'Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK.    

 

Limited Edition of 195

 

Pentre Ifan (John's village) is the name of an ancient manor in the parish of Nevern, Pembrokeshire. Pentre Ifan contains and gives its name to the largest and best preserved Cromlech or Dolmen in Wales. The structure dates from around 3500 BC and has tradtionally been identified as a communal burial chamber semi-buried with mounds of earth on each side. Although a recent theory suggests that the monument was orginally constructed to look roughly as it does today and that the capstone (estimated 16 tonnes) was errected by digging a pit underneath and levered upwards using poles, ropes and large numbers of people. As the capstone was risen upwards boulders were packed in place and once at the desired height the supporting upright stones were added and the other boulders removed. Which ever theory you believe true there is no doubting the importance of Pentre Ifan, which has been a scheduled monument since 1882.