Llanfair Caerenion
1 Sep
Not wanting to force ourselves on the family’s hospitality at Penyvoel Hall any longer, me and my dad set off the following day to see some more stone circles before heading home to Oxfordshire. In the morning we planned the trip and headed to our first stop, Deri Woods just outside of Llanfair Caerenion. The car park was relatively easy to find, and access to the woods was just as easy from there. An informative sign does tell you a bit about the woods and the other aspects of the village, but does not give any information on the Gorsedd stone circle. This is a common theme I have noticed throughout the summer and I am severely disappointed as there is not often a lot of information online, and when there is it would be nice to have at least some mention of the history of the circle on site, as they are a historically significant archaeological phenomenon and it would add to a visitor’s appreciation of the site. Despite this annoyance, the woods the stone circle is situated in is one of breathtaking beauty. The dense trees and wild nature of the area only adds to the image of significant age that the stone circles imply.
As can be seen above, the area the stone circle is located in is not very well maintained, although this is not necessarily a problem unless it gets too overgrown. This is not something I have seen at any other location and should be monitored closely so as to not allow damage to the stones. Also, this site is interesting as the middle stone (which you cannot see very well in this picture) is off center, which is also something I have not seen at any other location. The reason for this may be because this stone circle has been used many times over the years for the Powys Eisteddfod, such as in 1894, 1913, 1927, 1961, 1976, 1990, 2000, and most recently in 2013. It is not certain whether it is the same stones being used throughout the years, but by the state of the stones I would say it most likely is, but the central stone being off center suggests they have at least been moved over the years, potentially to accommodate the surrounding nature.
Speaking of the surrounding nature, this is the stone circle that made me realize that there is a strong connection between the locations for the Gorsedd stone circles and being near a body of water, as there is a river running alongside the woods.
This river is the Afon Banwy neu Einion, and as can be seen above, is an extremely pretty river. Just off of the river there is an old building that no longer has doors and is open to the elements. Once inside one can see the walls are painted beautifully and there is an informative sign telling visitors that it used to be a pump house that supplied the village with drinking water. However, the water had an odd color and taste, and so the pump was discontinued and left to be reclaimed by nature.
Just because it was such a lovely setting and it is such a great picture, here’s a shot of my dad admiring the river.
