Due to there not being any suitable or safe parking near the rock, the cache is placed in a big lay-by which you will come to first if heading West, or a short distance after the rock when heading East.
You cannot see the rock from the lay-by and as there are no footpaths PLEASE DO NOT attempt to view it further down the road on foot.
If you are heading West towards Aberystwyth you will naturally see the large Elvis Rock on your right a short distance after leaving the lay-by. Please DO TAKE care as the rock face is on a bend.
You MUST NOT attempt to look at it if you are driving from the Aberystwyth direction, as the rock is facing the opposite direction and is on a bend.
The white historic ELVIS letters are painted on an east-facing roadside mound of rock just inside the Powys border as you cross the southern fringes of the Plynlimon Mountain range, on the A44 Llangurig to Aberystwyth main road near Eisteddfa Gurig in Mid Wales.
For many travelers heading West along the A44 towards Aberystwyth, the sight of this unusual monument is a welcoming sign that they are nearing the end of their journey home. Over time there have been changes, the letters sometimes saying something entirely different, but mysteriously it has always reverted back to the name of The King within a couple of days!
It all started back in May 1962 and is now a famous historic landmark known throughout the country. In the run-up to the Montgomeryshire by-election held on 15 May 1962, John Hefin, from Borth, and his friend David Meredith, from Llanuwchllyn, near Bala, decided to demonstrate their support for the Plaid Cymru candidate, Islwyn Ffowc Elis, by painting his surname on a rock beside the road. "It was the 1962 by-election for the Montgomeryshire seat after the death of the Liberal Party's Clement Davies," said Mr Hefin. "We borrowed David's father's car, which was highly recognisable as he was the most respected minister in Aberystwyth, and we took off. In balaclavas we set about our task - we wore balaclavas because writing graffiti in those days was very frowned upon." "We wrote Elis in red and surrounded it in green - the colours of Plaid Cymru and Wales. You could see the sign for at least a mile away in the daylight." Mr Meredith said of the pair's antics: "We saw this wonderful rock. It's not often that a rock presents itself in such a way and we decided to paint Elis on it. We went back some days later to admire our work and damnation, someone had changed Elis into Elvis. We never mentioned it to Islwyn Ffowc Elis, but I'm sure he would have been pleased to have been associated with Elvis." Elis, a politician and novelist, died in 2004 at the age of 79.
After the rock had been painted, then amended, it took on a life of its own. It became a recognisable marker for anyone making their way through Mid Wales, not least the thousands of Aberystwyth University students over the years.
In 1992, the word was changed to read LUFC in recognition of Leeds United's First Division title. Also in 1992, following his death, the name of Benny Hill appeared on the rock, but again it was short-lived. One year, some devout soul replaced 'Elvis' with 'Jesus', but 'Elvis' was quickly reinstated! There was public outcry in the mid-2000s when the rock partially disintegrated and another version appeared on another rock. But thankfully, for its thousands of fans, it's back in its rightful place.
But, aside from who actually takes it upon themselves to keep reapplying the whitewash, there's one more mystery... at least according to Bristol's Terry Filby, writing on the BBC Mid Wales website: "I wonder if there is more to the legend of the Elvis Rock, as during the week of 2 September 1968 I was on honeymoon in and around Aberystwyth when out around the isolated dam area I came up behind a stationary, new American car with two men in it. I was driving a Ford Anglia 105e. As I drew close the guy on the left looked over his shoulder and I immediately said to my wife 'That's Elvis!'. She did not disagree. The car suddenly sped off and lost my Ford."
Elvis Rock features in Wales Online May 2016...
Iconic 'Elvis Rock' on Mid Wales hillside to be showcased at Graceland. A print of a painting featuring the famous graffiti will be hung at the Elvis Presley museum in the USA.
An iconic Welsh rock on a remote hillside in Mid Wales dedicated to Elvis Presley is to take pride of place in Graceland, once home to the King of rock 'n' roll. A painting of the small hamlet of Eisteddfa Gurig features the rock on the A44 in Powys which has 'Elvis' daubed into it in big white letters. Now a copy will be hung at Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, which houses the Elvis Presley Museum.
Created by local Ceredigion artist Wynne Melville Jones, a limited edition print of the original painting has been presented to the Elvis Presley Archive, an attraction that sees 700,000 visitors annually. The canvas painting was completed in 2016 for an exhibition. The original picture entitled Eisteddfa Gurig – Elvis Rock is one of 56 paintings by the artist and was on show at the exhibition at Oriel Rhiannon in the market town of Tregaron.
Former art student Wynne, who grew up in Tregaron and returned to the paintbrush five years ago after a gap of 40 years, is very proud to stage an exhibition of his work in his hometown. He has completed 250 paintings in this five-year period. Wynne became known as moderniser of the Urdd youth movement in the 1970s and his best-known creation undoubtedly is the Urdd’s movement cult figure Mr Urdd – a favourite with hundreds of thousands of children and young people in Wales over four decades. Since retiring in 2011, he said he has become totally immersed in his main interest – visual art and works from his studio at his home in Ceredigion. His picture of the most remote chapel in Wales, Soar-y-Mynydd near Tregaron, is in the art collection of former US President Jimmy Carter. “I paint what catches my eye and most of my pictures are inspired by the landscape and the colours and cultural features of West Wales and the subject matter of many of my pictures are familiar to lots of people,” he said. “I regularly travel on the A44 and the Elvis Rock is a familiar sight, and to me, it’s a welcome home landmark on my return journey as I approach my home county of Ceredigion as the county boundary is just around the corner from the rock.” Wynne is very proud of his roots in West Wales and feels a sense of responsibility for all things Welsh. His paintings reflect his depth of knowledge and respect for the rich heritage and culture of the rural communities. “With the graffiti on the rock having been undisturbed for half a century it is now regarded as a Welsh national tribute to Elvis and I feel that Graceland is the natural home for this picture. “I have personally been influenced by both giants associated with this rock. Elvis and his music was a central part of my youth culture and as a student, I had the privilege of knowing Islwyn Ffowc Elis personally and grew to appreciate his literary work during my college days at Trinity College, Carmarthen where he lectured in the Welsh and Drama department. “It’s always far more satisfying to paint a subject which has a personal meaning.”