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Mynydd Llangyndeyrn Mountain

Mynydd Llangyndeyrn (Mountain) appears to have been a centre for ritual and funerary activity form at least the Neolithic period (around 3000BC) to the late Bronze age (around 1000BC) and possibly later. The Neolithic is represented by the impressive Sub Megalithic type chambered cairns, namely "Bwrdd Arthur" and "Gwal Y Filiast" the chambers of which may have shared a common covering stone cairn. The later Bronze Age is represented by a large 3m tall standing stone and its smaller companion stone, and a variety of round barrows of differing designs including ring cairns and ring cairns with cist burials. To the East of the escarpment there may be seen stone field boundaries and a cist burial, although these are usually hard to find in the undergrowth.

Mynydd Llangyndeyrn Walk
Leave Carmarthen on the A484 towards Kidwelly, after Cwmffrwd, turn left onto the B4306 towards Llangyndeyrn. Continue through Llangyndeyrn (stopping at the church if preferred, see below for notes on the church). Continue on to Crwbin, through Crwbin and the Llangyndeyrn mountain is the high ridge in front. Continue up the hill onto the open moorland and park at the bus stop on the right hand side. Walk back the way you came until you see a farm on the left and a house on the right. The footpath leads up the mountain behind the house.

1. 200m up the path is a Bronze Age standing stone or maen hir, 3m in height. The stone was prostrate until 1976 when excavations revealed the hole that the stone had stood in and it was re-erected. The excavations unusually revealed the remains of a wooden structure built against or near the stone. Charcoal form the building was carbon dated to around 1140BC.

2. A further 10m to the north is a small standing stone hidden in the undergrowth, also possibly Bronze Age, and contemporary with the larger stone.

3. Continue along the path for around 300m towards the North East, a large ring cairn may be seen to the West of the beacon, one of the outer stones is painted white. The remains of the central cist can be seen. The cairn would originally have been covered by a mound of stones, turf or earth. The Cairn probably dates to the Bronze Age.

4. Slightly further to the East lies the OS beacon, this is built on a low round cairn, again probably Bronze Age in date.

5. Continue down the hill and to the South East towards the centre of the moorland, and you will find a small robbed out ring cairn. The conical depression in the middle, allows inspection of the internal stone cist. (A small tree is growing by its side). Again this cairn probably dates from the Bronze Age.

6. Continue walking to the South East and below a large outcrop of rock lie the two Neolithic Chambered tombs. The Easterly tomb is named "Bwrdd Arthur" (or Arthurs Table) and the Western tomb is named "Gwal Y Filiast" (or Greyhounds Lair). They are possibly separate tombs with their own covering mounds or may have been parts of the same larger tomb covered by the same stone mound. The chambered tombs are likely to date to the Neolithic around 3000BC. The tombs may well have been in use for many years with elaborate burial rites given to corpses that would have been subject to exhumation, before being added to the tombs. It is possible that such tombs would have been the burial place of many people.

7. Further along the ridge to the East another cist tomb may be found although this is usually overgrown and difficult to find.

Return to your car along the same route!

Notes on Llangyndeyrn Church
The church of St Cyndyrn is located in the village of Llangyndeyrn. The church is dedicated to St Kentigern or St Cyndeyrn. Chris Barber in his book, "More Mysterious Wales" (1987) suggests that in the Nineteenth Century, the skeletal remains of 497 monks were found buried in layers 5 deep beneath the church floor. The remains he believes, were the remains of monks of St Kentigern’s monastery who died of Yellow Fever in AD 547. The church although traditionally associated with St Kentigern, may in fact be associated with St Cyndeyrn or Kentigernos a figure related to Cynedda, not Kentigern. Cyndeyrn was the son of Arthog Ab Caredig or Ceredigion fame. The remains of the base of a Medieval Preaching cross can be seen in the churchyard and a cowled stone may be seen in the West porch.