Tŷ Newydd Burial Chamber.

 

Tŷ Newydd burial chamber although ruined, is still a good example of a megalithic dolmen. 

Set on a natural outcrop it would originally have been covered with a mound or cairn 

now marked out by the small bollards that surround it.

Visit Date May 2023

Click on image for a larger version.

Ty-Newydd has a massive cracked capstone, about 4.0m by 1.8m and up to 1.2m thick, that rests on three of the four remaining uprights. The Capstone is likely to have originally been wider as part of the southern edge has broken off.

The chamber was originally part of a passage grave. One theory is that the tomb was originally similar to Bryn Celli Ddu (the subject of a later blog), with a second chamber joined to the first by a passage, and the entire tomb was covered by a large earth mound which was later removed.

Early reports claim that the second larger chamber existed close by, this has long since been broken up and carried away as has any surface evidence of a covering stone cairn so it is impossible to establish the original layout of the site although several small concrete markers around the chamber hint at the possible extent.

It is said to have once been enclosed by a circular wall about 32m in diameter and this may reflect the form of the cairn.

The huge tilted capstone is split and is now partly supported by brickwork and concrete. This does distract from the natural beauty of this site however one suspects that without this intervention the capstone would now be on the ground.

There is a photo in 'The Ancient Stones of Wales' by Barber and Williams, which purports to show Ty Newydd in 1900, with the capstone resting on 3 uprights, without all the modern brickwork.

The chamber was excavated in August 1935 by Charles Phillips.

There was a lot of charcoal, suggesting evidence of a large fire that formed this thick layer of charcoal as well as a quantity of quartz.

There were no human remains found at the site however the finds included five flint flakes, a burnt flint arrowhead, a small chip from a polished flint axe, and some small fragments of pottery. Phillips believed that the pottery fragments were from the Beaker culture, suggesting a Bronze Age reuse of this earlier Neolithic monument.

More recently, prehistoric artwork termed ‘cup marks’ have been detected on the capstone.

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Google Reference: -
53.23592779682485, -4.482380635799995

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I have had a few problems with google maps trying to locate the exact place by description so please use the google reference above.

What Three Words reference: -
///overgrown.broke.slings

OS Details: -
SH 34422 73862 Altitude:115 ft

Additional information.

Visiting is relatively easy.
There is a turn off to an unnamed road off the A4080
It traveling north the entrance to the field is on the right hand side and is has a ancient monument signpost and information board.
There is a small layby (53.23661829013594, -4.485084849839341).

There are no facilities here.

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Cenarth Falls

 

Cenarth is a small village on the border of Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire. 

The focus of the village is Cenarth Falls, a series of small waterfalls and pools

 on the river Teifi known as The Salmon Leaps.

Visit Date September 2023

The waterfalls are one of the first real barriers to salmon and seatrout on their way up the Teifi from the sea to spawn.

There has been a mill on the south bank of the river at Cenarth since the 13th century when Cenarth Mill came into the possession of Edward I when he became Lord of the Manor of Cenarth.

The mill holds a secret in its base. There is a trap door in the floor and it is said that the miller would open the door and catch the salmon that were leaping there. The catching of salmon here was illegal but despite this, there was a lot of poaching of the fish, especially at night.

Light round boats, called coracles here in Wales, would often be seen on the river in the autumn nights with their occupants poaching the fish.

As well as the falls at Cenarth the other main feature of this small town is the bridge over the River Teifi at Cenarth that joins two counties, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion and has existed at least since 1188 when it was mentioned in the writings of Gerald of Wales.(a royal clerk to the king and two archbishops, he travelled widely and wrote extensively).

The design includes two cylindrical holes 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter, one on either side of the central span. The holes were included in the design while reducing the overall weight of the structure they also allow floodwaters to pass through them, instead of going over the top of the bridge: In these images, the water appears to flow under the southern arch only however, when in full flood the Teifi flows through all three arches.

This feature was used by Edwards's father William, who used six holes in the Old Bridge at Pontypridd to reduce the weight and pressure on the centre section.

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52.04573152490105, -4.524292938371246


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Cenarth Falls

What Three Words reference: -
///shows.riper.correctly

OS Details: -
SN 27008 41592 Altitude:40 ft

Additional information.

Visiting Cenarth falls and bridge is very easy.
There is lots of parking here right on the river bank. (52.04578729006762, -4.525187301082359).


There are shops toilets and a very nice cafe adjacent to the car park other also other amenities close by.

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Grove Colliery

In 1849, after the establishing iron furnaces at Kilgetty 

the Pembrokeshire Iron and Coal Company 

considered the possiblity of sinking a new pit at Grove

 to mine the Kilgetty anthracite vein and provide

 anthracite to the ironworks.

Visit Date October 2023

The Pithead and Shaft

The pit would have to be sunk to a depth of 182 metres to reach the vein.

The final decision was taken around 1852 and the new pit was started and opened some time later. When the pit finally started producing coal the Ironworks was in one of its production phases.

The Pithead and Shaft

The pit, being very close to the ironworks was to be linked underground to the workings of the older Kilgetty Colliery, which it drained. It had a tramway link directly to the Ironworks and was also connected to the Saundersfoot Railway.

The shaft was described in 1859 as the largest in Wales.

Coal from Grove was not exclusively used in the ironworks but was also taken by the Saundersfoot Railway to be sold for use elsewhere.

Inside view of Pithead

The Grove Colliery was later finally connected to Kilgetty Colliery via an underground tunnel.

Grove Colliery had its' own Smithy, Carpenters' shop and Stables which housed the pit ponies.

The associated ironworks finally ceased production in 1877 and a few years later coal extraction had ceased at Grove but the 274-horsepower Cornish Beam Pumping Engine was retained for pumping water until its' final abandonment in 1900."

The Cornish Engine House

It is reported that there remains a fully equipped stable at the foot of the shaft.

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Visit Information: -

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51.731820524163666, -4.696051707193539

What Three Words reference: -
///jets.demanding.losing

OS Details: -
SN 13918 07112 WAltitude:58 m

Additional information.

There is parking here for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.
The site is now alongside a Holiday Park

Off the A477 the turning marked for Stepaside, Wisemans bridge and Amroth. Then follow the brown heritage signs for the ironworks.
Then look for direction to the pit.

There are no facilities at the site.

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Kilgetty Ironworks

 

Also known as Stepaside Ironworks, Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire

Like many ironworks in Wales, the works at Kilgetty 

did not provide much iron during its 

intermittent operational years.

Visit Date October 2023

Iconic image of Kilgetty Ironworks

Following the successful introduction of anthracite smelting at Ynyscedwyn in 1836, Kilgetty Ironworks were established in 1848-49 by Charles Ranken Vickermann, a London solicitor, to exploit the local anthracite coal and haematite deposits.

The Cast House.

The ore was obtained largely from levels driven in the cliffs between Saundersfoot and Amroth and transported by the branch line of the Saundersfoot Railway.

The Blowing and winding engine houses

Known then by the name Pembrokeshire Iron and Coal Company by 1853 the works were at a standstill.

The Furnace Wall

In 1853 Grove Colliery was sunk just above the ironworks to provide fuel (This will be added in a further post), however production of both coal and iron was intermittent until 1859.

 

Kilns

The site's fortunes continued to be bleak and by 1862 the works were again at a standstill.

The Coke Ovens

Revived once again in 1863 five further years of poor production resulted in the complex being sold in 1873 to Bonville's Court Coal and Iron Company.

Internal detail of Coke Ovens

In its final stage, the Iron Works consisted of 2 blast furnaces, blowing engines, coke ovens, workshops and lime kilns, however, no pig iron was produced after 1874 and work ceased in 1877.

Calcining Kilns

The property and plant were auctioned in 1878. Vickermann was the successful (in fact the only) bidder.

Remains of the Smithy

The works were dismantled in 1887-89. The chimney stack above the furnaces was eventually demolished in 1909.

Additional information: Also known as Stepaside Ironworks. Stepaside is a small holiday village and Information signs at Stepaside state that Stepaside got its name when Oliver Cromwell and his army passed through on their way to Pembroke. Cromwell is reported to have asked people in his way to step aside.

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51.73398913017965, -4.693719186700272

Google Search term:
Kilgetty Ironworks

What Three Words reference: -
///broth.polka.verge

OS Details: -
SN 14087 07355 Altitude:14 m

Additional information.

There is parking here for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.
The site is now alongside a Holiday Park

Off the A477 the turning marked for Stepaside, Wisemans bridge and Amroth. Then follow the brown heritage signs for the ironworks.

There are no facilities at the site.






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St Bridget’s Church

St Bridget's Church, Skenfrith was consecrated in 1207 and is

one of the oldest churches in continuous use in Wales.

Visit Date August 2023

The exterior of the church is a delight, with a massively buttressed, squat square tower built of red sandstone.

The tower is topped by a dovecote belfry and a pyramidal roof.

It has been restored on at least two occasions the first in 1896 and then again in 1910

The church is medieval in origin, with the earliest parts believed to date from the reign of King John (1166–1216). It has been extended firstly in the fourteenth and once again in the sixteenth century.

The interior contains the chest tomb of John Morgan, who died in 1557, who was a Member of Parliament for the Monmouth Boroughs, Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster and last Governor of the Three Castles, of Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castle.

The font is inscribed on its east side with the date 1661 but this date is of the re-erection but is much older than this.

The font can be locked this was to prevent the common practice in days gone by of stealing the water and used in casting spells.

The lectern was commissioned in 1909 and is by the Arts and Crafts designer, George Jack, and incorporates a figure of St Bridget.

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51.87906878835942, -2.7913557263133586

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St Bridget's Church, Skenfrith
What Three Words reference: -
///parked.sporting.help

OS Details: -
SO 45606 20341 : Altitude:141 ft

Additional information.

There is parking here (51.87809680428079, -2.790591909573205) for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.

Off the B4347 from Monmouth and on to the B4521 takes you to Skenfrith.

There are no facilities at the site.

The site is popular in the summer months with locals sunbathing and swimming in the river.




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Skenfrith Castle

Skenfrith Castle (Welsh: Castell Ynysgynwraidd) is an 

ancient medieval fortress with a substantial central tower.

Visit Date August 2023

Commissioned by William Fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, in the early 12th century the castle comprised earthworks with timber defences.

What is left of the remains is the later constructed fortress by Hubert de Burge in the 13th century.

Built on an earthen mound this structure was one of the ‘Three Castles of Gwent’ (along with Grosmont and White Castle)

Controlling a large area of Gwent the three castles guarded the border country between The river Wye and the Black Mountains with Skenfrith Castle overlooking one of the main routes between England and Wales on the banks of the river Monnow.

 

In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place and in response, King Stephen brought together Skenfrith Castle and its sister fortifications of Grosmont and White Castle to form a lordship known as the "Three Castles", which continued to play a role in defending the region from Welsh attack for several centuries.

Skenfrith was rebuilt in stone. In 1201, King John gave the castle to a powerful royal official, Hubert de Burgh (Earl of Kent) who destroyed the old castle and rebuilt the rectangular outer walls with the round keep and towers we can see today.

Hubert fell from power in 1232 and was stripped of the castles, which were placed under the command of Walerund Teutonicus

Walerund built a new chapel at the castle in 1244 and repaired the keep's roof

In 1267 the Castle along with the other two castles were granted to Edmund, the Earl of Lancaster

King Edward I' (20 November 1272 – 7 July 1307). In his conquest of Wales in 1282 removed much of the castle's military utility and saw the demise of the importance of the castle and by 1538, it had fallen into disuse and ruin.

In 1825, the Three Castles were sold off to Henry Somerset, the Duke of Beaufort. Skenfrith was eventually acquired by the lawyer Harold Sands, who carried out some conservation of the site; he went on to give the castle to the National Trust. Skenfrith was placed into the care of the state in 1936,

Skenfirth Castle is managed by Cadw

(Cadw is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. Cadw works to protect historic buildings and structures, landscapes and heritage sites) 

A visit to the castle would be enhanced by seeking out a disused mill on the south-eastern side of the castle. Much later than the castle of course dated 1867 at the 1st-floor level of the SW side; the mill continued to function until 1990 although by that time the mill had been converted to electric power.

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Google Reference: -
51.878293893054106, -2.790379413287163

Google Search term:
Skenfrith Castle

What Three Words reference: -
///parked.sporting.help

OS Details: -
SO 45697 20264 : Altitude:141 ft

Additional information.

There is parking here (51.87809680428079, -2.790591909573205) for a a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.

Off the B4347 from Monmouth and on to the B4521 takes you to Skenfrith.

There are no facilities at the site.

The site is popular in the summer months with locals sunbathing and swimming in the river.




A full list of blogs can be found at my website

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Pendeen Lighthouse

 

Pendeen Lighthouse

Pendeen Lighthouse, also known as Pendeen Watch

 is an active aid to navigation and is sited north of the 

village of Pendeen in west Cornwall, England, 

United Kingdom.

Visit Date March 2023

Click on any image for larger view

Pendeen Lighthouse lies Only six miles north of Land's End and is close to the small and very pretty village of St Just, which thrived during the Tin and Copper mining era in the 1900s.

The construction of the lighthouse started in the 1890s and was designed by Sir Thomas Mathews for Trinity House (Trinity House is a charity dedicated to safeguarding shipping and seafarers) and constructed by Arthur Carkeek from Redruth.

The headland needed to be flattened to accommodate the 17-metre tower and associated buildings.

The light was first lit on 3 October 1900

A foghorn is also sighted here with twin 5-inch sirens driven initially by compressed air from an oil engine.

A five–wick Argand lamp provided the initial power for the lighthouse but the lamp was soon replaced with a 3-50mm dia. mantle lamp

The lens system was a large (first-order) rotating optic made up of two sets of four panels, which displayed a group of four flashes every fifteen seconds, it had a range of 20 nautical miles and is still in use.

Click on any image for a larger view

The coast of this area is treacherous to shipping. Along the coast, the remnants of the once thriving mining in the area can be seen. 

In the 1990s it was decided that the lighthouse would become automated and the last of the lightkeepers left the lighthouse on May 3rd 1995.

The lighthouse, together with the attached keepers' cottages, are Grade II listed,

Built within the North Cornwall Coast within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is sited on one of the many granite headlands bird watching is popular here as is seal and dolphin spotting. Being north-west facing is a perfect location to watch the sun setting over the Atlantic.

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50.16498077682171, -5.671545986771646

What Three Words reference: -
///cheeses.cabs.zooms

OS Details: -
SW 37890 35891 : Altitude:52 m

Additional information.

There is parking here (50.164339321872106, -5.670764521122517) for a half a dozen cars or so and the place is easy to visit.
Off the B3306 the lighthouse is signposted from the road.
There are no facilities at the site.

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