Big Welsh Walk— Gelligaer Common: An Archaeological Treasure House 14 May, 11am—3pm

Gelligaer Common is one of the most remarkable archaeological landscapes in Wales and features in the Royal Commission’s forthcoming bi-lingual publication, Archaeoleg Ucheldir Gwent/Archaeology of the Gwent Uplands by Frank Olding. On Saturday 14 May, senior archaeologist David Leighton will lead an informative and fascinating guided walk over this bleak but beautiful moorland. As part of Ramblers Cymru Big Welsh Walk, held annually throughout May, this 5-mile walk will take visitors to sites dating from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. This fairly easy walk should take about four hours to complete, including a break for lunch, and will offer a microcosm of the archaeology of the south Wales valleys before the Industrial Revolution.

Along the way, particular sites of interest will include a visit to the Early Christian Cefn Gelligaer Inscribed Stone which is over 2.5m long. This once bore an inscription near the base of its northern face that read NEFROIHI – “the stone of Nía-Froích”, apparently commemorating an Irish warrior, and dating to the late sixth to early seventh centuries. The stone was first noted by Edward Lhuyd in 1693, but the inscription is no longer visible. Following this, we will visit the deserted medieval settlement known as Dinas Noddfa, which was excavated in the 1930s by the archaeologist Lady Aileen Fox. We will also visit several Bronze Age ring-cairns, including the splendid Carn y Bugail ring-cairn measuring 19.5m (east by west) by 15.8m set within a partly visible kerb of massive outward-leaning slabs and capped by an OS triangulation pillar. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, diggers here reported finds of "bones and urns" and three parallel cists.

Accompanied by Royal Commission staff, including architectural historian Richard Suggett, David Leighton will offer his historical expertise along the way sharing a wealth of knowledge gained through his many years as coordinator of the Royal Commission’s successful long-running Upland’s Project. The walk promises to be a great day out for walkers of all ages and a rare opportunity to discover more about the heritage which surrounds us!

The meeting place for the walk is the carpark of the Visitor Centre, Parc Cwm Darran: NGR SO11360345.

Many of the sites visited in the walk will appear in the Royal Commission’s forthcoming bi-lingual publication Archaeoleg Ucheldir Gwent/Archaeology of the Gwent Uplands by Frank Olding. This will be launched at this year’s National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny on Thursday 4 August in Pabell Lle Hanes at 2 pm.

Places for the walk are still available, although limited. For further details and booking please contact nicola.roberts@rcahmw.gov.uk.

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View of the Cefn Gelligaer Inscribed Stone from the south east
NPRN: 305944, DS2015_143_001

Aerial photograph showing medieval house platform on Gelligaer Common
NPRN: 15319, DD2015_009_132

Carn y Bugail: Capstone
NPRN: 301283, DS2016_005_003

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Discover the Source of the River Usk on the Royal Commission’s Big Welsh Walk: Saturday, 9 May 2015

Low clouds in mountains at the source of the Usk.

Following last year’s successful exploration of Fan Llia to Fan Dringarth led by the Royal Commission as part of Ramblers Cymru Big Welsh Walk, held annually throughout the month of May, another exciting walk has now been planned for this year in partnership with Cadw and Ramblers Cymru. On Saturday, 9 May, senior archaeologist David Leighton will lead an informative and interesting guided walk that will take in the upper reaches of the River Usk as far as its source (below the cliffs of Fan Brycheiniog and Bannau Sir Gaer), and the far eastern side of Mynydd Du. Setting off from the parking and picnic area at Pont ar Wysg at SN82002715 and slowly climbing to 2000 foot above sea-level, this 11 km circular walk will reveal a range of sites of the prehistoric, Roman, medieval and later periods along the route. This walk of breathtaking views in the beautiful Beacon Beacons National Park will include a number of Bronze Age burial cairns, the remains of a Roman marching camp and even a large nineteenth-century sheep fold with its numerous cells. Accompanied by other Royal Commission staff, including architectural historian Richard Suggett, David Leighton will offer his historical expertise along the way sharing a wealth of knowledge gained through his many years as coordinator of the Royal Commission’s successful long-running Upland’s Project. The day promises to be great day out for keen walkers of all ages and a rare opportunity to discover more about the heritage which surrounds us!

Places for the walk are still available, although limited. For further details and booking please contact nicola.roberts@rcahmw.gov.uk.

As part of the Ramblers’ 80th anniversary celebrations, this year’s Big Welsh Walk will be bigger than ever! For further details see their website at http://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/big-welsh-walk.aspx.

A list of heritage walks planned by Cadw can be found on the events page of Cadw’s website at http://cadw.wales.gov.uk/events/?lang=en.

Ponies and stone circle in the upper Usk Valley: one of the sites on the walk.

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