Comments on: Druid’s Circle, Penmaenmawr

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:57:41 +0000

Yes, also fragments of quartz were discovered, that may form a pattern – Newgrange is associated with quartz – so there is perhaps a shared symbolism. The cremation deposits might be secondary features, these sites were sometimes used over and again; at Knowlton in Dorset for example a church, now long abandoned, was erected in the centre of an earthen henge.

By: Graham Stephen

Graham Stephen — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:46:24 +0000

Thanks for the additional information Kris. Yes, the English name is something of a misnomer. Incidentally, when the site was excavated in 1958, cremation deposits were found, amongst other places, at the centre of the circle.

By: Graham Stephen

Graham Stephen — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:43:27 +0000

I remember being a little disappointed many, many years ago when I visited Stonehenge – it all seemed smaller than I had imagined from having seen photographs and the stones were all roped off so you couldn’t get very close. I have to say I far prefer visiting non-controlled relics and remains out in the wild like this one.

By: Kris

Kris — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:30:20 +0000

Aubrey Burl (1995) refers to this circle as ‘the tall stones’ [y meini hirion]. The circle appears to be aligned with sun and moon so is calendrical (practical) and also of religious significance going by associated finds. It must be possible that the circle served more than one group in the 5000 years or so of its existence. The circle pre-dates the historical druids of the Iron Age by some two millennia.

By: Dezra Despain

Dezra Despain — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:44:34 +0000

Very interesting. I’m trying to wrap my head around the practicality of the circle rather than as an ancient calendar system or religious/spiritual place since that is all I know about when I hear of ancient circles. Obviously, we don’t have these here in the States. I’d love to visit one some day.

By: Graham Stephen

Graham Stephen — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:06:12 +0000

Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad the photos served to bring back memories.

By: lsmoore

lsmoore — Wed, 16 May 2012 21:42:29 +0000

A couple decades ago my husband and I spent three weeks hopping from one stone circle to another all over England and Scotland. Tiny or vast, they were all fascinating. Thanks for the pictures. You brought back some great memories for me.

By: Graham Stephen

Graham Stephen — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:45:35 +0000

Thanks Kris. According to various sources, this is the local name for the circle. The Penmaenmawr and Dwygyfylchi Tourism site (http://www.penmaenmawr.com), for example, has this to say:

As you look up the hill you will see Meini Hirion the Druids circle on the horizon.

Did you know?
Meini Hirion is the welsh for long stones. Excavations in 1958 dated the circle to the Bronze age between 1450 — 1400 B.C. This is a thousand years before the Druids came to this area. The circle has nothing to do with druidism! It is a misnomer.
You may think of Meini Hirion as an ancient roundabout. Ancient tracks crossed from the west coast and Llanfairfechan to Bwlch y Ddeufaen and eastwards to the Conwy Valley. In the early Bronze Age traders brought copper and other metals from Ireland.

By: Kris

Kris — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:15:54 +0000

‘Meini Hirion’ means standing stones which sounds a bit generic, are we sure that there is not a more descriptive local name in Welsh for this monument please?

Great pictures – thanks