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Llyn Y WrachRing Cairn
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It is just a ten minute walk, if that, from the Hafodty stone circle. From the stone circle walk north east following the footpath, take the next left turn and follow that one to llyn Y Wrach, the Lake of the Witch. When the lake ends look up and right, in a hollow on the hillside is this easy to miss ring cairn. I say easy to miss, it's not, but Coflein do have the grid reference off a bit. The last of this afternoons trio of unknown but surely should be known sites, the threatening clouds have long gone, the sun is going down behind Foel Lus or an immediate neighbour, I've only just found it in time before it goes dark. Cofleins error in pin pointing the site have cost me dearly, I failed completely to find it first time back in December, and now it seems I'm not going to find this time either, only a gorse covered bank with one stone is all I've found, I don't think that is it. I'm about to give up for a second time when I spot some stones on the hill side above the path that goes by the Llyn. I thought that was the house platform that the map says is up there somewhere. I decide that it's not far up to it so I scamper up the slope, for the view more than any expectancy that they are the ring cairn. But, I'm amazed to find that the few stones I could see from below turn out to be the ring cairn, and it's a good one. Gobsmacked, infuriated, giddy with the moment of discovery and utterly knackered I sit up hill of the ring and take in it's full form. The ring cairn is best appreciated at its south west side where the stones stand proud of the ground and there is an obvious gap for an entrance. The stones on the east side have possibly been buried by the slow slide of soil from the hillside right next to the ring of stones. It is in a somewhat strange place, perched above the valley floor in a hollow but below a rocky outcrop and more hills, it sits in a small amphitheatre which in turn sits in a bigger one. It's all very curious. More curious is the layout of the stones, the ring has a double skin of large stones laid on edge, with cairn material filling the void between inner and outer ring of stones, a bit like Carnedd Y season less than five miles south west. But much more like the Blaewearie ring cairn far away in Northumberland. But I've spent too long looking in the wrong place and now the sun has definitely gone down and darkness encroaches, it is sadly time to run round like an idiot trying to get pictures in the half dark. On my way back I climb up the hill opposite the ring and looking down I wonder why I didn't cotton on to the sites true location earlier. I've stood here before and looked upon it, but without, "the knowledge" it's just another nice North Walean view. By the time I reach the car it is pretty dark, but looking to the mountains their vale of low cloud has drifted away and revealed a smattering of snow on the higher peaks, the snow does not come below Drum. Did you know....... That Snowdonia at night is completely free of cloud and it never rains, saving it for our daytime. Probably. |
Posted by postman1st February 2015ce Edited 1st February 2015ce |
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Coflein says........ A large ring of stones, circa 12m in diameter with wall circa 1.5m wide comprising large flat upright orthostats with an entrance at the south-west, marked by large orthostats and facing out on to the natural slope of the ground. Postman says....... I couldn't find it. But, my optimistic penned in dot on the map was not quite in the right place. Now upon my return home ive found other cists and kerb cairns very close by so I will return soon, maybe on the winter solstice. |
Posted by postman 21st November 2014ce Edited 21st November 2014ce |
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