Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 29.10.11

I agree 100% with the comments made by Kammer. I can really only add that the stone is still standing – just.

Unless it is re-erected it won’t be long before it falls – which would be a shame.

Visited 29.10.11

I took the minor road south west out of Llanpumpsaint village and then the private road leading to Bwlch Yr Onnan Farm. As I approached the farm there was a sign which warned – ‘private – guard dogs on patrol‘

I did think about turning around at this point but by now I had no choice but to keep going as the farm track was barely the width of the car and there was nowhere to turn. I had to continue to the farm in order to turn around. The farm track was in poor condition.

As I turned I spotted the stone the other side of the field fence. It is a fine stone, the biggest I had seen today, approximately 2 metres high x 1 metre square. Given the warning about the dogs

I decided to play safe and view from the safety of my car. I didn’t see any dogs but I wasn’t taking a chance!

Visited 27/10/2011:
To be completely honest, I first read about this stone on the Megalithic Portal website about two weeks ago. It fired up my imagination as I had been on Minchinhampton Common very recently. Minchinhampton Common and Rodborough Common meet at around the point where this stone is located. Having said that, however, it is one of the most obscure stones I’ve ever managed to locate.
I could not have found it without the assistance of my good friend M who provided the transport, OS map and large brolly – as it was persistently raining.

We left my friend’s car by the Bear Inn which is just where the road crosses from Minchinhampton Common into Rodborough Common – free range cattle wandering across the roads.

Bownham Park residential estate in just across the road from the Bear Inn walking slightly uphill. There are two entrances into the estate both say ‘private road’. If you enter (you can drive in) by the main entrance (look for ornamental white chains and posts) straight ahead about 50 metres in you will see the wrought iron gates of Bownham House – turn left here and follow the road downhill for about 150 metres. Look for a turning on your right near to the bottom of the hill which has a sign saying “Nos 18, 20, 22 only”. Go to the top of this short uphill road and you will find the stone in the shrubbery under a large tree near the entrance of the very last house.

I would like to say it is in character with the holey oolite stone at Minchinhampton but I’m afraid it is not really, no similar evidence of erosion. I’m not sure what type of stone it is – probably limestone.

It has been set in concrete with a strange step holding it all in place and imagine it stood on this spot long before the modern houses were built, though it is possible that it was moved during the building of the houses – hence the concrete setting.

It would be interesting to here the views of other TMA-ers.

This is on ‘my patch’ and I have visited it numerous times over the past few years. It is very accessible and is mentioned on the nearby info/interpretation board. Until recently there has not been too much visible evidence of its existence other than the piles of cairn material which have obviously been excavated/robbed out of its centre leaving a deep hollow. I visited again on Sunday 30 October 2011 and was pleasantly surprised.

It is listed by Coflein (NPRN 307082) as having “...possible original kerbing visible within the cairn” and having been “....centrally robbed c1884.”

There has now been some clearance of bracken/shrubs from the site and this has revealed what look to me like the kerbstones referred to by the Coflein record. There are 7/8 fairly large kerbstones forming an arc (of an oval, not circle in my view) within the cairn and I can see/feel evidence of others beneath the soil/heather possibly aligned with the visible stones. This would need a more experienced eye than mine to interpret and look forward to reading other’s views.

The platform on which the cairn was built has also been cleared to several feet outside what is assumed to be the original cairn base and this whole area is clearly visible from the summit of the small but neat Nercwys Mtn close by. The area is strewn with cairn material and I have read somewhere that the damage was originally done by the shepherd living in the Shepherds Cottage (also currently the subject of a recent archaelogical dig) on the mountain in the 1800s searching for a chest of gold.

Beyond the small valley beneath Nercwys Mtn are the distant mountains of Eglwyseg and the Berwyns which may be part of the reason for the choice of site.

How to get there: the site is on the sloping south side of the mountain within a few hundred metres of gate/stile onto the mountain. It is best approached from the north carpark (space for approx 10 vehicles) and then taking the waymarked circular route clockwise around the mountain. You will see the cairn about half way around as you leave the forest set up high above you on the right. At this point you also have the summit of the small mount in front of you.

Failed visit 29.10.11

I parked outside the school in the village of Nantgaredig on the B4310. I then crossed the road and tried to find an access point to the fields behind the bungalows where the stones stand. I found a field gate between two of the bungalows and thought this would be a simple visit – how wrong I was!

I decided to leave my wellies in the car as it was only drizzling and I thought the ground wouldn’t be too soggy. I jumped over the field gate and immediately sunk ankle deep in mud!

To make matters worse the stones were nowhere to be seen. I walked through to the next field and the field after that. By now the drizzle was getting heavier and the long grass had soaked my supposedly waterproof boots and non waterproof jeans. Still no sign of the stones. I went back onto the main road and followed the road down until I was directly opposite where the O/S map shows the stones to be. Unfortunately between me and the stones was a house! Despite my best efforts I could see no way of access other than knocking on the door and asking to jump over their garden wall – something I decided against!

I assume there must be some way of access via the fields I entered earlier but I couldn’t work out how to get to where I wanted to go.

I squelched back to the car. My first site of the day, failed visit and my feet soaked through – it is going to be a long day!

Visited 29.10.11

Taking the minor road east off the A485 I parked up on the grass verge opposite the field the O/S map showed the stones to be.

I hopped over the (brand new) barbed wire fence and made my way through the field to the back of the house where one of the stones lay.

The large quartz stone was easy to spot from the field, in the middle of the garden, approximately 1 metre x 2 metres.

Castlerigg visit #2 (19.10.2011)

Since my sunlit evening visit on the weekend, we have climbed Blencathra and had an aerial view of the circle from Gategill Fell Top. The intervening days have showed the other side of Lakes weather, with gale force wind, heavy rain and a hailstorm the order of the two days. But the forecast is good for today, a single weather-window amongst the wet for us to climb Skiddaw from Wainwright’s recommended route via Ullock Pike. I’m also keen to see Castlerigg at sunrise and so I leap out of bed (in itself almost newsworthy) at some ridiculous hour to make sure I’m there to see it. I leave the house just before 6, which turns out to be about forty minutes too early for the time of year.

And so it is that I arrive at the gate just after six, in complete darkness with only my rubbish headtorch to light the way. I’m not entirely surprised to find a car already there. As I cross the field to the circle, I make out the indistinct figure of my fellow visitor and I make my way around the perimeter of the circle. As I enter the circle, mumbling a “morning” in my not-working-this-early voice, the figure gets up and leaves. Sorry.

But I do at least get the circle to myself, in darkness that is almost complete. A few flash-lit photos are taken, mainly point and guess efforts as I’ve switched my torch off. The walk up the hill had got me quite warm, but as I stop to await the dawn I’m glad of my thick fleece and gloves. Finally a faint light is coming over High Rigg. At which point the first of several new co-visitors arrive. During the next 20 minutes or so another three or four people arrive, all with tripods and proper cameras. The opportunity for a sunrise photo here is obviously not going to be wasted. It’s interesting to watch the proceedings in the grey pre-dawn. I had been leaning against one of the stones, but as the light starts to creep over the hilltops I detach myself from it and leave the circle. All of the photographers are super-respectful of each other’s positions and none of them enter the circle. All are positioned to greet the dawn, giving things a strangely religious feel. One of the photographers, a Scot, recounts how she had climbed Latrigg the day before and walked through the woods to take photos of the autumn leaves. I think back to the filthy weather we had yesterday and metaphorically doff my cap (it’s too cold to actually do so). My photo attempts are limited and I wish for the tripods and SLRs of my fellow visitors. At least it’s easier for me to change position!

The sunrise is a slow affair, the faint sliver of blue giving way to pre-dawn grey. The top of Blencathra is clear of cloud, a good sign for our Skiddaw walk later. A pink-lilac illluminates the west, and the conical shape of Great Mell Fell becomes a focal point. It’s a beautiful sight, pretty as can be. The pink-lilac turns to a streaked orange and the stones become sharper. Some thicker cloud rolls across, hiding the very tops of the hills to the southeast. Within an hour, the spectacle is over, but boy has it been worth coming to see. I head off back to the house and breakfast. In a couple of hours we’ll be off for our walk and despite some cloud it looks like a good day for it. Can’t wait.

Further, and more diligent map reading, made me realise that this is actually much longer than I thought. I’d assumed that it began/ended at The Valdoe but in reality the whole thing is much longer and extends, albeit brokenly, Westwards beyond Lavant all the way to West Stoke, just South of Kingley Vale. So this mysterious ditch/dyke is actually around six to seven miles in length and not the two miles I’d originally stated. Also the part I looked at this time is a dyke and not a ditch, as it was in The Valdoe with a height of around two metres in places. It would be interesting, but I’m not sure if it’s possible, to walk it’s entire length though some of it passes through private land and there are no footpaths available. At some points it seems to disappear altogether, most notably at Lavant, but that might be due to the build up of the village over the centuries and the section of road through East Lavant corresponds almost exactly with the ‘presumed’ course of the ditch. More visits will ensue no doubt.

Previous postings on the site by some eminent contributors to TMA, including the late Wysefool, contain lots of information to supplement this brief field note. Seen today by pure chance while walking back to Upper Upham, they suddenly appeared in the landscape – four round barrows with a bowl or disc barrow in the foreground. (One of my walking companions said the foreground barrow was a saucer barrow which had been ploughed out, the landowner who was later required to ‘reinstate’ it). If anyone knows more about the detail and accuracy of this, I’d love to hear it.

From the by-way leading back up to Upper Upham the view of the barrows against the Wiltshire land-sky-scape is rather wonderful. Unsung I’d say.

Out walking this morning around the Upper Upham area of Wiltshire – a part of Wiltshire I never walked around before. Apart from encountering a ‘shooting party’ who tried to convince us we were not on a right of way, it was a lovely downland walk with the usual invigorating breeze and cloud driven sky. Walking back up a track to Upper Upham near the end of the walk, Giants Grave long barrow appeared on the right of the path. At first I thought it was a round barrow as marked on OS map as tumulus – it looks too long to be a round barrow though.

Just past this point there appeared a stunning view of the four Albourne barrows on Sugar Hill with a distinct bowl or disc barrow in the foreground.

The track from the main road is quite rough in places, and the fields you cross can be pretty boggy.

The model of the site on a plinth in front of it is difficult to reconcile with the actual site, possibly because some of the panel is overgrown?

Our visit was made more interesting by helicopter gunships doing live firing on the range nearby!

Parking for plenty next to a pond called llynheilyn on the A481 near the junction with the A44. Follow the bridleway up into the hills, when the bridleway turns into a footpath branch right and make for the top of the hill. Monolith is at the southeast end of the summit.

It was really really windy up here today, just standing still enough to take pictures was a chore, but there was room for two to crouch out of the wind behind this big stone. This megalith would be about the same size as the nearby Cwm maerdy stone, but much much easier to visit. It has lost none of its appeal by lying down, indeed after a few thousand years on its feet we can grant it a brief reprieve, have a lie down my stoney friend, take a brake. The top of the stone must be the pointier of the two ends, it has faint runnels running half the way down from the pointy end, from its long time standing.
From this stone we can almost appreciate the large number of megalithic sites in the vicinity, Bryn y maen stone row, Fedw stone circle, the van barrows, Llanerch cupped stone, Llandegley rocks settlement, Cwm Maerdy standing stone, and Graig camp, are just a few.

After descending Bryn y maen hill from the fallen monolith, it was just a matter of crossing the road and driving up to the farm. At the farm there is a fork in the track, left had a sign saying free range children and animals, so not wanting to run over any animals, we went right and parked up at the farm house next to two other cars. I knocked on the door but to no avail, just then I heard a motor and turned to see the gap toothed farmer on his quad bike, I asked about the cup marked stone and could we have a quick look, he said leave your car there and follow me.

We followed him for maybe fifty yards when he looked at the ground and indicated the stone with his wellied foot, I thanked him very much and he returned to his farming labours.
The cup marks are on the whole faint and worn, as would be expected on this exposed hillside, only about a dozen were obvious, two of them looked to be micro cups barely a couple of centimeters across, The Shropshire Traveller on the other side says there maybe thirty two, but I can’t see them. I photographed the stone took a quick look about the countryside and we were done, on route back to the car we came across the farmer again, he asked if it was what we expected, did we have much experience with them and how did we know of his stone, I answered yes, yes, and the internet, thanked him one more time and then it was off to the Giants grave

At the top of Pike Lowe on Midhope Moors is a walkler’s cairn that sits on top of a Bronze Age burial cairn. This must once have been massive at one time considering that robbed material has been used to build a large, square sheepfold next to the cairn.

Not an easy place to reach, with longish walks from whichever direction you approach it from and quite often over rough/boggy ground without even a hint of a path.

Heading out of Hundred house east on the A481 take the second right, pass Rhiw farm, then going uphill pass Ty’n-y-coed on your right. The bridleway is navigable right up to the top and you can park just twenty meters from the Giants grave.

As we gained height we noticed a beautiful Red Kite on our left, then another and another and one more made four, they tailed us more or less to the top. It was really very windy today but the Kites used it superbly and they effortlessly glided about searching for scraps of food.

Reaching the summit of the bridleway I could see that the barrow was in one of those saddle between two hills locations, but strangely there was another smaller bump in the ground right next to it, without the aid of Coflein I cant vouch for its age, but seeing as the big barrow is called the Giants grave we opted for the little one being called the midgets grave (please don’t be offended it’s just a word)

The big barrow is just that, a big barrow, no cist or kerbing, but it is big, about 4 feet tall and many feet across. From the barrow the view best appreciated is the one to the WSW towards Builth Wells.

Driving north from Hundred House, past Franks Bridge towards Nant, the fort is very visible on its hill top. Parking was had by the side of the road near a small conifer plantation to the south. We opted for a quick and anonymous visit, so opened the gate, shut it and gently strolled to the hill top.
One fence jump later and we were there, two large eminences lie at its summit, and under a tree on the outer defences I left my wife whilst I went for a quick wander. Untill then I was resigned to it being a very naff and unimpressive fort, but as I got nearer the top the whole northwestern edge was much more built up and very impressive. The bank rose to a height of at least ten feet on one side of the very definite entrance. From there the bank was easily traced back round to the south west, as was the lesser bank and ditch below the upper bank.
From up here I should be able to see Cwm Maerdy standing stone, Fedw stone circle and the
barrows on top of “The Van”, but only the latter was obvious.

A good site if a little difficult to access .

This is one stone I will remember for the rest of my life, it goes down in my history of stone hunting as a most singular visit..........

From Nant north of Hundred House, go east towards GraigFawr farm passing underneath a good hill fort, I was hoping to pass by Graigfawr farm and drive as close to the stone as possible, it was late in the day and this would be the last site visited, but the farm track to Cwm Maerdy farm was Private Keep out. So I settled for parking at the farm of Graigfawr, I knocked on the doors but no one was in, not wanting to just dump the car in someones front yard (and wife was staying with the car) I drove back down the road and parked at the first safe place.

The map shows a footpath passing right through the farm from south to north and the stone is very close to said path, so no problem so far you might reckon.
There is no such footpath on the ground, or rather there is no signs admitting to the path no stiles over hedges and fences, no signs of it at all, later developments have convinced me that the occupiers of Graigfawr farm have done there best to deter travelers, by eradicating all vestiges of the public footpath. I’m no legal eagle but i’m sure there is some illegality to this.

Any how, footpath or not, my instincts twinned with a lucky glance through a hedge found me the standing stone of Cwm Maerdy, a nearby conifer plantation has sprung up from the blank hillside my map informed me was there, but no matter, the stone was taller than it looked from Graham’s photos, and from each angle a different stone was revealed. The menhir sits on the edge of a small hill surrounded by bigger hills, one of which has a hill fort and pillow mounds on it and in t’other direction, the from here, pyramidal hill called “the van” with its visible from everywhere cairns. The darkness was falling earlier due to the cloudy nature of the day, it was beginning to rain and i’d left the wife alone for too long so it was time to go. From here I could see that the farm of Cwm Maerdy was not in fact the farm but two half ruined barns, I deduced that from there I could just walk along the track that at its end says Private Keep out. And so it was, it was quicker to get back to the car than it was to get to the stone, no jumping fences, streams or falling over weird earth tussocks. In no time at all I was back at the car and wife was fine, except for a passerby stopping and asking her if she was looking for them, she said she wasn’t but was waiting for her husbend, me.
The day was over so we started the long drive home.........

Then came the erm... interesting bit.
We got home, watched some telly, then went to bed. About 1am there was a knock on the door downstairs, “No way” I thought “who could that be”
It was the Police, I answered the door with my best"Do you know what time it is? “face, I let him in and he asked me if I’d been to mid Wales at all today? My eyes widened slightly and curious to see where this was going I said “Yeees?”
“What for ?” he asked
So I had to tell him about my hobby/ calling/ obsession I even showed him the photos taken that day, he informed me that my car had been seen acting suspiciously down a farm track, and with farm related thefts high in the area, the owner of Cwm Maerdy farm had called the cops after taking down my car registration number.
Anyway the Bobby felt I’d suitably explained myself he said sorry for the late hour and was gone.

And that is what will keep this stoney visit in my memory for ever, flippin’ farmers, custodians of the land my arse.

Not much I can add to Chance’s excellent fieldnote on this obscure but large hillfort. Visited it today as part of a six mile walk from hamlet of Wittonditch.

The countryside leading up to Membury is very clearly private farmland though there is a Right of Way through it. We walked through some woodland where some forestry work had been taking place and came out into a field containing a small herd of deer, two of which were white – quite rare I believe.

We followed a quiet lane to Membury Farm which, with its gate lodge and rather impressive wrought iron gates, was a bit daunting – glad I wasn’t walking alone. However, the Right of Way was clearly marked with signs saying ‘stay on the footpath’ so we kept going up to the hill fort. The ramparts of the hillfort are completely covered with mature trees (a lot of oaks) on all sides. The middle of the hill fort was a ploughed field with a broad path going through its centre. One of the things I love about walking to hillforts is the views of the surrounding landscape – no views to be had from this hillfort because of the dense trees on the ramparts. The wind did pick up briskly while we stopped for a bit so from the elemental viewpoint it did feel like a hillfort.

The pond, encircled by oaks, mentioned by Chance on the north side of the enclosure seemed completely dried out.

23/10/2011

Weather forecast looked a bit windy so I thought I’d stay low today and have a look for these hut circles on the east slopes of Culblean hill. Parked at the Burn O’Vat Visitor Centre. Started by popping to the Vat. Meltwater pothole, well worth a visit. The place must have been known to the people living in the hut circles which are only about 600-800m away.

Next stop was a great little stone circle (NJ 42667 00004), uphill, halfway between the Vat and the main group of hut circles. 0.85m stone, circled by 8 smaller stones. In the middle of trees now but the view from this circle south would be fantastic.

200m east from the stone circle is a large oval enclosure (NJ 4286 0008). Great view of this today as unlike the rest of the hut circles this was not covered in bracken.

Next I headed 200m NE to what Canmore describes as a rock carving (NJ 4300 0030). Sandstone rock set in granite, with a number of rectilinear grooves and cup marks. I didn’t know what to make of it really (See link below to Canmore for more info).

Walking downhill, east from the carving we saw 4 more hut circles but the bracken was terrible. We couldn’t see the circles till we fell over the walls.

Gave up on the rest but will be back once everything has died back. Fantastic place. All within about 800m of each other. GPS helps as the whole place is covered in trees. You could easily spend all day here.

Castlerigg visit #1 (15.10.2011)

We arrived in the Lakes in glorious autumn weather, with clear blue skies and sunshine the order of the day. After a quick shopping trip into Keswick, we headed back to our base for week, just outside of town and wonderfully only a 10 minute walk from the stone circle. It was getting to late afternoon and I couldn’t wait to get my first sight of the circle, especially on such a perfect evening.

As I climb the steep road up towards the circle, the sun’s softly filtered light plays on the slopes of the unmistakable Blencathra. Pausing to look backwards, it’s sinking low over the Western and Northwestern Fells, so I hurry on, keen to get there for sunset.

It’s has been a beautiful day, so it’s no surprise to find a number of cars parked near the entrance. Walking up the field, the tops of the stones are the first thing to appear, then a inconceivably dramatic backdrop of mountains and fells come into view. The circle is pretty thronged, something that would usually have me silently cursing, but the setting is so overpowering that instead I grin stupidly at the wonder of it all.

I circle the circle from a distance, round the boundary walls and fences, stopping to look at the small outlier. Eventually I head into the melee, for a closer look at the stones themselves. No time-knawed rocks these, they are, in the main, round-shouldered, smooth-faced beauties. The peculiar oblong setting inside the circle draws me particularly, although I don’t have any idea why.

The sun sets over Causey Pike, a brilliant orange ball amidst scant fluffy cloud. What a sight.

Most of the people drift off, only a few lingering past the sunset. Eventually, as the dusk deepens, I have the circle to myself for a wonderful while.

The ease of access and ever-present crowds will prevent this ever being as close to my heart as the more remote moorland circles, but for sheer drama and setting, this one takes some beating. I will be back.

[visited 2/10/11] Well I know it’s just a big wall now and very hard to make out in places but I think this is my favourite monument on the edge. Carrying on past Three Men you eventually cross an obvious section of the wall arcing back towards you and going through the dry stone wall. Heading into the wood it’s initially hard to find amongst the bracken, but with a bit of effort you can trace it’s path.

When I heard about this place I immediately thought defence given how it it’s superficially similar in layout to some hill forts. But upon inspection I seriously doubt that was ever the aim of this place. It feels much more like one of the enclosures, causewayed or otherwise down south. Defensively the higher edge behind would make much more sense.

Access is varied. A relatively easy walk to the parts exposed on the edge. Bracken and tree fighting to the bits in the woods.

[visited 2/10/11] I’ve seen the other replica of this stone in Sheffield museum and so I was extremely glad to find this ones surroundings were so nice. Just don’t touch it else the illusion is shattered, which is a shame as I am wont to stroke rocks (away from any carvings obviously).

Its relationship to and siting outside of the neolithic enclosure is interesting. In fact, the whole of the edge looks to have been a ceremonial focus point for quite a long time.

Access is fairly easy after a mile or so along footpath to get to the top of the edge. In summer the way is hampered in the wood by all the bracken.

[visited 2/10/11] This is an oddity, standing alone outside the neolithic enclosure, nowadays located in a small clearing in the woods. I spent a while here studying this gorgeous stone, enjoying the lovely hot October day.

Its lean is interesting given the theories about it being a crude sundial, certainly it seems deliberate. Though excavation would be needed to be sure. If true it gives a new perspective to other leaning stones in the UK.

Access is fairly easy after a mile or so along footpath to get to the top of the edge. In summer the way is hampered in the wood by all the bracken.

[visited 2/10/11] Well this its a great place to be buried. An almost archetypal location for some Neolithic chambered barrows shouting out to all and sundry that this land its occupied.

Of course there is previous little of that left on the ground. A mere outline under the 18th Century mounds of rocks, presumably made from the barrow stones.

Access is relatively easy if you continue from the Gardom’s Ring Cairn. But the provisos for wheeled seekers there applies.

[visited 2/10/11] This was a side thought for me, a visit purely on the way to the standing stone and the rock art. So I was surprised to find The Prehistoric Peak had an entry just for it. After I got here though I understood entirely, this thing its a brute. It’s got a big diameter and a well defined bank together with several surviving stones feeling analogous to Barbrook II. This would have been worth the trip onto the edge all on its own.

Its position is slightly weird 100 yards further on and its views would have been increased dramatically. Instead it just looks out to Beeley Moor where Hob Hurst’s house etc are. Interestingly it is completely out of site of barbrook which is on the other side of this hill.

Access is ok for a moderately healthy person but may be hard for wheels due to a stile and a thinish gate/opening. It is hard to spot in summer and if I hadn’t been looking for it I wouldn’t have seen it from the path. As you approach up hill you can just see a stone poking out of the bracken to the left of the silver birch.