Penbedw Stone Circle
Penbedw Stone Circle
Penbedw is a small stone circle set within the confines of a Grade II listed 18th century park surrounding Penbedw Hall. The circle may be Bronze Age, but may also have been erected as a folly during picturesque landscaping of Penbedw Hall parkland in the 18th and 19th century.

Though we've listed the stone circle at Penbedw as a prehistoric site, that dating may be inaccurate. There was no written record of a stone circle here before the 18th century, suggesting that it may have been erected then as part of the park landscaping surrounding the Hall.

Some writers think it is a modern picturesque folly added to the park landscaping to create an eye-catcher, but others seem to think it is a legitimate historic site, dating to the Bronze Age, about 2000-1250 BC.

There are 5 stones, and 8 trees making up a circle about 100 feet across. The trees were apparently planted to replace stones which had been removed or damaged. The largest stone is just under 5 feet high and 3 feet wide. 500 yards east of the house site is an ancient round barrow.

History

Plas Bedw Hall was built in the mid-17th century before being purchased by the Mostyn family in 1675. In 1852 an engineer named William Buddicorn extended the property. It was finally pulled down by developers in 1958. There were formal gardens laid out in the 17th century, and these were later incorporated into a small 19th century landscape park.

Within the park is a wilderness area divided by axial rides, and ornamented with picturesque additions like a grotto and a pavilion. A later formal garden dating to the late Victorian period stands near the site of the house.

The circle is on private land but it can easily be seen from the A541 about 5 miles from Mold. Just after the road to Cilcain there is a layby on the A541 and if you park there and walk back up the Cilcain road you can get a good view. Some visitors have successfully asked for permission to view the circle from the landowner at Penbedw - it is worth asking!