thesweetcheat

The far-reaching view north to the Brecon Beacons and Fforest Fawr. Corn Du and Pen y Fan are prominent, centre skyline.

The superb view down the Dar/Dare valley towards Aberdare and the Cynon.

Looking SSE towards the forests above the Rhondda Fach. The Cynon Valley is far left.

The cairn itself is not big, but the positioning is definitely clever.

Looking northwest towards the highest part of Mynydd Bwllfa.

Looking west, the rising ground behind the cairn blocks off the views of hills that a rapidly becoming a large wind farm.

The cairn is on the lip of the escarpment immediately ahead. The Mynydd Cefn-y-gyngon settlement is far right, middle distance, with the mountains of Fforest Fawr on the skyline above.

Foel Goch seen from Cerrigpenrhyn on the Dyfi estuary.

The cone-shaped island was original part of the fort interior, before 2000 years of erosion separated it from the mainland. The surviving portion of the site tops the cliffs to the left of the island.

The view from below.

Looking across the Dyfi estuary towards Gwynedd.

Chamber and capstone.

Looking NNE. The Tarrenau mountains form the perfect frame for the summit of Cadair Idris from the cairn.

Looking ENE. The hill rising beyond is Foel Goch, liberally scattered with cairns.

Looking south.

Foel Goch from the west. Pen y Foel Goch cairn is on the summit, various other cairns are located on the lower slopes.

Tarrenhendre is the rounded mountain on the left, Tarren y Gesail its companion on the right. The summit of Cadair Idris is framed between them. The view point is near Bedd Taliesin across the Dyfi in Ceredigion.

The trees in this forest were mature, thriving here before Stonehenge was begun.

As well as the tree stumps, there are extensive areas of compacted peat exposed at low tide.

4000-5000 year old tree stumps, exposed at low tide at Borth.

The Dyfi estuary. The submerged Mesolithic forest would’ve filled the bay on the left. The skyline is formed by the Tarrenau, of which Tarrenhendre is crowned with a large Bronze Age barrow. Cadair Idris is behind the Tarrenau ridge.

The line of the Sarn Cynfelyn causeway is highlighted by the tide.

Sarn Cynfelyn.

The landward end of the Sarn Cynfelyn causeway (SN58508575), which stretches 7 miles out into Cardigan Bay. The little square building is a lime kiln.

A bit hazy, a bit blurry for my zoom, but this is our first sight of Yr Wyddfa from the Wales Coast Path.

The single rampart of the northern annexe.

The strongest part of the defences, separating the fort from its northern annexe (the darker green field beyond).

The mouth of the Afon Ystwyth flows beneath the western flank of the hill. It follows a swift navigation channel, but once would have spread across the wide mouth of Tanybwlch.

The impressive multivallate defences on the east of the fort.

The southern defences.

The rampart at the southern apex of the fort. The track crosses the earthwork, but this is not an original entrance.

Approaching from the south, through heavily scented gorse in full bloom.

This little well is next to the path on the western slopes of the hill.

From Tanybwlch beach.

Pen Dinas, with the yellow flowering gorse, seen from Allt Wen to the southwest.

Whatever the origins of the cairn, it’s certainly been reconfigured in modern times.

Approaching the cairn on the coast path. This is a dramatic setting.

The landscape setting of the cairn, set above Pinderi Cliffs.

The two forts seen from the coastline to the west. The hills form the last high ground before a wide, flat plateau of fertile land set a little above sea level.