Llech y Drybedd Chambered Tomb

Llech y Drybedd

Llech y Drybedd is a Neolithic burial chamber standing in a farm field west of the Pembrokeshire village of Moylgrove. It is reached by a short but steep walk up a farm track from the coastal road between Moylgrove and Newport and just off a public footpath.

Llech y Drybedd is often referred to as a cromlech, but it is in the style of a dolmen; a megalithic tomb consisting of a large capstone balanced on several smaller upright stones.

In this case, the dolmen consists of three short upright stones that support a huge capstone. Several smaller recumbent stones lie at the base of the tomb. At least one of these was still upright as late as the seventeenth century.

The capstone has a clear crack running through it and one of the uprights has a vertical crack, suggesting that the stones will, at some point, collapse.

View from the south-west

One of the most appealling features of Llech y Drybedd is the location; from the site you get excellent views towards the coast and inland towards Carn Ingli and the Preseli Mountains.

From one angle, the outline of the capstone seems to echo the shape of Carn Ingli. This has led to the theory that the capstone was intentionally shaped to resemble the iconic peak, which is visible throughout the Preseli Mountains and beyond.

To my eye, the resemblance is superficial, but examine it for yourself and see what you think!

The capstone

A legend says that the capstone, which measures roughly 10' x 9', was thrown from the summit of Carn Ingli by Samson (probably not the Biblical figure but the 6th-century saint who is remembered in the name of the nearby burial chamber of Carreg Samson.)

The official Coflein listing for Llech y Drybedd calls it a megalithic burial chamber, though no traces of a burial have been found.

Llech y Drybedd is an impressive monument, though perhaps not quite as impressive as the more famous Pentre Ifan chambered tomb a few miles away.

Looking through the chamber

Getting There

Take the minor road from Moylgrove towards Newport. Park where you see a concrete track heading uphill, signposted to Penlan Farm. Parking is very limited; we pulled well off the road at the bottom of the drive, leaving space for farm traffic. There is a small green sign on a wooden post indicating 'cromlech', with an arrow pointing uphill.

Do not drive up the concrete track!

Walk up the paved drive and bear left when you pass the farm entrance. The concrete turns to a rough gravel track past Penlan Farm. After 500m, the track makes a sharp bend to the left. Keep going, and after another 200m you will come to a stile in the hedge to your right. Climb the stile and you will see the dolmen in the farm field ahead of you.