Logged Visits:

13th Jan 2024  15:34  by megan93

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

From Banwen on the Sarn Helen road, some areas of loose stones. But a relatively easy walk. Pillar is located on the left behind a stone wall, surrounded by fir trees.

13th Jan 2024  13:33  by megan93

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

17th Nov 2022  10:15  by Waggers49

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

Parked next to the Sarn Helen mosaics in Banwen and followed the muddy Bridleway up into the forest and hills, not an easy trig to find but a good hunt and the W3W (chess.workroom.takes) reference made it much easier, the trig is located over an old stone wall and through gorse and ferns for about 10 meters and there is a tree growing very close to the pillar, but there are signs of a path to follow. The trig has been painted white at some time, but this has nearly all vanished and moss is slowly taking charge, there is a slight crack on the front of the pillar and the top around the spider is corroding but plenty of life in it yet. FB and Spider still in place but the centre plug is missing and has been filled.

©Waggers49
©Waggers49
©Waggers49
©Waggers49
©Waggers49

25th Sep 2022  13:00  by Huw Watkins

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Difficult to locate but Grid reference helped via OS map. What 3 words - present.funds.commander

Hirfynydd
©Huw Watkins

6th Jul 2022  12:15  by Dusty

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 7/10

Revisit whilst benchmarking.

Pillar

20th Jun 2022  09:07  by vegibagger

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

Marilyn summit. Up many wind farm tracks to the SW of my sleep site just south of Banwen... Where I had an extra sleep again before moving on.

Trig ©vegibagger
FB ©vegibagger
Top 'face' ©vegibagger
Side 1 ©vegibagger
Side 2 ©vegibagger
Side 3 ©vegibagger
Side 4 ©vegibagger
Side 5 ©vegibagger

27th Nov 2021  09:42  by janineharris44

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Damaged  Score: 8/10

Parked at Rheola Forest and walked up to Sarn Helen, first trig on a route taking in two. Set just back from Sarn Helen in some conifers. Long grass and heather, several young conifers growing around. But paths in place to visit. FB intact

©janineharris44
©janineharris44

3rd Oct 2021  13:24  by monkey77

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

Walked up from Banwen following the byway.

28th Aug 2021  10:53  by reyjam

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

22nd Aug 2021  18:30  by Joanna

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

Muddy walk from Banwen, about 4 km up the Sarn Helen Roman road.

21st Aug 2021  13:00  by Dan Baddeley

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

1st May 2021  13:11  by Andy West

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 7/10

24th Apr 2021  15:10  by Seth7,CLJ &RLJ

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 6/10

Good walk up Sarn Helen from TP5403 following Roman Road nice features on route. Slight crack in pillar and top looking very worn but FB and spider in place plug filled. Trig has trees growing around it and one very close to the rear. Trig could missed but sits to right near to where a cable runs across road. Fun to find and a beautiful day to be out!

©Seth7,CLJ &RLJ
©Seth7,CLJ &RLJ
©Seth7,CLJ &RLJ
©Seth7,CLJ &RLJ

18th Feb 2021  12:25  by Dmorgan2508

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

On the Sarn Helen from Banwen

6th Sep 2020  12:20  by Ramblingpaul

Gridref: SN 83928 07608   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

From Banwen following tracks and paths

26th Feb 2020  13:54  by NormanW

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

10th Sep 2019  18:00  by Vitus vr

Gridref: SN 83927 07599   FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

©Vitus vr

5th Feb 2019  13:20  by gower lad

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 3/10

followed Sarn Helen from SW, rough, trig close to, say 10m, but not visible from track, surrounded by firs, no view. Sarn Helen marked at intervals by low concrete pillars with very attractive, round, plate sized, bronzy looking plaques inset into pillar. Sadly I only found one with the plaque intact, all the others had dissapeared

22nd Jul 2018  19:43  by rhayader_wanderer

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

©rhayader_wanderer

10th Jan 2018  15:21  by mntainman

Gridref: SN 83925 07602   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

Been whitewashed in its time. Desperately in need of a fresh coat. Well hidden behind large juvenile fir tree. If GPS did not say I was on trig pillar would not have looked so thoroughly.

Hirfynydd

14th Jun 2017  11:30  by Juliebfitness

FB Number: 2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Laika

14th Dec 2016  09:57  by stignest

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 4/10

climbing hills when full of a cold is no fun. from Banwen. good condition and almost festive looking in a coat of moss.

14th Dec 2016  09:44  by stignest

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

A very mossy pillar which could almost look Christmassy I suppose.. An easy enough walk from Banwen plenty of parking.

1st Dec 2016  12:26  by asbown

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

lovely walk up from roman road. fantastic day for a walk.

1st Dec 2016  12:26  by The reluctant trigger

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

1st Nov 2016  12:17  by Father Ted

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 8/10

Decided that my Marilyns total needed addressing so came out for the day to visit this hill. Parked in Banwen and up the tracks from there. Had the hill all to myself today so no trucks, off-roaders or bikes. Did a bit of geocaching too on the way down. Nice day.

4th Sep 2016  12:19  by AsherMarley

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

asher and marley at trig

31st Jul 2016  00:00  by Robert Kemp

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

9th Jul 2016  13:30  by tim747

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 4/10

13th Jun 2016  15:40  by Dusty

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 7/10

Revisit with Tanya

Spider
Flush Bracket
Dusty at pillar
Tanya & pillar

15th Mar 2016  12:20  by Cas-gwent

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 7/10

Walked up Sarn Helen- surrounded by roadworks and construction for windfarm. Trig is somewhat hidden by trees.

1st Mar 2014  13:57  by Do you Always Get Lost

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

Partly obscured by trees

12th Oct 2013  13:07  by jonglew

Gridref: SN 83924 07600   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 4/10

Walked up along Sarn Helen Roman road from residential cul-de-sac at Banwen to the N. Pillar has several chips from top edges and a roughly horizontal crack running along 2 sides near top of pillar, so have marked it 'slightly damaged'. Fair bit of moss covering it and a small conifer growing bigger immediately behind - no secateurs or coping saw with me so unable to prune back, but it needs it. Cap missing, asphalt plug; 1 sight hole open. Nearby spoil heap from open cast mine is now higher than the trig/hill summit. Limited views W; all other directions obscured by conifers.

Pillar TP3951©jonglew
Spider TP3951©jonglew
Flush Bracket TP3951©jonglew

26th Aug 2013  18:20  by struggling

Gridref: SN 83928 07607   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Walked from Resolven, via TP5403 (Pen-y-Begwn), and along Sarn Helen. Very hot and humid, and billions of flying ants. TP is surrounded by sparse forestry, and, unlike shown on my OS map, is adjacent to N-most spoil tips from opencast workings. Made my way back via the opencast site (Bank Hol) and down very steep forested slope to SW to gain forest roads to Crugau.

Looking South
FB

28th May 2013  11:45  by imbamps

Gridref: SN 83926 07602   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 6/10

Lovely walk along Sarn Helen Roman Road

2nd Nov 2012  00:00  by caroleengel

Gridref: SN 83928 07608   FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

28th Aug 2012  12:49  by kawaherp

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

up here for a geocache

©kawaherp

6th Dec 2011  14:58  by dewi o dre-gwyr

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

A wet day on the Sarn Helen walk

18th Oct 2011  13:20  by ltrc

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

7th Sep 2011  19:53  by stonestreaker

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

quarry workings higher at the moment.

©stonestreaker
©stonestreaker
summit! ©stonestreaker

6th Aug 2011  00:00  by Sprog

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

30th Jun 2011  10:30  by dugswell2

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

From the north.

FLUSH BRACKET ©dugswell2
Trig + surrounds ©dugswell2

7th Mar 2010  13:28  by g4wsb

FB Number: S2307  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 6/10

Walked from quarry crack around near top.

©g4wsb
©g4wsb
©g4wsb
©g4wsb

31st Oct 2009  16:30  by [email protected]

Gridref: SN 83926 07602   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

4th May 2009  15:54  by Aye Jimmy

Gridref: SN 83930 07608   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 5/10

Approached directly up a vast scree/mud slope in quarry on Seven Sisters side of hill. Then through trees. A couple of hundred metres further away a new higher(?) summit seems to be growing from earth moving activity.

Hirfynydd. Trig is up the slope and through 20m of trees!
Hirfynydd. Trig lies close to an established footpath.
Hirfynydd. Shallow cracks around upper part - slightly damaged.
Hirfynydd The FB.

7th Jun 2008  12:00  by peregrinus

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 6/10

Shallow crack around top section of pillar, otherwise intact. Resin plug. At heathery summit just S of track. Track from Seven Sisters driveable to quarry gate; simplest ascent probably forks L although I went R up steep zigzags and descended in same direction via wide forest road. I also visited the potential Marilyn twin summit just to SE but it's in process of being quarried: hopefully the trig's safe.

3rd Apr 2008  09:30  by Dusty

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Slightly damaged  Score: 7/10

Flush Bracket
Trigpoint

17th Aug 2006  19:00  by matrix

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

Passed this Trig point whilst on a green lane trip along the Sarn Helen lost the piece of paper I wrote the flush bracket number on :(

15th Jul 2006  11:20  by Tony J

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Good  Score: 6/10

7th Aug 2005  07:46  by senrabyar

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

High point may be 300m E on other ridge

13th May 2004  11:30  by Crwydryn

FB Number: S2036  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

Square concrete pillar, spider centre filled in.

6th Apr 2002  17:34  by Chalky

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 5/10

31st Jul 1999  00:00  by mickandshane

FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 7/10

Painted white.

2nd May 1999  12:34  by arranc

Gridref: SN 83900 07600   FB Number: S2037  Condition: Good  Score: 5/10

20th Dec 1998  12:00  by peregrinus

FB Number: Not logged  Condition: Not Logged  Score: 6/10

No details noted - big hill, wide unremarkable view