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Fieldnotes
| My computer and coflein don't get on anymore, so I haven't been able to find a numbering system for the barrow cemetery, so I made one of my own up. Starting in the north closest to the village of Staylittle, where most folk will come from, is barrows one and two and coming south up to number eight. Eight barrows in a cemetery one and a quarter miles long, most at the valley bottom except two on the hills to either side of the valley. I came at them from the south, because I'd just been to the long cairn at Cwm Biga. So barrow 8 was the first barrow we came to. It's on the eastern side of the small road. Behind some buildings, but it's all but gone. Maybe a mound less than a foot tall, and hidden in dense vegetation. I never even took a picture, that doubtful I was as to whether it was there at all. But over the fields I could see barrow 7. Back in the car, two hundred yards north, and I parked right next to barrow 7, it's ten yards over the fence. About five feet tall, and from some directions it melds right into the countryside, hiding in plain site.Barrow 8 Barrow 6 so the map and google earth says is hidden in a forestry plantation, but it's all been recently chopped, revealing the barrow nicely. Turning right off the road and driving up a rapidly disappearing track, we were soon off roading and able to park within fifty feet of the barrow. I left Arhtur the jack russell in the car whilst I jumped the fence and carefully traversed the broken ground where the trees had been. The barrow is at least two meters tall, and the tree stumps surrounding look like some kind off kebing. The barrow has lots of different grasses on top and is a nice place to sit and survey the valley, even if the trees had still been here I think it would have been a nice place, barrows 7,4 and 3 are visible from here, and barrow 8 were it still there. Back to the car and back to the main road, turn right, head north two hundred meters, spot barrow 4 through gate in the corner of the field. carry on past it turn left and park in the corner of a small housing estate. Arthur and me walked into the corner of some common land, where kids make dens and tarzies, over a small fence and through a small gate brings us out right behind barrow 4. Again it's about two meters tall but considerably more spread than the other barrows. From here barrows 3 and 6 can be seen on opposite hillsides. Back to the car and head north for a hundred metres park on the right by footpath sign. Barrow 5 can be seen at the top of the field in front of more forestry trees. I skirted round the field keeping to the path for as long as possible, but in the end the barbed wire topped fenced has to be jumped. Arthur's helped over, then my turn, riiiiip, crap, they were my favorite trousers, torn too badly to fix, they'll have to be chucked away on my return home. The barrow is the smallest of the octuplets, maybe a meter tall. From here I can see more barrows on the valley floor, 1 and 2 I presume. Back to the car, Arthur is intrigued by the sheep but feels no compulsion to chase, good boy. Barrows 1 and 2 are reached along a farm track, I leave Art in the car and walk off towards the farm. Barrow 1 comes first, about half way from the road and the farm, situated on a small spit of land by the track over looking a small river that eventually empties into the reservoir. The interior of the barrow is seriously scooped, but would have been near three meters tall had it been intact. A hundred yards south west is the best barrow in the complex, Barrow 2. Intact and unscooped from here I can see barrow 2, 5 and 3 . The field with two barrows has sheep and some big cows, but the sheep don't run and baa away, the cows don't get too excited and I'm left to roam at will. On the hill further south west is Barrow 3, the only one that I don't attempt to get to, but from the other barrows I can see that it's situated not at the top of the hill but half way down on a false crest so as to be seen on the horizon. And that is Staylittle barrow cemetery a remarkable place, hidden in a valley away from prying eyes, it's not the kind of place you stumble upon as it's in the middle of no where, but a very pretty no where. |
Posted by postman31st July 2012ce Edited 31st July 2012ce
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Comments (5) |
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It looks nice there. It sort of reminds me of lambourn but all stretched out. I wonder if you've been using those new coflein/canmore maps. I can't seem to get on with them at all either. That's progress for you I suppose. |
Posted by Rhiannon31st July 2012ce |
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It was a really nice place, with some impressive barrows. Ive had a quick go on coflein, I can move about but cant get any information from the dots. Tut and sigh. |
Posted by postman 31st July 2012ce |
| Great stuff mate, a proper barrow cemetery this one. Nice day for mooching about in the middle of nowhere too. |
Posted by thesweetcheat31st July 2012ce |
| It was a really good day, this was the seventh place I got to, so six more places to picturify, including a place that Carl said had wow factor and was the star of the day. Stand by |
Posted by postman 31st July 2012ce |
| Ooh, excited now. |
Posted by thesweetcheat 31st July 2012ce |
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