Pentre Ifan Burial Chamber, Preseli Mountains, Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, British Isles [Map]

Cambrian Register 1796 A History of Pembrokeshire. Another¹ thing worth the noting, is the stone called Maen y Gromlech [Map], upon Pentre Jevan Lande. It is a huge and massie stone, mounted on high, and set on the topps of 3 other high stones, pitched, standing upright in the ground, which far passeth for bigtes: and hight; Arthur's Stoney. in the way betweene Hereford and the Haye, or Leck yr Aft, neere Blaen Porth, in Cardiganfhire; or any other that ever I sawe, saving some in Stonehenge, upon. Salisburie Plaine; called Chorca Gigantum, being one of the chiefe wonders of England. The stones whereon this is layd are soe high, that a man on horseback may, well ryde under it without stowping. The stone that is thus mounted is 18 foote long, and 9 foote brodey and 8 foote thicke at one end, but thinner at the other; and fram it, asit is apparent since: his placing there, is broken a piece of & foote brode, and 10 foote long, lieing yet in the place, more than 20 oxen would draw. Doubtlesse this stone was mounted of some great vicotry, or the burial of some notable person, which was the ancient rite, for that it hath pitched stones standing one against the other round about and close to the huge stone, which is mounted high to be seene afarr off, much like to that which is written, Libs 1^mo, Machab: cap. 13. of the buriall of the patriarch Jacob, (Et edificavit Simon fuper fepulchrum patris fui & fratrum fuorum edificium altum vifu, Lapide polito retro & ante; & statuit feptem Piramides unam contra unam, patri & matri & quatuor fratribus 8 hies circumpofunt - Columnus magnas & fuper Columnas arma ad memoriam æternum & juxta arma naves fculptas quae videfentur ab hominibus navigantibus mare)-or, such notable thing, but there: is; no reporte or memorie, or other matter to be found, of the cause of the erecting of this trophea. They'call the stone Gromlech, but I thinke the true etymologie is Grymlech, the ftone of firength, for that great strength: was used in the setting of it, to lye in forte as it doth.

Note 1. This account, Mr. Edward Llwyd; of the Ashmolean Museum, acknowledges to have received from my ancestor, John Lewis, Esq. of Manarnavon, which he has introduced into his additions to Camden's Account of Wales; as published by Gibson, but by a marginal memorandum of Mr. Lewis's, prior to his having received any information respecting those ancient monuments from a gentleman of Glamorganshire that served to influence his opinion concerning theitr origin.

Description of Wales by Owen. Pentre Jevan Cromlech [Map]

Another thing worth the noting, is the stone called Maen y Gromlech upon Pentre Jevan land,

It is a hugh and massive stone, mounted on high, and set on the tops of three other high stones, pitched, standing upright in the ground, which far passes for bigness and height, Arthur’s stone , in the way between Hereford and Hay or Lech yr Aft, near Blaen Porth in Cardiganshire, or any other that ever I saw saving some in Stonehenge, upon the Salisbury Plain called charca gigantum being one of the chief wonders of England.

The stones whereon this is laid are so high that a man on horseback may well ride under it without stooping. The stone that is thus mounted is 18 feet long, and 9 feet broad, and 3 feet thick at one end, but thinner at the other; and from it, as is in apparent since his placing there is broken a piece of five foot broad and ten feet long lying yet in the place; more than 20 oxen would draw.

Doubtless this stone was mounted long time since in memory of some great victory of the burial of some notable person, which was the ancient rite for that it had pitched stones standing one against the other round and close to the huge stone , which is mounted high to be seen afar off, much like to that is written of the burial of the patriarch Jacob or such notable thing, but there is no report or memory , or other matter to be found of the cause of the erection of this trophy. They call the stone Gremlech but I think the true etymology is Grymlech the stone of strength, for that great strength was used in the setting of it to lie in sort as it does, There are other stones in 3 or 4 other places in the county adjoining as Lech y tribedd [Map] near Riccardstone and one [Carreg Coetan Arthur Burial Chamber [Map]] in Newport near the bridge; another beneath town, but not comparable in bigness or in standing so high.

Rude Stone Monuments in all Countries Chapter IV. Almost all the so-called dolmens in the Channel Islands are of this class. One has already been given (woodcut No. 11), and it may safely be asserted that all chambers which were wainscoted with slabs, so as to form nearly perfect walls, and all that had complicated quasi-vaulted roofs were, or were intended to be, covered with mounds - more especially those that had covered pas- sages leading to them. There is, however, a very wide distinction between these sepulchral chambers and such a monument as this at Pentre Ifan [Map], in Pembrokeshire¹. The top stone is so large that it is said five persons on horseback have found shelter under it from a shower of rain. Even allowing that the horses were only Welsh ponies, men do not raise such masses and poise them on their points for the sake of hiding them again. Besides that, the supports do not and could not form a chamber. The earth would have fallen in on all sides, and the connexion between the roof and the floor been cut off entirely, even before the whole was completed. Or, to take another example, that at Plas Newydd [Map], on the shore of the Menai Strait. Here the cap stone is an enormous block, squared by art, supported on four stone legs, but with no pretence of forming a chamber. If the cap stone were merely intended as a roofing stone, one a third or fourth of its weight would have been equally serviceable and equally effective in an architectural point of view, if buried. The mode of architectural expression which these Stone men best understood was the power of mass. At Stonehenge, at Avebury, and everywhere, as here, they sought to give dignity and expression by using the largest blocks they could transport or raise - and they were right; for, in spite of their rudeness, they impress us now; but had they buried them in mounds, they neither would have impressed us nor their contemporaries.

Note 1. 'Archæologia Cambrensis,' third series, xi. p. 284

Archaeologia Cambrensis 1872 Pages 81-143. 3. Pentre Ifan [Map] or Evan cromlech stands on the north-eastern slope of the Carn Ingli ridge, on the crest of which are numerous remains of circles and other traces of human occupation, although now a wild heath, far removed from dwellings of any kind. Lower down, however, enclosures have of late years been made; so that although the ground on which this relic stands is open and uncultivated, yet immediately behind it are a high bank and hedge, which do not appear in the cut here reproduced from the volume of 1865. This dolmen is the highest in Wales; and, when perfect, was probably the largest also, if any inference may be drawn from existing remains. In the Additions to Gough's Camden (1789, vol. ii, p. 521) will be found a description of it as it was in the time of George Owen, the historian of Pembrokeshire, who lived nearly three centuries ago. Fenton has also (p. 560) given an extract from the same writer, accompanied with an engraving of it as it was in his own time, some seventy or eighty years ago, and which does much more justice to the imposing character of the structure than the small though accurate one here given. After mentioning its huge proportions, he goes on,—"There are seven stones that do stand circle-wise, like in form to the new moon, under the south end of the great stone, and on either side two upright stones confronting each other. Doubtless it was mounted long tyme sithens, in memorie of some great victory, or the burial of some notable person, which was the ancient rite; for it is mounted on high, to be seen affar off, and divers tall stones round it, set in manner much like to that which is written in the first book of Maccabees (cap. xiii), onlie that this our trophy is of ruder forme. They call the stone¹ Gromlech; but I think the true etymologie is Grymlech, that is, the stone of strength, for that great strength was used in the setting it to lye ~~ msorte as it doth."

Note 1. This is probably one of the earliest instances of the name of cromlech being applied to such ruined chambers, although it occurs twice in the Welsh Bible of 1588 (see Isaiah, ch. v and lvii), followed by creiginu, "the holes and clefts of the rocks" of the English version.