Oct 2024 - Ascent from Llandrillo. The beautiful little village of Llandrillo was the start point and I started walking just before 9am. Only saw one other person all walk on the summit of Berwyn, however plenty of sheep. Had a nice chat with both. Beautiful stone circle on Moel Ty-uchaf on the ascent. Described on a site as follows:
Sometimes, the past hits you like a freight train. And the Ty Uchaf Stone Circle can certainly have that effect on you. Knowing it to be there is no defence, hidden as it is until the last, as you reach the crest of the hillock upon which it sits. And then it’s there, in all its near perfection.In truth, the Moel Ty Uchaf Stone Circle is more than likely a ring cairn, a monumental contemporary of stone circles, since in the centre at Ty Uchaf is evidence of a central hollow which may have once been a burial cairn. It would seem to have been excavated in the past, possibly by antiquarians, although there seems to be no record of any such investigation in the available literature. There is also a boulder within the circle, possibly recumbent, to the north east. The circle is some 12 metres across and comprises some 41 remaining standing stones, alternating in size between large and small, with one obvious gap within the circumference to the south east, possibly an entranceway. The stones are set so that most are touching. Outside of the circle, to the near south west is another sizeable boulder, again possibly an example of a recumbent stone. This would again suggest that Ty Uchaf was in fact a monumental burial site, rather than a stone circle as perhaps most would recognise from elsewhere.
Extremely boggy in places today and a dodgy river crossing which saw me climb a tree before lowering myself onto a moss-covered rock. I would have chronicled this but was terrified of dropping my phone into the raging torrent. The river was the Clochnant and it was in spate. Feet got soaked and were, on completion of the walk, promptly stuffed with toilet roll from the public toilets in the car park. Atmospheric on the tops, and the Aran Ridge and the Arenigs were prominent in the views westwards. Squelch fest!