Bryn Seward Stones

Also known as:
Cyfanned Stone Row
Nearest town:
Barmouth (4km NNW)
OS reference:
SH626118
OS sheet:
124
Latitude:
52° 41' 9.67 N
Longitude:
4° 1' 58.68 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Bryn Seward Stones (Stone Row / Alignment) by thesweetcheat

The adjacent large round cairn is over the wall. Pared y Cefn-hir hillfort is the backdrop.

Image credit: A. Brookes (27.7.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 10, 2015
Image of Bryn Seward Stones (Stone Row / Alignment) by thesweetcheat

The large round cairn next to the stones is in the centre of the shot, with the stones to the right and Pared y Cefn-hir hillfort rising far left.

Image credit: A. Brookes (27.7.2015)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 10, 2015
Image of Bryn Seward Stones (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 24th November 2002: This stone lies just to the east of the eastern standing stone, but on the other side of the fence. I’m not sure whether it represents a fallen stone, but it struck me as the right kind of size and proportions. If anyone else has visited the site I’d be interested to know what they think.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Kammer
Kammer Dec 6, 2002
Image of Bryn Seward Stones (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 24th November 2002: This is the westerly of the two standing stones by the road-side. It’s very thin, and has a beautiful angle to it. This photo is taken looking north east across the estuary and the mountains (Diffwys and the Rhinogs I think).

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Kammer
Kammer Dec 6, 2002
Image of Bryn Seward Stones (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 24th November 2002: This is the eastern stone, looking eastwards towards the forestry.

The roads run right past these stones, and probably follows the same route that was used by the people who erected them. Now it’s a small tarmaced lane with lots and lots (and lots) of gates crossing it.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Kammer
Kammer Dec 6, 2002
Image of Bryn Seward Stones (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 24th November 2002: This is the stone nearest the forestry, looking north towards Abermaw (Barmouth). You can just about see Cardigan Bay sweeping off to the west, and the beginnings of the Llyn Peninsular.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Kammer
Kammer Dec 6, 2002
Image of Bryn Seward Stones (Stone Row / Alignment) by Kammer

Taken 24th November 2002: This is one of the two remaining megaliths nearest the forestry (it’s the one to the east). The photo is taken looking approximately north east, over the Mawddach Estuary. I think that the peaks you can see in the distance are Diffwys and the Rhinogs, but I’m not certain.

Image credit: Simon Marshall
Kammer
Kammer Dec 6, 2002

Articles

Bryn Seward Stones

Kammer
Kammer Dec 13, 2002

Visited 24th November 2002: Bryn Seward was the penultimate site on our trip around the Llynau Cregennen area. We approached from the east, and I’ve never been on a more gated road in my life. With Alfie’s baby seat in the front, I had no choice but to open and close all the gates myself (there were loads of them!). I managed to cut my hand on one of them, so beware sharp edges on the gates if you visit Bryn Seward.

The light was fading, so we passed through the forestry, leaving Bedd y Brenin for another day. As the forestry opens up, there’s the first stone on the right hand side of the road (see photos 1 & 2). The views beyond towards the Mawddach Estuary and Abermaw (Barmouth) are amazing, with the Llyn Peninsular stretching off to the west. You can see why these stones and this sacred route run along this hillside.

The second stone is just before the gate after the forestry (you really can’t miss it). This was my favourite, because it’s really quite thin in cross section, but it’s face is very triangular. Standing next to the stock fence it looks really darned good. There’s a possible third ‘fallen’ stone just west of this on the other side of the fence, but I was so unimpressed by it that I didn’t photograph it (I’m not convinced it’s really part of the row).

Just beyond the thin triangular stone is the ambiguous half buried boulder. Since our visit I’ve read a Cadw description of the row, and apparently the stones used to be incorporated into a low dry stone wall. This wall has now collapsed and spread, which accounts for the debris along the side of the road, and the ambiguity of some of the stones.

After Bryn Seward it we headed off along more gated road, towards Waun Oer.

Miscellaneous

Bryn Seward Stones
Stone Row / Alignment
IronMan
IronMan Jul 3, 2002

Cyfanned Stone Row is listed in Frances Lynch’s ‘Gwynedd’ as Bryn Seward Stones. The following additional information about the site and it’s environment is also provided:

“Settlement traces, walls and a possible round hut, occur on the shelf of level ground below the stones, and the mound just west of them, through the gate, may be the remains of a large Bronze Age cairn. There is another about 500m further west on the left of the road, beyond the fields and huts.”

Sites within 20km of Bryn Seward Stones

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