thesweetcheat

Looking north.

Black Darren cairn, with “parasitic” sheep shelter on top. Looking SE.

Cefn Hill, seen from Black Hill.

Looking towards Black Darren (peaking out from behind Red Daren) across the fertile farmland of the Olchon Valley, from Black Hill.

Garway Hill, the prominent hill on the skyline (at least I hope it is!). The viewpoint is the Cat’s Back ridge on Black Hill to the west.

Seen (just about) in the landscape context of the meandering River Teme. The viewpoint is Panpunton Hill above Knighton.

Llanfair Hill barrow, from the byway to the ESE.

Looking ESE. The backdrop to this picture should be one of the finest stretches of Offa’s Dyke, as it climbs Llanfair Hill. Sadly, the extensive views from the barrow were lost in fog.

Looking SW across the top of the barrow.

The barrow from the north-east.

Fron Camp from the SW. Castle Idris, with its own Iron Age settlement, can be seen to the left.

Seen from the ENE. The fort is at the left hand end of the hilltop, centre. Newcastle on Clun church nestles in the lea of the hill. Mid-Wales disappears in the mist beyond.

Long zoom to the ramparts. The viewpoint is the later earthwork of Offa’s Dyke, at the halfway point on Offa’s Dyke Path.

Seen in poor visibility, centre, from Offa’s Dyke to the north-east.

Iron Age sword from Twn y Gaer, on display in the National Museum of Wales.

Bronze “strap-union” decorated in the La Tene style, found at Maendy Camp and now on display in the National Museum of Wales.

Beautiful star-shaped faience bead from Breiddin Hill Camp, on display in the National Museum of Wales.

The original decorated stone, now displayed in the National Museum of Wales.

Small stone bead on display at the National Museum of Wales.

Small stone bead from Ty Isaf, on display in the National Museum of Wales.

Bone pin from Lligwy on display in the National Museum of Wales.

Bone pin from Bryn-yr-Hen-Bobl on display in the National Museum of Wales.

Beautiful flint knife from Penyrwrlodd, on display at the National Museum of Wales.

Fragmentary remains of Neolithic pottery from Ty Isaf, on display in the National Museum of Wales. According to the label: “The earliest reconstructable pot in Wales. About 3700 BC”.

Bone pin from Ty Isaf, on display at the National Musuem of Wales.

Two small flint knives found at Ty Isaf, on display at the National Museum of Wales.

Finds from Paviland in the National Museum of Wales. L-R: Bone tool; Mammoth ivory pendant (it’s about the size of a hen’s egg); stone tools.

The entrance at the southeastern corner of the NE fort.

Possible hut circle built against the southeastern rampart of the NE fort.

The southeastern rampart of the NE fort, towards its southern end.

The southeastern rampart of the NE fort.

The northern end of the NE fort. Starey sheep continues to provide scale.

Looking along the rubble-built rampart of the NE fort, at its northern end.

Approaching the northern end of the NE fort (Piercefield Camp). The low rubble bank of the rampart can be seen as a moss-green line, with the starey sheep standing on it.

The northeastern rampart of the SW camp.

The rampart of the SW fort, at its southwestern side.

The southeastern rampart of the SW camp, one of the few places where it can be seen free of tree-cover. The ground slopes away steeply to the south-east.

The ruins of the Grotto, within the SW camp.

The small standing stone at the NE corner of Piercefield Wood Camp (the SW of the two forts). Although not apparently prehistoric, the stone is a handy marker to show you’re on the right track, as the woods here are quite dense and the small fort is heavily overgrown.

Harold’s Stones depicted in woodcarving along the Trellech historical trail. The carving also depicts the motte and bailey and the sundial in the church.

There have been some attempts to turn one of the trees into a “cloutie” tree.

The tallest stone.

Two large cupmarks on the middle stone.

Autumn evening landscape context, from the Pony Path. The fort is on the left hand slopes of the prominent ridge in the centre ground. The skyline backdrop is provided by Y Garn (left), the Arenigs (far centre) and Rhobell Fawr (right).

Mynydd Moel on the left, from Cyfrwy further west on the Cadair Idris ridge. The large summit cairn, now hollowed out to form a shelter, is behind the prominent outcrop visible from here.