Book Review: The Western Brecon Beacons by David Leighton Powys

Submitted by sem on Thursday, 21 June 2012 Page Views: 5261

Country: Wales County: Powys
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**Llech Llia multi banked henge** submitted by cerrig : View from the South West. This shows the relative positions of the three monuments in the "Llia valley triangle". Maen Llia standing stone to the left (230 metres away), and barely visible is Rhyd Wen Fach ring cairn down in the valley bottom on a low hillock (320 metres away). Also, next to the camera position , can be seen where a more modern drainage ditch has cut into the outer ring. (Vote or comment on this photo)

This is the latest in the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales series Discovering Upland Heritage and is a revised addition to that first published in 1997. To quote RCAHMW: Wales is dominated by its upland landscapes , a vast treasure trove of archaeology and heritage, where the exceptional survival of evidence for the lives of people across millennia makes these fascinating places of international importance.

The uplands of Mynydd Du and Fforest Fawr cover some 270 square kilometres and have long attracted visitors keen to experience the spectacular mountain scenery of the Western Brecon Beacons. Extensive fieldwork has revealed archaeological riches in this area that belie its perceived emptiness. These mountains and moorland conceal a long history of human activity dating back to the end of the Ice Age. The landscape today still tells the story of the economic importance of these uplands across the millennia and the constantly changing social, economic and climate conditions experienced by the people who lived here. [and remember - 'In Wales, Nothing Is Quite What It Seems' - MegP Ed]

At 179 pages the book is best described as an overview of the archaeology of this area, but a comprehensive set of notes and references, together with a bibliography, allow the reader access to further information. Of particular use is the list of National Primary Record Numbers (NPRNs) for every site mentioned. Using Coflein, the commission’s on-line database, these give the reader a chance for more detailed research.

The book is divided into six main sections covering the geology/geography of the area, recent cultural activity, pre-industrial archaeology, prehistoric archaeology, medieval and later settlement archaeology and finally a summary of how man and natural forces have altered the landscape. Then tucked away after the notes are a short list of sites that can be visited along with two moorland walks.

Well illustrated with photographs and maps throughout, the stark beauty of this remote area soon becomes apparent and it had me itching to get my walking boots on. The aerial photos from Toby Driver are used to especially good effect, showing sites that are almost invisible at ground level.

With less than a third of it’s pages devoted to megalithic sites, at first glance this book might appear to be a poor investment for the average MegP reader, but looks can be deceptive. Not only does it reveal the archaeological richness of the area, it also hints at how much more there is to be discovered.

The author also seems to acknowledge how little we really know of the reasons for the construction of the monuments - something I find refreshing. A further gem is an inclusion in the acknowledgements of The Portal’s very own Cerrig.

It is a book I will dip into time and again (my copy is already looking moth-eaten) and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the area. Now… where did I put those boots?

Review by Simon Charlesworth

The Western Brecon Beacons by David Leighton.
Published by The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.
Published price £14.95.

Available from Amazon.co.uk

Founded in 1908, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales is the investigating body and national archive for the Welsh historic environment. Its Upland Archaeology Initiative is a Wales wide fieldwork programme to identify and record upland heritage. David Leighton is a senior investigator with the Royal Commission and project manager of the Uplands Archaeological Initiative.

Would you like to review your favourite new book for the Megalithic Portal - or one of the other recent books we have available? Please get in touch via the 'Contact Editor' links at left. See our previous book reviews here.

Contributor Bio for sem: Based in Bridgend,S.Wales, contributing since 2003. Favourite site: Carreg Cadno. Occupation: Retired.

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