If we are to believe everything we are told then the area just south
of Conway in North Wales should be a stone-chaser's paradise. Even the most cursory glance at a map of the area west of the little village
of Rowen situated off the B5106, should be enough to make one giddier
than a poet on pay day! Standing stones, burial chambers, stone circles,
forts, cairns and settlements are all squeezed into one tiny area...how
can you go wrong? Unfortunately things are not what they first appear
for some of the ancient things listed are sadly no more than slight
indentations or bumps on the ground, having suffered immeasurably in
the millennia since their construction. Consequentially they are of
little or no interest to your average chill seeker. So it's fortunate
for you that I have identified the ones worth visiting with, so you
don't have to waste time and effort trudging about only to find a brick
sized stone half-hidden behind a tuffet of grass!
Perhaps the pick of the bunch is the delightful little burial chamber
known as Maen y Bardd. It's
also one of the easiest to find. Just follow the little road uphill out
of Rowen, whereupon you will have to open and shut two gates and continue
on until the road bends left to run parallel with a dry stone wall. Leave
your car and a short walk to the right following the dry stone wall, takes you to
the stones. On your way be sure to check out the impressive single standing
stone known as Cae Coch, which is easily visible from the path just up
the hill to your left. Having expended all that energy you will also
want to take a breather and admire the view, which is quite spectacular.
Maen y Bardd is a little further along on about the same alignment as
Cae Coch.
This Neolithic burial chamber isn't the largest you will see but it does it's very best to make up for its lack of bulk with oodles of charm. It's beautifully proportioned consisting of four uprights and a large capstone and commands a great position in the landscape. Of course it's covering has long since disappeared but nevertheless Maen y Bardd is a lovely little site that I heartily recommend. You may have to share it with a few sheep and it's a bit exposed but the view and the stones themselves are tremendous.