Latest Fieldnotes

From Rhayader take the B4518 to St Harmon but turn almost immediately left, towards Nantserth and Tynshimley farms, passing a mind control, er I mean radio mast on your right. The road up there is single file, watch out for car chasing dogs, turn right when you get to a crossroads, well, a road crossing a rough dirt track, follow the track as far as you want, there are plenty of opportunistic parking places.
Arthur and me left the car half way up the east/west track, out of view of either farm houses, I don’t think neither are farms though.

Through the gate at the bottom of the track and the footpath takes you right past the barrow. Another gate climbed and i’m in the barrow field.
It is a big one, comparable with Barrow 4 at Staylittle, I didn’t know that at the time though because I hadn’t been there yet.
About two meters tall and a good twenty odd across, and fair covered in thistles. The barrow is pretty spread out, one wonders if all spread barrows are ploughed down or were they ever designed that way. Moel Hywel at over five hundred meters high dominates the near surroundings. Standing on top of the barrow the south west view opens up as far as Esgair Penygarreg, itself cairn topped, but then all the hills round there are. They’re on the list but not today though, another time.

I’m guessing this should have a ‘Disputed Antiquity’ label really....

I came across a reference to this stone on the Parwich Village History website last year, where they suggest it to be possibly prehistoric.

It was first mentioned in a 15th Century document as The Holleston....the website translates this as being The Holestone; and if it’s one thing this stone has it is plenty of holes.

The 19th/20th Century iron work hinges put me off a bit.....but hey and in its favour its only a couple of fields away from the standing stone mentioned in the ‘HER’ at Hawkslow Farm.

When I read Carls field notes the WOW word jumped out most, I found it on Google earth, or at least where it should be, it couldn’t be seen, and with my awesome map reading skills coupled with Carls spot on directions, it was easy as pie to find this little gem of a hidden treasure. No trickyness involved, all straight forward. As you approach the cairn, I was thinking “is that it?, is that it?” but in an excited way not a disappointed way, apart from Cwmbiga long cairn and Pen y Gaer fort these would be my only stones of the day as all the others are barrows, and I do like a good kerb cairn.

This is a good kerb cairn, It’s got lots in common with themodernantiquarian.com/site/2523/dolgamfa_circle.html and themodernantiquarian.com/site/2156/hirnant_circle.html , but it’s surroundings are what takes the biscuit here, high on a hillside looking over the Afon Marteg, and away to the west up into big hill country, heavily cairn’d big hill country.
The cairn is another half buried donut, but unlike other donuts this one has sprinkles. Six large stones erupt from the cairns outer edge, and the inner scoop has a long stone half buried in it, cist or bedrock I don’t know. The main feature of this cairn is it’s placement, on it’s rocky spur jutting into the Marteg valley, below dark imposing boulders and cliffs. Stunning !!!
Then for the first and last time that day it started to rain on me, in my haste to “get out there” I neglected to bring a coat, so we hurriedly returned to the car for some much needed fuel intake (blue cheese butties, mmm)

Travelling north west from Llanidloes to Staylittle, veer off to the left to take the smaller view point saturated scenic route round llyn Clywedog. The fort is above the concrete mass of the Dam, south east end of the Llyn.

All I wanted was a direct route from Rhayader to Cwnbiga long cairn, but I found that my way was blocked by a hill fort that was too close to the road to ignore, you’d be surprised to know how often that happens. So I parked on a grassy verge right under the fort, only a two minute climb/walk, and bang, a damn good fort and some terrific views all along llyn Clywedog, probably the prettiest of all reservoirs.

On the way up the thin sheep track to the fort, a few strange bundles of stones or bedrock are
planted along the north east arc of the fort, one looks very constructed. Opposite the entrance to the fort on the south side is a wide flat circle of a hillock, like a siege mound or better a house platform. Entering the fort through it’s wide entrance I turn left to follow the broken down wall, things that have to be done at a hill fort are follow the wall all the way round, note the entrances, (until then you haven’t been there) then find some where good to park yer arse and enjoy the surroundings. Another entrance appears near the north, heading towards the easiest approach to the fort. Within the walls are several shelters, well probably shelters, like plops in water, or little craters. A cairn adorns the highest point of the hill, I think it’s not ancient, map says there’s a cairn here somewhere but my eyes cant quite discern where map is pointing to.

Damn this is a pretty place, having a good two thousand year old hill fort here as well is just the cherry on top.

It’s not an easy one to find, it is a long way from any main road, best reached either from the north at Staylittle or south from perhaps the prettiest reservoir ever seen llyn Clywedog. Parking was had under some conifers about 150 meters east of Cwmbiga farm. Not having the relevant map didn’t start the day off optimistically, but thankfully the first petrol station I got to had the right one.

From the car jump the fence and follow a small tree lined stream down to the corner of the field, climb the fence again, now there is a more substantial stream to cross. Arthur my three year old Jack Russell wouldn’t go near the water, so i picked him up, toyed with the idea of doing a balancing act crossing on a fallen tree, then just ran through on tip toes, and entered another world.

I thought the llyn Clywedog road side drive here was very easy on the eye, most agreeable. But the feast of thick, verdant, lush, damp loveliness that greeted me caught me completely off guard.
I had to turn around and look back the way I’d come incase i’d been transported to some far off fairy land. I put Arthur down and he sank up to his knees in moss, I picked him up and sought some more solid ground to put him on, there wasn’t much to choose from. Moving through this Jurassic paradise would be hard going, fallen trees abound, small black creeks crisscrossed the forest floor and the odd random deep hole waiting for an unsuspecting leg to break , all covered with a dozen kind off mosses, ferns and grasses. The air was thick with life too, flies, bugs and butterflies and their avian predators.

We sort of blundered around directionless, I started thinking that I’d be really lucky to find it under this thick carpet of life, so I did what I always do and headed for higher ground, better to see further and it’s usually drier and easier traversed. But brilliantly the higher ground turned out to be the long cairn. At the south east end of the cairn some stone work still shows above the mosses, right next to this cairn material is a large rectangular hole, I jumped in and had a grope about for any stone work, but the under growth was too thick. Moving north west along the length of the cairn is another deep rectangular hole, I jump in again and find lots off stone work, with only minimal furtling. After a long sit and stare about, a Jay shot through the small clearing not seeing Arthur and me till it was almost too late, it passed by about two feet from in front of our eyes. Brilliant !!!
After a much belabored circuit of the long cairn it was sadly time to go, passing back over the river again proved once more to be like a portal through worlds, from Jurassica back to Farmtopia. Swallows swooped all about us as we crossed the field, calling their shrill summer call, and not far away the almost obligatory Red Kite, this was a good one.

Laggan was the final stop of a very long but rewarding day. At the northern junction of the A938 on the A95 there is a track which leads to Easter Laggan. From here its over the gate and a beautiful walk uphill to the masts. Luckily I was joined by a very fit girl (and her dog) and male honour was kept as I managed to keep up with her all the way to the top. From here it’s head east, I thought the cairn was on the next hill. I was wrong but headed in a south easterly direction until the cairn came into view.

The views are exceptional south to the Spey and Cairngorms, east to Grantown, west over to Carrbridge and north to Tom A Chastiel (and another cairn). Sitting at almost 11 meters wide and 1.5 meters tall a near perfect cist resides in the cairn. Dense bracken as suggested by Canmore has vanished. I took advantage of this to have a seat, phone Strathie and decided enough was enough. I was done in and to go further would have been stupid in extreme, the other cairn can wait another day and another route.

With that it was back down the hill as shades of night came down adding to the atmosphere of the scenery. Eventually I made it back to the car, very tired but no injuries. Still, it had been a brilliant day and I’d met a lot of nice people on the way.

Also thank you to Tiompan, SC and Strathie for keeping me going as I’d quite literally ran out of steam. Still there are a lot more sites in this area, looks like I’ll have to do it all over again preferably with the same weather.

Visited 26/7/2012.

My computer and coflein don’t get on anymore, so I haven’t been able to find a numbering system for the barrow cemetery, so I made one of my own up. Starting in the north closest to the village of Staylittle, where most folk will come from, is barrows one and two and coming south up to number eight. Eight barrows in a cemetery one and a quarter miles long, most at the valley bottom except two on the hills to either side of the valley.

I came at them from the south, because I’d just been to the long cairn at Cwm Biga.
So barrow 8 was the first barrow we came to. It’s on the eastern side of the small road. Behind some buildings, but it’s all but gone. Maybe a mound less than a foot tall, and hidden in dense vegetation. I never even took a picture, that doubtful I was as to whether it was there at all. But over the fields I could see barrow 7. Back in the car, two hundred yards north, and I parked right next to barrow 7, it’s ten yards over the fence. About five feet tall, and from some directions it melds right into the countryside, hiding in plain site.Barrow 8

Barrow 6 so the map and google earth says is hidden in a forestry plantation, but it’s all been recently chopped, revealing the barrow nicely.
Turning right off the road and driving up a rapidly disappearing track, we were soon off roading and
able to park within fifty feet of the barrow. I left Arhtur the jack russell in the car whilst I jumped the fence and carefully traversed the broken ground where the trees had been. The barrow is at least two meters tall, and the tree stumps surrounding look like some kind off kebing. The barrow has lots of different grasses on top and is a nice place to sit and survey the valley, even if the trees had still been here I think it would have been a nice place, barrows 7,4 and 3 are visible from here, and barrow 8 were it still there.

Back to the car and back to the main road, turn right, head north two hundred meters, spot barrow 4 through gate in the corner of the field. carry on past it turn left and park in the corner of a small housing estate. Arthur and me walked into the corner of some common land, where kids make dens and tarzies, over a small fence and through a small gate brings us out right behind barrow 4. Again it’s about two meters tall but considerably more spread than the other barrows.
From here barrows 3 and 6 can be seen on opposite hillsides. Back to the car and head north for a hundred metres park on the right by footpath sign.

Barrow 5 can be seen at the top of the field in front of more forestry trees. I skirted round the field keeping to the path for as long as possible, but in the end the barbed wire topped fenced has to be jumped. Arthur’s helped over, then my turn, riiiiip, crap, they were my favorite trousers, torn too badly to fix, they’ll have to be chucked away on my return home. The barrow is the smallest of the octuplets, maybe a meter tall. From here I can see more barrows on the valley floor, 1 and 2 I presume. Back to the car, Arthur is intrigued by the sheep but feels no compulsion to chase, good boy.

Barrows 1 and 2 are reached along a farm track, I leave Art in the car and walk off towards the farm. Barrow 1 comes first, about half way from the road and the farm, situated on a small spit of land by the track over looking a small river that eventually empties into the reservoir.
The interior of the barrow is seriously scooped, but would have been near three meters tall had it been intact.

A hundred yards south west is the best barrow in the complex, Barrow 2. Intact and unscooped from here I can see barrow 2, 5 and 3 . The field with two barrows has sheep and some big cows, but the sheep don’t run and baa away, the cows don’t get too excited and I’m left to roam at will.

On the hill further south west is Barrow 3, the only one that I don’t attempt to get to, but from the other barrows I can see that it’s situated not at the top of the hill but half way down on a false crest so as to be seen on the horizon. And that is Staylittle barrow cemetery a remarkable place, hidden in a valley away from prying eyes, it’s not the kind of place you stumble upon as it’s in the middle of no where, but a very pretty no where.

Visited 28.7.12

A visit to St Lythans when visiting Tinkinswood is pretty much a given.

This time the audio post was in place and working fine.
You turn the dial to the required setting and give the handle a quick crank.
You then have a few minutes talk giving details of the site.
I have to say I thought this was rather good and would be of benefit to most people visiting this site – it certainly gives a better appreciation of the tomb and its surroundings.
The audio post is near the road so well away from the tomb itself.

As with Tinkinswood I had the place to myself.
In fact I have never seen anyone else here which is a shame as it is a good place to visit and easy to access.

Visited 28.7.12

After reading an article in the latest CADW magazine I was inspired to make another trip to Tinkinswood.
This was no hardship as A – it was a lovely sunny day, B – it’s only 30 minutes away and C – it’s a fab place to visit!

I parked in the small parking area and made my way across the field to the burial chamber.
As ever, I had the place to myself although on this occasion the chamber didn’t have its near permanent puddle, just a few inches of soft mud.
Which at least made stooping through the entrance a bit less messy than normal.

The sun was warm, the grass dry (also for a change) and I sat a while in the forecourt and tried to imagine the ceremonies which may have taken place here and all the people who had been here over 5,000 years or so. It was a very relaxing experience.

I then headed over to the ‘quarry’ area to have a look at the place where a Bronze Age Barrow had recently been discovered.

The CADW article states that this was a ‘modest barrow, about 5m in diameter. It covered two pits cut into the bedrock but, presumably due to the acidic soil, no traces remained of the burials’. In the upper levels, a lot of cremated bones and a Roman coin was found.

Looking at the Barrow site a very slight raise can be seen if you use the ‘eye of faith’.
It did make me think mind why the large slabs of stone were piled on top of it?
Was this deliberate or coincidence? I guess we will never know.
These stones used to be thought as a possible collapsed burial chamber but it has been shown that this is not the case – even if it looks like one!

I then went to have a go at the new audio post which CADW have installed to tell the site’s story. Unfortunately it has already been removed! I did hear that it had stopped working after only 2 weeks so hopefully it has been taken to be repaired and not as an act of vandalism.

From Auchendean Hotel’s owner I received directions to a second and ‘new to me’ cairn. He gave various directions which I’ve forgotten, but make for the top of the hill and you won’t go far wrong.

This cairn must be almost 15 meters wide and at least 2 meters tall. It was also has a cist and possibly another underneath the main cairn. It is in a very beautiful location with tremendous views north, and in it’s day probably wonderful views down south to the Cairngorms.

Now it must be said that this cairn is in fantastic condition. The cist is clean, the main cairn practically spotless and marker sticks indicate the outside cairn perimeter. A very modest hotel owner explained how he cared for and cleaned the cairn for several years, now he’d started on the cairn close to the hotel. He also explained about some nearby cists whose contents were taken to Edinburgh.

On the way back down I became completely lost and ended up at a quarry some distance to the south west of the hotel. Luckily it was also near the A95. As I arrived the hotel owner enquired how I’d managed to get on.

A lot of people could learn from this man, I certainly did. It was a privilege to have met him.

Visited 26/7/2012.

Auchendean Hotel is situated on A95 just south west of the Dulnain Bridge, A938, junction. I asked permission to park and visit the cairn only to be told there was two, 1 behind the hotel and another at the top of hill.

This cairn is some 14 meters wide and at it’s highest is 2 meters. The centre of the cairn is slightly empty due to the 1866 excavation. Still all is not lost and the cairn seems to be in reasonable condition. Most of the trees and gorse have been removed, most of the cairn material at the southern end can now be seen and at least the original outline is visible. Remarkable work but nothing compared to the top of the hill, my next site.

At the hotel, go thru the gate at the back, past the beehives and walk a further 100 meters. The cairn is slightly to the west of the track.

Visited 26/7/2012.

Just along the road east from Easter Gallovie going south is the track to Clury Farm. In the field immediately to the east this interestingly shaped Wessex type cairn stands.

The actual cairn being 14 meters wide and 2 meters tall siting on a platform that is almost 20 meters wide. It is grass covered with cairn material poking thru. A dry stane dyke surrounds and has unfortunately caused some damage. Being in a fairly flat area enables good all round views. Also causing interest (at least to me) is the presence of 4 large recumbent boulders 3 complete with chokes. These must probably be field clearance or Strathie and his cousin have came down to pinch Aberdeenshire’s recumbents. Maybe Strathie will provide an answer :-)

Still another lovely site, close to the road so therefore a short walk.

Visited 26/7/2012.

I was quite surprised by how big this stone was, standing prominently by the side of the road, and clearly visible as you continue to walk along Tal-y-Fan from Maen y Bardd. When I first saw it I thought it might be a natural stone, but small chocking stones are clearly visible around the base, and it looks as if a mound has been built up for the stone to stand on.

Cae Coch is also known as Esgid-y-Cawr or the ‘Giant’s shoe’ apparently. The bumbling behemoth having lost its footwear whilst chasing it’s recalcitrant dog (the same beast reputed to been the cause of Ffon y Cawr as well) It’s certainly a nice chunky stone, it must be a good 7’ tall, eminently huggable, and with a fine view looking out down over the Conwy valley.

I like the idea that this and Ffon y Cawr symbolise the male and female aspects of the land, it may just be a romantic pagan notion, but the stones do seem to be carefully chosen to have that suggestive quality!

Visited 26th May 2012

As I walked from the Rhiw youth hostel, where I’d left the car, I kept my eyes peeled for this one on the approach toward Maen y Bardd, but the smaller of the two ‘Greyhound’s Kennels’ is not easy to spot, hunkered into the hillside as it is. Only after reaching the dolmen of Maen y Bardd itself, and spending some time at that lovely place, did I dig out the OS map, and compass in hand headed off to the ENE.

The jumble of stones across the hillside kept drawing my eye, each one seeming to possibly signify the location of the chamber, but putting all my trust in the compass I soon spotted the ‘blasted tree’ a huge hawthorn canted over at an angle which pointed out the chamber.

And what a place it is! A lovely earthfast chamber, seemingly opening into the hillside. I scooted inside, the chamber surprisingly spacious, although low roofed it must stretch back a good 6’. It’s nice and sheltered in here but still light and airy, mossy growths on the inner stones make it seem like the entrance to a subterranean underworld and I spend some time soaking up the atmosphere, and feeling as if I’m embraced by the earth.

Back outside the chamber I try to get an idea of the layout of the site. A few small stones stand outside the chamber, and a vague outline of a mound once covering the chamber can just be discerned, the whole shape of the burial chamber looks to me almost as if it might have been a wedge-shaped tomb. This enigmatic little chamber is certainly a cracker.

Visited 17.6.12

And so my 3 week ‘Scottish adventure’ comes to an end.
It started with a stone circle and so it is fitting that it should end with a stone circle.

We parked on the verge next to the stile and Karen and the children stayed in the car as I entered the field full of young cows to walk over to the circle.

As I walked around the circle touching each stone (as you do) I became aware of all the cows heading towards me.
I wasn’t too bothered at first but became a bit more concerned as they had now started to run towards me!

I headed back to the stile only to be overtaken by the cows who obviously thought they were going to get fed by Karen. This meant I had to push my way through the cows to get to the stile and out of the field. As it happens this was ok but I am sure it would have frightened people who are not used to this sort of thing!

Well, it was time to head home and back to ‘reality’.
It was a busy but very productive 3 weeks ‘old stoning’ in which I visited many more sites than I expected. (Thank you Karen).
Also thanks to all of you who have read/suffered all the posts I have written over the last few weeks and no doubt would have been fed up of seeing so many!

Visited 16.6.12

The best place to park is in the forestry commission car park and walk to the stone.

Access to the field is via a wooden gate.

The stone is approximately 1 metre high and has a ‘V’ notched out of the top of it.
The stone is on a small grass knoll.

The stone is visible from the road but it is easier to see when travelling east.

Visited 16.6.12

After enjoying a cuppa in the town of Ballater it was time for a minor detour south.
(There was a craft fair going on when we arrived and I picked up a nice print of Callanish for £10 – would have cost 3 times that in the Callanish visitor centre!)

The stone stands in an open field opposite a house so no fences to climb over for a change!

The stone is approximately 1.7 metres high with green lichen on top.

Worth a look when in the area.

Visited 16.6.12

Although right next to the road this stone is easy to miss as it is amongst trees and can be mistaken for a tree trunk!
Look to the left of the gate.

It is approximately 2 metres tall x 0.8 metres wide at the base.

No lichen for a change!

Visited 16.6.12

This 2 metre tall stone is easy to visit via a metal gate in the corner of the field.

The stone is covered in lichen.

If you would rather not risk the ire of a farmer the stone is easily seen from the road.

Visited 16.6.12

Access is easy although parking on the busy A827 isn’t.

This is a very large Barrow, next to the road, which has a circle of large trees planted on top of it.

A single standing stone sits on top of the Barrow.

Worth a visit as long as you can find somewhere to park!

After some refreshment at the Boat Of Garten, the lady at the shop added to my list of sites to visit (next time), I headed north to Carrbridge in order to give the legs a bit of a rest. From Carrbridge, on the B9153, head east on the minor road called Carr Road. Keep going until Easter Gallovie and stop at the barns.

For change, today, this is a very rural cairn set near the picturesque River Dulnain. It is 20+ meters wide and easily 2.5 meters high. Sadly the western and southern have been quarried somewhat but it still is an impressive structure.

Just north of Easter Gallovie, follow the track east of the barns which leads straight to the cairn. Bright sunshine, one or two dark clouds, a cheery place today.

Visited 26/7/2012.

From the Deishar Wood cairn, at NH94042054, I headed in a south westerly direction until I reached the track just north of Dochlaggie farm. Fairly tricky terrain, a few fallen trees, burns and some large puddles hiding underneath the moss but nothing to exciting.

At the track head up hill until the track meets another track. Instead of using any of the tracks head straight west into the woods, the cairn is about 400 meters away sitting on top of a small hill.

Originally it was 25 meters wide as a smattering of boulders, some possibly kerbs, proves but the main cairn is probably around 20 meters wide with it’s highest point being 2.5 meters. The chamber, difficult to spot, except for a slab, can be seen thru parts of the rubble and reminds us, so says Canmore, of similar types of thing in the Orkney and Shetland islands.

Once again this place felt very old, the trees, moss covered stones and heat (yes, heat) giving the site a warm kind of glow. Another lovely site, another lovely place which would have stunning views south if it wasn’t for the trees. No complaints, the trees have done a good job and protected it for many a year.

Visited 26/7/2012.

Fortunately this was an incident free walk up a hill thru very nice woods as Mr T says. I pulled in at the track to Deishar opposite the Boat Of Garten road. Up the hill, 2nd left, keep looking north the cairn is next to the track. 10 meters wide and just over a half meter tall. Lovely place, lovely vibe.

Visited 26/7/2012.

Now the walk from the standing stones to the Clava cairn isn’t that far and provided an excellent opportunity to speak to Tiompan asking for details about this site. Although chancy, I climbed the fence, crossed the railway, climbed another fence and walked over to the cairn. Unlike previous people I’d met thru the day the farmer driving his tractor did not take me on. With all the info gleaned from Tiompan I prepared to take photos only to discover the old camera was gone. Still I went back to railway and luckily found it lying in the tracks. Back over the fence I went and a new Olympic record was set for high jump, the electric fence had been switched on...............to stop hay escaping presumably.

All the details are in SC’s link, the kerbs and possible fallen stones in the correct places. The site is fenced for protection.

With that it was back to the car at the Ouchnoire track nursing a sore leg after the electric fence incident. This farmer obviously doesn’t play fair.

Visited 26/7/2012.

From the Toum cairn I headed back down the hill and crossed a very busy A95 going slightly west before heading south towards Tullochgorum. Keep going until the farm and then head west for about 200 meters. Look for a gate or jump the fence, the stones are in the field below.

Two very differently shaped stones here. One magnificent, to the west, and one looking like it was pinched from the chamber cairn at Gaich. (I made that bit up but the stone would do the job) Once again superb views of the Spey and Cairngorms. After this it’s the nearby Clava cairn. Still no signs of running out of steam!

Visited 26/7/2012.