Latest Fieldnotes

From the A543 drive north up single file lane past Llyn Aled and Aled Isaf reservoir and a few miles further north this big barrow is dead obvious and right next to the road.
About two metres tall with antiquarian tamperings visible on top, this is a big barrow on a wide ridges crest and visible for miles, the rain was coming at me sideways and the wind was really bashing me about, even in the mist I could see for miles and I couldnt help smiling to myself,
I must be daft being here right now, but I did enjoy it.

There are plenty of barrows around here and this one was last on the list to see this morning, it was also the longest walk, parking on the road at a small junction by a smaller church then a long muddy walk (well I hope its just mud but I doubt it) up the track to the farm, it all follows the footpath, goes through the farm and is in a field behind the farm, the ruddy faced farmers wife said it was ok to go on through, despite it being lambing time.
The barrow is next to a hedge and seems cut through by the laying of the hedge and its very ploughed out, but still two feet high or so and visible, me and the map think its a bronze age barrow like the rest round here, but Coflein reckons it might be a natural feature.

OK, I know that this general site was removed some time ago, but I think that was because of the copious notes and pictures of the Anglo-Saxon stone-cut graves. The reason I would like to re-instate this site is for the Mesolithic evidence that has been found here, which points towards it having been a temporary camp at some point. Surface flintwork has been excavated and these amazing rocks, complete with small caves and natural cup marks only add to the general sense that something was definitely a-foot around these parts during the middle-late Mesolithic.

To access the rocks, head towards The Barrows in Heysham Village but then turn into what looks like a “walled-garden” behind the vicarage. This is a wonderful, overgrown site, with quite a magical feel. Or, you can sit in the beer garden of The Royal and look up at this, in all it’s glory!

I remember someone referring to these (on the old fieldnotes) as a mini-Rowter Rocks and if you get the chance to come and see them I think you will agree!

A barrow cemetery comprising five bowl and one bell barrow on the west of Godlingston Heath. This is a curious cemetery, the like of which I’ve not seen before locally, it is in the shape of a crescent. The arc is roughly a 1/4 of a circle and looks like a small arena. The barrows overlook the north part of the heath and Poole harbour from the top of an inland cliff. The five bowl barrows make up the arc shape with the bell barrow just behind, almost touching them.
The barrows are covered in low heather at the moment and get larger and higher as they go from the first barrow – north west to the sixth barrow south east. The only barrow that is visible from the south is the bell barrow, from which can be see two of the barrows on Nine Barrow Down, to the south, I’m pretty sure the long barrow is one of them.
These barrows are not on the main part of the heath with the marked footpaths but the whole area is open access land and there was a path that could be followed. These are not marked in any way on the relevant O.S. maps and I only found out they existed while looking at something else on MAGIC, where they are marked and described.
On the way back, about 20 yards from the barrows I was lucky enough to find a piece of Bronze Age pottery laying next to the track. It looks like the local black burnished ware and is part of a rim.
All in all they are an unusual group in the context of Dorset barrows and are well worth a visit – look them up first on MAGIC and they are quite easy to find, if not this is a large heath with lots of lumps and bumps on it which aren’t ancient.

Whilst on Oxen Craig look out for a square-cut hole – see story below, near the cairn.
from ‘Bennachie’ p41 Alexander Inkson McConnochie 1890

Oxen Craig has acquired quite a local history — and almost even a name, for sometimes it is spoken of as ” Robbie Deson’s Tap” — from a half-witted pauper, Robert Dawson, who was found dead on the Craig on 12th December, 1856, the sixteenth day after he had disappeared. Robbie lived with his mother at Goose- knowe, near’Ryehill, Oyne, and was last seen alive at Hillbrae. He had left Hillbrae on the 26th of the previous month, a snow-storm coming on rather un-expectedly after he had set out. Search parties were sent out after some delay, but no trace of poor Robbie could be found — indeed, it could hardly be expected that it would have been thought possible or probable that the body would be found on the highest point of Bennachie. Ultimately, the body was found by a young man of the district who was out ” takin’ a shot n at the white hares in the neighbourhood of Oxen Craig. Robbie had died while sitting on the Craig, so at first the ” sportsman ” took the dead body for some one watching his movements. The crows had picked out the right eye before the body was found, which was buried at night in Oyne Churchyard. The natives erected a commemorative stone, with an inscription, on the spot where the body was found, the stone being cut from the rock in the immediate vicinity. Robbie’s mother, however, knocked it down and broke it into minute pieces, her idea being that she
should have participated in the funds that were raised for its erection. She also objected to the word “fatuous” on the stone referring to Robbie, saying ” Fatuous ! Fat’s that ? My sin wis jist as Guid made ‘im.” Ultimately the subscription became the subject of a lawsuit. To use rather an Irish bull — all that remains of the monument is the square-cut foundation for the stone in the solid rock, which may still be seen a few yards from the cairn. Poor Robbie was a great simpleton. On one occasion he saw a number
of egg-boxes standing on end at the local grocer’s, ” and having been told they were coffins, ever afterwards he would rather have waded the Gadie-than passed ” the grocer’s,” especially at night.

In the same field as the Wasbister ‘disc barrow’ and the Bookan Cairn settlement are two lesser sites, presumably [a lot?] later than the monuments.
The Wasbister Cairn can be found by climbing the hillslope to a bright green grassy mound by the top end of the northern fence. This very rough mound (very very ragged and disjointed it is definitely an item), is only a few yards away from the cairn itself. From some views the ragged mound is so big that this and the cairn could even possibly be a single item subjected to different fates at E and W. But I only found a single flat stone on the whole of the mound’s surface. As for the cairn, though there are some loose stones around the base there is no sign that these have ever been embedded. There are a few horizontal slabs dotted about its surface and one at the northern side with a seemingly curved face sticking out as if originally part of walling – perhaps there are similar out of sight.
The Wasbister Mound lies down near the Dyke of Sean. Rather than a lochan I would consider the body of water a pow or large pool. Either side of the dyke the number and size of pools varies and old maps show many straight lines in and around them of unknown origin, some still visible. The slight mound is most easily seen coming from the barrow to the pool. There is a comparatively large piece of erosion at the highest point showing earth and a couple of smallish stones. In going back to the fieldgate I passed over a large rise – it isn’t on record and there are no stones or anything visible but it has a feeling of settlement

I finally decided to see what’s at the top of the hill. It looks impossibly steep to climb and it is from most directions. However if you park on the western side just above Hammiton farm only the last 20 yards or so are steep.
The views from the hill are panoramic. I could see at least four hillforts from the top, namely Eggardon to the north east, Chilcombe to the east, Abbotsbury castle to the south east and Pilsdon Pen to the north west.
Also to the south west is Golden Cap, Colmer’s Hill and Hardown Hill are to the west and I think I could see both Lambert’s Castle and Coneys Castle to the north west as well.
I’m not sure this is a hillfort in the sense of there being any defensive banks or ditches, of which I could see no evidence. Having said that I’m not sure these would be neccesary as this would be an ideal refuge without any obvious banks etc. It is easy to see any approach to the hill from any direction.
There are some curious looking banks and ditches below the main hill which could wel have been the site of a settlement.
Grinsell thought there was a low barrow on the hill, the only place I could see that could be a barrow is the site of an O.S. trig point. It is indistinct and would have been disturbed by the building of the trig point anyway. I suspect also that the site was used during WW2 as an observation post, there was some brick work up there and what looked like a small chimney stack in the field below the hill.

The barrow is on the north west side of Hammiton Hill which is to the south of Shipton Hill. It is about 25 metres across and 1 3/4 metres in height. It’s in good condition and is not part of an extended group or cemetery.

I went looking for the Giant’s Stone last year (Sep 2009) and found a big erratic at OS grid NJ481290 about where the the stone is marked on early OS maps. Quite a bit higher up tap o’ noth than the stone drewbhoy went to.
Quite easy to get to. Follow path from the car park for tap o noth and about half way up from the car park (420m height) head for the trees. It’s just inside.
I would be interested to go back and look at the other stone drewbhoy talks about.

Just above the trees is a spur of rock called Clochmaloo (Stone of St Moluag) associated with a famous Celtic missionary from about A.D. 562. well worth a visit too on a nice day.

I spent a day wondering along one of the best parts of the Icknield Way last summer. Me and a friend had spent the night on the Ridgeway opposite Waylands Smithy. Duty had called him back to Avebury and I found myself with time to explore Hardwell Camp, Woolstone Wells, Dragon Hill and the campsite at Britchcombe Farm.

I was dropped off by the Knighton war memorial at the junction of on the Icknield Way and Knighton Hill. (SU 28288 86813). I have travelled this section of the Icknield Way many times before, but never on foot. That Saturday morning the traffic was light but I still had to keep my wits about me as the cars sped past.

The road in front of Hardwell Camp has been secured with a deer proof fence. The interior of the camp is an ideal retreat for the deer and some would have jumped out into the road. I found my way up the footpath which runs alongside the western edge of the hillfort. There seems to be a natural entrance at the top but in the height of summer, the mass of vegetation and overgrowth was too extensive to make any clear picture of it’s shape. Defiantly a site to explore during the winter months.

This section of the Icknield Way follows the contours of the hill just above the line of the numerous springs. My next stop was the springs know as Woolstone Wells which form the River Ock. These springs should be seen in the same way as the Swallow Head springs are in the Avebury landscape. One of the many legends surrounding these springs is that the Uffington white horse is said to be a mare, and to have her invisible foal on the hill beside her. At night the horse and foal come down to eat at the slope below known as the Manger, and to drink the mystical waters. The Woolstone Wells are said to have been formed by a hoof print from the horse and the Icknield Way follows this line precisely. Unlike the Swallow Head springs, these springs were flowing freely and did not seem to have been tapped by the water company. There wasn’t any parking on this section of the Icknield Way, so I guess very few people take the time to explore this site.

Walking onward, a footpath is available on the right which winds past Dragon Hill, crosses Dragonhill road and continues up the side of the hill to join the Ridgeway. I carried on walking down the Icknield Way and watched Dragon hill change shape. At the cross roads with the Icknield Way, the hills flat top is most prominent.

By this time, I was in need of refreshment and the welcome thought of a cup of tea spurred me on to Britchcombe Farm and the formidable Mrs. Marcella Seymour. Rated as one of the best located campsites in southern England, Britchcombe Farm was busy with happy campers, although I could have done without the screaming kids. The Tearoom on the farm is open Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays from 3 – 6 pm. Someone once told me that Marcella was the Dragon from the hill, but I found her to be very approachable. I asked her about the rumour of lighting fires and she gave me an info sheet with all the campsite details. Fires are allowed, if you ask her first. Please have a bucket of water ready before you light your fire. Keep the size of your fire to no larger than 18” square. Bags of suitable kindling and logs are available at £5 per bag from the farm. As for the camping charges,
cost per night is £6.00 per person per night for adults. Under 5 year olds are free of charge, Age 5-14 is £3.00 per person per night.
Gazebos are £6.00 per night. Showers are inclusive. Electric Hook Up’s £6 per night. Washing up facilities and Showers are available next to the toilets. Although this facility has been posted to the TMA, it has not been listed as a facility of the Uffington area. themodernantiquarian.com/facility/514
Full details are Mrs M Seymour, Britchcombe Farm, Uffington – SN7 7QJ
Tel: 01367 820667 Fax: 01367 821022
Email: [email protected]

After a visit to Bulwarks Camp (27.2.2010), a quick trip round the footpath south past comes out in the Thornwell housing estate (formerly Thornwell farm).

It is great that the long barrow has survived the building of the estate, but the surroundings are hardly attractive. There are some visible megaliths, but I found it quite difficult to make much sense of what I was looking at. I also failed to spot the nearby round barrow – doh!

Visited 27.2.2010. Chepstow is a town that is rightfully proud of its medieval heritage, with an excellent castle and largely intact castellated port wall. Unfortunately, as the two sites I visited attest, it is not so good when it comes to its prehistory.

Bulwarks Camp is a small multivallate promontory fort overlooking the Wye estuary as it approaches the Severn. It’s close to Chepstow railway station, making for an easy visit. Unfortunately, it now stands between light industrial units and a housing estate (this part of town is named Bulwark in recognition of the fort). It’s pretty scruffy, with the northern ditch choked with vegetation and both north and south sides the scene of fair amount of fly-tipping and litter.

The small interior, as Carl says, is an open space, grassed over and lacking any obvious features. The northern and western ramparts are intact but quite low, to the south the land slopes away from the fort and on the east side is a sheer cliff.

As is often the case with these urban sites, I felt pleased that it endures, but there is no real sense of place or spirit. As I left, I did notice a sign taped to a nearby bollard asking for volunteers to come and help clear up the litter from the site, which was encouraging. But it’s always sad that these places get into a mess in the first place. From here it’s along the footpath south to Thornwell long barrow to see what else Chepstow does with its prehistory.

This is a large bowl barrow at the western end of Ballard Down, to the south is the small hamlet of Ulwell from which the barrow takes it’s name. It looks in pretty good condition, although there are signs of an excavation on the crown, the damage is not too bad. Some damage has been done to the eastern edge by the disturbance created by a stone obelisk. This is a curiosity, it was placed there to comemorate the coming of clean, fresh water to nearby Swanage, the reservoir is to the south of the barrow. The obelisk was originally in London, outside the Mansion House. It was removed from the barrow in 1941 so as not to be guide to german bombers, it was re-erected in 1952 by the army.
I approached the hill from the north, Studland side as it is much less steep than the southern Swanage side. I parked by a farm gate, it was obvious many people had parked here before me. The hill is pretty steep but Ballard Down itself levels out and is a nice place to see the surrounding sites, megalithic or otherwise.

These two bell barrows are in a valley bottom to the north of Ballard Down and are part of a group which includes the Fishing barrow which is to the est of it. The maps show another bowl type near these two but I couldn’t see it.
The barrows are very scruffy and covered in dead grass at this time of the year, in summer they are obscured with gorse and bracken.
These are very easy to visit as they are just north of a large layby and observation point with easy parking.

I have wanted to include this barrow for a long time but have never been able to actually see it. Thanks to our hard winter and late spring the undergrowth is low enough for me to take a photo of it. It is a bowl barrow in reasonable condition, some tree damage but no apparent excavation signs.
It lies in a valley and is just off a small road that leads to a farm, it appears to be part of a scattered group, to the west is at least one barrow on Whitcombe hill and to the east is Huck Barrow.

Visited 27.3.10. Despite the hail stones I braved the elements and made the short walk up the path to the church – the barrow is covered with trees to the left. I climbed to the top and it looked like the site may have been dug into at some point in the past as it had a large depression in it. Access to the church is via keys – details given on church door. I forgot to check out the disputed standing stone – ah well, it gives me an excuse to visit again on my to Avebury!

Visited 27.3.10. Follow the signposted road south off the A4 into the hamlet of Chisbury. Drive straight through the hamlet and out the other side. Here the road rises and you are soon dirving up through the northern defences of the hillfort – easily seen from the road. At the top of the hill is Manor Farm. If you wish to visit Chisbury Chapel (English Heritage) it can be found behind Manor Farms large barns. Note – the Chapel cannot be seen from the road. I parked near the farm and the farm worker was happy enough for me to visit the chapel. If you continue on the road you will again eaily see the southern defences of the hillfort as you go down the hill.

Just visited WKLB – again! (27.3.10) Quite a few people about and the path up the hill was surprisingly muddy. I noticed that the tree at the bottom of the hill which the ‘offerings’ are tied to has had most of its lower branches cut off which overhang the fance – to stop things being tied? Inside the barrow itself it was very wet with plenty of puddles and mud. A few ‘offerings’ were placed on nooks and crannies in the barrow. I never tire of visiting Avebury, the whole area is magical. Silbury Hill is out of this world, looking at it from the barrow is a wonderful experience.

Visited 27.3.10. Parked next to the locked gate at the start of the path which leads north from the A4. There is a sign on the gate which states that any unattended cars parked by the gates will be removed. With this in mind, Karen stayed in the car with little Dafydd who by now was asleep in his car seat. Through the gate and a flat, if very muddy, 15 minute walk up the path, past the barn and straight to Devil’s Den . It looks like new wooden gates have been installed to give access to the field when the Den sits. Very easy to access and no crops. On the walk up the path I saw several pheasants, 3 hares doing their ‘mad March hare boxing thing’ and best of all, 3 Roe deer staning on the path by the barn. I am amazed there are still wild deer to be found in Britain – magic. To the east of the Den, just the other side of the fence, are the large stones Julian states are part of the original chambered tomb. These are easy to spot. The Den itself is very pretty – well worth a visit and I had the whole place to myself. A very happy stroll back to the car and onto the next site of the day!

This one is visible from the road (A815) parking available on both sides of the road for up to a dozen cars, hopefully they wont all be at the cairn.
Climb over the double barbed wire fence, easy for the cat people amongst us, and just make your way to the highest point around, it will have bumps on it too.
Even on an overcast day like today there is still good views up and down Loch Fyne and in the other direction two big mountains, Stob an Eas(732m) and Binnein an Fhidhleir(811m) both still clinging to there winter snows.
The cairn is still quite prominent upto 5 or 6 feet tall and the chamber though used by sheep for sheepy things, and it has two rabbit holes still is in good nick. Almost aligned on Stob an Eas the chamber is long and made of low stones except the western head stone which is nearly a metre tall.
Fifty yards south west is a prostrate stone a fallen menhir or part of the big cist?
When does a cist become a chamber?
Also of note maybe is the small road that leads of into the incredible Hells glen, a really beautiful place.
I was going to write it up as a weblog but since changed my mind some rejected titles for the blog were...
Secret Cowal – sounds too much like the twat off tele.
Moss is the enemy – but didnt want to offend.
and finally-
Wheres all the friggin rock art – I like that one best.

At Clachan Strachur there was once a druidical circle but it was removed during the builing of the Schoolhouse.
A green stone axe was found during digging nearby it was given to the National Museum of Antiquities.
I only add this destroyed site to show that although there are now no stone circles on the Cowal peninsula, but back then there were at least two. Along with the burial chambers, standing stones and all the secretive rock art this was once a beehive of ancient activity.

Visible from the road again (A886). I parked between two houses one of which bears the same name as the stone, walked twenty metres up to the gate climbed carefully over it and made my way to the stone, both the map and the view from the road shows its close to the river Ruel, but its not till you get right up to it that the true horror of its position is revealed.
It is less than one foot away from falling into the river, in less than two years it will be gone, maybe even less, if the river swells badly and erodes more river bank away the stone will give way, it’s already leaning away from the river because there isnt enough ground on that side, even an attempt to rescue it is frought with danger just a bit of misshandling and its gone.
There is already a big stone in the river maybe there were two stones once.

Easily visible from the road(A886), park by the gate and if sheep are willing jump it and walk down to the stone.
This stone is only one metre tall but it has a  small tale to tell, standing at the head of Loch Ruel (or Ridden) it wasnt always on its own, sperated by a thin wood from the Ra (or rabbit)field another stone once stood but a tenant farmer threw it down some time before 1915, and now no memory of it remains at all, and in the trees beyond the rabbit field is Barmore the well presrved iron age hillfort. Then a bit further down the road is Kilmoden church and sculptured stone and cup and rings too.

One more chance to find an interesting rock art panel, then I must start the long drive home, with a few more places along the way though.
I parked on the B886 overlooking Kilmoden church and its sculptured stones, then walked down the road a bit untill the Clachan burn goes under the road, then its back into the mossy forests one more time.
Canmore says all this about the place...

Cup and Ring marked Rock: 82 m SE of road’s E boundary wall, 75m SW of a burn (lined with narrow wood), hard to find in bracken, is a sunk schist boulder 1 1/4m by 1m and 15cm high. Near the E of its flat top, sloping 10 W are 8 cups up to 5cm in diameter, 1cm deep. When wet in low sun, two of these can be seen to be surrounded by a ring, much weathered; one is a complete circle, the other is a ‘keyhole type’, 26cm long, with a radial groove from the cup. (This rock was not found during field investigation in 1972.)
R W B Morris 1977; M Paterson 1970; Visited by OS (D W R) 21 October 1970.

This decorated boulder is situated in a recent deciduous plantation 100m SE of the road bridge (A886) over the Clachan Burn. Its upper surface bears ten cupmarks, one of which is surrounded by a single ring and another by a keyhole-shaped ring (Morris 1977).
Visited April 1986

It was last seen in 1986 as far as canmore knows, so here we go, the Clahchan burn is a fast flowing stream that is mostly waterfalls, on its south side is open woodland where everything (but everything) is covered in a thick carpet of moss, but we must ignore this lovely verdant paradise and go into the conifer plantation, where the ground is bouncy because of the several inches of pine needles covering the floor.
The moss on rocks in a plantation is different than in open woodland, its sometimes thinner and harder to get off or the pine needles turn into soil under the moss,so you pull off the moss only to find several inches of soil.
I think by now you can guess which way this is going, yes I failed again. I pulled off moss scraped back soil went up hill and down lots of times but still found nothing, my compass told me which way to go, and indeed it felt close, but Ive got nothing that tells me how far is 100m ( if only there was a small hand held machine that can track my movements on the ground) Damn damn damn.
Really quite annoyed I headed back to the car and then onto some standing stones, you know where you are with standing stones, they stand up for a start, and practically yell “here I am ”

I took two visits to these three stones once in the dark and again in the morning, it didnt bring any hints or shine a light as to the stones purpose.
These are the safest stones in Scotland, one stone is behind bars in the police station garden, (others will say “no its next to the memorial” but I can see the truth) the other two are opposite the post office, I can only hope my compadre’s are looking out for our stones. I don’t know if the two are built into the bank where they have always stood or if they were moved there.
In 1943 V G Childe said the two stones in the bank/hedge could be portal stones for a burial chamber, but some archaeological magic was undertaken in 2007 before some residential renovating, but nothing was found, so it looks like a stone circle with big impressive stones once stood at the centre of this village, but now only three misunderstood stones remain, still it’s better than some fared on the Cowal peninsula.
Clachan Strachur school I’m talking about you.