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From Carnac to Callanish: Prehistoric Stone Rows, Aubrey Burl

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<< Our Photo Pages >> The Temple, Llandrindod Wells - Stone Circle in Wales in Powys

Submitted by TimPrevett on Sunday, 22 September 2002  Page Views: 11718

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: The Temple, Llandrindod Wells Alternative Name: Temple Gardens
Country: Wales
NOTE: This site is 1.5 km away from the location you searched for.

County: Powys Type: Stone Circle
Nearest Town: Llandrindod Wells
Map Ref: SO0598261105  Landranger Map Number: 147
Latitude: 52.240075N  Longitude: 3.378306W
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
Destroyed Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 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.
5 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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The Temple, Llandrindod Wells
The Temple, Llandrindod Wells submitted by TimPrevett : Where are the stones now? Extensive information added to the site entry - click on the blue text to the top left of the picture for more information. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Ancient site in Powys

I've been researching this on two visits over the summer, and have yet to complete it. The circle, if ever there was one, is now completely gone.

I e-mailed the tourist information about it, and called in person. Both received a helpful attitude, but "sorry, we don't know". The neighbouring Radnorshire Museum is closed until Spring 2006, but will be e-mailed. A visit and request at Llandrindod Wells library, amazingly, had completely no information on the stones. The librarian was very helpful, and picked up some local history books in the local section - but had nothing on the stones. The librarian remarked, "Oh, we've not had someone ask about this before".

Another person in the library (member of public) added, "there used to be some stones as a shrine to the Triple Goddess in the Temple Gardens", but could name no source or authority on the matter. If ever the stones were a shrine to the 'Triple Goddess', it may tie in to the name "Llandrindod" which means 'The Sacred Enclosure of the Holy Trinity', picking up on the Trinitarian link.

A visit to the Temple Gardens, and finding the Heritage Trail sign gave this information

The origin of the name Temple Gardens is somewhat contentious. Myth has grown up that the name comes from having been the site of an ancient stone circle, a 'Druid Temple'. One source suggests the area had tumuli (burial mounds) which were open and contained human remains.

The earliest documentary evidence from 1867 records a stone circle which was created from stones that were marking the course of a Roman Road across the common. It would appear that the stones were certainly placed in a circle on Temple Gardens in the 1890s by council officials. Legend has it that the water carriers, who transported water from the Rock Park springs to the hotels and boarding houses used to tie their donkeys to the stones.

In the early 1900s, the area was divided into separate gardens for the surrounding hotels and included tennis courts and croquet lawns. The stones were moved and placed in the various dividing hedges until they were finally removed in 1990 when the gardens were unified as a public area.

It would appear that the stone circle on Temple Gardens was in fact a Victorian folly and that the association of the name 'temple' with the gardens was most probably a Victorian invention. It is possible, however, that the stones themselves may well have come from a Prehistoric Stone Circle nearby dating from the Bronze Age."


But where are the stones now...?
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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
SO0561 : Flower bed in Park, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys by Christine Matthews
by Christine Matthews
©2013(licence)
SO0561 : Flower bed in Park, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys by Christine Matthews
by Christine Matthews
©2013(licence)
SO0561 : Statue of Thomas Jones in Park, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys by Christine Matthews
by Christine Matthews
©2013(licence)
SO0561 : Statue of Thomas Jones in Park, Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys by Christine Matthews
by Christine Matthews
©2013(licence)
SO0661 : Sculpture: 'Taliesin', Temple Gardens, Llandrindod Wells by Robin Stott
by Robin Stott
©2012(licence)

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"The Temple, Llandrindod Wells" | Login/Create an Account | 9 News and Comments
  
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Re: The Temple, Llandrindod Wells by Marco23 on Wednesday, 24 May 2023
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As far as I'm aware Llandod (the local abbreviation), did have a stone circle at it's centre. Along with this a line of very large menhirs (as tall as three men) led off to the north probably aligned with the Roman road leading into town from the south. (A possible causeway repurposed?). The whole area is covered in monuments and was probably a place of importance for quite a long time. The few accounts I remember reading conflicted on the number of stones in the row and the distance it covered. (I shall look to see if I can find some refs.) I've also read a few different accounts of the circle. The earliest may have mentioned up to 90 stones, an enclosure around an inclosure which contained a central triad.
I suspect the Christianisation of the area removed most stoneworks with larger items lasting until the 20th C before being broken up for building materials. Knowing the town a little I find most locals are slightly embarrassed by the lack of their monuments as these have, in recent decades, suddenly become items of great interest especially in light of the discoveries 20k east around the Radnors and Hindwell Cursus.
In Wales Llan.. translates to enclosure or close and many villages with stone circles were dedicated to a saint giving a name to the 'new' church. Looking at large scale maps reveals many circular churchyards and graveyards which often indicate the site of a former monument. Old maps of Llandrindod Wells and district clearly show stages of development eradicating past monuments.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: The Temple, Llandrindod by Anonymous on Wednesday, 05 October 2016
I've noticed a few items on erratics within a few miles.

There is a "giant" erratic within the town some half a mile south of said
Temple Gardens very close beside the A483. Clearly visible on Google:
very large but not quite as large as my memory of it from years ago!

Andrew
[ Reply to This ]

Re: The Temple, Llandrindod by Anonymous on Friday, 28 November 2014
if you dowse in temple gardens you can pick up one buried stone, I located it easily as did a friend who doesn't think dowsing works!
[ Reply to This ]

The Temple, Llandrindod Wells by TimPrevett on Friday, 25 August 2006
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Llandrindod Wells museum has nothing on the stones (though some nice artefacts and 3D fly through reconstruction)! I eyed the stones built around the war memorial with suspicion, as a group of them are more weathered than others, and streaked with quartz, but nothing remotely conclusive.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: The Temple, Llandrindod by TimPrevett on Saturday, 27 August 2005
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A small picture here on the BBC Website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/walks/pages/spa_walk.shtml

Tim
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: The Temple, Llandrindod by baz on Saturday, 27 August 2005
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    I looked around Temple Gardens a couple of years ago and found no evidence of any remaining stones at the site. The stones on your link are the 'Capel Maelog stones', whatever they may be, but I think they're modern, in another location within Llandrindod Wells.
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: The Temple, Llandrindod by TimPrevett on Saturday, 27 August 2005
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      Thanks for pointing that out Baz. Further digging online has shown this link http://www.llandrindod.co.uk/HTML/Heritage.htm which speaks of the stones in the past tense. I hope to be back before the end of the summer, and will see what I can find. Should be less than 5 mins walk from Somerfield! I think the course of the Roman Road goes through the park too.
      [ Reply to This ]
      Re: The Temple, Llandrindod by TimPrevett on Monday, 29 August 2005
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      I enquired with the Tourist Info, and received this reply:

      From: "Llandod TIC"
      Sent: Monday, August 29, 2005 10:46 AM
      Subject: Re: The Temple Stone Circle

      > I sorry for not getting back to you earlier. The stones are no longer in Temple Gardens. If you click this link you can see that the stones are talked about in the passed tense... http://www.llandrindod.co.uk/HTML/Heritage.htm
      Unfortunately I do not know much else about them, they seem to be forgotten through the passage of time!
      > Will

      I've also enquired with the area field monument warden to see if he knows anything more.

      Tim
      [ Reply to This ]

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