- A steel monolith has appeared on Hay Bluff near Hay-on-Wye this weekend
- Sighting follows several reports of monoliths in remote locations in Britain and Europe
A fifth steel monolith shaped like a giant Toblerone has been spotted on a hill in Wales, sparking speculation about possible life on Mars.
Locals in Hay-on-Wye spotted the three-metre-tall block of steel, which resembles the distinctive chocolate bar shape, on Hay Bluff near the town of Powys this weekend.
The sighting follows a series of similar reports in Britain and the US in recent years.
In 2020, multiple monoliths were spotted in largely isolated areas across Europe, including one at Compton Beach on the Isle of Wight and the Merry Maidens stone circle in Cornwall, attracting hundreds of TikTokers and Instagrammers.
Some social media posts speculated that the structures were the work of aliens, or a sign of life on Mars.
A steel monolith shaped like a giant Toblerone bar has been spotted near Hay-on-Wye in Wales
The three-metre-tall steel block that resembled the shape of the famous chocolate bar was spotted on Hay Bluff
While some speculated that the structure could be the work of aliens or a sign of life on Mars, others said it was an elaborate work of art.
Others have dismissed those rumors and instead suggested it’s some elaborate undercover artwork we’ve become accustomed to.
One of the monoliths even arrived in 2020 with the words ‘Not Banksy’ scrawled across it.
Richard Haynes, who took pictures of the latest sighting while running on Hay Bluff, told WalesOnline: ‘I headed towards Hay Bluff, where the trig point is, and looked to the right. I thought it looked a bit bizarre and might have been a scientific media study collecting rainwater.
‘But then I realized that it was much too big and too strange for that. Then I went there and it was at least ten feet tall and triangular, definitely stainless steel.
‘It was hollow and I think it was quite light. Light enough for two people to lift and plant in the ground.’
In 2020, a large silver structure was seen atop Glastonbury Tor, an ancient hill associated with King Arthur and Celtic mythology
A view of a metal monolith on Zamkova Hora Hill in Kiev, Ukraine. Some media have suggested that the monolith is likely an advertisement for a new Ukrainian postal operator.
Mr Haynes said he walked the route regularly and had never seen the monolith before, while a friend who visited the site two weeks ago said he was not there at the time.
“I noticed on Google that it has popped up quite recently and from what I can understand it goes away after a few days,” he added.
The observations have attracted some criticism. Despite looking neat and attracting attention on social media, some complain that the structures are tacky, unfunny and harm the environment.
Mr Haynes explained: ‘I don’t know, but it’s clear someone would have had to dig a big hole to get it in the ground.’
Monoliths have been observed in several places in Europe, including at least four other specimens in Britain.
In 2020, another monolith was spotted on Compton beach on the Isle of Wight
Britain’s fourth monolith appeared in the middle of one of Britain’s oldest stone circles
In December 2020, one was spotted at the top of Zamkova Hora Hill in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, with some suggesting it was an advertisement for a new postal company.
A silver monolith appeared at Glastonbury Tor in the same month, but was felled by a gust of wind.
Another was found in the center 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.