask for permission to walk through the farmyard, albeit upon a public footpath. Whatever. The track veers right across a ford and... technically... proceeds along a sunken bridleway, swinging left to ascend above one of the tumbling streams feeding the Afon Honddu. We, however – not being able to read a map after 25 years of practice – cut across a beautiful, if ‘undulating’, meadow, the retrospective view of Hatterrall Hill, site of a promontory fort, quite exquisite. How can this field archaeology-lark be so beautiful? If you take our diversion be sure to veer right at the stile to gently (luckily, since it is way, way too humid today) ascend the path toward the head of the cwm.

The flora is impressive, particularly the rowans, branches heavy with scarlet berries, Nature’s bounty for the local birds. We had to cut down our rowan at home in Essex since it grew way, way too large. The tree found it too easy. No need here, however. Not in its proper habitat.... an example of natural selection achieving the optimum. A dung beetle of the most glossy black hue I can imagine – and, hey, I can imagine black – labours with its load beneath my boot, the latter held aloft just in the nick of time. Sensing its imminent death, it freezes.... and then moves on. Instances of everyday life.

At the head of the cwm we encounter several ‘bubbling brooks’, marked as ‘springs’ upon the map. Pure water issuing forth from the hillside. Looking back (to the left) I recollect that Graig-ddu possesses the remnant of a cist within a cairn... but what of Garn Wen? The path leads us astray, so I’m obliged to take a compass bearing to lead us through deep fern to the crest of the ridge above. Here the modern beehive cairn acts as a homing beacon. As we approach, the circumference of the monument fills my DSLR viewfinder. Yeah, this was once – hey, is – a very substantial cairn indeed. As TSC relates, not particularly high, but the area covered is significant. We sit down upon the rim and.... well... don’t do an awful lot, to be honest... except try and take it all in. The Mam C does whatever she does, whilst my mind drifts back to past times upon distant peaks... and comes to the conclusion that, far from being placed upon some minor, outlying hill, the great cairn of Garn Wen actually possesses a complete 360 degree vista of hills. In short it is set within a natural amphitheatre, arguably the greatest stage hereabouts, perhaps? I agree, it seems unlikely, what with today’s accepted mentality of ‘biggest is best’. But nonetheless here it is. Why not come and see, and judge, for yourself?

My watch shows that some three hours have elapsed and we must leave. More’s the pity. With a great beehive cairn on.

Garn Wen (Crucorney)

thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 9, 2011

After leaving Twyn y Gaer (4.6.2011), I walked north along the ridge towards Bal-Mawr and my main objective, Chwarel y Fan.

After passing a small boundary stone, the path climbs steadily upwards until I reached open moorland, where the grassy slopes gave way to heather. Garn Wen is an obvious waymark, as a modern beehive cairn has been erected on its top, visible from some distance away. As I get closer, a walkers’ shelter also appears. What isn’t apparent until I’m closer still is how large this cairn is. Its diameter dwarves both of the modern additions, no doubt created from its mound, leaving the cairn disproportionately flat for its overall size. Further spread is covered by the surrounding vegetation, making for a diameter in excess of 25m.

The views from here are great, particularly to Ysgyryd Fawr and The Sugarloaf.

From here I head further north, climbing Bal-Mawr before the fine ridge walk to Chwarel y Fan, probably the least accessible Black Mountains summit if using public transport. Worth the effort though for the views to Pen-y-Gadair Fawr, Waun Fach and the Grwyne Fawr.

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