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Barclodiad Y Gawes Directions The translation of the
name of this site means “The Giantess’s Apronful” and comes from a
legend that states that the stones were dropped here when the strings of a
giantess’s apron broke. She had been carrying them to build a nearby
fortification. |
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The southern chamber and remaining capstone After excavation in the
early 1950’s a concrete dome was built to protect the site. The dome is
now covered in turf. Inside, just beyond the 7 metre long passage which
faces NNE, you come to a cruciform chamber containing 23 stones and a
capstone. At least six of these stones are carved in a variety of shapes
including spirals, squares, rectangles, chevrons, arrows, grooves,
cupmarks and also there is a hexagram form and what looks like an ankh
shape. It was also reported that in the central hearth in the chamber a
mixture of burnt remains were found including eels, a frog, a hare, a
mouse, a pig’s vertebra, a shrew, a snake and a whiting. Quite a varied
diet. This is one of the most important Neolithic sites in Wales and dates
back some 5000 years.
Spiral carvings in the east chamber The chamber is entered from the north and once inside some of the carvings are easy to see if you have a decent torch (which we didn’t have). Some take some searching for. The entrance passage is about 23 feet (7 metres) long and is flanked by upright stones. This leads to the cruciform (cross shaped) chamber from which open out three smaller chambers to the east, west and south. Each of these would have originally had a capstone but only the southern one remains. In the west chamber the cremated remains of two men were found and traces of bones were found in the east and south, the centre seemed to be for ritual and not burial and this is where the animal remains were found. |
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Carved stone with chevrons at the end of the passage The excavation uncovered some rare carved stones. The end stones of the east and west chambers are decorated with a variety of lightly incised designs, chiefly spirals, zigzags, chevrons and lines. These can be most clearly seen on the east side chamber and on the stone at the NE end of the passage. We found some other shapes on the stones such as squares and arrow heads (also some 1900’s initials) but couldn’t see an “ankh” shape. Bryn
Celli Ddu Directions
Carved stone outside chamber |
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Bachwen Take
the A499 towards Pwllheli and just after Aberdesach park opposite the
church in Clynnog on a side road by the pub near the Post Office. The
footpath is not signed but it is the lane that goes between two stone
gateposts on the south side of the church. Walk down this to a kissing
gate and carry straight on along the tarmac lane. You will get a glimpse
of the chamber on the skyline on the left. Where the lane bends sharply to
the right, turn left here onto a signed footpath. Go over a stile and head
on to the chamber.
The cupmarked capstone The
small chamber is in the centre of a field overlooking the sea. The
capstone is supported on four uprights and is quite thin. The chamber is
rectangular shaped and believed to be a portal dolmen.
The
capstone is covered in cupmarks, some of which are quite deep. There are
110 of them on the top of the capstone and a further 8 on the top of the
east side of the stone. There are also two faint grooves on the top. The
chamber is tightly surrounded by a metal fence but is set in attractive
scenery. |
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