Visited 30th July 2004: What a charming place! The views are great, but the site itself is also interesting. The remaining stones are relatively large, indicating something of the way it once looked. This must have been something special when it was in one piece.
Access to the site isn’t too tricky on foot, but the route in isn’t wheelchair friendly. Cnoc Ullinish is quite close to the road, and there’s space to parking isn’t a problem. You’re unlikely to bump into any fellow visitors.
Visited 30th July 2004: An Sithean is easy to find, sitting just off the B8083. Parking is easy, and it’s a short but moderately steep climb up to the stones (not wheelchair friendly).
The stones are dominated by the peak Beinn na Caillich, but no less significant is Broadford River which lies between the two. This landscape is not lacking in drama!
An Sithean sits enigmatically on top of a hillock, with one remaining standing stone on the very top. The rest of the stones are on the south side of the mound. What appear to be two or more natural ridges fan out from the central point of the mound.
What is this place? If it’s a chambered cairn then most of it became road building material a long time ago.
Visited 21st June 2004: We walked to Budloy Standing Stone from the Dyffryn Stones thinking that the footpath would continue to be relatively easy going. We were wrong. After Dyffryn it deteriorates, getting narrow and overgrown in places. There’s a stream to cross, then the path follows the bank of a tiny tributary with the inevitable insects. Lastly, after Budloy Farm, there were shoulder high grass and stinging nettles to get through!
The stone itself is elegant and feels relatively isolated even though it’s not far from the farm. By the time we got there the kids had had enough. We stopped to have a drink and apply sun cream (it was scorching!). I rattled off some photos and we made use of Budloy Farm track (not a public footpath) to escape further suffering and return to the car along the road.
Maybe this is a site worth visiting in the winter when the undergrowth and insects are less of a problem.
Visited 21st June 2004: This site was the highlight of our Summer Solstice. We parked on the little lane that runs to the south of the Dyffryn Stones next to a dilapidated set of farm buildings (SN05502825) Dyffryn Stones. The walk from there to the stones was pretty easy, but a bit on the muddy side.
The stones themselves are in a field adjacent to the public footpath. The size of them was surprising, and the fact that there are stones still standing. It’s much more circle-like than I anticipated. If the remaining standing stones are kerb stones, then this is a very unusual site. Was this once a circular chambered cairn? There’s quite a bit of foliage in the centre of the cairn, but it’s easy enough to see that there’s not much sign of a chamber. Very curious.
Another curious thing about Dyffryn are a couple of corrugated stones on the northern side of the cairn. In cross section they look like a ripple. It’s hard to imagine this effect being artificially created, so it’s likely that these stones were chosen specifically for their look.
Access to this site is reasonably good, and it’s well worth the visit. Not as glamorous as Gors Fawr, but more mysterious.
Visited 21st June 2004: Following a disappointing Summer Solstice dawn at Gors Fawr this was the first bit of prehistory to get me excited. There is no public right of access, but at the time of our visit the field in which the stone stands was empty of livestock. The stone can be seen from the road, but not very clearly.
I spotted no attractive horses, but there are a couple of interesting lumps of stone in the hedgebank. If Maen-y-Parc was a stone row then perhaps these were once part of it.
Visited 20th and 21st June 2004: After Moel Drygarn we went to pay our respects to Gors Fawr with some good friends who’d not been before. It was fun showing them round in the sunshine, collectively anticipating the Solstice dawn.
We spent the night in a static caravan at Trefach Campsite and headed back to Gors Fawr to see the Summer Solstice sun rise. There were a handful of people there, including two women who appeared to have spent the night in the circle in sleeping bags (madness!). Sadly it was not to be. Clouds obscured the view to the east, but it was good to be there so early and get a feel for the site in the eerie dawn light. Then it was back to the caravan for a celebratory fry up breakfast!
Visited 20th June 2004: Having come close to visiting Moel Drygarn in April 2003 on our way back from Bedd Arthur (William was far too tired after the 4 mile walk) we finally made it on the eve of Summer Solstice 14 months later.
Ironically, William pegged it up the hill leaving the rest of us a long way behind him. At first we were tickled by his fell running, but then as he got smaller and smaller it got a bit alarming. Lou had to run to catch up with him while I plodded after with Alfie on my back.
Near the top, just beyond the Iron Age defences I found Lou (looking exhausted) and Will looking bored. The three Bronze Age cairns in within the defences of the fort are blinking enormous! We made our way to the trig point (insensitively placed in the centre of the middle cairn) and were rewarded with beautiful panoramic views. To the west Carn Meini dominates the horizon, but you could be equally transfixed looking in any direction.
After a snack in the lea of the trig point and some exploring, we headed back down towards the car. On the way back we met our friends who, by coincidence had been passing, and the run up to the Solstice began early! Bonza!
Visited 18th June 2004: This was a sneaky visit on my way back from a conference, so time was short. As it turned out, good weather was running short as well. Having approached cross country in beautiful sunshine, I arrived in ominous gloom.
No sign of an ‘ovine choir’ on this visit. I could smell the rain, and I had no coat, so I ran to the stone. As you can see from the photos, there was plenty of sunshine, just not over me!
Before the heavens opened I rattled off some photos. The sheep (although absent on this visit) are eroding the soil around the stone, and polishing it up by rubbing on it. The end result, a sort of grubby brown sheen, isn’t what I’d call aesthetically pleasing. Access is pretty good though. You could feasibly get a wheelchair up to the stone with some help from a lackey.
Visited 2nd June 2004: Just wanted to check on the stone as I’d not been to see it for two years. It was a lunctime dash, and my mate from work tagged along for the ride (hence the shirt and tie).
We did a circular walk, parking just off the B4306 to the south east of the burial chamber (SN486123) and following an extremely overgrown footpath onto the common.
With an eight figure grid reference from Coflein (SN48541328) I used the GPS to navigate. There were a lot of brambles and general undergrowth in the way, and Lou was wearing sandals, so we ended up hopping from boulder to boulder. We eventually arrived at the spot where the GPS thought we should find the chambers – the top of a large rocky outcrop. Of course there were no burial chambers on top of the outcrop. It eventually dawned on me that the site was directly below us, a short distance as the crow flies, but a long way down (here’s the view we got).
The climb down to the chambers was laborious because of the brambles, but on the flat the foliage was a little less daunting. There’s a mess of rubble and vegetation at the base of the cliff, some of which is clearly cairn material or collapsed chamber. The two capstones are really easy to spot, as are some of the remaining orthostats (the easterly chamber still has one apparently in place). The cliff next to the chambers dominates them, and presumably blocks out quite a bit of sunlight (not for us thankfully). The landscape surrounding the chambers is very distinctive, with another outcrop to the north east, similar to the one by the chambers. This must have been pretty poor agricultural land when the chambers were built.
On the way back to the car we had a go at finding the cairns to the north west of the chamber, but the bumps on the ground weren’t convincing. We did meet some friendly horses though. From the summit of Mynydd Llangynderyrn we walked back to the main road, rejoining it near the milestone (SN481127). This was a lot easier than our route in!
NB. The chambers are easy to get at from any direction other than the south east (the way we approached them). Visit in the winter for a less bramble orientated experience.
Visited 23rd May 2004: This is a fantastic stone. It’s slap bang underneath a load of power cables and standing in the shadow of an enormous pylon, but that’s part of the charm.
There’s no public right of way near Gwempa. The stone is just about visible from the road, but we decided to take a closer look (the field didn’t have any crops or livestock in it). Parking is a considerable problem because the lanes are so narrow.
Once we got to the stone Louise was less than happy about the drone of electricity from the cables above us. I just marvelled at the arrogance of the people who strung them right above the stone. Amazing! It reminded me a bit of Tinkinswood.
Gwempa has survived the rigours of modern agriculture, and the insult of almost being stomped on by a pylon, so pay it a visit if you’re passing; It needs some respect.
Visited 23rd May 2004: Not really a visit, but we did spot Maen Llwyd from the road that passes to the south east of it. It’s not a very good view (as you can see from the photos).
Visited 23rd May 2004: Not really a proper visit. We were pressed for time, and I decided not to try and get access to this site. I’m guessing that the stones stand on land belonging to Llechdwnni Manor House. At the very least, this would be a good place to start making enquiries.
Otherwise, take a pair of binoculars and view the stones from the road to the east.
Visited 22nd May 2004: We parked on the road to Ferryside that runs to the south of the stone, and followed the footpath to Iscoed Home Farm. After the second fence (the first being the one that runs next to the road) we deviated from the path to take a peek at the standing stone. There were no crops in the field, so we ended up taking a closer look.
Iscoed Standing Stone is large (according to Coflein 2.25 metres tall and approximately 1 metre square in cross section). It’s an extremely solid looking lump of rock! The stone stands below Iscoed Mansion, a beautifully ruined 17th century brick house which looks like it’s being renovated. It’s a lovely spot.
From down by the stone, trees obscure the views west, so you don’t get the impression of being near the Towy Estuary. The proximity of the stone to the estuary, and the stream is interesting (the connection between sources of water and standing stones in the area is re-occurring). In this case, springs rise up in Iscoed (the wood to the east of the stone) and beyond.
Visited 22nd May 2004: When we got to Maen Llwyd we found that the field it stands in had just been sprayed with manure. Not only that, but the stone itself was plastered in dung. I made a half hearted attempt to get closer to the stone, but it would have been fool-hardy to have gone any further. Poor old Maen Llwyd!
Visited (not) 7th November 2004: Hats off to Treaclechops, I tried paying a visit to Y Capel yesterday and singularly failed to find it. Had both of the boys with me, a 3 wheeler pushchair, only the 6 figure grid reference and failing light. These are my excuses!
Visited 2nd May 2004: Not really a visit as such. Having visted a number of Carn Ingli sites we were heading for the beach when I took this. The stone ramparts are pretty clear, even from the road. I’d definately like to take a closer look.
Visited 2nd May 2004: Not really a visit as such because we didn’t get up close, but this natural outcrop is a significant landmark in the area to the south of Carn Briw so you can’t easily miss it.
Visited 2nd May 2004: Starting from Carn Briw we headed off in a south south westerly direction, using Carn Edward as our point of reference. To increase our chances of finding things we spread out (not a bad plan, because none of these sites can be seen from a distance).
Louise found Carn Edward II Hut Circle and at almost the same time I found Carn Llwyd IV Hut Circle. I persuaded her to back-track, and we looked at the three Carn Llwyd sites before moving on to look at Carn Edward II. This was a good way of doing things (even though I say so myself) because the smaller Carn Llwyd circles give you an idea how very large their neighbour is.
Coflein implies that, rather than being a hut circle, Carn Edward II represents a roofless enclosure that had two hut circles within it. Alternatively if it is a hut circle, it’s size suggests it would represent either a large communal space or the residence of a very important person. Of these two I favour the former, because the area is relatively vulnerable to attack from high ground to the north (not a great place for a chieftain’s house).
There are two distinct entrances to the circle (see photos), both with visible stones delineating the passageway that intersects the outer bank. The bank itself is well defined, but darned tricky to photograph.
Definitely worth a visit if you’re planning a visit to Carn Ingli Camp. This site and the surrounding sites are subtle, but exciting. The remain obscure even though they’re very close a well trodden footpath. Sit and watch walkers pass-by, oblivious to this little gem (what’s that weirdo doing sitting up there in the heather?).
Visited 2nd May 2004: This is the furthest west of the hut circles in this group, and the third that I saw. It’s pretty small, and built on quite a gradient compared to the others.
Visited 2nd May 2004: We approached Carn Briw in a straight line from Carn Ingli Camp. It’s easy to spot on the horizon, but mainly because the cairn material has been seriously re-arranged. From a distance it looks like a crumpled cone.
On closer inspection the extent of the damage is obvious. One side of the cairn has been piled up high, presumably by walkers. Where the cairn remains at something like its original height an enclosure has been made in it.
Despite the mess, Carn Briw is a pleasant place to visit. It’s off the beaten track for most people visiting Carn Ingli, so relatively tranquil. Also well placed for visiting the hut circles to the south west.
Visited 2nd May 2004: We parked north of Bedd Morris (approximately SN039367) and after a picnic lunch headed of to find the hillfort. The route I’d chosen was based purely on keeping the gaps between the contour lines as small as possible (with Alfie on my back I had a good excuse). It took about an hour to get to the fort, but that was at William’s walking speed.
The fort is an impressive but disorientating jumble of rock. We approached when the cloud was low, so it wasn’t possible to see the summit of the hill even from close up. There is an entrance to the fort, which would have been the best place to get into it, but we only figured this out once we’d clambered over the ramparts at the south end. The terrain inside the fort is tricky, and not recommended for anyone with limited mobility. It was fun to explore, but the drop to the east was significant enough to worry me.
There’s at least one discernable rampart within the boundary of the fort, and something that looks a lot like a hut circle. Outside the boundaries of the fort, especially to the east, are a number of structures that represent huts and areas of cultivation contemporary with the fort. As with everything at Carn Ingli, it’s tricky to figure out what’s what.
Visited 25th May 2004: Tan-y-Coed is a large ploughed down barrow just to the south of Henriw Standing Stone. It’s easier to spot than the stone because it’s not obscured by field boundaries.
Visited 25th May 2004: To the east of the Cwm-y-Saeson stones is Henriw Standing Stone, a full metre taller than its neighbour but much less accessible. We spotted it from the road, which is probably as close as you can get to it without approaching a landowner. It’s behind a field boundary, so you have to find a spot where there’s enough of a gap in the foliage to see it.
Like the anorak that I am I had binoculars with me, which turned out to be useful (the stone is about 300 metres from the road). Must come back when I have more time and see if I can get a closer look.
Visited 25th May 2004: Of the two stones only one remains standing, the second lying directly to the east. Either these two stood extremely close to each other, or the fallen stone has been moved. The stone that remains upright is big by local standards (1.8m according to the NMR). The boys were more keen on the recumbent stone because it was low enough for them both to clamber on.
This is a very quiet spot. The valley is a dead end, so nobody really comes this way unless they need to. I got the impression that the stones aren’t often visited, which is a shame.
Visited 25th May 2004: After our picnic lunch at Fowler’s Arm Chair Cairn and set out to find the nearby stone circle. After about two steps north William shouted out, ‘is this it?’. I was sceptical, because the stone he was looking at wasn’t obviously part of a circle. After pondering the rocky lump for a couple of seconds (during which William had climbed it) I had to agree with him. Not bad site identification for a four year old! Ironically we had sat eating our lunch right next to the circle without spotting it.
So, not a very impressive site. If Fowler was a giant, then I wonder what he made of his armchair. Not very comfortable I’d have thought. There are only three obvious stones remaining from the circle, the largest being the arcmchair which has been enterpretted as a central stone. None of the stones are big, and none are really standing. On the ground it’s less than clear how they relate to each other.
Visited 25th May 2004: The Cairn next to Fowler’s Arm Chair is much more obvious than the alleged stone circle it stands next to. We approached from the south and had a picnic lunch at the cairn. The weather was spectacular, but the scene was spoilt slightly by the constant sound of 2-stroke motorbike engines coming from across the valley.
This is a great cairn! It’s chunky and well defined compared to many we’ve encountered. Thoroughly recommended as a picnic spot.
Visited 25th May 2004: This lump is probably a Bronze Age round barrow. It’s visible from the road, but partly obscured by trees that have been purposefully planted on top of it. There’s no public access to the barrow.
Not worth a special visit unless you are barmy about barrows.
Visited 25th May 2004: The western of the two barrows is right by the road, so easy to spot. It’s on the wrong side of a fence, so if you wanted to crawl all over it you would have a problem, but just looking at it is easy enough.
The eastern barrow is on private land, and I couldn’t spot it from the road (it was a half hearted attempt to be honest). Not worth an enormous detour, but worth seeing if you’re passing by.
Visited 10th April 2004: The following information is a public disappointment warning. Do not visit the Bridgewater Monument round barrows unless;
a) you are especially fanatical about tiny undulations in the ground,
b) you are visiting Ashridge anyway, perhaps for a nice stroll or something
My visit fell into both categories, but if I’m honest mainly the second. After a rather pleasant pub lunch in the Greyhound in Aldbury we walked back up the hill and I asked at the shop where the barrows were. After lots of discussion I got some directions from a member of staff, and with two young female National Trust volunteers in tow (not the kind of thing that happens to me a lot on these excursions!) I headed off to find the barrows.
We wondered round the field by the monument, looking for these things, but couldn’t see any sign of them. Then I realised just how messed up these monuments are. I was standing right in the middle of the larger one. The two National Trust volunteers were relatively philosophical about it all, but to be honest, it was a bit disappointing. Later on my dad posed for the photo, which cheered me up a bit because it’s quite ludicrous.
Visited 8th April 2004: I’ve been visiting Ivinghoe Beacon since I was a kid, but back then I had no idea there was a hillfort here. I’ve got so many memories of the place, it’s hard to filter out the sentimentality and describe the ‘site’.
OK, there’s not much left of the ramparts but you get a good sense of the defensive position when you stand at the top looking out of the relatively flat surrounding countryside. The southern and eastern sides of the fort are the weakest defensively, and this is where the ramparts can best be seen.
This a simple, early hillfort, and it has a distinctly primeval feel to it. There are usually people up on the summit of Beacon Hill, flying remote controlled gliders or walking, but if you get it to yourself there’s a feeling of splendid isolation. Not bad in such an overpopulated part of the UK!
Visited 8th April 2004: This is the most impressive of the surviving barrows in the area around Ivinghoe Beacon. It stands some way to the east of Beacon Hill, beyond the Ashridge Estate boundary fence, surrounded by arable field.
There’s a path up to the barrow, and the views from the top are pretty good. Gallows Hill has retained some of its character though, which can’t be said of all the barrows in the area. I guess the stories of it being used for executions lend a certain notoriety to the place as well.
Visited 8th April 2004: This barrow is very subtle. We missed it entirely on our walk to Gallows Hill, only spotting it on the way back. It’s very tricky to photograph as well.
All that’s left of the barrow is a very flat donut shape, just beyond the fence as you walk east from Beacon Hill.
Visited 8th April 2004: This is one of those barrows that nobody notices even though it’s quite large. Planted on top of Beacon Hill, within the defenses of the hillfort, I think it’s thought of as just the summit of the hill.
A footpath runs over the top of it, and there’s quite a bit of soil erosion going on. It looks like this must have once been a rather large barrow. It goes without saying that the views here are great.
According to English Heritage, geophysics have uncovered possible evidence for a further two round barrows within the interior of the hillfort.
Visited 8th April 2004: These two bowl barrows are the closest to the National Trust car park, and if you’re walking to Beacon Hill you pass very close to them.
The larger of the two barrows is very prominent from the surrounding countryside. It’s easy to spot and relatively easy to get to, up a steep slope. There are excellent views from the top of the larger barrow.
The smaller barrow lies to the east of the large one, and is much trickier to find. It is a lot smaller and shorter. We visited during the early Spring, but I’d imagine this barrow would be more tricky to find during the summer. Not very spectacular, so if you can’t find it, don’t loose any sleep about it.
Visited 28th March 2004: We asked at the farm about access to the tomb and were directed to the house with the orange garage door, a little way up the lane. Here I eventually found the landowner who was happy for us to go and take a look.
In the field where the tomb stands were two very inquisitive ponies who immediately came up to us, then escorted us to the stones. The boys were fascinated by them, but also a bit scared (especially Alfie). The tomb is charmingly dilapidated, with a very off-kilter capstone. There are orthostats still in place, and a number of stones that aren’t so easy to place (one almost buried to the north of the chamber). Gaer Llwyd is relatively substantial though. I’d assumed that the stones would be small, but this is a fair sized cromlech.
The stones, the ponies and the sunset made for a very pleasant visit. Also, the farmer and the landowner were very friendly. I was left wondering why Gaer Llwyd hasn’t had more visitors. This is well worth seeing if you’re in the area. Incidentally you can see the tomb from the lane, but not so clearly from the main road because the hedge is in the way.
Visited 28th March 2004: On the down side this stone is slap bang next to a busy road, but on up side access to the stone is extremely good. In fact you could view the stone from your car if you wanted. I opted to get out, leaving the others to watch from a distance. There’s a slender hard shoulder so parking isn’t too dangerous.
The forestry immediately to the north of the Long Stone has recently been felled, opening up views of the stone that haven’t been accessible for a long time. Having said that, there are some large tree stumps very close to the stone, and photos of it before the clear felling make me think it must have looked rather nice shaded by trees.
Visited 28th March 2004: After spending some time at Raglan Castle we headed east to the village of Trellech to see Harold’s Stones. We parked to the south west where a track leads west off the B4293, and walked up the roadside to the stones (spotting a mole on the way).
The stones themselves are excellent great things (certainly reminiscent of something rude Jane). Very photogenic, but most of the photos I took are the same as those already posted. Not as atmospheric as I’d anticipated though.
I’d have thought that the name ‘Trellech’ would mean ‘three stones’ rather than ‘Settlement of the Stones’. The word tre means three and llech means stones (it’s that simple).
Visited 23rd March 2004: Having failed to find Creggandevesky Court Tomb, I decided to go and see Beaghmore before it was too late. It was a relief to find the place without too much trouble, and thankfully the rain was holding back. The sun even came out!
There’s so much here, it’s impossible to describe concisely (so I won’t try). In summary, it’s a tightly packed collection of Bronze Age stone circles, stone rows and cairns. None of the stones are especially large, but coming from Ceredigion I’m not put off my small stones. It was a beautiful scene, with the rain hardly gone and bright oblique sunshine. I inflicted some badly played harmonica on the stones before heading off for one last try at finding Creggandevesky.
Incidentally, access to the stones at Beaghmore is good. A wheelchair user could get at 95% of the site, perhaps with a little assistance in some places. There’s a good path running down the length of the site, and parking is easy.
Visited 23rd March 2004: This was one of those mad visits when you ask yourself, “why am I doing this?“. I’d already tried to find Creggandevesky earlier in the day, and decided that I’d better quit and see Beaghmore before I ran out of time. Having seen Beaghmore a second attempt was foolish, given that our flight out of Belfast wasn’t far off. But it bugged me that I’d not found it earlier in the day, so I had one last crack at it.
With some help from the GPS (forgotten earlier in the day) I found the footpath leading to the tomb. Then the heavens opened up, and I had second thoughts. It bucketed it down, and I knew I hadn’t got the time to sit it out, so I got out the car and started walking. Within metres I was drenched, and I couldn’t see through my glasses. The GPs was just about readable, and I could see the lake, so I staggered on through significant amounts of mud.
The rain stopped as I reached the tomb, and it took a while to figure out what it looked like (had to clean my glasses). It was weird landing up at a site having had no sensible visual clues as to what you were about to see. The tomb is impressive (not that I have many court tombs to compare it to) but fenced too closely. It’s solid, but graceful; the photos show it better than I could describe. Lough Mallon makes for a beautiful setting, and when the sun started shining and a rainbow came out I felt a lot happier. It was a short visit though.
I ran back to the hire car. On the way I passed a broken wooden sign hidden behind a wall directing visitors to the tomb. After a morning of driving in circles, more evidence that some people don’t want visitors to Creggandevesky. I had to change into dry clothes in the car, then after a hair-raising drive back to Belfast to collect Lou, we did make our flight.
Visited 22nd March 2004: Ballin Tagart is a reconstructed court tomb, now situated behind Ulster Museum. Apparently it was rescued from destruction by quarrying in County Tyrone (thankfully this sort of thing isn’t a problem any more – ahem).
I understand that you can arrange to be shown the tomb my museum staff, or view it from the museum cafe. Time didn’t allow either of these options, so I went for the alternative and walked round the back of the museum where you can see the tomb from the Botanical Gardens. The magic is slightly spoiled by a six foot wire mesh fence, and people walking by give you very strange looks as you peer through the gaps. Still, well worth a visit if you’re in Belfast.
Visited 22nd March 2004: I found it tricky to navigate in Northern Ireland, so our route out of Belfast to the Giant’s Ring was a bit circuitous. The site is signposted from some directions, but not from others, so the GPS turned out to be very useful.
Parking is easy, and access to the henge is reasonably good. This is prime dog walking territory for the locals. Definitely an amenity as much as a piece of heritage. The weather was rubbish, but we dutifully plodded around the top of the henge bank looking in at the tomb, and out at the surrounding fields (spotting Ballynahatty Stone). Half way round the henge we lost our resolve (the rain was getting very bad) and descended into the relative shelter of the interior. The tomb itself was my first glimpse of an Irish megalithic tomb. It’s a dollop of a tomb, like an over-weight caterpillar, or a Siamese twin dolmen. Compact and chunky.
I contemplated squeezing inside, but thought better of it. We walked the remaining half of the henge bank, then scuttled back to the car. Nice henge! Nice tomb! Horrible weather!
Visited 11th February 2004: This was the last on the list my local standing stones, left ‘til the end largely because it’s slap bang next to someone’s house. There’s a public footpath running past the stone and the house, but it’s not regularly used, and I was very aware that I might seem intrusive.
With Alfie on my back I cautiously approached the stone and the house. We were soon met by a small dog, closely followed by the gentleman who lives in the house and a second (much larger) dog. After the barking had died down a bit we chatted over the garden gate, and were invited in for a cup of tea. It was nice to have some adult company.
Afterwards I took a look at the stone, which leans at quite an angle. There’s a lot of erosion around the base of the stone and a green band indicates where sheep have rubbed against it, leaving paint from their wool. There’s a strong case for a relationship between Garrig Hir and the The Buwch a’r Llo Group. Situated at the head of the valley, the route from this stone would be a logical way to reach sites further east.
Attempted Visit 15th December 2003: William and I tried walking to Bedd y Brenin from the road to the north west of it, but the terrain was very difficult. The footpath runs along a gap in the forestry plantation, and it was extremely muddy. Along with the gradient and the cold, this made it heavy going and William couldn’t cope. Frustratingly close to the cairn I decided we should turn back.
Watch out for the cows. There were two bullocks in the forestry when we visited, and when we returned to the car, one of them was standing threateningly close to it. It didn’t move as we approached, but just stared at us. I ended up posting William into the car through the hatchback, and sliding into the car very carefully myself to avoid getting between the car and the bullock.
Next time I might try approaching from a different direction, and not in the middle of winter with a tired four year old in tow!
Visited 15th December 2003: This is quite a large cairn, at least in terms of its diameter. What’s left of it really looks like a ring cairn, with quite an obvious hollow in the middle. Access is straight-forward, as there are no fences or walls between the cairn and the road (to the north at least). Although it’s a short walk from the road to the cairn, you’ll have to get out of the car to see it.
Visited 15th December 2003: Hafotty-Fach Stone II isn’t obvious from the road because it’s quite a way down the slope. It’s pretty unassuming, but worth looking for. The thin edge of the stone points down the valley, leading me to ponder whether there’s a connection between this cluster of Bronze Age sites and the stream.
Visited 15th December 2003: I spotted this stone as we drove along the road between the National trust car park and Carreg y Big. It’s on the eastern side of the road, not far from one of the rocky outcrops that sit between the road and the lake. I was immediately struck by the obvious packing stones around the base of the stone, especially those on the eastern side. I wonder whether anyone has recorded this site before.
Visited 15th December 2003: This standing stone (or cairn, or whatever it is) is clearly visible from the road that runs to the west of the lower Cregennen lake. A public footpath runs very close to the stone, but although this is the quickest way to get to it, the route involves climbing a ladder to get over a large dry stone wall (so not great for visitors with limited mobility).
It’s a beautiful spot, squeezed into the thin strip of flat ground between the lake and Pared-y-Cefn-Hir. Probably a good place for quiet contemplation, if you don’t have a four year old with you.
Visited 7th December 2003: This was the last site of the day, and it certainly had the biggest impact on us. Driving up towards the chamber we over-shot the obvious parking spot and ended up plonking the car down near the farm with the huge concrete silage silos (not recommended). The sun was setting, and I was panicking a bit, thinking it might be dark by the time we reached the chamber. After walking in circles for a bit we remembered the GPS, and got back on track.
The chamber is really enchanting (and I don’t use words like that very often). Tucked behind a ruined farmstead, and embedded in a tall dry stone wall, the chamber hides itself. At first it’s unassuming, but then the size of the thing hits you. Camouflaged by the wall, and in the fading light, this process took a few seconds. The sky was rose red and orange by the time we arrived, just missing the chance to photograph the sun set. Behind us the moon rose, and it got decidedly chilly. Magical though.
On the way back to the car I realised we should have parked further to the south, where there’s a footpath sign next to the road (green metal arrows pointing in two directions, but with the little image of the walking man peeled off). The entrance to the field where Gwern Einion and the farmstead stand is marked by a small rusty iron pedestrian gate. Once you get through this just head for the farmstead (on the horizon with the skeleton roof) and you’ll find the tomb behind it. GPS totally unnecessary, so long as you don’t get into a flap like I did.
Visited 7th December 2003: We had no problem gaining access to the church, because it was a Sunday. Luckily there wasn’t a service going on.
The stone is almost opposite the church door behind the font (which is a bit of an obstruction). Its was exciting to see Welsh rock art of this quality so close up. I’m no expert, but the spiral seemed pretty well defined. It’s a shame that we don’t have more understanding of where it came from.