Carn Biga

Also known as:
Pumlumon Cwmbiga
Nearest town:
Llanidloes (13km E)
OS reference:
SN830899
OS sheets:
135, 136
Latitude:
52° 29' 38.42 N
Longitude:
3° 43' 24.78 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Toward Pen Pumlumon-Arwystli from the satellite cairn at SN8297590045. The small matter of the birthplace of the Afon Hafren (the mighty River Severn) lies in between.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Towards the Pumlumon Cwmbiga cemetery’s two main cairns from the site to approx north-west at SN8297590045. According to Coflein, there is an adjacent, clearly much less obvious cairn which I did not clock at the time. Coflein says: “A sub rectangular cairn, with some evidence of structure to it, on a local knoll just off a summit. It measured 5m north-south by 3m and was 0.50m high, with a stone “tail” downslope to the south, curving round to the east. On the northern side of the cairn there appeared to be a kerb. No quartz was observed in the cairn although there is a lot of surface quartz around generally. J.J. Hall, Trysor, 9 September 2006”

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Reprising the 1995 image........ The main summits of Pumlumon rise beyond the southern cairn, crowned by multiple massive cairns.... in between, upon the ridge to right, lies the source of the Afon Hafren (Severn). Incidentally, the River Wye rises beyond Pen Pumlumon-Arwystli, the nearest of the high summits to camera, the Rheidol below Pen Pumlumon-Fawr, far right skyline. That’s three major rivers sourced on one mountain massif, with every summit populated by significant Bronze Age cairns. Strange, that.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking across the southern cairn to the northern.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

A quartzite block surmounting the northern cairn... a nice touch. Hopefully, it is still there?

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The northern cairn viewed from the great southern monument..

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Looking approx north-west towards Carnfachbugeilyn, just visible upon the left-hand skyline. The stone pile seen centre-left mid-ground would appear to be the cairn cited by Coflein at SN8297590045. I wasn’t aware of its apparent sister site at the time of my visit.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

The sight approaching from approx east signifying the end of the brutal struggle through the Hafren Forest... this is a superb pair of upland cairns.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 18, 2020
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

A face-off between modern and ancient symbols of power... to be honest, even in a pretty sharp wind, the wind turbines weren’t moving. Having said that, the vibe here was sure moving me.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 14, 2015
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

Toward the Hafren Forest...

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Apr 14, 2015
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by GLADMAN

This vintage (as in age, not quality) image from 1995 looking from northern to southern cairn.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 10, 2010
Image of Carn Biga (Cairn(s)) by caealun

More for refrence than photographic quality. This picture was taken at full zoom with handheld compact camera from the path to the source of the River Severn. Will return when the weather permits.

Image credit: Derfel
caealun
caealun Feb 18, 2007

Articles

Carn Biga

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Dec 11, 2011

Traditionally one of the ‘Three Mountains of Wales’, it’s fair to say that Pumlumon does not possess the overwhelming physical grandeur of either Cadair Idris or Snowdon, its celebrated companions in the triumvirate. Viewed from the main A44 Aberystwyth road to the south, Pumlumon displays no soaring, razor-sharp aretes, a paucity of naked rock... in fact little architectural splendour to raise the pulse and encourage the punter to don boots. No, Pumlumon’s charms are a lot more subtle, more ethereal, requiring a lot of effort from prospective suitors... like the woman who, despite lacking the classical aesthetic attributes, nonetheless holds the attention of every man in the room.... without them being able to grasp why. I guess it could be described as ‘allure’, this mass of soggy, Mid Walian high ground seemingly exerting a magnetism over humankind – the local Bronze Age inhabitants being the prime example – which transcends the manner in which we view the everyday world. How else would it have managed to be in the ‘top three’, so to speak?

I’m glad to say that there is a pretty obvious, not to say fundamental explanation as to why this should be ... the poor drainage which was so lamented by travellers of yore is paradoxically Pumlumon’s crowning asset, accounting for the massif sourcing no less than THREE major rivers in the Hafren (that is, the Severn), Wye and Rheidol. Incredible. If ever a mountain could be termed ‘Mother of Rivers’, surely Pumlumon has first bagsy? What’s more, in my opinion it should also be acknowledged as Wales’ – if not the UK’s? – greatest upland Bronze Age cemetery, even surpassing Snowdonia’s Y Carneddau. Yeah, virtually every summit is crowned by an ancient cairn, a number of which are very substantial indeed. I know of no other upland area with such a concentration of these monuments within a relatively small locale. [Suffice to say... if there is, lemme at it!]. So... what are the odds that Pumlumon’s two superlative attributes are connected.... and it was selected to be the ritual capital of the ‘Citizens Cairn’d’ because it was viewed as literally representing the very font of life back in the Bronze Age? Doesn’t sound at all far-fetched to me.

‘Pumlumon’ translates as ‘Five Stacks’, presumably a local reference to the five main summits since there are many more than that number of great Bronze Age cairns gracing the main ridge alone. Two of the finest are located at the eastern extremity of the main ridge, upon Pumlumon Cwmbiga. The southern of this pair is clearly the larger [see misc post], although both would appear to have had their upper sections rebuilt in times unknown. I can live with that since, for the most part, structural integrity would appear to have been maintained, the monuments unsullied by the shameful ‘walker’s storm shelter’. I can also live with the two quartzite ‘nipples’ which further enhance the cairns’ representation of what some might see as a pair of breasts when viewed from a distance, this perhaps reinforcing the ‘life-affirming’ symbolism’ inherent in the locale of the rising of the Afon Hafren.

The panorama surveyed by the cairns is expansive to the north, with Cadair Idris and the hills of Southern Snowdonia resplendent in serried rank under a pristine blue sky. The sadly trashed Bronze Age cairn of Carnfachbugeilyn [my next objective] rises to the north-west beyond the remains of another cairn of uncertain origin, whilst to the approx south-west the main Pumlumon ridge leads towards the major summits of the range beyond Blaenhafren, source of the river. Looking to the east, a phalanx of wind turbines crowns a hillside beyond the Hafren Forest, through which I made my approach to this wondrous spot today.

A minor road from Staylittle, a small settlement at the northern tip of Llyn Clywedog, passes a number of ‘tumuli’ – love that word – to pass Cwmbiga farm. Roadside parking is available here, a well-maintained forestry track following the right-hand bank of the Afon Biga into the back of beyond. Eventually, this encounters the headwall of the cwm, veering sharply to the left before a cascading stream. Ascend to the right of the stream as best you can to reach a parallel, higher track. In retrospect, it is advisable to trend right here for a hundred yards or so before continuing on the ascent line... in order to avoid both some very rough terrain resulting from forestry operations and several deep, transverse gulleys. Soon the northernmost Cwmbiga cairn should be visible on the horizon. Persevere and let a fenceline be your final guide....

Don’t forget to pay a visit to Blaenhafren and stand in bemused wonderment at the enormity of what it represents, the twin cairns crowning the eastern skyline as if they just HAD to be there. Choose a fine day – any other kind would be risking literally everything upon a landscape as brutal as Pumlumon – and ponder that a massive suspension bridge or two are needed to span the output of this murky pool when it reaches the Bristol Channel. To be honest my poor brain couldn’t cope with that at the time. Need to get metaphysical and build a cairn or two if I ever return, methinks.

[Update] – if you indeed choose to approach from Cwmbiga farm note that a probable Neolithic long cairn resides within the trees a little to the east.... albeit requiring quite a rough approach beside the Afon Biga.

Miscellaneous

Carn Biga
Cairn(s)
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 9, 2010

Coflein has the following regarding the two Bronze Age funerary cairns which grace Pumlumon Cwmbiga, just two of a series which crown the various summits of this remote Mid Walian mountain range:

Northern – ‘the northernmost of two large, Bronze Age stone cairns on a local summit named Carn Biga. This northern cairn is 17.5m in diameter and 2m high, with a more recent cairn, 2.5m in diameter and 1m high built on its centre. A shelter has been built into the east side of the cairn, above which a drystone wall 1m high, had been constructed between the cairn centre and the shelter. A small cairn was recorded just northeast of the cairn. When the site was visited in August 2006, it was observed that there was very little quartz in the earlier cairn, which was noticeable given the quantity of surface quartz in the area.‘

Southern – ‘This southern cairn is 14m in diameter and 2.5m high, with a more recent cairn, 2.5m in diameter and 0.8m high on it. Some stone had been removed forming shallow hollows. ‘

Incidentally, the source of The River Severn (Afon Hafren) is a little way due west of the cairns upon the main Pumlumon ridge.

Sites within 20km of Carn Biga

Like all websites everywhere, we use cookies.