In his book Mysterious Wales Chris Barber writes that, “people used to throw pins into [the well] and make wishes”.
Kammer
I’ve not yet visited this site, but apparantly it’s one of the best preserved stone hillforts forts in Britain. Access to the fort is good (there’s a small car park) and on a clear day you can (allegedly) see Ireland and the Llyn.
My sources are Chris Barber’s More Mysterious Wales, the NMRW and the Ordnance Survey Landranger.
Taken 13th March 2003: On the south side of the fort the ersosion of the ramparts is less dramatic. This photo shows one of a number of large stones that sit within the defenses of the hillfort. They’re not earthfast, but large enough to have been in the area for a long time (possibly used in defensive walls?).
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 13th March 2003: On the north side of the fort the rampart is eroded in a number of places, presumably by the elements and sheep. Here the structure of the rampart is revealad in cross section.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 13th March 2003: On the south side of the fort, looking west south west. I took this photo because I as amazed to see so much Iron Age masonry still evident, even if it is a scattered mess.
The stream running off in the middle distance is Afon Stewi. If it wasn’t covered in forestry we’d be able to see Garn Wen on the hill in the distance (actually less than a mile away).
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 13th March 2003:Looking south across the gateway (you can see the gap in the defensive ditch in the foreground). The kerb stone (at east that’s what I’ve chosen to call it) is just visible. In the distance is Blaencastell Farm, and the Rheidol Study Centre.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 13th March 2003: This shot is taken looking across the old gateway, approximately north towards the Banc Mynyddgorddu Windfarm above Bont-Goch.
The stone in the foreground is interesting. I found myself wondering whether it represents the remains of a defensive wall, or possibly the Iron Age equivilant of a kerb stone protecting wooden defensive walls.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 13th March 2003: From the east (or there abouts), here is a shot with the standing stone in the foreground and the fort on the horizon. Strikingly, the stone is on the side of the fort with the gateway on it. This suggests that it would have been significant to whoever built the fort, either because they knew why it had been put there, or because they placed some new Iron Aged significance upon it.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 2nd March 2003: One of the three stones north of Maenpica. It’s probably not prehistoric. You can see the hinges mounted to the stone where it was once used as a gatepost.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
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.
A plan of the enigmatic Arthog Standing Stones. The quartz boulder is illustrated in white.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Visited 2nd March 2003: This rather sub-standard photo gives an indication of how close I got to Maenpica (i.e. not very close).
The strange angular thing to the right of the shot (not the cow!) is a sheet of corrugated iron, leaning up against the fence.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
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).
Taken 2nd March 2003: This is a side on view of the stone, taken from the west. The enormous (and not very ancient looking) packing stones can be clearly seen.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 2nd March 2003: Here’s another shot from the south (west-ish) with Lou and Alfie in shot. The building in the distance is Maenhir farm.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 2nd March 2003: William (aged 3 and a half if you’re interested in scale) was having trouble staying upright in his new wellies, and he fell over quite spectacularly playing in the mud next to the stone. I use the term mud loosely because I think the field had been spread in the not too distant past.
This shot is taken from the south west (or near enough).
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 2nd March 2003: We asked at the farm for permission to see Maen Hir and Coynant Maenhir, and the farmer was very friendly. Here’s the stone viewed (approximately) from the north east. You can clearly make out the holes where a gate was once fitted to the stone.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
The name Rhos Maen Hir when translated into English means approximately long stone on the heath. Here’s how it breaks down:
rhos = moor, heath, plainThe alternative name for this stone is the Capel Nebo Stone which is derived from the chapel that stands to the north of it.
maen = stone
hir = long
Kammer x
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!
Taken 2nd March 2003: Taken from the north west, through a gap in the hedge near the school.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
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.
Taken 2nd March 2003: Last but not least, here’s another appearance from my famous foot (as featured in many other photos on this site). This time I’m using it for scale next to an unusually square indent on the top of the capstone (the north side).
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 2nd March 2003: Looking north west towards the Preselis, you can just about make out the remains of the cairn in this shot. There’s a discernable ring around the capstone, made up of small stones and earth.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 2nd March 2003: A close-up of the capstone, looking north east. You can just make out the transmitter mast near Pentre Galar.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 2nd March 2003: This is the view you’ll get of Carn Besi if you climb the bank by the roadside, and peer over the fence. The red arrow (approximately) indicates the location of Carn Meini.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken summer 1991: Armed only with a wide angle lense, I took this photo of the interior of the concrete dome and managed not to get camera shake. I don’t remember much about the visit, but it was my first brush with the term ‘Beaker People’ (on one of the information boards).
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken summer 1991: I can’t remember exactly how we ended up at Cairnpapple. We were on our way between Edinburgh and Glasgow (in my trusty Mk I Ford Escort). The figure on the mound is Debbie.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
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).
Visited 14th February 2003: This stone is not in its original location, but I don’t know the exact circumstances of the move. I suspect that it was something to do with the creation of the housing estate that now surrounds it. The sign next to the stone says it was re-erected in 1981, but it doesn’t say much else.
Maen Llwyd stands near its original location in a cul-de-sac called Cae Maenllwyd, just off another residential road called Craig Fryn in Machynlleth. It’s situated on a triangular island of grass, with a park bench next to it, and road running around it. You really can’t miss it. Parking is no problem, because the area is extremely quiet.
Taken 15th February 2003: This is one of the two smaller stones set into the east side of the churchyard wall (the furthest north if you count the gateposts). The photo shows the foot of the stone, where you can see masonry (apparantly) running underneath it.
This illustrates the argument that the stones aren’t all in their original positions, possibly ruling out the suggestion that the site is a stone circle.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 15th February 2003: This is the largest stone in the churchyard wall, and the least contentious of the lot. Most people agree that this is a prehistoric stones, but there’s debate as to whether it’s a standing single stone (the others being later additions to the wall) or part of a stone circle.
This photo is taken looking approximately east from inside the churchyard. The full height of the stone isn’t evident from this side of the wall.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 15th February 2003: This is the largest stone in the churchyard wall, viewed from outside the churchyard where the public footpath runs off towards Parson’s Bridge. From this angle (looking approximately east) you can just about see how large the stone is. By local standards it’s enormous!
Image credit: Simon Marshall
In her article called Where Witches Used to Meet, (I can’t find where this was published) Mollie Mordle-Barnes wrote:
The Rollright stones have been a favourite meeting place for witches for centuries. In Tudor times detailed reports of witches’ sabbaths were compiled by a witch hunting commission in Oxford. In the reign of Charles I one of these witches was hanged for attempting to murder her sister’s child by means of witchcraft. She was said to have attended numerous sabbaths at the stones and others held on Boar’s Hill, just outside Oxford.
The same article alludes to a notorious witches sabbath held at the stones on May 12th (Walpurgis night) 1949.
Visited 23rd January 2003: The White Stone lies near Cae’r Arglwyddes II. It’s probably a boundary marker that dates back to either the Bronze Age or Medieval period.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Nearby, in the Brynarian caravan park, is another stone which I went to investigate. I’m pretty convinced that it’s an old gatepost. It has a hole running through it, and it’s extremely rectangular. I’ve not given it a site of its own. I should mention that proprietor of the caravan park was extremely friendly, and didn’t mind me taking a look at the stone.
I’m told that there’s a third stone nearby, but I have yet to find it. I have no idea how old this one is.
Taken 15th February 2003: On our way back from a shopping trip in Lampeter I insisted on pulling over and taking this photo. The winter sunlight was brilliant, and for the first time I positively identified Dolgamfa from the road (the A4120).
The photo is taken from the south east, so not far south of Ysbytty Cynfyn. I’ve effectively zoomed in (by cutting a small chunk out of a big photo). It didn’t look this obvious through the view finder!
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Not to be confused with the Maen Llwyd standing stone seven and a half kilometres to the east near Tal-y-Wern.
Taken 14th February 2003: A close up of the stone, looking approximately west and the setting sun (hence the sunspot...that reminds me of rather a pleasant song).
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 14th February 2003: This is the view from the north (or thereabouts) looking towards the mountains.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 14th February 2003: Maen Llwyd stands near its original location, on a patch of grass in a cul-de-sac. This is the view from the south west. The stone is hiding behind the bench.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
If you want the address or telephone number for the Oxenham Arms Hotel, take a look at the Facilities Menu.
Kammer x
I’ve not visited this site, but apparently it’s fortifications are built in an irregular circle covering approximately 9 acres. The site is now wooded, and being relatively close to Faringdon, it’s a popular walking spot.
According to the Faringdon Community Web Site, “the banks were levelled early in the 19th Century leaving little but vestiges of the fosse on the south side and a faint escarpment on the other sides”.
Kammer x
A detailed report from those University of Oxford bods, about excavations that took place at Uffington Castle in 1995. The page contains diagrams of the area, includinga plan of the fort.
The report also describes both a Neolithic long mound and the early Bronze Age barrow near the fort.
Detailed reports by Chris Gosden and Gary Lock about excavations that took place in 1996/7. The page includes diagrams of the fort.
Visited 9th February 2003: We were on our way from Llanidloes to Machynlleth, so we stopped briefly in Staylittle to see what we could find of the barrows. We were short of time, so it was a superficial visit. The easiest barrow to get a good look at is the one just north of the forestry plantation (the grid reference above is for this barrow). It strikes me as pretty unusual to find a barrow cemetery in a valley like this, at least in these parts.
The mountain road between Llani and Mach is really beautiful, with fantastic views of Snowdonia as you head north. It’s well worth taking this route if you’ve got the time. We stopped off at Maen Llwyd on the way.
Taken 9th February 2003: From the road, looking south west towards Bryn-y-Brain.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 9th February 2003: Looking approximately north west towards the stone, with Fron Goch in the background (complete with Iron Age fort on top of it).
You can see how the hill gots it’s name. Translated from the Welsh the word Fron means both hill and breast. The word Goch means red, which makes a lot of sense on a sunny day when the dead bracken catches the light.
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Taken 9th February 2003: This is a very boring photo of the stone, taken from the south west (approximately speaking).
Image credit: Simon Marshall
Visited 9th February 2003: Maen Llwyd is marked on the Landranger map so it’s easy to find. There’s no public footpath to the stone, but you can see it from the road/track.
The stone is relatively large, especially in girth. Based on a photo I took of Louise standing next to it (unpublished because she’d kill me if I posted it), I’d say Maen Llwyd is about 5ft 10 high. It doesn’t really taper towards the top as is usually the case in the smaller stones further south. It’s a beautiful lump of rock, and well worth a visit if you’re in the area.
The RCAHMW records date Maen Llwyd as post Medieval, but this seems rather unlikely to me given its size. I’m not alone in doubting this date, because Cadw and the Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust both date the stone as Bronze Age.