Bryn Cader Faner

Cairn Circle - Gwynedd

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ What's New ] [ Scotland ] [ England ] [ Ireland ] [ Europe ] [ Methods ] [ Us ]

		Photo Gallery
		Panoramas
		Infrared

One of the most impressive megalithic monuments in Wales, Bryn Cader Faner is a Cairn Circle, 18 thin jagged pillars jut upwards from a low cairn some 8.7m in diameter. The stones all appeared to be of slate and many of the cairn stones had prominent quartz veining.
Unfortunately its stunning good looks have not protected Bryn Cader Faner from damage, the cairn centre was dug into by treasure seekers in the nineteenth century, the hole that they dug is still visible today. The most recent vandalism was at the hands of the army during the second world war, unbelievably they used the cairn as a target for gunnery practice. Because of the accumulated damage, the surviving upright stones are nearly all in the western arc, with the SW quadrant having the most specimens. Although there has never been a formal excavation of a Cairn Circle, they are thought to date from the late third millennium BC, and their function is presumed to be funerary. 
Getting to the site is not easy, it is a 4km walk from the nearest road and the terrain is extremely boggy. You will certainly need a good map, and a GPS unit would be a great advantage.