Set amongst the glorious scenery of eastern Mynydd Epynt... away from all the (unfortunately, what with Communist lunatics murdering civilians for fun in Ukraine, all too necessary) squaddie training business... south of Builth Wells, this mutilated round cairn might well draw no attention at all from those passing by upon the very minor road... even from the antiquarian-minded lacking a 1:25k OS map. Combine a visit here with the even more obscure Banc y Celyn stone circle to the north (SO05174634), however, and you're laughing. Or if not, The Citizen Cairn reckons you bloody well should be!

Yeah, the scenery is superb, the backdrop of The Black Mountains, viewed in profile while approaching across the hilltop to the northwest, being arguably the finest I'm aware of. That of The Brecon Beacons, enjoyed by diverting the gaze a tad to the south, is worth writing home about, too. If only one still did those wonderfully 'organic' things. As for the monument... OK, it is very 'messed about with'. Nevertheless, several orthostats strongly suggest a 'chambered cairn' of some description to me. Coflein notes:

"A much disturbed round barrow with stone structural elements.... approximately 10m in diameter and up to 0.5m high..... Three edge-set stones are visible and appear to be part of a structure within the cairn... To the south of the barrow there is a large edge-set slab...aligned northeast-southwest..." [J.J. Hall, Trysor, 16/2/2009]

As it was, I happened to be in the locale for 'logistical reasons', but was more than happy to reprise my original 2016 visit and take advantage of the fabulous summer evening light to hang out for a while.

SO0464645494

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