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Wednesday, 1 September 2021

Penlan embanked circle?


The Stones of Stonehenge team will be doing some non-invasive geophysics at the Penlan (or Troedyrhiw) stone pair during the coming fortnight, in the hope that the stones might be the last remnants of a stone circle.   Hmmm.....   Anyway,  I offer this as something that might be worth a look.  I think I see (on the Bing satellite image) the traces of an embanked circle about 200m due east of the standing stone pair, in rough ground on the other side of the road leading to Carnedd Meibion Owen.  Grid ref SN09226 35713.  A bank has been cut across it.

If there is a circle there, its diameter is about 50m.  I haven't been able to do a comprehensive search, but I'm not aware of anything in the Coflein or other records.

In my view it's worth taking a look.......



The Possible circular structure is slap in the centre of this image.


PS  
Thanks to Steve for pointing out the proximity of the assumed site of St Brynach's Well.  Very interesting!  I know people have been hoofing about over there, trying to find it..........

Here is the annotated record:


So -- "Above that range of rocks called Carnedd Meibion Owen, on the side of the mountain by the highway, and is compassed round with a curtilage of stone wall called Buarth Brynach ? Brynach's fold, the wall being of 6 feet thick?. In 1914 no traces of the stone wall existed."

That means there was a substantial fold or enclosure here, with a very thick bank or stone wall.  Was it at the marked position of the well or spring, or could it have been a little distance away?  In other words, could the original spring have been where the embanked circle is marked?  Investigations needed....
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8 comments:

  1. Steve Spon3 September 2021 at 03:19

    I think you have located the site of BUARTH BRYNACH;ST BRYNACH'S WELL

    Early Medieval, although I guess it just may possibly have been situated older remains.

    https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archsearch/record?titleId=1987445

    "Description: Early medieval D site, ie. possible early medieval origins. Site of pilgrimage well on route to St Brynach's, Nevern, thought to be the St Brynach's Well described by Giraldus Cambrensis in the late 12th century. Formerly associated with walling - enclosure? well-head? building?. Not found in the field, in November 2002. In an area with a high concentration of ECMs (PRNs 1481-1483, 1503 & 14424). NDL 2003

    Status: Pembrokeshire Coast National Park "

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  2. Tony Hinchliffe3 September 2021 at 09:37

    What are ECM's? Monuments??

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  3. BRIAN JOHN3 September 2021 at 12:33

    A mystery to me too..........

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  4. Philip Denwood4 September 2021 at 20:29

    According to the Dyfed Archaeological Trust, re St Llwchaiarn Church, Llanllwchaearn, Ceredigion, "An ECM was ‘rediscovered’ at the church in 1998 … a cross-incised stone from the 8th-9th century."

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  5. Philip Denwood4 September 2021 at 21:01

    Probably "Early Christian Monument".

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  6. chris johnson6 September 2021 at 09:30

    At least there is a small car park nearby.

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  7. BRIAN JOHN6 September 2021 at 10:09

    True. But I don't think there is anything worth looking at -- I went up to have a mooch yesterday, and think the circe might be an illusion. There is no obvious raised embankment, and not even anything that might be heavily degraded. But it might be worth some geophysics, at some stage. What I did discover is that the well or spring that was dedicated to St Brynach might be recorded in the wrong place. In the field about 40m N of the marked well position there is a slight hummock that suggests to me that there might be a pile of rubble or stones beneath the turf. It is also damp there, with a prolific cluster of rushes. Will publish a suggestion to that effect.......

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  8. BRIAN JOHN6 September 2021 at 11:13

    Oops -- "circle".......

    ReplyDelete

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