Latest Fieldnotes

8.1.2010: Following the heaviest snow in Gloucestershire since 1982 (apparently), a trip up here seemed like a good idea. I had hoped to get here for sunrise, but the Winchcombe bus didn’t turn up, so I ended up getting a bus to Prestbury and walking from there, up and over the southern part of Cleeve Common in freezing fog, which made a visit to Cleeve Cloud seem a bit pointless, so it’s eastwards to Belas Knap, past the empty shell of Wontley Farm. Approaching the barrow from the west, the fog suddenly started to lift and the sun came out – wonderful! The barrow emerged from the gloom and was lit up in the early morning rays. Looked as if no more than three or four people had been up here since the snowfall three days previously, and there certainly wasn’t a soul to be seen up here while I was at the site.

A good wander around the perimeter, then into the two larger side chambers. Temperatures were in the minus figures and my fingers were numb from taking pictures with a glove off. This is great barrow, anyone who complains about it being restored and therefore somehow not authentic should visit all the ploughed down, wrecked barrows around Gloucestershire and realise how lucky we are to have this superb site. After about half an hour or so, even the shelter of the side chamber started to seem pretty cold and I headed off back the way I had come. Walking along the Cotswold Way and then along the track towards White Hall Farm (quite some distance to the SW) the barrow is still visible and its lofty position becomes more noticable. It is pretty high up (300 metres above sea level – the highest point of Cleeve Hill is only 330 metres) but never seems to be because it lacks views due to trees to the east and Cleeve to the west. In theory the barrow was surrounded by trees in the Neolithic period, so the fact that it can be seen so prominently from the SW would not have been apparent, which is curious.

A wonderful place to visit in the quiet and beauty of the white coated landscape. The whole walk of about 8 miles took me well over five hours, at times through knee deep snow, but was totally worth the effort.

This double row runs 250 meters parallel with Butterdon Row and measures about 120m with a cairn at the South. At close proximity are 2 more cairns, one to the South, the other to the East.

After my aborted attempt on Moel y Gamelin I continued down the horseshoe pass, I almost had to stop off at Elisegs pillar.
The pillar is not ancient as is probably obvious if you wish to know more look here coflein.gov.uk/en/site/165274/details/ELISEG%27S+PILLAR%2C+CROSS+AND+BURIAL+MOUND%2C+NEAR+LLANGOLLEN/ , but coflein also says the cross was erected on a bronze age burial mound, and indeed there are a number of large barrows in the immediate area, good enough for me.
Hellish roads apart the morning was beautiful, sharp clean air seared the grime of town life away, the whole valley was crisp and white and adventure was in the air.

Cup marked stone discovered when walking back from a visit to
Howick Settlement and Howick Hillfort.

Original photo was put up as a possible cup mark at the hillfort site and Rockart contacted me to add to BRAC, so it looks like the real deal.

The main image shows the cup marked rock. There is one deep cup at the top and other possible cup marks below. The rock itself is only partially exposed so there could be others marks. It appears to be gritstone type rock.

Access is easy, parking near Sea Houses Farm south of Craster then a short walk down access road to the sea side path. Go south down this till you come to a style and then cut back on yourself to the left and up the path to the top of Rumbling Kern.

You can clearly see the path I mention going diagonally up from left to right on Google Earth. The path cuts through gorse (darker green in the photo view on google earth) at the grid ref given and the panel is visible (on the ground not on Google earth) at the left hand edge of the gorse patch on
the right hand side, right next to the path.

You can combine a visit here with a trip to both Howick Settlement and Hillfort – image showing round trip path added to help.

This cairn is the closest to the ring in the South. It is a few paces West of the row and measures about 16m in diameter.

This double row with terminal cairn and a former cist is an interesting one as it has been incorporated so to link 2 later enclosures. There’s also a hut circle touching it near the northern end. The row was originally about 225m long and runs North-South.

The row is about 500m long and has a ring cairn at its southern end, a fallen terminal pillar at its northern end. It is intersected by a leat and a field wall in the northern section.

The summit cairn is incorporated into the bedrock outcrop. There are 2 large slabs errected on the south westerly side. The cairn is part of the Pupers Reave.

This is a much re-shaped cairn with no apparent organised structure, and some doubt its antiquity.
Non the less the view is spectacular, one my favorites.

This once rather large circle has only 4 stones remaining upright situated in the south-east. The circle probably had a diameter of around 25 m. 100 meters to the South East is a possible standing stone of 1m height. Apart from this there seems to be no other pre-historic structure close by.

Passed this low-lying fort after a trip to Windmill Tump today. Approached from the west along the disused Thames and Severn Canal. The west side of the fort (which is all I saw as the rest is on private land) appears to be a steep bank, but as the canal ran alongside it’s difficult to know what was fort and what was canal engineering.

Of interest is the fact that the spring source of the River Thames is at the southern tip of the fort. As the Thames was venerated by the Iron Age people (witness the number of swords and other offerings thrown in further downstream), it may be that this had some significance in the siting of the fort.

Had a quick look for this after visiting Windmill Tump, as it is very close by. If the intervening trees and walls were removed, the older long barrow would probably be visible from here.

The barrow is in a narrow band of trees on the north side of a minor road from Rodmarton to Cherington. It’s difficult to work out where exactly the barrow is, even in the low winter vegetation. There is a large amount of limestone scattered about in the bushes, as well as various badger holes and root damage. There has been a dry stone wall running on the north side of the trees, most of which has collapsed, adding to the general confusion. The 18th century description made this sound like a pair of decent barrows, one with a large cist. There’s nothing obvious here that would fit that decription and it’s difficult to make out what is still extant.

Visited on a lovely, frosty winter’s day (3.1.2010). The barrow is a easy stroll along quiet country lanes from Kemble railway station (about 3 miles). It’s a brilliant site, quite low lying for a Cotswold long barrow but easily visible from the roads on the north and west sides.

The barrow itself has suffered very badly at the hands of antiquarian excavators, the back is a hotch-potch of craters and pits. The remains of the orthostated chamber at the east end shows two large visible megaliths, but the capstone has disappeared. The “portholed” chamber on the north side is only partially visible. The capstone can be seen, and the highest part of the chamber beneath, which shows internal drystone walling. On either side are what appear to be the tops of two upright orthostats, perhaps part of the porthole stones? The NW chamber has been turfed over as far as I can tell, it only came to light in 1987 as a result of a falling tree and has presumably been recovered.

The barrow clearly had many more trees on its top at one point, judging by the number of stumps. It’s a lovely place to spend some time. I was here about half an hour and no-one else came, despite the glorious day. A light plane (possibly from the Kemble airfield) flew over the barrow at least four times while I was there, perhaps hoping to get a stone-obsessive-free aerial photo. Temperatures never reached much above freezing point today and eventually I started to get cold and decided it was time to leave. A wonderful site with a great atmosphere.

[Some additional access notes – Rodmarton is served by the Cirencester – Tetbury 881 bus service Monday – Saturday, which runs to within a mile of the barrow.]

(notes relate to the photo posted here: themodernantiquarian.com/post/82176/boleycarrigeen.html)

Boleycarrigeen Stone Circle at sunset 03/01/10, in the foreground are the two portal stones which are the tallest stones in the circle and in the centre of the shot is the axial stone, one of the smallest, probably indicating sunset at winter solstice from what I saw this afternoon and as can be seen in the photo. The sun’s setting position moves extremely slowly around the solstices though a proper survey and observation closer to the date might be needed to confirm.

As far as I can tell from researching this circle this alignment has not been noted before. Burl does not indicate any alignment event here at all. Up until the last year the circle was in a small clearing in a plantation that blocked views in all directions but near the winter solstice in 2005, Tom Fourwinds and I thought we could see some sunlight glow behind the axial stone.

This year was the first that accurate observations could be made but due to bad weather and treacherous roads it was only today that I managed to return to view the sunset, though I don’t recommend anyone visiting any time soon as the roads are still extremely dangerous. The plantation is also growing back quickly with no route left to the circle, the trees are planted very close together so this and possibly next year may be the last time this can be viewed before the circle is swallowed up again by trees.

I think I owe the guy who drive in front of me up to the hills a credit here too because if he wasn’t driving in front of me I probably wouldn’t have chanced the roads at all as they were like ski slopes (though his jeep had much bigger tyres than mine!).

I measured the stone at 2.30m above the packing stones. It is one of probably only 4 menhirs on the Moor that appear not being part of a row or other complex.

Snowdon is made up by 4 cairns running roughly North-South. They are a prominent horizon feature viewed from the East as far as Ashburton.
The cairns increase in diameter towards the South and the 3 southernly cairns are spaced about 120m apart from each other, whereas the northernly one is about 175m away from the nearest neighbour. The most northenly cairm is not on the OS map.

It was great to have the opportunity to visit Nympsfield and Uley long barrows this afternoon (courtesy of a friend who was visiting family in the Stroud area).
Both barrows are closed; the Uley barrow (Hetty Peglers Tump) is by far the most impressive. My over-riding impression of both, however, was the stunning locations. Both overlooked the Severn Valley with views of the snow covered Brecon Beacons; the Nympsfield barrow has a picnic and viewing area beside it though both barrows had their views obscured by small plantations of trees which no doubt served act as windbreaks. However, it did not take much imagination to see why these sites were selected by the ‘ancients’ for burials.
The Uley site has a glider club nearby and three or four of them glided over the barrow; a pair of barrow buzzards made an appearance as well – it all added up to a sense of tranquility. I hung about on my own for a bit while my companions made their way back to the road and would love to have stayed for the sunset but was grateful all the same to go back to the warmth of my friend’s car.

It was a perfect crystal clear afternoon, too cold today (for me) to head off along the Cotswold Way but I will go back later in the year and do that section by foot.

Thanks to thesweetcheat for directions, which we proved extremely helpful.

An unplanned, impromptu visit to this fort (2.1.2010). I had to break a train journey in Newport, and rather than hang around the station thought it would be a good chance to have a look at this fort (dedication to the cause, eh?). Anyway, not having planned to come here, I set off in what I hoped was the right direction, with no map or anything sensible like that. By heading roughly south-west and always seeking the highest ground, it’s actually quite easy to find. If you come to a very large cemetery, with a busy road running along the south side*, you’re in the right area – the streets all start to be called “Gaer Park Road/Avenue”, etc – and most of them end at the SW with entrances onto the fort itself.

This is a rather excellent fort, with several (at least three) concentric lines of defences, as well as excellent views to the north-east taking in both Mynydd Machen and Twmbarlwm, as well as the hills over Cwmbran. The winter sun was going down to the west, so looking in that direction was difficult – you should be able to see the area where Gwern-y-Cleppa is situated too. It’s a bit overgrown (very much so in Summer, I imagine) and a bit scruffy round the edges, but to have a hillfort within a 30 minute walk of the city centre is a great thing.

*This road also has a very regular bus service running to and from the city centre.

After being driven by blizzards from the Tyrebagger looking for Caskieben Standing Stone (Gouche) probably we walked past it (the farmer says its still there) and the Bakiebutt Cairn, Little Clinterty was a much easier challenge. I turned left at the first roundabout at Blackburn, north west of Aberdeen on the A96, and pulled in at the first road, today it was blocked but on a calmer day plenty room. Little Clinterty is the farm at the bottom of the drive.

As you walk down look east and the pole holding a security light can be seen. Canmore said it had a satellite dish plus honeysuckle and Russian vines. Not today just a covering of beautifully crisp snow. It stands at over 1.8 meters tall looking over to the Tyrebagger.

Hoped to do more today but the weather won. Caskieben, Ferney Brae and the others can wait until another day.

Visited 2/1/2010.

This is a decent round barrow, very nicely preserved and in a very prominent position. Topped by trees and easily visible from the minor road running alongside, this is one of the best examples of a round barrow along the western edge of the Cotswolds.

[The OS 1:25000 shows another round barrow a couple of hundred yards to the south-east (on Pegglesworth Hill at SP00351779), but a quick visit makes it look like it may have been ploughed out of existence. According to Darvill and Grinsell’s “Gloucestershire Barrows: Supplement 1961-1988” it was only 0.4m high in 1980, so it’s no real surprise. There is a mound in the field with a reservoir tank inserted into the top, but not in quite the position shown on the OS.]

First trip out of the new year, the ground frozen hard (which luckily meant most of the mud on the paths was frozen hard too). Seen in the winter, a large excavation trench crosses the back of the barrow. There are great views, across to Cleeve Cloud, but the setting is spoilt by the busy A436 running right next to the field.

From here, across a few fields to the south-east, lies St Paul’s Epistle.

Late Bronze Age (at the earliest ) causeway across wetland . Pics are from the ’ 07 season there has been a further 2 years digging but I don’t know of any significant finds in the last couple of years .

Leaving the Ring of Brodgar the next feature is the Dyke of Sean, the old Stenness-Sandwick boundary down to the loch – on the other side of the accompanying burn the Wasbister disc barrow sits in the far corner of a usually rather damp field. Looking up to the north look for the big green mound on the skyline in the uphill field. This is the Bookan tomb. Take note of the field as this isn’t seen when you approach the fieldgate. Follow the field edge up to the tomb and just beyond take the track right that goes by the west side of the quarry with the various [?lesser] Bookan cairns along its sides. Leaving these looking northward and slightly downhill you see the Skae Frue mound. Above this is the field containing the Ring of Bookan. You reach the gate before coming to Skae Frue. Follow the track that passes east through two erect stones and in a few minutes the ring appears to your left. The easiest way into the surrounding ditch is on the right where this meets the field edge and then on the east side is the lower side of the mound. From on top you have a complete view of all the hills comprising the ‘rim’ of the ‘bowl’ within which the “Great Sacred Monuments” sit. More properly from any high point on the ‘rim’ the Ring of Bookan is visible, even when the monuments aren’t. Ante- or post-quem, eh !

Well, who’d have thought it? After all these years trampling up and down the wondrous Mynydd Du, gawping at the elegant waterfalls upon the Nant-y-Llyn and hanging out at the Cerrig Duon, the penny finally drops that here, right beside the main path, is a genuine Bronze Age cairn.

True, the cairn is not even marked on the 1:25K map and the stream’s cascades, outflow of the superb Llyn y Fan Fawr sited far above, completely grab the attention of the passing hillwalker. Nevertheless.... honestly!

Sited overlooking the aforementioned Nant-y-Llyn, to the south of the Maen Mawr and its accompanying ‘circle, a visit to this cairn is no easy affair most of the year since it requires the fording of the infant Afon Tawe – easier said than done in all but the driest of periods, today requiring a detour of a quarter mile upstream, not to mention waterproof socks. However combine a visit with the circle and you’ll have yourself a grand few hours in fabulously wild, remote country infused with that additional ‘aura’ only prehistoric sites possess.
Hell, not even driving hail and blizzards could dampen our spirits today, not with washes of sun racing across the flanks of Waun Leuci during the intervals between weather fronts and the multicoloured sheep wandering up to gaze incomprehensively at the visitors. ‘Allo creeps, Sidney Sheep ‘ere’.

The location is superb, the only sound that of water making its inexorable way into the Afon Tawe from a myriad sources upon the mountainside, the loudest being the cascades just upstream. The cairn, clearly ‘opened’ at one time or another, would appear to have been sited with reference to these waterfalls, and also appears to have a remnant of cist within (?)

As for the technical bit... according to Coflein the cairn is:

“A Bronze Age round cairn is located on south-east sloping ground at 370m ASL, to the south of the megalithic complex of Maen Mawr and Cerrig Duon, and on the north side of Nant-y-llyn.
The oval stony mound measures 9.8m long (NW-SE) by 7.6m and stands to between 0.9m and 1.2m high, allowing for the slope of the ground. The cairn is marked by a central trench running NW to SE which measures 4.3m long, 1.4m wide and 0.5m deep; towards its SE end lie two stone uprights, perhaps the remains of a cist”.

It has to be said that I’m not the most enthusiastic early riser. And to do so at 7.30am on a freezing cold Boxing Day morning would probably be beyond the call of duty... if the potential prize wasn’t a visit to a couple of Wales’ finest cairns. Sadly the Mam Cymru stays behind to tend to her infant grand daughter. Some things are indeed more important, aren’t they?

So, with this incentive I head along the M4, resisting the urge to take the turn-off to Barry Island – in homage to last night’s ‘Gavin and Stacy’ – and veer up the A470 beneath Garth Hill’s barrows (must visit these one day) towards dear old Merthyr Tudful, hence Tredegar. Here a minor road leaves the A465 to ascend the Sirhowy Valley towards the hamlet of Trefil. This is an industrial landscape, and not a pretty sight, it has to be said.... particularly if you once made your livelihood here (check out a rather poignant song by South Walian comedian Max Boyce about this valley if you can). The road continues, to terminate at the quarries above Dyffryn Crawnor, but I don’t make the full distance due to ice [a particular Gladman fear], parking a little way short. From here the 2,025ft summit is a little under 2 miles to the approx south-west.

The landscape, cloaked in a mantle of white, is the epitome of ‘the bleak Midwinter’, the snow masking numerous springs waiting to snare the unwary traveller. Cresting the initial ridge, the summit of the mountain is visible beyond, a relatively simple walk in clear conditions, I’d have thought, but quite a trek in deep snow today.

It is worth the effort. The twin Bronze Age cairns of Garn Felen and Carn y Bugail tower above the hostile landscape a small distance to the east of the summit OS trig point...and it seems to me incredible that monuments this size could still remain upon the over-trampled Brecon Beacons. Initially, however, it is a monument of much more recent times – and modest construction – that fair brings a lump to my throat and very nearly a tear to my eye. A little way below Garn Felen stands a small cairn dedicated to the crew of a RAF Wellington bomber (T2520 from 115 Squadron, RAF Marham, Norfolk) which crashed here on 9/12/40 returning from active operations. There were no survivors. It exudes a poignancy beyond words, all the more so because of numerous poppies adorning the cairn, one annotated ‘from a friend’. See, some people DO still care.

The Bronze Age equivalents crown the skyline above and are real beauties. Outside of Pumlumon, perhaps only the Carnau ‘r Garreg Las (upon western Mynydd Du) compare in my experience. Filled with snow, they are superb viewpoints for the cloud-wreathed main Brecon Beacons massif across the valley and the distant Black Mountains. Although nominally simply massive piles of stones, they clearly represent much, much more.

Mist sweeps in to periodically engulf the summit, the giant cairns looming claustrophobically through the swirling, ethereal vapour – note that this is no place to be without a compass and the ability to use it. It is perhaps at times like this that Cefn Yr Ystrad is at its most evocative. It certainly has me in thrall today.