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52N 4W Carmarthenshire, Neil Purcell52N 4W, is on a site adjacent to the B4337, at Dinas Quarry, Pen y Ddinas, near Llansawel in Carmarthenshire.The hill of Pen Dinas was an area of unimproved pasture, known locally as ‘the Warren’. Once upon time, there were the remains of a summer-house ‘within some sort of ancient encampment’ (Notebook on Carmarthenshire 1804-10). It is probable that the ‘ancient encampment’ was a later prehistoric type hillfort, which are otherwise scarce in the locality.The remains of the summer house, or possibly a prospect tower, were said to have been part of the nearby Edwinsford estate.The site, now owned by Tarmac, is abandoned, having closed down in the late 1980’s. When operational, it mostly produced granite grit for road construction, as well as a surprising amount of quartz crystal.The exact intersection is inaccessible, buried beneath deep brambles and bracken. Facing WNW, I opted for this shot on the topmost part of the site, which is approximately 300 metres north of the intersection, and which speaks a little of the history and nature of the place and the people who once worked there. more →