Cromlech, stones and ancient landscapes

This magical corner of West Wales was once covered in a thick ice sheet and bears the scars of glaciation in some of the hills and valleys surrounding Polly’s Barn, which clings to the North face of the mountain Carningli, a long extinct volcano. When the last Ice Age finished people quickly moved in to the area and left us reminders of their civilizations scattered all around what is now Pembrokeshire – standing stones, the remains of tombs and stone circles, most of which we have no idea what they really signified or represented. But there are loads of ancient stones all around, some within walking distance and many just a short drive from the barn.

Any of these sites are worth checking out whether you’re into ancient landscapes, archaeology, megaliths or mysticism, or just like marvelling at the fact that a lot has been going on in these landscapes for a really long time, and in the days before TV and smart phones people moved lots of rocks around for reasons that we’ll probably never really decode.

Where we’ve added in drive and walk times, that’s the approx. time it takes to drive from the barn to the nearest parking spot, and then the approx. time to walk to the site: they’re all what we’d consider to be local – how long you then spend enjoying the ambience and marvelling at the sheer bizarreness of these ancient portals in to the past is entirely up to you!

The Stonehenge Bluestones

The Preseli Hills, the very end of which you are currently reading this on, is famous as being the source of the Bluestones which form the inner ring of Stonehenge. Nobody knows for certain how they got from here to Wiltshire, which is almost 150 miles away, and most people fall in to one of two camps – the stones were intentionally quarried here and taken by land or sea on purpose. Or the stones were carried by glaciers during the last Ice Age and left near to where Stonehenge was built and then used by the people who built it. Whichever theory you believe, there’s no denying that they are known to come from an outcrop of rocks which is only about 20 minutes’ drive from here – Carn Goedeg …. If you’re interested in paying the site a visit and possibly seeing some similar stones which appear to have been quarried and shaped but then not moved, pop “Carn Goedog” or “SA41 3SB” into your sat nav, park on the road by the farm and wander up the hill which is about a 20 minute walk - once you’re up you’ll see loads of cool formations and wandering about should reveal some of those discarded stones; and whether or not you believe people intentionally moved the stones from this site there’s no denying that there’s a special feeling to the Bluestone quarry.

(20 mins drive, 20 mins walk)

The original Bluestone circle

For those who believe that moving the stones was an intentional people-powered project then it’s worth heading over to Waun Mawn (map grid reference SN08393403, or satnav “Waun Mawn”). Some think that this moor, which again is only about 15 mins drive from here (park by the cattle grid and then walk on to the moor – there is a sign, and a path), is where the bluestones were first erected in a circle over 5000 years ago and then dismantled and carried to Wiltshire where it was re-erected at Stonehenge about 4000 years ago. There’s been decades of excavation on the moor and claims that corresponding pits which match the dimensions of the stones uncovered. It’s a fantastic story, so make your own mind up. The moor still has several standing stones on it dotted across the landscape with many others lying on the ground and partially covered, and there are some ancient walls – just wandering about the site reveals something new every time you visit.

(20 mins drive, 20 mins walk)

Beyond Stonehenge

West Wales is famous for its Cromlechs, or Dolmens – these are the remains of ancient tombs, typically consisting of three or four upright standing stones and then a large cap stone balancing on top of the uprights; when in use, thousands of years ago, the whole thing would have been covered in earth and an entrance to the tomb was through the standing stones. There are four or five within five or ten minutes’ drive from here:

Pentre Ifan – this is the largest cromlech in Wales and is stunning. It’s about 3 miles away – head towards Cardigan and just out of town it’s signposted (or satnav “Pentre Ifan”). Once at the location you park on the road and then it’s a couple of minutes’ walk and you’re greeted by the fabulous stones which are from about 5500 years ago – the capstone alone is thought to weigh about 16 tonnes – and as you walk around it you can frame the mountain, Carningli, through the stones. Like with the Bluestones there are numerous theories about the cromlechs – were they communal tombs, individual resting places, or not even tombs at all, never covered in Earth and what we see today is what the ancients saw? Whatever the truth, they’re very cool!

(15 mins drive, 4 mins walk)

Carreg Coetan Arthur – is down in town, in amongst the houses! Not quite as big as Pentre Ifan, and about 500 years younger, but still very impressive – and if you’re in town then it’s worth taking ten minute to walk down and see it. Go past the Golden Lion pub and Llys Medddyg hotel, turn left and continue down the road for a couple of mins. You then come to some bungalows on your left, opposite the sign for Newport Business Park – turn into the road the bungalows are on and carry on for about 50m, then you’ll see a small gate, behind which are the stones.

(5 mins drive, 1 min walk)

Cerrig Y Gof – there are five “cists” or small oval burial site remains, arranged in a star shape. It’s very close to here but on private land on the main road out of town. At the bottom of the Bedd Morris road (the one you drive up to get up here), turn left on to the main road and after about a mile the road goes into a dip. At the base of the dip there’s a big white house on the right and a gate to a field next to it – that’s where the stones are. Parking is tricky, and you should only really view the stones from the gate.

(5 mins drive, look over the gate!)

Unnamed cromlech; Carningli – drive up the road from the barn and at the top of the hill there’s a little carpark on your left opposite the Bedd Morris stone. Park up and then cross back over the road and follow the wall, staying on the right, for about 20 minutes walking – this brings you to a patch of the moor covered in stone, just before the wall meets another wall coming at a right angle. Scour this area and there’s an unmarked cromlech.

(5 mins drive, 20 mins walk)

And then just keep your eyes peeled – there are cromlechs all over the place!

Fishguard Harbour has three.

St David’s head has a fab one.

There’s a brilliant one on a hill outside St. Nicholas, and another in a woodland between here and Crymych.

A great website – www.megalithic.co.uk – has all local monuments listed – the best way to use it is to put our postcode into the search box on the top left hand side of the page, so input “SA42 0QX” – this will bring up the entry for Carn Ffoi, the hill fort above our fields. If you then scroll down the page, past the photos, there’s a map of the local area that shows other sites nearby. The map can be expanded to show the whole of the county, or you can zoom in and more sites are revealed. Each site usually has a selection of photographs and some useful information – nowadays most satnavs will accept the name of sites and take you pretty close.

Standing stones

There are standing stones all over the place – singles, pairs, some in lines, some seemingly arranged; there’s even a small one in our garden which we have no idea of its origin!

Two minutes’ walk away

Go into the green lane from the gate to the right of the barn’s front door and walk up the path for two minutes to the road – opposite where you come out glance to the right and there in front of you are two beautiful megaliths. They bear modern gate post holes but they’re thought to have been standing as entrance markers to the Carn Ffoi hillfort which sits on the three rocky outcrops above for thousands of years. It’s worth continuing on, either up through the standing stones and following your nose, or go over the style to the left next to the gateway next to the stones, through the little woods and the next field and then after the next style strike up the steep rocky path on the right – either route will take you on to Carn Ffoi. Depending on the time of year you can see the ramparts connecting the different areas and sometimes the circular remains of enclosures and possibly stone huts. There’s a great view over Newport, the beach, and Dinas head off to the left, with Carn Ingli rising above you.

There are so many other standing stones round and about that it’s almost impossible to list them – just driving back down the hill here, back to the main road there’s a large standing stone on the right-hand side just after the cattle grid.

Driving towards Fishguard and about a mile after the Dinas petrol station, on the right-hand side there’s a beautiful megalith just behind the hedgerow right by the road – known as “The Lady” it apparently sometimes crosses the road! (5 mins drive)

Going over the mountain, up Bedd Morris Road and past the top of Carningli, the surrounding fields either side of the roads are littered with standing stones and possibly the remains of other structures which are now just piles of stones, probably cleared by farmers over the years. Almost whichever route you take, be it towards Dinas Mountain and then over to Dinas, or towards the Gwaun Valley will reveal interesting stones everywhere – some have been incorporated in to modern boundaries, whilst others stand alone in fields.

A particularly enchanting site is Trefach or Y Garreg Hir – pop “Gellifawr” into your satnav – it’s a hotel/wedding venue in the valley over the other side of the mountain, about 15 mins away. Drive towards it and when your satnav says you’re about a mile away-ish you go through a farm. Keep an eye out on the fields to the left now and in about the third field you’ll suddenly see the stone – it’s about 2 metres tall and almost diamond shaped. Park on the side of the road and hop into the field and look around – there are loads of cleared stones now set around the outside of the field, suggested by some to be the remains of a tomb, with the last remaining standing stone in front of you. However, if you look closely, there are a lot of stones still in the field but on the ground/partially buried and we’re convinced it’s a circle. Make up your own mind, and glance back towards the back side of Carningli.

(15 mins drive, 1 min walk)

(NB. If you do climb to the top of Carningli by foot and orientate yourself to look southeast-ish from the top you can look over towards this site and see the stone in the field from a totally different perspective!)

Other notable sites nearby:

Bedd yr Affanc – the Grave of the Beaver/Water Monster – whether you prefer the beaver or water monster naming, this is a great gallery or passage grave in a spectacular setting. It’s quite close to Maun Waun (the Bluestone Circle site), but down on the boggy plateau at the bottom of the U-shaped valley so if you’re driving to one it’s worth visiting the other. To get here pop “SA41 3TL” into your satnav – when you get there you’ll see a sign for “George the Framer”, so you know you’re in the right place! Park on the verge of the road and walk up the driveway towards the framers – quite soon on your left there is a gate to the moor – go in here and strike out on to the moor, following the paths. It looks like a vast area with the Preselis stretching ahead of you, and the grave is off to the left; don’t go too far – you need to clear the sandy heathland which the path takes you through and then bear left – if you start hitting boggy ground you’ve gone too far or in the wrong direction. It’s hard to describe exactly where it is, but it’s actually shown on Google maps or satnav if you can access it on your phone and use the compass function to navigate your way. Once you see it, you’ll see it! Again, about 5500 years old, and very cool.

(17 mins drive, 20 mins walk)

Gors Fawr stone circle – the only complete stone circle left in the area and magical at any time of day or night and any time of year. It’s near the village of Mynachlog-ddu and your satnav will take you directly to it if you pop it in or use the postcode SA66 7SE – it’s about a half hour drive from here and this one is not only just off the main road through the village but there’s convenient layby parking and a helpful sign. Like many of the sites it aligns to various significant sunrises and settings during the year and there are associated megaliths nearby which suggest avenues of stones led to the circle originally. The surrounding landscape is epic and there are numerous other monuments in fields dotted around nearby – as usual, keep an eye out!

(30 mins drive, 2 mins walk)

A full day out

Each one of these sites deserves a dedicated trip in its own right but if you want to make a day of it then a whole day, with a flask and a picnic in tow, can be had by grouping a few of them together and doing a circular drive – I’d suggest:

Head down to town and park either outside Spar or in the carpark, grab some crisps and chocolate and then wander down to see Carreg Coetan Arthur in town – an entry level cromlech, if you like.

Then jump in the car and head to Pentre Ifan – the biggest cromlech in the whole of Wales.

Continue on to Carn Goedog, the site of the Stonehenge Bluestones quarry – depending on your time and how long you’re spending at each site it’s worth checking out Foel Drygarn Hill fort, which is about a mile and a half walk across the ridge. It’s a great additional site as it was home to over 200 stone huts at one point in the deep past and there are at least three burial mounds present, but it will add on over an hour or so.

With the site of the Stonehenge bluestone quarry in your back pocket drive on to the only surviving stone circle in the area, Gors Fawr stone circle.

Then up over Preseli Top and on to Maun Waun to see the possible siting of the original Bluestone Circle before it was (possibly) dismantled and carried to the Stonehenge site.

After this you can either carry on down the hill to the Grave of the Beaver or turn off towards Cilgwyn and head for Trefach (the single standing stone which may or may not have been part of a circle, or a tomb. Either of these final sites will then give you a circular drive as you continue back in to town and an early evening pint/coffee.