Latest Fieldnotes

D45 Emmerdennen is one of the most beautiful Hunebeds in The Netherlands. It is located on a small clearing in the woods, about 650m north of Scheper Zieckenhuis (hospital). Although the busy town of Emmen is nearby, the place emits a certain kind of tranquility and peace. The Hunebeds lies on a small hill, which also adds to the grandeur of this place.

It is one of the larger Hunebeds (18.5 x 4.5m), there are still six of originally nine capstones remaining (three capstone of the eastern section are missing) and two of the entrance stones. The eastern remaing capstone is remarkable large. From the originally 38 kerbstones only 13 are still present, 25 have disappeared.

Highly recommended!

Visited July 2018

Visited: June 26, 2018

About a kilometre north of Bettyhill on the north coast of Sutherland stand the ruined remains of Clerkhill Broch. The prominent mound where the broch once stood is now fenced in and is private property. Part of the mound on the east has been excavated, and a house built, while on the very summit now stands a rotary washing dryer.

Even Canmore has little to say about Clerkhill other than that it is:
” a possible broch in Farr, Sutherland, consisting of a turf-covered, quarried mound on the end of a ridge, the east half of which has been removed to make way for the outbuildings of a croft. On the west side is a part of the basal course of the outer wall of a broch-like structure forming an arc about 9.0 metres long.”

The menhir Wotanstein is situated on the south-west corner of the village of Maden, east of the road K9, which leads from Maden to Obervorschütz. The site is signed, it is less than 50m from the road.

The menhir is 2.12m high, 1.2 m wide, and 0.55 m thick, it lies in a small clearing framed by hedges and trees.

Why a park bench with its back was set directly on the Menhir remains an eternal mystery to me. I would have placed it at a respectful distance and with a view on the menhir.

Visited July 2018

taken from the information board:

The Wotanstein in Maden

The Wotanstein (also “Wodanstein”), is considered one of the most imposing megalithic monuments in Germany. As megaliths (from ancient Greek megas = “large” and lithos = “stone”) one refers to large, often uncut stone blocks that were used as building blocks for grave and cultural facilities or erected as monoliths and positioned in stone settings. The Western and Northern European megalithic structures were all built in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. The rite of setting up such menhirs (Breton: men = stone, hir = long) was taken over from present-day France.

The uniqueness of the Wotanstein is that it consists of non-local quartzite. This material can only be found again in the area of ??Borken, around 25 km away. It is believed that the foundling was brought here and placed in the 3rd millennium BC.

An early ritual or religious use is very likely due to the conspicuous accumulation of similar menhirs in the area between Fritzlar and Kassel. The stone was then later (from the 1st millennium before Christ) probably used by the Chatti in the sacral landscape Mattium as a place of worship of Wodan (also “Wotan”, main deity in the Nordic-Germanic mythology).

The stone was first mentioned in 1407 as “the long stone at Madin”. According to oral tradition, the stone has been excavated in the 7-year War (1756-1763) because treasures were suspected under him. But only the remains of human bones were found, and it was realized that it was as deep buried in the earth as it is above the earth.

According to legend, the devil wanted to smash the stone from the Lamsberg on the first Christian church of Boniface in Fritzlar, which had been built from the wood of the Donareiche. However, it bounced off the pre-occupied shield of the Archangel Michael and drove to the place where it is today, into the earth. The impressions and holes on the stone were interpreted as handprints of the devil (devil’s claw).

Visited: June 29, 2018

Just a few hundred metres from the village of Reay on Scotland’s far north lies one of the largest brochs in Scotland: Achvarasdal. After heading east on the A836 out of Reay, the road dog-legs sharply northward. Almost immediately, turn right following the road for about 600 metres and park outside the woodland surrounding Achvarasdal Care Home. It’s just a short walk along woodland paths, following ‘broch’ signs, to the broch.

Achvarasdal Broch is, in area, one of the largest in Scotland with a court diameter of 9.8 metres. The interior of the broch was excavated during the latter part of the 19th century, but the external wall face was not cleared, and remains concealed beneath a sizable vegetated mound. The walling, which rises to 1.6 metres above the central court, is composed in the main of quite small slabs of light-coloured sandstone, giving an appearance rather like brickwork. Achvaradsal has a most impressive, quite narrow entrance passage, a little short of 4 metres long on its east-south-east.

At the time of my visit, the broch was besieged by a major infestation of Giant Hogweed. Even with a walking pole fully extended above me, I could not quite reach the hogweed’s flowering heads, which must therefore have been at least 4 metres tall. Achvarasdal is one of the brochs promoted by the Caithness Boch Project, whom I contacted about the problem. They replied that they were aware of the situation and would be taking measures to tackle it. I’m pleased to report that, just three weeks later, I was sent a photograph showing that clearance work had begun. Hogweed, however, is not easy to erradicate, particularly if it has been seeding the area for years, so it may take several seasons to render the site hogweed-free.

You can read much more about Achvarasdal Broch on the Canmore website, including details of finds from the site.

Made a few abortive attempts to reach this 8.5 – 9ft stone in the past by other routes – it is surrounded by farms and fields – the latter often with cattle in them. Finally got lucky yesterday using the road closest to the stone. Great weather and no cows in the four fields that have to be entered. Convenient tractor tracks through the new grass made walking easy. Take the minor road off the A711 about a mile outside Dalbeattie. Use OS explorer 313 and you will see Edingham Loch at the start of this road. About 2.6km up is the entrance to Townhead of Culloch farm on the right. Shortly after that on the left is a long passing-place with a field gate. Most of the passing places on this road are unusually long and it is certainly possible to park a small-med car at the end of this one without compromising the space or obstructing the field gate even for a tractor and trailer. Enter field and head up to the top right hand corner with a cattle trough. Enter field to the right via gate (it was open) and keeping to the left, head up alongside the fenced in track to the top of that field. Go through or over two more gates to get into the field beyond the stone wall. Follow the outside line of the farm buildings and the small wood which points across the field to the stone – just inside the next field. The wall in between is topped by barbed wire but a few yards along from the stone a section has collapsed and a field gate has been propped there with barbed wire along it. It is not hard to get over and back along to the stone.

The only special ‘feature’ of D44 Westenesch is the fact, that it is the only Hunebed in the Netherlands in private ownership. Apart from that, there are only a few remnants that should probably only be of interest to the Hunebed completionists among us.

Visited July 2018

D43 Emmen Schimmeres is a must see site, as it is the only long grave in The Netherlands. Normally long graves are more in common in Denmark and Germany, and indeed the Hunebed is more similar e.g. to Visbeker Bräutigam 3, Visbeker Braut and Glaner Braut 2 near Wildeshausen as to any other dutch Hunebed.

The long grave is 40.3 meters long and 6.8 meters wide, inside the 53 enclosing stones there are two burial chambers. The entrance to the northern burial chamber (4.6 x 3.0m) lay to the east, the entrance to the southern burial chamber (8.1 x 2.9m) lay to the west. The northern burial chamber originally had three capstones and six supporting stones, the southern burial chamber had five capstones and ten supporting stones.

Unfortunately, the Hunebed is currently heavily overgrown in some sections, but nevertheless a great place to visit.

Visited July 2018

June 5, 2017

Driving north through Strath Halladale, it is difficult to miss the huge bulk of The Borg looming above on your right, standing atop a mound 38 metres tall and about 200 metres distant. It is an impressive edifice built of large rounded boulders, many of which now form a mantle of tumble all around it.

Although much of the broch wall has degenerated into a field of tumbled blocks, there are still some sections where the structure endures, particularly so in the west where neat courses can be seen rising to a height of three metres. At the other extreme, to the north, the walling has all but disappeared, creating an opening into the central court.

The entrance passage, now largely blocked by debris, lies a little east of south, and can be traced through the entire thickness of the broch wall, and most of its lintels remain in place.

The Borg is most certainly a worthwhile stop on the route north, not least because its elevated position affords splendid views along Strath Halladale.

Visited: June 25, 2018

Just 1½ kilometres north of The Borg, off the A897 as it passes through Strath Halladale, a minor road branches left across the Halladale River towards a walled cemetery. Trantlemore broch lies a kilometre farther on on the right-hand side of the road.

There is very little remaining to be seen, just a vegetated rise about a metre and a half tall in a field a few metres east of the road. On the southwest of the structure a section of vegetated wall can be recognised, but little else. There is no sign of an entrance passage.

D41 Emmen-N lies right beside the road to Oddorn. It is a nice little and notably flat Hunebed, even the capstones are flat. It is the last discovered hunebed in Drenthe. It is a relatively complete preserved with four capstones, two endstones and eight supporting stones.

Due to the proximity of the road and the housing estates the atmosphere is a little bit disturbed.

Visited July 2018

From Barevan Bridge we headed east and took the first minor road heading south towards Glengeoullie, at which point the road ends. After asking permission we headed south on a decent track crossing the Riereach Burn at the Braevall Fords. With the water being so low this was an easy crossing. On another day.........................

Take the track to the west of burn, today it was a good time to look to the east of burn. Sandmartins, hundreds of them, flying about and taking advantage of the sandy banks.

After about another mile look east for a solitary stick on a bump or a solitary stone lying beside it. This is the cairn and I would think this could a pretty much undisturbed site. A kerb some fallen some standing still surrounds the cairn, difficult to spot but still there. The slab mentioned by Canmore is also still sitting in the middle of cairn. It still sits at 1m high being almost 9m wide. Beautiful views north to the Black Isle, east/west heather covered moors and to the south Carn A Mhais Leathain (the track ends up there).

However both Drew and dog were needing to head back, after a look around, to paddle our feet in the burn. We’d chosen the hottest day of the year to go hiking in open moor.

Thank goodness for hats!

Visited 18/7/2018.

300m after the roundabout on the road to Odoorn, right after the town sign of Emmen, look for the Hunebed sight and turn right into a sandy track. After about 200m you will reach a gate, where you can park your car. From here it is a 10min walk (700m) to these trio of Hunebeds. Beside the Hunebed trio in Bronneger (D23 Bronneger, D24 Bronneger and D25 Bronneger), this is the only other Hunebed trio in The Netherlands.

D40 Emmerveld-ZO is the most impressive one of the trio, especially the two huge capstones are really awesome. From certain angles, it appear as only one capstone, which is broken in two pieces. D39 Emmerveld-ZW is interesting, because it it still buried mainly in its mound. Unfortunately there are not many stones left. D38 Emmerveld-N consists of only two remaining capstones of original five.

Overall not the best Hunebeds of Drenthe, but they are located in a splendid beautiful heathland clearing, which alone justifies a visit!

Visited July 2018

This is one of the larger (16.8 x 4.5 m), but also one of the lesser known dolmens of Drenthe. Originally it had 9 capstones, 4 of which are left over. Also 7 supporting stones and an endstone have disappeared. The terrain where it is, was called the ‘Stien Camp’ – the Stone field.

The Hunebed is special because the entrance was once formed by a corridor of twice three stones facing each other. Such a long ‘corridor’ has no other Hunebed; nothing can be seen anymore.

There is an impressive oak tree that rises from the middle of the Hunebed.

Visited July 2018

Had I tried to leave the best til last I couldn’t have done much better than Pendeen Vau. I had only one problem, it’s exact whereabouts, The map was pretty vague, yes I knew it was at a farm, or at least in a farm yard, but I couldn’t quite get which of the houses had that very farm yard. Off I went, on my own, down the lane, before too long I was at the lighthouse, this I decided was definitely too far, so I back tracked, talking to Eric on his phone looking at the map and going on street view and such trying to figure out which of the houses had it, but then I was back at the car and with only one way to go. We peeled off the lane, right, down a red gravel farm track, I parked just fifty yards from the farms front door.

It was universally agreed in the car that I would be going solo on this one, no kids no dogs, just me, camera, torch and Fogou. At the front gate I looked in the front yard and reckoned on a back door approach instead, but that felt too invasion of privacy so I went back to the front gate opened it and went in, no path across the lawn or letter box in the front door persuaded me that the back door is the way to go. As I approached the back door an Audi with occupants old stopped right by me. Time to apply charm and smarm, I said hello and asked If I can have a look at your Fogou, he said of course do you know where it is? I said I think I can see it from here through the gates, with that he left me to it, no hesitation at all he didn’t even blink. I challenge anyone to come up with a more trusting, care free farmer any where in England.
I, quite literally had the place to myself, so I shimmied straight up the drain pipe and took some photos of the site from above on the farm house roof. Then I went in had a cup of tea, watched Countdown, had a quick lie down, then headed back out to see the Fogou, right, yes the fogou.

Through just three gates and I’m in the farm yard, the fogou sits before me. There are no cows, no mud, no gate covering the entrance, it was as if someone above had created the most awesome visit ever.
Torch, camera and twine at the standby position I entered the labyrinth. There is a lot of rubble on the ground, unsure whether that was something I should be concerned about I carried on with one eye on the roof.
In short time i’m at the tiniest entrance I’ve ever seen in an ancient site, only in actual caves are passages smaller than this. I crawl through, almost on my belly, squirming and wriggling through without getting dirty proved impossible. Inside the Rab cut chamber, I use the words calmly and without stammer but still have no idea what they mean, does it just mean it’s underground? hewn out of the earth itself. At the end of this domed passage is a small pit full of dirty water, did some one dig here looking for bones and stuff?
On the domed roof is a silvery spread of I don’t know what, possibly the same kind of stuff as the green glowing mossy stuff, but silver. Dangling down from a crack in the roof are what look like roots hanging with brownish watery droplets on them, and I guess that’s what they were, rather than the strange cave dwelling worm? that hangs silk with droplets on them and they catch an insect and then pull them up to feed. It would have been cool if they weren’t just roots.
Back out into the fogou’s main passage I carry on along the passage til it gets too small to get into, there is a small gap through which you can see back out into the world, turn and take a photo.

Then it’s back to the tiny portal, sit for a bit, photo a bit then back outside. I go round the back and have a look at the blocked creep entrance.

And I’m just about done, back in for some toast, and that’s it.
Noting on the way in and now the way out That antiquarian Dr William Borlase was born and lived here, firstly I thought well no wonder he got interested in things with a Fogou in his back yard, then I wondered if he’d built it himself after getting inspired by all the other sites he’d seen.
I’d have one in my yard if I could.

On the road (Melkweg) between Klijndijk and Valthe, about 300m behind Klijndijk is a car park on the right side. From here it is just a 250m walk to D35 Valthe.

There is not much to see on this Hunebed, only two of once five capstones have survived and the supporting stone are looking only very little out of the mound.

But the place where it is is very special. The Hunebed lies north of ‘pingo ruin’ (a glacial hollow), a large circular layer, which was once a lake or a swamp. So the builders of the Hunebed have chosen this place deliberately.

Visited July 2018

It’s almost time to go home now, there’s just time for a couple of fogou’s and Tintagel castle.
It’s been twelve years since I was last here too, but the only thing that seems to have changed is you cant get through the creep passage in the fogou anymore. But, crucially we had the place to ourselves again.
With heatwave Herbert (i’m naming heatwaves now) still pouring on the sunshine we made our way straight to the fogou, glorious shadows embraced us lovingly. Inside the round chamber/beehive hut, which is it? There were no Swallows here this time, like most of nature they aren’t doing very well. But hey, the football season has started so it’s not all bad.

Once out of the shade we go up to the top and find some more shade to sit in, shade and an iron age view unrivaled in the central Penwith peninsula.
But the shade can’t contain us for long, we enter the big house with a cobbled porch, there is an annexed section by one wall, and a small gully through the wall to outside the house. But best is the north east entrance to the fogou, it actually seems to be in the corner of the house, there’s a chance it may have just been excavated that way. But either way it’s a beautiful little place, if there was no such things as fairies it would be necessary to invent them to explain this place.
Attention should be applied to the rectangular windowed house as well, if only to acquaint ones self with the 18th century part of the site.

The aerial picture on the perhaps new information board seems to show more round houses over the wall at the west side of the village.
One Fogou to go.

It’s been twelve years since I was last here, and right from the start there is one glaring similarity, driving here is a real pain in the horse. Driving and navigating, with two kids and two dogs, it’s not easy, sometimes I get really confused, is it this way? that way? can I get my car up there? will there be a spot to park in? In the end I parked, I’m still not sure where, I could see a farm, and someone perhaps watching me. We went quickly in the direction I hoped was right.
A couple of fields later and I’m beginning to look for stones, a likely rocky outcrop will sort out their whereabouts for me. From on top of which they are indeed visible, wow, we made it, and with one of our number still wearing her slippers.
Over a stile or for what passes as one round here and we are in the presence of brilliance, a more or less complete and perfect circle, there are a couple of gaps, but there are also other stones on the general periphery of the ring, but there provenance is generally unknown.
A weird dip in the land sits on the edge of the circle, later I find out it was a quarry that threatened the ring. (Burl)
The kids sit in the middle of the ring with the dogs whilst I wander about taking pictures deftly omitting the squatters from any of them.
The sun was getting real low, any anxiety from our off beat approach had subsided and I settled into the magical scene. Now we were all squatting in the centre of the stones, a lone woman was approaching from Carn Kendjack but after she saw we were there she went off somewhere else, then returned when we left. That’s the way to do it.

There are moments in time, lots and lots of them, but most are none descriptive empty moments, some are quite bad, some are quite good, but just a few are perfect, the light, the view, the stones, the company, the moment when a plan comes together, when all is good with everything.
Moments to live for.

About 300m after the town sign of Odoom on the road to Borger you will find on the right a Hunebed sign, on the left a boulder marking the field track to the Hunebed. Just behind the Hunebed sign is a small paved area, which can be used as a parking space. From here is it just 250m to walk to the Hunebed.

D32 Odoorn is called a ‘low’ Hunebed, as the supporting and end stones are still buried half in the ground. The Hunebed is no longer complete: one capstone and three of the ten supporting stones are missing.

Near the Hunebed were once four other Hunebeds (now disappeared): D32a, D32b, D32c and D32d (see here). It is said that the church of Odoorn is made up of stones from these Hunebeds.

Visited July 2018

The Hunebed can be reached via a dirt road from the road between Valthe and Odoorn. On the other side of this road is the largest burial mound of Drenthe Eppiesbergje burial mound. I parked at the crossing of Odoornerweg and Bergjesweg and walked for about 400m to the site, passing the destroyed D33 Valtherveld (not visible anymore).

D34 Valthe is 7.8m long and 3.0m wide. There are three of the five capstones and two of the entrance stones left, the ten supporting stones and the two endstones are almost hidden under the ground. The surrounding mound can still be seen, the Hunebed itselt lies in a small hollow.

According to Wikipedia, the oldest trading route in Drenthe runs along D31 Exloo, D33 Valtherveld, D34 Valthe, D35 Valthe and the burial mound Eppiesbergje. The Valtherzandweg forms part of this prehistoric route.

Visited July 2018

I parked my car in Valthe at the crossing of Hoofdstraat and Holtesweg (north of the Hunebed pair) near the Hunebed sign and walked Holtesweg about 0.5km to the site. You can already see the two hunebeds from a distance in a tree-surrounded area.

From two quite damaged Hunebeds D36 Valthe is the better one, it only lost one capstone, but from the remaing four capstone, only the massive western capstone seems to be in place. D37 Valthe (11.4 x 3.7m) lost four of its original six capstones, the two remaining are lying inside the Hunebed.

However, I was struggling to escape the special atmosphere around the Hunebed pair, caused by the old oak trees surrounding the area.

Well worth a visit.

Visited July 2018

D31 Exloo is a beautiful situated, but considerable destroyed Hunebed. Of the five capstones, only one has been preserved and it no longer rests on the supporting stones, of which six are left. Both endstones are still there and the once covering mound can also still be recognized.

In the woods east of D31 Exloo and south of Exloo Zuideres there was once Hunebed D31a Exloo (probably a cist), but the stones were removed between 1855 and 1875. For more information check the video for D31 Exloo on the Hunebedinfo website (see below).

According to Wikipedia, the oldest trading route in Drenthe runs along D31 Exloo, D33 Valtherveld, D34 Valthe, D35 Valthe and the burial mound Eppiesbergje. The Valtherzandweg forms part of this prehistoric route.

Visited July 2018

A nice (but rather flat) Hunebed (7.3 x 3.4m) in a beautiful setting. There are still three of the four capstones, eight supporting stones, two of the supporting entrance stone and two endstones present. Especially the southern capstone is very impressive.

The orientation is north-south (not quite common), which means the entrance is in the east section, not in the south.

Visited July 2018

Only 120m from the busy N374 between Borger and Buinen lies this medium sized Hunebed pair in their own little retreat surrounded by trees in the middle of a field. There is a small car parking space and an access path to the Hunebeds.

Although you can hear the passing cars, there is a peaceful atmosphere as soon as you are entering the wooded area with the Hunebeds. D28 Buinen is almost complete, only one of once four capstone is missing. One of the two remaining capstones (originally three) of D29 Buinen has a nice heart shape capstone.

Visited July 2018

We parked at the Barevan Bridge crossing the Allt Dearg Burn near West Barevan farm. Fortunately this is slightly north to the large burn so no wading involved.

From here we walked north through a field and jumped over a small burn shaded in trees. Once on the other side of the trees it was forest clearence on Fangorn size proportions. As we all know this makes walking conditions a nightmare but eventually we made it to were trees still survived. There is a track, not on the map, that goes up the west side of the fort. Luckily , for us, it led straight to the fort.

Also luckily is that the fort seems to have avoided any serious damage caused by the forestry work on the west. The rest of the outer edges are untouched. To the south, east and west the outer wall that surrounded the site has fallen over the edge. Parts of the wall still remain to the north in the inner part of the fort, the flattest side.

Most of the fallen wall is covered in moss which in turn is covered in ferns and numerous other types of vegetation. However it was a fairly large fort being 56m by 23m. Outer parts of the defences can just about be seen but, they to, are turf and moss covered. The well mentioned by Feachem (crikey we owe this guy a lot as well) is still there to catch the unwary.

A cracking place to build a fort. Just a pity, like many forest forts, that the vegetation takes over.
Still a very worthwhile place to visit.

Visited 18/7/2018.