<< Our Photo Pages >> Bannau Sir Gaer - Stone Circle in Wales in Carmarthenshire

Submitted by Tom_Bullock on Sunday, 22 September 2002  Page Views: 12210

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Bannau Sir Gaer Alternative Name: Sychnant Stone Circle, Waun Lwyd stone circle, Waen Lwyd
Country: Wales County: Carmarthenshire Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Llandovery  Nearest Village: Crai
Map Ref: SN80862440  Landranger Map Number: 160
Latitude: 51.905359N  Longitude: 3.733225W
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
 2 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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TheCaptain visited on 20th Jul 2017 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 2 Visited while walking round Carmarthen Fan. We started off walking from the little parking area up to Sychnant stone circle, which was found surprisingly easily near a turning point on the walk near the head of the Sychnant stream. It is positioned on a nicely flattened area on the saddle at the top of the low ridge of land between the head of the Usk river to the northeast, and the Afon Sawddle which runs from Llyn y Fan Fach, a tributary of the Towi to the southwest. It is just a hundred or so metres from the pathway at the head of the stream, and can be identified by the two large stones protruding above the moorland. I paced out the diameter to be 17 to 18 paces, so probably about 16 metres, and I counted 12 stones, most of which are small and hardly protrude above the grass, but at times today were positively glowing white in the sunshine in the wet moorland. At the southeast section are two large stones, with another flat to the ground between them, which reminded me very much of the Pen-y-Beacon stone circle below Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains away to the east, and is possibly the remains of some sort of entrance. Of the other 9 stones I saw, only one is of any substance, about 2 feet tall and leaning outwards just to the north of the main stones. What a splendid place. I am so glad I can now get to these places again, and I am now inspired to search out Nant Tarw and the other sites around here sometime, as it is now only a couple of hours drive.

PAB sem have visited here

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by sem : It's cold and windy here, from which I conclude that Neolithic man did not carry out his ceremonies naked (unless he was made of sterner stuff than me). (Vote or comment on this photo)
Stone Circle on the moorland below the peaks of the Black Mountain in Carmarthenshire.

TheCaptain says: Stone circle positioned on a nicely flattened area on the saddle at the top of the low ridge of land between the head of the Usk river to the northeast, and the Afon Sawddle which runs from Llyn y Fan Fach, a tributary of the Towi to the southwest. It is just a hundred or so metres from the pathway at the head of the stream, and can be identified by the two large stones protruding above the moorland.

I paced out the diameter to be 17 to 18 paces, so probably about 16 metres, and I counted 12 stones, most of which are small and hardly protrude above the grass, but at times today were positively glowing white in the sunshine on the wet moorland.

At the southeast section are two large stones, with another flat to the ground between them, which reminded me very much of the Pen-y-Beacon stone circle below Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains away to the east, and is possibly the remains of some sort of entrance. Of the other 9 stones I saw, only one is of any substance, about 2 feet tall and leaning outwards just to the north of the main stones.

As noted in RCAHMW description, many of these stones in this circle are difficult to find - especially if the grass ever gets a chance to grow!
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Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by postman : Brecon Beacon mountains tower over the diminished circle. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by postman : Eric hides from the wind behind the biggest of the circle stones. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by geoffstickland : the view across the circle, looking towards the 3 main stones. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by geoffstickland : This fragmentary stone circle may be Neolithic or Bronze Age. There are 14 stones visible today in the surrounding rough grass, these stones are a variety of sizes, some standing and some recumbent. They form a circle of roughly 50' across. Vegetation is slowly burying the smaller stones. The 3 largest stones - 2 standing and the middle recumbent - make the circle visible from a distance. The... (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : Sychnant stone circle in its landscape

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : Sychnant stone circle is positioned on a nicely flattened area on the saddle at the top of the low ridge of land between the head of the Usk river to the northeast, and the Afon Sawddle which runs from Llyn y Fan Fach, a tributary of the Towi to the southwest.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : I paced out the diameter to be 17 to 18 paces, so probably about 16 metres, and I counted 12 stones, most of which are small and hardly protrude above the grass, but at times today were positively glowing white in the sunshine on the wet moorland.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : At the southeast section are two large stones, with another flat to the ground between them, which reminded me very much of the Pen-y-Beacon stone circle below Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains away to the east, and is possibly the remains of some sort of entrance.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : Of the other 9 stones I saw, only one is of any substance, about 2 feet tall and leaning outwards just to the north of the main stones.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : Sychnant stone circle looking south towards Bannau Sir Gaer.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : Sychnant stone circle looking south towards Fan Foel and Bannau Sir Gaer.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by TheCaptain : Sychnant stone circle looking southeast towards Fan Foel.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by cerrig : One of the circle stones, it seems to be pointing to Fan Foel and it's cairn, looking south east.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by cerrig : Looking from the south east, the circle looks to be on suspiciously flat ground. A rarity around here. The difference in the sizes of the portal stones and the much smaller circle stones stands out, with the largest stone being roughly central to the circle here.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by postman : Looking north-ish

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by postman : looking west-ish

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by postman : Nant Tarw stone circle complex is far left down the hill.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by postman : As many stones as will fit into one picture and still be seen.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by Bladup : Bannau Sir Gaer stone circle with Fan Foel in the background.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by Bladup : Bannau Sir Gaer stone circle.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by Bladup : An arc of stones at Bannau Sir Gaer stone circle.

Bannau Sir Gaer
Bannau Sir Gaer submitted by Bladup : Bannau Sir Gaer stone circle, Broken stone, portal or two stones that were once right next to each other in the circle? Who knows, I do know there's worse places for a stone circle, The setting is marvellous.

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"Bannau Sir Gaer" | Login/Create an Account | 4 News and Comments
  
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Re: Bannau Sir Gaer by geoffstickland on Thursday, 13 April 2023
(User Info | Send a Message)
Archwilio names this site Waen Lwyd
(PRN): 9997
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Bannau Sir Gaer by Anne T on Thursday, 13 April 2023
    (User Info | Send a Message)
    Hi, geoffstickland,
    The Coflein entry gives an alternative name of Waun Lwyd Stone Circle. See NPRN 92909 (slight variation on spelling of Waen).
    Thanks for pointing this out. Much appreciated.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Bannau Sir Gaer by TheCaptain on Tuesday, 25 July 2017
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Notes from my visit while walking round the fabulous Carmarthen Fan loop in July 2017.

We started off walking from the little parking area up to Sychnant stone circle, which was found surprisingly easily near a turning point on the walk near the head of the Sychnant stream.

It is positioned on a nicely flattened area on the saddle at the top of the low ridge of land between the head of the Usk river to the northeast, and the Afon Sawddle which runs from Llyn y Fan Fach, a tributary of the Towi to the southwest. It is just a hundred or so metres from the pathway at the head of the stream, and can be identified by the two large stones protruding above the moorland.

I paced out the diameter to be 17 to 18 paces, so probably about 16 metres, and I counted 12 stones, most of which are small and hardly protrude above the grass, but at times today were positively glowing white in the sunshine on the wet moorland.

At the southeast section are two large stones, with another flat to the ground between them, which reminded me very much of the Pen-y-Beacon stone circle below Hay Bluff in the Black Mountains away to the east, and is possibly the remains of some sort of entrance. Of the other 9 stones I saw, only one is of any substance, about 2 feet tall and leaning outwards just to the north of the main stones.

What a splendid place.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Bannau Sir Gaer by elderford on Friday, 08 October 2004
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Also known as Sychnant stone circle after the nearby stream.
RCHAMW give the grid ref as: 8085 2439
described as "...damaged, relatively isolated and hard to find".
[ Reply to This ]

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