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suave harv’s TMA Blog

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Doll Tor- less is more!

Sunday 23/03/03
A glorious Sunday in Derbyshire, the sky vast, deep & blue, the van packed with food, gleaming.
And red.
I'm visiting sites I last visited nearly ten years ago. This time I'm accompanied by lovely starry eyed Julie.
First stop, the nine ladies, and horror of horrors! Metal fencing all round, and new turf laid, looking like a Marks & Sparks quilt - too new, too much!
Of course, we *should* look after our sites, and I'm all for sympathetic renovation, but seeing the caged circle was like seeing your pretty girlfriend wearing Hannibal Lector's anti-bite mask. Even Julie didn't bother to walk into the centre.
When the grass takes, and the railing is gone, it'll no doubt be wondrous again.
Next Doll Tor, and a clamber up the Andle-stone on the way! and after finding the circle - bliss upon bliss! What a lovely site! I missed out on the cack-handed 'renovation' of 1993, and was very pleasantly surprised once again by the sheltered beauty of this lovely monument. A discreet plaque, a new erect stone (I swear there were only five stones erect in 1992), and a very pleasant hour spent undisturbed in the circle and out the circle, listening to the wildlife and watching the sun wane through the trees baby!
Dol Tor was our favourite site of the day, what a delightfully intimate circle!.
Nine stones close next - pip rah! more sun, loads of shouty brats climbing on the rocky out-crops. Trying to imagine what the complete circle might have looked like. The large stones reminded us of our recent visit to Stanton Drew. But as the builders of Doll Tor knew - size ain't everything!
Next Arbor Low - has it grown? I don't remember it this big - nor the henge so deep. Lots of heads milling about, a lazy Sunday afternoon vibe and the views are crisply clear for what seems like a million miles. I know some here on TMAsite are dead against re-erection of stones, but Arbour Low cries out for it, those big babies should be reaching high and proud, fetch the bloody crow bar, I'll do it me’sen!
Was back in Wolverhampton for seven, drinking port and eating last week's cheese. AAaahh life!