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Drombeg Stone Circle

Stonehenge: The Story So Far, Julian Richards

Stonehenge: The Story So Far, Julian Richards

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle - Stone Circle in Wales in Carmarthenshire

Submitted by cerrig on Sunday, 22 September 2002  Page Views: 12073

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle Alternative Name: Cefn Gwernffrwd Row II
Country: Wales County: Carmarthenshire Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Builth Wells  Nearest Village: Cilycwm / Tregaron
Map Ref: SN7370049328  Landranger Map Number: 146
Latitude: 52.127784N  Longitude: 3.84645W
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.
 1 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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Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by cerrig : The Tumulus, with one of the larger circle stones ( about shin high) Looking South West. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Stone Circle and Stone Row in Carmarthenshire

On Cefn Gwernffrwd is a complex of monuments. In a clearing within the forestry can be found a ring cairn; a stone circle; a tumulus; a definite 3 stone row and another alleged stone row. All these are within 100 meters of one another.

The circle and Tumulus are close together. They are also connected by the compass, as the centre of the circle (marked by a small stone) and the centre of the Tumulus are aligned E/W, exactly 90 degrees true bearing, an Equinox arrangement.

The circle is the usual small stones, mostly swamped by the grass, but recognisable all the same. A bit of gardening soon brings it to life.

The Tumulus is a small neat affair, grass covered with the normal robbers dimple in it's top, and with a most curious addition of 2 "sheep tracks" that go up over the mound and meet at right angles at the top, giving it a hot cross bun appearance. Even stranger as I saw no sheep at all in the forestry?

The clearing it's all contained in within the forestry gives this collection a bit of a fairy tale feel. All around are dark woods, and being so far from anywhere the silence is a little eerie till you get used to it, but the site has a good feel to it. I sat for some time on a very nice mossy tree stump just wondering what this place was all about. A very nice unique site, well worth a return visit.

Do not attempt this journey in a normal road car. You will regret it. Very rough tracks once you leave the tarmac a long way back down in the valley.

Update October 2019: [note: for ease of understanding and recording this site, there are two site pages for this complex - see Cefn Gwernffrwd Row in nearby sites below for the Cefn Gwernffrwd Row I with its associated ring barrow].

This row and stone circle are recorded on the Stone Rows of Great Britain website - see their entry for the Cefn Gwernffrwd Row II which includes a description, photographs of the alignment, plus photographs showing its position in relationship to Cefn Gwernffrwd Row 1 with its associated round barrow, plus access information and links to other online resources for more information (including the 2007 archaeological survey).

The monument is also recorded as part of Coflein NPRN 304529 (Cefn Gwernffrwd, Complex; Pen-y-Rhaglen-Wynt, Complex) and scheduled as CADW CM218 (Cairns and Stone Circle S of Pen-y-Raglan-Wynt.

The SRoGB asks visitors to note: "Dense vegetation means that the row has not been seen since the 1970’s. The adjacent barrow is still clearly visible but even the stone circle is difficult to see during the summer months … The sites are situated within a clearing in a working forest and from time to time access maybe denied when works are being carried out".
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Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by Bladup : Two stones of Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle, The round barrow is in the distance. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by Bladup : A stone of Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle with the round barrow behind. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by Bladup : Cefn Gwernffrwd. This stone is part of the ringcairn. Round barrow in the background. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by cerrig : An aerial view of the complex. The ring cairn and row are in the topmost clearing, with the circle and Tumulus in the bottom clearing. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by cerrig : The Tumulus, looking East. The circle is to the right and the ring cairn and stone row is to the left. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by cerrig : This shows most of the complex. In the foreground can be seen the ring cairn as a crop mark. The 3 stone row is to the left of it, just at the edge of the trees. In the furthest clearing is the Tumulus on it's right, and the circle is to the left of the tumulus, well hidden in the grass. This view is looking South.

Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle
Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle submitted by cerrig : Somewhere in the grass can be found the circle. All Smallish stones, barely showing at all, and some not at all now. The Tumulus can be seen just on the edge of the forestry, beyond the circle. The stone row and ring cairn are just out of sight to the right(north) This view is looking West.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 nankm 0° Cefn Gwernffrwd Row* Stone Row / Alignment (SN7370049328)
 1.8km SW 219° Esgair Nant-y-Maen cairn* Ring Cairn (SN72544798)
 2.0km E 81° Cefn Cnwcheithinog* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN757496)
 2.8km SE 138° Cefn Gwenffrwd Maenhir* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN75514725)
 3.1km SE 137° Randirmwyn Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN758470)
 3.9km WSW 253° Crug Siarls* Stone Circle (SN69954830)
 4.0km SSW 199° Crugiau Merched Cairn 2 Cairn (SN72324557)
 4.0km SSW 199° Crugiau Merched* Cairn (SN72274555)
 4.1km SSW 200° Crugiau Merched, Cairn 1* Cairn (SN72214553)
 4.3km S 187° Maen Bach* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN73084507)
 4.6km S 180° Mynydd Mallaen* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN73564471)
 4.8km SE 135° Gelli Burial Chamber* Chambered Cairn (SN7703845843)
 5.0km NE 43° Carn Saith-Wraig, Round Cairn* Round Cairn (SN77185288)
 5.0km NE 42° Carn Saith-Wraig, Ring Cairn* Ring Cairn (SN77105297)
 5.1km SE 129° Ty Newydd Standing Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN776460)
 5.1km NE 35° Blaen nant y Rhiw Round Cairn* Cairn (SN76765347)
 5.5km NNE 11° Bryn y Gorlan* Stone Circle (SN74945473)
 5.9km NE 48° Nant Llwyd Standing Stones* Standing Stones (SN782532)
 6.2km SSW 202° Rhiwgaregog Standing Stone (recumbent)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN71274364)
 6.3km SSW 202° Rhiw Gwaregog Standing Stone Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN71184354)
 6.3km SSW 201° Rhiw Garegog Standing Stone II* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SN71264349)
 6.3km SSW 202° Rhiw Garegog Ditch* Misc. Earthwork (SN71184352)
 6.4km SSW 201° Rhiw Garegog Round barrows* Round Barrow(s) (SN71214346)
 6.5km SSW 199° Rhiw Garegog Scoop Grave 2 Misc. Earthwork (SN71474323)
 6.6km SSW 199° Rhiw Garegog Scoop Grave 1 Misc. Earthwork (SN71414314)
View more nearby sites and additional images

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"Cefn Gwernffrwd stone circle" | Login/Create an Account | 7 News and Comments
  
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Re: Cefn Gwernffrwd by Anonymous on Tuesday, 14 November 2023
This is an urgent message.
The whole of this scheduled ancient monument site is under very serious threat from a very large wind farm proposal. The application will consist of up to 25 230m high wind turbines, and is at early stage consultation right now.
Please take the time to look at the proposals by Galileo on bryncadwganenergypark.co.uk and if you are worried by what you see, please help to support our fight against the flood of so-called green energy projects being flung our way.
We are already struggling to fend off a 60 mile long tall electricity pylon route proposed by Bute Energy for the Towy valley and desperately need more signatures on our petition to try and get the Welsh assembly to talk about reassessing the need for onshore wind farms of this nature to be placed throughout almost all of the higher hills in this remote, beautiful part of rural Wales. The deadline for this petition is the 8th Dec '23 and we don't have anywhere near enough signatures to make the Sennedd listen to our concerns.
Thank you.
Posted by a very worried and almost heartbroken resident of Rhandirmwyn near Llandovery.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Cefn Gwernffrwd by cerrig on Saturday, 18 September 2010
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This report by Dyfed Archaeological trust also contains a plan of the complex which shows the geometric relationship between the different monuments. It doesn't seem to have transferred along with the text, but if anyone is interested the original complete article can easily be found by googleing "cefn gwernffryd". Home > Projects >
Cymraeg


Cefn Gwernffrwd Prehistoric Funerary and Ritual Complex 2007
During 2007-08 a topographic survey of the Cefn Gwernffrwd monument complex, Rhandirmwyn, Carmarthenshire was carried out. This complements a survey carried out by RCAHMW in 1975 and places the monuments in a landscape context. It also enabled an accurate evaluation of the change in condition in the monument over 32 years. Some elements of the complex recorded in 1975 were not visible in 2007, most notably a stone row. Overall, however, the complex has changed little between the two surveys.

Download the Cefn Garnffrwd Survey in PDF format - 1.4Mb (opens in new window).


Cefn Gwernffrwd Survey









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Re: Cefn Gwernffrwd by cerrig on Tuesday, 18 May 2010
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condition; 3
Ambience; 4
Access; 1
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Cefn Gwernffrwd by cerrig on Tuesday, 18 May 2010
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On Cefn Gwernffrwd is a complex of monuments. In a clearing within the forestry can be found a ring cairn;a stone circle;a tumulus; a definite 3 stone row and another alleged stone row. All these are within 100 meters of one another.
The ring cairn and the 3 stone row are within 15 meters of each other. The row,to the S/E, is aligned to the southern edge of the ring, and with a compass bearing(true) of 49 degrees is also a possible Sun Solstice marker, ( rising summer or setting winter) although only the N/W sightline is visible now due to the forestry, but intriguinly this sightline passes down one of the rides through the trees to a hill in the distance.
The circle and Tumulus are about 80 meters away, and like the ring and row are close together. They are also connected by the compass, as the centre of the circle(marked by a small stone) and the centre of the Tumulus are aligned E/W, exactly 90degrees true bearing, an Equinox arrangement.
The connection between the 2 pairs of monuments is less clear, although a N/S line from the circle centre neatly divides the gap between the ring and the row. Further relationships are there I'm sure, but a proper survey would be needed to reveal them.

The monuments themselves are in reasonable condition. The 3 stone row is A1. The ring cairn is a bit denuded, but shows up well at this time of year(May) as a dark ring with odd stones in the white tussocky grass.It has a possible slab type recumbent in it's S/E corner, reminiscent of the Breconshire circles.
The circle itself is the usual small stones, mostly swamped by the grass, but recognisable all the same. A bit of gardening soon brings it to life.
The Tumulus is a small neat affair, grass covered with the normal robbers dimple in it's top, and with a most curious addition of 2 "sheep tracks" that go up over the mound and meet at right angles at the top, giving it a hot cross bun appearance. Even stranger as I saw no sheep at all in the forestry?

The clearing it's all contained in within the forestry gives this collection a bit of a fairy tale feel. All around are dark woods, and being so far from anywhere the silence is a little eerie till you get used to it, but the site has a good feel to it. I sat for some time on a very nice mossy tree stump just wondering what this place was all about. A very nice unique site, well worth a return visit.

Do not attempt this journey in a normal road car. You will regret it. Very rough tracks once you leave the tarmac a long way back down in the valley.

[ Reply to This ]

Re: Cefn Gwernffrwd by Anonymous on Saturday, 31 January 2004
Condition:well there is a burial chamber in rhandirmwyn that is hardly listed anywhere on the web and you might be interested in it,I am and i would be glad for any knowledge or enlightenment you could give.this site is i feel sure worthy of acknowledgment,it is situated right at the source of the towy valley and for fish and hunting would have been greatly valued,the capstones are huge, the thing just demands my curiosity,its built upon an s shape bank and in a valley with steep mountain all around,01550 760209 MARK
Ambience:
Access:
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Cefn Gwernffrwd by PaulM on Monday, 02 February 2004
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Interesting - if you have any more information I'd love to see it.

    From a search I note there is a standing stone and cairn near the town but in the forest above Rhandirmwyn there is a site called Garn Wen...

    Cheers

    Paul
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Cefn Gwernffrwd by Zenmonk on Tuesday, 16 November 2004
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    Paul,

    I believe he means the Burial Chamber at SN770459. It is on an 's' bend in the river flanked by steep valley sides all round.
    [ Reply to This ]

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