thesweetcheat

The semi-circular rubble bank, curving away from the round house.

Detail showing the thickness of the round house walls.

Remains of a large round-house on the eastern slopes of Rhossili Down. Looking towards Llanmadoc Hill and Hardings Down.

An apparent rampart can be seen cutting across the back of the fort. The Preseli Hills can be dimly seen on the centre skyline.

Looking across Llangennith Burrows towards the almost-cut-off fort, from Rhossili Down.

This may be Bessie’s Meadow Cairn, but I’m not entirely certain.

The chamber, with slipped capstone.

Looking south.

Another substantial slab, presumably the capstone.

Enormous slab in the jumble. The site is so disordered that it’s not even possible to know if this was an upright or some kind of cap.

The megalithic jumble of Sweyne’s Howes South. The northern chamber can be seen beyond.

Approaching from the south. There is a small ring cairn to the SE of the southern chamber that I didn’t know about. It can be seen in the bottom right here, but it’s best seen in Billy Fear’s picture. Carmarthen Bay can be seen in the background.

Cairn V, showing the saucer-shaped interior. Carmarthen Bay can be seen in the background.

Cairn V, not shown on the OS 1:25000.

Looking north across the Ring Cairn, towards the Sweyne’s Howes burial chambers and Bessie’s Meadow.

The neat Ring Cairn, looking SW towards the main cairn group on the ridge.

The kerb preserved around the northern perimeter of Cairn I. The Beacon can be seen on the right skyline.

The substantial Cairn I, slowly being claimed by the heather.

Looking across Cairn II towards Worm’s Head.

Cairn II ring cairn. Distant Mynydd Preseli is visible across the bay to the NW from here.

Cairn II, a superb ring cairn, looking NNE to the end of the Down and Llanmadoc Hill.

Detail of the pinkish stone of Cairn VII.

Scanty remains of Cairn VII. The Beacon and Cairn III are silhouetted on the skyline beyond.

The hollowed centre of Cairn III, looking towards The Beacon.

The remains of a kerb of large stones around the base of The Beacon.

Looking SW across the top of The Beacon, towards Worm’s Head.

The Beacon, a substantial cairn situated on the highest point of the Gower peninsula. To the left the promontory fort of Burry Holms can be seen, to the right be-cairned Llanmadoc Hill. The coastline around Carmarthen Bay is the dark line in the far distance.

The unimpressive Cairn IV, only a few protruding stones and its general shape identifying it at all.

The eastern ditch.

Looking along the eastern bank towards Rhossili Down.

The southern arc of the earthwork.

The western arc of the earthwork, showing natural bedrock incorporated beneath.

Looking across Rhossili Bay from the sheer cliffs that form the northern side of the fort. The small “island” on the left is Burry Holms (another Iron Age site), on the right is the northern end of Rhossili Down.

The southeastern bank.

The southeastern arc of the rampart.

Seen from the coast path from Rhossili. The small fort occupies the flat top of the headland.

The fort from the southwest near Gattertop.

The southeastern entrance into the main camp. This may be a second “original” entrance, the banks appear slightly inturned rather than simply being cut through to accomodate the track.

The impressively counterscarped inner face of the eastern rampart.

The massive eastern bank and outer ditch, looking south.

Looking into the fort at the NE entrance. The curving banks block any sight of the fort interior.

The impressive northeastern entrance, looking outwards. High inturned banks flank the curving passageway.

The northern stretch of the rampart of the earlier fort. Here there is a decent external ditch, albeit overgrown.

The entrance into the earlier camp.

The outside of the bank of the earlier fort. There is no sign of an external ditch along this section, although it may simply have been filled in.

The SE rampart of the smaller, earlier fort.

The driveway/bridleway cuts through the massive western rampart.

The wooded fort seen from the bridleway to the northwest.