Standing at eleven feet tall Maen Chwyfan (Chwyfan's stone), sometimes known also Maen Achwyfan (the stone of lamentations), is an early medieval stone cross found by a crossroads in the parish of Whitford, near Holywell in Flintshire, North Wales. Although carved with Celtic designs, it also includes features seen on Viking monuments, and is regarded as one of Flintshire's most impressive ancient monuments. It is named after Saint Chwyfan an early Welsh saint; the nearby church at Dyserth is dedicated to him and the cross possibly marks the site where Chwyfan once preached to the local population.

According to local legend the stone marks the site of a fabulous treasure, which is supposedly buried somewhere beneath it. The legend also recounts that the stone has its own defense mechanism to thwart the unworthy and has the ability to call on a storm and bring down lightning bolts and torrential rain on treasure seekers. There exist accounts as late as 1900 of attempts being made to recover the legendary treasure all of which were frustrated by the sudden appearance of lightning. However modern archealogists have thoroughly investigated the ground to a depth of eight feet and found nothing of any interest.

Table of References

  • www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northeast/guides/ weird/mythsandlegends/pages/treasure.shtml
  • web.ukonline.co.uk/cj.tolley/ctm/ctm-maenachwyfan.htm

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