Whisper a wish here on Hallowe’en and it might come true. Another legend has the 14ft by 10ft capstone spinning three times on Midsummer’s Eve, then going with the other stones down to the river to bathe.
Whether or not you believe these stories, St Lythans chambered long barrow, a Neolithic tomb also known as Gwal-y-Filiast — or Greyhound Bitch’s Lair — is impressive and holds a certain atmosphere even in the 21st century.
The pasture in which it stands, about a mile from Tinkinswood (a larger megalithic burial chamber), is known as the Accursed Field due to its lack of fertility. The cows that graze beside the barrow are unperturbed by such rumours.
See more of Secret Britain
Grey Mare’s Tail waterfall, Dumfriesshire: 'Mesmerising even to the peregrine falcons that nest in the crags around'
Annie Elwes recommends the waterfall and surrounding wild countryside of the Grey Mare's Tail Nature Reserve.
Traeth Llyfn beach, Pembrokeshire: 'A beach so remote you’ll be the sole person on it'
The remote Traeth Llyfn beach is a Secret Britain spot accessible only by the adventurous.
Pont Minllyn, Gwynedd: The ancient pack-horse crossing that's four centuries old
A bridge coming up for four centuries old is today's Secret Britain find.
-
St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, Heysham: The mythical Lancashire ruins with a heavenly viewAnnunciata Elwes takes a look at St Patrick’s Chapel ruins, a Morecambe Bay landmark.
-
Suisnish, Isle of Skye: The atmospheric ruins of a Clearance villageBeauty now reigns in a tragic spot where hundreds of villagers suffered during the Clearance
-
Covehithe beach, Suffolk, where the cliffs crumble like cakeThe most eroded beach in Britain has a post-apocalyptic feel.
-
Clydach Ironworks, Monmouthshire: Ruins in the gorge that inspired ShakespeareAn oasis of quiet now stands where the steam hammers thudded at this Welsh ironworks, in a river valley that may have moved Shakespeare to write A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
-
Royston Cave, Hertfordshire: A mysterious site full of sacred energyOur Secret Britain series continues with a Hertofrdshire cave whose true nature remains unknown.
-
John Bunting War Memorial Chapel, Scotch Corner: The painstaking transformation of rubble to War MemorialAnnunciata Elwes celebrates the effort that turned a derelict house into a memorial.
-
The Garden of Cosmic Speculation: The surreal space where Lewis Carroll and Willy Wonka meet Capability BrownSurrealism, philosophy, nature and gardening come together at the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, as Annunciata Elwes explains.
-
The Airman’s Grave, Ashdown Forest: A touching and little-known memorial to victims of war and fateA wartime tragedy in East Sussex's Ashdown Forest is among our Secret Britain picks, as chosen by Annunciata Elwes.
