Esgair Fraith (Cynwyl Gaeo)

Nearest town:
Lampeter (7km WSW)
OS reference:
SN64834826
OS sheet:
146
Latitude:
52° 6' 56.42 N
Longitude:
3° 58' 27.61 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Esgair Fraith (Cynwyl Gaeo) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The substantial prehistoric footprint is evident here, I think.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 23, 2022
Image of Esgair Fraith (Cynwyl Gaeo) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Hint of a cist within the northern cairn...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 23, 2022
Image of Esgair Fraith (Cynwyl Gaeo) (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Southern cairn, with northern visible background, left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 23, 2022

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Miscellaneous

Esgair Fraith (Cynwyl Gaeo)
Cairn(s)
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Jul 23, 2022

Two Bronze Age cairns still reside upon Esgair Fraith, the south-western terminus of what (for convenience sake) I’ll term Craig Twrch, in deepest Mid Wales. Having missed out on an audience last year due to a cloud base seemingly down to my ankles – or at least it appeared that way – I duly return this year... and was not disappointed.

The southern of the two appears the larger nowadays, owing to a modern ‘marker’ cairn surmounting the prehistoric base; however, I reckoned its neighbour, although lower in profile, possessed more detail: the remains of a kerb, perhaps? Hey, or even that of a cist?

What was not in any doubt was the fabulous views to be enjoyed... looking out across the enigmatic Carreg y Bwci (now what is THAT all about?) or, upon swinging around, to the north-east to gaze along Craig Twrch itself. Plenty more cairns a mile or so that-a-way, should one be curious enough and fancy going walkabout. As it happened, I did.

Coflein reckons:

Southern: “A large summit cairn, measuring 12 metres in diameter and still up to 0.40 metres high, although a modern marker cairn has been built with cairn stones on top of the monument. There is some evidence of a kerb... A possible cist, measuring 0.70 metres square, lies just to the south of its centre.”

Northern: “A stone cairn, measuring 10 metres in diameter by up to 0.40 metres high. There is some evidence of a kerb and also a possible central cist appears to be exposed” [both R.P. Sambrook, Trysor, 26/3/2013]

Sites within 20km of Esgair Fraith (Cynwyl Gaeo)

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