Latest Fieldnotes

A ladder stile leads onto the tussocky lower slopes of Fan Nedd. There is no obvious path and so I’m left to pick a route that is reasonably direct to the summit. Due to time constraints after the lengthy stop at Maen Llia, I’ve decided to abandon a visit to the two cairns on the eastern slopes of the mountain and to concentrate on getting to the top of the mountain. I confess to a certain feeling of unfinished business here. A couple of years ago I came here a matter of hours after Gladman had been (small world). On that occasion the slopes were snow-covered and going was slow. My friend and I made it to the pointy cairn on the ridge in a hailstorm (what is it with these tops and hail?) and very stupidly mistook it for the summit trig point marked on the map. As such, we didn’t reach the summit and I’ve been keen to come back and rectify the error. So today I head straight up the mountain’s eastern flank. This proves to be very hard going, the slope is very steep and the vegetation is ankle-knee deep. Only the occasional stops to look back at Maen Llia, dwindling into a black dot below, and the unfolding view of Fan Llia across the valley, make the ascent anything other than a trial.

But reaching the ridge, close to the trig, the views to the west make up for the aching knees. Once at the summit (663m OD), the views to Fan Gyhirych and Y Mynydd Du are magnificent and far-reaching, clear of the clouds of earlier.

From the summit it’s a fairly easy stroll north along the ridge towards the “pointy” cairn. About halfway along the ridge I come across a recumbent slab, unworked but with a hole drilled in it. No-one is likely to have ever put a fence up here, so perhaps a fallen boundary stone? The pointy cairn is every bit as ludicrous looking as the last time I came here. But what’s this? It rests on a turfed over mound of much greater diameter, with stones protruding through the thin covering. Suspicions start to grow and I get the feeling that the walker-made pyramid conceals something much, much older. The positioning is typically clever, allowing the maximum panoramic view, particularly northwards, absent at the mid-ridge summit. It is certainly similar in construction to the cairn on neighbouring Fan Gyhirych.

[A post-visit Coflein check suggests that the instinct was correct and that these are the remains of a bronze age cairn, positioned with the usual fine attention to detail.]

The cairn is separated from the Maen Llia monolith by the Afon Llia itself, fast-flowing and not as easy to cross as it looks, with peaty banks quick to crumble underfoot. But cross I must, as the pull of the stone, one of South Wales’ undoubted megalithic stars, is too much to avoid for long. This will be my second visit here. The last time I came with a friend by car and to be honest I had little hope of ever making it back here under my own steam. It’s a wonderful, wonderful stone, enjoying a lovely view down the valley between the two steeply rising mountains that flank its either side. The shaggy coat of moss gives it a primordial look, and even years’ old graffiti can do little to undermine its towering charm.

I spend a good while here, undisturbed by any other visitors, although an empty car is parked nearby. Time stops briefly, and I recharge for the next and steepest of today’s climbs. When the time comes to bid farewell – adieu hopefully – I do so with some sadness. This is a site that rewards the effort of getting here tenfold.

In a line between the standing stone and my route is a green mound, which will prove to be the Rhyd Uchaf cairn. To get to it, there are a couple of deceptively steep-sided streams to cross. Although ruined, the placing of the cairn is nicely judged, on a little knoll surrounded by various tributary streams of the nascent Afon Llia, the water source that may well have provided the inspiration for the siting of the little complex of monuments here and of this cairn in particular.

As I make the Fan Dringarth ridge, the thick grey cloud is now right over my head and the temperature drops as I walk into an increasingly strong wind. Here I meet a group of three walkers, the only other people I will see on the whole of the walk today. At length the summit of Fan Llia comes into view ahead, a straightforward plod to the top. The summit itself, at 632m OD, turns out to be marked only with the concrete base of an otherwise vanished trig pillar, but enjoys very decent views of the surrounding peaks. The cairn is further south, off the very highest point but still on the summit ridge. Unfortunately, as I get to within 100 yards of the cairn, it starts to hail, the wind blasting the icy bullets straight into my face. Not the nicest way to make your first site of the day!

Even less nice is the poor treatment that has been inflicted on the cairn itself. There is the usual turfed footprint of a large cairn, boasting excellent views to the south that are lacking from the summit and emphasise the obvious reasons for its positioning at the end of the ridge. Sadly, the mound itself has been badly “altered” by walkers. The stones are flat slabs of sandstone, heaped up into a somewhat shapeless pile. Other, larger slabs have been leant and propped up around the perimeter, giving the whole thing the air of half-built neglect. It’s difficult to respond to such a wilful lack of respect with anything but anger.

All that said, the setting is terrific, even the ongoing hail doesn’t detract on that score, although it doesn’t help photography much! It’s too cold and windswept to linger here for long, body temperature quickly dropping when not I’m moving. Besides which, it looks like a cruel up-and-down to get from here to Fan Nedd, the next summit on my route and so I head westwards off the top, not following any particular path but making generally towards the visible block of Maen Llia far below me. Needless to say, the hail stops within a minute of leaving the cairn.

East Hill dominates the Eastern side of Old Town Hastings and you are struck immediately by it’s impregnability as you walk beneath the sandstone cliffs to the south or climb the steep steps on it’s western flank. Though we were here for a day trip and hadn’t come prepared with maps or ideas of a long stroll along the cliff tops it was evident once we were up there that this hill had history. There are perceptible undulations here and there across the turf indicating possible cross dykes or cultivation strips, but these are over-run with flattened areas suggesting more recent use as a putting green. Towards the crest of the hill is a broadly rectangular enclosure that I wasn’t entirely sure about as it’s now devoted to barbecuing, but it’s in the right place and has an air of ancientness about it. Walking on Eastwards across the hill you get magnificent views of golden limestone cliffs towering defiantly over a churning English Channel and just as you begin to dip downwards you come across the biggest piece of evidence so far in the form of a huge dyke running North to the other side of the hill. It’s largely overgrown and quite difficult to make out but it seems to be a whopper and suggests that this is indeed an Iron Age promontory fort.

Further research at home also revealed that the modern beacon you pass near the top of the steps stands on what was probably a large Bronze Age barrow. This was reused for burials in Saxon times possibly by the towns earliest Saxon arrivals who gave the town its name. West Hill, which stands across the valley from Old Town Hastings, also has prehistory and was also used to build one of the original Norman Castles following the conquest.

Visited 9.2.13

Directions:
Come off the M27 at junction 7, then the A334, then the A27 north.
Turn right along the B3035 then the minor road on the left just before the hospital.
You will then see Monarch Way on your left – park here.
The Barrow is in the patch of grass next to the road.

There is virtually nothing to see here, just a very slight ‘mound’ in the middle of the grass. If you didn’t know it was there you certainly wouldn’t spot it.

Not one to recommend.

Visited 9.2.13

Directions:
From the pretty town of Arundel take the minor roads north east to the delightful village of Burpham. Park next to the church and take the footpath opposite which leads past the George and Dragon pub and the village hall. Follow the obvious (but muddy) path on past the small play ground and out onto the Promontory Fort.

Fortunately the snow and rain we encountered on our way south had relented and all was dry if overcast. Karen and the children opted to stay in the car while I headed out alone.

Although there is little/nothing to be seen of the fort it is still a lovely place to visit.
It was a very quiet spot except for the shotguns going off in the distance. I startled several rabbits and pheasants on my approach. There are decent views to be had all around.

As for the Fort itself there was nothing I could see in the way of defences.
Although not raised very high above the surrounding area the natural steepness of the banks seem to have been the main defence? I could see no sign of ant extra ditches/ramparts etc.

Worth a visit for the surroundings more so than for any archaeological remains.

Yaaaay! somewhere else I haven’t been before.
The list gets smaller still.
Probably one of the lesser known of Cornwall’s quoits. The Lands end quoits are a bit holidayish, but even though its only four and nine miles from Padstow and Newquay respectively, Pawton quoit takes a bit of finding, there’s not very good access either, and in the summer the ferns get high. All in all making it a bit lesser known than others.

I parked in the space before a little used gate at the north east corner of the chamber’s field, left the kids in the car and walked back up the road to where a scramble place has been carved over the field wall, deftly jumping over it I entered the field of choice and jogged over. Time was short and the sun was going down upon a long day that still had a nearly three hundred mile drive to finish with.
Since I first put this site on my list more pictures have been added on here, but none of them show how big the mound is on which the quoit sits. Even without the stone chamber I would still have made a special visit just to see the barrow if it were closer to home, it’s really quite large.
But then I didn’t get many of it either, just a couple with the sun going down behind it, and then just time enough to walk all the way round it hand draped affectionately across the stones. A gander underneath the whopper capstone, then came the car beeps.
Time for a couple of minutes inspecting the quartz veins running through it, a theme for the day, and looking round the vista the capstone points to, then another beep.
Damn! it’s time to go.

Yaaaay! somewhere I haven’t been before.
The list gets smaller.
I spied around the place using Google earth, the 21st centuries scrying equipment, and used the parking place on the A39, and the stile by the gate.
What Google couldn’t tell me was how boggy and muddy is the entry into the field, but Carl and Mr Hamhead sorted us with that information. But even so, I still went over in my trainers, they were soaked by the time I got to the stones, and brown in general colour.

The distressing colour of my feet was however off set against the more than pretty colour of the Maidens. Whilst grey in the main, some maidens have a pink quartzy shine to them, and they all have white quartz veins running through them, it’s impact upon me may have been lessened though ive just come here straight from Duloe stone circle ( Via Newquay zoo, they have a Fishing cat Dontcha know).
They are very pretty, maidens draped in long pearl necklaces.
But some Maidens have fallen, one seems to be calling out unheeded for help from her friends, but it gets worse, the end Maiden has fallen and broken her self in two. Sad.
But.
They still retain some composure though, I have a liking for stones having a lie down.
The trickle of water that runs by the stones could be construed as pleasant, I certainly found it conducive to a happy disposition.
Still, it was wet and muddy so all things in balance.

A previously unrecorded rock found last week .
Midway (just over a mile to either ) between the Pictish stones at Aberlemno and Blackgate standing stones .

I haven’t been here for a long time, it was before the kids were born i’m sure. There was only one concrete plan for the day, and that was Newquay zoo (They have a Fossa, dontcha know) so I could pick anywhere in the vicinity so long as it’s not far from the road.
I could have chosen anywhere, but my last trip here was in the pre-digital days so I just had to come back, first it was The Hurlers then Trethevy quoit now this brilliant little circle.

There are several reasons for its brilliance, it’s really close to the road for a start, I parked by the front of the church, left the kids, two minutes later it was “wheres my shades man”.
The circle described by the stones is small, I like small stone circles over the great big ones like Stannon and Fernacre, much more cozy and homely.
Though the circle is small the stones are large, mainly, the highest is eight and a half feet tall, five others coming down to about head height.
But the most brilliant thing is the shiny glowing whiteness of the quartz stones, ever since my first trip here thirteen years ago all the quartz stones ive seen have been compared to these stones here at Duloe, and ive got to tell you, nothing compares to them. If anything my long absence has whitened them , they seem more white than my memory allows.
The smaller butterfly inspired stone can stay as far as i’m concerned, it could do with being a bit bigger but it seems to fit well, probably the whiteness.

Brilliant !!!

We could see the Cheesewring from over by the Hurlers, but the last time was the same too, I could see it, I start to walk towards it, looked up and its gone, there one moment gone the next. I turned back and scurried off back to the car.
But not this time, we could see it, so we started to walk towards it, looked up and it was gone, again. long drawn out siiiiigh.
But we kept on going, pushing aside any thoughts of wandering the moor forever more, (Ahem), my daughter was waiting in the car for us, she doesn’t see many stones anymore, shes thirteen now and very settled in her role as moody teenager, hopefully we’d be back soon.

I did not know the Cheesewring is right next to a dirty great quarry, no idea at all. Nor did I know the rock stack was so big, a giants construction if ever there was one. And whats with the corner supports ? apparently helping to prop up the higher layers, surely not ?
A brilliant place to sit and watch the mists rolling across the moor, probably best seen on a nice summers day, but any weather will do if you’ve come more than 200 miles.

A bit of spare quididge and we were off to the zoo, “which one are we going that necessitates a 2.30 am get up call ” the kids asked, or words to that effect.
” Nooooooookey ?”
“Its in Cornwall” I replied overlooking the obvious grammar mistake.

Almost five hours later, and Eric, Mia the young Jack Russell and Myself were striking out across the moor, into yet more mist and drizzle, every time I come here the weather is right crap. Upon seeing the whole site emerge out of the nether world Eric muttered something to himself then said to me there’s alot of them isn’t there ?

That’s one of the good things about the Hurlers, ( another is it’s proximity to the road) there’s so many stones left you can easily see the outline of all three stone circles. The fallen stones are long, some are trying to snuggle there way under the turf, even the broken stumps are not completely devoid of interest, they define some of the more worn out arcs of the circles.
The central circle of the three has a central stone standing in it, there is a long fallen stone between the central and the northern circle, and another possible fallen stone half way between the northern circle and the Cheeswring.
Also not to be forgotten are the Pipers off to the side by the southern circle, and the Minions mound should also be seen by the houses back yard.
But I didn’t know about it until I got back, darn now i’ll have to go back, darn indeed.

Visited 5th February 2013

Access to these stones proved easier than in Moth’s old fieldnotes. As you come into Stromness on the main road from Kirkwall take a right at the mini-roundabout onto North End Road, soon, bear right again onto Back Road, which wends its way up the brea at the back of the town. At the next mini-roundabout head right again on the Outertown Road, from which you you soon see a brown signpost directing you to turn left to Warebeth beach. We parked down near the graveyard on the coast, not risking the bumpy narrow road which gives access to the small parking area overlooking the beach.

From here follow the coastal path, and you will soon see the profile of the stones on the horizon. After crossing a small burn the path takes a sharp turn right and heads inland. Just a short ways up this path you will see a lane to your left which leads straight into the field containing the stones. Today (as with my last visit) this heavily rutted lane is full of pools of water, but a handy ridge between the deep tyre ruts acts like a causeway to keep our feet dry.

At the stones, both solid blocks around 4’ high, you get great views out over the bay. It is still windy today, but nowhere near the storm force winds of the last couple of days which had shut down the ferries, and from our vantage point at the stones we watch the MV Hamnavoe labour its way through the heavy seas on its crossing to Scrabster.

The sun is out, but on the way up we were pelted by a quick rain/hail storm, such is the capriciousness of the Orcadian weather, and now a rainbow is visible over toward Stromness. As we stand at the stones the raw elemental power of Orkney is tangible, as huge waves break at the beach, and snow is still visible on the high hills of Hoy across the water.

I take a look at the other nearby stone mentioned in the fieldnotes, but again am not sure whether it was ever part of an alignment, somehow it feels more perhaps like an ancient boundary stone. Regardless it’s a fine place here, a pleasent walk, wonderful views and a pair of megalithic stones, what more could you ask for!

09/02/2013 – This is a good one. We parked at the farm and and asked if it was OK to visit the circle. No problems and friendly folk. The RSC is in a lovely little copse and with quite a few stones still standing. I liked the feel of the place, hidden away behind the last shed. The recumbent and flankers are great. Quite sunny today which lit the circle well through the bare trees. Nice farm shop as well. Bought some cakes which went down well with a cup of coffee at our next stop – the bench next to Strichen stone circle.

This standing stone is on the business centre side of the track, moving closer to the paper mill, standing beside a small farming building. Probably part of the stone row it stands at over 1 meter high and fits with Chris’s and my own theories about the henge. So another part of the jigsaw was found thanks to an auld granny giving me row for not using my eyes properly.

Visited 7/02/2013.

From the henge on the outskirts follow the road round until it ends at the barriers, to the left a business centre, straight on is the now sadly defunct paper mills. At the barrier head into the wood to the south and walk 500 yards or so.

It is pure fluke I found out about these as the grandmother of one of my pupils asked me if I’d looked properly in the woods at Broomend. Obviously I hadn’t and was glad for the tip.

Several cists have been pulled together to sit beside a capstone, 2 meters by 1 meter possibly made into a seat to overlook the man made lake. Looking at old maps the area was covered in cists and long before standing stones stood in a row coming from the henge. Sadly most of these have gone but my tipster told me there was one more nearby. She was right.

Visited 7/02/2013.

Visited 2.2.13

Directions:
From the centre of Crickhowell (a favourite place of mine) heading south, take the first minor road left and then the first left again. Go up the hill until you see a metal field gate on your right – park as close to here as you can. Hop over the gate and the standing stone will be visible near some trees on your right.

The first thing to strike me was the sheer size of the stone – it’s a whopper! – much to big to be just a boundary stone.
Well over head height and covered in white and green lichen.

As I stood there admiring this fine stone I was startled by the ‘crack’ of an air rifle being fired. I looked over and saw a man in full camouflage laying on the ground taking pot shots at targets further up the field. Talk about being surprised! I hadn’t seen him and he obviously hadn’t seen me.
I assume he was allowed to be there? Although I could hardly complain as I clearly wasn’t!
I decided it was perhaps not best to hang around too long!

This stone is well worth a visit when in the area. It certainly looks like an ‘old stone’ to me. Just watch out for men in camouflage!

03/02/2013 – Like a lot of folk, I found this too restored and pristine for my taste last time I was here. Today I left with a bit more love for it than before. Winter is good at making places more rough and ready and today it was working its magic on Cullerie for me. It’s an odd little site and reminds me a little of Forvie kerb cairns. I don’t know if it’s the same dog as the one in Chris’ photo from 11 years back, but if it is, it still loves playing fetch. Nice end to a good day out.

03/02/2013 – I don’t know what it is about stone circles in woods but I love them. I guess that most were not originally in amongst trees but I think a nice clearing in a wood sure adds an enchanted feeling. Glassel stone circle is a special place. Five, small, upright stones, looking for all the world like they are deep in conversation and after a few thousand years they still haven’t run out of things to say.

There’s a nice photo on Canmore of the circle with the fallen stone re-erected from 1903, link below

canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/details/681377/#tb-form

Imbolc today, my favourite day of the year and the winter sun was shining in the promise of spring. Met up with my friend (who owns a car) and we headed off into the Cotswolds to Avening (passing through that parallel universe of Tetbury where no-one is poor, disabled, or in any way dishevelled).

Following the directions of thesweetcheat, Carl and Baza, we found the private road easily (about 200 metres past the local school) on the other side of the road. We quickly spotted the place where others have scrambled down the bank under the barbed wire – a bit steep but we went carefully. What a great surprise these two little chambered tombs are – the remains of a third also visible. Set into the bank they reminded me of some of the Irish wedge tombs in size. I’ve since learnt they had been moved from their original site – see Rhiannon’s notes.

Seeing them for the first time without being aware that this was not their original location I have to say they seemed very ‘settled’ into the steep bankside, well camouflaged as they are by fallen leaves, soil and moss. A lovely spot overlooking what today was a fast flowing river.

02/02/2013 – Easy access for this one but cows are often in the field. From the Slacks (NJ 84433 14734) we went through the two gates across the road from the car park and walked the 500m NE to the hut circles. The three hut circles lay pretty much in a line, on top of a raise just before the ground slopes sharply down to the River Don. The first hut (NJ 8487 1509) we came to is easy to make out and the biggest of the three. 40m NE, the second hut (NJ 8489 1514) is the pick of the three. Good wall with some great stones standing just outside. The last hut (NJ 8491 1517) is another 20m on but was quite hard to make out. There are quite a few cairns in the area as well. Lovely weather today. Cold but sunny with the odd snow shower. I was really taken with the place. The view from the hut circles over the fields to the River Don and beyond to Bennachie is quite special. Easy to see why they picked here to make their home. If you are in the area visiting the Slacks cairn, its well worth adding these to the day as well.

On the South Western doorstep of Minninglow the Roystone Rocks and the valley are a great place to explore.
There is so much interest here; in regards to TMA the barrows along the eastern edge of the valley are worth finding not for their remains
but their position and views over the Roystone Valley.
Much of what lies in the valley bottom dates to the Romano period, wall foundations, enclosures,house terraces right through to the foundations of a 13th Century grange and
excellent 13th Century stone walling.Along with todays working farm.

It’s Roystone Rocks where the real interest lies. A small hiltop topped with a shattered limstone pavement with rocks that pertrude from the ground like rotten molars.
The rocks have been part excavated and part test pitted. Both Methods recovered a large amount of chert and flint tools and flakes dated to the Mesolithic. A hunting platform
has been identified on the rocks overlooking the western side, although I couldn’t say where...on the western slopes are said to be Neolithic field plots, but once I again I couldn’t tell from the natural.

All within Minninglow’s shadow.

For a good read on the areas history try Richard Hodge’s “Roystone Grange 6000years of a 
Peakland Landscape”

Re-visited this today and had a bit more of a nose around. I really doubt that this is, or was ever, a round barrow. It strikes me more as a ringfort or rath – it has that feel about it. However, there is a bank and ditch just a metre inside the tree/shrub-line so it could certainly be a flattened/robbed-out barrow.
It’s situated above the mill road on a natural, defensible hillock and is on the grounds of Stewart’s Hospital. There has been work carried out near it recently but it seems that due respect was given to the monument during construction.

Visited 26.1.13

Directions:
From Usk take the B4598 north. Shortly after driving through Llanfair Kilgeddin you come to a left hand turn – park here. Look across the field to your right (crop field) and you will see the long, low mound of the largely ploughed out Barrow.

I was a bit worried about seeing anything with all the snow we have had lately but it wasn’t a problem as most of it had been washed away with the overnight rain.

I think if you visited when the field was in crop you wouldn’t see anything.
Go visit the nearby Coed-Y-Bwnydd Hillfort instead – much better!