13 replies to this topic

[Andromeda_of_darkness]

Does anyone have any information on stone circles in North Wales?

[Diego]

Actually, there are several stone circles in North Wales. Here is a fairly complete list:

[*]Bryn Cader Faner - SH 647354 (cairn circle)
[*]Bryn Gwyn Stones - SH 462669 (probable stone circle; only two stones remain)
[*]Cefn Caer Euni - SH 993410 (cairn circles)
[*]Cefn Coch - SH 548427
[*]Cerrig Arthur - SH 631188
[*]Cerrig Pryfaid - SH 724713
[*]Druid Circle - SH 722746
[*]Eglwys Gwyddelod - SH 663002
[*]Ffridd Newydd - SH 616213
[*]Llyn Eiddew Bach III - SH 642346
[*]Maen Penddu - SH 739735
[*]Moel Ty Uchaf - SJ 057371
[*]Tyfos - SJ 028388
[/list]Hope This helps!

[Shropshire Traveller]

I have pictures and a report of Bryn Gwyn at

http://www.eklektik....lesey/bryng.htm

I have pictures of Cerrig Pryfaid, Tyfos and Red Farm (Cefn Coch?) Circles, and Circle 275 all scanned in, but not yet on my website. If you are interested in the pics, mail me!

[Shropshire Traveller]

In fact there are loads I have visited: Cerrig Pryffaid, near Conwy, Conwy
Grid Reference 724713
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

This circle has many nearby megalithic monuments, and is well worth a visit, even though it is well off any main road!  The best route to approach is to head along the B5106 from Conwy to Llanbedr-y-Cennin, which runs parallel to the River Conwy, taking a right turn NW, and as Cope says "always following what appears to be the main road"! You may think this is steep, bendy, and warrants careful driving... well the alternative is worse!

We took the enormous error of attempting the more direct route, going through Rowen... if it were not for the tarmac, such roads would have not been encountered since mediaeval times! Extremely narrow (if you met a pedestrian, you'd be jiggered!), bendy, steep, overhung with trees and hedges, and at times a very wide green strip of grass / soil several inches high in the centre of the 'road' giving the risk of grounding many vehicles! We marvelled in disbelief that this was even marked as a road on the OS map!

Anyway, following the road which is best, you eventually come to a car park. You can go no further by car, and when you are enclosed in the bosom of the mountains, the Conwy Valley to your east, and a row of pylons to the south, you'll know you have arrived. The road / track off which these sites are found, is enclosed by very high walls, which made their immediate location difficult to find.

Two stones we did not visit, further NW along a footpath are the Bwlch-y-Ddeufan Standing Stones (715718).

For the circle, we headed back eastwards, and if I remember correctly, the first gate on our right was the point of access for the circle. The circle is to the diagonal right of the gate. I did not do a count ot the stones, but there are enough to make it a pleasing visit and a reward. There is an outlier to the NW. The weather forecast for the day was sunshine, and heavy showers, and we were on the tail end of such a shower, so standing in a wide open field on a welsh mountainside was not to be done for too long!

There was evidence of the circle being in use, due to an arrangement of stones in the centre of the circle.

[Shropshire Traveller]

Red Farm Stone Circle, Penmaenmawr, Conwy
Grid Reference SH733751
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

For access, use Druid's Circle route.

This is about 1/3 of the walk up to Druids' Circle. On reaching a house, faced by a row of trees, and between which the path continues through a gate, this 'circle'  is in the middle of the field.  If you use the SW stone wall as a guide, a little way to the left of the path, this wall is met by another wall. Bear in mind the distance from the path to the joining wall; if you add this distance again the other side of the joining wall, then that serves as a very good guide to where to look in the field (and if you can understand the sentence!).

This circle, 'a well preserved elipse', if I remember Burl's comments on it, is basically a small arc of 4 stones, none more than a couple feet high! Given that the floodgates of heaven had opened, we did not linger for long in the field, and took shelter under the row of trees for 5 minutes. Even then, we got thoroughly precipitated upon! In front of these trees is large stone, that does not look like just another boulder. Grid ref 732749; a similar stone can be seen in front of you, going back down the mountain at 734755.

[Shropshire Traveller]

Circle 275, Penmaenmawr, Conwy
Grid Reference SH725747
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

For access, use Druid's Circle route.

This cute circle, the smallest stone circle in the country, is just left off the path, on the way up to Druids' Circle (which could be clearly seen atop the mountain, just a few minutes walk away). Five whopping pebbles, in a tight circle, is how this is best summed up, in my opinion! I was surprised to learn that this was just given a number allocation... surely it must be known by a name designating some character? If not, perhaps there should be a competition for giving Circle 275 a name!

[Shropshire Traveller]

Druids' Circle, Penmaenmawr, Conwy
Grid Reference SH723746
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

This circle is the Jewel in the Crown of many sites close together, overlooking Penmaenmawr. If having visited the sites on the southern side of this mountain by car, head back to Conwy, and then west along the A55, coming off at Penmaenmawr. Follow the road towards Dwygyfylchi (I still can't pronounce that, even after dozens of tries!), turning right next to what appears to be a Presbyterian Chapel. If you go past a cemetry, you have gone too far!

From that right turn, the road takes you past a school on your left, to a junction. Left at that junction for 'Mountain Lane'; which is exactly what it is! After a cattle grid, the road ends at two turret like monuments, on the side of the mountain 'Foel Lus'. We parked here, with great views west to Anglesey, and Puffin Island. If the weather is good, you may just be able to see some of the stones at the Druids' Circle; if you face out to see, they will be to your rear left.

The weather was coming in very menacing; knowing this would be around a couple hours on an exposed coastal mountaintop, we both prepared for the worst, cladding ourselves with good rain jackets and waterproof leggings, both of which were soon to be needed. The path takes you around the backside of a mountain, with a few forks in the path; Druids' Circle is signposted, but if you keep bearing right, you won't go wrong.

On the way to Druids' Circle we visited Red Farm stone circle, and Circle 275.

When I arrived at Druids' Circle, I was struck at how well this site lends itself to being photographed! A convenient rise on the north side allows you to look down onto the circle, and for miles to the east, north, and west. The Great Orme is to the NE, and Anglesey to the NW.

The first stone to greet me, was the 'Sacrifice Stone', which legend has it that slain children were placed on this stone. Hmmmn. Not sure myself. Anyway, again the panorama here was great, and with it being dated around 3,000 BC the sense of wonder at touching something which has stood there for 5,000 years was compelling. The area was now being lit by patches of sunlight, thankfully enabling me to see the area in resplendent glory, and take photos that were not gloomy! If you visit this site, it is worth every effort of the walk up the mountain, and be sure to soak in the circle's very unique ambience.

Just to the west are a couple more circles.

[Shropshire Traveller]

Cairn / Circle, Penmaenmawr, Conwy
Grid Reference SH723746
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

For access, use Druid's Circle route.

This is literally adjacent to Druids' Circle, on the western side. The OS map has it marked as a circle, but if I remember correctly, Burl has it categorised as a cairn. Even so, it is an interesting intersecting tangle of stones, clearly of some use and importance.

Another circle 5 minutes walk west: Cors Y Carneddau Circle

[Shropshire Traveller]

Great Orme Bardic Circle, Llandudno, Conwy
Grid Reference 782831
Date Visited Sunday 14th May 2000

This is a modern stone circle, on the east side of the Great Orme in a place called "Happy Valley". Going through Llandudno, to the Great Orme, it can be accessed most easily by a steep slope to the left of the Grand Hotel. Park either in Llandudno town centre, or just past the hotel. (Further up is the Great Orme toll road, a £2 charge covers the scenic route around, and parking on the top of the Great Orme). A  plaque on one of the stones, set just back from the circle, on the inside, says that it was built in 1963, by the Eisteddfod. It features 11 good sized stones (ie. the height of humans, from chidren to adults) forming a ring around 100 feet diameter, and a central 'altar' stone. It is a beautiful location, but it was heaving with tourists, day visitors, sunbathers, and people playing sports. An early summer morning might be the best time for a visit here. Although modern, it had a very authentic feel, and retained quite an air of ambience of the ancient circles.

[Shropshire Traveller]

Tyfos Stone Circle, Denbighshire
Grid Reference SJ028388
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

This cairn circle is in the south part of Gwynedd, in central-north Wales, not far east from Bala. It is just off a bend, on a minor road running parallel to the B4401, which joins up to the A5. Llandderfel is to the west, Llandrillo to the south, Cynwyd to the east, and Druid to the north. The River Dee is also not far east.

This is set in the grounds of a farmhouse, so permission to visit and photograph was a prerequisite, and is, I have found, universally granted when asked for. We were given the OK, and allowed to walk across the lawn, to get to this circle. About 15 large round stones form a pleasant circle, with back drops of pasture, hills, trees, for miles in all directions. I did not take a huge amount of detail, as this was our last stop on a marathon megalithic binge, and I was shattered! If I am in the area again, I'll try to take another look!

Nearby: Moel-ty-Uchaf Stone Circle 056372

[Shropshire Traveller]

Penbedw Park, near Mold, Flintshire
Grid Reference 171679
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

Situated in a field, off the A541 Mold to Trefnant, this circle was out of bounds for us. Just after Hendre, the road bends to the north, and the circle is in a field to the left. There is a layby on the left after the bend, which is the best location to park. Given that a few of the stones have been replaced with trees it is not that easy to see at first. Unfortunately the field was ploughed, and the circle was located right in the middle, we thought it best not to attempt to get any closer. A few stones were visible, but clearly the best view will be gained at close proximity on a winter / early spring day. Had it been later in the day, we may have asked permission, but given that it was 7:15am when we pulled up we may not have received a warm welcome!

There is some uncertainty as to its origin, in that some rich estate owner may have had it erected just a few centuries ago, but Burl is not conclusive on the matter, and feels the issue is best left open.

[Shropshire Traveller]

Cors Y Carneddau Circle, Penmaenmawr, Conwy
Grid Reference SH718746
Date Visited Thursday 25th May 2000

For access, use Druid's Circle route; in addition, when on top of the mountain next to the cairn, look down west, looking for a large 'Y' made by the wall, with the bottom of the 'Y' pointing north. The circle is nestled between the southern arms of the 'Y'. We were unsure which stones were actually the circle, as when you reach the area, it seems like a mix of boulders and stones all over the place. I believe I found what was the circle from the melee, and am fairly sure it be the circle: six stones visible, and a seventh sunken stone, forming a northern arc.

[Amateur Circler]

Tim it seems you visit a lot of circles.  Are all those you wrote about listed in Burl or do you have another reference?  I would be interested to know what books you use to look these things up and find them.

[Shropshire Traveller]

OK dokey... my resources!
I do not confine myself merely to circles - I visit burial chambers, standing stones and stone rows when I can, too. Standing Stones are too often ignored - I aim to get as many on my site as I can, subject to my brother's work schedule!

I do not have any Burl books (yet) though I have borrowed a couple from our library, or on inter-library loan,

1) The Megalith Map website; an invaluable asset for any stones enthusiast on the net.
2) The Modern Antiquarian by Julian Cope (book); esp. helpful gazeteer section.
3) Ordnance Survey Maps - I spend hours poring over these, with a high-lighter pen in hand. The 1:25,000 series are the best, especially for locating obscure or remote sites. Really, these are the key to unlock all the other information for locations, and I am gathering quite a collection of maps!
4) Sometimes I type in some of the location names into a search engine, which can yield some good local info or little known websites. My favourite is the FAST search engine.

Hope this is of some help

Feel free to mail / post more on here.

Hope my HTML links work!

Tim

Eklektik - Ancient Monuments and Landscape Photography