Ancient sites and Sacred places

In the summer, before my journey around Wales, I had gone on an interesting walk all around Stonehenge with a friend who volunteers there. Perhaps because of this and because the Neolithic monuments are so clearly marked on my maps, I was keen to visit some sites during my travels.

It was a clear and sunny day when I set off to find Brynn Celli Ddu.  According to my Welsh heritage guide it’s in the south of Anglesey quite close to the Menai Strait. I’m not great with following directions and so I found myself wandering around some fields in a vague and hopeful manner, thinking, maybe it’s that lump in the distance?

Once I actually saw the beautiful dome of this chambered tomb- I was in no doubt that I had reached the right place.

 

I had learned that this site was originally a henge (3000BC) with standing stones and it was about 1000 years later that a passage grave was built, and that the burial chamber would have been entirely enclosed within a huge mound. Now a smaller mound has been reconstructed and you can walk into the chamber from the back. At the front is a replica of the decorated stone that was part of the original henge.

I was so lucky to visit on a day when the sun was shining and quite low in the sky. As I entered the burial chamber it was glowing in the sunlight.

 

It felt very peaceful and special. People had placed gifts and messages and so I was glad to find that I had a lovely piece of sea glass in my pocket, which I left as my offering.

 I came upon my second site entirely by accident. I had just left Newport and was driving home when I noticed one of those interesting brown historic monument signs. So I turned down the road, past some very modern houses, and there, in a tiny field not much bigger than the bungalows’ back gardens was Carreg Coetan Arthur.

I was soon joined by a young man who was most knowledgeable and friendly. He explained that this burial chamber would have originally been covered with earth and that it dated from around 3000BC.  He was slightly shocked to find out that I had yet to visit Pentre Ifan and in fact had not even heard of it. I promised to follow his instructions and make a visit.

 And so I did.

It is breath-taking and beautiful and set amidst the hills away from any sign of modern life. It had a presence and a majesty that moved me greatly.

 

I decided to make a little wreath of Hawthorne and blackberries from the nearby hedges and spent a happy and engrossed hour creating my offering. The sun shone, there was birdsong on the breeze and peace and beauty surrounded me. It was a truly sacred place.