- A steel monolith has appeared on Hay Bluff near Hay-on-Wye at the weekend
- Sighting follows several reports of monoliths in remote spots in UK and Europe
A fifth steel monolith shaped like a giant Toblerone has been spotted on a Welsh hill, prompting speculation about possible life on Mars.
Locals in Hay-on-Wye spotted the ten-foot-tall block of steel, resembling the distinctive shape of the chocolate bar, on Hay Bluff near the Powys town at the weekend.
The sighting follows a string of similar reports across the UK and the US in recent years.
In 2020 multiple monoliths were sighted in mostly isolated areas across Europe, including one at Compton Beach on the Isle of Wight and the Merry Maidens stone circle in Cornwall which attracted hundreds of TikTokers and Instagrammers.
Some social media posts speculated the structures were the work of aliens, or sign of life on Mars.
Others quashed those rumours, instead suggesting they are an elaborate piece of undercover artwork we’ve become accustomed to.
One of the monoliths even arrived in 2020 with the words ‘Not Banksy’ scrawled over it.
Richard Haynes, who took photographs of the latest sighting while running on Hay Bluff, told WalesOnline: ‘I went off towards Hay Bluff towards where the trig point is and I looked over to my right. I thought it looked a bit bizarre and might be a scientific media research thing collecting rainwater.
‘But then realised it was way too tall and strange for that. Then I went up to it and it was about 10-foot-tall at least and triangular, definitely stainless steel.
‘It was hollow and I imagine pretty light. Light enough for two people to carry it up and plant it in the ground.’
Mr Haynes said he frequently ran the route and had never seen the monolith before, while a friend who visited the spot two weeks ago said it wasn’t there at that time.
‘I did notice on Google that it’s popped up fairly recently and from what I can gather it disappears after a couple of days,’ he added.
The sightings have drawn some criticism. Despite looking neat and attracting social media attention, some complain that the structures are tacky, aren’t funny, and damage the environment.
Mr Haynes explained: ‘I don’t know about that, but it’s clear someone would have had to have dug a large hole to get it in the ground.’
Monoliths have been sighted in various places across Europe, including at least four other examples in the UK.
In December 2020, one was spotted on top of Zamkova Hora hill in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, with some suggesting it was an advertisement for a new postal operator.
A silver monolith appeared at Glastonbury Tor in the same month, but was felled by a gust of wind.
Another was found at the centre of the Merry Maidens stone circle in St Buryan, Cornwall.
And beachgoers on the Isle of Wight were stunned to find a mysterious monolith on Compton beach.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
