Parc y Garreg

Standing Stone / Menhir
SN152114

Also known as:

Parc-y-Garreg

Nearest town:

Narberth (6km WNW)

OS reference:

SN152114

OS sheet:

158

Latitude:

51° 46' 12.78 N

Longitude:

4° 40' 43.28 W

Added to TMA by

Kammer

Images (4)
Fieldnotes (3)
Links (1)

Images

Image of Parc y Garreg (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Merrick

Facing down the hill with a clear line of sight to the field a mile or so away containing The Longstone

Image credit: Annwen

Merrick Feb 26, 2005

Image of Parc y Garreg (Standing Stone / Menhir) by Kammer

Taken 8th August 2003: Parc y Garreg viewed from the north east (or there abouts). At last the cows have moved away a bit, and with some judicious cropping in Photoshop, this is almost a cow-free photo.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Kammer Sep 30, 2003

Taken 8th August 2003: The stone from the south west(ish). Once again Heifer 1-93 is in the photo. She’s determined that I won’t disturb her grazing.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Kammer Sep 30, 2003

Taken 8th August 2003: The stone from the west, with Heifer 1-93 refusing to budge. I suppose she gives an idea of scale.

Image credit: Simon Marshall

Kammer Sep 30, 2003

Articles

Parc y Garreg

Standing Stone / Menhir

CARL Mar 13, 2014

Visited 12.3.14

Directions:
From Narbeth take the B4314 south-east. Continue south towards Ludchurch but take the turning left (east) at the crossroads just before you get to Ludchurch. The standing stone is about 1 mile along this minor road on your left. As with most other sites in this part of the world the stobe can’t be seen from the road due to the high bank/hedgerow. It can be seen from the top of the bank.

Since the previous TMAers visits there has been some serious changes to the site. There is currently a road being built right through the field in a north-south direction before turning parallel to the road (other side of hedgerow). There is a lot of construction work being undertaken.

I therefore had to settle for a view from the top of the bank.

On a more positive note the road isn’t right next to the stone so (other than spoiling the setting) shouldn’t pose any threat.

The stone looked pretty bathed in the evening sunlight.

Parc y Garreg

Standing Stone / Menhir

Merrick Sep 7, 2004

The stone’s about 5ft high, similar in size and shape to The Longstone a mile away, and with the same orientation. The thin edge points straight to The Longstone.

I’m always wary of being too keen about sightlines – it seems such a maps & diagrams attitude, very Roman linear, the vision of someone new on the landscape who needs exaggerated simplicity and obviousness.

The megalith builders knew their landscape well, they didn’t need sightlines cos they just knew what lay beyond the hill the same way you and I can find our way round the bedroom even when the light’s off. They were far subtler, moving with the curves of the land.

Still this stone unquestionably points straight at The Longstone. The presence of two tumuli a few hundred metres east points to a real continuity of ritual focus here.

And I start to really wonder about the ‘fort’ just up the hill. It’s a gentle sloping hill, so although it’s the highest ground hereabouts it’s still not the best site for a defensive fort. Furthermore, from up here there’s a great view of the bay to the south, and once you get to the top of the hill where the ‘fort’ is there’s that on one side and Mynydd Preseli on the other, a place of tremendous significance.

The stone’s very weathered, not made of the same stuff as the Longstone. It’s been used as a livestock rubbing post, but even so it’s very lichened and it makes me doubly suspicious about the shiny new look of The Longstone.

visited 26 Aug 04

Parc y Garreg

Standing Stone / Menhir

Kammer Sep 30, 2003

Visited 8th August 2003: Parc y Garreg is not visible from the road because of an enormous hedgerow. The field it stands in is not directly accessible from the road either, but is adjoined by a field that has a gate onto the road.

The stone stands close to a hedgerow that runs north-south, and when I visited it was surrounded by cattle. One heifer called 1-93 seemed to be particularly fond of the stone, and was clearly reluctant to budge just because I was there. Making the best of the situation I decided she would provide me with some scale for my photos (after all she did get there first).