Bryn Celli Ddu

Ordnance Survey map reference: SH 508702.

Landranger map number: 115.

Latitude: 53.125 degrees.

Longitude: -4.145 degrees.

Architecture: Despoiled circle henge with passage grave..

Length of the major axis: 17.7 metres.

Length of the minor axis: 17.7 metres.

Height of the highest stone: 0 metres.

Shape: Circle.

Number of stones in the circle originally: .

Number of stones in the circle now: 0.

Impression of the site (10 amazing, 1 limp): 7

Burl rating of the circle: 4 (Destroyed, unrecognisable ).

Thom reference for the circle: -.

Astronomical alignments from this circle: Sun rise.

Excavations undertaken at this circle: 1927-8.

Details of any finds at this circle: Cremations, human ear bone.

This circle is in state care.

Access to the circle:

The monument is in state care and is fairly easy to get to. It is sign posted from the main A 4080 road and marked on the OS map as a chambered cairn. A short walk is needed to reach it

Description:

Bryn Celli Duu translated means 'the mound in the dark grove' and is in fact two monuments from different time periods built on the same spot. At the centre is a large mound that contains a passage grave with it's entrance aligned NE towards the rising mid-summer sun. This was built over an earlier stone circle henge whose bank and ditch can still be seen. There are no stones left , the mound was built over the original position of the stones. The original circle was intriguing, at its centre was a slab that covered a pit. Next to the slab was a long stone that was carved on 3 sides with intricate patterns. Beneath the slab was found a piece of blue clay and the pit below was filled with a meter of soil. At the bottom of the pit the excavators discovered a single human ear bone which was the only find. At a latter date the circle appears to have been abandoned and another group of people moved in and built their own type of monument on the same spot, destroying the original henge. These were the builders of passage graves and they constructed a mound over the circle of stones with a stone passage 8m long facing NE. At the end of the passage was an hexagonal chamber with a large 2m high pillar of stone placed at one side.The site is evocative to visit but is perhaps more interesting to fans of prehistoric tombs than of stone circles.

Bryn Celli Ddu passage grave.