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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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?).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.This post appears as part of the blog post " The Best Stone Circle Ever! (not)" |
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.This post appears as part of the blog post " The Best Stone Circle Ever! (not)" |
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.This post appears as part of the blog post " The Best Stone Circle Ever! (not)" |
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.This post appears as part of the blog post " The Best Stone Circle Ever! (not)" |
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.This post appears as part of the blog post " The Best Stone Circle Ever! (not)" |
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.This post appears as part of the blog post " The Best Stone Circle Ever! (not)" |
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.
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I live in a small Welsh seaside town on the west coast. As well as being well placed for visiting the local sites, it's relatively easy to get to sites in south Wales, north Wales and the borders.
If you'd like to use one of the photos I've posted on this site please contact the TMA Eds who'll pass the message on ([email protected]).
Some of my favourite prehistoric sites:
Avebury (England)
Calanais (Scotland)
Castlerigg (England)
Dolgamfa (Wales)
Gavrinis (France)
Kernic (France)
Pentre Ifan (Wales)
La Roche-aux-Fées (France)
Stones of Stennes (Scotland)
Wayland's Smithy (England)
Kammer x
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