thesweetcheat

Taken from the NE, showing more clearly the size of the original, larger mound that the pyramidal cairn sits on.

Looking NW. The central Beacons are obscured by cloud to the left. Allt yr Esgair, with its IA fort, is the pointy hill to the right.

Mynydd Pen-y-Fal seen across the Usk Valley from Darren Cilau north of Twr Pen-Cryn.

Looking ENE, showing the large scatter of sandstone blocks that no doubt were part of the original cairn.

The cairn (far right) in its landscape, looking north towards Mynydd Troed and Pen Cerrig-calch.

Crug Hywel camp, left of centre in the picture, seen from across the valley (Mynydd Llangatwg). Eglwys Faen cairn is in shadow on the right.

Seen from the west, with Pen y Fal (The Sugarloaf) behind.

Seen in silhouette from the NE.

Close-up showing the displaced blocks.

Looking ESE. Twr Pen-cyrn cairns are on the far left of the picture.

Looking NW across the mutilated cairn.

Approaching the cairn from the east, the dark bulk of Waun Rydd on the skyline to the left. Pen y Fan and Corn Du would be visible, but choose to hide themselves in cloud.

Looking eastwards over the cairn, with the Twr Pen-cyrn summit cairns just visible on the skyline.

Looking towards Pen y Fan and the central Brecon Beacons.

Looking NW, Mynydd Llangorse and Mynydd Troed to the right.

Approaching the cairn from Twr Pen-cyrn summit cairns. Mountains of the Brecon Beacons fill the horizon.

Showing proximity to the summit cairns.

Another view, looking east.

Is this it? The only circular stone arrangement I found near the cairns, although it looks more like the remains of a ring cairn than anything you could call a ‘stone circle’. There is a circular band of stones, incorporating some larger blocks on the right.

Hen Dy-aderyn cairn. Pen y Fan and the central Brecon Beacons can be seen in the distance.

Hen Dy-aderyn cairn in front of the much larger NE summit cairn. The Black Mountains on the left, Pen-y-Fal/The Sugarloaf on the right.

Hen Dy-aderyn cairn, looking roughly SW towards the Valleys.

Looking back to the SE cairn from the NE cairn. Blorenge beyond on the left.

The massive NE summit cairn, together with the trig-topped Hen Dy-aderyn cairn next to it.

The huge SE cairn – variously numbered on Coflein. Ysgyryd Fawr (The Skirrid) can be seen to the left.

Smaller cairn to the SW of the summit group. Not sure if this is prehistoric or later, it may be the cairn Coflein numbers VII. Behind it is the much larger – and definitely prehistoric – SE cairn. The Sugar Loaf (Pen y Fal) can be seen to the left, Ysgyryd Fach right of centre, Blorenge far right.

Temporary post of map. The “cairns” shown on the 1/25000 OS map are the “field system” on this one.

The ring cairn is the top right of the four dots in the “cairns” area. The other three are Cairn I (top left); Possible fallen stone (bottom left); and Cairn II – kerb cairn (bottom right).

View of the eastern cairn, looking south with Blorenge behind.

The eastern cairn, looking towards Pen y Fan and the central Brecon Beacons.

The eastern cairn. Looking towards Twr Pen-cyrn, with its own cairns.

The summit of Pen y Fal from the Mynydd Pen-y-Fal ridge in the vicinity of the eastern cairn. The summit is not visible from the western cairn.

Pen Cerrig-calch seen from Pen-y-Fal. Pen y Fan and the central peaks of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) can be seen to the left, Pen Allt-mawr directly behind Pen Cerrig-calch to the right. In the middle distance, the ridge of Mynydd Pen-y-Fal stretches away westwards. Every one has its share of Bronze Age cairns.

Landscape context, seen from Mynydd Llanwenarth to the ENE across the Usk valley. The cairns are on the highest part of the ridge, centre of image.

On the summit ridge, looking south.

Seen from Edmund’s Tump to the east.

Seen from Crug Hywel. The cairns are on the ridge, far right.

Seen from Crug Hywel hilllfort. Pen-y-Fal rises above the Grwyne Fawr valley.

Viewpoint is Ysgyryd Fawr. Pen Cerrig-calch and Pen Allt-mawr rise beyond.

Seen from the slopes of Blorenge.

The SE quadrant.

Circle, NE quandrant.

The Cove and central circle.

Longstones in winter, last bits of snow on the hillside beyond.

With WKLB on the skyline to the left.

(Not quite) seen from Waden Hill.

Seen from WKA in mist and the last of the snow.

West Kennett Avenue, with the last remnants of snow clinging to a misty Waden Hill.

Looking westwards across the SE quadrant.

Pen Cerrig-calch dominates the town of Crickhowell. Crug Hwyel hillfort is on the right. Seen from Alisby’s Castle across the roofs of the town.

Crug Hwyel left, with the south-eastern escarpment of Pen Cerrig-calch on the right.