Hay to Arthur’s Stone Circular Spin

We use quiet country lanes with a few unavoidable busier sections. There are some hills to challenge your legs, particularly in the first half of the ride but once we’ve reached the top (shortly after Dorstone), the return journey back to Hay on Wye is more gently undulating.

Please bring a well-maintained bicycle, wear a helmet and appropriate clothing for the weather, carry a drink, a spare tube, puncture repair kit, lock, pump and bike lights if you have them.

There are plenty of refreshment opportunities en-route, so carry some money with you in case we would like to stop for some tea and cake.

HISTORY OF ARTHUR’S STONE
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/arthurs-stone/history/

Arthur’s Stone, a Neolithic chambered tomb, is over 5,000 years old. Today only the large stones of the inner chamber remain, though these were once covered by a long earthen mound.

The area around Arthur’s Stone is rich in prehistoric archaeology. In addition to long barrows and standing stones, flint scatters and stone axes have been found, showing intensive use of the upper Golden Valley during the Neolithic.

The chamber is formed of nine upright stones, with an enormous capstone, estimated to weigh more than 25 tonnes. It was accessed through the side of the covering mound, via the right-angled passage. There is an isolated stone that probably formed part of a false entrance, perhaps providing a visual focus for ceremonies.

The tomb has never been excavated, but similar examples in this region have been found to contain incomplete skeletal remains of several people, together with flint flakes, arrowheads and pottery.
It is unlikely that the monument was built solely as a tomb. Rituals of the ancestors, through whom claims to a particular area of land could be staked, may have taken place here. Built in an area of summer pastures, Neolithic people could have gathered at the cairn on a seasonal basis.

Like many prehistoric monuments in western England and Wales, this tomb has been linked to King Arthur since before the 13th century. According to legend, it was here that Arthur slew a giant who left the impression of his elbows on one of the stones as he fell.