Images

Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Drosgl is the rounded summit to the right of centre skyline. Looking across Cwm Llafar from Foel Meirch.

Image credit: A. Brookes (26.8.2017)
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The massive main cairn upon Drosgl can be made out top right... even at this distance. The shattered natural rock piles of the Berau rise to the left. Viewpoint is near the great summit cairn of Moel Wnion.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Even the great Drosgl cairn (centre) is swallowed up by the immensity of the Northern Carneddau uplands.... looking from the castellated Bera Bach, Anglesey lying beyond across the Straits. Moel Wnion is far right of image

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by postman

Zoomed at from the rocky pinnacles of Carnedd Gwenllian (or uchaf)

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by postman

Zoomed from Foel Fras. The two cairns are on the mountain between the two big rock stacks Bera Bach and Bera Mawr.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The Drosgl cairns are placed to face the coast... across the Menai Straits to Ynys Mon.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking toward Drosgl’s (modern) summit cairn from the monumental prehistoric example. Although the cairns upon Carnedd Llewelyn (left) and Carnedd Dafydd, two of Wales’ premier mountains, crown the skyline it is obvious from the siting they were not the focus of the Drosgl pair. That appears to be the sea. Incidentally I would have expected ponies, rather than sheep, up here........

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking to Drosgl (near top) from from crags of Gyrn Wigau. Garnedd Uchaf can be seen extreme top right.... with the great monuments of Foel Grach and Carnedd Llewelyn ending the procession out of shot. Some procession, if indeed that is what it was?

Interestingly, perhaps, the middle two stone piles are natural... arguably incorporated within the ritual landscape? Or maybe the artificial cairns were erected to adorn mountain tops which lacked a natural one? So many questions...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Funnily enough no (prehistoric) cairns are in frame here, with Llwytmor, Bera Mawr and Foel Fras (left to right). Having said that I reckon Bera Mawr and its higher neighbour Bera Bach (not a typo, that) are almost as iconic natural rock piles as Castell y Gwynt

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Snow-frosted Carnedd Llewelyn snags the cloud base upon the skyline... with Foel Grach to its left. Garnedd Uchaf is just visible a little to the left again, not to be confused with the two craggy natural summits of Yr Aryg and Bera Bach, far left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The sibling cairn displaying evidence of kerbing. The seaward view includes a prehistoric axe factory Graig Lwyd and Copper mines Great Orme... so has no right to look like that.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The smaller kerbed cairn, looking NE. Llwytmor Bach is the ridge on the far right. Beyond that rise the hills above Penmaenmawr, the general vicinity of the Druid’s Circle complex.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.4.2013)
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The main cairn, looking west. Moel y Ci, with its own cairn, is the dark hill far below, far left. Ynys Mon lies across the Menai Straight, right skyline.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.4.2013)
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The massive summit cairn, looking SSW. Carnedd Dafydd emerging from cloud on the left, Moel Eilio far right, western Glyderau out of sight behind the cairn.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.4.2013)
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The two ponies show us the way to Drosgl, seen from Gyrn Wigau. The larger summit cairn can be seen on the left (the pointy one on the right is modern). Bera Bach and Carnedd Uchaf rise beyond.

Image credit: A. Brookes (18.4.2013)
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by postman

From the south west, big ancient cairn on the left and little modern walkers cairn on the right.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by postman

The little cairn with kerbing, and Moel Wnion beyond, and Angelsey beyond that.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by postman

Two cairns surmount this wonderful hill top, they couldn’t be more dissimilar.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by postman

The big cairn and Angelsey, it’s farther away than it looks.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by postman

The big cairn and the tops of inner Snowdonia.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Sometimes it’s just obvious why Bronze Age communities wanted to intern their ‘special ones’ upon high. Obvious, but try putting it into words.......

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Sunburst upon the main funerary cairn.......

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Note the much smaller northern cairn, with kerb (top left-ish). I believe this was also excavated in 1976.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking approx east towards Bera Mawr, Bera Bach and Llwytmor (far left). The (probable) funerary cairn upon Garnedd Uchaf is far extreme top right. No doubt at all about the ancestry of the Drosgl cairns, however...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Towards Moel Wnion and Anglesey... the orientation towards the coast is, I would suggest, pretty compelling?

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Image of Drosgl Cairns (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The very substantial main funerary cairn, excavated in 1976.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone

Articles

Drosgl Cairns

We approached from the south west, parking in Gerlan on the east side of Bethesda. As we gain some height, the wind which had been negligible down by the car began to get stronger, fortunately at this point it was pushing us up the hill, TSC reminded me of the wind on Carnedd Llewelyn last year and I make the unwarranted assertion that it’s not that strong yet. The wind soon began to be the third member in our highland walkabout, we shall call him windy.

We make for the Drosgl summit as directly as possible, the walk was mostly nice and easy, it’s not too boggy, other parts of Snowdonia are mostly boggy, but here it is obligingly firm and dry. To the east the mountain views are long and wide from on top of Gyrn Wigau, all the high Carneddau are strung out before us from Foel Fras to Pen yr Ole Wen, all speckled with snow hidden from the sun.
In the opposite direction is cairn topped Moel Faban, ditto for Moel Wnion, and beyond these shapely hills Angelsey floats amid a tropical looking sea.
Behind us is the not so pretty site of the Penrhyn quarries, a massive ugly scar forced upon the most lovely countryside in Wales, a constant reminder of Mans willingness to sell even the ground under his feet.

Half way between Gyrn Wigau and Drosgl are two rock stacks, the path, such as it is , weaves between them.
As we approach them they appear to us as rocky sentinels, guarding the higher “heavenly” lands, we pick one and sit out of the wind as best we can. Just below us three wild-ish ponies are grazing on the wide ridge, they seem utterly ignorant of old windy. The sight of the high mountains to our east growing dark in cloud shadows, then bright and colourful in the bright sunlight, are really very easy on the eye. We head on.
The footpath wont take us to the top of Drosgl, instead it passes by on the south side and carries on up to Carnedd Uchaf, now renamed as Carnedd Gwenllian (Why, how and by whom I dont know). We take the path as long as we can and then bolt off to our left just making for the highest point, it gets very rocky on the summit, thousands of tonnes of broken shattered rock, enough cairn material to create a whole cairn cemetery. There are three cairns here, the highest point is occupied at the moment by a small walkers cairn. It also has the best view of the mountains.

Away from the mountain view, on the north west edge of the summit plateau are the other two cairns, obviously the view this way was far more important to them, but is it the sea ? or is it Angelsey that holds such captivation ?
Windy is now in a far more playful mood, if you turn your back on him for a moment he’ll try and push you over, if you turn and face him its like being continuously hit in the face by an eleven year old with a heavy pillow, just like it in fact.
We sit in the wind shadow cast by the big cairn admiring the view over Moel Wnion, immediately beyond our feet is the strangest cairn up here, sited as to be oblivious to the geographical grandeur behind us and the big cairn. It is apparent it’s been reconstructed, the large kerb stones are perfect and obvious, no slippage here. But among all the superfluous cairn material it is hard to discern, it only reaches a height of perhaps two feet, regarding it from the north it is all but invisible. The big cairn overshadows it somewhat as well, being at least ten times the size, it is flat topped and hazardous to walk across, not vengeful spirits, nor some overwhelming respect for ancient monuments, just trying to protect your ankles.
It is roundabout now that I internally concede that it is now as windy or windier than it was last year up on Llewelyn, you have to brace yourself against it just in order to take a picture. Windy is fair screaming in my ears like a Harrier jump jet hovering before me, I cant hear a word Alken says and instead try to read his lips/facial expressions/ posture. We decide that this isn’t the time for sitting around and watching, so we agree that a walk over to the twin rocky citadels of Bera Mawr or Bera Bach would be most beneficial. In the end just one wouldn’t do, so we have a scramble all over them both telling ourselves it’s training wheels for Tryfan in the summer. I hope so.

But now it is time to move on some more, sadly all on the way back to the car, we head for Moel Wnion but change our minds as windy has brought his mate with him, Drizzle.
Minds changed we head straight for Moel Faban, via a mellow gorge named Bwlch ym Mhwll-le, the weather likes our decision and shows it’s sunny side. But from here, it is somewhere else’s field notes.

Drosgl Cairns

A rather narrow and meandering path heads up the slopes of Drosgl from Gyrn Wigau, fairly gentle at first then steepening after we cross a footpath running up from the direction of Moel Wnion. Rounding the shoulder of the mountain it becomes obvious that the path will not take us up to the summit, so we head off and upwards over increasingly rocky terrain. The wind that has been at our backs so far now blows across our route, trying to steer us off course and making progress difficult. At length we make it up onto the rounded summit plateau. The main prehistoric cairn here is enormous. As Gladman notes, it doesn’t crown the summit itself (that honour being left to a pointy modern effort) but instead turns its face to the northern panorama. The vista is awe-inspiring, the wonderful Ynys Mon to the northeast, with Moel Wnion in the foreground. To the north the sea stretches away, and there is a fine view of Llwytmor to the northwest with the Orme in the distance beyond. At our backs, the highest Carneddau tops drift in and out of the clouds. Oh yeah.

Just a few metres north is a smaller cairn (apparently restored after excavation) with a neat kerb of larger blocks. Plenty of suitable material to choose from on this entirely rocky summit. It’s interesting to ponder the relationship between the two cairns and the people who were lain to rest in them. Were they contemporaries? Or did hundreds of years separate their interments? Only the wind might know the answer, but it’s speaking in a language we don’t understand.

We sit in what little shelter we can find, contemplating the next move. My leg feels okay, and the rocky tops of Bera Mawr and Bera Bach look sooo close. Happily Postie is up for an extension of our walk to take them in, so we leave the cairns and head off the top. It’s a blessed relief to get out of the wind as we descend the eastern slopes to the boggy col below.

Drosgl Cairns

According to my ancient log books, my only previous visit to Drosgl was way back on 28/6/94 during one of those mammoth mountain treks I used to do in those days... yeah, right. That was then, but this is now. However a chance discovery of an archive print suddenly put a return back on the agenda. To be honest I wish it hadn’t, but what can you do? So, with ‘mammoth mountain treks’ clearly not an option, an approach from Bethesda, via Gyrn Wigau seemed the best bet in order to avoid humiliating failure...... sure, no-one would know, but you can’t fool yourself, can you?

I wake before dawn, the tent and car encased in a thick carapace of ice and promising a fine day. Right on!... now where’s that de-icer? In the garage. Doh! Anyway, with care it is possible to park in Gerlan, the community perched above Bethesda, a stereotypical ‘slate town’ at the northern end of Nant Ffrancon. From here, passing a bunkhouse and derelict Spar, a named minor road leads to Ciltwllan, a small cluster of houses, beyond which tarmac reverts to rough track. Even in the early stages the scenery is dramatic, Carnedd Dafydd – one of Wales’ premier mountains – dominating the skyline to the right. Nice. At a large sheep enclosure an ancient iron gate allows access to the open, grassy flanks of Gyrn Wigau which rise to the north east. A couple of stiles assist the traveller across dry stone walls until the freedom of the hills is yours! Yeah, a minor, but obvious sheeptrack-cum-path then leads the way up the ridge towards Gyrn Wigau’s craggy summit – an excellent viewpoint, particularly looking towards the coast to Moel Wnion and Moel Faban’s cairns and related prehistoric settlements. Not to mention Ynys Mon – Anglesey itself – lying in splendid isolation across The Menai Straits. Note also a further settlement below Gyrn Wigau’s southern flanks within Cwm Caseg.... Hmm. All may be silent now in this unfashionable corner of The Carneddau, but clearly this was once far from the case.

Eventually, however, the eyes are drawn further up the ridge to an apparently small cairn upon the next summit, that of 2,484ft Drosgl. Moving on, a well made track swings in from the left heading towards the spiky, castellated crags of Bera Bach which rise beyond. Although this steadily gains height, it actually skirts to the south of Drosgl’s summit... I followed it before circling back, but, in retrospect, a direct approach is probably better. Whatever way you arrive, the sight of the summit plateau, liberally covered with boulders, is memorable and somewhat unexpected after all the preceding grass. Plenty of raw material for cairn building, then.

Needless to say the cairn builders did not disappoint. No sir. OK, the (I assume) modern cairn marking the summit is a very average effort, but the prehistoric versions, significantly sited to the north overlooking the coast and NOT overlooking Cwm Caseg and the heart of The Carneddau, are anything but. Hell no! Excavated in 1976 (see miscellaneous post), two cairns are readilly seen, the southern of which is by far the larger and very impressive by any standards, the northern much smaller, but with visible kerb. Both cairns apparently contained cists when excavated, the southern two (one of them intact), the northern ‘just’ the one. The larger cairn has clearly been restored to present what I assume is as near as dammit its original appearance. No dodgy storm shelters deface this beauty, contributing to what would be a fine mounument in any location. However placed up here...well... I’ll spare you the usual cliches. Suffice to say these two cairns pay host to a superb hang with exceptional, contrasting views of coast and brutal upland landscape.

But that’s not all. Very strong walkers may wish to continue past Bera Bach (I got this far) and on to Garnedd Uchaf/Foel Grach, both the latter crowned by their own funerary cairns..... needless to say keep an eye out for mist, however, since this is very serious terrain indeed. On the return back to Gerlan I’m greeted by a somewhat idiosyncratic Irishman dressed in shorts... ‘bejasus, I’ve been warmer in the snow, so I have’, he says. Or something like that. Yeah, don’t come to the Northern Carneddau and expect the ordinary......

Miscellaneous

Drosgl Cairns
Cairn(s)

According to The Gwynedd Archaeological Trust (PRN758):

[the] ‘Two cairns on Drosgol were excavated in July 1976. The main, originally 2m high, with a flat top, was slightly oval, and was constructed on a prepared surface of small chippings. It consisted of an inner oval cairn 7m by 5m, with a well defined kerb of pillar shaped blocks standing on end, and two further concentric skins of cairn material, each with revetments surviving up to 1m high. The cairn covered two cists, the larger had been robbed but cremated bones were recovered. The smaller cist was polygonal, its capstone still in position, the only find here was a 1921 silver three penny coin and bottle glass. A second cairn 10m N has a well defined kerb of orthostatic and laid blocks, 4m by 3. 5m by 75cm high. This contained a previously disturbed cist with an intact cremation deposit.‘

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