Penrhiw Wen Sites

Penrhiw-Wen is just off the old Aberystwyth Mountain Road and has two Standing Stones - Maen Serth / Esgair Dderw Standing Stone and Maengwyngweddw Stone, (The White Widow). One Cairn - Clap yr Arian Cairn, two other cairns were destroyed for road metalling some time ago, a bronze age axe was found at one of the cairns. All three sites are a short walk away from the road and are the easiest sites to get to in The Elan Valley.
Map Ref SN940 700

Maen Serth / Esgair Dderw Standing Stone

Maen Serth / Esgair Dderw Standing Stone, 2.1m high.
In 1176 two local princes Einion Clyd and Morgan ap Meredydd were returning from the Great Eisteddfod in Cardigan, held by the Lord Rhys, Prince of South Wales to celebrate the completion of Cardigan Castle, when they were ambushed and killed by the soldiers of Roger Mortimer, Earl of Wigmore, who had designs on their land. Tradition has it that they were killed here at Maenserth, known locally as the Princes Stone.
Map Ref SN863 770

Maengwyngweddw Stone

Maengwyngweddw Stone, (The White Widow) Bronze Age Standing Stone. Quartz boulder 0.76m high.
Map Ref SN925 705

Clap yr Arian Cairn

Bronze Age Round barrow, 16m diam, 8 kerb stones visible on W side. In 1910 a stone axe-hammer was found nearby, there were two other cairns nearby but destroyed for road metalling.
Map Ref SN936 699

Clap yr Arian Axe

Beaker-type stone axe dating from the early Bronze Age. The stone is spotted blue Dolerite and was found between two upright stones at the centre of one of the Clap Yr Arian cairns. Been made of Dolerite stone is edivence it must have been carried here from the Presely mountains of Pembrokeshire. This axe is on display at the Radnorshire Museum in Llandrindod Wells.
Map Ref SN936 699

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