GLADMAN

From a distance, the monument appears a (sadly) typically ‘hollow’ cairn. Happy to report it is most definitely not.

Looking approx eastward across the cairn...

What lies beneath is key...... towards the lush Conwy valley.

Again, note the footprint. Moel Siabod can be seen skyline framed by Pen Llithrig-y-Wrach and Pen Yr Helgi Du.

The very substantial Bronze Age footprint is hopefully self-evident here.

The strangely cairn-less Foel Fras (3,092ft – or c942m, if you have no subtlety) rears beyond, a brief interlude in the supreme monumental Bronze Age procession... all the way to sentinel Carnedd Llewelyn. Carnedd Uchaf is next in linear progression (clearly, nationalist imbeciles have no right to change age-old mountain names) with Foel Grach the penultimate.

Looking northward toward the former ‘axe factory’ of Graig Lwyd upon ravaged Penmanemawr.

The farcical ‘idiot shelter’ sits upon the vast prehistoric footprint.

Easter 2022: the great cairn – apparently intact as late as 1956 – has been utterly gutted.... nay criminally vandalised.... by those who really should know better. However, tangible structure plays but a small part in these monuments. It is the ‘sense of place’ that no ignorant fool can destroy. The Conwy Estuary and Great Orme can be seen on either side of distant Tal-y-Fan. But that’s another, wondrous story.

The approach from Pen y Castell to the (approx) southeast is greatly foreshortened – and even so, daunting for an old-timer – but, to my mind, an excellent route avoiding all the route-marching muppets. Carnedd y Ddelw is seen to the right.

The headland looking from the east...

Looking south-eastwards along the coastline from Dunraven... this provides ample scope for a series of cliff/promontory forts... the next in line a small, yet wondrous enclosure at Cwm Bach; then a powerful site at Nash Point.....

The main western defensive bank from within the enclosure..

Looking east along the ‘Heritage Coast’. Plenty more ‘forts that-a-way, too.

The western defences are really rather impressive for a cliff fort. Eroded, too.

Clearly, the western defences were intended to face the full force of any attack...

For obvious reasons, this is what is known as a ‘cliff fort’. The enclosure occupies the majority of the cliff top, much more presumably having been reclaimed by the sea.

Those with good eyesight might make out the great Garn Wen across the cwm..

A blizzard is borne swiftly away upon very strong winds....

Always good to see a bit of obvious cist...

Looking toward no less than a trio of upland enclosures... Hatterrall Hill (left), Ysgryd Fawr (centre-leftish), and Twyn y Gaer.

So, the cairn upon Graig-ddu that’s actually marked on the map, then.

Ysbugor-wen is that-a-way...

The larger monument...

The Gelli-nedd hillfort rises beyond to the southwest.. with the Plas-y-gors cairn sited to the (approx) northwest (right) and those at Ysbugor-wen beyond the wall to the south (left), a pretty good circular walk can be improvised from Ystradfellte.

A pretty decent enough pair of cairns – one clearly the primary – set to the north of those at Ysgubor-wen..

OK, not the largest of upland cairns... but decent enough, to be fair.

Complete with authentic South Walian rain splodges.

Located about half a mile (or so) north (or so) of the excellent Gelli-nedd hillfort...

Southern flank. A compact little hillfort well worth seeking out sooner rather than later.

To south-east.

Northern rampart, looking westward... the crag falls sharply away to the west rendering minimal artificial work necessary (as far as I could tell).

Northern defences, looking east(ish).

Eastern flank, looking north(ish). Fan Gyhirych battles with the inclement South Walian weather, beyond.

To the north – the most powerful defences facing the path of least resistance, as one would naturally expect. Including a rock-cut ditch, it would appear.

To the south/south-west... highlighting the shattered ‘rock pavement’ prevalent in the area.

For such an assumed ‘peripheral site’ the defences are quite substantial. This is to the south-east.

Viewed from the north... this is a tidy, well-sited hillfort set amongst a landscape of numerous Bronze Age cairns.

With (at least) several more cairns plus an excellent hillfort in the locale, I did wonder why I hadn’t been here sooner? But there you are.