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The Archaeology of People: Dimensions of Neolithic Life, Whittle

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Gray Hill circle - Stone Circle in Wales in Monmouthshire

Submitted by TheCaptain on Friday, 10 May 2013  Page Views: 38623

Site WatchSite Name: Gray Hill circle Alternative Name: Grey Hill
Country: Wales County: Monmouthshire Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Newport  Nearest Village: Llanvair Discoed
Map Ref: ST43809353  Landranger Map Number: 171
Latitude: 51.637753N  Longitude: 2.81348W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 2 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 5

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I have visited· I would like to visit

Paolos2202 MicheleW would like to visit

Phillwhite visited on 21st Oct 2021 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 2 Not for the faint hearted... the hill is steep! The tallest outer standing stone is the easiest to spot. The circle is 45 meters to the south. The bracken was long when I visited so photos showed very little.

TheCaptain visited on 5th Sep 2020 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Breezy but sunny afternoon walk up Gray Hill to check out the old stones, then a walk around Wentwood Forest. Much of the top of the hill has become very overgrown, and it was initially difficult to find the stone row leading down to the circle. I disturbed at least three fallow deer on my way through. However, the bracken and gorse on the slopes around the stones is mostly cleared, so it was easy to find the big stones of the row, and the circle beside the lower of the big stones, although most of the circle is well overgrown with brambles bracken and gorse, and my legs got ripped to shreds.

oldman visited on 24th Nov 2018 Well I am not an archaeologist but isn't this a burial chamber? It is not the least bit circular but formed of two rows of stones down the sides with others at the ends.

SandyG visited on 12th May 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 2 Car parking is available at ST 42871 93864. From here cross the road and follow the track that starts at ST 42884 93940. At ST 43270 93715 take the footpath leading up the very steep hill and follow this to ST 43641 93659. Head downhill from here to the row. The kerbed cairn/stone circle can be found at the lower end of the row.

BolshieBoris couldn't find on 1st Sep 1985 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 3

Ellpezz sem TheCaptain have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2.5 Ambience: 4 Access: 2.5

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by SandyG : Kerbed cairn/stone circle and stone 6. View from south west (Scale 1m). (Vote or comment on this photo)
At least 16 stones can be seen making up this circle on the upper slopes of Gray Hill. Many of the slab like stones are positioned so they are touching each other end to end. Within the circle are a couple of large fallen slabs, possibly remains of an internal chamber.

Just outside the circle, to the east are a couple of large standing stones, the lower of which is now not more than a stump. Was this circle once the remains of a large kerbed burial mound. Did the two outliers have some connection with this, perhaps an entrance, as well as being part of the stone row.

The circle is small and not easy to see when the vegetation is up, but there are a couple of outliers nearby which help to find it, and the location is spectacular.

This stone circle is recorded as Coflein NPRN 307979, which records: "Nine erect stones lie on the circumference of a 9.75m diameter circle, within which two formerly erect stones have either fallen or been destroyed, other stones occur without. An erect monolith stands c.55m to the NW". The Journal of Antiquities also includes an entry for Gray Hill Stone Circle, Llanfair Discoed, Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy), which includes photograph of the nearby standing stone and outliers, a description, background information and a list of reference sources for further information.

Update October 2019: For a plan of the stone circle and the adjacent stone row, see the Stone Rows of Great Britain's entry for Grey Hill, which also includes photographs, a description and a list of online resources for more information.
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Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by sem : Vandalism! The idiot who sprayed this hand-print probably thought he was being very clever and somehow "enhancing" the work of his ancestors. The sane and sensible among us will view it for what it is, graffiti. This has been reported to the relevant archaeo trust. Unfortunately I doubt the culprit will be found..... unless anyone knows of someone bragging on a social network site???? (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by bec-zog : Gray Hill Stone circle (Mynydd Llwyd) Gwent Caerwent ST438935 near Wentwood reservoir May be the remains of a round cairn with kerb stones. 9.8m diam, ~ 13 stones Outliers @SE 1.8m high and @NW 2.3m high. There are other cairns in the vicinity (Vote or comment on this photo)

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by SandyG : Kerbed cairn/stone circle and stone 6. View from west (Scale 1m). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Bladup : Gray Hill circle and outlier. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by bec-zog : Gray Hill Stone circle (Mynydd Llwyd) Gwent Caerwent ST438935 near Wentwood reservoir May be the remains of a round cairn with kerb stones. 9.8m diam, ~ 13 stones Outliers @SE 1.8m high and @NW 2.3m high. There are other cairns in the vicinity

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by TheCaptain : A breezy but sunny afternoon walk up Gray Hill. Most of the circle is well overgrown with brambles bracken and gorse, and my legs got ripped to shreds. Sept 2020

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by TheCaptain

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by TheCaptain

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by TheCaptain

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by TheCaptain

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by SandyG : Stone 6 and kerbed cairn/stone circle. View from south (Scale 1m).

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by oldman : Seems like a burial chamber to me not at all circular.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Postman : Gray hill stone circle and it's nearest outlier and a socking great big bridge.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Postman : Monkey boy at it again.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Postman : Gray hill stone circle, Saturday 28th January.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Postman : Stone circle and it's nearest outlier

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Postman

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Bladup : Part of Gray Hill circle with the outlier in front.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Bladup : Gray Hill circle with the outlier behind.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Bladup : Part of Gray Hill circle with the outlier in front.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by caradoc68 : Not many Stone circles have their stones so closely packed together also only a few l can think of with standing stones in the middle.

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by Runemage : Grey Hill Megalith, S Wales Megalith on Grey Hill in South Wales a little after a cloudy sunrise on the summer solstice. Strobist info: SB-80DX handheld to the right of the rock, on 1/4 power. Image copyright: Phil, hosted on Flickr and displayed under the terms of their API. Megalith on Grey Hill in South Wales a little after a cloudy sunrise on the summer solstice. Strobist info: SB-80DX...

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by sem : Luckily the winter die-back of vegetation allows a view of the whole circle. Unfortunately it also revealed some graffiti on the stone at the bottom right of the pic. (2 comments)

Gray Hill circle
Gray Hill circle submitted by TheCaptain : View of the two large fallen slabs within the stone circle, and also the two outliers.

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 56m NW 314° Gray Hill stone row* Standing Stone (Menhir) (ST43769357)
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"Gray Hill circle" | Login/Create an Account | 12 News and Comments
  
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Re: Gray Hill circle by sem on Wednesday, 31 May 2017
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OS grid ref (Archwilio) ST43809353 [checked against SID]
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The Gray Hill Landscape Archaeology Project, Summary of Fieldwork 2003-2004 by Andy B on Monday, 28 September 2015
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The Gray Hill Landscape Archaeology Project, Llanfair Discoed, Monmouthshire. A Summary of Fieldwork 2003-2004
Chadwick, A.M. and Pollard, J. 2005.

Gray Hill or Mynydd Llwyd (centred at ST 4380 9350) is a distinctive hill in south east Monmouthshire, approximately 2 kilometres north-west of Caerwent. Although a stone circle, possible stone row or standing stones and some prehistoriccairns were known on the hilltop, a GPS-based assessment survey carried out by Graham Makepeace for Monmouthshire County Council identified many more archaeological features, including possible prehistoric co-axial field boundaries and more cairns (Makepeace 1999, 2000). There is also a large, D-shaped scarp-edge enclosure that appears to be one of the earliest constructions on the hill. Gray Hill is the focus of a research project of landscape survey and excavation undertaken by staff and students of the University of Wales, Newport, and the University of Bristol. This report concerns fieldwork in 2003 and 2004, and follows on from earlier reports on work undertaken on Gray Hill in 2002

https://www.academia.edu/236596/Chadwick_A.M._and_Pollard_J._2005._The_Gray_Hill_Landscape_Archaeology_Project_Llanfair_Discoed_Monmouthshire._A_Summary_of_Fieldwork_2003-2004
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The Gray Hill Landscape Archaeology Project, Llanfair Discoed, Monmouthshire, Wales by Andy B on Monday, 28 September 2015
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The Gray Hill Landscape Archaeology Project, Llanfair Discoed, Monmouthshire, Wales
Adrian M Chadwick, with contributions by Joshua Pollard

https://www.academia.edu/12988815/Chadwick_A.M._2010._The_Gray_Hill_Landscape_Archaeology_Project_Llanfair_Discoed_Monmouthshire_Wales
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Re: Gray Hill circle by g4oep on Thursday, 09 July 2015
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Hi Folks. I have recently done a detailed survey of this site, and have written up the results here...

http://g4oep.netii.net/archaeoastronomy/grey%20hill.html
(Archive Link)
I would be most interested if anyone has any comments on what I have written. Has anyone anything to say about possible cup-marks on these stones, for example ?
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Gray Hill circle by Anonymous on Tuesday, 13 October 2015
    Fascinating.



    I''d very much like to visit the site and I''d very much like to be even a little more competent about archeo-astronomy.
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Gray Hill circle by Anonymous on Saturday, 25 January 2020
    The circle appears to be the same layout as Aryhog Standing Stones but double the size.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Gray Hill circle by enjaytom on Monday, 20 May 2013
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The Captain: -
Greetings from Neil L. Thomas. I have been most intrigued by your photo of the Gray Hill stone circle. Have you or anyone else made an accurate survey drawing of the circle? A preliminary angled glance at your photos has led me to guess there are 13 stones forming the ring. The central column has fallen or been pushed over. 13+1=14.That is the classic design of a justice circle. Nine Jurors stood in a ring while the offender stood against the column. A trial was held, councils for the prosecution and defence argued the case, 14+2=16. The accused found guilty or innocent by the judge, 16+1=17. Justice was dispensed. This is a replica of Avebury in Wlitshire, Thorolf's ring in Iceland on the west coast, many more on record. In other words, it is an important site.
If the sixteen stones positions indicate one is missing, a sevententh stone, then the symbolism is important, Seventeen is an indivisible prime number exactly half way between unity an 33. Half-way there is a familiar element in folk-lore. Thirty-three is interpreted as royal, sacred, the Ultimate, Heaven.
The diameter is quoted as 3 - 4 meters diameter. An encircling perimeter just touching the outer faces of the stone circle could be two faethms = 2 x 2.073 meters. In other words a one faethm long radius was struck to design the Gray Hill circle. In which case the perimeter is 7 faethms, the indivisible prime number, the denominator of 22 / 7 the accurate pi value found everywhere in prehistoric times. Andy has my email - I will gladly expand on these ideas. Neil.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Gray Hill circle by sem on Thursday, 23 May 2013
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    enjaytom
    From the GGAT Archwilio http://www.cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/ggat/english/index.html
    "A stone circle comprising of 14 visible stones. Nine of these form the circle and appear to be laid on their sides, end to end. Three can be found in the interior and the final stone, 3.6m NE of the stone circle, appears to anchor the circle with the stone row PRN 988g. It appears the anchor stone has a special relationship with the stone circle and stone row. There is a further sub-rectangular stone NE of the anchor stone that may also be related to the circle."
    In Prehistoric Sites of Monmouthshire by Children & Nash (Logaston Press) a diameter of 9.8m is quoted along with a drawing that I assume to be accurate - there is such a jumble of stones there it's hard to be sure.
    PM me you E-mail address and I can send you a photocopy from the book.
    Sem
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Grey Hill (score 7) by BlueCalx on Monday, 22 June 2009
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Visited yesterday morning - very nice site once you find it. If you are trying to climb a steep hill through 6 foot bracken after taking the footpath with the metal gate, you're doing it the hard way - there is a road that is seemingly not marked coming off Usk Rd. Near one end of the reservoir you'll see some Dwr Cymru signs going down to the reservoir - look on the other side of the road. It's not too far from a noticeable big house, if you reach that you've gone too far. This road is in a dense tunnel of trees, and not too hard to find. Follow this towards the hill and it hooks you up with a much nicer and clearer path to the top.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Grey Hill (score 7) by Anonymous on Friday, 22 December 2006
I went up there this morning 07:45 Friday 22nd December for the sun rise 08:12. It was spectacular well worth the hard clime from the East side of Grey hill
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Re: Grey Hill by TheCaptain on Friday, 02 April 2004
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Gray Hill. Ancient Landscape, Monmouthshire, ST438935

On top of this lovely hill with magnificent views all around, are many ancient remains, much of which is usually hidden under a thick coat of vegetation. When I have been up here before, hardly anything has been visible, but in March 2004 the top of the hill was being cleared, which made exploration much easier. The remains up on top of this hill include a stone circle, a stone row, several cairns, a hilltop enclosure and many boundary work walls, as well as lots of walled pits, the purpose of which I have no idea. Perhaps this summers survey and dig will help sort things out.

Access is fairly easy up well defined paths from the picnic site beside Wentwood Reservoir, although the upper slopes of the hill are quite steep.

Cairn - ST434936

Right on the top of the hill, with spectacular views all around is the remains of an ancient, but well worn cairn. I could have been imagining it, but did this cairn once have a kerbed ring around it, and some internal structures ?

Enclosures and other remains.

Walking to the east along the track which goes along the crest of the hill, it is possible to make out the remains of some large stone walling on the left at the top of the hill slope, which seems to be the remains of a hilltop defence or enclosure. To the right, on the flatter ground can be made out many walls or field boundaries. Further along you get to a region of much disturbance, with pits and cairns, of which I have no idea what the purpose is, but it looks to me like the remains of some very old quarrying or something.

Stone Row, ST437936 - ST438935

Looking to the south from the top of the highest cairn, a large standing stone can be made out further down the hillside. Walking down to this stone, it becomes obvious that there is a further large standing stone further down the hill, and then more stones to the right of that can be seen, which is the stone circle. Walking down between these two large stones, a further large stone stump is seen. When the lower large stone is reached, which is just a few yards to the east of the circle remains, a further stump is seen just a bit further on. Closer inspection on the way back up the hill revealed another stone stump above the upper large stone, which makes up a fairly reasonable alignment of 5 stones in a row, which sort of joins between the jumbled stone remains on the top of the hill with the stone circle.

Stone Circle - ST438935

At least 16 stones can be seen making up this circle on the upper slopes of Gray Hill. Many of the slab like stones are positioned so they are touching each other end to end. Within the circle are a couple of large fallen slabs, possibly remains of an internal chamber. Just outside the circle, to the east are a couple of large standing stones, the lower of which is now not more than a stump. Was this circle once the remains of a large kerbed burial mound. Did the two outliers have some connection with this, perhaps an entrance, as well as being part of the stone row.

All in all, Gray Hill is a splendid place to spend a sunny afternoon. I spent a fair while just sat in the circle contemplating life, the universe and everything a couple of days ago.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Grey Hill by Anonymous on Wednesday, 31 October 2001
not easy to find when the vegitation is up , thats an understatment . unless you know were it is in the summer the bracken is over six foot high . there are three ways to get there none of which is that direct but if you go in thewinter it is easy to find and the view from the top of the hill is well worth the climb . only damage i have seen is the usual small fire and candle wax down the lead stone . watch out for small lizards and adders sunbathing on the stones and a buzzard uses one stone as a regular perch . a second circle used to be within a mile but was destroyed a hundered or so years ago
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