It's difficult to imagine that any "sacred" site wasn't situated in complete awareness of its natural surroundings, so I don't know where you draw the line, honestly. To answer your first question is therefore very difficult. Intervisibility with other sites must score highly, but is not by any means essential. I don't know why things like the Cheesewring are necessarily TMA-ish, but it does seem entirely right that they are. Perhaps it's the fact that they were simply "there" when our ancestors were deciding to build their own monuments, which would have been seen as either embellishments to, or impositions upon, nature - I guess. Struggling, sorry!

Pretty sure that, from previous experience, the thing that makes pretty much *anything* fit within TMA's criteria is, quite simply, archaeological or historical evidence.

I've had stuff (yes, wells!) removed or questioned in the past due to lack of evidence of prehistoric use. Even though sometimes - due to location, appearance, or whatever - it just *feels* like it's ancient! :)

G x

I think you probably can't go wrong with Hob's 11-point plan based on Simonside.
http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/29876/weblog/

Taking mendip as an example, the only swallet (I think) listed on here has firm archaeological proof in the form of artefacts at the bottom of it.

http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/3259/charterhouse_warren_farm_swallet.html

However the rest of the swallets presumably influenced the placing of the Priddy Circles.

Ooh I thought I was finally going to find out what on earth a shake hole is, of course ive seen plenty of 'em but thought they were some kind of surface mining jobby.
If it isnt, I dont see how it cant have been involved in the monument, the one at Saith maen is deep and I wouldnt like to take a tumble down it, nor would an ancient stone watcher, therefore it must be an integral part of the whole.

I thought also for a second you might mention the other Saith maen on the hill across the road, it's on the megalithic portal but coflein doesnt recognise it as significant. (Though it sounds a lot like the threee lads above morcambe bay). Anybody been up there ?, i havent got any Brecon plans at the moment.

A full house and a very good speaker. Bob Trubshaw talked a bit about how the concept of 'nature', 'countryside' and 'landscape' are relatively modern and we have an idealised view of nature. Quite hard to sum up in a few words so I bought his book which he was selling at a greatly reduced price "Sacred Places - Prehistory and Popular Imagination" (ISBN 1 872883 67 2)

In his talk the speaker looked at some of the places we consider sacred - mountain tops, caves, groves, sources of water and came to the possibility that sacred can sometimes equate with terrifying. He also mentioned altitude sickness which causes some mountaineers to experience visions. The book looks like a good read.