Cadair Fawr Round Cairn

Cadair Fawr Round Cairn (grid ref SN97581260 )

Bronze Age Cairn in a spectacular setting on top of Cadair Fawr near Penderyn surrounded by carboniferous* limestone done up like a lunar landscape . The twin peaks of Corn Du and Pen y Fan are southwest in the not so far off distance . The iron age settlement to top of  Mynydd Cefn - y - Gyngon across the other side of the valley above Tower Colliery

  *Rocks formed in warm, shallow tropical seas teeming with life. The rock is made up of the shells and hard parts of millions of sea creatures between 363 and 325 million years ago.

Getting there I cycle over the Rhigos to Penderyn . Then along a country lane towards Cwm Cadlan .

It's a beautiful day . Sun is out  summer breeze whistles through branches shedding leaves . Then from nowhere something smacks into my chest .I look down . Below my left shoulder a large green and yellow dragonfly* with  huge compound eyes . It's mandibles gripping onto my shortsleeve . Seconds later it was gone..

Golden ringed Dragonfly . 

Largest species in the UK ..

Iron Age settlement at Mynydd Cefn-y-Gyngon

Hiking 7 miles to a Iron Age settlement at  Mynydd Cefn-y-Gyngon  (SN958035 ) in the searing June heat wasn't the smartest of moves on my part .

 Spread over a large area are the remains of what were once  Iron age round huts and roundhouse (  large oval structures    )   Long huts on the site are evidence the area was being occupied later on in the  dark ages  .
Taking 5 before I embarked on the return trek . Looking south east  from the top of  Mynydd Cefn-y-Gyngon  the Brecon Beacons rise up in unison dominating  the landscape . Below me on  Hirwaun common plumes of dust are being created by massive 300- tonne hydraulic excavating trucks at Tower Colliery .