thesweetcheat

The two uprights I found, looking towards Bolventor. If there are another three stones in this alignment, I couldn’t see them.

The two uprights of what I took to be the end of the row practically on the cairn.

With Brown Willy to the right.

Looking northeast. Buttern Hill is extreme left, Bray Down left of centre and Hendra Downs (The Beacon) is over on the right. All have cairns.

The slabs on top of the cairn. Looking south towards Bolventor/Jamaica Inn. The prominent hill on the right is (I think) Brown Gelly.

Looking west over the top of the cairn, towards Butter’s Tor and Garrow Tor behind. The Emblance sites (Leaze, King Arthur’s Hall, etc) are beyond the forestry.

Approaching the cairn from the north-east. The distant hills on the far left skyline are St Austell Downs, where the china clay spoil now overtops Hensbarrow Beacon.

Offcuts.

Some of the apparently later addition stones in the foreground.

Lady Downs cairn.

The Lady Downs cairn.

The stone of Lady Downs cairn appears to be a mixture of smaller stones that form the typical make-up of a round cairn, and larger blocks with sharp edges that may well have been dumped here. Looking towards Zennor Hill and Trendrine Hill.

The large but mutilated cairn on Lady Downs.

The best section of kerb.

What appears to be another kerb stone in the centre foreground. The best preserved section is over to the right.

This part of the kerb is a little less overgrown than on our previous visit. The hill rising behind is Castle-an-Dinas.

The telegraph pole is a good marker if you’re looking for the low cairn in summer vegetation (it’s to the left).

Northeastern rampart.

Multiple lines of defences on the eastern side of the fort. Looking towards Penzance and Newlyn. The Castle an Dinas quarry keeps going, rather close to the fort.

Roger’s Tower like a giant’s sandcastle. Looking towards the Lizard and St Michael’s Mount.

Well-preserved stonework of the inner rampart on the south side of the fort.

Looking down on the overgrown outer ramparts on the northeastern side of the fort. Hillforts on the distant skyline include Carn Brea (left of centre) and Castle Pencaire (far right).

The northern entrance, looking east. Trencrom is in shadow straight ahead. Over on the left is the white sands of Hayle estuary and Godrevy, beyond that is St Agnes Head and the north coast of Cornwall.

Impressive height still in the northern ramparts.

Retrospective view in the context of the Rheidol valley; Disgwylfa Fawr is the high hill on the left above the forestry. The conical hill in the centre is Drosgol.

Looking up Nant Dinas from the SSW, with the hillfort on top of the steep hill on the right of the stream.

Dinas from the ford to the west, below Disgwylfa Fach. Y Garn is the shadowed mountain on the left.

Landscape context for the cairn circle in the Rheidol Valley, seen from the slopes of Disgwyfa Fach to the west.

Big skies over an excellent monument.

With Bae Ceredigion on the horizon.

The excellent panoramic view to the northeast; Drosgol on the left above the Nant-y-Moch reservoir, Pen Pumlumon Fawr centre and Y Garn to the right.

Looking north. Cader Idris crowns the distant skyline, just right of centre. Far right is (I think) Aran Fawddwy.

Looking south over the top of the mound.

Stones in the lower edge of the mound, forming a kerb of sorts.

The massive barrow. The pointy hill on the left is Drosgol, the rounded summit on the far right is Y Garn, Pen Pumlumon Fawr is peaking over the edge of the barrow, right of centre. All have cairns of their own.

Disgwylfa Fawr on the right, seen from Banc Syfydrin to the west. The massive barrow or cairn is in the highest point of the hill. Pumlumon over to the left.

Looking southeast. The stream of the valley which these stones stand in is a tributary of the Afon Rheidol.

Looking west, Calf in front, Cow behind.

Looking northeast towards Disgwylfa Fawr.

Looking south towards Esgair Gorlan.

Mynydd March standing stone.

Mynydd March standing stone.

Some elevated landscape context from the wooded ridge to the east. The promontory fort is in the forestry on the ridge to the left, Pendinas hillfort near Aberystwyth is visible in the distant centre, while near the top of the steep hillside on the right is Pen y Graig-ddu earthwork (approximate position indicated), which may be either a ring cairn or an enclosure. The valley in the bottom is Nant Cwm-y-Graig.

Dinas in the centre, with Disgwylfa Fawr rising on the right. Seen from the minor road to the east, across the Afon Rheidol.

What a superb site this is. Looking north up the Rheidol valley to (what I assume is) Drosgol, which is topped by cairns.

Graded stones in the SW arc. The white on the tops is wool, so the stones are obviously convenient for a good scratch.