Mynydd Castlebythe Barrow Cemetery

Nearest town:
Fishguard (10km WNW)
OS reference:
SN02812963
OS sheets:
145, 157, 158
Latitude:
51° 55' 47.15 N
Longitude:
4° 52' 6.43 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Mynydd Castlebythe Barrow Cemetery by AdrianStallwood

The second more disturbed summit barrow, which Figgis tells us was excavated at the beginning of the previous century, and found to contain ‘nothing but charcoal’ (which probably got chucked away)

AdrianStallwood
AdrianStallwood Jan 29, 2025
Image of Mynydd Castlebythe Barrow Cemetery by AdrianStallwood

The larger of the two summit barrows with the trig point. Unexcavated and undisturbed. Cerrig Lladron on the horizon, which has it’s own huge rocky barrow which by contrast is jumped on by thousands of tourists every year.

AdrianStallwood
AdrianStallwood Jan 29, 2025

Articles

Mynydd Castlebythe Barrow Cemetery

AdrianStallwood
AdrianStallwood Jan 16, 2025

We probably shouldn’t publish this as this is one of our favourite sites to walk the dogs where we hardly see anyone...so if you make it up via TMA and see two loud Collies running around and barking, doff your metaphorical cap and keep your distance :)

Mynydd Castlebythe is a lonely, wild heathery hill just outside Puncheston. Posting here on account of the barrow cemetery at the summit (two round barrows and two ring barrows). The highest round barrow is topped by a trig point. The views are fantastic and stretch to Gower, the mountains of Mid Wales, and all the Pembrokeshire peaks including Carn Ingli and the Preselis.

To get there, look for the hamlet of Castlebythe on the map. It’s only essentially a few houses, a farm and a churchyard. At the crossroads, turn left and drive up onto the hillside along a minor road. You can park up on the left a few hundred yards after crossing the cattle grid. Walk straight up the steep hill path on the right. You will probably not see anyone, although if you are very unlucky the local fox hunting w**krs will be up there on their yearly blood fest.

Miscellaneous

Mynydd Castlebythe Barrow Cemetery
Barrow / Cairn Cemetery
AdrianStallwood
AdrianStallwood Jan 16, 2025

(This is the English translation of a poem by Waldo Williams in which he eulogises the moorland around Puncheston – Cas’ Mael. His descriptions of skylarks and stones are pretty spot on)

On Weun Cas’ Mael

I’ll walk once more on Weun Cas’ Mael -
And bushes of gorse tell the tale,
Sick withered winter without fail
Is losing the day.
‘Our kindly sky will be blue in a while,‘
Flaming, they say.

Even today, over the drear
Dank moorland, when a moment’s clear
A skylark gives it’s confident cheer,
Zestful and strong,
Inspiring hope in the country near,
Unlocks bright song.

Oh, blossom on the roughest tree,
Oh, song on the steep, wild and free -
One sweet from the one strength, to be
The brave delight
Of bare acres the world can’t see
Or value right

Wales of dark moorland and stone,
Nurse of the mind that stands alone,
From age to age your strength’s been shown
And still it stays.
Bring us to share in, O make known
Your life, your ways!

The lovely severity you show
Woke favour of man with man, to grow
A company all one, and so
By you empowered,
Knowing no slavery, their slow
Order flowered.

From steel captivity, low hurt
Crosses Cas’ Mael. O save us yet!
Men serve the false power in the pit
Of dark Tre Cwn.
To the pure breezes, raise us our
Of the cave’s tomb!

As the Lark gives from your ground
Point and zest in his circling round,
Your praise let each gift teach to sound,
Nurture and grow it,
And grant me, Wales, that I be found,
For your sake, poet.

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