CARN LLECHART RING CAIRN

Visit Date:- August 2021

Today my short outing was to visit the small stone circle called Carn Llechart.
This is within the Brecon Beacons National park and is high on the hills overlooking the village of Rhyd Y Fro.

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The site comprises the remains of a burial cairn probably dating to the Bronze Age (c. 2300 - 800 BC).

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On observation, the ring is not really that impressive as other circles with the stones being not more than a few feet high and the ring not nearly as large as many others.

The reason for this is likely to be that the circle is not of the same sort of group ceremonial use that we see from the larger circle sites but is more likely that this circle is just the border of a burial site. But it does have significance in the history of this site.

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An important ring cairn, It measures 13 metres in internal diameter

with its unusual circle of contiguous slabs, about 25 in number, around a large rectangular cist (A cist is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East),

This site is important as it has the distinction of being mentioned in one of Britain's earliest antiquarian books, William Camden's 'Britannia' (1695 edition).

The twenty-five stone slabs leaning outwards slightly create a 'crown of thorns' effect. The circle is very slightly above the surrounding ground level. At the centre is the robbed-out rectangular cist measuring 2 metres by 1 metre Approx.

The cist was originally topped by a large stone slab, but this has been lost. Although I did read that it had been "moved" to a site 100 yards away.

I wish I had realised that the circle was so close to the ground as I would have taken a light ladder to get above the site to show it better, especially as the site was overgrown today at the height of summer, Maybe a return winter visit is on the cards?

There have been some interesting visit mentions for this site.

One of the visits was recorded by a couple who said "I have never seen anything like it. Claire was bodily thrown from the centre of the circle by some kind of force. I felt it too. It was like being punched in the stomach."

"Since our visit we suffered severe headaches, stomach problems, lethargy and general illness. It was almost as if our energy was completely sapped by whatever was in the centre of those stones."

By contrast, another reads:-

" I visit this place regularly and have found no ill effects when visiting, in fact, quite the contrary... I find the energy there is very warm and welcoming, not at all malicious, I leave with a renewed sense of wellbeing.

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In an adjoining farm field to the southwest of the circle, you will see another stone circle with much larger stones. A more impressive site this has often been in reports mistaken for the actual site. The stones are much larger and set out not in a proper circle so you have to be more open to the circle description.

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This is almost certainly more recent, however, it is likely that these large stones did mark something in the distant past but have been moved considerably.

One local resident stated that this was constructed by the gas board to stop the farmers cows from rubbing against the machinery that was stored there. This was going to be the use for the large flat stone. Although this may have been the recent use it is difficult to believe that these stones would have been brought here when the field with its dry-stone walls could have been secured more easily.

Another report was of a farmer building a stone circle in a field south of Carn Llechart ring cairn in 1985. Either way, I think these may have been of importance before being repurposed and the original position and purpose has now sadly long gone.

That said they are impressive to look at. Oh yes, the views are also great from up here but the light was very flat and not good for the long landscape shots.

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Visit Information:-

Google Reference 51.73995923556227, -3.8880360662304243

Google Search reference: Carn Llechart Stone Circle & Cairn

What Three Words reference : ///fight.lucky.geek

To visit the site is quite easy, but it took me quite a time to find it but this should make it easier for you.

When entering the village of Rhyd Y Fro with the "Traveller's Well" pub on your right-hand side, take the turning left just past the pub. Go up the hill on the small farm track until you pass over a cattle grid. A little way after this is a sharp hairpin bend to the left, take this up the hill further.

Next, there is a right-hand hairpin turn with a larger tuning space. Here you can park or just a little way further up the hill there is an entrance to the hill with a yellow grit box on the right-hand side, you could park here also.

Take a walk through this entrance by the grit box with the wall on your left and then follow the wall 90 degrees around to the left. When you reach the second metal gate with the "walkway markings" and style stop.

You will see the false circle and stone in the field if you wish to visit but Carn Llechart is not in this direction.

With this gate at your back look opposite and slightly to the right and the Circle is just a few hundred yards away up the hill slightly. I visited in summer and could hardly see the stones of the circle from the gate as they were overgrown but in winter you may possibly see them.

The google map reference is very good and I found it from that.