GLADMAN

This is a small round cairn crowning the ridge overlooking the massive Carn Saith-wraig to the northwest. It is itself easily overlooked, but this would be a shame if you happen to be visiting the latter, since a nearby quartzite stone (and potential additional cairn) hint at a mini-prehistoric complex here.

A compendium of DAT (PRN 8528) reckons:

“A small round cairn on the highest point of a broad ridge at 461m above OD. The site consists of a rough platform of large stones....
[with] a diameter of c.8m and a height of 0.4m.... The cairn is intervisible with standing stone 9117 and another possible prehistoric cairn, 9118, to the S and SW of this site respectively. The site enjoys extensive views out down the Doethie valley and over to the Brecon Beacons.”

Standing – or rather reclining – a little distance away from the obvious Blaen Nant-y-rhiw cairn (there is apparently another possible cairn which I could not positively vouch for here, too), this is a ‘bonus’ site to be enjoyed in this wild, out of the way spot. Great, sweeping views only curtailed by forestry upon the northern arc. Combine with a visit to the wondrous Carn Saith-wraig (starting from the old church at Soar y Mynydd) and you’re onto a winner.

As with the legendary Cerrig Cyfamod Glyndwr further north upon Pumlumon, whether this represents a natural erratic... or a boulder moved to this position (there is an apparent mound beneath the stone) is a question I guess only proper excavation can answer.

DAT (PRN 9117) reckons:

“A large recumbent white quartz boulder, facing N-S, and intervisible with prehistoric cairns PRN 9118 and PRN 8528 which lie a short distance away to the SW and N respectively. The stone is situated on a small knoll which forms part of a ridge running across an undulating high plateau with extensive views, particularly in the southern sector down the Doethie valley. The view to the N is obscured by forestry. The stone measures 1.8m in length N-S, 1.15m wide at is widest point E-W and 0.7m in height at its northern end, tapering to 0.55m in height at its southern tip. Extensive views are achieved from the site which may well have enjoyed a 360 degree panorama, and the Brecon Beacons were clearly visible to the SE. NC 2001.”

This, a somewhat shy, retiring monument (owing to its more or less complete grassy mantle) is nonetheless well worth engineering a horseshoe walk to visit, while also checking-out the cairns at Carn y Groes and Esgair-y-graig. The exquisite placement within the landscape is the icing on the cake, so to speak.

CPAT reckons: “This cairn is grass-covered and obscured from view but still survives relatively intact. It lies on a gentle northeast facing slope and the land dropping away to the southeast. It measures 9.0 metres [c29ft] in diameter and 0.3 metres high (Trysor, 2014).”

Now there’s always something a little more exciting – should one happen to be excited by this kind of thing – when a monument is accorded a personalised name upon OS mapping. However, that’s not to say the remains will always live up to the heightened expectations...

On balance, I reckon Castell y Garn, the remains of a ring cairn upon a c1,620ft summit between St. Harmon and Bwlch-y-Sarnau, manages to not disappoint. Reached by a stony track from the latter hamlet (including a short, sharp deviation uphill), the setting is airy and rather spectacular, with panoramic views to the Wye Valley and Cwmdeuddwr Hills to the west. The monument itself, however, is initially rather conspicuous by its apparent absence, with just a mutilated residue standing before a fence junction. Gaze beyond said fence, however, and a rather large diameter (apparent) ring cairn will be discerned.

There is no doubting the prehistoric provenance since CPAT notes:

“Williams [1858] records it as ‘a most perfect cairn accompanied with a stone chest, human bones, black earth and other corresponding appendages.’”

Sure, the cairn has clearly suffered much trauma since then, but thankfully still survives. CPAT adds:

“Site seems to be a ring cairn with a low bank 1.2m wide and 0.25m high visible most clearly in SE quadrant. Elsewhere, there is a low bank forming the outer edge, but no inner edge to the ring bank. Two fence lines cross the site and join in the middle. Although eroded in the past the threat is not so serious now as 10 years ago (CPAT, 3/8/00).”

CPAT (PRN: 1513) have this to say about this deceptively substantial cairn, scheduled in 2004:

“Artificial mound c. 9m diameter x 0.8m high, on which are what appear to be kerbstones defining a cairn 5.5m in diameter X 0.4m high, offset to south east side of the mound. A large modern cairn at west side of the Bronze Age cairn is c. 1.5m high x 2.2m diameter. Bronze Age cairn is in good condition although damaged by construction of the modern cairn. The kerb and much of the interior appear to be intact. Situated on local summit with good views to south and east”