Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd

Nearest town:
Menai Bridge (5km ENE)
OS reference:
SH505703
OS sheets:
114, 115
Latitude:
53° 12' 30.03 N
Longitude:
4° 14' 19.83 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd (Natural Rock Feature) by thesweetcheat

We saw this sub-circular feature in the field near the gorsedd. Not sure if it’s natural, but doesn’t look a million miles off a ring or kerbed cairn.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.6.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 8, 2012
Image of Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd (Natural Rock Feature) by thesweetcheat

Large cupmark at the edge of the rocks, near to the group of five.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.6.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 8, 2012
Image of Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd (Natural Rock Feature) by thesweetcheat

View of the chambered tomb and the Snowdonian backdrop from the top of the Gorsedd.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.6.2012)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 8, 2012
Image of Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd (Natural Rock Feature) by postman

Five ? cupmarks and one more off picture by the clump of moss upper left

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Dec 10, 2010
Image of Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd (Natural Rock Feature) by treehugger-uk

Standing stone at the foot of the Gorsedd its visible from the path on the way to Bryn Celli Ddu.

Image credit: treehugger-uk
treehugger-uk
treehugger-uk Sep 3, 2005
Image of Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd (Natural Rock Feature) by Moth

Bryn Celli Ddu itself in background, right

Image credit: Tim Clark
Moth
Moth Aug 30, 2003
Image of Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd (Natural Rock Feature) by broen

The shadow of bryn celli ddu gorsedd looking towards bryn celli ddu. Looks to resemble the mound itself.

Image credit: broen
broen
broen Feb 5, 2003

Articles

Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd

Rhiannon
Rhiannon Apr 13, 2025

It’s not that far a walk from the car park to Bryn Celli Ddu. But far enough that my mind was full of thoughts of what it might be like. You can’t particularly see the tomb until you pop out of the hedges right at the end. So my expectations were high. But I felt weirdly underwhelmed by this place. I suppose I have got a problem with distinguishing reality and imagination. But what more do you want Rhiannon, it’s got everything you’d think you’d like? Perhaps it was so different from your average stone-in-a-field or collapsing dolmen that it felt wrong to me. Too messed with. Too neat.

When I went inside I was really appalled at the amount of tat (sorry, respectful offerings) inside. I wanted to sweep it all into a bin bag and take it away. I probably would have done but there were other visitors and I was vaguely aware they might think I was being disrespectful. Particularly egregious were the hand prints and crosses painted on the stones. Conceivably, the builders of the tomb might have liked your sea shell or even that hideous leather owl. But a cross?? Painted on?? Just stop imposing your 21st century beliefs on someone from 5000 years ago.

Yes I felt quite irritated by now, at myself for not “feeling the vibes” and feeling a bit flat, and also at the graffiti.

Then I noticed the gorsedd. I really liked the gorsedd. It felt like the important bit. I should have found a way to get to it. But it was starting to rain and I felt Mr Rh had been imposed upon enough. If I came back I’d go over there straight away.

Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd

broen
broen Feb 10, 2018

The shadow of the gorsedd is to me more important than the gorsedd itself. Visiting the site at the correct time is essential to see this phenomena.
Bryn celli ddu is an exact replica of the gorsedd shadow when the sun is behind you as you look towards the monument itself.
Similar to maes howe, new grange and stone henge the ancients have this way of perfecting light trickery..
Do not miss this when visiting it adds another dimension to an already facinating site..????

Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd

postman
postman Dec 10, 2010

The Gorsedd is seperated from the burial chamber by a thick wall and hedge, to get to it climb over the enclosure fence through the gate over two fences and a stream, probably a bit too much for some visitors but a wander around and over the outcrop is I’d say essential. Like Iron man says it’s a good place to sit and watch the burial mound.
How I missed all the cupmarks on my first visit I don’t know, perhaps it was all the cows gathering around the rock like a crowd at a sermon, or perhaps you just don’t see what you don’t know is there.
The cupmarks are on the highest part of the Gorsedd, in two groups, an arc of three cups and two metres away at least six more, five of which were in a definite pattern (to me they looked like they formed a sword type shape) with a few more thrown in seemingly at random here and there. Or were they?

Bryn Celli Ddu Gorsedd

IronMan
IronMan Apr 2, 2002

Lying in the adjacent field this huge outcrop offered us the perfect peace and solitude to view and contemplate the burial mound without much fear of being disturbed. From the top it is perfectly clear that the mound and the nearby menhir are aligned with this gorsedd.

Topics

bryn celli ddu Gorsedd - shadow 7
broen
broen
Feb 2003

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