Found on the Holy Island in North-West Wales, the Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones date back to the bronze age (3300 BC to 1200BC).
Click to read also: Iron Age History: Visiting The Scottish Crannog On Loch Tay
What Are the Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones?
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No one really knows what the purpose of these two standing stones, but they are 3,000-4,000 years old! Some people think that they may have originally been part of a circle of standing stones, like Stonehenge but on a smaller scale, but there isn’t any evidence of any other stones like them in the area. The Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones are about 10 feet high.
The stones are clearly ancient. It was amazing to see all of the lichen growing on them. I am always astonished that lichen grows on rocks, and also that these ancient stones can survive being covered in lichen.
Tips for Visiting the Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones
While the site is part of Cadw, an organization that cares for historic places, it is a very informal site. There is room for one car to pull off on the side of the road, and the stones are standing behind a farm house.
There is a sign asking visitors to not walk past the stones, so while the horses that sometimes graze behind are beautiful, you can’t walk near them. Everything around the stones appears to be working farm land, and it’s pretty neat that they let us near them at all.
It was pretty interesting to visit a site that we knew was old, but where we knew pretty much nothing else! They stand a little over a mile from the Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles, which date back to prehistoric times. Maybe the two are related?
What do you think these stones were placed here for? A memorial? Art work? Some practical purpose?
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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
I’ve heard the theory circles like this are for religious ceremonies, which makes sense to me as a theory.
I think that’s one of the most popular theories, and it does seem likely.
How fascinating! I wonder how they came to be on this plain in the first place. It is also impressive that the site is in the middle of the farm and not overrun by tourists. Must be off the beaten path :)
It was really neat to be the only ones there. It is in the middle of nowhere-ish, and there’s only space for a single car to pull over, so I guess that controls things somewhat too.