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).”