Ffon-y-Cawr

Also known as:
Arthur's Spear, Giant's Staff and Picell Arthur
Nearest town:
Penmaenmawr (5km NW)
OS reference:
SH737717
OS sheet:
115
Latitude:
53° 13' 36.98 N
Longitude:
3° 53' 31.88 W

Images

Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by postman

Pen y Gaer hill fort in the distance, Ffon y Cawr standing stone, Sarn Helen Roman road below, maybe.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Oct 26, 2015
Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by thesweetcheat

Across Dyffryn Conwy. The first “bump” on the ridge to the right is Pen y Gaer hillfort. The second bump is the be-cairned top of Pen Llithrig y Wrach.

Image credit: A. Brookes (10.11.2014)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jan 14, 2015
Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by thesweetcheat

In its hillside setting. The remains of a low field boundary can be seen in the foreground. The Drum ridge is engulfed in cloud on the skyline.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (30.7.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 31, 2011
Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by thesweetcheat

Deliberate or otherwise, the lean on the stone is pretty alarming.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (30.7.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 31, 2011
Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by thesweetcheat

Use as a rubbing stone has worn away the packing at the base.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (30.7.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 31, 2011
Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by thesweetcheat

With Carnedd Penyborth-Goch on the summit of Drum beyond.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (9.7.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 28, 2011
Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by caealun

May be a ring cairn behind the stone to the left??

Image credit: Derfel
caealun
caealun Jan 9, 2008
Image of Ffon-y-Cawr (Standing Stone / Menhir) by postman

Note how the lower half is moss free and worn smooth. Here be sheeeeeep!

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Sep 20, 2007

Articles

Ffon-y-Cawr

postman
postman Sep 20, 2007

If it stood up straight and tucked its shirt in it might be 7ft tall, but its got a severe lean. (like that stone near Carsington water). I thought once that it might fall over one day, but after seeing the equinox sun rise over Moelfre uchaf and noting that the stone leans towards it I wonder if it might be intentional. The centre stone at Boscawen un also purposely leans so it wouldn’t be a first.

Ffon-y-Cawr

treaclechops
treaclechops Apr 7, 2005

This stone points in very phallic style towards the Conwy valley. There wasn’t time to get much closer than a squint from the wall side, due to the weather conditions, but thinking about it now, I would like to see how it lines up with Cae Coch, which is very different.

Ffon-y-Cawr

stubob
stubob Sep 18, 2002

Just along the track from Maen-y-Bard, like Ironman says walk along the roman road from the YHA. Gives you a real feel for the place.

Folklore

Ffon-y-Cawr
Standing Stone / Menhir
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Dec 2, 2002

Why, you may ask, is this stone leaning at such an angle? Well, it wasn’t placed here carefully, it was actually thrown from the top of nearby Pen y Gaer (a hillfort). A giant was up there, and he’d left his flock of sheep in the protection of his sheepdog. However, the dog had sneaked into the protection of a nearby cromlech (Cwt y Bugail) for a crafty nap – so the missile was thrown in an attempt to wake him up and put him back on the job.

(from Chris Barber’s More Mysterious Wales)

Topics

Ffon-y-Cawr Standing Stone(s) 1
R
rdavymed
Sep 2003

Sites within 20km of Ffon-y-Cawr

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