Gwynedd Archaeological
Trust Regional Historic Environment Record
Carreg Leidr or Thief Stone, Llandyfrydog
Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 3579 Trust : Gwynedd Community : Rhosybol Unitary authority : Ynys Mon NGR : SH44638431 Site Type (preferred type first) : PREHISTORIC STANDING STONE Status : Scheduled Monument
Description : The name Carreg Leidr means Thief Stone and tradition has it that 'a man having robbed the church of Llandyfrydog of its books was on his way homeward, when he suffered a sudden transition of himself into a stone'. <1>
Maen Hir known as Carreg Leidr, stands on a natural knoll in a field about 1/3m S of the parish church of St. Tyfrydog. 5ft high by 2ft wide by 1ft 8ins thick. It has a projecting knob at the top of the W side. (RCAHMW, 1937)
SH 44638431 Carreg Leidr (LB). <3>
Standing stone 5ft high by 2ft by 2ft. <4>
The standing stone at SH 44638431 is as described by the Royal Commission. Published survey 25" correct. See GP. <6>
“This is a rough stone about six feet high having a kind of hump or projection near the top. The country people report that a thief who had stolen some books from a neighbouring church was in this place turned into stone with the sack containing his theft laying over his shoulder.” (Skinner, 1802) (Sketch on p. 72).
Sources :
Dickson, C. & Tram, N. , 2015 , Stone, Hilltops, Water and the Sun: A Preliminary Investigation into the Orientations of Standing Stones Near the River Alaw, Anglesey , Archaeology in Wales : Vol. 54 : p. 43-52
Skinner, Rev J. , 1908 , Ten Days' Tour Through The Isle of Anglesea, December 1802
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales , 1937 , An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Anglesey
Williams, W. Wynn. , 1867 , Mona antiqua: cromlech Bodafon Mountain
Baynes, E. N. , 1910 , Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion , <1>
Ordnance Survey , 1970 , SH48SW 1 , <6>
Lynch, F. , 1970 , Prehistoric Anglesey , <7>
Ordnance Survey , 1963 , SH48SW , <3>
Cadw , AM7 , <4>
Cadw , 1994 , CAM 1/1/1290 , <9>
