Mynydd-y-glog

Nearest town:
Aberdare (7km SE)
OS reference:
SN97430899
OS sheet:
160
Latitude:
51° 46' 10.81 N
Longitude:
3° 29' 11.95 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN96890935 – kerbed cairn. No messing

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 6, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN96890935: the disturbed centre of the kerbed-cairn. Make of that what you will. For what it’s worth, I did discern elements of structure.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 6, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN96890935: note the substantial kerb. Guess that makes this a kerbed-cairn.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 6, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN96890935: a nice kerbed cairn situated upon the north-western flank of Mynydd-y-glog overlooking Pant Sychbant.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 6, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN98160886: approx NE toward Pant Sychnant. There are numerous other cairns in the extended vicinity, some of which I did not have the time/stamina to visit.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Looking approx west from the summit cairn at SN98160886 toward the larger (main) cairn at SN97430899

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The summit cairn at SN98160886 in somewhat dodgy light (sorry).

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The summit cairn at SN98160886 viewed across a shake hole. Note the OS trig pillar to right

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97660871: a’top the cairn – a retrospective toward the main cairn at SN97430899 (approx centre skyline)

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97660871: another substantial cairn, possibly acting as focal point for a number of much smaller cairns. Reasonably well preserved, too.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97500885. SN97430899 can be seen beyond to left.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97500885, showing (natural?) kerbing.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97500885: the cairn utilises what I took to be natural outcropping as retaining kerbing

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97500885. SN97430899 can be seen beyond to right.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97500885: the cairn now has a hollow centre so is not as impressive as appearances suggest from distance... nevertheless there is a substantial volume of stone in situ still.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

Western cairn (SN97350891) – the cairns at SN97500885 & SN97660871 can be seen beyond.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

The ‘western’ cairn at SN97350891. The much more substantial SN97430899 can be seen beyond.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97430899: Looking toward two more substantial monuments at SN97500885 and SN9766087.

GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97430899: hanging out a’top the cairn looking beyond Cwm Cadlan to the similarly be-cairned , albeit significantly higher, skyline of Fforest Fawr

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97430899: my (25L) rucksack gives an indication of scale. Quite a fair size, then, if not the tallest around.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014
Image of Mynydd-y-glog (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by GLADMAN

SN97430899: although not quite at the highest point of Mynydd-y-glog this fine cairn is – for me – the centre piece of the cemetery.

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Oct 5, 2014

Articles

Miscellaneous

Mynydd-y-glog
Barrow / Cairn Cemetery
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Feb 18, 2018

Guess it’s somewhat of a cliché to state that those with the loudest voices very often have the least to say. Nevertheless – in my opinion – it’s true. Suffice to note I’m therefore not a fan of Noel Gallagher’s little brother. Or, as it happens, rappers spouting platitudes which merely highlight perceived moral and intellectual shortcomings. Yeah, class will speak for itself. A bit like, from an archaeological perspective at least, the silence which pervades the sprawling mass of Mynydd-y-glog.

Situated in the transitional ‘no man’s land’ between the seriously compromised industrial valleys and the beautiful, wild uplands of Fforest Fawr and, furthermore, rising to a perfunctory 1,277ft, Mynydd-y-glog must’ve sacked its tourist liaison officer years ago. Nothing to do. In fact one may well be tempted to ask why anyone would want to come here? It is a question well worth asking, however, particularly should one have an interest in the human story of what is now South Wales. For here, upon these unassuming slopes, sits a quite magnificent collection of Bronze Age upland cairns. According to RCAHMW [David Leighton, 2/9/2011]:

“...Eight round cairns lie in positions locally elevated to a greater or lesser degree. All have been disturbed... Around these lie a further eight round cairns, likewise disturbed.. A ‘simple’ ring cairn lies on a terrace on the north-west, and on the south... is a low circular mound, only faintly visible, with a gently dished interior suggesting perhaps a more elaborate ring is concealed here. Both are undisturbed... On the north side of the mountain are cairnfields and traces of settlements and field systems which extend across Pant Sychbant and Cwm Cadlan, areas which also contain sepulchral monuments. Cairnfields can also be found on the west side of the mountain...”

So, 18 monuments... with more potentially subsumed within the peat? Whatever, far too many to list individual characteristics here. Instead I’d recommend the curious Citizen Cairn’d contemplates a field visit. Take the Cwm Cadlan road exiting the A4059 at Penderyn and, shortly after a sharp right, follow a public footpath heading beyond the farm of Wernlas to ascend toward the summit of the hill, the latter crowned by an OS trig pillar. And quite a bit else.

Miscellaneous

Mynydd-y-glog
Barrow / Cairn Cemetery
postman
postman Jan 10, 2012

Mynydd-y-glog is an undulating heather moorland landscape characterised by several rocky Millstone Grit summits and slighter knolls rising to 385m, interspersed with damp, boggy basins. The summits and the drier slopes support an assemblage of funerary and ritual monuments in what appears to be an area set aside for such use during the Bronze Age. Eighteen relevant structures have so far been identified.
Eight round cairns lie in positions locally elevated to a greater or lesser degree. All have been disturbed in one case revealing evidence of internal structure (NPRN 84520). Around these lie a further eight round cairns, likewise disturbed. One of these is the only example displaying a cist (84508). Another is surrounded by massive kerb stones (84523), though examples elsewhere may be obscured by cairn material.
At points on the edge of the cemetery lie two ring monuments. A ‘simple’ ring cairn lies on a terrace on the north-west (84519), and on the south, in a sheltered location, is a low circular mound, only faintly visible, with a gently dished interior suggesting perhaps a more elaborate ring is concealed here (84511). Both are undisturbed.
On the north side of the mountain are cairnfields and traces of settlements and field systems which extend across Pant Sychbant and Cwm Cadlan, areas which also contain sepulchral monuments. Cairnfields can also be found on the west side of the mountain. Around the summit cairns are basin areas containing peat to a depth of at least 1.5m, while on the east side of the mountain (below the trig.point) peat in excess of 2m deep has been detected.
The area occupied by these monuments spans some 3.5 sq. km. but could extend to 7.5 sq.km. if Penmoelallt, adjoining on the immediate east, is included. This is a similarly undulating mountain, rising to 420m. Although long afforested, three sepulchral mounds are already known there along with peripheral groups of small cairns.

The Mynydd-y-glog cemetery bears comparison with the excavated cemetery at Brenig (Denbs) (401203) which incorporates large burial monuments, smaller stone cairns (one with kerb structure) and a ring cairn in addition to more ‘exotic’ types not so far identified here. Whereas the burial and ritual monuments at Brenig cluster around a valley head here they are assembled on and around a mountain summit.

And a couple of pics here coflein.gov.uk/en/site/414686/images/MYNYDD-Y-GLOG%2C+BRONZE+AGE+CEMETERY/

Sites within 20km of Mynydd-y-glog

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