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Where the Fogging Ell am I


It was wet, it was foggy, but I thought I would go anyway. On my way to Extwistle Moor I saw a site above Mytholmroyd at Wicken Hill an had a good look, even though you couldn't see much further than the end of your nose. On to Extwistle, some earthworks, a tumulus, a messy farmer and then a scary mooch about a desolate moor with the kind of visibility you get in a septic tank. Mud to the knees, lost as usual and attacks by sheep.
20th January 2004
The places I went to follow below.

Extwistle Moor — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
I found a cluster of very large stones in an irregular pattern between the path and the southerly wall. I will go back when there is less fog around. By the way the land has been tended, I would not trust that any of the piles of large weathered were not it, or indeed those of Ell Clough.
Dave 20th January 2004

Hellclough — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
At the bend of, and above the path, this circle stands. It is 14 yards in diameter and has a bank and interior ditch. It is well pronounced and has a dramatic position. There are several stones in a pile at one side of the feature, next to what looks like an entrance.
Dave 20th January 2004

Delf Hill — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
This one is off the beaten track, it certainly was in the thick fog that I went in today. A very small stone circle. Access is via a very muddy footpath, but there is loads to see.
A circle of 6 stones, 2 of which are upright, but it still looks like a good circle. There is a central mound and an embankment.
The immediate land surface has been obliterated by the farmer in his/her tractor. There are deep ruts and flotsam and jetsom everywhere. I am deeply concerned about the future of this site.
20th January 2004

Burwains Camp — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
This looks much like a henge to me. A large rubble bank and internal ditch, it is 45 yards in width. In the lush green grass, it looked quite obvious.

Wicken Hill — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
A large enclosure with south-eastern entrance (ish, sorry, no compass). Approximately 30 yards across. There is a very evident rubble bank, but no inner ditch, all around and a central robbed mound. There is however a large stone in the mound. There is a large robbed mound next to the entrance.
There is a short steep climb up to this one from the road, and it is situated at the northern end of a small quarry.
It was far to foggy on this ocaision to explore further.
Dave 20th January 2004

West Yorkshire — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
Small desolate moor to the West of Halifax, above Mytholmroyd. Much evidence of ancient habitation, but little charted on OS map. There are three bronze age enclosures to the south of Crow Hill which I have yet to confidently find.
You can park on the roadside in Midgely or walk up from Mytholmroyd Station

Pike Lowe — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
On the very summit is a robbed tumulus made up of small stones. No view on this occaision but it was in an imposing position.
Dave 20th January 2004

Beadle Hill — Fieldnotes

20.01.04ce
An enclosure defended to the north by banks and to the south by a steep incline. It spreads across two fields and is quite large. The afore mentioned farmer (see other entries in this trip) had used some of the stone that formed the banks to help rebuild his stone walls!
20th January 2004

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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
Live in and run a pub called the Rat & Ratchet in Huddersfield. Come and see me and we can talk about all sorts of stuff from Stone Circles to Heritage Action.

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