Moel Ty Uchaf Stone Circle
A cairn circle measuring 39 feet across, composed of 41 standing stones. None of the stones is very tall, though the location provides wonderful views over the valley below. A cist has been found in the centre of the circle. Nearby is the Ring of Tyfos stone circle.
Not the most easily accessed of prehistoric sites, perhaps, but Moel Ty Uchaf is certainly set in one of the most scenic locations! The circle is set on the summit of a hill overlooking the valley of the Dee, just south of Cynwyd on the B4401 to Llandrillo. The site is not signposted; look for a red postbox at the entrance to a lane immediately south of the bridge across the Afon Llynor, 1 mile north of Llandrillo.
Take the road until you pass through a gate, and park by the side of the road. From there you have about a mile to walk up the road, which passes through woodland before emerging into open fields, where sheep graze. Go though a gate - remembering to shut it firmly behind you - and keep going up the farm track. You're heading for the summit of the hill ahead of you. The circle isn't obvious until you've emerged right onto the crown of the hill, and there it is.
The stones are not large, nor is the circle itself, but the location is absolutely stunning. The circle is just under 11 metres across, and though I did not get out a tape measure, it seems to describe an almost perfect circle. Though it is frequently called a stone circle, I suspect that a more accurate description might be a cairn circle, which is what it is marked as on OS maps. There is a suggestion of a burial cist within the circle, but that may be wishful thinking as much as anything. To the south-east is what might be an entrance, though this is not certain.
It takes some determination to count the stones, for some are very small, but there are definitely over 40, and there is one obvious stone inside the ring (NB. I have since discovered that most anecdotal websites say there are 41 stones, but the official Coflein record says 43!). About 12 metres west of the circle, on the slope of the hill, is a large outlier, now displaced.
To sum up, its not easy to find, nor easy to reach, but it is well worth the climb to visit Moel Ty Uchaf! It has one of the most beautiful locations of any ancient site in Wales. Only a mile or two up the B4401 is the old church at Llangar.
Take the road until you pass through a gate, and park by the side of the road. From there you have about a mile to walk up the road, which passes through woodland before emerging into open fields, where sheep graze. Go though a gate - remembering to shut it firmly behind you - and keep going up the farm track. You're heading for the summit of the hill ahead of you. The circle isn't obvious until you've emerged right onto the crown of the hill, and there it is.
The stones are not large, nor is the circle itself, but the location is absolutely stunning. The circle is just under 11 metres across, and though I did not get out a tape measure, it seems to describe an almost perfect circle. Though it is frequently called a stone circle, I suspect that a more accurate description might be a cairn circle, which is what it is marked as on OS maps. There is a suggestion of a burial cist within the circle, but that may be wishful thinking as much as anything. To the south-east is what might be an entrance, though this is not certain.
It takes some determination to count the stones, for some are very small, but there are definitely over 40, and there is one obvious stone inside the ring (NB. I have since discovered that most anecdotal websites say there are 41 stones, but the official Coflein record says 43!). About 12 metres west of the circle, on the slope of the hill, is a large outlier, now displaced.
To sum up, its not easy to find, nor easy to reach, but it is well worth the climb to visit Moel Ty Uchaf! It has one of the most beautiful locations of any ancient site in Wales. Only a mile or two up the B4401 is the old church at Llangar.
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