Just added a pic I took on 3 April 2011 when I decided to walk back from the falls to the car on the other side of the valley. Crossed the bridge over the stream and ascended a couple of hundred yards to begin the walk down and came across several 'cairns' that appeared to have been recently dug and left open. I had forgotten about these until today and have not read anything about them since. For anyone who has not visited Aber is strewn with random stones as well as the round house, ancient woodland all making for a fantastic landscape and is a great day out with sight of Anglesey/Puffin Island looking back from the falls. With its sheltered position, iconic waterfall and access to plentiful water it is clear why it was settled in.
I must have been about ten years old when I first came here, on a field trip with the whole family whilst holidaying in Llandudno. The last time was maybe fifteen years ago, just as I was getting into all things ancient. How many times had I walked blindly past this, looking but not seeing, in my defense there is a great big waterfall not far from it, a big one that kind of grabs your attention. It wasn't until the Portal alerted me to this well reconstructed round house, with, by gosh, a standing stone incorporated into the hallway, that I knew I'd have to come back, sooner or later. It was never going to be later though.
Alken was coming up for another foray into the wilds of Snowdonia so I mentioned it to him and he was all for it. Sonny boy Eric was with us too, chatterbox extraordinaire, my goodness but hes never quiet is he.
We payed and displayed, 2 pound, for, errmmm quite long, and we were off. It's quite a long walk up to the waterfall, in days gone by I've followed the river up to it, in a gorge walking kind of way. Today though as with most wintry days daylight is in short demand so we took the direct route. There are often many people on the path, but at this later hour it wasn't bad.
I may have inadvertently said to Eric that we could watch the sun go down from the Druids circle, but as the sun went down and he realised it wasn't going to happen he got a bit grumpy. But only for a short while.
Today was also the scene for my biggest gaff yet, I had neglected to pack my camera, whilst we were out checking new and interesting places my poor camera was home alone, sitting under the computer. Booooo!
So without my camera, bereft of impetus, feeling a bit useless, I almost didn't notice Alken pointing out a hut circle. Quite a good one too, Eric climbed the nearest tree, as monkey boy is wont to do, Alken took some photos, but I just watched, darn I miss my camera. Some big stones mark the outline of the earthy bank of this hut circle, you can see the passage into the house as well. Two big stones have made their way indoors, well, its cold out.
Further on and Eric is proving he really doesn't know the meaning of hush, wittering on and bouncing round like a, well like ten year old. I'm beginning to pay more attention to the stones scattered around, we start seeing the hand of man all the way down the path, from up at the tree line down to the path, and off down towards the river. Once again Alken sees the hut circle that inspired our visit here first, i'm looking up to the left, when its down to the right, just yards from the path. It is exactly the way I saw it on the portal, only better, 'cause we were there. A thick hut wall circles a large flat area, giving way to the passage into the house. There built into the side wall of the passage is the standing stone, almost six feet of pointy stony goodness. The lower inner half is covered in a bright orange lichen, almost luminous. Again I have to watch impotently whilst someone else takes the photos, it's only now I realise how much I like taking pictures, a camera in the hand means the world cant be all that bad.
The last two hundred yards to the waterfall and its in full view, and it gets louder and louder. Soon we stand right before its watery magnificence, spraying our faces, smiling broadly Alken wipes his glasses, Eric stands on a big rock and salutes the rawness of it all by double punching the sky. The sun has gone down by now so we beat a hasty but reluctant retreat, as we get back to the car park a small cottage with lights on in the windows looks very very cosy.
I hated not having a camera, so Eric and me came back the day after, spending the last of my birthday petrol, but with bikes, and did it all over again. Smiiiile!
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Posted by postman
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