Freezing Hill, took some photos the other day of the lynchets that lie to the east and south of this maybe defended enclosure but no inner bank It is mentioned as a hillfort in Iron Age southern map, (1960) but not scheduled on Magic..
The barrow is at ST722.715. There seems to be a pattern of settlement around these forts/enclosures that needs to be explored. Its on private land, with lots of frisky bullocks around at the moment.
Edit;This site, is in many ways similar to Hinton Hillfort. A promontory hillfort, but in this instance guarding two valleys down from the Cotswold; a distinctive territorial barrier also perhaps. As Wick burial chamber is not too faraway, neolithic finds round this area would be expected (Rhiannon's post).
Freorig = cold chill,(freosan - freezing) Anglo saxon.
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Should anyone be in the area; a standing stone was recorded at Priddy close to the wall of St.Lawrence Church at ST 528513 standing 0.7 m above ground, (much weathered) also stones at ST510524 and SO595238. There is a tumulus nearby, just off Nine Barrows Lane.
Proceedings of Somerset Arch. Soc; Vol; 1984
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Countering Goff's slightly dismissive impression of the Chalice Well it does indeed have a small history. It is a major spring and in olden times would have served the settlement on Glastonbury Tor and the later abbey. A small excavation in 1961, which had to go pretty deep down because of silting, found flint and roman pottery. Also nearby the remains of a yew tree stump, bringing to mind the pagan reverence for a "sacred tree", and yew trees have been found growing by the roman temple site at Pagan Hill nearby on the Mendips.
Today when you look down at the well you are looking through a hole of the roof of the old medieval wellhouse, which just shows how much it has silted up.
Taken from; Glastonbury, Myth & Archaeology - P.Ratz and Lorna Watts
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St.Non'sWell, Pelynt.. directions
From Pelynt, take either minor road east down a steep hill to Watergate. Turn left on the road to Duloe. Before crossing the bridge over the West Looe River, bear left up a steep hill road signed "Hobb Park, at the top of the hill park at the cattle grid. The well is signed in the first field on the left. Go through the gate and turn left. After three minute walk you can see the well
Taken from Celtic Saints, Passionate Wanderers, Elizabeth Rees.
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1967 Excavation by Geoffrey Wainwright of I/A hillfort on Bathamption Down.
80+ acres univallate fort, plus its relation to a field system was examined. Conclusions were that this was an early hillfort and was probably used as a stock enclosure... The ramparts were small and probably non-defensive, and the banks of the field system overlay the fort banks.
Reading everyones field notes, and if ones speculates, the stone circle would most probably be on the north side near to the river and facing Solsbury Hill, with the avenue(if it existed) leading down to the river. A bit like the missing stones on the other side of Bath, near to the river and facing Kelston Hill.....
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This site is an important prehistoric settlement, in the sense that it is always mentioned in books on prehistory. It features in the landscape as a small twin-peaked saddled rocky outcrop, set about a mile back from the sea.
Two periods are archaeologically defined, the later iron age settlement is a rectangular enclosure, measuring 100m x 25 metres. Two, possible third, neolithic houses have been found placed centrally within the ramparts. The area around the settlement site shows evidence of Mesolithic activity, and there is probably continuous occupancy of this area of 4000 years. One of the huts had been burnt which maybe implies ritual burning on abandonment.
Hav'nt explored its interior, due to exhaustion from long walks!, but will do so this year. Also worth noting that the burial tombs of Carn Llidi and Coetan Arthur may belong to these people.
information taken from Geo.Nash and Geo.Children- Neolithic Sites.....Pembs, Cards, Carms.
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Lugbury has as the first syllable the name of a celtic god, Lugh or Lugus found mostly in Gaul but also in Britain, its Welsh equivalent is Lleu, and the land round here would probably have been Old Welsh country. Strange therefore, that two kilometres from the longbarrow should there be but the temple site of Nettleton Shrub, a romano-british shrine of several periods. The earliest being an early native round enclosure or temple. The dedications found at this site refers to Diana and her hound, Mercury and Rosmerta and Apollo Cunomaglus (the hound god)..... As Sulis was coupled with Minerva at Bath, Lugus as a celtic god was probably coupled with the roman Mercury. So does that mean that this longbarrow has carried the name down through the centuries, or has it been named by antiquarians? 28/7/06 to answer my own question, it seems to be called Lockstone on the 18th map of Andrew and Dury
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E/W orientated was originally about 190 feet long and 90 feet wide, there are two small burial chambers, one on the north side, the other one visible on the south, maybe a false entrance on the east end. East and west end have only been recently destroyed (this statement made back in the 1960s.) Apparently 20 burials were found in the chambers and evidence from the bones suggest that it was used by one family.
Taken from A Guide to Prehistoric England - Nicholas Thomas.
The Hubba Low story may have got a bit mangled with the history of Chippenham and Alfred.. The Dane leader Guthrun had camped at Chippenham, 878AD, after he had defeated the saxons. Alfred eventually trounced him at Edington, and Guthrun was baptised into the faith and stopped harassing Wessex; Guthrum finally settled in East Anglia. Hubba, another Danish leader at this time, was defeated and killed in Devon at Kenwith castle by Odun.
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Well here's another story from Mrs.Clifford, Rhiannon, she could do sums as well..
She estimated that the Rodmarton l/b contained at least 5000 tons and writes
"The stones in the body of the cairn are placed with some care, not thrown in haphazardly. Not more than 20 men could do this at one time. This would employ 20 men placing, 20 men carrying, 40 men digging, and 20 directors (you can see its all male) and those engaged on ancillary activities - a total of 100. The 40 men digging won half a ton of stone a day,250 working days would be needed to provide 5000 tons, or one year with stoppages for weather, festivals, rest etc, and another year for preparation of site and erection of megaliths which would involve continuous employment of 100 men for two years".....
not sure how she worked that one out, but the Glyn Daniels book I have taken it from," Megalithic Builders of Western Europe", shows Rodmarton as a Portal tomb, I suppose she is the one to blame for the destruction of the portal opening. Avening down the road was also a portal tomb. Its a stylistic difference - two opposing vaguely K shaped stones making the entrance....
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The holy well at St.Madron is one of Cornwall's oldest and most famous wells. St.Madern, of whom nothing is known may have been unique to this area, though apparently it has been a local surname. Madron church is an ancient church with a pre-christian standing stone now in the church, it was re-used in the 6th/7th C to mark a christian burial
St.Madern's well is a mile north of the church, it is set in a grove of sallows and bubbles up through marshy ground.
Hung on the branches are hundreds of clouties and strips of cloth; these are symbolic prayers for healing or in gratitude of a cure. The chapel is 75 metres along the track, foundations of a 12th C building with a granite altar and a baptismal basin in its n/w corner. During the 17th century a great thorn tree's branches formed a leafy roof over the ruined chapel, and the people used turf to repair a green bank by the altar which they called St.Madern's Bed, and which, of course, sick people lay on and were cured......
Above taken (almost verbatim) from Elizabeth Rees - Celtic Saints in their Landscape.
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Found in Pevsner - North Somerset 1958. interesting fact,
He mentions that there was... l mile to the NW of Hautville Quoit, two similar stones in a field called Middle Ham.
Checking back to Burl in "Carnac to Callanish" possible grid.ref. at ST591 633, under Lower Tyning - 2 adjacent prostrate stones (now presumably lost).
Pevsner also goes on to describe the Stanton Drew stones as
"dolomitic conglomerates of different kinds, probably from near Harptree; sandstones of uncertain origin; and a jurassic limestone - probably Dundry stone.
The Harptree connection is interesting because Burl mentions two stones (now lost) at Shrowl Field, East Harptree called The Devils Quoits (what else).
How did these stones travel, by the river Chew maybe...
[Also see
http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=1097273 - TMA Ed.]
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These pair of barrows lie adjacent to the road, on the opposite side of the road is an old farmhouse. And hereby hangs a tale - for many months I have spied this farmhouse from afar, and have always been able to locate through its opposing chimneys the monument on Cherhill down (30 kms) in the distance, allowing me to focus on Silbury and Avebury. Not exactly a blinding white flash, but the penny dropped when I remembered there was an old chapel which had been embraced in the farmhouse building, giving the whole building an east/west alignment., in fact it sits at an awkward angle to the road - which in itself is probably roman/prehistoric track.
So was this an early holy place settled maybe by the "desert" monks, who set up in opposition, or maybe on top of these tumuli, and the thin thread of religion continued down through the ages. What makes it more conclusive is that there is a holy well about 500 yards from the chapel, its called St.Alpege (much later saint) Well.
Having written that, no way am I implying that there is a "straight line" to Avebury, its just happenstance and the strange things that happen between earth and sky!!
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Dramatic views from these cromlechs crouched beneath the large rock face. In the Nash book he says that this was probably the burial chambers of the Neolithic people of Clegyr Boia. Be that as it may, one thing does strike, is the cavelike or rock shelter that must surely have hearkened back to ancestral memories of their forefathers who fished and found shellfish on the shores round here. The bones of the dead would have brought up here, not perhaps as a final resting place, it would also have been a place of ceremonial visiting, a chance to communicate with whatever spirits they chose..
Daniels gave rise to the term "earthfast" to explain the imbedded nature of the back of the capstone of some of these cromlechs, but if they are imitations of caves, it would have been natural for the capstone to form a cavelike shelter...
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To add to Redbrickdream's miscellaneous; And also taken from Burl. He states that there were three large stones circles in close proximity to each other.
1) Burderop Wood - Fir Clump concentric stone circle(completely destroyed by construction of M4) diameter given by Burl about a 107 metres across- inner about 86 x 73 m, which makes it larger than Coate circle
2) Coate circles diameter as mentioned is 100 x 95 m, measurement by Passmore.
3) Broome, completely gone and mentioned by Stukeley with a probable avenue as well.
Which brings to mind that Avebury also has three stone circles the two inner circles about the same size as Coate. The other defining factor of the Coate group is their proximity to water, not to the man-made reservoir/lake of today but to the small rivers/brooks that must have flowed in this area.
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To add to Rhiannon's post. Anne Ross mentions a stone head that was found in the foundations of a 3rd C AD roman house. This local limestone head is probably much earlier, and could be a" foundation offering" in the building of the house. She describes it as celtic but looking very "neolithic" in other respects. The head culture round here is fairly common, the beautiful Celtic head of Bath springs to mind. But she also mentions A "phallic" head from Eype some 45 miles away...
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This fort was probably a temporary defensive site in times of trouble. Though hillforts are thought of as iron age, they probably have a much longer lineage. It's iron age tag is underlined by the fact there were three barrows in the enclosed area, plus one outside by the entrance. There seems little respect by the later occupants of the earlier people. The "religious significance" of the bronze age barrows not even acknowledged. Its interesting to note that the west entrance lines up with a gap between the hills towards the west coast of Wales and the sea.
The area around here has been quarried for centuries, a substantial roman settlement half mile to the north probably took the stone down via North Stoke to the river.
The remains of a small stone hut at the foot of the west entrance may have been a 17th/18th c shelter for the people who quarried here, there are the remains of a further hut just by the gate under the escarpment of the fort. History jostles through the landscape not in a measured way but in a small series of reminders that past generations have also eked out their liveilhoods here..
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The ammonite at Stoney Littleton may (and I stress may) have something to do with the ammonites found at Keynsham, some 15 miles away. Ammonites were found in a quarry at Keynsham, and they still decorate cottage walls there.
The small fossil on the opposite stone of the doorway, opposite to ammonite, is probably a nautilus fossil.
To add to the history of ammonites in this area, apparently ammonites occasionally get" pyritized", the fossil being replaced by iron pyrites (these were also found at Priddy Henges). 'Fools gold ' turns the fossil into something of real beauty, perhaps it is this that the neolithic people were remembering when they displayed the door stone at Stoney Littleton, a golden sun.
taken from "Gloucester" by Peter Sale.
And to add to Rhiannon's post below. When the reconstruction was done in 1858, a sunken ditch was dug so that a small fence could be built, on digging the ditch they found an "original wall of unmortared stones on each side of the doorway (the horned effect). The junction of the old/new wall is marked by two upright stones.
As stones would have been taken away in the 19th c, the longbarrow has been somewhat reduced on top, in the drawings in the 1858 article, the top is much more pronounced and is also tree covered., to quote " looked like a large boat keel turned upwards"
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Littledown Fort sits on a promontory overlooking the villages of Northstoke and Kelston. Bronze age barrows (3) have been ploughed out in the centre of the fort. There is also a barrow at its entrance, though the farmers seems to use the barrow as a turning point. The entrance from the racecourse side faces due west to Wales. The field in which the fort sits was an old B/A burial place, and yet the iron age fort hardly seems to repect this. Use of the word fort, of course with its military rings gives a false idea of its use; defensive yes on occasions, settlement might be, also place for securing farm animals. Its very similar to Stantonbury fort, in that its seems to have a central dividing bank. Littledown fort sits on the opposite side of the river Avon to Stantonbury, as does Little Solsbury to Bathampton and the theory has been put forward, that these four defended the area round Bath and the river...
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some notes from Martin Green's "A Landscape revealed" a book about this area;
He says that there were two separate cursuses, both 90 metres wide and 5 kilometres long, and built end to end. -Gussage cursus descends from Thickthorn Down, crosses Gussage Valley and climbs up the next ridge - Gussage Down. It then incorporates a longbarrow at approximately its half point,then descends into the Allen Valley, before climbing up to the top of next ridge (rollercoasting) then terminates.
The longbarrow on Gussage down is important in that the mid winter solstice can be viewed; the moon cresting the barrow.
Also,(continuous thread?) evidence of earlier mesolithic activity can be found at either end of cursus. This area is particularly "sacred landscape", it also has two vertical shafts with offerings in, similar to the ones found on the Mendips, the so called swallet holes, and the Cursus also incorporates an ancient river cliff (swallowcliff) with a small seasonal lake at its foot....
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By walking Men's reversed Feet
I chanc'd another world to meet;
Tho it did not to View exceed
A Phantom, tis a World indeed,
Where Skies beneath us shine
And Earth by Art divine
Another face presents below;
Where People's feet against Ours go.
Shadows in the Water, Traherne 1903
Taken from Richard Bradley "An archaeology of Natural Places"
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