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Northern England: Latest Posts |
Previous 10 | Showing 11-20 of 14,308 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
Higher Ridgegate (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Images (click to view fullsize) |
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Posted by postman6th February 2012ce |
Sutton Hall (Cairn(s)) — Fieldnotes |
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Just south of Macclesfield, near the outskirt village of Sutton lane Ends is this cairn, you'll probably need a map to find it, even though it's visible from the road, and on Google street view. I parked on the side of the icey road and set off across the field, for the first time today I was'nt trespassing but following a designated public path. Blyeck, but that didn't last long as I was forced into the field next door to get to the cairn. This is one big cairn, I would have been here ages ago had I known of it, not having enough money to get to Wales has it's advantages. Around 1877 it was dug into, a trench twelve feet long, six feet wide and eight feet deep revealing nothing but boulders, some split by fire. Again it was mutilated in the name of science by James Forde-Johnston of Manchester University in 1962 finding no primary burial but several secondary cremations. The big black water trough on top is quite unnecessary, and an awful blot on what is a mighty work of old, Sutton Hall farm....Ggggrrrrrrrr. As I approached the cairn the sheep legged it, all except one, Tripod was his name (mine) and he guarded the cairn well, but then even he yielded to me. Then as I got closer and the cairns size became apparent it looked like it could be big enough to have a chamber in it somewhere, but alas it is not so. The snow and the fog makes it look cold but i'm all togged up and impervious to such things, in time the fog lifts slightly enough to see the outline of hills, outliers of the Peak. |
Posted by postman 6th February 2012ce |
Sutton Hall (Cairn(s)) — Images |
     
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Posted by postman 6th February 2012ce |
Capesthorne Park (Round Barrow(s)) — Fieldnotes |
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This ones dedicated to TheSweetcheat and his Dad and all our Dads without whom we just wouldn't exist. Parking can be tricky, there is no good place, I parked on the first corner to the south of the barrows on the A34 next to a pond. A five minute walk up the road brings us to the woods in which is the first of today's sites. A weakness in the hedge was exploited to good effect and I was in the woods, not knowing exactly where the barrows was, only that it was quite big, I simply headed up the slight hill to its highest point thinking that is where it would be. Twas. It is a big one too, bigger than I thought Cheshire had, shows what I know, and it shows you there's still plenty to see, even in your own back yard, though my back yard is fifty miles across and today it was foggy and snowy but not too cold. It was a strange one to photograph, from the south it's just another hilltop and there's a lot of dead wood about, especially on the northern side of the barrow, and all the trees about it either get in the way or make an avenue leading straight to it, there is a big mature tree growing right out of it's center. Iv'e driven past it a few times but never spotted it from the road, Iv'e only seen its northern nieghbour. Back on to the A34 and two hundred yards up the road and I can see the pedestal topped barrow dimly through the thick helpful fog. It was helpful because these barrows are on extremely private property, Capesthorne park, in thick fog no-one can see you sneak (sorry Aliens is on). So a quick jump over a gate and a straight to it walk of five minutes is all this trespass takes. The barrow is more plowed out than it's neighbour but is still quite prominent. The two barrows would have been inter visible if not for the trees and a house and the pea soup. The pedestal on top seems to serve no purpose other than to direct the eye across the perfect lawn, past the groups of four trees to the bump, to the barrow that is now only a lawn feature. I will have to come back in the spring to get another look, especially to the wooded one. |
Posted by postman 6th February 2012ce |
Capesthorne Park (Round Barrow(s)) — Images |
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Posted by postman 6th February 2012ce |
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