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<< Our Photo Pages >> Maen Llia - Standing Stone (Menhir) in Wales in Powys

Submitted by Johnny on Sunday, 04 January 2026  Page Views: 38900

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Maen Llia Alternative Name: Llia’s Stone
Country: Wales
NOTE: This site is 1.3 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Powys Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
 Nearest Village: Ystradfellte
Map Ref: SN9241719186  Landranger Map Number: 160
Latitude: 51.860852N  Longitude: 3.563677W
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
 4 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.
 4 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

virtualuser SolarMegalith Modern-Neolithic michmax would like to visit

bishop_pam visited on 11th Sep 2021 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 5

emh504 visited on 18th Sep 2020 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Impressively large stone clearly visible from the road with a fantastic mountain backdrop

Brian_Eyes visited on 28th Jul 2020 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 5 Access: 4

TheCaptain visited on 3rd Oct 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Beautiful day out doing the 4 waterfalls walk to the south of Ystradfellte. After dinner at the New Inn, popped up to visit Maen Llia where we amazingly meet Cerrig, out doing some surveying, but the sun is hidden from him. He takes great pride in showing us some amazing features of Maen Llia, such as the flattened platform with a stone where a shadow would fall, and the place where the stones shadow (or toungue) would reach on solstice sunset. Brilliant!

Peaty10 visited on 7th Sep 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Short walk across a field but had to step over barbed wire using wooden steps first.

bat400 visited on 1st Aug 1985 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

SumDoood visited on 1st Jan 1967 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Impressive.

Twistytwirly visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Andy B visited #1 in our rundown of favourite standing stones (and pairs) in Britain

Andy B cerrig hamish sem cerrig have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 4.13 Ambience: 4.25 Access: 4

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : Winter solstice sunrise (nearly) (Vote or comment on this photo)
Maen Llia Standing Stone is an elegant and imposing standing stone which is impressively situated in a remote position at the top of the Llia valley, along which it points directly north to south. It is a massive slab of a stone 3.8 metres in height, 2.8 metres across but only 0.9 metres thick and dominates the scenery in the austere moorland of Fforest Fawr.

See the comments and images below for investigations of solstice shadow effects at Maen Llia

Finding new features and angles of well known sites. There are upwards of seven stones in the recently discovered stone row which is roughly aligned on the Northern face of Maen Llia.

Past features:
June 11th 2025 - the moon rise at the major southern lunar standstill aligns with Maen Llia and the stone row that leads from it, despite a strip of cloud which tried its best to hide the moon. Photo and original research by our contributor Cerrig

Note: Winter solstice sunrise (nearly) - but the position of the sun hardly moves at this time of year - photo by Cerrig
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Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by CoralJackz : Beautiful mossy stone, much larger than we thought it would be, so here's a dog for scale ;) (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : Adam Stanford, back at Maen llia for some more surveying, and he brought the sun with him as well. (8 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by gobscure : maen lia drawing (Vote or comment on this photo)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by gobscure : maen lia late afternoon (Vote or comment on this photo)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : Sunset shadow, September 6th. About 10 mins before the sun would have dipped below the horizon to the West, blanketing all this area down to the stream in the shadow from Fan Nedd. When viewed from the stone this looks like Maen llia's elongated tongue like shadow is swallowed by Fan Nedd's huge shadow just as they both reach the stream. Unfortunately cloud came up and covered the sun so it wa...

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : The shadow cast by Maen llia that touches Datum stone 1. Taken on September 5th, this is the last day the shadow reaches the stream at sunset. It doesn't reach again until early April.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Bladup : Maen Llia (At Night)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : Major southern lunar standstill rise alignment, June 11th 2025. Maen llia, Rhons row and the rising moon all align here, and a strip of cloud which tried its best to hide the moon, but only partly succeeded. (5 comments)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Horatio : Maen Llia Sarn Helen, Powys, Wales UK OS Grid: SN92148 19186 Cold one today but worth the trip to visit the best individual standing stone in S. Wales (or in my mind anyway) Maen Llia, a beautiful name for a beautiful stone it is a bronze age standing stone which is impressively located at the top of the Llia valley and is aligned north to south in the direction of the valley itself. Th...

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : Gong and drums, and an odd outline around the stone too. A nice gentle energy with these ladies.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : The day after the solstice. I thought I'd have it all to myself, but I got to share the stone with these delightful ladies instead. (2 comments)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Horatio : Looking south, from this angle its hard to believe it's the same stone

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Horatio : Looking N and something different.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Horatio : The eastern face of Maen Llia and its environs. Just beautiful.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Horatio : The western face of Maen Llia receiving the last rays of the day, the ideal time to be alone. All I needed at this stage was a Lyre, then I really would be 'romancing the stone'.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Horatio : Beauty is a stone called Maen Llia

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by Horatio : Maen Llia a beautiful name for a beautiful stone. I've been meaning to visit Maen Llia for years now but never got around to it until today. A round trip of 124 miles but boy it was worth it. Such a lovely stone in a very atmospheric location which I had all to myself. Not a lot to add about the stone as it has already been written about on here. All I can add is, if in the vicinity, then ... (16 comments)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : The 43 degree stones. The angle formed by these two set slabs is 43 degrees.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : The view along the alignment from Rhyd Uchaf cairn towards Maen Llia, which passes between the Lozenge stone on the left and the 43 degree stones on the right.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : The Lozenge stone. This sits about 250 feet from Maen Llia right next to the alignment between Maen Llia and Rhyd Uchaf cairn. It appears to have been deliberately shaped into a 3 dimensional lozenge. Sat next to it, on the other side of the Alignment, is a double stone setting of upright slabs forming a 43 degree triangle.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : This is an A1 size fibreboard overlaid onto the Garsalian stone. The cutout is the Garsalian triangle found at Maen Llia. An isosceles triangle with an apex angle of just under 43 degrees. This is confirmation that Neolithic man understood geometry and metrology to a significant degree, and was able to reproduce it accurately when needed.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : Another view of the "Garsalian stone", showing its 3 dimensional aspect.

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : This stone, although not in the immediate vicinity of Maen Llia, is not too far away. I have posted it here because of its profound significance to the research I have been carrying out locally. This is a sandstone block, now split, that has been shaped into a 3 dimensional representation of the Garsalian triangle found in the layout of Maen Llia and its accompanying monuments. It is part ... (3 comments)

Maen Llia
Maen Llia submitted by cerrig : From the left; Jonm, Sem and Caroline. At Maen Llia, on the hottest day of the year, just before it started raining and the fog came down. (3 comments)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 74m SSE 152° Rhyd Uchaf Stone Alignment* Stone Row / Alignment (SN92451912)
 112m SSW 198° Llech Llia Recumbent Monolith* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SN92381908)
 246m SSW 202° Llech Llia multi banked henge* Henge (SN92321896)
 317m SE 134° Rhyd Uchaf cairn* Cairn (SN92641896)
 625m WSW 244° Fan Nedd Cairn* Cairn (SN9184618927)
 842m SE 138° Fan Llia Round Cairn (2)* Cairn (SN92971855)
 1.1km WSW 250° Fan Nedd stone pillar* Cairn (SN91341883)
 1.5km SE 131° Fan Llia Summit Cairn* Cairn (SN9353218168)
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 3.9km NE 49° Craig Cwn Ddu cairns* Cairn (SN95452170)
 4.0km NNW 327° Nant Cnewr-Fawr Cairn* Cairn (SN9030022608)
 4.8km SE 143° Pen Fathor Uchaf* Cairn (SN95211528)
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 4.9km SE 128° Bedd Llywarch* Standing Stones (SN96251604)
 5.2km S 186° Gelli-Nedd* Hillfort (SN91741400)
 5.3km WSW 246° Pwll Byfre Hut Circle 1 Ancient Village or Settlement (SN87501711)
 5.4km WSW 246° Pwll Byfre Hut Circle 2 Ancient Village or Settlement (SN87471711)
 5.5km NE 54° Rock art near Craig Cerrig Gleisiad* Rock Art (SN9697822316)
 5.7km WSW 239° The Nipple* Cairn (SN87441635)
 5.8km ENE 58° Blaenglyn* Cairn (SN974221)
 5.9km SW 232° Carreg Cadno* Stone Row / Alignment (SN87671569)
 6.4km WNW 282° Waun Leuci summit cairns* Cairn (SN8618320639)
 6.6km S 189° Dyffryn Nedd Hillfort (SN913127)
 6.8km SSE 166° Carn yr Arian* Round Cairn (SN93901253)
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"Maen Llia" | Login/Create an Account | 19 News and Comments
  
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Summer solstice sunrise timelapse video by Andy B on Friday, 24 July 2020
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Cerrig's video of the solstice sunrise (and some fairies) from 2012:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSaZggFg4E0&feature=emb_title
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Maen Llia by SumDoood on Friday, 29 December 2017
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What is it that contributors feel is particularly significant about the shadow cast by this stone?
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Maen Llia by cerrig on Friday, 29 December 2017
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    This was my opinion from a while ago now. It mostly still stands with some modification.

    "There is a common legend attached to many standing stones,right throughout the country. it tells of a certain time of the year,usually midsummer,when the local standing stone gets up and goes for a walk down to the local stream or lake. there may be more to this than an old wives tale.
    at sunset at midsummer,the shadow from Maen Llia is at its longest.it stretches for over 300 meters down the hill. it goes through the stream the afon Llia onto a small hillock. on top of this hillock is a cairn.
    the shadow,because of the shape of the stone and the angle of the setting sun,does indeed look like a tongue,and it could be seen as going down to the stream for a drink. if you combine this with the alternative translation for "Llia",which is to "lick or to lap", then "Maen Llia" is literally the licking stone, or the stone that licks(or laps).
    this raises the question,was this scenario a deliberate part of the design,or was it noticed after the stone was raised, and the name came from that?"

    The summer solstice shadow isn't quite that long now, but it may have been once.

    The significance is that the shadow and its path is a deliberate part of the design and not an accidental incidence.
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Maen Llia by Anonymous on Wednesday, 10 January 2018
      i thought lila in to english was purple ;.

      where did you get your translation from ?
      [ Reply to This ]

Re: Maen Llia by PAB on Monday, 06 April 2015
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On your screens shortly.....the Countryfile programme broadcast today (5th April) gave some tasters for a new 'Secret Britain' series starting this week.

It looks to me as if Maen Llia is about to get UK-wide fame:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02lx0fn

Sorry cerrig and sem, your peace about to be shattered....

pab
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Maen Llia by Runemage on Monday, 06 April 2015
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    It's a bit of an eye-opener to see people who aren't particularly interested in stones do a presentation, isn't it? On the upside, everyone who has questioned Cerrig's description of the shadow reaching the stream now has video evidence.
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Maen Llia by Andy B on Monday, 06 April 2015
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    Maen Llia is in the trailer shown this evening (for less than a second) as well...
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Maen Llia by sem on Monday, 06 April 2015
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    "at sunset at midsummer,the shadow from Maen Llia is at its longest.it stretches for over 300 meters down the hill. it goes through the stream the afon Llia onto a small hillock. on top of this hillock is a cairn.
    the shadow,because of the shape of the stone and the angle of the setting sun,does indeed look like a tongue,and it could be seen as going down to the stream for a drink. if you combine this with the alternative translation for "Llia",which is to "lick or to lap", then "Maen Llia" is literally the licking stone, or the stone that licks(or laps)."
    Quote from Cerrig above, dated 23/12/2009. Proof if ever it's required that the archaeos have nothing on us enthusiastic amateurs!
    WELL DONE ANDREW!!

    [ Reply to This ]
    Secret Britain - Water World of Wales by Andy B on Wednesday, 08 April 2015
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    Great visuals but the voice overs to this programme are full on cheese laid on with a trowel - the introduction to the segment on Maen Llia was reminiscent of Spinal Tap's Stonehenge. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02lr7sr
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Secret Britain - Water World of Wales by Sunny100 on Thursday, 09 April 2015
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      I think it was a good programme for the most part, in particular I enjoyed the Welsh cave with its beautiful calcite formations, and thought that Ellie Harrison was very brave to go down there. Maybe Adam Henson did a lot of "wowing" when he saw something spectacular - like Maen Llia for example - presumably he'd never seen a standing stone before, or as a farmer he'd never had the time. Overall, it was very good, and I look forward to the next programme.
      [ Reply to This ]
        Re: Secret Britain - Water World of Wales by cerrig on Friday, 10 April 2015
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        I've just watched this , on iplayer , and I quite enjoyed it but most people don't seem to be impressed, mostly with the narrative . The filming was excellent , although the leafy branch shadow on Maen Llia was a bit of a liberty , but otherwise great camerawork. I could have supplied them with a nice timelapse of the proper midsummer shadow , but that's another story. It was good for me because I've been to most of the places shown ( even the cave ) The piece about Maen Llia was a bit short and sweet , but it's about as much interest as the general public has in it . Many times I have seen a car pull up and it's occupants get out and take the short walk to the stone , have a little look around , and then they leave . 5 minutes is about average , they spend more time reading the notice board now.
        Still , it's nice to see Maen Llia on the tele without it's smiley face.
        [ Reply to This ]

Re: Maen Llia by Anonymous on Thursday, 02 April 2015
A monolith still standing after 3,000 years. A lady stone. Just so powerful
[ Reply to This ]

Dismay as Maen Llia standing stone is vandalised (again) by Andy B on Friday, 28 June 2013
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Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is seeking to highlight the importance of the National Park’s heritage sites after a Bronze Age standing stone was vandalised, as it was previously in 2002.

At some time over the last few weeks Maen Llia standing stone, a Scheduled Ancient Monument situated between Heol Senni and Ystradfellte, has been defaced, with graffiti daubed on the protected stone.

The iconic 3.7 metre tall standing stone attracts visitors from around the world and is recognised as a site of national archaeological importance. It is likely that the stone was erected in the Late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age between 2500 and 1800 BC.

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is currently working with CADW (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) and landowners to arrange for the graffiti to be sensitively removed. Removal of the offending substance will be a slow and careful process undertaken by professionals who may have to use on-site trials to...

Read the rest of this post...
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    Re: Dismay as Maen Llia standing stone is vandalised (again) by sem on Friday, 28 June 2013
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    DocP gave me a link to this a couple of days ago, but I haven't had time to chase it up. It does raise a couple of interesting questions though. The lack of respect for ancient monuments notwithstanding, do we need to get our knickers in a twist over a bit of paint when there is graffiti carved into the stone - albeit "historical" graffti from a couple of centuries ago.
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Dismay as Maen Llia standing stone is vandalised (again) by Runemage on Friday, 28 June 2013
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      Trouble is... if anyone knew the chemical composition of the paint used it would be easy to remove with something that would also not damage the stone.
      However, because the paint type is unknown then whatever remover is used must not cause a reaction that would further damage the stone. There's very little room room for trial and error.
      [ Reply to This ]

Upland Historic Walks in South Wales by Runemage on Monday, 16 April 2012
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copied from another site-page.
Upland historic walks in South Wales
by Andy B on Thursday, 05 April 2012

This walk, and others in the same vein, may interest some people here. A few new discoveries in this one.
http://www.rcahmw.gov.uk/media/276.pdf

THE FAN LLIA AND FAN DRINGARTH WALK
Overall distance: 13.5 kilometres or 8.5 miles
Altitudinal range: 360 metres (car park); 400 metres (Llia valley); 500 metres

This walk follows a course along the western slopes of Fan Llia to the head of the Llia valley, across Bryn Melyn and Cefn Perfedd into Cwm Dringarth and tributary stream valleys below Fan Dringarth, and down Cwm Dringarth above the Ystradfellte Reservoir, returning to the carpark across the southern extent of Cefn Perfedd.

The walk is notable for monuments of prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval date which can be seen along its route. This is a quiet area for walking being well hidden from more popular routes.
The starting point is the parking and picnic...

Read the rest of this post...
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Maen Llia by cerrig on Saturday, 13 March 2010
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Street view
View Larger Map
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Re: Maen Llia by cerrig on Wednesday, 23 December 2009
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there is a common legend attached to many standing stones,right throughout the country. it tells of a certain time of the year,usually midsummer,when the local standing stone gets up and goes for a walk down to the local stream or lake. there may be more to this than an old wives tale.
at sunset at midsummer,the shadow from Maen Llia is at its longest.it stretches for over 300 meters down the hill. it goes through the stream the afon Llia onto a small hillock. on top of this hillock is a cairn.
the shadow,because of the shape of the stone and the angle of the setting sun,does indeed look like a tongue,and it could be seen as going down to the stream for a drink. if you combine this with the alternative translation for "Llia",which is to "lick or to lap", then "Maen Llia" is literally the licking stone, or the stone that licks(or laps).
this raises the question,was this scenario a deliberate part of the design,or was it noticed after the stone was raised, and the name came from...

Read the rest of this post...
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