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The Long Man's Grave

Fieldnotes

The Long Man’s Grave
27/7/02
This time I simply have to see what this is- we’ve passed by this site on many an occasion but always in the car and have never managed to se anything as we whizz (or crawl!) past. We park up next to an old quarry and I jump the stile into the field and head off in search of the Long Man’s final resting place. Before I know it I’m opposite the entrance to Pitmiddle Wood. I must have gone past the grave but I’ve only walked about 200 m. I retrace my steps along the side of the field, but can’t see a thing apart from cow shit. I check the map again- the grave should be on the opposite side of the road from the trees (where I am) and halfway between the start of the wood and the track. It looks like it’s right next to the road so I leap the fence and almost leap onto the top of it- aha! A large stone slab. The grave of the Long Man at last! The reason I’ve not seen it from the car is that it’s level, if not, slightly below the tarmac. The stone slab is about 0.75 by 1.5 m although it’s difficult to judge due to the vegetation and a dry stane dyke running at the head of the stone. The slab is unmarked and looks a lot more ancient than I anticipated (it’s not marked in antiquarian font on the map). What an amazingly atmospheric place to be buried below the cliffs of Black Hill and Dunsinane.
Posted by Martin
9th August 2002ce

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