Entrance feature
Images
Looking northwards
Looking southwards
Looking westwards. The star marker in the background indicates the nearby associated cairn (the star markers are to inform soldiers not to damage the sites marked).
Articles
The usual type of small Breconshire stone circle comprising of low stones.
Experts believe it to be late Bronze Age or in use for a very short time because of the looseness of some of the stones.
It is the only fully excavated stone circle in the old county. This work was carried out in the early 1940s shortly after the MoD took over the land. Since that time many of the stones have gone missing.
Until the discovery in 1994 of a stone circle further north, it was previously the most northerly of the concentration of stone circles in the western part of the old county.
The bleakness of the upland heathland makes the feel and views from Ynys Hir similar to those in the nearby Mynydd Bach and Nant Tarw examples, ie. wind, no trees, sheep, marshland.
To visit, as Kammer has posted below, will entail contacting SENTA (Sennybridge Training Area) for written permission. They do have a website, and parts of the firing range are being opened up to public access.
However, Ynys Hir will never be fully open as it is located in the central impact area (all ranges for safety purposes aim into the centre of the range).
The best time to visit is usually August when the range is least in use.
I had an excellent visit which involves:
Electronic security gates
Briefing (don’t pick anything up or try to talk to soldiers as you may become involved in an exercise)
Car pass
Having to use X Range Exchange to telephone back to HQ when I was on and coming off of the range.
The circle is a good 20min + drive away from where you have to sign in and pick up your car pass.
From X Range Exchange to the circle is a 10min + walk up an old unsurfaced track (muddy in wet weather).
Sadly, on my visit quad bike tracks were visible running through the circle.
Important Information
This site is within on an MOD firing range, so unless you have a death wish, you’ll need to get permission to visit it. There’s more information on the Megalithic Walks page, linked to below.
Latest (2011) info, including contact details and links, about MOD restrictions around Sennybridge.
Another page from this excellent Web site by Graham and Angela Tickner.
Sites within 20km of Ynys Hir
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Garreg Fawr (Llanfihangel Nant Bran)
link 1 -
Garn Wen
description 1 -
Tri Chrugiau, Mynydd Epynt
photo 7 description 1 link 2 -
Maen Richard
description 1 -
Clawdd Brythonig
description 1 -
Varlen Cairn, Traianmawr
description 1 -
Blaen Clydach Fach
description 1 -
Twyn-y-Gaer (Trallong)
description 2 -
Mynydd Pen-y-Fal (Sugar Loaf)
photo 10 description 1 link 1 -
Cae’r Maen
photo 8 description 1 -
Defynnog Church
description 1 -
Tyle Mawr
photo 9 description 2 -
Mynydd Epynt (Eastern)
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Twyn-y-Post
photo 10 description 1 -
Garn Dwad
photo 12 description 1 link 1 -
Pant Madog
photo 8 description 3 -
Cefn Clawdd
photo 8 description 1 -
Y Pigwn
photo 35 description 6 link 1 -
Battle
photo 6 description 2 -
Gwaun Ymryson
photo 7 description 1 -
Y Pigwn Cairns
photo 11 description 3 -
Cefn Pal Hillfort, Cynghordy
photo 8 description 1 link 1 -
Y Gaer (Defynnog)
photo 1 description 1 -
Fennifach
description 3 -
Twyn-y-Gaer (Mynydd Illtyd)
photo 10 description 2 -
Pen y Garn-goch
photo 9 description 1 link 1 -
Tyle Bychan
photo 4 description 2 -
Cwm Henwen Cairn
photo 10 description 2 -
Cwm Henwen
photo 10 description 3 -
Coed Fenni-fach
photo 1 description 2 -
Mynydd Illtyd
photo 3 description 4 -
Bedd Gwyl Illtyd
photo 6 description 3 -
Nant Cwm Dwfn
photo 1 description 1 -
Gwern Wyddog
photo 9 forum 1 description 2 -
Cerrig Cynant
photo 20 description 3 link 1 -
Bryn Poeth Uchaf South
photo 18 description 2 link 1 -
Pen y Crug
photo 26 description 4 -
Daudreath Illtyd
photo 4 description 4 -
Carreg Garn Fawr
photo 18 forum 1 description 1 -
Bryn-Poeth-Uchaf North
photo 15 description 2 -
Nant Gwyn (Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn)
photo 6 description 1 link 1 -
Tywn-Y-Gaer (near Llaneglwys)
description 1 -
Tomen-y-Rhos
photo 10 description 2 -
Pen Twr Ring Cairn, Cefn Gardys
photo 7 link 1 -
Carn Wen
photo 1 description 1 -
Carn Twrch
photo 6 description 1 -
Twyn-y-Big
photo 20 description 1 -
Cerrig Cewri
photo 8 description 1 -
Esgair Garn, Llanddewi Abergwesyn
photo 8 description 1 -
Banc Paderau
photo 6 description 1 link 1 -
Garn Wen, Llanfihangel Abergwesyn
photo 9 link 1 -
Pant Meddygon
photo 15 description 3 -
Blaenau Uchaf
photo 9 description 3 -
Banc y Celyn
photo 21 description 1 -
Llwyncelyn-Fawr
photo 1 description 1 -
Foel Darw, Y Mynydd Du
photo 6 description 1 -
Waunewydd
description 1 -
Fan Frynych
photo 31 description 2 -
Pen Caenewydd, Mynydd Myddfai
photo 16 description 1 -
Pen y Waun Dwr
photo 4 -
Pen y Waun Dwr Stone
photo 5 description 1 -
Nant Tarw
photo 67 forum 4 description 5 -
Llwyn Bedw Settlement, Pen Milan
photo 1 description 1 -
Garn Las (Llywel)
photo 12 description 3 -
Ty Newydd
photo 6 description 1 -
Ty Newydd Stone Row
photo 3 description 1 -
Craig Cerrig-gleisiad
photo 9 description 1 -
Slwch Tump
photo 12 description 3 -
Gelli
photo 8 description 1 -
Blaen Glyn
photo 23 description 1 -
Maen Cam
photo 1 description 1 -
Dol y Felin
photo 4 description 2 -
Moel Feity
photo 12 -
Plas-y-Gaer, Allt Ddu
photo 2 description 1 -
Capel Rhos
photo 3 description 1 -
Bannau Sir Gaer
photo 29 forum 1 description 3 -
Garth (Duhonw)
photo 8 -
Esgair Irfon
photo 10 description 1 -
Waun Leuci
photo 29 description 6 -
Rhyd-wen Fach stone setting
photo 3 description 2 -
Waun Leuci stone setting
photo 12 description 4 -
Tawe valley Triangle
photo 12 -
Darren (Llanafanfawr)
photo 5 description 1 -
Poppy Stone
photo 2 forum 1 description 1 -
Afon Tawe
photo 3 description 1 -
Waun Leuci cairn
photo 2 description 3 -
Twyn-Llechfaen
photo 1 description 1 -
Waun Leuci summit
photo 18 description 2 -
Cefn Gwenffrwd
photo 2 description 1 -
Tre Durn Wood
description 1 -
Nant Mawr, Fforest Fawr
photo 32 description 1 -
Twr y Fan Foel
photo 46 description 3 -
Cerrig Duon and The Maen Mawr
photo 61 description 11 -
Fan Foel
photo 40 description 5 -
Pen y Fan
photo 52 description 9 link 1 -
Corn Du
photo 34 description 5 -
Nant-y-Llyn, Y Mynydd Du
photo 20 description 1 -
Cilgwyn
photo 2 -
Maen Llia
photo 99 forum 7 description 22 link 1 -
Twyn y Garth
photo 10 -
Drostre Bank
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Pen-y-Gurnos
photo 8 description 2 -
Llech Lia
photo 12 description 1 -
Rhyd Uchaf
photo 13 description 3 -
Fan Nedd (north east)
photo 11 description 2 -
Fan Nedd (Northern summit)
photo 34 description 2 -
Twyn y Garth barrows
photo 7 -
Gurnos
photo 8 description 1 link 2 -
Fan Gyhirych
photo 33 description 2 -
Maen Hir
photo 2 description 1 -
Blaen Henllan
description 1 -
Picws Du, Y Mynydd Du
photo 29 forum 1 description 3 -
Pen-yr-Allt
description 1 -
Carnau, Cwmdeuddwr
photo 8 description 1 -
Cribyn
photo 15 description 1 -
Cnwch Eithinog
photo 10 -
Ty Mawr
photo 4 description 1 -
Cnwch Eithinog
photo 8 description 1