Capel Llanbad Traditional Cache
Big Ragnar: As the owner has not responded to my previous log requesting that they check this cache I am permanently archiving it.
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Regards
Darren
Big Ragnar - Volunteer UK Reviewer
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Size: 
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A visit to the ruined church of Capel Llanbad, high on the hillside of Mynydd Portref above Brynna.
Eventually abandoned in 1813, Capel Llanbad stands on the ridge Parish Road linking Margam in the West to Llantrisant in the East.
The church was in frequent use during the eighteenth century and in the years between 1736 and 1740, fourteen marriages were performed there.
The bards of Glamorgan also held meetings at Llanbad to discuss poetry and poetic compositions.
The reason for the closure of the old church was probably no more exciting than a shift of population. Some of the mounds on the tracks leading from the west and east towards the site are scheduled as settlements and it was these farmers that made up the majority of the regular congregation.
The Parish Road itself is said to pre-date even the medieval origins of the church and is said to have been originally constructed by the Romans who had an outpost fort nearby.
Relics from the old church are held by the 'modern' replacement, St.Peters in Brynna, including a chalice dating back to Elizabethan times.
Two Cardiff historians, Alan Wilson and Baram Blackett made a claim in thir 1980s book "Artorius Rex Discovered", that King Arthur was interred in a cave at nearby Pencoed and later removed and reburied at Capel Llanbad.
At the start of the 1990s, permission was sought from the Parochial Church Council of Llanharan & Brynna Parish to allow an archaeological excavation at the site to look for evidence of the Arthurian connection. My father was on the panel that decided to grant that permission.
No conclusive evidence was uncovered, aside from showing that the building had been a sacred site since the 5th century, graves had been robbed several times in the past, perhaps due to the legendary connections and also that pagan rites had been held at the site for centuries.
On a personal note, I took part in an annual walk to Capel Llanbad every year during my childhood and have fond memories of exploring this romantic ruin.
This is a magical place and I hope you'll agree on your visit!
It's also our very first cache placement! :-)
The Parish Road can be very muddy, so wellies or boots are a must from Autumn to Spring. In the Summer, you could probably manage in sandals in a dry spell! It can also get rather windy even if its still nearer to sea level.
There is no easy way to get here. The three probable starting points are Llanharan village to the South, Garth Maelog forestry to the East or the small car park near the wind turbines to the West. The third option is probably easiest, but still involves an undulating walk of at least 1.5 miles.
You are looking under loose stones for a 0.5 litre kilplock box with swaps and a small FTF certificate.
Congratulations to Sir Edmund & Preseli for claiming joint FTF honours! :-)
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Oruvaq Znel
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