Books, Prehistory, Description of Wales by Owen

Pentre Jevan Cromlech [Map]

Another thing worth the noting, is the stone called Maen y Gromlech upon Pentre Jevan land,

It is a hugh and massive stone, mounted on high, and set on the tops of three other high stones, pitched, standing upright in the ground, which far passes for bigness and height, Arthur’s stone , in the way between Hereford and Hay or Lech yr Aft, near Blaen Porth in Cardiganshire, or any other that ever I saw saving some in Stonehenge, upon the Salisbury Plain called charca gigantum being one of the chief wonders of England.

The stones whereon this is laid are so high that a man on horseback may well ride under it without stooping. The stone that is thus mounted is 18 feet long, and 9 feet broad, and 3 feet thick at one end, but thinner at the other; and from it, as is in apparent since his placing there is broken a piece of five foot broad and ten feet long lying yet in the place; more than 20 oxen would draw.

Doubtless this stone was mounted long time since in memory of some great victory of the burial of some notable person, which was the ancient rite for that it had pitched stones standing one against the other round and close to the huge stone , which is mounted high to be seen afar off, much like to that is written of the burial of the patriarch Jacob or such notable thing, but there is no report or memory , or other matter to be found of the cause of the erection of this trophy. They call the stone Gremlech but I think the true etymology is Grymlech the stone of strength, for that great strength was used in the setting of it to lie in sort as it does, There are other stones in 3 or 4 other places in the county adjoining as Lech y tribedd [Map] near Riccardstone and one [Carreg Coetan Arthur Burial Chamber [Map]] in Newport near the bridge; another beneath town, but not comparable in bigness or in standing so high.