Lleyn Peninsula 2

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Site Index Lleyn Peninsula 2 Bachwen Anglesey North Wales Pembrokeshire Gwynedd Lleyn Peninsula Mid Wales Powys		Mynydd Rhiw Neolithic Axe Factory SH 234 299 Make your way south through the maze of narrow lanes to park in a small carpark where there is a National Trust sign at SH 237 299. If you pass a telephone box you are headed the right way. Around this hill are several interesting sites which can make a pleasant walk as the footpaths are open (June 2001). Follow the wide path northwest uphill and ignore the first left fork but carry on up. A grassy left track leads to a series of cairns and diggings where you will have great views all around especially towards Hell’s Mouth beach and the headland which is the farthest south point on the peninsular where there is another burial chamber. Cairns at Mynydd Rhiw View towards Hell’s Mouth
		Rhiw Burial Chambers Chambered long Cairn SH 237 287 Follow the lane southwest and turn right down a narrow steep lane towards the National Trust property called Plas yn Rhiw. This is a very narrow lane and where the sharp bend is you will see a rough track on it. This leads to a farmhouse near the site but you can’t park here. The only possible parking space is the free carpark for the National Trust property. To get in this go just past it and do a three point turn to go back to its entrance. (Or come up the hill by heading to Rhiw where there is a standing stone as well) Walk to the farmhouse which is being rebuilt and it is probably best to ask there. The footpath goes right along the left of the building and a little later turn sharp left (where there is a little stream ahead) to follow a track between two walls uphill. The chambered tomb is ahead in the bracken but the two capstones are clearly visible. The largest capstone to the NNE is still supported by rocks which can be seen by parting the bracken but some newer walls have been built, possibly to pen animals at one time. Both capstones have slipped and the central part of the cairn has gone, no doubt to make all the walls nearby. Rhiw Burial Chambers
		We camped near Abersoch hoping to visit the southern burial chamber at Cilan Uchaf SH 330 235. However to reach it means clambering through two fields of sheep as there is no footpath so we will come back when the foot and mouth crisis is fully over. The farmer at the very end of the lane didn’t seem to mind but said it was quite a steep walk and not really worth it as there is only “a big stone, some sort of old cemetery there.” We didn’t have much luck later on as we wanted to find the burial chamber on the headland at Llanbedrog at SH 325 311 called Bryn Parc. When we got there we got stuck on the hill as the headland was on fire (we thought they were burning heather) and about 15 fire engines from all over North Wales appeared. The footpaths were closed of and we sat on the beach in the sun with the dogs. Fire blocking the path to Bryn Parc Burial chamber There are several sites further on near Pwllheli but headed to Criccieth as we had read about a cupmarked burial chamber
		Criccieth Burial Chamber SH 512 383 This little chamber is worth a visit as it was on the way and is in a lovely setting. Park in the layby on the A497 just east of town at SH 512 384 and walk back along the pavement to a footpath sign. Go through the gate and follow the path downhill. You will see the chamber below in the field. It is a small chamber with a thin slipped capstone partially supported on small stones. From here you get views of the castle in the distance and surrounding countryside. Burial Chamber and Criccieth Castle in the distance Criccieth Burial Chamber We had planned to finish by visiting Cist Cerrig Burial Chamber which is said to have a cupmarked stone at SH 543 384. However after reaching Morfa Bychan and spending some time on the beach we couldn’t find anywhere near the footpaths to park and got short of time so will investigate other routes to this chamber in the near future. On the way back just to the northwest of Porthmadog on the A487 towards Caernarfon we came across another modern stone circle. Modern stone circle outside Porthmadog This is an Eisteddfod circle with twelve stones and inner “altar”. More details on the Modern Circles pages. [ Lleyn Peninsula 2 ] [ Bachwen ]
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