Waen Lleuci

Cwm Cadlan Ring Cairns

Well preserved Bronze Age *ring cairn  on moorland at  Cwm Cadlan near Penderyn  .This  large monument is just over 15 metres in diameter from east to west  . The outer bank of stones is 2-3 metres wide   .

 Two more ring cairns are 200 metres south from here.  

 *'Ring cairns may have had a function that lay somewhere between that of the much older henges and the contemporary stone circles. The fact that in southeast Wales there are so few stone circles could be related to the fact that ring cairns were built there instead '.(wikipedia)

 Cwm Cadlan Ring Cairn 2 (grid ref SN98551095 ) 

 Ring cairn number 2 ,+ feathered friend    

Cwm Cadlan Ring Cairn 1 (grid ref SN98641101 )

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 .  

Maen Llia

Making the most of the beautiful May weekend weather I  cycled out to Brecon National Park  to  Maen Llia (grid ref SN924192)  . This massive stone  is set on moorland at the top of the Llia Valley  ,3.8 metres  - 12 ft high ,  2.8 metres - 9 ft wide  and 0.9 metres thick -  2 ft thick . 

 ..

Yew Tree St Cynog’s Church Defynnog

 This Church was established in 1254 .

Ogham Stones were brought to Wales by Irish monks

  Ogham Stone  inscribed in Pictish*  stands in the Church porch . This stone was acquired from a  Roman Tomb .  

*Pictish is ancient Scots/Irish    .

Yew trees are spread across the Church grounds  . Yew groves were sacred to the Druids. . Branches were cut foliage was used in ceremonies ..

  

    (grid ref SN92532793 )

 The tree is growing next to a bronze age mound  .Sepulchral possibly  .The tree may have been  planted by the mound builders . Druids associated yew trees with death and rebirth  . For  them yew trees were  a source of serious Juju

Easter 2018

Weather . ..snow  is good , go outside sun is out  blue sky crunchy frozen snow underfoot..... Rain  not so good   muddy fields , dark clouds waiting to piss down  on you without warning . It's been raining constantly here for weeks . The weather forecast doesn't make pleasant reading either ...

  

.Last time out ..Rear axle on the bike snapped , pushed the bike up and over  hills for  a few miles .Back on the main road rang the the mrs for a lift home...

Sweating and freezing ..

Happy Easter ..