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<< Our Photo Pages >> Dyffryn Ardudwy - Portal Tomb in Wales in Gwynedd

Submitted by Johnny on Tuesday, 05 March 2019  Page Views: 23398

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Dyffryn Ardudwy
Country: Wales
NOTE: This site is 0.501 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Gwynedd Type: Portal Tomb
Nearest Town: Barmouth  Nearest Village: Dyffryn Ardudwy
Map Ref: SH58862284  Landranger Map Number: 124
Latitude: 52.784629N  Longitude: 4.094208W
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.
 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.
 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

43559959 James Couplands would like to visit

bishop_pam visited on 21st Aug 2023 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4 The large oak tree on site has grown a lot since 2009 and now dominates the site, appearing to protect the two tombs

elad13 visited on 26th May 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 5 Access: 4

jebus visited on 3rd May 2019 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Visited a few times now. Parked on the road (A496 heading towards Barmouth) before the school on the left. The burial chamber is sign posted. There’s a path to the left of the school which leads you up to a new information sign, with details on other sites nearby. Further up the path there is a kissing gate. Through the gate is another new sign with info about the two burial chambers. There a 2 burial chambers on a bed of stones. One is older and in tact. The “newer” one has undergone some visible repairs. Watch for broken glass amongst the stones - a couple of previous visits have resulted in bleeding paws for my dog! (But the site looked much cleaner on this visit)

cactus_chris visited on 31st Jul 2018 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4

cactus_chris visited on 22nd Apr 2018 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4

Tivy01 visited on 13th May 2013 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 4

Podovsky visited on 1st Jul 2010 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

SolarMegalith visited on 1st Jul 2008 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 3 Access: 4

coin visited - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 5

KieKa visited - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

celticmaiden55 DrewParsons PAB AngieLake TimPrevett have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.8 Ambience: 4.1 Access: 4.1

Dyffryn Ardudwy Dolmens
Dyffryn Ardudwy Dolmens submitted by Aerial-Cam : Both chamber at night looking south (ish). (Vote or comment on this photo)
Dyffryn Ardudwy Burial Chambers are an attractive monument, easy to find and, for once, easy to get to. Two well preserved dolmens, 8.6 metres apart on a bed of white boulders, remain of a two stage structural sequence: A completely closed portal dolmen in its own round cairn was built first. Soon afterwards this was incorporated into a wedge shaped cairn with a larger chamber near the eastern end fronted by a V-shaped forecourt.

For more information see Coflein NPRN 95422, which describes this burial chambers as "the finest of a group of portal dolmens which survive on the west-facing slopes of Ardudwy and include examples at Cors-y-gedol (NPRN 93724), Gwern Einion (NPRN 302696), Bron-y-foel (NPRN 302754), and the south cairn at Carneddau Hengwm (NPRN 302786)."

The Journal of Antiquities also includes an entry for the Dyffryn Ardudwy Burial Chamber, Gwynedd, North Wales, which includes a photograph, a plan of the site, directions for finding these dolmens, background information and a list of reference sources for more information.

The CADW Wales website tells us this site is open daily from 10am until 4pm from 1st April to 31st March each year. Admission is free.
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Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by postman : Ethereal beauty at the end of a long winter solstice outing 2009 (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by w650marion : It’s so lovely, I just couldn’t resist taking yet another photo of Dyffryn Ardudwy. This one is taken from over the wall while searching for the hut circles. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by postman : Not ghostly spheres just snowing again (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by TimPrevett : Dyffryn Ardudwy at Sunset 21/03/09 (6 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by DrewParsons : The western chamber, a portal dolmen with fine lines. September 2010. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by Podovsky : Dyffryn Ardudwy july 2010

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by AngieLake : A close up of those mysterious apparently-carved lines on top of the southern support of the capstone of the smaller dolmen. Pal Jackie had idea of placing the 50 pence piece for scale. (Taken on 15th June 2011). (7 comments)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by SolarMegalith : Dyffryn Ardudwy - view for the cairn and two burial chambers (2008).

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by TimPrevett : Dyffryn Ardudwy at Sunset 21/03/09 (1 comment)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by Justfrank : This is a short walk from the main road by the local spar.definitely worth a visit

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by Podovsky : Dyffryn Ardudwy july 2010, close-up on the eastern chamber.

Craig-y-Dinas (Dyffryn Ardudwy)
Craig-y-Dinas (Dyffryn Ardudwy) submitted by Postman : The entance (1 comment)

Craig-y-Dinas (Dyffryn Ardudwy)
Craig-y-Dinas (Dyffryn Ardudwy) submitted by Postman : Sunshine on a lonely day

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by Tivy01 : Well worth a visit. 13.05.2013.

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by postman : The end if a long winter solstice outing 2009

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by celticmaiden55 : Showing both of the chambers surrounded by what I suppose were the stones that were covering them originally.

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by celticmaiden55 : The smaller of the two burial chambers (1 comment)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by AngieLake : Looking through the chamber of the higher dolmen towards the smaller one on 15th June. (Note the smaller one's lefthand capstone support for further info. on marks found on its top surface.)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by DrewParsons : A view across the site with the eastern chamber in the foreground and the western chamber behind it. September 2010.

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by DrewParsons : The eastern chamber constructed after the western chamber. September 2010.

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by DrewParsons : The lovely western portal dolmen. There is a cup mark inside this dolmen but my photos of it do not show it clearly so I have not posted them. September 2010.

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by DrewParsons : An overview of the site now reached by a short path from by the church hall car park just south of the petrol station. September 2010.

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by TimPrevett : Dyffryn Ardudwy at Sunset 21/03/09 (2 comments)

Dyffryn Ardudwy
Dyffryn Ardudwy submitted by TimPrevett

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 58m ENE 57° Hut Circles and Field System, Dyffryn Ardudwy* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH58912287)
 1.5km NNE 29° Byrllysg Promontory Fort* Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle (SH596241)
 1.5km E 89° Cors y Gedol* Chambered Tomb (SH60332282)
 1.5km E 81° Cors-y-Gedol Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH60382304)
 1.5km E 95° Pont Fadog W Hut Circle* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH60392265)
 1.6km E 90° Cors Y Gedol Field System* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH605228)
 2.0km E 92° Pont Fadog N Hut Circles* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH60842272)
 2.1km S 175° Enclosed Hut Circle Settlement North of Tyddyn Mawr* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH590207)
 2.2km NNE 29° Caerffynnnon* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH59982473)
 2.2km E 86° Hut Circle, N of Afon Ysgethin* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH61062293)
 2.3km NE 53° Romano British Homestead with Enclosure, Dyffryn Ardudwy* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH60762420)
 2.3km SSE 155° Hendre Eirian Hut Circles* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH598207)
 2.3km ENE 59° Waun Hir* Ring Cairn (SH609240)
 2.4km E 83° Cors-Y-Gedol E* Cairn (SH61252305)
 2.4km ENE 77° Cors Uchaf S* Cairn (SH61232330)
 2.4km SE 145° Cae'r Llwyn Homestead* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH602208)
 2.5km ESE 108° Cairns SE from Pont Fadog* Cairn (SH612220)
 2.5km E 100° Ponfadog Bridge* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (SH61312235)
 2.5km ESE 114° Llecheiddior* Stone Circle (SH61112174)
 2.6km NE 46° Bron y Foel Isaf* Portal Tomb (SH608246)
 2.6km N 10° Cup Marked Stone, Gwerncaernyddion* Rock Art (SH59402543)
 2.7km SE 135° Pen-y-Dinas (Gwynedd)* Hillfort (SH607209)
 2.7km SSE 151° Settlement West of Mynydd Egryn* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH601204)
 2.7km NNE 12° Gwerncarnyddion Burial Chamber* Burial Chamber or Dolmen (SH595255)
 2.9km ENE 73° Cors Uchaf E Hut Group* Ancient Village or Settlement (SH61682361)
View more nearby sites and additional images

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"Dyffryn Ardudwy" | Login/Create an Account | 12 News and Comments
  
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Dyffryn Ardudwy Virtual Tour from CADW by Andy B on Tuesday, 08 November 2022
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Virtual Tour from CADW here (down the page a bit)

https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/whats-on/virtual-visits/virtual-visits-neolithic-tombs
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Re: Dyffryn Ardudwy by w650marion on Sunday, 11 July 2021
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Lots of lovely photos of this lovely Portal Dolmen, interspersed with several other sites that have the location or town Dyffryn Ardudwy added. It may be confusing for someone who does not know the place, and makes the photo list very long!
There is an interesting Hut Circles and Field System site that is actually right next door (footsteps away) to this Portal Dolmen, I could add it as a new site.
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Re: Dyffryn Ardudwy by Andy B on Wednesday, 25 April 2018
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The Portal Dolmen was originally thought to have originated in the north of Ireland as a final evolutionary form of the Court Tomb, which then spread throughout Ireland and across the sea to Wales and Cornwall. This evaluation necessarily gave the Portal Dolmen a late date in the chronology of megalithic tombs, this all changed when Dyffryn Ardudwy was excavated in 1960. It was discovered that Dyffryn Ardudwy was actually a two period monument, the western chamber having been built first. This chamber was originally covered by a circular cairn with a small forecourt, in the material used to block the forecourt were found fragments of shouldered bowls dating from the Early Neolithic Period. This find gave a conclusively early date for the western chamber and forced a re-evaluation of typological dating for this class of monument as a whole.

Source:
http://www.megalithics.com/wales/dyffryn/dyffmain.htm
[ Reply to This ]

Neolithic connections along and across the Irish Sea - Alison Sheridan, 2004 by Anonymous on Tuesday, 09 January 2018
Contacts across the sea, involving eastern and southern Ireland Various strands of evidence suggest contacts at different times during the Neolithic. One obvious early Neolithic pattern is the circum-Irish Sea distribution of portal tombs

Once again, there has been much discussion of the origin and significance of these tombs (e.g.Corcoran 1972; Lynch 1972; 2000). For what it is worth,it is this author’s opinion that they might represent the elaborated translation into stone of a simple, non-segmented timber chamber form that may have been in widespread currency during the early Neolithic. Their date within the first half of the fourth millennium has been established not only by the Carinated Bowl type pottery from Dyffryn Ardudwy (Lynch 2000) and some Irish sites, but also,arguably, by the suite of dates on human bone from Poulnabrone, Co. Clare (Cooney 2000, 94–7; Lynch 1990.

It has been suggested, however, that the human bones may have been curated for several centuries before their deposition in this tomb). As far as the current discussion is concerned, the design similarities on either side of the Irish Sea may well indicate a degree of contact amongtheir builders, and not just a shared ancestry of funerary tradition

Publication Date: 2004
Publication Name: The Neolithic of the Irish Sea: materiality and traditions …
https://www.academia.edu/3417464/
[ Reply to This ]

New Megalithic Art at the Neolithic Chambered Monument of Dyffryn Ardudwy by Andy B on Tuesday, 15 November 2016
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Link to a paper by George Nash and Adam Stanford dealing with (possible) carvings at this site.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/32920494/New-Megalithic-Art-at-the-Neolithic-Chambered-Monument-of-Dyffryn-Ardudwy-North-Wales-By-George-Nash-and-Adam-Stanford
(Thanks Martin for the link)
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Re: Dyffryn Ardudwy by DrewParsons on Saturday, 30 October 2010
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The site is now easily accessed from the main road. A short footpath runs from the north side of the church hall directly to the site. I parked in the church hall car park right by where the footpath commenced - this is 100 metres south of the petrol station on the left travelling south through the town (the very attractive girl at the petrol station came out and directed me to the car park and path). A grand site!!
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Re: Dyffryn Ardudwy by coldrum on Monday, 11 January 2010
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Coflein entry.

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/95422/details/DYFFRYN+BURIAL+CHAMBER%2C+DYFFRYN+ARDUDWY/
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Re: Dyffryn Ardudwy by coldrum on Friday, 17 July 2009
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Strange lights were seen in this area in 1904/05. They seem to have been associated with the Mochras fault part of which lies beneath this monument.

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/E/Egryn.html

http://magonia.haaan.com/1980/stars-and-rumours-of-stars/
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Re: Dyffryn Ardudwy by coldrum on Thursday, 22 January 2009
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Link:

http://www.walesdirectory.co.uk/his/bury/dyffryn.htm
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Re: Dyffryn Ardudwy by Anonymous on Friday, 11 July 2008
this is a truly marvellous site and has easy access but it is in GWYNEDD not Conway
coast road from Barmouth to Harlech
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