Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 30.6.10.
I had no problem at all finding this site – for a change!
Opposite the entrance to Llethr Farm is a metal field gate. From here the Burial Chamber is easily seen in the boundry wall two fields away. To get a closer look all you need to do is go over the metal gate and then over the other gate on the opposite side of the field. Warning – the field would be very boggy when wet. I counted 7 large stones making up the collapsed chamber.

‘Visited’ 30.6.10.
Well dear reader, I can now say I have shed blood for the cause! In the next field to Meini Gwyr stands these pair of stones. Easy enough you may think, a quick look over the hedge and ‘Bob’s your Uncle’. Unfortunately, the hedge in question is about 7ft high (stone wall / brambles) and has a double barbed wire fence in front of it! No chance of seeing the stones from this side of the hedge so the only thing for it was to look from the top of the hedge. Unfortunately I had left my ‘hover boots’ at home and during the climb up cut my left leg open and on my way back down cut my right leg open! Despite the blood I at least saw the stones so I guess it was worthwhile? (The little pointy one reminded me of a witches hat). Luckily I do keep a first aid kit in the car for just such emergencies!! If visiting I would suggest you take a small stool or steps – saves the pain!

Visited 30.6.10.
O/S map is a good idea in order to navigate the labyrinth of unsignposted lanes. Once you arrive at the small car park the path up to the hillfort is easy to follow and only took me about 10 minutes to get to the top. There are great views to be had along the coastline. The collapsed remains of the stone ramparts circle the site and there is a long farmer’s field stone wall which cuts right through the hilfort – no prizes for guessing where the stone cam from!! With an O/S map this site was a lot easier to visit than I expected. Well worth a visit for the remaining stonework and the views.

Visited 30.6.10.
Tried to find this site when visiting the nearby standing stone. As with Kammer I couldn’t see it either. There are loads of large boulders about so perhaps it has been destroyed or burried beneath field clearance stones?

Visited 30.6.10.
Easily seen from minor lane west of Fishguard. The stone is only about 20 metres into the field. There is a metal gate leading into the field and a 30 second walk later you are there – up close and personal. Luckily it hadn’t rained for several weeks so the field was nice and dry but in wet weather it would be very boggy. The stone was covered in dry litchen and looked quite pretty.

Visited 30.6.10.
Follow Postman’s directions – they worked for me!
It is worth the effort to see the marvellous rocky outcrop alone. The chambered tomb is a little cracker – close to the outcrop – big enough to crouch under. It took me 15 minutes to walk up through the fields and I had to climb over two barbed wire fences to get to the site. But it was definitely worth it. The views are good but I am sure the rocky outcrop was what drew the ancients to this place originally. Well worth the effort but not the easiest place to find or access. There is a public footpath sign on the road near the farm but no obvious footpath thereafter.

Visited 30.6.10.
This is a really lovely place to visit – very atmospheric. A 2 minute walk from the layby, opposite a bungalow. There is a nice new slate sign which states the circle was errected between 2,300 – 1,200 BC. When visiting don’t forget to look out for the two standing stones a short distance from the circle to your right. One is about 6ft high, the other about 5ft ish. Please try to visit this site is you are able. Well worth a visit.

Visited 30.6.10.
Access is very easy. There is a layby to park in right next to the field in which the stones stand. A weathered but informative board gives details of the site. The two stones are a short walk into the field which had a lot of cows in it. If you don’t like cows, the stones are easily seen from the layby. There appeared to be a raised platform still visible around the stones. Are cows the dullest animals? I am sure they are worse than sheep? At least sheep leave you alone, cows tend to follow you around!!

Visited 30.6.10.
Easy to find this one. As you drive north up the lane with the farm on your right, you come to two metal field gates opposite each other (couple of hundred yards past the farm). Look over the left hand gate and over to the field on your left – this large standing stone is easily seen. I couldn’t see any obvious access to the stone and the field was full of cows so I settled for a view from the gate.

Visited 30.6.10.
As part of my day long adventure in Pembrokeshire, this site happened to be one of my earlier destinations. As it was only 8.00am I didn’t want to knock the door to ask for permission and I also didn’t want to rummage around someone’s garden uninvited, so I chose to observe the large stone from the lane which runs alongside the house. I would have liked to have got a closer look but time and tide............

This site would clean up if some responsible person would cut the gorse away with a Bushman saw, shame to see these sites so neglected

Possibly the most neglected site I have visited, there appears to be two trees knocked or fallen on the tomb, hardly recognisable as being a megalith, what the hell happened here

Due to severe forest farming not much can be seen here apart from small parts of rampart on the western side. Heavy growth doesn’t help which make the Canmore notes an excellent read. I found the cup marked stone, or I assume I did, but didn’t see any cup marks so I’ll go back and check properly. But I’ll take a diiferent route here next time at Crichie farm.

With a sidekick in tow we approached from the west parking my car near the B993, west of Inverurie, opposite the Auqhythie minor road. Head east up the forestry track to its end head thru the trees in a south easterly direction. A fence will be reached head south until a path is found. As I climbed the fence I didn’t notice a lower fence which I fell over. Unfortunately for me the fence pinged back up battering the left leg catapaulting me up into the air. However we proceeded and made it to the remains of the fort. On getting back to Turriff, to the docs and painkillers. Good fun this hobby!

Visited 1/07/2010

Once again haed north thru Westhills, go past South Auchinclech, until the crossroads. From here turn right onto the B979, going past Auchinclech stone circle, until the signpost indicating Tertowie. Travel along this road for a mile, approx, pulling in at the road to Tertowie house. The stone is to the north.

Climb the fence, aided by a dry stane dyke, to the next fence and dyke over this then look east. Over the next fence and dyke, arrival. Tyrebagger hill dominates this part of Aberdeenshire, home to the famous RSC and The Slacks cairn. (as well as a standing stone I’ve yet to find) Standing at 11/2 meters tall it has great views centred on the mentioned hill. There are many excellent areas of flat rock rock nearby, I checked the lot but no rock art could be seen by my amateur eyes.

Visted 4/07/2010.

Visited 30.6.10.
This was my first site on a planned all day adventure around Pembrokeshire. As I ledt home at 4.45am I was here by 7.00am on a still, sunny, beautiful summer morning. I have never been to this part of Wales before – what a stunning area -really beautiful. Reminded me a bit of Cornwall. I walked from the car park next to the retreat, down the path to St Non’s Chapel. Lovely views along the coast. In the field behind the chapel are 5 large stones – 2 standing in field, 2 in hedge and one recumbent. Prehistoric? No idea. To be honest I don’t really care as the scenery alone makes the trip here worthwile. Highly recommended.

Visited 3.7.10
Very easy to visit. Opposite Danefield school on the B3191 is a large layby (presumably for parents to park whilst doing the school run?). Next to the parking area is a metal field gate. The barrow can be seen easily from this gate. Quite a large diameter (10 metres?) but only about 1 metre high. The grass in the field was waist high with plenty of nettles. I couldn’t see any other barrows in the surrounding fields – possibly due to the height of the grass? The O/S map only shows one barrow. There is a sign on the gate stating ‘no public access – nature reserve’.

Visited 4.7.10.
Easy one this. Take the road north from Caerleon heading for Llanhennock. Take the narrow lane north again out of Llanhennock. You will come to a house on your left with a parking space just beyond. Park here. There is a metal field gate next to the parking space and the earthworks of the hillfort can be easily seen not far into the field. The earthworks are not very big and have a large area in the middle which have been dug into. There are now large trees growing out of the depression. Decent views to be had to the east.

Travel north thru Westhills following the signs for Blackburn. About mile later is the road to South Auchinclech farm. Go down this and look east at the first cottage, the stone should be about 40 meters away standing at the moment in a ‘perk o tatties’.

Locals say this stone leads the way to Tyrebagger and the famous hill can be clearly seen to the north. It stands at almost 11/2 meters tall and is surrounded by ancient landmarks. So a well worth the effort for a quick look.

Visted 4/07/2010.

‘Visited’ 4.7.10.
When I say visited, tried to visit would be more accurate! I took the narrow concrete lane east of Llangybi which runs to the rather smelly sewage works. When you reach the gates of the sewage works there is a metal gate leading to a track which states ‘Private – No Access’. Looking at the O/S map the stone should be south west of this point. Unfortunately the area is overgrown with large bushes and trees and sight of the fields is very restricted. I saw in the distance what could be the stone along a fence line but the weather was misty with rain and even with binoculars it was not clear. There was no way of access into the fields for a better look as a field drainage ditch runs alongside the lane and there are nettles about 5 foot high and 10 foot across either side of the water filled ditch! Oh, not forgetting a barbed wire fence!

A new find from saturday . Although only 15 or so miles from the main areas of rock art in Perthshire , immedaitely east of the Tay/Garry there is a great drop in numbers with groups of 1-3 being found often miles apart .This one is the southernmost of a 7 mile long group on a terrace above the river . Whilst recording a great spotted woodpecker was knocking off bits from the adjacent birch tree , not doing the usual rat a tat tatting and totally oblvious until of course i got the bins out then it was off .

Btw, Bateman was somehow mistaken, the passage beneath the rocking stone is nowhere near big enough to pass animals through, yeah at the front of the stone there’s a rather large opening but it narrows down to almost nothing at the back, no way could you safely pass a baby through unless you had octopuss arms and a couldn’t care less attitude to your young uns.
Ok prod a piglet with a pointy stick and it would make it through i admit but it’s not practical to do so on any scale.
My Jack Russel could do it at a squeeze if i stood the other side with a nice bit of meat to temp her.
: )

Found another “cup mark” after searching the tor for a good few hours.
I credit it to Thomas Eyre along with the other carvings i found. ; )

Imo all the markings are natural, for what it’s worth.
Sorry.

A stone similar in size to the Avebury stones that lays on top of of the earth to the side of the sarsen drift at the bottom of a natural ramp leading up to the high point of the down in the direction of Avebury.
It’s said it may have been destined for Avebury but never made it for some reason.
For me it’s a stone of significance due to it’s size, location and the story attached to it, it’s also the largest surviving (non buried) stone in that area, though a few lumps have been knocked off it.

Follow the Herepath up to the ridgeway, enter Fyfield down via the gate then carry on till you cross the gallops, follow the path into the valley then turn right following the course or the sarsen drift, to the right of the drift you’ll easily spot the Monster stone, to me it looks rather like a giant frog, well from a distance anyway.

After trudging through the forestry for what seemed like hours it was great to get out onto open moorland again. It was hot with little breeze so on first reaching the circles I chose to sit in the shadow of the northern most stone and have my lunch...and take on water.

Refreshed I explored.

I had the stones to myself, the gentleman who had walked with me from Fernworthy had gone off to find a cairn on the side of Sittaford and a couple who had avoided encroaching on my lunchtime had slipped off to who knows where.

For some reason I started thinking about the figures on Easter Island...although the stones here are not that large they just gave a sense of being so...perhaps it is because there is very little else in the landscape for scale.

I lingered a while, took in the tranquility..realised that it would probably be the only time I ever visit this remote part of the moor before heading up hill to Sittaford Tor.