Pembrokeshire 2009

Around the corner, in the garden, picking dasies. And Rhubarb.

Preseli Hills

A small range of hills at the north edge of Pembrokeshire, containing the highest peaks in the county, and dominating the skyline for most of the rest of it. The rock is partly ancient sedimentary, from the age of the first land plants, and partly older basalt and dolerite, with evidence of significant volcanic activity. They are littered with superb archaeological sites: stone age, bronze age and Celtic iron age burial mounds and dolmens (as old as 5500 years), settlements, quarry sites and standing stones. Virtually every little outcrop of rocks contains some evidence of prehistory, and almost all are named - so much so that the outcrops are more likely to get a name than the hills themselves. I have tried, where possible, to find the names of the hills, but I may get a few wrong. You are welcome to correct me.

• The view of the Preseli range from the south; Cnwc (427 metres), Foel Cwmcerwyn (536 metres - tallest in the range), Foel Feddau (467 metres), Carn Siân (402 metres) and Foel Drych (368 metres). Foel Drych is named as such on older or lower quality maps, and Foel Dyrch on newer or high quality maps. Both seem to be equally used on the Web, but only "drych" is an actual Welsh word, so I assume it is the correct name, and the other is a typo.
• View from the north. From right to left; Foel Cwmcerwyn's Pen Cisty ridge (489 metres, but not a summit), Foel Feddau, Carn Siân almost invisible as a bump, several crags of which Carn Menyn (365 metres) is the largest, Foel Drygarn (363 metres) and the edge of Frenni Fawr (395 metres), the last of which is not inside the national park.
• Foel Drygarn, with Carn Menyn being the tallest crag on the top of the ridge on the right. Carn Menyn is thought to be the source of the bluestone used in the famous Stonehenge, located about 140 miles (220 km) away.
• Carn Fâch, a small outcrop on a hill I think is called Rhwngyddwyffordd (428 metres), sandwiched between Pen Cisty and Foel Eryr.
• Foel Eryr (468 metres), with the rise on the right being only a bump called Foel Fach on its flank.
• Typical conditions; the path to Foel Eryr.
• Cerrig Lladron on Foel Eryr.
• From right to left; Cnwc yr Hŷdd (339 metres), Banc Du (327 metres) and Mynydd Carningli.
• Mynydd Carningli, with Carningli Common (337 metres) on the left, and the Carn Ingli crags (347 metres) on the right. This is the head of another ridge, separated from the main Preseli ridge by a deeply incised valley.

The Folly of it all

The small Folly Zoo at Folly Farm. An attraction for parents and children. Well, I am a parent.

• Capybara.
• Crucian carp.
• Baby tapir.
• Mara.
• Meerkat. Photo taken by a random visitor who wanted to try my camera.
• Meerkat.
• Timothy has gone to school for lunch. Raccoon.
• Wallaby.
• Gah! And yet still looks better than Julia Roberts. Bactrian camel.
• Alpaca.
• Giraffe.
• Giraffe.
• Falling while chasing zebra.
• Tortoise.
• African spurred tortoise.
• Ocelot.
• Fossa with neck wound.
• Crane. Why can I never get these in focus?
• Rhea.
• Ostrich eggs in a nest.

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