Bedd Arthur facts for kids
Bedd Arthur, also known as "Arthur's Grave," is an ancient stone site located in the Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It's a special place with a group of standing stones that might have been built a very long time ago, possibly during the Stone Age. People think it looks a bit like an early version of Stonehenge.
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What is Bedd Arthur?
Bedd Arthur has a faint oval bank and ditch. Inside, there are thirteen standing stones, each about 60 centimeters (2 feet) tall. There are also two other stones that have fallen over. The stones are arranged in a shape that is about 20 meters (65 feet) long and 10 meters (33 feet) wide.
People have described the shape in different ways. Some say it's a rectangle, others a horseshoe, an oval, or a pointed ellipse. Similar stone arrangements can be found on Skomer Island. Some experts even think Bedd Arthur might have been a very early design that inspired Stonehenge.
The stones at Bedd Arthur seem to lean inwards. This might mean they were once part of a large mound that has since disappeared. There's also a "cut-off end" that looks like the entrance to some ancient burial mounds. It's possible there was a burial chamber in the middle of the stones. Over time, mounds can be worn away by weather or by people looking for treasures. This might have happened here, just like at another nearby site called Bedd yr Afanc.
Why is it called Arthur's Grave?
The name Bedd Arthur means "Arthur's Grave" in Welsh. Local stories and legends say that this is where the famous King Arthur is buried. Many ancient sites across the British Isles are linked to King Arthur in folklore.
Near Bedd Arthur, there are other places with names connected to Arthur. These include Cromlechau Meibion Arthur, Garn Arthur, Cerrig Meibion Arthur, and Bwrdd Arthur. These names show how important King Arthur is in the local history and legends of Pembrokeshire.
Is it connected to Stonehenge?
Bedd Arthur is located on top of the Preseli ridge. From here, you can see a rocky area called Carn Menyn. Some people believe that some of the special "bluestones" used to build Stonehenge came from this very area.
In 2011, a study looked at a specific type of bluestone found at Stonehenge. This stone, called Rhyolite, was found to match rocks from an outcrop at Rhosyfelin. This spot is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) north of Bedd Arthur.
However, in 2015, archaeologists studied Rhosyfelin more closely. They didn't find any clear signs that people had quarried stones there. This led to another idea: maybe the bluestones weren't carried by people. Instead, they might have been moved by ancient glaciers (huge sheets of ice) that carried them east from Wales to Stonehenge. Scientists are still studying this mystery!
Protecting the Site
Bedd Arthur has not been fully dug up and studied by archaeologists yet. So, its exact purpose and its connection to Stonehenge are still being investigated.
The site is in the Eglwyswrw community. It is a Scheduled monument, which means it has legal protection. This stops anyone from disturbing or damaging it. Bedd Arthur is also located within the beautiful Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
