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Bakewell tart again

Visted Derbyshire on friday 26th September 2003, on my first all-purpose stones hunt, dragged along the brother's girlfriend, Jackie. On the way from Huddersfield we stopped off at what has become my "local", Ewden Beck. It's a small circle that was difficultto find originally but you can't tear me away from it. Somehow the less conspicuous ones are the best. I examined again what I consider could be an avenue heading off towards the south, in line with entrances. We moved on into Derbyshire.

We stopped in Bakewell for tarts and cakes and the best chips I've ever had.

Next stop the Cork Stone on route to The Nine Ladies. We saw a collection of cairns on the eastern path as well as Stanton moor south and stanton moor central. Nine Ladies is fantastic, there was no protesters. I liked the notices about how to deal with fires and the corrugated iron for siting them on.

We got lost on the way back, amongst the quarries but we did see a lovely tabby cat.

We looked down the hill to the Andle Stone and to the wood where Doll Tor is but decided not to venture down.

So it was off to Nine Stones Close and Robin Hood's Stride. This is truly sacred landscape. Robin really does look like a Hippo, also a bit like the pink panther, but not pink.

After several aborted attempts at getting a beer (most of the pubs around here shut at 2.30) we went to the George Hotel (I think) in Youlgreave, the food smelt great and the beer was good. Arbor Low was next and last, and what a site. I don't care wha anyone says, this surpasses even Stonehenge. The stones are freakily scarred by weathering and the banking is dramatic. Gib Hill stands as if it belongs to the archetect of Arbor Low.

Thanks Derbyshire, what a day (and I missed a hell of a lot!!)

Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor — Fieldnotes

30.09.03ce
Very lovely setting, surely no-one wants to destroy this. Great walk to get here with so much to see on the way. It looks very manicured at the mo, with it's turf base neatly cut, but still great ambience.

Stanton Moor Central — Fieldnotes

30.09.03ce
Sticks out like a sore thumb from the eastern pathway to Nine Ladies. Mound of a cairn in the centre

Cork Stone — Fieldnotes

30.09.03ce
If you can get a silent moment, and a non-windy one climb it. You can see for miles up here.....

Robin Hood's Stride — Fieldnotes

30.09.03ce
It does look a bit like a hippo (as Burl suggests) but it looks more like the Pink Panther. What a landscape, loved it as soon as I looked at it from the lane. I aim to spend more time there, perhaps with a picnik. I want to see the major moon rise between the ears!

Nine Stones Close standing stone — Fieldnotes

30.09.03ce
It's there and it's conspicuous and I would think that it's an outlier, I didn't check for alignments though.

Nine Stones Close — Fieldnotes

30.09.03ce
The biggest stones we saw all day, and they are big. We were concerned however about whether we we on private land and unwelcome visitors, ah well, I've got fast legs! Check out the stone in the wall towards Robin Hoods. Burl says the major moon rises between the ears of Pink Panther (Robin Hoods Stride)

Arbor Low — Fieldnotes

01.10.03ce
A fine place, no strange farmers giving us the eyeball and for 10 minutes we had the place to ourselves. Perfect. I found myself wondering if we could just put the stones upright again, would it shed more light on how the place fitted in with it's surroundings. There is a curving avenue-like earthwork from the border mound heading off in the general direction of Gibb Hill (probably only a mediaeval field boundary).
I believe that it is the Stonehenge of the North. It has most of the defining features- big stones, central stones, pronounced ditch and mound, and the burial mounds of it's contemporaries.

If you park right down on the road, don't forget your 50ps otherwise you'll have along walk back to the car (as someone did while we were there).

Gib Hill — Fieldnotes

01.10.03ce
If the excavations by Bateman were anything near like the drawing it is difficult to believe that the stones or anything else are in situ. A nice landscape to catch the sunset, I recommend that this is your last visit of the day
daveyravey Posted by daveyravey
30th September 2003ce

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