history
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St Lythans Dolmen/Cromlech
Less than 10 miles from Cardiff city centre in Wales is the village of St. Lythans. Here is where we find a neolithic cromlech, otherwise known as Maes y felin (The mill field), named after the field in which it sits. Another name for the monument is Gwal y filiast, a name shared by a…
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Pentre Ifan Old Records & Images
Pentre Ifan is a neolithic Portal Dolmen in Pembrokeshire, Wales. In this post, we’ll be covering the early antiquarian records of the monument, as well as the oldest photographs and illustrations. We will do a more general post regarding Pentre Ifan and its archaeology and legends. We cover the excavations that took place here in…
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The Pilgrim’s Cross
The village of Nevern (Nanhyfer) in Pembrokeshire, Wales is steeped in history and legends. Carved directly into the rock face high above the village, the Pilgrim’s Cross is believed to date back to the early medieval period, when Nevern seems to have been an incredibly important spiritual place. In the medieval period, pilgrimage was a…
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West Kennet Long Barrow
Located in Wiltshire, England. West Kennet is the largest chambered long barrow in Britain. The monument as we see it today is the result of reconstruction work after excavations took place in the 1950’s. Radio carbon dates from remains found during excavations in the 1950’s go back as far as 3600BCE to 3700BCE. Experts believe…
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Ystum Cegid Isaf
Neolithic site near Criccieth – Gwynedd, Wales. Today it is an impressive monument with four large uprights supporting a single huge capstone, but it hasn’t always looked like this… Back in the 1700’s there were around 13 uprights, and 3 capstones, forming a much larger and more complex structure. But by 1816, the two smaller…
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All Saints Church Sarsen Stones
In the village of Alton Priors in Wiltshire, England is All Saints Church. The church dates to the 12th century but has undergone major refurbishments since. Within the church are two sandstone Sarsen stones concealed beneath trapdoors. Some believe these stones were part of a prehistoric stone circle upon which the medieval church was built.…
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Bedd Morris – Grave of Morris
Prehistoric Standing stone in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The 6ft tall stone has inscriptions indicating that it was used in recent centuries as a boundary marker between the parishes of Newport and Llanychlwyddog. It is believed by experts to have been erected in the Bronze Age, but Coflein states that its antiquity is in doubt, due to…
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Llawhaden Village & Castle
LLawhaden in Pembrokeshire, Wales. This village not only contains the remains of an impressive castle, but also a medieval hospital and chapel, making this an important place for understanding the growth and decline of medieval towns. During the Middle Ages, the diocese of St Davids was the largest and richest in Wales. It’s bishops were…
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Dolmen of Sainte-Madeleine in France
This dolmen was transformed in the Middle Ages into a chapel, with columns surmounted by carved capitals. Excavations carried out in 1878 made it possible to discover a medieval burial ground with a jug and a terracotta altar-cruet. This unusual chapel was classified as a historic monument in 1900. According to local legend St. Madeleine…
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Dyffryn Stones
Bronze Age circle in Henry’s Moat – Pembrokeshire, Wales.Otherwise known as Dyffryn Synfynwy or Garn Ochr Cairn. On one of our visits to this site, we spoke to a local farmer who said that around 60 years ago, a farmer was caught demolishing the stones. One of the stones that was broken was cemented back…
CoralJackz - That History Couple 