The Garnedd Wen Cairn sits on a hill overlooking the Llyn Celyn reservoir. At approximately 16 metres in diameter and 3.5 metres high, this cairn is a classic example of the large mountain-top Bronze Age cairns of North Wales. The height is emphasised on the western side by a natural scarp.

Because it is located on remote moorland and not on a popular walker's route, the monument is in relatively good condition. A 2 metres deep and 4 metres wide robber pit can be seen at the centre of the cairn and there are signs of four other disturbances around the sides. No formal archaeological excavations are reported for this site in the official records.

The Llyn Celyn reservoir below also has its own history albeit more recent than the cairn. The flooding of the Tryweryn Valley in 1965 was a tragedy and a deep injustice to the people who lost their unique community as well as their homes, land, school and chapel. This act of English imperialism, reminiscent of the displacement and ethnic cleansing which fuelled Owain Glyndwr's campaign for Welsh freedom 500 years earlier, was the seed of modern Welsh nationalism spawning the militant action, Plaid, the National Assembly and whatever may follow in the years ahead.

Llyn Celyn today is a pleasant but slightly artificial lake which once was a very beautiful valley. It will always remain a powerful symbol of what must never ever happen in Wales again.

Gathering the Jewels entry for Llyn Celyn

Location: Near Bala, Gwynedd, Wales
Grid Ref: SH86874140