Kammer

Visited 24th May 2003: While Lou and Alfie dozed in the car, the rest of us hung out at Carreg Coetan. Jane sketched the chamber from the corner of it’s little enclosure, her daughter chilled out and sent some text messages, I took photos and the boys ran around making noise.

We were there for a while (at least, longer than my last visit) and it was good to have the time to explore. The chamber isn’t especially complex, but watching it from different angles gave me some new perspective on the place. Mynydd Carningli is a big focus for sites in this region, and Carreg Coetan is no exception, orientated towards this sacred mountain rather than the sea.

Visited 24th May 2003: We were on our way to the chippy in Dinas Cross (having just left Parc-y-Meirw) when I spotted the cairn from the car. Our convoy ground to a halt, and Jane, William and I went to take a closer look. Glyn Gath is very close to the road, but well hidden under heather and gorse, so it’s a bit tricky to spot (like one of those Magic Eye things). Once you’re up next to it, it’s quite impressive. The ring is well defined, especially on the south west side.

Visited 24th May 2003: This is the first site we visited with Jane and her clan. All seven of us clambered into the field, and sat at the top looking down the row towards Fishguard. The weather was (unexpectedly) great, and it all looked vibrant with the gorse in flower and the stupidly lush pasture.

There are definitely stones hidden in the hedge bank that were once part of the row, but only a couple of likely contenders are visible. The biggest recumbent stone is visible from the lane, and it’s truly whopping. It’s a shame that you can’t really walk around the stones, and get the over-all picture of what the row might have originally looked like.

Visited 20th April and 24th May 2003: On these two subsequent ‘visits’ to the stone I viewed it from afar. The closest satisfactory view I’ve managed to get of the stone, without wandering into the field uninvited, is from the gate next to Mercury Garage (on the A478). The second view, is much more spectacular, but not so close up, from the viewing point to the south of Dinas Cross.

Visited 20th April: Bedd Morris is situated right next to the road between Newport and Pontfaen. It’s antiquity is in doubt because there are no records of it before the 19th Century. There are two inscriptions on the stone indicating that it was used as a Parish boundary marker (between the parishes of Llanychlwyddog and Newport), and opinion is divided as to whether the stone predates this use or not.

There’s a small car park right next to the stone, and a cattle grid. The stone is over 2 metres tall, so you really can’t miss it. It strikes me that this would be a good place to park and walk to Carningli from, as the gradient isn’t too steep approaching from the west.

Visited 20th April: On our second pass we identified a place to park near Cerrig y Gof. The road (the A487) runs adjacent to the field where the burial chamber stands, but you can barely see the chamber as you drive past because of the hedgerow [not what Jane says, but I’m sticking to my story]. It’s tricky to park nearby (and cross the road) there’s quite a lot of traffic, and the visibility in either direction is poor. I’d recommend you look out for the entrance to Oakfield Lodge and/or a brown sign with Taith Preseli Tour on it, and park on the verge as close to these as possible (both of these signs are on the south side of the road).

Cerrig y Gof was originally covered by a circular mound, but all that remains are five chambers, all facing outwards. None of the chambers have stones covering their entrances, and all but one have identifiable cap stones. The site is thought to be either a transitional type of tomb built in the early Bronze Age, or a special creation designed specifically for burials from five separate groups. Apparently it compares to some tombs on the west coast of Scotland (not sure which), but the likeness is not exact.

The stones are enigmatic, and do look like big cists. One of the fallen capstones looks like a dolmen, but I think this is purely coincidence. I’d like to go back and spend some more time taking it all in, but on this visit we were pressed for time. I only realised after we’d left that I’d totally failed to look for the fallen standing stone that lies in the same field.

Visited 20th April: Easy to spot, right next to the A478(T) just to the west of Dinas Cross, Ty Meini (or the Lady Stone as she’s sometimes called) stands behind bars to the north of the road. Parking is a bit tricky, but you can just about get away with putting two wheels on the verge.

It’s good that the stone isn’t obscured by hedgerow, but why such strange school yard railings? Wouldn’t a nice wooden fence have done the trick? Seeing the stone from one angle is exasperating, and you can’t touch it. Still, well worth stopping for if you’re in the area, and easier to see than Parc Cerrig Hirion.

Visited 20th April 2003: Another stone in a garden, although you can see it from the road. It was just me and Will on this visit, so I decided to knock on the door and get permission to see the stone up close. The gentleman who answered was friendly, and didn’t mind us wondering round to the back of the house to see the oddity in his garden. He seemed a bit bemused, but I got the impression we weren’t the first people to ask. He told me that nobody really knows how old it is.

The stone is very large, and built into the end of a dry stone wall/hedge bank. Perhaps it’s position on the end of the boundary protected it from being destroyed. The shape and size of the stone reminded me a bit of Avebury, which isn’t an enormous exaggeration. Very impressive.

Visited 20th April 2003: On our way to St David’s to get milk, first thing in the morning, William and I detoured to visit this stone. There’s no public right of way through the field it stands in, but it can easily be seen from the road. I’d have liked to get closer, but the field is sewn with crops, and I didn’t have time to seek out the farmer (even though the farmhouse is very close to the stone).

Visited 19th April 2003: I confess this was my first visit to Gors Fawr, and it lived up to my expectations. It was really sunny, and visibility was good, so the Preseli range appeared formidable and central to the focus of the site.

The outlying stones to the north of the circle stand between it and the mountains. Beyond them (obscured by trees, gorse and buildings) are the Rhos Fach stones, which could once have been visible from the circle. Off in other directions are numerous standing stones, orientated towards the mountains. The probability that the people who erected those standing stones would have known, and possibly worshipped at Gors Fawr amazes me. The circle is a megalithic cathedral surrounded by little chapels (and gorse).

We eventually wandered over to the outlying stones, which are relatively large compared to the stones in the circle. All the gorse in the area has been grazed into topiary by the sheep (I assume) so the immediate landscape has a bit of a manicured feel to it. William seemed to like it though. When we got back to the car we found that Alfie had lost a sock (he’d been in the backpack) so I had to retrace our steps on my own. It was good to be out there without William tearing about. The place was that bit more tranquil.

Incidentally I found the missing sock, but if anyone finds a little woollen hat near Bedd Arthur please let me know.

Visited 19th April 2003: Louise chose this site as a minor detour on our way to Gors Fawr. The first thing we saw was one of the two modern standing stones on the common. We parked up near these and my initial reaction was to check the Landranger in case we’d entirely screwed up. Having established that one of the modern stones is marked on the map as a monument, we set out to find the real thing.

The Rhos Fach Standing Stones aren’t on the common land, but to the north of it, hiding behind a huge forest of gorse. You can get good views of them from the common land, with Carn Meini behind them. We were extremely lucky with the weather, and the whole setting was beautiful (if a bit windy). I’d definitely recommend a visit to anyone visiting Gors Fawr.

The name Rhos Fach means little moor or little heath.

Visited 18th April 2003: I spotted this stone on the Landranger, and persuaded Lou that we should detour to visit it on our way back from Fishguard (aka Abergwaun).

The first thing we saw as we approached was a small stone, slightly further south than the place I’d expected to find the Ffynnon Druidion stone. On closer inspection it turned out to be a recently erected stone, with lots of tell tail signs that it had been recumbent not that long ago. Subsequent investigation confirmed my suspicion that it isn’t prehistoric. I’ve christened it the Ffynnon Druidion JCB Stone.

The real Ffynnon Druidion stone stands in the next field along from it’s fake neighbour. It’s rather tall (maybe 7ft) with a slight zigzag shape to it, and covered in lichen. At it’s base it tapers and there are lots of exposed packing stones around it. I found it rather impressive, and having just visited it’s in neighbour, it felt comfortingly old.

Visited 18th April 2003: We parked in the yard in front of Longhouse Farm, and followed the footpath north east to Carreg Samson. There’s a concrete track most of the way, but it’s a bit muddy from the cattle. I reckon an adventurous wheelchair user could get very close to the site with a little bit of help.

The cattle own Carreg Samson, or that’s how it looked as we approached. Luckily they were just inquisitive bullocks, using the chamber as a sun shade and scratching post. They took a shine to William, and we got close up to them under the capstone. It was all very friendly. The fact that cows can fit under the capstone gives an indication of the size of the chamber. It’s whopping, and I had no trouble standing at the northern end to admire the lumps of quartz in the rock. What an amazing site. It must be second only to Pentre Ifan amongst the burial chambers of south west Wales.

As well as the cows we met a very friendly and extremely posh couple who had come to visit the chamber. If I recall correctly, her mother lived at the farm as a little girl. Sadly no folklore was forthcoming, but the gent entertained William with some simple magic tricks. Just goes to show, you can meet people at Carreg Samson.

Visited 17th April 2003: I might be able to shed some light on why Chris couldn’t get close up to the tomb. There’s a sign on the gate with an unfriendly message on it (I can’t remember the exact wording) plus a barbed wire fence and an electric fence in the field where the chamber lies. The farmhouse is relatively close by, so you get the distinct impression you’re being watched.

None of this was too much of a deterrent to me until I realised that the field was full of crops I decided to go no further (aggravated trespass is a crime, and I’m a good boy at heart) and took some photos from the edge of the field. It’s a shame that access to the site is so poor.

According to G.E. Daniel (in The Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of England and Wales) this site is of the ‘earthfast’ type, but this is contested by others because the level of the ground where the capstone rests may not be original. Apparently the tomb not oriented towards the sea, but towards Milford Haven Sound (not that I could really tell from the distance I was viewing from).

Visited 26th April 2003: Dad looked after William while I explored Devil’s Dyke. I wasn’t alone. There were hoards of kids on bikes at one end, playing some sort of game that was leading to tears. Being off duty, I did the responsible thing and walked the other way.

The sun was doing well getting through the trees, and the bluebells were out, so it was all rather pleasant. The dyke is really quite deep in places, tapering off at each end. Getting from one side to the other is tricky, and because the sides are steep and eroded by generations of bike riding kids. Not a good place to visit for anyone who’s not sure footed, but an excellent place to take kids (Dad assures me he took us here, but I don’t remember it). The best parking for Devil’s Dyke is on Ceaser’s Road.

The Slad is on private property, and not visible from he road as much more than a line of trees. The southern end of the Slad peters out into a long curving pond, which you can just about get to from he road.

Visited 17th April 2003: This stone is in a field of lush pasture, so I decide to exercise my right to roam (somewhat prematurely) and take a closer look. The field is a lot bigger than it looks, and the stone is lot further away from the road than I expected. I’d anticipated a short jog, but the journey turned out to be quite a run (with a commando style roll in the middle to get under an electric fence).

I realised why I’d misjudged the distances when I eventually stood next to the stone. It’s really rather large (none of the photos I took convey the real size of it). I  remember thinking that it wouldn’t look out of place at Avebury. A short run back to the car, and we headed off to the next Devil’s Quoit, trying to beat the sunset.

Visited 17th April 2003: Actually it’s an over statement to describe this as a visit. The Harold Stone is on private land, so I’m guessing access is a potential problem. We were pressed for time because the sun was setting fast, and I had in mind a visit to the Devil’s Quoit. I decided to cut my losses and stop short of trying to get close to the stone. I settled for this photo taken from the road.

Visited 17th April 2003: I thought that a visit to Pembroke castle was going to be a break from prehistory, but there’s no escaping it. The Wogan is an enormous cave underneath the castle, which was incorporated into the defences in the thirteenth century. It was used intermittently as a shelter from the Palaeolithic period to the Mesolithic. It’s likely that it was also used during the Bronze Age.

The cave is enormous, and impossible to photograph with a conventional flash. There’s a spiral staircase leading down to it from the castle, and something called a watergate (i.e. a big wall) blocks the original entrance except for a gate and a window.

As well as the Wogan, there’s an Iron Age connection up on the surface. It’s widely believed that the castle was built on the site of a promontory fort. The original defensive ditch that the castle used, and by implication the fort, was subsequently filled in. This makes it impossible to prove or disprove the Iron Age fort theory without digging up the site.

You have to pay to get into the castle to visit the Wogan, but it’s a great castle, so I’d recommend it.

Visited 17th April 2003: This isn’t the sort of site I usually post up on the Modern Antiquarian. I’m never all that sure about holy wells on a Web site about pre-history. Their credentials vary, and I can’t claim any particular reason for thinking that the well at St. Govan’s predates the chapel.

Having done the scepticism thing, I can heartily recommend St. Govan’s well and the nearby chapel as a place to visit. Both are, at the very least, amazing examples of Celtic Christian sites, and the setting is spectacular. If you can visit off season then you might get the place to yourself, which is something special. I’ve visited St. Govan’s so many times, it feels comfortingly familiar.

As well as the saint’s well, there’s also a smaller well inside the chapel. This is much less impressive and usually fills up with litter. Also part of the chapel is a strange roofless anteroom that has the natural rock face as two of its walls. Inside is a niche within which are unusual natural markings, presumably made by thousands of years of water erosion. Perhaps this place did represent something special to our pre-Christian ancestors. I’ll have to try harder to image it all without the chapel.

Visited 17th April 2003: If ever a site was inappropriately named, this is it. The Long Stone is now a short stone, reduced to a withered stump. It looks like the damage to the stone might be the result of weathering, because it’s made up of some sort of sandstone (apologies to Geologists out there, but that’s my best guess). I wonder what it looked like 100 years ago.

There’s no public access to the stone, and you can’t see it from the road, but there is an appropriately placed hole in the hedge quite near it. I think this may be one of those sites you should visit, before it’s gone for good. Rather a sad place really, especially as it sits in the shadow of the oil refinery.

Visited 17th April 2003: After the Harold Stone this was a bit disappointing. We would never have known the stone was there just by passing, because it’s largely embedded in the hedge bank. It was the lady from the bungalow by the Harold Stone that told us about it.

Since the visit I’ve had a quick look at the site on the NMRW, and it’s listed by different organisations in different ways. I’m pretty sure there are more stones we missed when we were there, because the site is described as standing stones (by Cadw), a stone row (by the RCAHMW), and a possible stone circle (by Cambria Archaeology). That’s assuming that we’re all talking about the same site.

Visited 17th April 2003: The Harold Stone is on private land, with no public right of access. Having said that, I’ve never been made to feel so welcome visiting a site on someone else’s land before. To cap it all, this stone is in the back garden of a bungalow. The couple who own the bungalow have got used to people visiting the stone, and they have a very easy going attitude to the wide variety of beliefs held by those who come. They told us numerous stories about people visiting the stone, including archaeologists, coach parties of tourists, Ley Line hunters and stone hugging Pagans. After we’d seen the stone we were invited in for a cup of tea in their kitchen while the boys slept in the car.

Apart from the warm reception, it was a warm and sunny day, and I was very pleased to see the Stone. It’s a striking lump of rock, almost white with lichen, except for the upper surface which is green with beautiful hairy lichen. Before she left us to look at the stone on our own, the lady who lives at the bungalow pointed out some distinct fluting at the base of the stone. She has been told that the fluting may have been carved into the stone by the people who put it up to ease the process of fixing it into the ground.

The stone is up above the sea cliff, apparently visible from the coastal footpath that runs between the garden and the cliff edge. There are beautiful views from the garden out into St. Bride’s Bay, but the gentleman who owns the bungalow told me the weather can be a problem because the plot is so exposed (something we talked about for a while because I live on top of a mountain, and we had numerous anecdotes to swap). What a pleasant visit! We’ll definitely be going back as soon as we get the opportunity.

Visited 15th April 2003: Bedd Arthur was as far west as we walked along the Preseli ridge. I was really proud of William for walking all the way without being carried at any stage along the journey, so this posting is dedicated to him.

What a strange site Bedd Arthur is. My gut feeling is that it’s prehistoric, but how you categorise it I’ve no idea. Some people regard it as an ellipse of stones, and others as a rectangle (depending on how you join the dots in your head). Apparently it’s regarded as a hengiform monument, because there are traces of a bank around it (not that I could see them). As for it’s situation, the site overlooks Carn Meini and the Stone River, which can’t be coincidence.

The place has quite a special feel to it, possibly because it’s so isolated. By the time we got there it was nearly evening (much later than intended) and there was simply no one about. Apart from William’s noise it was tranquil. I wish we hadn’t been so tired by the time we got there. With the prospect of the walk back (at three and a half year old speed) hanging over us we didn’t stay as long as I would have liked.

Visited 26th April 2003: This cluster of barrows is visible from the Thurfield Heath car park. There are three relatively large barrows, and three smaller ones (of which I only identified two) that are much less well defined. The three largest in the cluster are very close to each other, and stand in a neat row. From the top of any one of these you get great views of the long barrow to the south and Cambridgeshire to the north (freakily flat to someone who lives in Wales).

Visited 26th April 2003: This barrow sits out on its own, away from the others, to the north east of the long barrow. It has an iron bench on it dedicated to someone called Herbert John Haywood (apparently he loved the beautiful walk and view). To be fair to Mr Haywood, it is a nice place to sit, even though Royston makes up a large part of the view.

Visited 26th April 2003: I was a bit concerned that we wouldn’t find the long barrow because I knew it was of the low earthen type, but even without a Landranger it was easy enough to find. It’s up on the hill to the east of the car park. Although you can’t see the long barrow itself from the car park, you can make out the nearby round barrows.

Watch out for the golf players though. Whereas most of the round barrows are on the side of the fairway, the long barrow is part of the golf course (apologies to any golf players if my terminology is muddled). We watched a bloke taking a shot from the top of the barrow. It was rather amusing to me, but I suppose it’s pretty routine for the local players. In this case I think he thought we were admiring his game.

Visited 15th April 2003: When I visited this site I thought it was Carn Ferched, but now I’m more inclined to think it’s actually a standing stone called Maenllwyd y Rhos.

The site is relatively easy to find if you’re on the ridgeway path that runs along the Preseli range. There’s a large boulder by the footpath opposite the cairn, so if you’re not sure look out for this, then head north and you’ll get to it. It’s clearly visible from the footpath, so this technique should only be necessary in poor weather conditions.

I was surprised to find such large kerb stones in what I thought be a cairn, so I checked and double checked that I was in the right place. At the time I was suspicious of my own navigation because the Landranger map, which marks Carn Ferched, puts it further west than this site. I also had some grid references for Carn Ferched which I’d put in my GPS from Prehistoric Preseli by N.P. Figgis which didn’t match the site I was looking at.

It’s only a month later that I’ve realised that these stones are probably not Carn Ferched at all. My grid references exactly match a Cambria Archaeology record for Maenllwyd y Rhos (SN 15441 32906), which is listed as a possible standing stone. What little information I can find on Carn Ferched suggests it is a barrow like site, which certainly doesn’t describe the stones that I saw.

Whatever it actually is, I visited this site twice, once on the way to Bedd Arthur and once on our return. Same day, but very different light conditions. Well worth the tiny detour if you’re heading this way to Bedd Arthur, Carn Meini etc. Possibly a bit trickier to find coming from the direction of Moel Drygarn.

Visited 10th May 2003: Armed only with a brand spanking new Explorer map, we drove right up to the mound and took some photos. Time didn’t allow a more prolonged visit.

We didn’t ask permission, but instead opted for the ‘driving right up to it’ approach. This seemed to work quite well, but maybe we were lucky.

Visited 15th April 2003: On our way back from Bedd Arthur I left Lou and Will on the main path, and took Alfie off in the backpack to find this site. At the time I knew very little about it, as I’d only spotted it on the map quite late on.

To my surprise the site isn’t just a crumby old cairn, but quite a large old pile with an equally large chamber in the middle. The chamber is very low, so I wasn’t going to try and get inside. The position of the cairn is spectacular, standing at the foot of Carn Meini (the natural outcrop) and at the head of the Stone River. It’s the latter that’s really special, because from the cairn you can see the band of stone arching it’s way down the hill.

A detour well worth making, and had I done my research properly I could have gone to see it when we visited Carn Meini rather than as an after thought. I don’t think baby Alfie was especially moved by it all though.

Visited 15th April 2003: We had quite a bit of difficulty figuring out which rocky outcrop was which, but in the end I think we got to Carn Meini. It’s an enormous mass of stones, all higgledy piggledy. You look into it and see standing stones and burial chambers all over the place, but they’re not real, just natural coincidences that look extremely similar to the real thing.

We had a snack at Carn Meini, then William insisted on climbing to the highest bit he could see. Children know no fear! This place would be a good stopping off point for slightly older kids because they could roam around and explore (without stressing their parents out too much).

I’ve got one more photo of Carn Meini to post up, but I’ll be putting that under the Carn Menyn Chambered Cairn part of the site.

Visited 15th April 2003: Yr Allor are one of the most enigmatic parts of the Glandy Cross Complex, but sadly there’s no public access to them. You can just make them out from the top of the field that Meini Gwyr stands in, but they’re largely obscured by the hedgerow.

Ideally there would be access to the stones from Meini Gwyr, or the main road, but as stands a legitimate route to Yr Allor doesn’t exist. Luckily I have magical hover boots.

Visited 14th April 2003: There’s a public footpath to Tre Wallter Llwyd, but don’t be surprised if you have trouble following it. Approaching from the A487, there’s a track leading north to Tre Wallter Farm which is easy enough to find. You need to follow this track to the farm, then pass to the east of the farm house so that you’re continuing between it and the dilapidated corrugated iron barn (you can’t miss it, it groans in the wind).

Just past the barn is where things get tricky, because the footpath isn’t marked. It should branch off to the east between two hedge banks, but the nice farmer has fenced it off with barbed wire. Even if the barbed wire wasn’t there, you’d be hard pressed to walk between the hedge banks because they’re so overgrown. When we reached this point I went and knocked on the door of the farmhouse to find out how we were expected to get to the burial chamber, but sadly there was nobody in.

We decided to keep going, travelling along a parallel route to the footpath in the field to the south of it. This involved carefully moving a single strand of temporary electric fence, then re-erecting it once we were over it (not easy with a baby on your back). We passed through this field until we reached the end of the overgrown part of the public footpath, and guess what, the nice farmer had put another barbed wire fence across this end of the path! Luckily we had already deviated from it, otherwise we’d have been mightily pissed off.

From here we got a glimpse of the burial chamber in the hedge bank to the south east, on the opposite side of the field. When we got close up, we found that the chamber has been fenced of with stock fencing, as if it was just an inconvenient bump in the hedge bank. The fencing looked quite new, and it was pressed right up against the chamber to minimise the amount of grazing that the land owner would loose. It would be impossible to ram a fence post into the ground, as it rested against the stone, without doing some damage. Anything sensitive under the soil would have been skewered by the fence posts.

The chamber should be a delight to visit. It looks out towards the coast, and you can just make out Carreg Samson to the north west. It’s one of those sites where you wonder why they put it there, right up until you’re standing next to it. Then it hits you just how amazing it is.

Despite the setting, I was quietly seething by the end of our visit, and I’ve since contacted Pembrokeshire County Council and Cadw about the footpath and the fencing. If I get anything back from them, I’ll post it up.

Visited 13th April 2003: By the time we reached the Carn Llidi Tomb(s) the weather was really poor. The rain let up for a bit, and I rattled off some photos. By now William knew the drill, so he just hid behind the concrete bunker to shelter from the wind and rain.

The tombs are slightly overgrown and have a neglected feel to them. I don’t suppose many people visit them, as they’re not on the direct path to St David’s Head. The views were pretty good despite the weather, so this is another site I want to go back to when it’s sunny.

These two tombs are a bit of a climb from the main footpath from the direction of Coetan Arthur. We later realised there’s a very good alternative path leading up to the tombs from the farm to the south (it’s marked on the Landranger as a track). If you wanted to go straight to the Carn Llidi Tombs from the Whitesands car park (the only place you can park around here) then approaching from this direction would be quickest way in.

On our way back to the car we got chatting to the farmer, and he was extremely affable. If I lived in such a touristy area, I reckon I’d be a bit more crabby than that (come to think of it, I already am).

Visited 13th April 2003: I made a very cursory visit to St Davids’s Head Camp as a diversion on our way to Coetan Arthur. William needed a rest from the wind, so Lou hid with him and Alfie behind a big boulder.

I nipped down and had a look at the ramparts of the fort, which are thankfully very easy to spot. They’re ruinous, but still relatively well defined. It’s difficult to judge the scale of them from a distance, but fortuitously a couple of walkers provided scale for my photos. I was tempted to go further down the promontory and explore, but the weather was appalling so in the end I didn’t stop for long.

Visited 13th April 2003: It was a howler of a day when we headed out to Coetan Arthur, and the sand from the footpath kept blowing in Williams’ eyes. By the time we arrived, nerves were frayed. William wanted to go under the capstone, but this just kicked up more sand, so it wasn’t long before he was in tears.

Lou hid round the corner with the boys while I took a close look at the tomb and tried to get some photos despite the wind. Coetan Arthur is in a fantastically exposed situation on the back of the ridge that forms St David’s Head. Probably a good site to visit when the weather is a bit better. This was only my second ‘earth fast’ tomb, and it’s certainly a corker.

Visited 23rd March 2003: We drove up to the farm and asked permission to go and see the standing stone. The farmer was fine with this, and asked us to park in the yard. Here we were met by a big friendly horse who thought he was about to get his dinner (William loved that).

The stone is very near the farm, but approaching from the farm it’s difficult to spot until you’re almost next to it. I found this site rather charming because the stone itself leans at an extreme angle, and is surounded by farmyard tat (a tractor tyre, an old gate and a water tank). The objects around the stone probably protect it from livestock.

We spent a while at the stone, and came away with a a good feeling about it. Well worth a visit if you’re in the area, but only if you don’t mind standing stones that are barely standing.

Visited 23rd March 2003: This stone stands to the south of the mountain road between Tregaron and Beulah, and may not be prehistoric. The only reference I’ve yet found for it (Cambria Archaeology) suggests it may be a post-Medieval milestone or standing stone. They list it without a name, so I’ve named it after the stream that runs nearby.

Having visited the stone, I’m not sure whether it’s prehistoric or not. It looks to me like it’s too far off from the road to be a milestone, but it could be a boundary marker (a small one at that though). Could it be a kerb stone from a cairn? Not the most awe inspiring site in itself, but enigmatic, and beautifully positioned.

Visited 23rd March 2003: We visited Penmaen-Gwyn after spending an hour or so at Strata Florida Abbey just down the road. The stone stands on a small hill just north of the road (south of the forestry track, contrary to the impression given by Multimap).

There’s a picnic place nearby, but also ample parking at the bottom of the forestry track. The boys were asleep when we arrived, but the stone is so close to the road that there was no problem leaving them in the car. The sunlight through the trees was beautiful, and we took the opportunity enjoy the place in a strange child-free quiet. Very pleasant.

Visited summer 1991: I can only dimly remember this visit, and unfortunately I was totally oblivious to the stone circle and cairns at the time. Either that or we stumbled across the stone by chance. I know I was impressed by the size of the thing, but I wish I’d paid more attention.

Visited 9th March 2003: I trudged out into the drizzle to try and find this obscure stone, having seen it listed in the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) records. I didn’t find a standing stone, but I found what looked like a fallen standing stone, with some exposed packing stones. I took some photos and a grid reference (SN8558575847), and decided to find out more from CPAT.

After quite a few emails back and forth I confirmed that the stone I’d found was the same stone that CPAT had on their records. The stone was listed after a report from one of the Elan Valley wardens in 2001. I wanted to be 100% sure I had the right stone, so I contacted the warden to check. Based on my photos, he confirmed that this is the same stone he reported to CPAT.

What we still don’t know is whether this is a fallen Bronze Age standing stone, or just a random lump of rock. The area that it’s sited on is known as Maen Hir (meaning Long Stone, so the likelihood that a stone had once stood there is high. I’m hoping that CPAT will now do some further investigation and find out more.

Visited 9th March 2003: Llanwrthwl Churchyard is a fat monolith, dominating the south entrance to St Gwrthwl’s church. It seems likely that the stone was erected long before the church. Apart from anything else, it bears no resemblance to a cross shaft, and looks rather more like a ruddy great big standing stone (Rhiannon’s word ‘stout’ sums it up). I can confirm that the churchyard isn’t circular any more, just a bit rounded.

We visited on a Sunday, and there was a service going on in the church (shame because I wanted to see inside). I wonder how many people in the congregation realise how long the site has been in use for ritual purposes. I’m guessing at between 3000 and 4000 years!

St Gwrthwl’s church is easy to get to (the only church in the village so you can’t miss it).

Visited 13th March 2003: I’ve regularly stopped to look at Pen-y-Castell Hillfort from the road, but you have to get a lot closer to see the standing stone (north east of the fort). The stone is local gritstone, small and squat, with an angular shape to it.

The people who erected it may well have chosen the site because of the distinctive hill nearby (later fortified) and the stream running to the south of it (Afon Stewi). The stone sits on flat ground, and is well positioned to be seen by anyone travelling along the valley between the sea and the Pumlumon area.

The two peaks of Disgwylfa Fâch and Disgwylfa Fawr to the east are very striking viewed from the coast, and may have had some significance as a symbolic gateway into the mountains. If this was the case then one of the routes towards this gateway would have taken people up the Stewi valley, past Pen-y-Castell, and the distinctive landmark of the hill. It makes sense for a stone to be erected here.

Back in the 21st Century, a public footpath runs between the stone and the hillfort, close enough for there to be no problem going right up to the stone. It’s also marked on the Landranger, which is handy.

Visited 2nd March 2003: We got the farmer’s permission to take a look at Coynant Maenhir and Maen Hir. Coynant Maenhir is easier to get to than it’s neighbour, but although it’s right next to the road, you can’t see it from the road beause of the hedgerow. You need to walk a couple of meters up the footpath towards the farm to see the stone.

Coynant Maenhir is very close to the hedge, so you can’t really get a clear view of it from the south west. From the most other angles the stone looks relatively slender, but from the northeast it suddenly becomes quite fat. I realise this probably sounds strange, but the width of the stone was surprising.

When I visited there were tracks in the mud from tractor tyres, right next to the stone. This is a bit worrying given the damage that the weight of the tractor could do to the packing stones. The farmer is a really nice bloke with an interest in the stones on his land, so I’m surprised he’s driving this close (or letting other people).

Visited 2nd March 2003: Meini Gwyr is the only site in the Glandy Cross Complex that’s set up for visitors. There’s enough space for parking, and a slightly mouldy notice board by the gate.

Out of an original seventeen stones, there are only two remaining at Meini Gwyr. The site is thought to be an embanked stone circle, originally about 18 meters in diameter. In the 17th Century Edward Lhuyd recorded that there were still fifteen stones in the circle, and he was aware that some stones had already been ‘carried away’. This suggests to me that these stones weren’t long gone at the time.

The site was excavated in 1938 by Prof W.F. Grimes, but most of the paperwork relating to his findings was destroyed in a bombing raid on Bristol in 1940 (this site has had some bad luck). Grimes found out that the circle had an entrance on its north west side, cutting through the earthen bank and flanked by upright stones. He also found fragments of Bronze Age pottery in a hearth set in to the south east bank.

Incidentally, in the garden of the house next door to Meini Gwyr is a modern stone circle with a central stone. Don’t be fooled! Meini Gwyr may be a shadow of its former self, but it still has a bit of that zing that modern stone circles completely lack.

Visited 13th March 2000: After one aborted attempt last year, I finally got round to visiting Pen-y-Castell Hillfort on a lunch hour last week. The sharp winter sunlight was beautiful, but it was still very cold and windy once I got to the top.

There’s loads to see up there, especially considering how insignificant the fort is compared to some of its local rivals. The ramparts and ditches are still relatively well defined, especially around the entrance to the east. Modern erosion to the ramparts gives a cut-away view of the stones that make them up, and there are a number of large boulders within the boundaries of the fort that must have served some purpose when it was in use (it’s unlikely that they’ve been lugged up there since).

The most interesting stone that appears to be part of the original fort stand on the north side of the main entrance, where there is a break in the defensive ditch. I found myself wondering whether it represents the remains of a defensive wall, or possibly the Iron Age equivalent of a kerb stone protecting wooden defensive walls from wear and tear.

As I descended the hill and made my way back to the car there were two F15 fighter planes circling overhead, presumably practising for the real thing in Iraq. I pondered the stupidity of it all, and how far mankind (I use this term intentionally) has come since the simple Iron Age defences of Pen-y-Castell. It took the edge off of an otherwise beautiful visit.

Visited 2nd march 2003: Maenpica is near a farm of the same name, but there’s no public access to the stone or the farm. I decided to ignore some unfriendly looking signs at the end of the drive and walk to the farm to ask if I could get closer to the stone.

Half way down the drive I met a 4x4 going the other way, but instead of stopping to talk to me (as I expected) the driver waved to me with a smile and drove on past. I kept walking until I was near the farm house, and two guard dogs came out barking and growling. I decided to stop walking and take stock. The dogs stopped where they were and there was a stalemate.

I could see Maenpica to the south of the track in a field full of cattle, so I took some photos from where I was. Then I spotted three more stones, one apparently fallen, to the north of the track. I took a load more photos of these. The dogs were still watching me from the farm gate (which was open). I decided to chicken out and re-trace my steps.

When I got home I had a look at the CARN database to see if I could find out more about the three extra stones, but was disappointed to find there are no records for them on-line. On closer inspection of my photos I spotted hinges attached to one of the stones, so presumably they are part of an old field boundary. It’s a shame that I didn’t get the chance to ask the farmer about them.

Visited 2nd March 2003: We walked to Maen Hir, approaching from the west, and asked at Maenhir Farm for permission to see the stone. The farmer was very friendly and said we could take a look at Coynant Maenhir which is also on his land.

He also told us that some 60 years ago the previous farmer had moved the stone and used it as a gatepost elsewhere. He said that ‘they’ made this errant farmer put the stone back in its original location. There may be some truth in this story, as there are holes in the stone, and the packing stones at its base look very un-Bronze Age.

The name Maen Hir means simply Long Stone in Welsh. This term is sometimes used as a generic name for Welsh standing stones.

A word of warning if you visit Maen Hir at a similar time of year to us, the field that it stands in can get very muddy (see photos).

Visited 2nd March 2003: We had already done quite a bit of walking by the time we got to Rhos Maen Hir, and there’s no public access to the stone, so my tired family persuaded me not to wonder into the field and take a closer look. Instead I settled for trying to see it from the road. We first got our first glimpse of the stone from the east, then from the north west by the school building (the best view). This is where I took the photo from.

I’ll be back!

Visited 2nd March 2003: Carn Besi is situated right next to the A478 between Glandy Cross and Pentre Galar. There’s a good parking space on the opposite side of the road to Carn Besi (by the entrance to the covered reservoir). Crossing the road is a bit tricky because it’s quite busy. Then you have to scramble up the bank, avoiding brambles on the way. At the top watch out for the barbed wire. We managed to get our three year old son up there, but it was a bit of a struggle.

From this vantage point you can clearly see the capstone (this kind of thing) and some outlying stones between it and the fence. To get a better look you would have to hop the fence, but that would be both illegal and dangerous (because of the barbed wire).

This site is prominently placed, and based on a cursory look at the OS map may be aligned with Gors Fawr and Foel Feddau. It’s a shame that so little remains of what must have been an important tomb.

Visited 12th October 2002: It’s taken me ages to post this because I’ve been trying figure out whether Banc Rhosgoch Fach is the remains of a burial chamber or a stone row. I’m still not sure, but if I had to put money on it I’d go for the former. This is based on all the records I’ve viewed at the NMRW. Apparently Burl’s Carnac to Callanish stone row book describes it as a stone row, but I have no idea where the evidence for this comes from.

There’s not much left to look at on the ground at Banc Rhosgoch Fach. There are two remaining stones, both looking like they’ve been dumped at some stage. They lie just north of a footpath, but they’re surrounded by crops, so not necessarily accessible.

We approached from the north east (starting at SN435545), and from early on in the walk you realise that the farmer isn’t keen to encourage walkers. The footpath isn’t marked, so you need a map. We passed through quite a few dilapidated gates (I think it was four), two of which were bound shut with barbed wire! The trickiest part was deciding which side of the boundary to walk on to get to the stones (you just can’t tell where the footpath goes). We struck lucky by staying to the north of the fence.

Only worth a visit if you’re pretty keen (and not pregnant).