In the footsteps of the builders of Stonehenge Pt 2

A little later than planned. Work demands rather took over last week .....

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny so we started with a quick run up  Foel Cwmcerwyn, the highest point in the Presilli Hills ( and indeed in Pembrokeshire). OK quick run was a bit of an exaggeration but we were down in time to return to the Tafarn Sinc for a drink at lunchtime. Starting again from Rosebush this is a long but not too steep climb up. There were some fabulous views over the countryside but it was too hazy to photograph well.

Time then for part 2 of the plan - standing stones and stone circles. The area is dotted with them and we packed in as many as we could given that we had to head back home in the late afternoon.

First on the agenda was Maenclochog. The stone was in the centre of a freshly sown field so we couldn't get too close. Amazing how good a picture you can get though whilst balancing on a bank above a ditch and peering through a barbed wire fence!

Next, just a mile or two away was the stone at Temple Druid. Easy enough to see when you know where to look but hard to see from the car. We had to get out and wander about a bit to find it








This one was more of a challenge. Again some clambering up banks was required and we couldn't get any closer. It isn't actually visible from the road so quite a bit of bank clambering had to be done until we finally spotted it....

This pair were out on the moorland and required a bit of a hike to reach. They are distantly visible from the road but we wanted to get closer. Unfortunately this also meant  negotiating some unforeseen hazardous such as streams, bogs and gorse! Worth it though.

Next stop was a stone circle   - Gors Fawr. 16 bluestones ( like Stonehenge) in an oval ring. This was probably the best time to visit it before the gorse grows up for the summer.

Close by are two outrigger stones  which would seem to be part of the whole complex.

Next on the list was marked as  "a burial chamber".

 Carn Besi is close to the main road but that is as far as easy accessibility goes. Another clamber up a steep bank with plenty of brambles to avoid. More barbed wire at the top  so we settled for another creative distance shot.  Some lovely views of the Presilli Hills behind it though so definitely worth a stop.

We were getting rather tired now and thought we'd head into Newport for something to eat  - unfortunately the season hasn't started yet so we were spectacularly unsuccessful.

However we did come across Carreg Coetan Arthur so it wasn't a complete waste of time. This is a Cadw site and the remains of a chambered tomb ( dolmen style) probably dating from 3000BCE.



Now we really had had enough and decided to head for Camarthen for some food before heading back along the M4.  Despite all these good intentions though we passed the sign for Pentre Ifan - should we stop? It was late and we were tired and hungry and had already decided that we would be returning to the area for a longer stay so we thought we'd give it a miss. Then changed our minds!

In the footsteps of the builders of Stonehenge

Picture a nice sunny Saturday morning and the following conversation:

Fancy a trip away?
Where?
Presilli
Presilli?
Presilli
OK.

We both had commitments in the morning so it was mid afternoon before we left ( having taken the precaution of booking a B&B on line before we left).

Getting late when we arrived at the second B&B - so much for on line booking ( Thanks MyUK.travel - won't bother using you again) so the first priority was something to eat.

Our hostess recommended the Tafarn Sinc just up the road in the quaintly named village  Rosebush. She said it was a hard to miss  red painted tin hut - she wasn't joking.

Inside was like stepping back in time - complete with sawdust on the floor and a Welsh male voice choir singing the old staples as back ground music. It was pretty busy there but we managed to get a table in the bar and some food.

Not sure if the hams hanging from the rafters were real of plastic...

Strangely as soon as we arrived everyone else seemed to depart!

The building apparently was a basic hotel built to support the railway line used for ferrying slate out of the local mines.


The current owner has recreated the station itself at the bottom of the garden complete with figures and a recording of steam engines...



At this point we went back to our B&B to work out a plan for the morning. The UK clocks went back as well so it meant getting up an hour "earlier". I'm still feeling the effects of that so  part 2 of this blog will have to wait until tomorrow.

Watch this space :-)

A Grey Hill on a sunny day

Glorious glorious weather - End of January so it must be a trip to Grey Hill. This seems to becoming a bit of an accidental tradition but no matter. It is not a place I tire of.

It's a steep pull up to the top but the views across Wentwood Forest are worth it. I'm also getting quicker at it - must be getting fitter at last!


On the top is Grey Hill Common, an expanse of bracken and heather with fabulous views of Wales on one side and the Severn Estuary on the other. Good view of both the crossings too, the hill is about in the middle. Not quite so keen on the view of the nuclear reactor but you can't have everything.

Buried in the bracken is a small stone circle. On our first trip here in high summer we completely failed to find it although we must have passed very close. A return visit at the end of January 2010 was much more successful. It is much easier to spot without  the head height bracken.

Reaching the circle itself we were in for a shock.

This was the circle almost exactly two years ago. Not a very good camera then so the quality isn't great but you can see the circle nestling into the undergrowth.

This is the scene now. Utter devastation. More stones have been uncovered but at a cost. The vegetation will of course grow back but it was a sad sight this morning.

The circle is now confused with a jumble of stones around it.

It has also  unfortunately been visited by the sort of neopagans who leave the detritus of their rituals behind them, in this case a Native American dream catcher ( WTH?), polyester ribbons and of course the usual tea light cases.

 
Somewhat saddened we walked on past one of the outlying standing stones and back to the path to continue our walk along the common before adjourning to our usual lunch haunt around here - The Greyhound.

I'm sure we will return soon though.

Wanders in Wales - In the footsteps of the Druids

Day two and the sun is out - well at the moment!

A heated debate follows on where to go -  Penmaenmawr won. A wealth of circles, stones and other features beckoned but at the cost of a long steep climb. I am definitely fitter than I was but I don't think I will ever enjoy climbing long steep hills.

 Anyway I was not disappointed. The climb was indeed long and steep in places. Where it wasn't steep it was wet and boggy- not a good time to find that the waterproof boots are less than waterproof and that wet socks give me blisters.

This is the view into the valley from the car park- quite magnificent.










I was feeling pretty miserable when we reached the first circle- Red Farm Circle. all that effort for a fairly poorly preserved  "circle" of a few low stones. This is about the best picture I could get- you may need to look carefully!

Nearby was  Maen Crwn a magnificent standing stone overlooking the site (why do people feel they have to carve their names on things?).

By now I'm feeling somewhat underwhelmed but nothing daunted we push on - yes more "up" and find the a tiny but much better preserved circle with the picturesque title of Stone circle 275. A pretty little circle of just 5 stones which deserves a better name,




However a quick glance up and silhouetted against the sky are some magnificent stones. The Druids Circle beckons.

I'm not feeling quite so tired now and the next hill is quickly climbed.

The pictures here don't come close to capturing it. Like Brodgar this fair crackles with  energy. There are several legends attached to the circle. The deity stone carries the legend that anyone who swears by it will be struck dead- I didn't try it and the sacrifice stone is said to have held the bodies of sacrificed infants - maybe as some child cremations were found here.

After spending nowhere long enough at he Druids circle time was getting on and we still had two more circles to find.

I am reasonably sure that this is circle 278 - but not 100%. The whole area is covered with the remains of circles, cairns and burial mounds as well as a neolithic axe factory so it can sometimes be difficult to pick out the features on the ground.

One more circle to go - that of   Cors y Carneddau. This did involve some head scratching, intensive map reading and GPS. It now appears mostly as a jumble of stones but I'm confident we found it. Doesn't look much in the picture but you can't fault the location.

Starting to get cold now so time to head down in search of dry footwear. I'd forgotten about my wet feet and blisters whilst in the circles but the trip down wasn't pleasant.

You'd think that would be enough for one day? Nope. One more to visit. The circle at  Cerrig Pryfaid. This is right on the road so no more walking required..... however high stone walls and a single track lane mean it isn't actually visible so it was a case of park where possible and walk back.  Scaling the 6ft stone wall surrounding it was relatively easy and the circle of small stones dwarfed by huge electricity pylons was revealed. Not the best picture I'm afraid. I was tired by now!

All in all a very successful day - and one more to go.