The Visitor's Hand-Book for Holyhead: Comprising a History of the Town, the Antiquities and Sublime Scenery of the MountainJackson, Thomas
History
The Visitor's Hand-Book for Holyhead: Comprising a History of the Town, the Antiquities and Sublime Scenery of the Mountain
Jackson, Thomas
Holyhead (Wales) -- Guidebooks
Thus an extract from an old document is inserted by Mr. Price in his
“Hanes Cymru,” (History of Wales) to the following effect:—“The _Meini
Hirion_ (long stones) of _Maes Mawr_ (of the Great Plain.) There is a
spot on the mountain between Yale and Ystrad Alun, above Rhyd-y-Gyfartha,
called the Great Plain, where occurred the battle between Meilyr ab — and
Beli ab Benlli Gawr, and where Beli was slain; and Meirion erected two
stones, one at each end of the grave, which remained until the last forty
years. It was then that a “tasteless” person, owner of the piece of
land, which had been enclosed, where the grave and stones were, came and
pulled up the stones, and placed them over the pipe of a lime-kiln.
There, in consequence of the intense heat and great weight, they broke.
Whereupon he burnt them into lime in the kiln, though they had been there
for many hundred years; and a bad end happened unto him who had thus
defaced the grave of the deceased soldier, about which the bard, in the
“Stanzas of the Graves,” sang this triplet:—
Whose is the grave in the Great Plain?
Proud was his hand on the weapon of war—
It is the grave of Beli the son of Benlli Gawr!”
There are several of these monumental stones in the immediate
neighbourhood of Holyhead, and though their history is unknown, I have
not a doubt on my mind but they were originally erected as _memorial
stones_, to point out the grave of some distinguished person or persons,
or as monuments to commemorate some signal victory.
About a mile from Holyhead, on the way to Trefigneth cromlechi, on the
right hand, in a field called _Cae’r Garreg_ (stone field), stands a
memorial stone, 8 feet long, and 10 feet in circumference at the base,
tapering to about 5 feet. On leaving this stone, and just before you
reach Trefigneth, opposite a cow-shed, under the left-hand wall, a _cist
faen_, or stone coffin, was found some time ago, containing a human
skeleton. About half a mile further, near _Trefarthur_ (the abode of
Arthur), in a field on the right hand, called _Caynyodd_, are two stones,
one erect, about 5 feet in length, and 13 in circumference, and the
other, reposing on the ground, nearly 8 feet long.
About a mile and a half to the west of Holyhead, at _Plas_ farm, in the
occupation of O. Owen, Esq., are two large stones. The western one is 10
feet long, 6½ feet in circumference, tapering to about 4 feet. The
northern stone is 10 feet long, 6½ feet in circumference, tapering to
about 5 feet.
BOUNDARY STONES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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