I wondered why these stones were fenced in, not likely they’d escape, but they do seem to have moved. Near Standing Stones farm I looked for a stone circle/kerb cairn but was told the stones were piled up near the standing stone.
They are situated just slightly to west of the standing stone, on the other side of a brand new barbed wire fence.
Visited 31/07/2010.
On the one hand there is a viewing platform at the east side of the dig, on the other a light fence has started going up around the dig itself. Finally the Lesser Wall is exposed again. They think they have reached the bottom, where there is a fine paved area revealed on the south side i.e. outside the archaeologists gargantuan temenos. Looking along the wall between the standing stone pair with my new super-duper camera I can confirm a definite alignment with the Staney Hill Tomb [there may be another site between them and some tumuli beyond but I shall stay with the certain]
Surprisingly easy to find, The Bridestones are striking. A small, compact site but still imposing when you are amongst the stones. No dogs on the day of my visit so, except for the occasional car passing by on the nearby road, I was surrounded by tranquility and calm. Perfect.
I visited this site about 3 years ago and really liked it! Easy to access (car park right next to site) and a short, flat walk through the trees to the Hillfort. It was a lovely sunny day and the light dappled through the trees giving respite from the heat. You can walk right around the entire site in about 15 minutes. Although not very high the views are not bad. When I visited there were several BMX types ‘off roading’ through the trees and unfortunately over some of the banks. In my opinion well worth a visit when in the area (the nearby Tithe Barn (N.T.) is also well worth checking out).
Another road crossing and I’m heading for the Longstones Cove. My previous December visit found them in a glittering frost-scape, now they sit in yellow summer flowers under an ominous sky (it’s getting closer). I don’t go up to the stones, which are fenced off and I’m not sure how welcome visitors are, so instead I head off to Longstones long barrow. This is a huge mound, the trees that used to crown it now gone. Another impressive (round) barrow is visible at nearby Penning Barn, but today is about the stones and I can’t get particularly excited about either of these barrows. Back to Adam and Eve via the muddy byway that heads up Windmill Hill and back into Avebury, pausing to note the intriguing sarsen wall around the front garden of Swan Cottage. I wonder where those stones came from, eh?
And here I leave the henge, crossing the road to the Bison Stone at the northern end of West Kennett Avenue, which then marches over the lower slopes of Waden Hill. This is another fantastic monument, even in its slightly incomplete state. Each stone is full of character and in another place would be worthy of a visit in its own right (oh for a few of these paired up and heading up Leckhampton Hill!). Stone 35a is a particular draw, shark-like and angular. 37b reminds me of a lion and, with its pair, marks the southern end of the restored section.
As I reach the end, the treat of the day – a (roe?) deer runs straight down the Waden Hill path, no more than 100m ahead of me. It reaches the roadside fence, thinks better of it and heads back up the hill at a trot, finally silhouetted on the brow before disappearing. I follow its path and am rewarded soon enough with the wonder that is Silbury, below me and under a heavy sky foreshadowing another downpour later. But it’s fine now and the summer vegetation along the Kennet path is scrubbed clean and shiny, with droplets hanging from every leaf.
The rain is getting heavier (possibly becoming a theme for this week’s visits?) and the long grass is now very wet. I tramp through it to see the remaining stones of the largely vanished central circle/horseshoe, which seem rather lost and unsure of themselves. Still, the larger stones retain a gnarly grandeur in the misty drizzle. To the NE of the Cove, in the middle of the NE quadrant a single hefty stone is the northernmost survivor of this largely lost setting. From here I head to the eastern entrance of the henge itself. Near the entrance, there is a semi-fallen slab (Stone 73) – presumably this square-ish stone marked the entrance in the same way that the Swindon Stone marks the north. It has some interesting weathering, circular depressions eroded by the rainfall of centuries suggesting that it has been fallen for a good long time.
To the north a solitary stone remains of the eastern arc of the great outer circle here. It occurs to me that, Cove excepted, this quadrant is rather less ‘busy’ than the other three, with by far the fewest remaining stones. This makes for a great feeling of space and peace that is perhaps not so evident elsewhere inside the henge. I climb the enormous bank itself to take me round to the northern entrance of the henge. The comparative lack of stones draws the eye easily to the earthwork. Despite being more than two thirds filled in, the ditch is still an incredible testament to the man-hours involved in its construction.
A plump pigeon sits on top of the final, northernmost stone of the NE quadrant and a dog walker crosses the open space below me. Between them these are the only living creatures I’ve seen in the circle since arriving. But the northern entrance heralds a return to the 21st century, as the traffic roars freely into the henge with scant regard for wayward stoneheads out in the rain. I stop again at the Cove, in awe of these wonderful stones, before crossing the road and then I’m up to the enormous diamond of the Swindon Stone. The NW quadrant is an odd mixture of “normal” sarsens, concrete pillars and Picasso-esque sculpture in the form of smashed stones that have been reconstituted. The rain turns much heavier and attempts at photos become futile, so I scurry off to the church porch for shelter (lovely Romanesque door by the way).
Rain reducing, I head to the SW quadrant, and after another weird piece of sarsen sculpture I’m into a much more complete section of the outer circle, including the notorious “Barber Stone”. Across the road the SE quadrant boasts a complex arrangement of stones, making it difficult at first to work out what I’m looking at. The huge stones 1 and 98 mark the southern entrance (and another risky road-crossing). Inside the quadrant, some impressive stones remain of the southern circle and then there are Z Stones, the ring stone and a whole lot more concrete pillars. The slightly dryer spell is marked by the emergence of a Spanish family under a vast brolly, braving the weather for some photos amongst the sheep.
I start at the Cove. Even by Avebury standards these stones are gigantic. I am drawn to these stones more than any others here and I will return twice more during the course of the visit today. It takes until the third time before I actually touch the stones, perhaps it needed building up to! As with the Cove at Stanton Drew, its function is not clear but these two megaliths exert great power.
To save a wee bitty on the legs take the 9A bus from Kirkwall Travel Centre to the Sunnybank Road where the new route starts – still climbing though
I have to admit I didn’t realise at the time this was a barrow despite standing on top of it! I thought it was just a ‘mound’ – although I did wonder why there was a mound when all is flat around? Now I know!
Like everyone else this is something you look out for when visiting the White Horse. It is s very odd shape. I would guess it is either fully man made or more likely ‘shaped’ from a natural mound? There again, what do I know? Interesting.
Hmmmmmmmm, to visit in summer and see the site partially covered in bracken, which is now starting to encroach on it, or go in the winter for a clearer view and negotiate the very boggy terrain.
I chose the former for my first visit and it’s still quite tough going across this very uneven terrain.
My starting point was the access gate further up the road from the access point for Barbrooks 1 & 2, from there i took a bearing and headed off in as straight a line as i could, reaching the site in 10 – 15 minutes.
A bit of an anoraks site this one, there’s still a lot of it to see, though it is quite ruinous and a gps is advised, if you have one.
My gps recorded the site at SK 29025 75615
I walk on Big moor a lot, well it is only 15 – 20 minutes drive from home, though this is the first time i’ve been up to have a look at the cist.
I took the direct route, from the track that leads to Barbrook 1 & 2 i headed down the banking through waist high bracken then over the Bar brook, there’s then the climb up the other side onto the moor.
the going is quite tough this way but doable if your reasonably fit, expect achy legs after though, the grass is very long and the moor equally uneven and there’s no path to speak of.
The wooden fence post in Stu’s pic is still the best marker for tracking this site down.
Wonderful little cist and worth the effort needed to see it.
My gps marked it at SK 27455 75320.
Visited 7.8.10
I parked right next to this site when visiting the nearby Longbarrow. This is a really odd place. It looks more like a quarry site than a place where people lived. Very easy to access once you have parked – although parking is not easy and the main road is very busy with speeding cars. It is roundish in shape and is quite overgrown with large trees. The inner area is quite low compared with the surrounding area. Very odd. Worth a look when visiting the more famous Longbarrow.
Visited 7.8.10
It was one of those days when one minute it was pouring down with rain and the next the sun was out and it was hot. Unfortunately when I arrived at this site it chose to rain! This wasn’t the easiest to access but I did manage to park on the verge next to the road signs just north of the site (where the public footpath starts). The A361 was very busy and the cars were mainly driving ridiculously fast in the ‘monsoon’ like conditions. Carrying Dafydd we carefully walked down the verge along the main road until we got near the clearly visible large standing stone. Unfortunately we were the wrong side of a double barbed wire fence and sheltering under the trees. Given the circumstances (neither of us had coats) I settled for a view from the roadside. The barrow itself was very overgrown and little detail could be made out. When arriving back at the car I took a little walk up the public footpath and discovered the standing stone was also easily visible from this point at the other end of the field. Worth a visit but be careful with the speeding cars.
Finding this cairn showed real signs of stupidity and signs of a never give up nature. How I didn’t injure myself doing this walk, a very naff description of events, is nothing short of a miracle.
Things started well, went east from Dinnet on the A93, turning north at St James. Follow this track until the tar runs out but keep going until the next turning, the last house, and pull in. From here follow the track north until the remains of farmers croft. Turn east and up thru the trees. From here a nightmare begins. Basically hack your way thru ferny things like trees, after 1 hour I was knackered climbing Mulloch Hill. I couldn’t turn back and I was never going to be able to climb to the top so I headed towards trees in the south east. Another hour of hacking and tramping before I reached them. At least it was easier to walk beneath the branches. The cairn is easily enough found.
Basically a cairn of big boulders. Sitting at 15 meters wide and at it’s tallest 0.7 meters. I thought there was a trace of a kerb thanks to some bigger stones near the edge of the cairn. One thing for sure was the silence, I don’t think I heard a thing apart from me glugging from a water bottle! There was no point in going on, Id intended visiting 8 sites but could only manage one. There is no easy way here. Agonisingly the hilltop was close but it might as well have been miles away. The way back down was just as difficult. Eventually I made it back to the car battered and bruised. The pub in Tarland made for a safe haven. Next time I’ll approach from the north at Ordie.
(for a bonus Paul Anderson, who wrote a piece of music for the stone circles was playing. The trumpet player and violinist compared notes.)
Visited 5/08/2010.
Now stuck in an area I initially left 15 years ago, and in desperate need of trying to straighten my head and connect somehow with the ancestors, I located Round Hill and went to get pictoral documentation.
Since I left the area, the A421 has been built and lies close by. The best way of getting to the site is to turn off the Black Cat roundabout just after St.Neots to the turning for Roxton (between the A! exit and the A421 to Bedford) then turn right over the A421 flyover (Roxton Road). Just on the other side is a large area where you can park safely then walk. A disused road takes you round the edge of the sandy coloured wheat fields and then along the other side of the A421 embankment.
The Hill is quite large, and riddled with Rabbit holes. On its top are a cluster of planted Alder trees, some still with their rabbit guards in place. I have found little in the way of documentation about the site, only being able to go on what Rhiannon has added, that it remains unexcavated.
Looking out, the landscape rolls very gently and you can see the mound is situated on a slightly higher plane than everything else. In a North Easterly direction I saw hillside rising with a wooded area in the distance, which within the setting of the landscape I think could hold some historic interest. Despite the fact that arial photography shows one of these patches (Alington Hill) to be circular, I have yet to find any documentation supporting a history.
I sat on the burial mound looking out, and my ancestors gave me the realisation I had been missing. With a sense of sorrow, but a lighter heart, I was able to leave, thankful for the help.
Visited 7.8.10.
This is as easy as it can possibly be to visit a Hillfort. The minor road into Chadlington runs right past the southern edge of the site. The banks are very easily seen from the road. Next to the south east corner of the Hillfort is a small area to pull over (one car) and a handy wooden field gate which gives access to the site. The gate gives virtually direct access into the hillfort via one of the two entrances. Although on a fairly low lying hill, there are decent views all around – in particular looking down onto the village of Chadlington. I tried to explain to Dafydd that this is where people used to live a long time ago and now they live down the hill in the houses. I don’t think he fully understood – but there again he is only two! The enclosure is oblong in shape and the bank is a good 6ft high in places.
Well worth a visit when in the area.
To the west, between Knollbury Camp and Churchill village (where the standing stones are) there is a barrow right next to the road. It is on the O/S map but I haven’t done a seperate entry for it as I don’t know the O/S map ref for it. You can park right next to the wooden field gate and the barrow is just inside the field. Quite large and covered in trees with a double barbed wire fence encircling the barrow. Worth a quick look.
Visited 7.8.10.
This is a surprisingly easy stone to visit and is only a gentle 15 minute stroll from the parking area described by Moth. The easily identifiable public footpath runs through two fields, right past the stone. When I visited the field crop only went as far as the edge of the stone, so access was no problem. The stone is about 6ft high and is just about visible from the lane. It is worth the walk to the stone as it gives a good impression (I guess) of how the Rollright stones must have once looked like – full of holes and character! Well worth a visit.
Visited 7.8.10.
WOW – what a cracker this is! The stones are much bigger than I was expecting and the site was a lot easier to find than I had imagined. The only thing I can add to the directions previously given is that the site is opposite Cox’s Lane along the B4022.
This is a very atmospheric place with the stones surrounded by trees and a small dry stone wall with a plaque stating this is a protected prehistoric monument. I don’t know what it is about sites hidden amongst trees but they always seem more atmospheric to me than those in open surroundings. Very easy to access and definitely worth a visit when in the area – easily the best site I visited today.
Visited 7.8.10
What a lovely setting these stones are in! Outside the church on a small green with a handy bench right next to the stones where one can sit and contemplate. Opposite is a pub. Churchill is a pretty little village and sitting in the sun was very relaxing, particularly when the church clock started chiming. The stones do look very old and as other people have mentioned, do look like they may have come from a prehistoric site. In saying that I have been to other sites where the stones look as old only to be told they are not ‘old stones’ so to speak. Either way, it is such a nice location that a visit is worthwhile whatever the history of the stones themselves.
Out for a wander yesterday with better half and found this stone in the middle of a rock art desert . Nearest recorded rock art from here is about 12 Km over a bealach at about 1400 ft so nearly three hours walking .To the south east and west it’s a lot more distance wise and the physical problems are much greater , higher hills or lochs etc .Sadly midday on a cloudy August day is not ideal for rock art pics , a shame as there is a nice wee “rosette” will have to wait for better conditions before it can be seen.
I visited the dig at Eliseg’s Pillar late on Saturday 31 July but did not get to speak to anyone at length about their findings. Anyway I guess it may have been too early to say with any certainty whether any finds have thrown new light on the site or provided any new dating evidence. However even to my very amateur eyes a stone cairn was clearly visible with what looked like kerbstones placed around the foot of the mound. I look forward to the official report.
NB: as others have already said parking is difficult but I used the pub carpark just 200yds away. This site is local to me and only a 20mile drive, but is well worth a visit if you take it in with a few of the other sites in the area.
Several boulder kerbs remain in place of this robbed cairn set on top of small hillock in the middle of a field near Migvie Church. Sadly a lot of damage has been done with all types of rubbish, field clearance, wood chips etc flung on top. Also a cattle feeder, thats 3 sites with cattle feeders dumped on them all in the same area. Same farmer?
From the A97 travel east on the Migvie road pulling in at the farm just after the kirk. The cairn is in the field to the south.
Visited 3/08/2010.
Drummy is the home to the Blue Cairn and Corrachree kerb cairn as well as a number of hut circles, three of which I managed to find. Unfortunately others were covered in heather/ferns or in amongst boggy stuff. So basically follow the directions to Corrachree and then use your eyes. There is also a cairn with fallen monoliths but that was hidden from view on the day I visited, plus I was rather damp. There is always another day!
Visited 2/08/2010
