... The number existing is twenty, and they are arranged in two groups, which, in describing them, we may call Eastern and Western. The whole of the barrows form an arc of a circle [...] Of these barrows three deserve attention: viz. the highest, Warren's Barrow, which is locally so called from a belief that a certain General Warren is buried there, of whom nothing whatever can be ascertained; Jenkyn's or Hendra Barrow, why Jenkyn's is not known, Hendra because it is situated on the land of the adjoining farm of the same name; and the demolished barrow, which stood at the arc's extreme curvature. [...] There is a local tradition, and there is no reason against its general acceptance, that Warren's Barrow was used for signalling by means either of fire or smoke, between the Four-Barrows, Carnmenellis, and the other surrounding heights. From its summit there is a clear view W. and S., as from the summit of the now demolished barrow there was a clear view N. and E.

In the village of Little Oun, about eight miles from Stafford, there is a large house, now used as a farm-house, but once inhabited by an old and highly respectable family named C. Close to the side of the road leading to the house, from which it is distant about a hundred yards, lies a large boulder, most likely from Shap Fells, or some other of the Cumberland or Westmoreland hills. It is very large, weighing several tons, and upon the exposed surface of it is an impression not unlike that of a cow’s hoof. Before the following event, the stone was two or three yards above the surface, but now it is not much more than one.

The superstition attached to this stone, - which was and, I may say, still is religiously believed in by the country people for miles around, - was that the fortunes of the C. family were indissolubly linked with the fate of the stone: - that as this latter remained high and elevated as it then was, so would the family be prosperous, and that as the stone subsided, so likewise would the dignity and wealth of the C.s sink. Now it happened, one day, that an ancestor of Lord Bradford was riding to dine at the Hall, when his horse took fright at this large stone and threw his rider, who, I believe, was killed on the spot. The owner of the Hall, to prevent the recurrence of a like accident, caused sixteen horses to be yoked together so as to remove the boulder from the side of the road. However, the stone refused to stir an inch. For this impious attempt, tradition relates that, the poor horses suffered; for the story goes that all the sixteen died of the distemper within a fortnight. A working man was then employed to dig away the soil from around and beneath it, so as to sink it in that manner. The stone was thus lowered about a yard or so; but the man himself is said never to have done a day’s work afterwards; and to have died very shortly. Immediately after that was done, it is said that great reverses happened to the family, and they lost much of their property.

Now there was a dun cow in the fields about the Hall, quite wild, and looked upon as common property by the villagers. She was most famous for her milking qualities; and it was said that [she] let the people bring whatever number of pails they chose, she never sent any away empty. Truly, a most wonderful dun cow! An old witch, however, who lived in the neighbourhood, determined to see if the milk was really unlimited in quantity. She therefore took a riddle or sieve, and milked the poor cow into this; which, as it never filled, in time milked her dry. Hereupon she went mad immediately, and ran away in the direction of the stone, on which she trod, sinking it deeper in the earth, and leaving her mark upon it. This seemed to be the climax, for very shortly after this event, the family were obliged to leave the neighbourhood. I cannot learn what became of the witch after this mischievous action.
W. A. L.

In September 1644, during the time of the civil wars, the Marquis of Montrose, with an army of about 2000 men, having approached the town of Aberdeen, and summoned it to surrender to him, the Magistrates, after advising with Lord Burleigh, who then commanded in the town a force nearly equal in number to the assailants, refused to give up the town, upon which a battle ensued within half an English mile of the town, at a place calle the Crab-stone, near to the Justice-mills, where Montrose prevailed, and many of the principal citizens were killed.

A little to the west of Hynd Castle, on the ridge which divides this parish from Inverarity, there was a very large heap of stones, called Haercairns or Hoar Cairn, which probably were raised over the bodies of the combatants slain at a great battle fought there in very early times, but of the time, the parties engaged, or the result we are ignorant. Many of the stones have been carted off. Locally it is said to have been the burial place of all the suicides of the district. The Gallows Hill is in the immediate vicinity, and the criminals executed may have been buried there. Many human bones have been found under the stones.

The village of Churchill lies near the great Bridgwater Road, and under the north brow of Doleberry Hill. This fine old rugged eminence has served as a place of encampment for every nation that has ever invaded England. The Britons have built here their wattled huts, and on it, and from hence, have blazed their beacon fires, gleaming over the vale of Glastonbury; and the eagle of the Romans, and the white horse of the Saxons, have alike waved from its summit. The peasants still believe the height haunted, and imagine that vast treasures lie concealed beneath its rocky surface.

Local intellect is undoubtedly highly mystified as to these relics. The children of the hamlet don't play at "hide and seek" about them after dark, and if public-house oracles are infallible, groans, &c. are not unfrequently to be heard in the stone-close, "when the moon is out," towards the sma' hours. One gaping rustic told us, "as how some do zay that it's a wedding, and that the fiddlers and the bride and groom were all petrified as they went to church." Now this idea is probably a fable of the seventeenth century, when music always preceded a couple to church. Another old dame said, "Others do zay, nobody can't count 'em; certain 'tis a baker did try with loaves on each, and they never could come right. But there 'tis, some do zay one thing, and zum another, that there's no believing none of 'em." So we thought, reader, don't you? An intelligent old farmer told us he had seen men dig several yards down without getting to the foundation of one of these stones. ...

Here [Abson], and at Wick, Roman coins and other remains have been found; footpaths can be partly traced here, and a field, called the "Chestles, or Castles," is still pointed out as the scene of a great battle between Ceaulin, a Saxon chieftain, and three British kings, all of whom fell beneath his sword. It took place about the year 577.

.. striking up an unfrequented-looking lane, which is paved like an old Roman road, you arrive at the Chestles field. The three monumental stones, honey-combed and moss-covered with age, rear their old heads from a sepulchral mound. The whole erection bears traces of the greatest antiquity, no inscription or chiselling being visible on their surface. The farmer to whom the field belongs is a great enemy to antiquarians, and has rendered the field, by a malicious sort of ingenuity, almost inaccessible.

Knightstone was a few years ago a solitary rock extending into Weston bay, and an island at high water, but joined the land at its retreat by a bank of loose pebbles thrown up by the sea... It is said to have derived its name from having been the burial place of a Roman knight, who probably had been stationed, either at the settlement at Uphill, or at the camp above, on the summit of Worle hill. The tradition is in some measure confirmed, by some human bones of a gigantic size having been discovered, when the rocks were blown up, preparatory to the present buildings. The author has examined some of these bones, which are in the possession of a gentleman of Bristol, who carried them from the island, and can vouch for their gigantic dimensions.

He drew her to the top of the mount; there they were clear of the mist, which lay like snow below and round them, covering the morass and the water. The clear cut crescent moon hung over a clump of pines on Mersea.

Rebow looked at it, then waved an arm in the direction. "Do you see Grim's Hoe yonder? -- That great barrow with the Scotch pines on top? Do you know how it comes there? Have you heard the tale?"
Mehalah was silent.
"I will tell you, for I often think of it, and so will you when you have been told the tale. In the old times when the Danes came here, they wintered on Mersea Isle, and in the summer they cruised all along the coast, burning and plundering and murdering. There were two chiefs to them, brothers who loved one another; they were twins, born the same hour, and they had but one heart and soul; what one willed the other, what one desired that the other desired also. One spring they sailed up the creek to St. Osyth's, and there they took Osyth and killed her. She had a sister, very beautiful, and she fell to the lot of the brothers. They brought her back to Mersea, and then each would have her for his own. So the brothers fell out whose she should be, and all their love turned to jealousy, and their brotherhood to enmity, and it came about that they fought with their long swords who should have the maid. They fought, and smote, and hacked one another till their armour was broken, and their flesh was cut off, and their blood flowed away, and by nightfall they were both dead. Thereupon the Danes drew their ship up to the top of the hill just above the Strood, and they placed the maid in the hold with a dead brother on either side of her, in his tattered harness, sword in hand, and they heaped a mountain over them and buried them all, the living and the dead together."

Rebow paused, and pointed to the moon hung over the hoe. "When the new moon appears, the flesh grows on their bones, and the blood stanches, and the wounds close, and breath comes back behind their ribs. When the moon is full they rise in the ship's hold and fall on one another, and if you listen at full moon on the hoe you can hear the brothers fighting below in the heart of the barrow. You hear them swear and curse and cry out, and you hear the clash of their swords. But when the moon wanes the sounds grow fainter, their armour falls to bits, their flesh drops away, the blood oozes out of all the hacked veins, and at last all is still. Then, when there is no moon, you can hear the maid mourning and sobbing: you can hear her quite distinctly till the new moon reappears, and then she is hushed, for the brothers are recovering for a new fight. This will go on month after month, year after year, till one conquers the other and wins the maid; but that will never be, for the brothers are of the same age, and equally strong, and equally resolute."

We learn, through a very curious and interesting Anglo-Norman History of the Fitz-Warines, that the camp was temporarily occupied in late Norman times. This history, which is written in verse, is called "The Romance of the Fitz-Warines." It must have been composed at an early period of the thirteenth century, and gives a very early notice of Caynham.

It states that when Joce de Dynan laid siege to Ludlow Castle, he made his headquarters here; and it gives also the only details known of the early history of the castle. This Joce de Dynan, who had received the castle as a free gift from the king, was frequently at feud with his powerful neighbours the de Lacys, who laid claim to the castle;

and upon one occasion Walter de Lacy, accompanied by a trusty knight, Arnold de Lisle, having approached too near the walls, were taken prisoners and lodged in the castle, where they appear to have been well treated, and were frequently visited by the ladies of the Court. One of them, Marian de la Bruere (Marian of the heath), being smitten by the courtly mein of Arnold de Lisle, assisted them to escape through one of the windows of the tower by means of towels and napkins tied together.

Shortly afterwards Joce went upon a visit to Hertland, leaving the castle in charge of thirty knights and seventy good soldiers, 'for fear of the Lacy and other people.' Marian de la Bruere, having remained behind on the plea of sickness, sent word to Arnold de Lisle to come and visit her, and promised to let him in by the same window by which he had escaped. This invitation he accepted, and brought with him a leathern ladder and one hundred men, who were left concealed below. The ladder being drawn up to the window, the knight entered, leaving it suspended in readiness for his men to follow, who in the darkness of the night, made their way onto the walls; and having thrown down the guards that were on duty, entered the apartments and slew the knights and soldiers in their beds, and thus did the castle fall into the hands of the Lacys.

Marian at daybreak, hearing the shouts of the victors, and learning the treachery that had been enacted, seized Sir Arnold's sword, and thrusting it through his body afterwards committed suicide by throwing herself from the window and breaking her neck. Joce, having received tidings of these events, assembled his men and came and besieged the castle.

Failing, however, after repeated efforts to regain possession, he finally retired, to take up a position upon Caynham Camp. Here, with a force of 7,000 men, he lay entrenched for three days, surrounded by the Lacy and his Welsh allies, numbering 20,000 men. At the end of the third day, being hard pressed, and reduced by famine and thirst, 'for there is no well within the camp,' they were compelled to fight their way through their enemies.

Joce being severely wounded was, together with most of his knights that were not killed, taken prisoners and committed to the dungeons of his own castle. A very valiant young knight, however, Fulke Fitz-Warine, who had been under the guardianship of Joce from his youth up, and who had married his daughter Howyse, made a desperate attempt to rescue his father-in-law, but was himself wounded, and with difficulty escaped and joined King Henry at Gloucester. The king received him with great favour, and commanded Walter de Lacy to set free Joce de Dynan. He did so, and Joce joined his son-in-law at the Royal Court, then retired to Lambourne, where he died in peace shortly afterwards.

On the Six Inch O.S. Map, Pembrokeshire, Sheet x, N.W. (second edition, 1908), within the parish of Llanllawer (for older Llanllawern), on the right hand side of the road going east from the parish church, and about three-quarters of a mile from the same, is a spot marked "Standing Stones", these being in the hedge of a field along the road, another field adjoining being called "Parc y Meirw".

These stones are known as y pyst hirion and are traditionally said to mark the site of a battle, in which the defeated were driven south over some high rocks, known as Craigynestra, into the river Gwaun. Some of the bodies were carried down by the river to Cwm Abergwaun, or Fishguard Bottom. The folk add no explanation of the name Craigynestra, which may be for Craig lanastra.

In the Arch. Camb. for April 1868, in a paper by Mr. Barnwell, there is a reference to these stones, which are described as "a single line of stones of great size, which Fenton does not mention, although he deliberately pulled to pieces a fine cromlech near it". "Local tradition (says Mr. Barnwell) adds an account of a desperate battle fought on the spot, among the pillar stones themselves..... The height of the stones is not so striking, as their lower part is embedded in the tall bank of earth that does the duty of an ordinary hedge; but some of them are full sixteen feet long....... There were no traces to be discovered of any second or other lines of stone, so that this seems to have always been a single line; but although single it must have been a striking object at a time when no enclosures existed, and the present level of the soil lower than it is now."

In a hollow between two hills called Uwch Mynydd and Mynydd y Gwyddel, are the ruins of St. Mary's chapel (Capel Fair); and below the cliff is a cave (Ogo Vair), in which there is a well (Ffynnon Vair). The point of the rock is called Braich y Pwll, and that particular part of it under which the well is situated Maen Melyn, the yellow stone. In the times of Popery this well, which was only accessible at low water, was much frequented by devotees, who superstitiously believed that if they could but carry a mouthful of the water by a circuitous and dangerous path to the summit of the hill, their wish, whatever it might be, would be surely gratified. The chapel was placed here to give seamen an opportunity of invoking the tutelar saint for protection, through the dangerous Sound of Bardsey; and probably the walls of the chapel were in those superstitious times covered with votive tablets.

.. on the side of the hill called Mynydd Moelvre, or Mynydd yr Ystum, are the ruins of an old chapel called Capel Odo; and near it tumulus distinguished by the appellation of Bedd Odo or Odo's grave, who according to tradition was a great giant.

The Revd. Mr. Owen says, "Upon Clorack farm there is an upright stone with a large protuberance on one side of it, called Lleidr Ty Dyvridog, i.e. the Tyvrydog Thief, concerning which there is a tradition, that a man who had sacrilegiously stolen a church bible, and was carrying it away on his shoulders, was for his transgression converted into this stone.

There are also two wells on this farm, one on each side of the road leading to Llanerchymedd, and exactly opposite to each other, remarkable not for their medicinal virtues, but as having been, according to tradition, where St. Seiriol and St. Gybi (the former the patron of Ynys Seiriol, and the latter of Caer Gybi or Holyhead,) used to meet near midway between both places, to talk over the religious affairs of the Country. The wells are called Ffynnon Seiriol and Ffynnon Gybi, i.e. Seiriol's Well and Gybi's Well, to this day."

Its artificial defences are now very insignificant, but the site by nature is almost impregnable. The principal entrance, to which a steep, zigzag pathway still conducts, is in the northern angle, facing the bay.

..Tradition connects the spot with the fatal expedition of Gryffydd ab Cynan, prince of North Wales, against the usurper Trahaearn, when he received that signal overthrow at Bron yr Erw, about three quarters of a mile distant. His line of march from Abermenai hither, is still traceable by several traditional designations; such for instance as Bryn Cynan, by Llandwrog, Carreg Cynan above Penarth, and Craig Cynan. From its elevated and conspicuous site, commanding at one glance the fearful pass of Bwlch-dau-fynydd, leading to Lleyn and Eifionydd, the pass of Bwlch Derwydd to Ffestiniog and Ardudwy, together with a multitude of military posts scattered between Segontium and the Rivals, its chief use probably was that of signal and observation.

...upon Cefn Amwlch estate a cromlech resting upon its supporters; the tradition is, that when it is thrown down, the estate will change its owner.

CWM MAWR. -- Distance 3 miles from Dolbenmaen, in the way to it, several pillars of difference appearances, &c.; none of them equal to those of the grand monument, whose situation in upon the gradual slope of a very high hill, commanding a most extensive prospect, viz. the whole Isle of Anglesey, part of Ireland, &c. The first object in approaching it is a lonely pillar, distant 160 paces from the grand Ellipsis. this colonade is in diameter, one way, 44 cubits, the other, 36; consisting of 38 upright stones of various forms, heights & sizes, as well as distances from each other; some turgescent, some flat, some incline one way & some another; some are pyramids & some are cones.

The vulgar believe that no one can count them. The area of the monument violated by the plough & harrow, &c. Tradition says that upon one of them being carried away to the adjoining farm house, for a lintel over the door, such a dreadful storm of thunder & lightning ensued, that the sacrilegious hands were forced to return it to its former place. However, the author says that the vacancies show that several have been carried away, &c.

Uley Bury Camp.-- This famous fortress, according to old village tradition, was known as the "maiden" hill; it being said that it was never taken by besiegers. [..] So steep is the hill, that it is hard to think it could be captured by a hostile attack, unless it were taken unawares at the entrance in the narrow neck which unites it with high lands to the east.

A winding, up-hill lane conducts us in about two miles to the first genuine piece of moorland - Winsford Hill. Between the finger-post marking the cross-roads and the hedge on the right, and at the side of an old track -- I believe the former highway -- is a rude standing stone of hard slaty rock, known as the Longstone. It leans considerably out of the perpendicular, and has met with rough usage, a portion of the top having been broken off. The height is 3 feet 7 inches, the breadth 14 inches, and the thickness 7 inches. It is inscribed lengthwise with characters, but of what age or date I am unable to decide. That they have been there for many centuries, there can, I think, be no doubt, their worn appearance testifying to many an onslaught of the elements. The aforesaid fracture, the work of a mischievous youth but a few months back, has probably obliterated a part of the second line, and although I was able to find the splintered fragment, and fit it into its place, it availed me not, as the surface had flaked off. I read the inscription thus: CVRAACI FPVS. The first word apprently stands for '(son) of Curatacus,' evidently the Latinized form of some British name. This is the only interpretation I can offer. The local legend says that it marks a deposit of treasure; but it is somewhat strange that there are no traces about the stone indicating that a search has been made.

There are the usual wild legends pertaining to Mouncey Castle. A neighbouring farmer announced his opinion that it was Druidical! while another told me that the ground beneath was hollow, and that as a consequence people were afraid to dig there. There was a rumour, too, of a subterranean passage, but where it was supposed to lead was unknown.