The pair of great cairns upon Y Garn – or, perhaps more correctly, Carn Drws-y-Coed – appear sited specifically in relation to the ridge upon which they sit.... as if you had to be up here to be ‘in the know’.... otherwise excluded.
The viewpoint is Trum-y-Ddysgl, the soaring arete that of Mynydd Drws-y-Coed. Yr Wyddfa pokes her head from cloud for a while to crown the skyline.
The western monument.... Craig Cwm-Silyn – also topped by a couple of cairns – rises (top left). Yr Eifl and Tre’r Ceiri loom top right.
Looking from Mynydd Drws-y-Coed the precise positioning of the pair of cairns below the summit of Y Garn can be appreciated. Moel Eilio, bearing another monument with massive surface spread, rises above to the left.
The approx relative positions of the Gelli Ffrydiau hill fort and roundhouse toward the base of Trum y Ddysgl’s northern ridge are indicated here. View point is Clogwyn Marchnad, Mynydd Dwrs-y-Coed.
Peering through the swirling mist from Moel Meirch (to the approx east), Dinas Emrys can be seen more-or-less centre of image, with the flat-topped prosaic Dinas rising above. Above again is Moel-yr-Ogof (with Moel Lefn to its right), the referenced cave said by ‘some’ to be the resting place of none other than Owain Glyndwr, would you believe? The wondrous Nantlle Ridge crowns the upper right-hand skyline.
Hostile conditions, but then it was February.
Looking (very roughly) north-west...
Poor conditions – but nothing remotely negative to say about the defences here... as the Mam C emphasises.
Looking across The Vale of Ewyas to the excellent promontory fort upon Hatterrall Hill... looming through the mist.
Simply a wonderfully evocative Welsh upland circle. Not much to speak of archaeologically, but there is so much more to consider than that.
Y Gamriw is on the skyline.... with lots more cairns. There’s a stone circle out there, too.
Looking towards the similarly cairn-endowed Drum Ddu
The massive summit cairn from the northern pair.....
Toward the massive summit cairn from the OS Trig...
The largest orthostat is also arguably the most shapely.......
Not sure what we have here.... a stone relocated from the circumference.... a capstone (unlikely, I think)..... an imposter..... or a rare central stone? Y Gamriw bears its cairns above.
Not on the map... but none the worse for that. Quite the contrary..
For me this proved one of the most evocative stone rings I’ve ever been to, Y Gamriw rising above crowned by a series of very substantial cairns. The close proximity to the popular Elan Valley tourist route only serves to emphasise the utter obscurity.
The characteristically small orthostats of the Welsh upland stone circle... for me, it’s the space demarcated that matters.
Looking approx North-east from Drosgol, crowned by a pair of Bronze Age cairns. The Maesnant ‘activity centre’ (indicated) marks the end of the tarmac road accessing the heart of Pumlumon from the main Ponterwyd/Tal y Bont road across the massif. Pen Pumlumon-Fawr rises out of sight to the top right.
Looking approx SW from the flanks of Carn Hyddgen (itself featuring a pair of large cairns) the volume of archaeology upon Pumlumon is beyond impressive. I’ve attempted to highlight some of the more obvious in view. There are many, many more in the extended locale.
Highlighting just how big this monument is.......
Looking more-or-less north-east across Bwlch Drws-bern. The pair of fine cairns upon The Nantlle Ridge’s terminal peak Y Garn are, coincidentally (yeah, right!) – in direct line of sight from here, rising just left of the sunlit Trum y Ddysgl. The cairn upon foreground Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd was raised by ‘grateful’ locals to honour Queen Victoria ... so needn’t concern us here.
Looking approx south-east across the cairn footprint... one of the most unusual I’ve had the pleasure to visit owing to the nature of the rock. Y Cnicht and the Moelwyns can be seen top right.
A ‘moment’ perched upon the muppet shelter fashioned within the monument... looking approx north beyond Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (deep shadow) toward Mynydd Mawr, another site of a fine Bronze Age cairn. Moel Eilio rises to its right.
Approaching from the great cairn upon Garnedd Goch... Craig Cwm-Silyn’s two cairns – well, I think so – sit top right of the mountain.
From the upper of Graig Ddu’s trio of similar monuments.... the ‘cairn of the goats’ can be made out a little to the right of the light show.
The only relatively half-decent image of this massive (c3m?) cairn I managed before the arrival of a very, very violent storm front.... too violent to stand upright.
The cairn looms through the driving rain..........
Rarely have I encountered a hill fort in such a desolately vibey location as this. The wondrous Pont Ysgethin may just be discerned beyond....
The hill fort possesses additional defence lines to the approx north-east, the assumed direction of assault.