Cwm Tywyll

Also known as:
Nant Cwm Tywyll
Nearest town:
Bala (13km W)
OS reference:
SJ046334
OS sheet:
125
Latitude:
52° 53' 21.05 N
Longitude:
3° 25' 5.11 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

The southern cairn, looking towards Arenig Fawr and Yr Wyddfa.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.9.2023)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 21, 2024
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

The southern cairn, a bit more overgrown than on my previous visit. Looking towards Yr Aran ridge (centre), with Foel Cwm Sian Lwyd beyond to the right.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.9.2023)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 21, 2024
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

Southeastern arc of the outer bank of the ring cairn. The footpath fingerpost is new, it may provide a helpful landmark to finding the cairn (assuming it’s still there).

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.9.2023)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 21, 2024
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

Looking across the ring cairn towards a distant Yr Wyddfa.

Image credit: A. Brookes (13.9.2023)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Dec 21, 2024
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by GLADMAN

The round cairn – worthwhile on its own.......

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Nov 9, 2019
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by GLADMAN

The adjacent round cairn.... not to mention the vagaries of Y Berwyn’s climate.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Nov 9, 2019
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by GLADMAN

Towards Carnedd y Ci... I was tempted... but in the end, a continuation to the cairn across the Nant Eisgeiriau won out. Good decision, too – for once – bearing in mind the week’s coming exertions.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Nov 9, 2019
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by GLADMAN

As my rucksack makes clear, this is a pretty substantial monument........

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Nov 9, 2019
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by GLADMAN

To be honest, such a fine ring cairn as this is not something I expected to find toward the lower extremity of Cadair Berwyn’s great western ridge. But there you are. Pleasant surprise.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Nov 9, 2019
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

Once you know it’s there, the bank is obvious. But easy enough to walk straight past if you’re not looking.

Image credit: A. Brookes (24.3.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 15, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

Detail of the northeastern arc of the ring cairn, the head of Cwm-pen Llydan behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (24.3.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 15, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

Large concave slab just below the ring cairn, which is immediately behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (24.3.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 15, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

The eastern arc of the bank, with Carnedd y Ci rising behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (24.3.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 15, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by thesweetcheat

General view of the ring cairn, looking northwest down the Nant Cwm Tywyll.

Image credit: A. Brookes (24.3.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Apr 15, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by postman

The Cefn Penagored ridge is in the background, it’s got a couple of kerb cairns.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Mar 25, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by postman

The cairn on the other side of the footpath.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Mar 25, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by postman

The cairn on the other side of the footpath.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Mar 25, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by postman

The cairn on the other side of the footpath.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Mar 25, 2018
Image of Cwm Tywyll (Ring Cairn) by postman

It must be a ring cairn it’s got a sweatcheat in it.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Mar 25, 2018

Articles

Cwm Tywyll

postman
postman Mar 26, 2018

After spending time at Nant Esgeiriau cairn and then Pennant cairns we gave over some time to have a good look round the Cwm Tywyll ritual complex.
Avebury, Stonehenge, Ness of Bordgar, these are all ritual complexes too, but lack of fame isn’t the only difference between those and here.
A few cairns, a ring cairn and a small standing stone are what it takes to be dubbed “ritual complex” here in the North Walean uplands. An ignorant walker would walk right on through it without noticing it, there are no temples or trilithons here. It’s a subtle complex.
But still quite beautiful, the views in all directions stir the soul. We never saw no small standing stone, just a cairn and the ring cairn, coflein only says it’s a possible ring cairn, but i’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that Thesweatcheat and myself have been to more ring cairns than the person who said possible, and we say definitely a ring cairn.
I’m not sure I discerned the three eccentrically concentric stony rings, it’s a bit of a messy ring cairn, for sure, but still a ring cairn.
A small cairn is across the footpath, worthy of note only because of it’s close proximity to the ring cairn.

Cwm Tywyll

Idwal
Idwal Oct 2, 2006

Immediately to the north-east of the path by the footpath sign. GPS reading SJ 0469 3346. Three very low banks with lots of stones are visible.

Coflein gives the following description: “Three eccentrically concentric stony rings, each c.2.0m thick, 20m overall diameter, the innermost circle, c.6.0m overall diameter. Part of what is designated the ‘Cwm Tywyll ritual complex’”

There is also a round cairn of 6m diameter immediately on the other side of the path. GPS reading SJ 0466 3344.

Both are on a plateau with superb 360 degree views.

Topics

Hi Idwal - Nice work in Berwyn 2
whatisthat
whatisthat
Oct 2006

Sites within 20km of Cwm Tywyll

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