Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 21.6.2011, following the coast path south from Halzephron Cliff. There are two prominent barrows here, but sadly they are completely overgrown in a tangle of brambles and they sit on the edge of a gold course (I had to step on to the hallowed turf to get some pics, which of course attracted the usual disapproving-golfer stares).

Right next to the coast path and a small parking area, these are easy enough to get to.

Better seen from the cliffs on the opposite side of the (rather lovely) Podhu Cove, where the barrows’ shape is clearly seen without the intrusive golf course ambience.

Visited 21.6.2011 on a coast path walk from Porthleven to Mullion Cove. The South West Coast Path runs right past the barrow. Sadly, there is little to see of what must once have been a decent-sized mound. Only a determined eye can even detect the slight rise in the grass.

Compensations come from the lovely surroundings and the dramatic rocky headland of Halzephron Cliff itself.

Did this on the way up to the Simple Minds gig in Inverness and intended going to several more. However the weather gods had different ideas and severe torrents caused major floods in the area. However I will return.

This stone at Balnaroid is reportedly the last remnant of a stone circle or clava cairn destroyed in the 1700s. Stones were demolished or buried beneath the soil on which they formerly stood. So this stone defiantly remains, a reminder of what once was here.

Take the B9090 at Nairn at head south west, then head the same direction on the B9101, taking the fourth minor road south. The stone sits in the first field to the east. At the moment the field is in crop so I left the stone to it’s own devices.

As for Simple Minds, they were brilliant and their fans were drenched. But we don’t get wet in the rain we Sparkle!

Visited 16/07/2011.

Travelling from caernarfon towards the LLeyn on the A499 you take the left turn at Aberdesach. Opposite the left hand turn is a stone built bus stop and a phone box.

The chamber is clearly seen from the road, it is opposite the entrance to Penarth farm caravan park.

I agree it would be great to see this restored. It is a lovely chamber and the setting is great.

I spoke to a chap who was sat on the top of his caravan and he said that the farmer is happy for folk to visit at anytime.

Royal Commission Site summary:

“A robbed broch represented by a turf-covered stony mound about 10ft high and 50ft in diameter, surrounded at a distance of about 31ft, by a wall about 4 1/2ft high which stands on the inner lip of a ditch about 28ft broad and 3 1/2ft deep from the top of the counterscarp. Except on the W, the ditch has been almost destroyed by cultivation. ”

Notes from Royal Commission Site:

“Broch, ‘Cairn of Elsay’, Staxigoe, was excavated and planned by the late Sir Francis Tress Barry. The wall was approximately 17ft thick, enclosing an inner area with a diameter of 29ft. Any outbuildings which may exist around the broch have not been uncovered. The plan shows an outer casing wall on the S, through which an entrance passes, but this is not now apparent.
RCAHMS 1911.

The broch is a grass-covered mound situated on level ground close to the shore. It is 18.0m in diameter, has a wall 4.8m thick and stands to a maximum height of 2.7m above the level of the ground at the base of the mound. A fragment of the inner face of the wall is visible on the E side only, but the outer face is exposed to a height of 1.2m and for a length of 7.0m on the NE side; fragments are also visible on the SE side.
The entrance, in the SE, is 0.7m wide, its walls exposed to a height of 1.2m at the outer end.
The court is now a rubble-strewn hollow 2.6m below the top of the broch except for a large, stony, grass-covered mound 1.2m high which extends from the centre to NE of the entrance. In the centre of the court is an upright stone slab 1.0m high, 0.4m wide and 0.1m thick.
No trace of any outbuildings was seen around the broch.”

Nybster Broch – reported on BBC News and added site.

Royal Commission Site entry states:

“Nybster Broch was excavated by Sir Francis Tress Barry about 1900, revealing neither guard chamber nor mural cells. It has in internal diameter of 23ft and a wall thickness of 14ft. In 1910 the maximum height of the walls was 5ft 3ins.
The broch is defended by a possibly later forework and the whole is fronted by a ditch about 20ft wide which cuts off the promontory on which the broch stands. To seaward of the broch practically the whole promontory is covered by well-built out-buildings, oblong, circular, and irregular in plan.
Finds include a fragment of 2nd century Samian ware, as well as the more usual bone and stone objects.”

This is a great stone with a great views. Knock Hill is next door, Ben Rinnes away to the west, Hill of Cairns to the east, Thorax to the North east and Durn Hill to the north, after that its the Moray Firth. This rock is situated on top of Wether Hill and it’s name is give away. Many years ago a King would have sat watching his army and another (in these parts normally The Danes) hack each other to pieces. The hill and field to the east is called Battlefield.

Visited 15/07/2011.

Findrassie Kerb cairn is a wonderfully silent place. It is 12 meters wide and 0.5 meters tall. 6 large boulder kerbs can still be seen.

Leave Elgin heading north west on the B9012 Duffus road. Stopping at the first crossroads. Turn east and then walk straight north. Somehow I managed to walk right past the other cairn. But that gives me another excuse to go back. In reality I was lost again, thankfully Westerton farm track came to my rescue. No detours, which was just as well.

Visited 14/07/2011.

Monday, 11th July 2011

Set off to ‘test’ another nine mile walk for the North Wessex Downs AONB forthcoming series of Heritage Walks. Started from Pewsey Wharf along the Kennet & Avon Canal to pick up the White Horse Trail at Pains Bridge up to Giant’s Grave Settlement.

It was a hot, humid day, I had been troubled for the past week or so by horse-fly bites. This occasion was no exception which, along with the heat, made walking uphill uncomfortable. Fortunately by the time Giant’s Grave was reached a slight breeze had sprung up.

Fabulous views over the Vale of Pewsey in one direction and the ridge of hills towards Knap Hill (Oare and Huish Hills) in the other. The nine mile walk towards Gopher Wood along the White Horse Trail (Tan Hill Way) was abandoned for a cooler day ... so it was back down hill and a walk into the village of Oare in such of refreshment.

Note: Oare and Pewsey are accessible by bus from Swindon, Marlborough and Salisbury via the Wilts & Dorset X5
wdbus.co.uk/site/uploads/publications/157.pdf

18/7/11
Another, this time successful, attempt at the nine mile walk mentioned above. Undistracted today by heat and insect bites I was able to take a better look at the rampart known as Giant’s Grave. Approached along the fence-line at the top to Martinsell Hill (the Pewsey side) it was clearer today to see it as a defensive bank and ditch, broken by the a fence driven through it. Later viewed from Tan Hill Way – a different perspective, the shape of a hill fort became clearly visible.

There isn’t to much to report about this forestry damaged cairn. It is some 16 meters wide and 1.8 meters tall. Most of the damage is to the western side.

It is a nightmare to find as there are many fern covered mounds in the wood. This one is different as it is turf covered with one or two bits of cairn material peeping thru. By this time I’d lost all sense of direction in the sea of green and proceeded to walk the wrong way further east only realising my mistake when I’d reached the Muir Of Lochs farm. To compound the mistake I then walked into Llanbryde, lunch time anyway, that’s my excuse. Still it was a nice day for a walk and the car seemed happy enough in the Moray sunshine.

Going east from Llanbryde on the A96 take the first minor road north. I stopped at the second forestry track going east.

Visited 14/07/2011.

Castle Hill is a tree shrouded hill with steepish sides making it a good place to defend. To the north is a 35 meter long trench which is in some parts at least 2 meters deep. The southern bank of the trench being at least a meter higher than the northern part.

From Llanbryde take Burnside Road north until the road ends. Turn right and take the 2nd farm track road south. The fort can’t be missed, it is straight in front.

From here I was going to look for the Meft cairn but a writing malfunction led to me writing down the wrong grid ref. So looking and climbing the two nearest hills south didn’t do me much good as the cairn was in the field to the north. Next time.

Visited 14/07/2011.

I’ve always wanted to see Cappieshill as it has always divided peoples opinions. Is it a stone circle?, is it a man made hill? or is it a cairn?. The answer to all three questions is probably yes.

As a stone circle it is pretty in a Knock Hill way. Two of the stones teeter on the eastern flank as erosion and badgers eat away the soil. The others lay in amongst the nettles. As for being a cairn, location good, cairn material yup so I think the ‘clever’ people couldn’t make up their minds and took the safe way out. As for being a human made mound, it doesn’t look natural, to me, so it’s a fairly safe bet. The north side has been dug out and a concrete block monstrosity resides there now.

After the trials of Sleepieshill and the disaster of Meft Hill it was nice to find something easy.

Easiest way is to take the B9103 north, 2nd minor road east, turn north, then nest west. After the crescent of houses Cappieshill can be seen in the field north. I parked at the houses and walked up. No chance of getting lost this time.

Visited 14/07/2011

Along with Merry Maidens and Men-an-Tol, Lanyon Quoit is the most visited and most picture postcard perfect of West Penwith’s many ancient sites, despite being the least authentic of the four upstanding Quoits that the area boasts. Not much remains of its original mound and the capstone’s supports are rather shorter than they used to be. But so what? This is still a great spot and what’s not to like about a giant stone table?

At the western end of the mound, a cluster of stones may mark the position of a cist or small chamber that was built into the mound. But there’s too little left to really get any sense of what there might have been.

We return to the path and carry on south-westwards. Here we see the first people we’ve seen since getting off the bus – it’s time to visit Men-an-Tol, where you rarely get a summer visit to yourself. We seldom come here for that very reason and today I almost take us past the stile before deciding to brave the contact with Other People. The other people in question turn out to be Germans – it’s an internationally renowned site, this. When they leave, we have maybe ten minutes to ourselves before the next visitors and we leave them to enjoy it – the ones after that are probably five minutes behind on the path. So don’t expect peace and quiet, but it’s still an intriguing site. The famous holed stone and flankers are generally accepted as being part of a stone circle now, and other stones in the arc are readily visible.

Eventually we head off back the way we came, past the barrow and down to the Four Parish Stone again. From here a track between low hedges leads southwestwards. Men Scryfa is in the first field on the right, with a gate at the southern corner allowing access (there is no public right of way into the field and there are often cows pastured here). Today is a cow-free day, so we pop in to say hello. There’s no doubting the stone’s Dark Ages provenance – it’s written all over its face. But in truth is also makes a very convincing Bronze Age menhir, shapely and tall, set in a landscape bursting with the remains of the period.

No supernatural forces leapt out from the stone. Indeed it was very well behaved and the rain only came on once I’d sat in the car. Thank goodness, I was done in after Sleepiehill and Findrassie. The adventures of these will told in their fieldnotes.

From Elgin head east and take the B9103 heading south east. Take the 2nd minor road heading west indicated Blackhills. Go till you see the the sign for the house, it said private but I waltzed in anyway. Rang the foghorn, I mean doorbell no reply, so I took some pics. The stone is kept undercover and is well looked after.

Various ring marks, cup marks and some Pictish stuff are all on this superb stone. A great way to end the day.

Visited 14/07/2011.

And then it’s on to the stone circle itself. Despite many, many visits over a dozen years, this circle never fails to bring a big grin to my face. It remains my favourite of all, lonely and windswept on its moorland ridge. This is my first visit since I watched the sun setting here on my birthday the previous autumn. But first, the bad weather.

Within seconds of arriving at the circle, the next band of rain has caught up with us and we spend five minutes trying to shelter in the excavation scoop of the round barrow that intrudes into the side of the circle – not the best place to get out of the rain. But don’t you worry, it’s only a shower. Blue skies return as quickly as they went and we spend a good while here.

In any weather, this circle delivers on its promise. The re-erection of the stones on the northern arc has greatly added to the feel of the site. The setting is wonderful, with Carn Galva the most obvious feature of the surrounding landscape. There are views eastwards to Mulfra Hill (where Mulfra Quoit is visible) and further to Castle-an-Dinas. On a clear day you can see beyond Penwith, upcountry towards Carn Brea. To the northwest, the twin summits of Watch Croft, the highest point in the peninsula, are close by. Further west Chun Castle sits, flattening the top of its hill. Only to the south are views obscured by rising ground – the top of the Ding Dong chimney peeks out.

Over the years we’ve seen dog walkers, dowsers and horse riders up here, but in truth we rarely see anyone and today is no exception to that. Although close to Men-an-Tol, the circle remains a largely stone-head destination.

We stop off briefly at the best-known barrow, north of the Nine Maidens stone circle and boasting an impressively pointy array of kerb stones. It is cleared regularly now by the CASPN volunteers, making it much easier to see than in years past. The “V” stone (which has an angular quartz vein running through it) is easy to spot now.

First though, a quick stop at a minor landmark that many visitors to the area pass without a glance. At the meeting of several paths, a large recumbent boulder marks the boundaries of four parishes, hence its name. A crude cross has been carved into the surface of the boulder, but I strongly suspect that it has been used a meeting point – either of people or of territory – for a Very Long Time. Both Men Scryfa and some of the barrows up towards Nine Maidens are visible from here.

The stone at Porthmeor is one that we’ve seen dozens of times, as the bus ride from St Ives round the coast goes straight past its field. Despite that, we’ve never once gone in for a closer look. Animals usually surround it – cows, horses, chickens, geese, dogs, cats and a fox have all been seen in its company over the years. But today there’s nothing, just us. A footpath runs across the field, right past the stone, so access is as easy as can be.

From the road, the stone presents a chunky, but gently curving aspect. Once closer at hand though it becomes apparent that this is one of those great standing stones that changes its appearance from each direction (not as markedly as Boswens Croft, but nevertheless). The close proximity of the houses and farm buildings does detract somewhat from the setting and atmosphere, but this is still a fine stone, worthy of your attention. Looking inland, the craggy northern edges of the moors form the backdrop, and over from that direction the sky takes on an angry complexion, promising that rain is not far away.

There is an entrance fee for the site which gets you a guided tour by very knowledgeable folk in ‘period’ costume. There’s also someone demonstrating Viking era crafts. There are toilets and a small visitor centre/gift shop.

Good park up for vans at the end of the road to the island. You can overnight here with no hassle.

Site is about 20 minutes walk from the parking along the fantastic ‘tombolo’ beach and onto the island, though you are likely to take longer as you get distracted by seals, birds and the overall beauty.

Oddly the section of the chapel where a section of ground has been cut away to show the original floor level has become a depository for ‘votive’ coins.

The site is reasonably well signed from some way off, but the only parking is what looks like a passing place. We went past this thinking that there would be a bigger spot, and its a long way before you can turn round!

Its about 10-15 minute walk to the site from the parking area. Route is well marked with posts and signed. Interpretation boards en route at other landscape features.

Terrain is quite boggy moorland and there could be a midge issue at times.

The site itself is best described as enigmatic. Not clear what it was, and why very unusually for Shetland the sea is not visible.

Many other prehistoric remains in the vicinity.

NJ97702977.

Furthest west of the three hut circles is 5.5 meters wide . It is the smallest of the three hut circles.

NJ97712978.
Immediately next the above hut circle. It is much bigger being 11.5 meters in width.

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Further to the east, this hut circle is 7.8 meters wide.

The fourth circle is under gorse and jabby things so a winter time visit required. Field clearence and systems cover the area which looks now onto Ellon and the River Ythan estuary.

On the A90 between the B9005 and A920 junctions take the minor road east signposted Kirkton Of Logie Buchan. I pulled in after the Ladymire farm road climbing over the hill in the hope of rock art. No luck. Straight over to the gates, to the west, and the first hut circle can be seen in the dip. The other 2 are to the west of the site. Great place for a settlement, good farming land and fish from the river/sea.

Visited 13/07/2011.