Site Name
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| Morfa Bychan |
Chambered Cairn |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire (Sir Caerfyrddin) |
Visited |
21st Apr 2023 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
Morfa Buchan D (as listed on Coflien site)
This is actually the first chamber you get to from off the coastal path high point. So this being the 1st of 4 and the most northerly on the escarpment. The first two chambers are close-ish together (like the next two) and then a slight bigger gap before the next pair of chambers. This chamber is the most intact and has a large capstone (1.5 x4m approx) at ground level which makes the actual chamber it...Morfa Buchan D (as listed on Coflien site)
This is actually the first chamber you get to from off the coastal path high point. So this being the 1st of 4 and the most northerly on the escarpment. The first two chambers are close-ish together (like the next two) and then a slight bigger gap before the next pair of chambers. This chamber is the most intact and has a large capstone (1.5 x4m approx) at ground level which makes the actual chamber itself subterranean, it is supported (underpinned) by small slab boulders as orthostats with cairn material falling through these, the whole chamber is surrounded by cairn material and has what looks like possibly a narrow entrance passage wih a very small step down to allow access into the chamber proper which is about half metre high or so, its cramped. I guess most people just poke cameras and phones to get a photo of the inside (not me).
Once the fern and heather is in full bloom, this chamber could be missed, but it is very close to thebeginning of the start of the escarpment.
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| Forest Chamber |
Burial Chamber or Dolmen |
Wales |
Carmarthenshire (Sir Caerfyrddin) |
Visited |
21st Apr 2023 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
The jury's out for me on this one at the moment. For all intents and purposes I agree with PJK7009 that this does resemble a kind of earthfast tomb and amongst all the rock rubble it surely looks like it has had the 'human touch' as its almost spirit-level level.
His description of the surrounding area with the natural spring bubbling up paints an evocative picture and he/she could be spot on. My doubt occurs as there is no scientific evidence...The jury's out for me on this one at the moment. For all intents and purposes I agree with PJK7009 that this does resemble a kind of earthfast tomb and amongst all the rock rubble it surely looks like it has had the 'human touch' as its almost spirit-level level.
His description of the surrounding area with the natural spring bubbling up paints an evocative picture and he/she could be spot on. My doubt occurs as there is no scientific evidence/research or even any kind of
historical acknowledgement of this being of human origin, which something of this size I find that hard to believe. Stick this stone in the middle of the wood inland it and you can't help but think this is of human design. Stick it amongst several large boulders and rocks at the end of a collapsing cliff and a shadow of doubt appears (for me anyway). To argue against myself, like PJK7009 has already written, this may have been within in this kind of setting, several thousand years ago but all depending on what the landscape was like then... remembering we're thinking this is Neolithic not Mesolithic.
My advice would be, check it out yourself but make sure you go on a receding tide and be ready to do a lot of rock hopping to get to it.
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| Longberry Bank Cave |
Cave or Rock Shelter |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
18th Mar 2023 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
I visited this cave for the first time 7th May 2022 but revisited it today (18th March 2023). Approach to the cave is via the entrance road that leads to Trefloyne Manor and Golf Club which is off Trefloyne Lane itself just to the SW of Tenby. Drive up this road towards the Golf club (this is a private road) only for about 200 meters and just past the 2nd passing place for cars (I actually parked here) and a few paces further on there are some ...I visited this cave for the first time 7th May 2022 but revisited it today (18th March 2023). Approach to the cave is via the entrance road that leads to Trefloyne Manor and Golf Club which is off Trefloyne Lane itself just to the SW of Tenby. Drive up this road towards the Golf club (this is a private road) only for about 200 meters and just past the 2nd passing place for cars (I actually parked here) and a few paces further on there are some muddy steps leading into trees on your left (this is quite overgrown in summer) but there will be a gap visible through the trees that leads upwards for about 20 meters or so to the entrance of the cave. The entrance being situated in a low level rock bank which is covered in vegetation (this lime stone outcrop is known as Longberry or Longbury bank). This is a small cave complex that looks like there were possibly another two entrances (or maybe just alcoves) when in use thousands of years ago but have since collapsed, these 'possible openings' can be seen to the right of the main and only entrance now in to the cave. The entrance itself is about 6 feet high at its highest point and is just a 'duck under' into the cave but once inside it opens up in height and you are able to easily stand inside. From the entrance to the rear of the cave where it seems the roof has collapsed into this small rear chamber allowing daylight in to the whole of the cave is only 10-12 meters long. The rubble from this 'collapse' fills in this small open air chamber (approx 2m dia) that now makes the floor you stand on but visible is a very small recess at feet height that tantalisingly may have lead further inwards and downwards naking the cave much larger than what you see today. Just inside the entrance on the left is another very small chamber (you could possible get your upper body into this if lying down) but only having my mobile phone as a torch and several cave spiders hanging around I didn't quite fancy investigating this too much (this time).
Once inside the middle of the cave, ensure sure you look upwards as the height of the ceiling is surprisingly high here, you could almost miss this looking forward where you are going. The height here must be 5 metres with wonderful colours of the 'dew like icing' of the lime carbonate in shades of white to pale blue. Evidence (archeological) of stone age use has been found here along with Roman and early medieval findings. According to an information plaque near Penally church there is a 5th Century cross carved in to the cave ceiling but I couldn't locate this, if still visible? Early Medieval artifacts including ceramics and glass indicate an important settlement extending along the ridge of Longbury Bank. Excavations were undertaken in the mid 19th century, the late 1950s and early 1960s and in the mid 1980s. Prehistoric artefacts from the excavations are rare, three are Upper Paleolithic and a least one is from the Later Upper Paleolithic, including Mammoth and Rhinoceros remains, the Bristol channel at this time would've been mostly dry land. The findings also includes important faunal remains. Radiocarbon dating has recorded a mean range of 20,800-17,050 BP. Other finds are of Neolithic and as already mentioned, Roman and Early Medieval. I am to believe that some of these artifacts from here or if not from here are from the more substantial Hoyle's Mouth Cave in the very close vicinity of this cave can be viewed in Tenby Museum? ( I will check this out in the next few weeks). Incidentalally another name of this site is 'Little Hoyle Cave, due to its vicinity its the much larger neighbour.
It is hard to imagine when standing in this cave how in the Paleolithic era this site would've been utilised, temporary shelter, funerary, storage or ritual or all? It feels as though it was or should be much lager and deeper but due to collapse it is unable to ascertain this. Standing at the entrance of this cave with you can imagine (if you rid yourself of the numerous trees and foliage in front of you) looking out over the Paleolithic marsh and plains of the Ritec valley slight below you heading off in to the distance.
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