Crugian Bach

Nearest town:
Llandrindod Wells (12km E)
OS reference:
SN9323962658
OS sheet:
147
Latitude:
52° 15' 4.56 N
Longitude:
3° 33' 50.79 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

The largest orthostat is also arguably the most shapely.......

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 5, 2020
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

Not sure what we have here.... a stone relocated from the circumference.... a capstone (unlikely, I think)..... an imposter..... or a rare central stone? Y Gamriw bears its cairns above.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 5, 2020
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

Not on the map... but none the worse for that. Quite the contrary..

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 5, 2020
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

For me this proved one of the most evocative stone rings I’ve ever been to, Y Gamriw rising above crowned by a series of very substantial cairns. The close proximity to the popular Elan Valley tourist route only serves to emphasise the utter obscurity.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 5, 2020
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

The characteristically small orthostats of the Welsh upland stone circle... for me, it’s the space demarcated that matters.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN May 5, 2020
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

looking south east over the stone circle to cairn topped Y Gamriw.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

The larger stones seem to be at the south east end towards the mountain Y Gamriw.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

Looking north east over the tallest of Crugian Bachs circle stones.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

The south east half of the circle and the central prostrate stone on the left.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

The fallen central stone, I’m quite convinced.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

This stone was trying to get away with not having it’s photo taken, I talked it round.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

The larger of a prostrate pair, north eastish of the stone circle by a hundred meters maybe.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by postman

This is either one of the already mentioned fallen stones, or another one.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Apr 30, 2017
Image of Crugian Bach (Stone Circle) by GLADMAN

My, the people who erected this ‘circle had class, did they not?. What an exquisite, delicate (under)statement.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Sep 25, 2012

Articles

Crugian Bach

postman
postman Apr 30, 2017

I don’t get out as often as I used to, for a variety of reasons, so if I do get the chance it has to be somewhere high on the list, the list has by necessity and my endeavors gotten smaller, the Elan valley is one such place high on my list. I’ve been near here before seeing stone rows and standing stones, but thanks to Gladman a burial chamber and a stone circle had been brought to my attention. But really just a quick look at a good map shows that there’s all sorts of something interesting on just about every hill top. The pretty hills and valleys are a much needed bonus, juxtaposing nicely with the flat concrete of home.

I parked the car as out of the way as possible at SN932633, the top of a farm lane just through a gate by the turn off for the Clyn farmhouse. The stone circle is almost exactly half a mile away south.
The walk starts off with many delays, by way of fallen standing stones and cairns and a cist, some delays are worth putting up with. Then it’s fairly plain sailing through the grasses, mires and bogs until you get out into the middle of this particular no where. There isn’t much around to get ones bearings by, so I wasn’t at all surprised to find that the stone circle was proving elusive, exasperated by the stones lack of height. I could tell I was getting closer when I came across what I presumed were two fallen stones, they looked more like it than the coflein certified fallen pair further north. From these I could see a stone sticking up so I made for that, it was one of those confounding boundary stones, but from that I could see another stone sticking up so I made for that. Tadaa, restlessly wandering about swearing quietly to oneself payed off again, stone circle.

I just cant get into the mind of the prehistoric Welsh, why are the stones so low, big hills, big views, big barren wasteland moors, equals little stones does it? Did they come up with a magical reason for smaller stones, or were they just lazy, was the stone circle fad losing it’s power by the time it got here, yes they needed a stone circle, for what ever reasons, but great big super heavy stones, apparently not.
Is it wrong of me to want a Callanish everywhere, surely part of the draw of standing stones is, how did they do it? that question doesn’t come up here.
I don’t know, I just wish they’d tried a bit harder.

Despite my sizeist reaction to the stones I still liked it here, this is after all a stone circle, over three thousand years old, when three thousand years you reach look so good you will not.
The central stone is intriguing, I think it is exactly that, once standing in the middle, what are they for, some kind of scientific or magical reason or just another trend in stone circle building?
The edge of the circle nearest to cairn topped Y Gamriw has the tallest bulkiest stones, the stones on the other side are barely above grass height. It’s quite satisfying pulling moss and grasses from these lowest stones, bringing them back into the light, it’s usually best to be above ground, Ive found anyway.

Crugian Bach

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Dec 16, 2012

Firstly a confession. I actually planned to visit this very obscure stone circle back in September last year... yeah, had the map co-ordinates and everything... until I proceeded to lose them like a prize muppet, consequently spending the time at the wondrous Carn Gafallt cairns instead; not a poor substitute, it has to be said in my defence. However one of the annoying idiosyncracities of ‘unfinished business’ is the manner in which it manifestly refuses to stay filed away in that compartment within the subconscious labelled ‘for future action’. Oh no, the brain – at least mine – doesn’t work like that, instead wheedling its way into conscious thought when least expected; hence one year on, I’m back. No choice in the matter.

Dawn arrives over the Elanydd – incidentally not far from the Roman camp upon Esgair Perfedd – accompanied by close-set fronts of vicious, driving rain. Nice. One would have thought a good spot for locating a reservoir or two.... Thankfully, however, the clouds possess not so much a silver as a golden lining, sunshine breaking through the intervals in the mantle to flood the landscape with light of an incredibly intense hue .... the sort of intensity that only occurs when the atmosphere has literally just been cleansed of its impurities. Magical. Mustn’t waste this. So, heading toward Rhayader, I veer right along the B4518 before crossing a bridge signposted ‘Elan Village’. Following the minor road to Llanwrthwl, climbing steeply past Cnwch farm, I park at the entrance to the tarmacadum road giving access to ‘the Clyn farm’ (if you pass Talwrn farm you’ve gone too far). Another rain front hammers upon the car roof and I wonder what motivates me ... what drives me... to do this? No really, what? To be honest, I think I know. Perhaps one day I will find the appropriate words. As I step out into the downpour the farmer approaches. Appropriately in the conditions he ‘fishes’ for information. ‘Returning, or just off out?’ says he, or words to that effect. Put on the spot, I volunteer that ‘I might just go have a look at the cairns marked on the map’....in a torrential downpour... and wait for the incredulous retort. It is not forthcoming and, consequently, I’m intrigued. I go for broke, waiving an arm vaguely to the south-west... ‘and apparently there’s a stone circle somewhere up there I’d like to see’. It seems there is and the farmer’s bloody well proud of it. He gives me directions.... ‘stand with your back to the trees and head for the cairn upon the far ridge.... the circle is just before the final rise to Y Gamriw’ (or something like that). Blimey. Top bloke, a credit not only to himself, but to his family and to Mother Wales. See we CAN get along if BOTH sides act like adults, treat the other with due respect. Needless to say one good turn deserves another, of course, the Essex boy helping to move the farmer’s herd of cattle down the road prior to setting off uphill.

Passing the forestry I revert to type and, instead of following the farmer’s directions, proceed to make a right pig’s ear of finding the ‘circle by logically seeking out the OS co-ordinates as given [note that these have been subsequently amended – and I reckon are more or less accurate!] In short, the ‘circle is not where it should be, that is just below the south-western end of the rocky ridge that is Crugian Bach. Plan B is to orientate myself upon Y Gamriw’s prominent cairn – as, er, advised – and walk forward in circular sweeps until (eventually) I notice an orthostat which looks ‘wonky’ enough not to be a boundary stone.... but something ever so much older. Aye, it is.

Coflein states there are 18 stones incorporated within the circumference of this stone circle. Perhaps, although some are so diminutive, so (apparently) inconsequential that I reckon only a thorough excavation could arrive at a definitive count. But then again, so what? The largest standing stone here would probably go unnoticed at Avebury.... yet the vibe here is – in my opinion – so far in advance of that justly famous site as to be beyond compare. It really is. Don’t get me wrong, I’m awed by Avebury. But here I feel as if the very landscape itself was deemed so special, so evocative, that anything other than a distinctly underwhelming demarcation of a sacred space was thought to be taking the piss out of the gods residing upon the surrounding high places. The pattern is indeed repeated across Wales... inconsequential uprights standing beneath the high peaks. Nevertheless this clearly represented the real deal, at least for the people dwelling in the shadow of Y Gamriw millennia past, if only because both Coflein and CPAT cite numerous outlying standing stones and cairns in the immediate vicinity. Obviously there was a lot more ritual activity occurring here than might immediately be apparent to a casual visitor. Ha! As if a ‘casual visitor’ would ever come here! A further point of interest in this otherwise archaeologically low key stone circle is the presence of a centre stone – according to my experience, as well as that of a certain Mr Burl (by all accounts) this is pretty unusual.

I stay and enjoy the exquisite vibe for – I think – some three hours. Time seems to have little meaning here as the sunlight illuminates the moor and Y Gamriw broods above. Some natural sequences appear, well, simply meant to be. Inevitable. Eventually, however, the farmer’s earlier complete acceptance of my wish to see ‘the cairns’ becomes too much. I must go take a look... what does he know that I do not? Probably quite a lot...

Miscellaneous

Crugian Bach
Stone Circle
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Dec 6, 2012

There is a lot more occuring here – in this unfeasibly quiet corner of the Elanydd – than I ever imagined. Yeah, a veritable prehistoric ritual metropolis! According to the local CPAT people, logged under reference PRN55289, the area represents:

[A]’Concentration of prehistoric activity with around ten standing stones, a stone circle, a cairnfield... and three individual round barrows (cairns). The standing stones, seven of which are recumbent, range from 0.8m to 3.3m in length. The stone circle comprises of eighteen stones, with a large flat stone at the centre. It has a diameter of 22m with stones set 3-3m apart. All but two are recumbent. The cairnfield incorporates nine or more cairns and is aligned roughly SW-NE along a terrace.‘

Miscellaneous

Crugian Bach
Stone Circle
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 12, 2011

Coflein description of stone circle and associated standing stone:

Crugian Bach stone circle contains 18 visible, small upright stones and measures 22m in diameter. Situated on a gently rounded plateau, the stones are set at intervals of 2-3 meters, although there are some larger gaps of up to 5 meters. The standing stone, measuring 1 meter in length, is set some 40m NNE of the circle.

Topics

Calling Sweetcheat.... 2
GLADMAN
GLADMAN
Dec 2012

Sites within 20km of Crugian Bach

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