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Megaliths, Stones of Memory

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Morfa Bychan - Chambered Cairn in Wales in Carmarthenshire (Sir Caerfyrddin)

Submitted by sem on Wednesday, 16 December 2015  Page Views: 14050

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Morfa Bychan
Country: Wales County: Carmarthenshire (Sir Caerfyrddin) Type: Chambered Cairn
Nearest Town: St Clears  Nearest Village: Pendine
Map Ref: SN22130749
Latitude: 51.737816N  Longitude: 4.577454W
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.
 5 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
 4

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Couplands visited on 28th Sep 2023 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 2

ZTW visited on 28th Apr 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 3

Horatio visited on 21st Apr 2023 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 2 Morfa Buchan D (as listed on Coflien site) This is actually the first chamber you get to from off the coastal path high point. So this being the 1st of 4 and the most northerly on the escarpment. The first two chambers are close-ish together (like the next two) and then a slight bigger gap before the next pair of chambers. This chamber is the most intact and has a large capstone (1.5 x4m approx) at ground level which makes the actual chamber itself subterranean, it is supported (underpinned) by small slab boulders as orthostats with cairn material falling through these, the whole chamber is surrounded by cairn material and has what looks like possibly a narrow entrance passage wih a very small step down to allow access into the chamber proper which is about half metre high or so, its cramped. I guess most people just poke cameras and phones to get a photo of the inside (not me). Once the fern and heather is in full bloom, this chamber could be missed, but it is very close to thebeginning of the start of the escarpment.

Lonan visited on 1st Jan 2022 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 2

Penbron PERKYPUFFIN sem have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2.75 Ambience: 4.75 Access: 2.25

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Bladup : The wonderful Morfa Bychan A. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Morfa Bychan consists of four (possibly five) burial chambers according to RCAHMW. They are situated on the southeast side of a steep ridge above Ragwen Point and lie in a north-south line. I could only positively identify three chambers. They are difficult to find among the broken rock and getting there involves a very steep climb.

However, the archaeologists appear to have missed something...
The "prominent natural outcrop" called the Druid's Altar aligns with the three chambers I could identify and is plainly visible both from the valley below and from the church in "upper" Pendine about one mile away.
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Morfa Bychan.Erratic
Morfa Bychan.Erratic submitted by cactus_chris : 20250923--Erratic, Borth-y-Gest, Porthmadog, Wales (seen from Morfa Bychan) (close up) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Morfa Bychan.Erratic
Morfa Bychan.Erratic submitted by cactus_chris : 20250923--Erratic, Borth-y-Gest, Porthmadog, Wales (seen from Morfa Bychan) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by CoralJackz : Chamber A at Morfa Bychan (Vote or comment on this photo)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by CoralJackz : Possible cupmarks on the ridge above the monuments.. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Stood up here yesterday admiring this site and I'm thinking this is one of the best chambers in West Carmarthenshire. Okay the lid is fallen, or pushed off but the orthostats are all in place and fit together beautifully (tight) in fact that well, it's more like a large cist with a capstone on top. My fourth visit and really hit me thus time the beauty of it. A 16 yr old dog and much older H... (3 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Morfa Buchan A, compare this to my earlier photo of this site (taken this April) and what a massive contrast in what is visable. A really great atmospheric location for a chamber but now much more difficult to see and access.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : To put Morfa Buchan and Forest chambers in context and where to look if you decide to come visiting.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Morfa Buchan A see my other pic for details of this chamber

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Morfa Buchan A Trying to show the bigger picture in this shot. Overlooking Morfa Buchan bay and beyond is the Carmarthen coastal path heading up to the headland jutting out which is Gilman point with its iron age fort (not a lot to be seen on the ground). Beyond this is Pendine (not visable) and the great sweeping Pendine Sands which stretches 7 miles from Gilman point to Laugharne Sands, hom...

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Morfa Buchan B So looking a bit more positive B after the shambling wreck of C. The stones (orthostats) are slightly skewered and at least the capstone is clearly visable on the floor. A small chamber this one as can be seen by the little amount of remaining cairn material.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Morfa Buchan c from the north (so looking south) showing the location with regards to the rock escarpment on the right and how once this fern springs up the difficulty to see it from a distance.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Morfa Buchan C or remains of it. I'm lucky with the time of year I'm back up here looking at the chambers, this time I remembered a photographing device, it's a long slog up from the bay (visable in this picture) even more as I walked over the top from Pendine. Anyway I've just compared my photo with the one Bladup uploaded in Dec 2015 and at that time of season, they'll be even less to see tha...

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : The madness of a 'Neolith'! Looking out of Morfa Buchan D. This shows the low height of the chamber and I'm actually below the ground level here. This is looking towards the entrance with possibly an entrance passage way beyond that? Now though, it is a small step down (up from this view) to allow access into the chamber. I'm thinking this is a recent rough dug out step to allow us modern pe... (3 comments)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Horatio : Morfa Buchan D (as listed on Coflien site) This is actually the first chamber you get to from off the coastal path high point. So this being the 1st of 4 and the most northerly on the escarpment. The first two chambers are close-ish together (like the next two) and then a slight bigger gap before the next pair of chambers. This chamber is the most intact and has a large capstone (1.5 x4m approx...

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Penbron : Wonderful location with stunning views

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by PERKYPUFFIN : Cup marks on the bedrock on the area opposite the Altar Stone. There are two sets of 3 holes. This photo shows 3 holes in line, coin in one to show size. The outer two depressions could be naturally formed but the middle hole looks like it has been deliberately made and is twice as deep. (3 comments)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by PERKYPUFFIN : I was dubious about this at first. but PJK is correct that it relates to the burial site above. As seen at all other important sites in N. Pembs there is always a flat stone placed in front of them. It is telling the viewer to look above the horizontal line, just like an underscore/underlining in text so these Megalithic people wrote in stones. I do not think it was a burial chamber but certainly...

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by PERKYPUFFIN : The upper stones here have been deliberately placed. They are part of the same Burial site as the other chambers and cairns within 70 meters. The Forest Chamber below on the rocks is part of the same site.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by PERKYPUFFIN : Altar Stone at Ragwen Point. Part of the Burial Site of Morfa Bychan chambers.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Bladup : After sunset at Morfa Bychan A. (1 comment)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Bladup : Inside Morfa Bychan A, I'm not sure the capstone was ever put on this chamber, It looks like it was left just before it was finished. (8 comments)

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Bladup : Sunset from the cliff right next to Morfa Bychan A.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Bladup : Morfa Bychan A.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Bladup : Sunset at Morfa Bychan A.

Morfa Bychan
Morfa Bychan submitted by Bladup : Morfa Bychan A. (1 comment)

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"Morfa Bychan" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
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Re: Morfa Bychan by Andy B on Wednesday, 04 April 2018
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Coflein
http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/304168/details/morfa-bychan-chambered-cairns
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