Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
The well preserved southern cairn........
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking from the southern cairn to the northern monument.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
[Note – this and subsequent images dating from 21st Sept 2012 previously thought lost until re-discovered upon a memory stick buried within a drawer]. The northern of the pair of cairns gracing Banc Llechwedd-mawr.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
A further monument..... or fly in the ointment? I found this additional quartzite block (just the one) perched upon the north-eastern flank of Banc Llechwedd-mawr arguably lending credence to the supposition that the Cerrig Cyfamod Glyndwr are naturally occurring? The peak opposite is Carn Hyddgen.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Landscape context of the two shining stones seen in retrospective ascending Banc Llechwedd-mawr. Note the Llyn Llygad-Rheidol, source of the river, resides in the ‘hollow’ to the left of Pen-Pumlumon Fawr, centre top right. The Hafren (Severn) and Wye also rise upon Pumlumon.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Drosgl rises beyond, again crowned by large cairns.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Carn Hyddgen rises beyond.... surmounted by two very large cairns.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
The stones are alledged to align with the Pen Cor-Maen stone sited approximately upon the right-hand crag (see folklore entry)...
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
[Note – this and subsequent images dating from 21st Sept 2012 previously thought lost until re-discovered upon a memory stick buried within a drawer]. Looking across the Afon Hyddgen to Pen-Pumlumon Fawr. The stones are alledged to align with the Pen Cor-Maen stone sited approximately upon the right-hand crag (see folklore entry)...
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Cadair Idris can be seen standing proud guarding the approach to Southern Snowdonia.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking toward Cadair Idris and southern Snowdonia......
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking approx west toward Nant-y-Moch and the heartland of Pumlumon
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Toward Pen-Pumlumon Fawr and, skyline, Y Garn. More massive cairns.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Note the excellent footprint... these were substantial cairns.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Toward the heart of Pumlumon... every hilltop within this extraordinary archaeological landscape possesses at least one massive cairn.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
There is a lot of cairn material here, despite the refashioning into surmounting ‘marker cairns’. Happily, there are no muppet storm shelters.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
[Note – this and subsequent images dating from 21st Sept 2012 previously thought lost until re-discovered upon a memory stick buried within a drawer]. The twin cairns have a ‘Drygarn Fawr’ vibe about them.... albeit much more ragged. The existing bases are very substantial.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking from Twynau Gwynion (with a touch of optical assistance, mind)... snow only accentuates the form of the Brecon Beacon’s sentinel peak’s flat top (approx centre). The converse, pyramidal summit of Cribyn rises to the right across Craig Cwm Sere. Corn Du is to the left.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
An impressive skyline rises beyond (what I took to be) the remains of the southern monument.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking across what I took to be the southern cairn of the pair.........
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Northern cairn.... exquisite winter evening light.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Northern cairn... the exposed stone surmounts an extensive grassy footprint; this must have been quite a monument in its time.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
The northern of the pair... with Cribyn and Pen y Fan upon the skyline. Couldn’t locate this upon my ascent to Twynau Gwynion owing to thick snow cover.... just goes to show what 5 hours a’melting can achieve in the interim.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Pen y Fan, Corn Du and Cribyn are centre skyline – the trio possess their own monuments.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
The traveller losing it somewhat in the grandeur of the winter’s landscape. A linear view of the Brecon Beacons, with the Waun-y-Gwair cairn visible extreme centre-right (SO07621198). Y Mynydd Du (not living up to its name) can be seen extreme centre-left.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking from Waun-y-Gwair (SO07621198) toward distant Cefn yr Ystrad. The ‘summit’ cairn of Twynau Gwynion (SO07681227) can (just) be seen left background.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Waun-y-Gwair...... my trekking pole gives some scale, a muppet shelter occupying the site of what seemed to me to be a pretty obvious cairn – CPAT and the OS agree.
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Towards the massive cairns upon distant Cefn yr Ystrad (far horizon) from SO07621198
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Looking towards the heart of the Brecon Beacons from the cairn upon Waun-y-Gwair (SO07621198) to the south...
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
