THE ancient standing stones, stone circles and burial chambers of Wales are remarkable feats of construction and surrounded by myths and legend.

A new book by Welsh author Chris Barber, ‘Megaliths of Wales, Mysterious Sites in the Landscape,’ describes some of the largest, tallest, best preserved examples that can be easily seen, with many examples on Anglesey and Snowdonia.

They were erected by man for some long forgotten purpose and there are large numbers of the enigmatic standing stones, stone circles and burial chambers found all over Wales.

Many of them are remarkable feats of construction, involving the hewing, transport of large blocks of stone over long distances.

In his 192 page paperback, with 150 illutsrations, Barber examines the numerous legends,  associated with the stones.

Some stones are said to uproot themselves on certain nights of the year and go for a drink or swim in a nearby rivers!

Others are reputed to have been thrown to their sites by giants or legendary figures such as King Arthur and the Devil.

Some stones bear cryptic signs such as ‘cup and ring marks’ which provide a link with our prehistoric ancestors.

There are many unanswered questions about why was so much energy was devoted to erecting these megalithic monuments.  

It has been shown that stone circles have an astronomical significance and dowsers claim to have detected a hidden force in the stones, even experiencing violent reactions when they touch them.

It has also been seen how quartz in the stones appears to cause fogging on photographs and other strange effects. Dowsers believe there are strange spiral powers in the stones that wax and wane according to the phases of the moon.

This fascinating book is richly illustrated and gives location details of some of the more unusual sites, which are sometimes in remote locations, involving map reading skills to find them.

These monuments were erected by man at a time when he must have felt part of nature and perhaps possessed forgotten knowledge that gave him a much closer relationship with the Earth.

Readers will be compelled to go in search of the Mysterious Megaliths of Wales!

Published by Amberley Publishing Amberley, the book is £16.99. It is also available in Kindle, Kobo and iBook formats. For more information: Email: publicity@amberleypublicity Or seee Amberey Books on Facebook and Twitter.

Chris Barber, MBE, FRGS, is the author of over 30 books on Wales' rich heritage. Born and raised in Newport, he has lived in Llanfoist for the last 35 years. For 20 years he was the chief countryside officer for Gwent, establishing the Gwent countryside service in 1974.

Chris is also the founder member and chairman of the Gwent Mountaineering Club. He was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to the community and tourist industry in South Wales. His other books include 'Mysterious Wales’, ‘Journey to Avalon' and 'Cordell Country