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| Coetan Arthur |
Another cromlech, found in Pembrokeshire at Carn Lidl. This land round here is the most holy of lands for it is where Saint David lived. Now will you take that statement seriously I wonder? In the town of St.David, the cathedral and the Bishop's Palace testify to Christianity. Let us stay with the solemnity of 'place' for it is what drew me back time and time again, even now it calls. And as for my introduction see what Jan Morris says....................
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| St. David's cathedral tucked away in the valley |
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| The Bishop's palace |
"The holiest place is Dewisland, Pebidog, a stormy protrusion from the coast of Dyfed which was once a spiritual hub of the whole Celtic world. Not only does the countryside there seem holy by its nature, so ascetic, but so exciting, all bare rock and heather headland falling to the wild Atlantic sea, but its associations too are intensely sanctified. Here the Celtic missionaries came and went on their journeys through the western seas, and here the itinerant Irish preachers landed on their way to evangelize a pagan Europe. Everywhere there are the remains of shrines and chapels..... and in the middle of it stands the most venerated structure of it all, the cathedral of Dewi Sant, not only the mother-church of Welsh Christianity, but the vortex of all that is holy in Wales"
At first you must park in the car park at Whitesands, somehow one is not really prepared for 'the bare rock and heather headland' in a mundane car park. But walk, up the path passing the rocky headland on your right, its bleakness will slowly enter your soul. How did people survive here, you cannot grow food on this thin layer of soil that lies on top of the rock, and yet they survived. Two Bronze age cairns are to be found huddled against the rock face just above you. 20 minutes walking you reach a plateau, and then realise there is a small valley to cross before you once more ascend a small hill to find the above cromlech. And believe me it is not easy to find hidden in the jumble of rocks. Coetan Arthur is not earth fast (back of capstone resting on the ground) this capstone is propped by two orthostats and a small pile of stones behind.
Just beyond this cromlech there is an Iron Age fort sitting on the edge of the headland out to sea, it is called Warrior's Dyke, probably named by Sabine Baring Goulding of 19th century fame, he wrote hymns and dug in a sort of archaeological manner!
Warrior's Dyke consisted of six round hut circles, interesting finds included coloured beads and loom weight stones, civilisation in the bleakest of landscape......
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| There were three defensive walls, now scattered to this settlement. |
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| Warriors Dyke at the end |
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| A hut circle |
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| walk through the doorway |
One we've not been too Thelma. We will have to give ourselves a day off/day out at a treat when this flurry of viewings has calmed down a bit.
ReplyDeleteObviously that is not good farming land (no more is the Burren in Ireland) but as a spiritual place, 2nd to none and I imagine, fiercely protected. I think sheep and goats could cope there and the sea and coastline would always provide. Whenever we are drawn to the beach I always think it is our Mesolithic ancestors' way of life coming out.
Yes that would account for the travel that seems to happen in all the movements in prehistory, boats are often found. Love the idea of the 'metropolis' fleeing to the countryside, your viewings are definitely looking up. Fingers crossed.
DeleteSo much fascinating history and such a lovely country side!
ReplyDeleteWales is beautiful because of the rugged hills which are mostly used for raising sheep, along that Pembrokeshire coast line there is an Iron Age settlement every half mile or so.
DeleteI too am struck by how could they grow food? Could we have made it then? Probably not so many years.
ReplyDeleteThey are near the sea for fish, and hunting maybe. They never lived as long as us of course. Have been listening to a podcast on the Iron Age which is interesting to listen whilst doing weaving or knitting;)
Deletehttps://theprehistoryguys.uk/output/living-in-iron-age
Wasn't he called Sabine Baring-Gold? He wrote "Onward Christian Soldiers" and in his dotage was the vicar of East Mersea on Mersea Island in Essex. The ancient landscape you focused upon in this post seems like a hard one to unravel and a real challenge for archaeologists.
ReplyDeleteYes you can still read him online. The landscape because it is hard actually left a lot of prehistory behind. It is always fascinating to see the materials and tools used in different landscapes. The fact there was weaving done there shows that sheep would have been part of the economy.
ReplyDelete