 Previous 5 | Showing 16-17 of 17 posts. Most recent first
Lanyon Quoit
Well I painted the spare room and my wife unexpectedly declared she did not mind if I wanted to fit in another field trip, so in a state of shock out came the books, maps, gps coordinates and of course the internet (I really enjoy the planning phase before a trip) and I decided I would like to see Lanyon Quoit as it looked like my Golden Retriever poised waiting for the command to fetch. Van loaded, waves from the kitchen window, dog barking I left Lincolnshire for the run South to St Just where I would hole up for a few days. I had just passed Bristol when the phone went, 'I don't like the colour want to change it to Tunsgate Green, no worries you can do it when you get back' grrr! My first visit was to the complex which includes the Merry Maidens, Tregiffian Burial Chamber, Gun Rith and Pipers 1 & 2. I spent ages trying to figure out any kind of alignment of the stones and eventually moved on to the unexpected highlight of my trip Boscawen - un. a short walk over the brow of the hill and there it is below you looking like a giant sundial enclosed by a stone wall and hedge. I assume the central standing stone was originally straight or is it aligned to a date in the calendar? This was a wonderful place and if it wasn't so damp and muddy I could have spent much longer there. I had read about people experiencing a rebirth down in the Fogou's, reckoned that would be good for me and so headed of to Carn Euny village to search for the mysterious glowing algae and to be reborn. Although blustery and raining I decided to park up at Carn Brea and walk across the moors to the village, this took me past the Holy Well, the adjacent trees suitably covered in multi coloured plastic and cloth ribbons and then I descended down into the Fogou. The mysterious algae was in fact everywhere and not difficult to find and I thrust my way back into daylight arms outstretched - Reborn - Sadly no, I was still old and now also covered in mud. Next day I just had to see the Quoit and it did not disappoint, waterlogged and alone it seemed to pointing somewhere into the distance. Up the road and a good walk up to Men an tol. With no one around I was able to try getting various parts of my body through the holed stone. Remembering the fertility rites associated with this place I decided to leave fearing I might have gotten myself pregnant and set off for the Nine Maidens stone circle further up the moor. I had read it was just up the path, well I can assure you in late autumn it was no stroll. The path was flooded and eventually ran out and I struggled up through the water filled ruts in the heather passing a lesser circle and broken cairn until eventually reaching the circle. It was raining, the site was waterlogged and a more desolate spot on earth I don't think I have come across. The circle was brooding and menacing and I wanted to get away from it. Setting of down the hill through the heather I couldn't stop myself panicking slightly and tripping over from rut to rut and was pleased to make the good path back at Men an tol. I climbed in the van, made a pot of coffee and gave myself a good talking to. Anyway I soon cheered up and walked along the cliff tops to find Ballowall Barrow. Overnight a tremendous storm blew up and my planned walks to Chun, Zennor and Milfra Quiots looked in danger. I set of aiming for Chun, however, the whole moor was now fast moving streams and pools, I got close enough for a photo with the zoom lens but that was it, my wellies had flooded I was wet and beaten. I decided to head East to easier targets and visited the newly erected Quoit at Carwynnen. Nice little visitors area however it is difficult to reassemble ambience and atmosphere so I moved on to see the mighty Trevethy Quiot, very different to the others more like a box with a huge capstone. Whats the hole in the roof all about, original or new? Whilst in the area I visited the Duloe stone circle which was really worth the detour, every single stone in the small circle is of great interest and spent a surprisingly long time there. Next I moved on to the Hurlers multiple stone circle. Looks like a tourist spot in summer, however, deserted today. The rain did not allow me to do the site justice and the whole area deserves a further visit just to this one spot. And so that was it early next morning I set of back for Lincolnshire doing one last detour to Stanton Drew, Wow! Its just there, no fanfare, no gravel pathway, no visitor centre, no mown grass, just this major prehistoric site with huge stones and multiple circles, just an honesty box to let you know its there. This is a full afternoons vist and by the time I found the cove in the pub garden I realised I would be late home. Picking up a couple of tins of Tunsgate Green at Homme e basse on the way back I dropped them on the chest of drawers in the bedroom, my wife looked up with one eye open and asked where is the Cornish fudge and clotted cream, I decided this was not the time to tell her I might be pregnant.
|
Le Petit Menac
Following numerous field trips this year my wife had asked me to hold off any more visits, at least until the spare room has been decorated in time for Christmas. this was not an unreasonable request as I had started to decorate the room some two and a half years ago. So it was with some dismay she caught me in the study with Julians book open at the section about Carnac. 'Trust you are not thinking of going there any time soon because you can think again'. 'no, No, NO!, how could you think such a thing, I know my priorities'. Anyway, over a glass of wine that evening I realised that there was no way out of this mess and I blurted out that not only was I thinking of going but that I had already booked the van and myself on the Eurotunnel leaving Saturday morning. I made the bed up in the van, stacked the fridge with food and beer and waved cheerio to an empty kitchen window and blew a promise on the breeze to paint the spare room immediately upon my return.
The 640 miles to the Arzon peninsula (my first port of call to visit the cairn du petit mont) proved easier than I had expected and I was there late afternoon having left home at 1.30am in the morning giving me time to drive past the main alignments as a taster for Sunday morning.
I decided to start at the Kerzerho alignment at Erdeven. What an amazing place with the main stone avenue gently progressing down the hill away from the main road. As I walked down the avenue I encountered a large group dressed in Brittany kilts enacting a strange ceremony including a mock beheading on one of the flattened stones, whilst not threatening my presence wasn't really appreciated and I took some photographs and left knowing I could come back later. as I approached the main alignment at Menac I could not believe the car park, everything I hate, kids running around spilling ice cream, dogs barking, groups preparing for Sunday cycling club and adults wondering as far as the information booth. It got worse as I approached the stones and discovered I could only enter with a guide, however, putting all to one side the scale of the alignment simply took my breath away. I knew it would be big, but not this big, where do I start, how do I get to really appreciate it? After a short while I realised I needed to move on and went to the Kermario alignment. Wow, just two cars and totally free access to the stones which wound there way first down the hill and then back up towards Kerlescan. Here I was also able to visit the Dolmens of Kermario and Kercado and a wonderful walk up to the Giant de Manio. It was then on to the alignment at Kerlescan and a walk around to the Menhir behind it. Next on my agenda was to find the alignment of Petit Menac, not as easy as it sounds. Following a few false starts I crossed the main road and followed the path into the forest, and wow what a magical, mysterious place it turned out to be. The stone avenue is clearly visible despite the growing vegetation and the mature woodland slowly winding to the left and then up the hill into the wood. I was there for over one hour and not one other person ventured into the woods it was impossible to compare it with the crazy going ons at the main Menac alignment, so peaceful so full of atmosphere with the suns rays penetrating the trees and illuminating the stones
So what are they all about, why are they there? They certainly convey a great sense of ceremony of a grandeur on a scale we do not see any where else. Was one erected for every birth, for every death, are they a silent army or are they standing stations for a grand ceremony?
The next day was spent visiting some of the seemingly never ending number of important sites in the area in particular the megaliths of Locmariaquer where on one rather touristy site is the broken menhir of Er Grah, once the tallest standing stone in Europe and the Table de Marchand and the Er Grah Tumulus which at 460 feet long was on a scale I have not seen before.
I spent a further day travelling across country to La Roche Au Fees and the Dolmen de Bagnieux. The first being one of the most impressive megaliths I have ever seen on a huge scale in a woodland setting. Once again I had the place to myself to enjoy and to wonder. The Dolmen at Bagnieux was a real let down, stripped of all dignity and a 4euro side attraction to the local café, really wished I had not seen it. I wanted to release it and set it free although I knew it was already long dead.
And so that was my short trip, you will be pleased to know I bought a tin of white gloss on the way home, having read the multiple warnings on the back of the tin I have locked it in a cabinet in the back of the garage afraid of what damage it may do and in any case my wife said she would have preffered flowers!
|
Previous 5 | Showing 16-17 of 17 posts. Most recent first |
|
Log in |
Register
Top of page