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Maen Llia is a standing stone which sits on moorland at grid reference SN924192 in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, Wales.
The stone which is a large piece of intraformational conglomerate from the Old Red Sandstone measures 3.7 m (12 ft) high by 2.8 m (9 ft) wide by 0.9 m (3 ft). It is roughly diamond-shaped and is partly moss-covered. [1] It sits on a purpose made stone and earth mound.
The stone has seven sides, and is distinctly geometric in shape, although now much eroded. The centre line of the slab like stone is aligned precisely North/South, and its North pointing top edge has an elevation angle that matches the stones Latitude of just under 52 degrees. This makes it the correct shape and orientation to qualify as an horizontal sundial. This slope points directly to the North celestial pole. Curiously, this is much the same angle that can be found on the side slopes of the Great pyramid of Giza.
Its age and original purpose are mostly considered unknown, but it's geometric and astronomical relationships possibly give it a scientific rather than ceremonial background. It is thought to date from the Bronze Age or later Neolithic.
It is a popular tourist attraction, lying just 60 yards off a minor road running north from the village of Ystradfellte in the Waterfall Country towards the hamlet of Heol Senni and Brecon, the county town of Brecknockshire.
There is a low heather-covered henge 240 metres (790 feet) to the southwest, a recumbent stone row 60 metres (200 feet) to the South, and a cairn 300 metres (1000 feet) to the South East, all of whom form a precise geometric pattern. This pattern contains some unique geometry not known to exist anywhere else in the world, although some aspects of it can be discerned at Stonehenge. [2]
Another significant standing stone, Maen Madoc, lies just off the old Roman road known as Sarn Helen about 2 miles (3.5 km) to the south. Whilst this latter stone bears legible writing, there is none visible on Maen Llia though some faint lettering was reported still to be visible in the mid twentieth century.
Legend has it that the stone goes down to the river, the Afon Llia to drink on occasion. This tale seems likely to be an allusion to the fact that its shadow is cast across the moorland as far as the river when the sun is low in the evening sky. This occurs from April till September. On the day that the sunset shadow reaches the stream for the first and last time of the year (April/Sept), it's sunrise shadow touches a stone 90 feet to the East. This only happens on these two days.
There is good evidence to suggest that alignments within the geometric arrangements also match astronomical alignments, principally involving all the major and minor Lunar standstills. This has not, as of 2024, been definitively confirmed as yet. The modelled predictions would strongly favour this possibility. Further research is ongoing.
The stone is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. [3]
Madoc or Madog was a legendary Welsh prince who allegedly discovered America in 1170.
A stone row or stone alignment is a linear arrangement of megalithic standing stones set at intervals along a common axis or series of axes, usually dating from the later Neolithic or Bronze Age. Rows may be individual or grouped, and three or more aligned stones can constitute a row.
Bwlch is a small village and an electoral ward in the community of Cwmdu and District, Powys, south Wales. The settlement is strung out along the A40 road which crosses a low col above the Usk Valley at this point on its route between Brecon and Crickhowell.
Craig Cerrig-gleisiad is a subsidiary summit of Fan Fawr in the Fforest Fawr section of the Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales. It makes up half of the Craig Cerrig-gleisiad and Fan Frynych National Nature Reserve with its sister peak Fan Frynych.
Fan Brycheiniog is the highest peak at a height of 802.5 metres (2,633 ft) in the Black Mountain region of the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Wales. There is a trig point at the peak and on the edge of the escarpment, and nearby, a stone shelter with an inner seat. It lies just inside the historic county of Brecknockshire which gives the mountain its Welsh name. A subsidiary top, less than a kilometre from the summit along the ridge to the northwest, is the highest point of the neighbouring county of Carmarthenshire. Fan Brycheiniog is also within the Fforest Fawr Geopark designated in 2005 in recognition of the area's geological heritage. The views of the moorland and open country to the north are spectacular when the weather is clear, and reveals the isolation of the range, especially when compared with the more popular Pen y Fan range to the east.
The Black Mountain is a mountain range in South, Mid and West Wales, straddling the administrative boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys and forming the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its highest point is Fan Brycheiniog at 802 metres or 2,631 ft. The Black Mountain also forms a part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark.
The Maen Madoc or Maen Madog stone is a menhir which lies adjacent to the Roman road Sarn Helen that runs across the Brecon Beacons in what was a key area of Roman Wales, about one mile (2 km) north of Ystradfellte. It stands approximately 10 feet high.
The South Wales Traverse is a long distance fell running challenge across the mountains of south Wales. It is a linear route of around 120 kilometres (75 mi) taking in some 31 summits over 610 metres (2,000 ft) high, providing around 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) of ascent.
The Beacons Way is a waymarked long distance footpath in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. It is a linear route which runs for 99 miles (159 km) east to west through the National Park, and passes many of the most important landmarks and mountain peaks in the mountain range. It also includes a few of the towns in the park as well as popular attractions such as Carreg Cennen Castle near Llandeilo at the western end of the path.
Cefn yr Ystrad is a mountain in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. It is an outlier of the Central Beacons group.
Fforest Fawr is an extensive upland area in the county of Powys, Wales. Formerly known as the Great Forest of Brecknock in English, it was a royal hunting area for several centuries but is now used primarily for sheep grazing, forestry, water catchment and recreation. It lies within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
The Afon Llia is a short river in Powys, Wales, and which is wholly contained within the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Fan Hir is a peak at the eastern end of the Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Wales. It is a subsidiary summit of Fan Brycheiniog. It falls within the county of Powys and is also a part of the traditional area of Fforest Fawr. Its Welsh name means "long peak", a fitting description, particularly if seen from the east when its steep eastern face is seen to advantage. It is about 2.5 miles or 4 km long and faces east. Its summit is 2490 feet above sea level. Fan Hir is separated from its higher neighbour to the north-west, Fan Brycheiniog by a col known as Bwlch Giedd, where a path rises from Llyn y Fan Fawr via a stone staircase.
Fforest Fawr Geopark is a Geopark in the Brecon Beacons National Park, south Wales. It is the first designated Geopark in Wales having gained membership of both the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO-assisted Global Network of National Geoparks in October 2005. The Geopark aims to promote and support sustainable tourism and other opportunities to improve the economy of the area whilst safeguarding the natural environment. Its aims largely coincide with the statutory duties and purpose of the National Park within which it sits.
Mynydd Illtud is an extensive area of common land near Libanus, Powys, Wales, located in the Brecon Beacons National Park and some three miles south-west of Brecon. The common is an undulating plateau lying between 330 and 370 metres above sea level. Its highest points are 381 metres (1,250 ft) at Allt Lom and 367 metres (1,204 ft) at Twyn y Gaer trig point overlooking the valley of the River Usk. Twyn y Gaer is the site of an Iron Age hill fort.
Mynydd Troed is a hill in the Black Mountains of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Powys, south Wales. Its name literally translates to "Foot Mountain," based how it appears when viewed from the Allt Mawr ridge.
Waterfall Country is a name often given to the upper reaches of the Vale of Neath in South Wales. The tourist area around the head of the valley has an unusually large number of publicly accessible waterfalls. The area is not officially defined but generally includes the group of falls on the Nedd Fechan, Pyrddin, Hepste and Mellte rivers, all of which lie between the villages of Pontneddfechan and Ystradfellte in the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Tawe-Uchaf is a community in Powys, Wales. Situated north-east of Ystradgynlais in the upper valley of the River Tawe, it includes the villages of Caehopkin, Coelbren, Glyntawe, Pen-y-cae, Penwyllt and Ynyswen. It had a population in 2001 of 1,516, increasing at the 2011 Census to 1,562.
Hirfynydd is a 481-metre-high hill in Neath Port Talbot county borough in South Wales. A Roman road, Sarn Helen, runs along its entire northeast–southwest ridge-line, a route followed by a modern-day byway. To its west is Cwm Dulais and to its southeast is the Vale of Neath. The northern end of the ridge falls away to a broad upland vale containing the Afon Pyrddin and beyond which is the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Caer Bach is a Welsh hillfort of indeterminate age, on a rounded hillock situated near the village of Rowen; in Conwy County, North Wales. Its name in English translates as 'Small Fort'; or alternatively 'Little Fortress'. It is situated on the Eastern slopes of Tal-y-Fan, an outlying peak of the Carneddau mountain range in northeast Snowdonia; at an altitude of approximately 413 metres. Little information is known about the history of the fort, as to date, the site has undergone minimal investigation. The fort is classed as a scheduled ancient monument and is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of prehistoric settlement. It is said to retain significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits.
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