Preseli Hills
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The Preseli Hills or, as they are known locally and historically, Preseli Mountains, (
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
: ''Mynyddoedd y Preseli / Y Preselau'' , ) is a range of hills in western
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, mostly within the
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Pembrokeshire Coast National Park ( cy, Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro) is a national park along the Pembrokeshire coast in west Wales. It was established as a National Park in 1952. It is one of three national parks in Wales, the others b ...
. The range stretches from the proximity of Newport in the west to
Crymych Crymych () is a village of around 800 inhabitants and a community (population 1,739) in the northeast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated approximately above sea level at the eastern end of the Preseli Mountains, on the old Tenby to Cardigan ...
in the east, some in extent. The highest point at above sea level is
Foel Cwmcerwyn Foel Cwmcerwyn is the highest point of the Preseli Hills and of Pembrokeshire. It lies within the borders of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park although it is 10 km from the sea. A path leads to the summit from the village of Rosebush, Pe ...
. The ancient of track along the top of the range is known as the Golden Road. The Preselis have a diverse ecosystem, many prehistoric sites, and are a popular tourist destination. There are scattered settlements and small villages; the uplands provide extensive unenclosed grazing, and the lower slopes are mainly enclosed pasture. Slate quarrying was once an important industry. More recently, igneous rock is being extracted. The Preselis have
Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
status, and there are three sites of special scientific interest (
SSSI A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
s).


Name variations

A peak is spelt ''Percelye'' on a 1578 parish map, and more recent maps show the range as Presely or Mynydd Prescelly. The etymology is unknown, but is likely to involve
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
''prys'', meaning "wood, bush, copse". A number of other peaks are shown on the 1578 map, but the only other named peak is ''Wrennyvaur'' (now Frenni Fawr). An 1819 Ordnance Survey Map refers to the range as Precelly Mountain (singular).OS One inch 7th series map sheet 138/151 ''Fishguard and Pembroke'' 1965 An 1833 publication stated: ''the ancient Welsh name...is Preswylva, signifying "a place of residence"'', but does not cite any evidence.


Geology

The hills are formed largely from the
Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years from the end of the Cambrian Period million years ago (Mya) to the start ...
age marine
mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from '' shale'' by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology. ...
s and
siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, p ...
s of the Penmaen Dewi Shales and Aber Mawr Shale formations which have been intruded by microgabbro (otherwise known as
dolerite Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grained ...
or
diabase Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro, is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-graine ...
) of Ordovician age. The former
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
quarries at Rosebush on the southern edge of the hills worked the Aber Mawr Formation rocks whilst it is the dolerite tors of Carnmenyn which have been postulated, amongst other localities, as the source of the
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...
‘bluestones’. In contrast Foel Drygarn towards the eastern end of the range is formed from
tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...
s and
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
s of the
Fishguard Volcanic Group The Fishguard Volcanic Group is an Ordovician lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of rock strata) in west Wales. The name is derived from the town of Fishguard in Pembrokeshire. This assemblage of rocks has also been referred to as the Fishguard ...
. Further east is Frenni Fawr which is formed from mudstones and
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
s of the Nantmel Mudstone Formation of late Ordovician Ashgill age. The
sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s dip generally northwards and are cut by numerous geological faults.
Cwm Gwaun Cwm Gwaun (English: ''Gwaun Valley'') is a community and valley in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community is centred around Pontfaen, a parish and hamlet southeast of Fishguard, and includes the ancient parish of Llanychaer. In 2011, ...
is a major
glacial meltwater channel A meltwater channel (or sometimes a glacial meltwater channel) is a channel cut into ice, bedrock or unconsolidated deposits by the flow of water derived from the melting of a glacier or ice-sheet. The channel may form on the surface of, within, ...
which divides the northern tops such as Mynydd Carningli from the main mass of the hills.


Geography

The hills, much of which are unenclosed
moorland Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generally ...
or low-grade grazing with areas of bog, are surrounded by farmland and active or deserted farms. Field boundaries tend to be earth banks topped with fencing and stock-resistant plants such as
gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...
. Rosebush Reservoir, one of only two reservoirs in Pembrokeshire, supplies water to southern Pembrokeshire and is a
brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...
fishery located on the southern slopes of the range near the village of Rosebush. To the south is
Llys y Fran Llys y Fran is a small village and parish in the community of New Moat on the southern slopes of the Preseli Mountains in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The parish includes the small settlement of Gwastad. A notable feature is Llys y Fran Reservoir and Cou ...
reservoir. There are no natural lakes in the hills, but a number of rivers, including the Gwaun,
Nevern Nevern ( cy, Nanhyfer) is both a parish and a community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community includes the settlements of Felindre Farchog, Monington, Moylgrove and Bayvil. The small village lies in the Nevern valley near the Preseli Hills of t ...
, Syfynwy and Tâf have their sources in the range.OS Landranger Series, Map 145 ''Cardigan & Mynydd Preseli'' 2007


Peaks

The principal peak at above sea level is
Foel Cwmcerwyn Foel Cwmcerwyn is the highest point of the Preseli Hills and of Pembrokeshire. It lies within the borders of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park although it is 10 km from the sea. A path leads to the summit from the village of Rosebush, Pe ...
. There are 14 other peaks over of which three exceed .


Settlements

Villages and other settlements within the range include
Blaenffos Blaenffos is a small village of around 200 inhabitants in the north of Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the community of Boncath. It sits on the boundary between the former parishes of Llanfihangel Penbedw and Castellan Chapelry (part of Penrydd parish). ...
,
Brynberian Brynberian is a small village in north Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the foothills of the Preseli Mountains in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. It is in the community of Eglwyswrw and the parish of Nevern, and is on the B4329 road between Cros ...
,
Crosswell Crosswell ( cy, Ffynnon-groes) is a hamlet on the B4329 road in the community of Eglwyswrw, Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the parish of Meline. It is southwest of Cardigan, northeast of Haverfordwest and east of Fishguard. Description The hamle ...
,
Crymych Crymych () is a village of around 800 inhabitants and a community (population 1,739) in the northeast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated approximately above sea level at the eastern end of the Preseli Mountains, on the old Tenby to Cardigan ...
,
Cwm Gwaun Cwm Gwaun (English: ''Gwaun Valley'') is a community and valley in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community is centred around Pontfaen, a parish and hamlet southeast of Fishguard, and includes the ancient parish of Llanychaer. In 2011, ...
,
Dinas Cross Dinas Cross ( cy, Dinas) is both a village, a community and a former parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Located between Fishguard and Newport in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, it is a popular holiday destination on the A487 road. The two h ...
,
Glandy Cross Cilymaenllwyd is a community on the extreme northwest of Carmarthenshire in Wales. The community population at the 2011 census was 742. It lies about west of Carmarthen, southeast of Fishguard and northwest of Haverfordwest. The A478 road runs ...
,
Mynachlog-ddu Mynachlog-ddu () is a village, parish and community in the Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The community includes the parish of Llangolman. Origin of the name The Welsh placename means "black monastic grange": before the Dissolution of th ...
,
New Inn New Inn - ( cy, Y Dafarn Newydd) - is a village and community directly south east of Pontypool, within the County Borough of Torfaen in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It had a population of 5,986 at the 2011 Census. L ...
,
Pentre Galar Pentre Galar (or Pentregalar, Pentre-Galar) is a small settlement in the Preseli Mountains south of the village of Crymych, north Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the A478 Cardigan to Tenby road. The western part of the settlement lies in the parish of ...
,
Puncheston Puncheston ( cy, Cas-mael or Casmael) is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, southwest Wales. It sits below the mountain known as Castlebythe ( en, Cow Castle), one of the peaks in the Preseli Mountains, just outside the Pembroke ...
,
Maenclochog Maenclochog () is a village, parish and community in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales. It is also the name of an electoral ward comprising a wider area of four surrounding communities. Maenclochog Community includes the small settlement of Ll ...
, Rosebush and Tafarn-y-Bwlch. The only town in the Preseli area is Newport, at the foot of the Carningli-Dinas upland in the northwest of the range.


Natural history and land use

The Preselis provide hill grazing for much of the year and there is some forestry. As well as features of interest to geologists and archaeologists, the hills have a wide variety of bird, insect and plant life. There are three sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs):
Carn Ingli Carn Ingli () is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the Preseli Hills, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was designated a SSSI in January 1954 in an attempt to protect its fragile biological elements. The site has an area of and is managed ...
and Waun Fawr (biological), and
Cwm Dewi Cwm Dewi is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (or ''SSSI'') in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since January 2010 in an attempt to protect its important geological elements. ...
(geological). The
Preseli transmitting station The Preseli transmitting station (formerly spelt Presely) is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility on the eastern end of the Preseli Mountains, close to the villages of Crymych and Pentre Galar in Pembrokeshire, Wales (). It is owned and ...
mast, erected in 1962, stands on Crugiau Dwy near the hamlet of Pentre Galar. To the south of Crugiau Dwy is the extensively quarried hill Carn Wen (Garnwen Quarry) which was still actively extracting igneous rock in 2018. The Preselis have
Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
status; the citation states that the area is "... exceptional in Wales for the combination of upland and lowland features..." Numerous scarce plant and insect species exist in the hills. For example, they are an important UK site for the rare Southern damselfly, ''
Coenagrion mercuriale ''Coenagrion mercuriale'', the southern damselfly, is a species of damselfly in the family Coenagrionidae. It is found in Algeria, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, ...
'', where efforts to restore habitat were underway in 2015 and reported in 2020 to have been a success.


Communications and access

One major road, the A478, crosses the eastern end of the range, reaching a height of . Two B-class roads, intersecting at
New Inn New Inn - ( cy, Y Dafarn Newydd) - is a village and community directly south east of Pontypool, within the County Borough of Torfaen in Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It had a population of 5,986 at the 2011 Census. L ...
, cross the hills: the B4313 NW-SE, reaching and the B4329 NE-SW, reaching at Bwlch-Gwynt (translation: ''windy gap''). These, and a number of other minor roads and lanes, provide scenic routes popular with motoring, cycling and walking tourists. The A487 road skirts the western end of the range, near Newport.
Cattle grid A cattle grid – also known as a stock grid in Australia; cattle guard, or cattle grate in American English; vehicle pass, or stock gap in the Southeastern United States; Texas gate in western Canada and the northwestern United States; and a ...
s prevent egress of grazing stock from unenclosed areas of the hills. The hills are popular with walkers wishing to follow prehistoric trails, with walks varying from easy to long-distance. The larger part of the hills is designated under the
Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (c. 37), known informally as the CRoW Act or "Right to Roam" Act is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament affecting England and Wales which came into force on 30 November 2000. Right to roam The Act imp ...
as 'open country' thereby enabling walkers the '
freedom to roam The freedom to roam, or "everyman's right", is the general public's right to access certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to the wilderness ...
' across unenclosed land, subject to certain restrictions. An east-west bridleway which runs the length of the main massif (known as Flemings' Way or the Golden Road), together with spurs to north and south, gives access to mountain bikers and horseriders. There are cycle trails. Paragliding is not permitted without the consent of the land owners, who in 2014 collectively agreed not to allow it.


Other features

Castell Henllys Castell Henllys (Welsh, "castle of the old court") is an important archaeological site in north Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the A487 road between Newport and Cardigan, in the parish of Nevern. The Iron Age hillfort has been the subject of an ...
, on the
A487 road The A487, officially the Fishguard to Bangor Trunk Road, is a trunk road in Wales that follows the coast from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in the south, to Bangor, Gwynedd, in the north. Route The road starts at a junction with the A40 in ...
between Eglwyswrw and Felindre Farchog is a reconstructed
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
settlement, illustrating what life may have been like in those times.


Prehistory

The Preselis are dotted with
prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
remains, including evidence of
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
settlement. More were revealed in an aerial survey during the 2018 heatwave. Samuel Lewis's ''A Topographical Dictionary of Wales'' published in 1833 said of Maenclochog parish: Pollen analysis suggests that the hills were once forested but the forests had been cleared by the late
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
.


Bluestones

In 1923 the
petrologist Petrology () is the branch of geology that studies rocks and the conditions under which they form. Petrology has three subdivisions: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology. Igneous and metamorphic petrology are commonly taught together ...
Herbert Henry Thomas proposed that
bluestone Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of dimension or building stone varieties, including: * basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand * dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge) * felds ...
from the hills corresponded to that used to build the inner circle of
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...
, and later geologists suggested that Carn Menyn (formerly called Carn Meini) was one of the bluestone sources. Recent geological work has shown this theory to be incorrect. It is now thought that the bluestones at Stonehenge and fragments of bluestone found in the Stonehenge "
debitage In archaeology, debitage is all the material produced during the process of lithic reduction – the production of stone tools and weapons by knapping stone. This assemblage may include the different kinds of lithic flakes and lithic blades, b ...
" have come from multiple sources on the northern flanks of the hills, such as at
Craig Rhos-y-felin Craig Rhos-y-felin is a rocky outcrop on the north side of the Preseli Mountains in Wales, which is designated as a RIGS site on the basis of its geological and geomorphological interest. It is accepted by some in the archaeological community that ...
. Advanced details of a recent contribution to the puzzle of the precise origin of the Stonehenge bluestones were published by the BBC in November 2013. Others theorise that bluestone from the area was deposited close to Stonehenge by
glaciation A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...
. More detailed discussions on the bluestone topic can be found in the
Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, topped by connectin ...
,
Theories about Stonehenge Stonehenge has been the subject of many theories about its origin, ranging from the academic worlds of archaeology to explanations from mythology and the paranormal. Early theories Many early historians were influenced by supernatural folk ...
and Carn Menyn articles. Further investigations have pointed to a link between Waun Mawn (see below) and the Stonehenge bluestones.


Individual sites

The hills are rich in sacred and prehistoric sites, many of which are marked on Ordnance Survey maps. They include burial chambers,
tumuli A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones buil ...
,
hill fort A hillfort is a type of earthwork used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze Age or Iron Age. Some were used in the post-Roma ...
s,
hut circle In archaeology, a hut circle is a circular or oval depression in the ground which may or may not have a low stone wall around it that used to be the foundation of a round house. The superstructure of such a house would have been made of timber an ...
s,
stone circle A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially in Britain, Ireland, and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being built from 3000 BC. The be ...
s,
henge There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork that are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three is that they feature a ring-shaped bank and ditch, with the ditch inside the bank. Because the internal ...
s, standing stones and other prehistoric remains. These sites are spread across a number of communities that share parts of the Preseli range. In 2010,
Dyfed Archaeological Trust The Dyfed Archaeological Trust ( cy, Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Dyfed) is one of the four Welsh Archaeological Trusts established in the mid-1970s with the charitable object 'to advance the education of the public in archaeology'. Its core are ...
carried out a comprehensive survey of historic sites in the Preseli Hills for
Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...
. The Trust has produced extensive notes on the mountain range and surrounding features and villages. Some of the more notable are: *
Bedd Arthur Bedd Arthur ("Arthur's Grave") is a possibly Neolithic hengiform monument megalithic site in the Preseli Hills in the Welsh county of Pembrokeshire. Thirteen upright stones and at least 2 fallen ones, each around high form an oval horseshoe w ...
(Neolithic hengiform standing stones) *
Mynydd Carningli Mynydd Carningli is a mountain in the Preseli Hills near the town of Newport, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It has both prehistoric and historic remains. Topography Carningli (or Carn Ingli) is high. Close to the coast, it dominates the surrounding co ...
(hillfort,
SSSI A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
) * Carn Menyn (chambered cairn) * Carreg Coetan Arthur (Neolithic dolmen) * Temple Druid (standing stone, cromlech) *
Pentre Ifan Pentre Ifan (literally "Evan's Village") is the name of an ancient manor in the community and parish of Nevern, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is from Cardigan, Ceredigion, and east of Newport, Pembrokeshire. Pentre Ifan contains and gives ...
(burial chamber) Others include: *
Banc Du Banc Du is a prominent, fairly flat-topped southwards-projecting promontory of Foel Eryr, at about 334m OD at the west end of the Preseli Hills in north Pembrokeshire, Wales. First spotted during an aerial photographic survey of the region in ...
(evidence of prehistoric settlement) *Carn Alw (Neolithic settlement) *Carn Goedog (bluestones and standing stone) *Cerrig Lladron (Bronze Age stone row) * Foel Drygarn (hillfort) *
Foel Cwmcerwyn Foel Cwmcerwyn is the highest point of the Preseli Hills and of Pembrokeshire. It lies within the borders of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park although it is 10 km from the sea. A path leads to the summit from the village of Rosebush, Pe ...
(tumuli) *Frenni Fach & Frenni Fawr (tumuli - see also
Blaenffos Blaenffos is a small village of around 200 inhabitants in the north of Pembrokeshire, Wales, in the community of Boncath. It sits on the boundary between the former parishes of Llanfihangel Penbedw and Castellan Chapelry (part of Penrydd parish). ...
) *
Glandy Cross Cilymaenllwyd is a community on the extreme northwest of Carmarthenshire in Wales. The community population at the 2011 census was 742. It lies about west of Carmarthen, southeast of Fishguard and northwest of Haverfordwest. The A478 road runs ...
(prehistoric remains) *Glyn Gath (tumulus) *Gors Fawr (stone circle) *Mynyedd Melyn (hut circle) *Parc-y-Meirw (standing stones) *Rhos fach (standing stones) *Tafarn y Bwlch (mountain pass and standing stones) *Tre-Fach (standing stone, prehistoric camp) *Ty-Meini (standing stone, known as "The Lady Stone") *
Waun Mawn Waun Mawn (Welsh for "peat moor") is the site of a possible dismantled Neolithic stone circle in the Preseli Hills of Pembrokeshire, Wales. The diameter of the postulated circle is estimated to be , the third largest diameter for a British stone c ...
(standing stones; dismantled stone circle c.3400-3000 BC), grid reference


History

Slate quarrying Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
was once an important industry in the Preseli Hills; the former quarries, worked for much of the 19th century, can still be seen in a number of locations such as Rosebush. Preseli slate was not of roofing quality, but its density made it ideal for machining for building and crafts. Most quarries had closed by the 1930s but there is a workshop at
Llangolman Llangolman () is a village and parish in the southeastern Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is part of the community of Mynachlog-ddu. There are prehistoric remains nearby and the parish has a history of slate and clay quarrying. His ...
where slate is still used to make a variety of craft items. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the
War Office The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...
used the Preseli Hills extensively for training exercises by British and American air and ground forces. Its proposed continued use after the war was the subject of a two-year ultimately successful protest by local leaders. The success of the protest was commemorated 60 years on, in 2009, with a plaque at each end of the Golden Road: one at the foot of Foel Drygarn near Mynachlog-ddu, and the other near the B4329 at Bwlch y Gwynt. In 2000,
Terry Breverton Terry D. Breverton (born 1946) is a British former businessman and academic who has written many books on subjects mainly related to Wales and seamen. Life Terry Breverton was born in Birmingham in 1946. His parents were Welsh, and he was broug ...
, a lecturer at Cardiff University, in promoting a book he had published, suggested that the rock star Elvis Presley's ancestors came from the Preseli Hills and may have had links to a chapel at St Elvis.


References


Further reading

* Downes, John. ''Field observations in the geology and geomorphology of the Preseli hills of north Pembrokeshire''. Open University Geological Society Journal, Volume 32 (1–2) 2011, pp 17–2


External links


Geograph: photographs of the Preseli Hills and surrounding areaBBC Wales: local historyExperience Pembrokeshire: Mynydd PreseliVisit Pembrokeshire: The Preseli Mountains
{{Coord, 51, 56, 48, N, 4, 46, 25, W, region:GB-PEM_type:mountain, display=title Mountain ranges of Wales Landforms of Pembrokeshire Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Pembrokeshire Archaeological sites in Pembrokeshire