Maen Llia — Attraction in Wales

On the windswept moorland of Fforest Fawr above the Llia Valley in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Powys, Mid Wales, is a very large standing stone called Maen Llia or The Stone of Llia. The diamond-shaped monolith that resembles a very tall cloaked figure, probably dates from the Bronze Age, and, is a landmark for many miles around in this remote area as it stands to a height of 12 feet and no doubt weighs quite a lot too. It probably marked ancient trackways over the high ground and was a sort of marker stone for directional use for ancient people traversing the moorland, and its shadow used as a sundial. It points in a N-S direction. There is recent graffiti on the stone, though this is not easy to make out in certain light. Local legends say the stone goes down the hill to drink in the river, or that it had been picked up and thrown by a giant, but, you tend to get those legends with some of the larger standing stones. The menhir is made of Old Red Sandstone; and is situated near a country road crossing over the moorland towards Ystradfellte, 2 miles south of Heol Senni. You can’t really miss seeing this standing stone! There is another standing stone, Maen Madoc, 1½ miles to the south and close to Sarn Helen Roman road. This stone has a carved inscription in memory...

I drove straight past this... then thought I should go see it... so I did, and very glad I am too... It is a very significant piece of rock; it has been there for a very long time and will still be there for a long time to come... it has a certain energy about it, which if you rest against it, you may feel. It is interesting how the moss grows on it, very evident that the wind travels the valley mostly in one direction.

When coming into the layby, do be careful as there is a bit of a drop from the road into the layby, so you will most likely want to come in from one end or the other...

Well...

I've started high up in the Brecon Beacons, on a minor road that traverses the high country from north to south. Almost at its highest point, where there's a dramatic watershed (the road is called here the Devil's Elbow with good reason), stands this huge stone, the Maen Llia.

Made of rock that's not immediately local and standing on edge in alignment with the valley, it's a bit spooky in its deserted and wild surroundings, where only the sound of the wind, bustling skylarks, and distant sheep...