Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results paper issued 2007 following the legendary Time Team visit
GLADMAN
Report of “The excavation of Fan round barrow, near Talsarn, Ceredigion, 2010–11” within ARCHAEOLOGIA CAMBRENSIS Volume 162
There are – at least – some people in Surrey who give a damn.
Detail of rock art located just west of the wondrous upland lake Llyn Du is included within the GAT publication “SOME RECENT ROCK ART FROM NORTH-WEST WALES”
Monthly firing times for the Sennybridge Army Training Area. Ensure you check these out before travelling to avoid disappointment... or worse.
Self-explanatory link... there’s even an introduction from Iolo himself.
Found among the mining devastation of Bryn Copa, Cwm Ystwyth, 2002. Here, that industrial cloud had a golden lining.....
An instructive amateur site covering some major – and more obscure – Scottish monuments. I recommend the author’s lack of that counter-productive ‘partisan viewpoint’ allied to good photography. Interesting to note an objective perspective of the ‘tidying-up’ of the Gualachulain cairn that has occurred post my 2015 visit.
An interesting website specific to the area. The Cwmdeuddwr Hills can be a very confusing – not to mention dangerous – place, particularly in mist. Consequently, a little local knowledge is always more than welcome....
Useful website to perhaps convince passing travellers to pause their journey... search out the cairn... and linger awhile.
Although cited by The British Museum as “.. Found 1784 in a bog near Meol Hebog while cutting peat”, other sources [e.g Grahame Clarke’s 1940-published ‘Prehistoric England (sic!) and Coflein] state that this magnificent shield was found upon Moel Siabod. Coflein quotes the findspot at SH71005520... putting it at the head of the excellent ridge Daear Ddu, overlooking the natural lake Llyn y Foel. If this is indeed correct (?) can there be a more appropriate location? It is tempting to think it belonged to whoever was laid to rest (in whatever form) within the nearby cairn.
[edit – note that The British Museum, to judge by the updated link, now appears certain the shield was found in the vicinity of Moel Hebog... which does make more sense, to be honest. So Siabod or Hebog? There’s only one way to find out: FIGHT!!]
Some excellent aerial images of Bronze Age cairns... amongst other stuff. For those without personal air transport.
Local community information website including Historic Scotland description of Dounie Hillfort, (Scheduled Monument 11942) which can be reached by a waymarked walk from the A836.
Note that RCAHMS do not share the view that the masonry to be found here was defensive in nature... “The location and character of both the wall and the bank-and-ditch suggest that they were used for the control of stock.” (JRS, GFG, IP, AM) 17/9/2013.
My suggestion is for people to climb the hill, enjoy the fabulous views across Dornoch Firth... and make up their own minds. I share some reservations owing to the paucity of visible defences to the east, but on balance, I would say the western dry stone wall and associated bank and ditch are arguably too substantial for mere stock control?
[edited to update URL]
Excellent website featuring lots of lovely lists to help get one far from the madding crowds upon Dartmoor.
Report prepared by CPAT for the National Trust on 22nd August 1990 with ‘pre-excavation and consolidation’ images of the Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du Bronze Age cairns.
Very interesting reading and (in my opinion) a fine example of assessing the risk to some priceless upland archaeology.. and subsequently doing something about it before it was too late. Top work.
Coflein image of a cordoned funerary urn found – well excavated – upon Fan y Big in 1981.
The northern environs of Garn Boduan’s upper fort – the equivalent of a medieval keep, if you like – are occupied by a large stone pile which Heneb interpret as a massive, disturbed Bronze Age cairn. Probably unopened, thanks to the protective Iron Age works superimposed.
Once again we have clear evidence of Iron Age peoples incorporating an earlier funerary monument within their planning regardless of the obvious spacial impact. The assumption must be that they viewed these monuments as being highly important.
Some basic information regarding the wondrous finds found here upon a local website...
Set of images showing excavation of this excellent monument under auspices of the “Life and Death in Assynt’s Past” project...
To be fair a lot of websites designed to draw in punters (that I’ve seen) are not that helpful to the average member (or perceptive visitor) to TMA. Not saying TMA folk are more intelligent; rather that we perhaps use what we have to a greater degree. The brain requires exercise, after all.
So rather pleasantly surprised that this DIY effort is refreshingly informative. If you happen to have children, I reckon this is truly an ideal site to fire the young psyche. Can there be a more precious gift a parent can bestow? Mine was. Eternal thanks to my father – now an old man – for taking his son here back in the early 80’s and freaking out that mind full of swirling hormones. This is a place of legend, of life, death and every state in between!
Hey, the Llewleyns (the farm – and castle owners) even organise weddings. What better way for two people deeply in love to cement their commitment to each other than by venturing to the well at the terminus of the cave? Searing emotion with no hiding place. Jeez. A Citizen Cairn can dream, I guess. Yeah, having sat with my hand in the pool of water percolating down from the roof in utter darkness... my heart pounding like the Oberheim DMX from Blue Monday... I can well understand our ancestors’ (apparent) connection with this crazy, spinning globe. There is an awful lot we can learn from the past, methinks.
[edited to update URL]
Official website detailing periods when you most certainly do not want to be upon the mountain. Might save a wasted trip. Although why the army ‘have’ to practice here I do not know. I thought places such as this were what we fought world wars to protect...
Since Flower’s Barrow is located upon a live Army firing range access is restricted.... for obvious reasons. In order to prevent a wasted journey I’d therefore advise checking this link before attempting a visit. As Mike notes, bunking into this one is NOT an option unless you have a severe death wish.
An official website with details of opening times, plus history of this marvellous site.
The link accesses an ‘Historic Landscape Characterisation’ for East Fforest Fawr and Mynydd-y-glôg issued by CPAT.
Worth a look to sketch in some background to what is a worthwhile walk in its own right.