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From The Cockpit, on the horizon, a standing stone can be clearly made out. Head straight for it and you will find this collection of at least 3 cairn circles. Nobody else will bother you here, the main paths don't come this way, so it is a great place to hang out.
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A reasonably large late stone circle of low stones. Part of the circle is concealed by tall grass. The grassy area looks like it contains a burial cairn (?) Whilst sat here a lot of people have just walked straight past, one or two commenting that this was "one of them stone circle things". The two small planes with "Utterly Butterly" ads sprayed beneath them did however manage to grab their attention. Never mind.
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A Lakeland long cairn. The site is easily spotted among the trees, but it is difficult to work out exactly how big it is. The site lies just off the A6, on the road leading to Askham. Ideally placed for a visit on the way to Pooley Bridge and the Moor Divock sites.
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From the cairn by the side of the track, the approach to the Oddendale circle is tricky if tried without an OS map. For those wanting to visit this standing stone (Thunder Stone?) is an ideal landmark, and a worthy distraction in its own right.
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This little cairn circle lies immediately to the left of the farm track leading to the Oddendale circle, just by the drystone wall. A pretty little circle, quite unassuming, but worth a look if you are intending to visit the main circle.
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The Oddendale circle is completely surrounded by modern intrusions - the Shap cement works, the M6, a railway line, a quarry and a regimented plantation surround this site on all sides. However the site itself is in pretty good condition and is a great example of a concentric circle. The site is close enough to plenty of other sites (Iron Hill, Kemp Howe, Castlehowe, Gunnerkeld) to make it worth the visit.
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These stones are huge! The few photographs I had seen prior to coming here didn't do justice to the bulk of these stones - my photographs seem to make these stones look small too. The compact size of the circle, coupled with the size of the stones has to be seen.
The setting is good - a flat plain hemmed in by the surrounding peaks. Old Radnor is in clear view in the distance.
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It is relatively easy to get up here, the roads are good enough for any car really. From the Red Lion pub in Bredwardine take the road immediately to the right of the pub, leading up behind it. Follow this road right up, do not turn off at any point - this will lead you straight to the site. Following these directions the site cannot be missed, it lies on the side of the road.
The site is enigmatic. The two capstones, and the fallen one below are a real puzzle. Did they all at one time form one large capstone, the one lying on the floor being a huge flake from the one above? Or, are they separate stones, the one below having been moved from the end of the tomb?
Worth a visit, but quite out of the way. The nearest site is Old Radnor & the Four Stones (about 20 minutes away), and Hay-On-Wye (book capital of the world) is also pretty close.
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Clearly marked on maps, well signposted and very close to Belas Knap yet completely neglected. It is possible to discern the location of the chamber and a general lay out of the site but Notgrove has been destroyed by it's excavators, with no attempt to put it right.
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The walk up to Belas Knapp is fantastic, and not the slog I'd been led to believe (or maybe I'm too used to the Cumbrian landscape!) The undulating feminine hills of this landscape prepare you for the site. The sun was shining down when we arrived and we took our time exploring. The NE chamber is currently home to a blackbird's nest and chicks. A new-age type woman and her entourage of two distinctly ordinary looking guys, trudged round the site - stopping off occasionally to make arcane hand gestures. In the NE chamber, on discovering the chick, the lady exclaimed 'well that's definitely a sign for us!' How arrogant. As they were leaving the lady uttered, very matter-of-fact, 'well that's that done.' Hmmphh.
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I returned here to show a friend the site and this visit was even more rewarding than the last. What strikes me most with Bryn Celli Ddu is the mysterious stone, a remnant of the earlier stone circle, within the chamber - I've had dreams about it, and seeing it here again just knocks me out. The mound is nowhere near the size of the major Boyne Valley sites, but it is somehow reminiscent, and definitely every bit as stunning.
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This site isn't easy to find, the roads round here are very confusing. We asked a friendly local for directions and he got straight in his car and led us to the spot - what a dude. The site is a disappointment, very little is left, and what there is lies overgrown. The location however is good, with a view stretching from the Snowdonian mountains right out to sea.
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This site sits in an excellent location above the mouth of the Conwy. Two large standing stones, which may have marked the entrance, now double up as fence posts, unnecessary amounts of rusted barbed wire surround them. The chamber itself is partially collapsed, and there have been no attempts at the usual brick and cement repair - a major plus point. The capstone is a massive bulk, much thicker than many I've seen. It is still possible to climb inside the chamber (just) and the bulk of the capstone, from this position, is overwhelming. Off the beaten track, and presumably rarely visited, this site is well worth the effort.
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A tranquil, calm spot for this site. The capstone of the standing chamber is supported by a wooden structure, which whilst not the most beautiful thing is a slight improvement on the brick and mortar solution used at Ty Newydd. The walk to the site was made all the more rewarding by a small wood with a floor covered in bluebells.
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Do not pay to visit this site!
As already mentioned, entry to the grounds of Plas Newydd, does not allow access to the site. Park up on the visitors car park, ignore the ticket office, and walk down to the picnic bench beside the fence. The site is visible over the fence. To gain access, I presume it's a case of ringing/writing for permission OR going on one of the guided archaeological tours. It's £3.00 and takes two hours, so some of the walk probably takes in the gardens, which may or may not be of much interest!
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A great setting for these two enigmatic standing stones. The view out to sea, and of Snowdonia, is only partially obstructed by the nearby farmhouse. If only the other sites (Trefignath & Ty Mawr) were in such unspoilt locations. As I was leaving the stones four horses, one very young, came from the farmhouse to play. They ran wildly round the stones a few times, jumping and kicking, then finally stopped at the stones to rub against one another.
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This fine stone, 3m high and over 2m wide, stands in a field close to the road on the edge of the village.
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To reach the stones do not be put off by the lack of a signed footpath. We struggled with our bearings at first, the OS map clearly showing a path by the side of a house. A guy was out cleaning his car and he kindly pointed out the path - it runs by the side of his garage and was partly obstructed by some planks of wood which he promised to remove. The stiles leading to the site are also partly obstructed by barbed wire.
It is worth the hassle as the site is in a great position, and cannot get many visitors - so privacy is almost guaranteed.
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This fallen burial site lies in the middle of a field adjacent to Cromlech Farm, and as far as I could tell there is no right of way, so the site must be viewed over the wall.
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A cumbersome, partly subterranean site. From the outside the huge bulky capstone appears to have pushed it's low kerbstones down into the ground - this isn't the case as the interior is hollowed out. To gain entrance to the sites chamber requires a vault over the fence - be warned it has large, sharp spikes and the glossy green paint can be quite slippery!
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