thesweetcheat

Looking south towards the large northern cairn, prominent despite the fog. The main Stiperstones ridge path, a hard, stony walk, is seen on the left.

The northern cairn.

Looking across the huge northern cairn towards Manstone Rock.

The large northern cairn.

Close-up of the tor cairn south of Manstone Rock.

“Tor cairn” south of Manstone Rock, visible in the background. The cairn is built around a natural outcrop. A modern marker cairn can be seen next to the path beyond.

The outcrop cairn, looking north. Manstone Rock, the highest point on the Stiperstones, can be seen to the right.

The view southeast from the outcrop cairn. Be-cairned Heath Mynd (left) and Corndon Hill (right) are the prominent hills.

The impressively sited cairn on top of the outcrop south of Mainstone Rock.

The outcrop south of Manstone Rock. The Bronze Age cairn is on top of the rocks, hidden in the photo by the pointy rocks.

Looking north towards the large (unnamed?) outcrop south of Manstone Rock. Improbably, but rather brilliantly, a large Bronze Age cairn has been perched on the top of the outcrop, requiring an easy scramble to visit it.

Looking towards Cranberry Rock from the south. There is a cairn somewhere in this vicinity, but I can’t claim to have found it.

There is supposed to be a cairn to the south of Cranberry Rock, which I didn’t find. However, this circular stone scatter next to the path looked a little too “placed” to be wholly natural. Not sure if it is anything though. The fogged hill in the background is Corndon, with its own collection of magnificent cairns.

The round-topped Heath Mynd, seen from the Stiperstones ridge to the north.

The western barrow, seen from the east on the byway running below the Stiperstones.

The eastern barrow, seen from the NE.

The impressive eastern barrow, although the caravan doesn’t add much to the ambience.

The eastern barrow.

The eastern barrow, known as The Napp, is a large mound under the trees in the centre of the picture. From the west.

The prominent western barrow, from the north.

The western barrow under midwinter sun.

The fine western barrow.

The western barrow from the west. Stiperstones ridge forms the backdrop.

The barrow can be seen prominent on the skyline, to the left of the mast. From Mynydd Henllys cairn cemetery.

Mynydd Machen from the ramparts of Twmbarlwm hillfort.

Cairn III, looking towards the Bristol Channel.

There is an upright slab in the mound of Cairn III – remains of a cist or chamber?

Cairn III is a long, stony mound, much disturbed.

The top of Cairn I, looking towards Mynydd Machen (left of centre) and Twmbarlwm hillfort (right).

Cairn I, looking SW.

Cairn I.

The top of Cairn I, looking towards the Bristol Channel and Somerset beyond.

The excellent Cairn I, as good a round cairn as I’ve seen in South Wales.

The much-disturbed centre of cairn II. There are some very substantial stones in the mound, one of which is standing up on end.

Cairn II (the northernmost) is being slowly destroyed by trees.

Mynydd Henllys cairn cemetery from the SW. The well-preserved cairn I is prominent in the centre.

Twmbarlwm from the road near Mynydd Henllys cairn cemetery, as light snow began to fall again.

Looking down on the southeastern rampart from the top of the motte.

The motte, from the interior.

The interior, looking towards the top of the motte.

The southeastern rampart, looking towards be-cairned Mynydd Machen.

The southern end of the fort. Somerset is visible across Bridgewater Bay to the south.

The northwestern rampart.

Impressive rampart at the northern end of the fort.

The NE corner of the fort. The sun shines on the Mynydd Henllys cairn cemetery to the east.

Approaching from the northeast. The Norman motte is prominent.

Twmbarlwm from Mynydd Henllys.

Twmbarlwm (centre, rising above the trees) see from the southern ridge of Mynydd Maen to the north.

It’s overgrown and little visited, but still a winner of a site.