Arthur's Stone, Gower
Theme : Art and Culture

John Dillwyn Llewelyn (Swansea: 1810 - 1882)

Arthur's Stone / on Cefn Bryn, Gower. Arthur's Stone is a neolithic burial chamber, a cromlech, which dates from 2500 BC. It consists of a huge glacial boulder supported on nine uprights. (Legend has it that whilst walking in Llanelli, King Arthur found a stone in his shoe. He removed the irritant and flung it as far away as he could. It is said to have landed on Cefn Bryn ! ) It's placement is probably due to a glacial deposit rather than human force, then tomb-builders excavated below it. The capstone of millstone grit is said to weigh more than 25.4 metric tons. In Welsh, the stone is called Maen Ceti, and was considered one of the wonders of Ancient Britain. John Dillwyn Llewelyn invented oxymel, the mixture of honey and vinegar that allowed collodion plates to be prepared beforehand, a turning point in the development of photography.

Oxymel negative

25.4cm x 30.48cm

c.1856

This Item is located at Swansea Museum in the Library