Latest Fieldnotes

On arriving at Nether Lauchentilly I was fortunate that Bill Anderson and his son returned at the same time. Whilst asking permission to park he immediately offered to drive, in his 4x4, as conditions were dodgy and it was a good 3/4 mile hike to the site. For a change I took the help and jumped into the car.

The stone is under a massive electricity pylon but for it’s protection as Bill explained. Last year the stone finally fell over and to prevent further damage it was pulled under the pylon. It would have stood at over 11/2 meters. He also said that the relevant authorities, i.e. Historic Scotland had been informed. Even better, he’d support the stones re-erection if it moved slightly, and I could see his point, from the level ground to help tractors move more freely as well as protect the stone. As of yet, no reply from the bigwigs. In one of the images Bill stands in the stones original position looking apparently towards Castle Fraser. (see Folklore)

With that we climbed back in and returned. What a nice person, a lesson for all farmers I would think.

Visited 31/12/09.

Visted the site on a cold December day with a wild sea and lots of mud on pathways! The route I took to and from the hillfort is shown in the images for this site.

Easiest access is from the Northumberland coastal path/national bike route. Park on the flat grass next to the road on the access to Seahouses Farm, just at the 90 degree turn in the road.

Walk south, through the first set of gates along the bike route down a local byway, clearly marked on the OS map. Although part of a national cycle route this is a farm track and is very muddy in the winter.

Through 2nd set of gates and the views to the sea open up on the left. Although the sea would have been much farther out in prehistory this would have been the first high ground ancient people would have met, coming West from the sea. In the distance you can see the roundhouse reconstruction close by the site of the oldest house found in the UK. themodernantiquarian.com/site/5689/howick.html

After a visit to the roundhouse (which has a couple of nice text and picture boards outside) you continue south through the 3rd set of gates.

Look diagonally across the field on the right at this point and you will see Howick Hillfort on the horizon before the woodland.

Follow the path down the hill towards the burn, at the bottom of the hill there is a gateway, look to the right and there is a small gate in the fence with a footpath marker “Howick Hillfort”. Also a “Beware of the Bull” sign – so check before you go a walking!

Through the gate and follow the fence on your left up towards the hill fort, access via a clear path past what looks like a small recent quarry full of farm rubbish.

At the top of the hill the rampart is clear and easy to see. About 3m wide and still standing 1m or so high, the whole extent of the site is easy to see. The rampart looks to be of stone construction and what looks like like two courses of stone construction are clear due to erosion on the south side.

There are possible entrance gaps to the North East and South West and a possible outer ditch to the North/North West. There are signs of a possible excavation of the rampart just North of the North Eastern “entrance” where a rough rectangular feature crosses the rampart (possible section through the rampart?).

The site is well protected by a natural slope to the South and there is no sign of a ditch there. To the North the ground is very flat and it looks like there was a single ditch to add to the defenses at this point. This “hillfort” seems very similar to a number of lowland sites in the area, being similar in size, close to a local stream/river and using the steep slopes created near the river on one side as part of the defensive construction of the site.

There are no obvious signs of any features inside the rampart.

Return back to the coastal path. As an alternative to retracing your steps up the coastal past go south through the bike route gateway at this point and turn immediately left to join the marked “Northumberland Coastal Pathway”.

This takes you along the edge of the high ground with great views out to sea – there was a wild Easterly blowing and a heavy sea when I visited and this sort of walk is what “Bracing” is about!

Along this path you come down to a small beach. At low tide the sand/grit stone rock outcrops here have clear signs of fossilised wave action from tides or stream action, look for the flat rock between the beach and the sea.

After the small beach the path gets wider and you go across two stiles. At the second stile there is a gap in the ground to the right with a view out to sea. Turn 45 degrees right here and go up the path to the top of the high ground. Where the path meets the gorse there is a partially covered rock on the righ with a possible cup mark.

At the top of the high ground there are great views down on Rumbling Kern geograph.org.uk/photo/447102

Rejoin the path and climb up the hill to the farm track, turn left through the gate and walk back to the car at the road ahead. Look to the North West at this point and the high ground on the horizon (Hips Heugh) has clear signs of earthworks. According to keys to the past these date from the middle ages durham-pa.gov.uk/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N5689

A nice short walk (60-90mins), no steep climbs but can be very muddy in winter.

This is tough to find as the trees cover everything, incredible to think that MK is only about three miles away.

The trees in this area are fairly recent so I guess this was all downland when occupied and would have been a impressive sight.

You can wander around here for ages and not see a soul but you can sense them.

This is NOT visible from the Ring of Bookan, the skyline is the Bookan tomb with the mounds (The Brecks) about the old quarry.

The beggars have boxed it in, trying the old direct route but instead had to do a circular one through three fieldgates before entering by one almost opposite Skae Frue. Alas, though the Comet Stone points to it the Warbuster hill hides the valley below even if you took away the Bookan cairns from around the old quarry. No, it is Bookan tomb that dominates the view of the monuments below. On the other hand you can see why they built here – from on top you can see an unobscured 360deg panorama of the hills.

I tried to find this tomb once before but failed. The OS map shows it to be in the middle of some forestry. This forestry turns out to be apple trees and the wedge tomb is actually in open grass to the south of the apple trees.
It is very close to the rear of a farmhouse so I would recommend perhaps coming in by the lane and asking for permission. I happened to have came in from the rear thinking that the trees would cover my approach.
The capstone on this tomb is pretty huge as the pictures show. The isnt much of a chamber, the sidestones have fallen in and what would have been a chamber now seems to be full of smaller stones. There is a pool about 100m to the east and there is one stone in it that looks like it may have once been part of the tomb.

Way back in the summer I went to Grimes graves a more perfect day couldnt be had.
After the mines we were on route to Weeting castle when I spotted this on the map, seeing as we were passing I stopped off for a look, it’s on private land so I didnt get too close but it looks to be atleast seven feet high and twenty across.
If it were in Cheshire (my own fair homeland) it would get an information board and then get ignored but over here it’s just left to peak at travellers through the trees. Coooeee

Visited 27.12.2009, walking from Nympsfield long barrow along the busy B4066. This is our first visit to the site and I was aware from previous posts that the chambers have been “temporarily” closed, so wasn’t expecting much to be honest. However, a winter sun was shining as we approached, with the pale moon looking down as well, which brightened the prospect nicely. This barrow is huge, and very impressive. Even with the entrance turfed over and the chambers inaccessible, this is an excellent site. Many of the surrounding barrows (The Toots, Nympsfield, Buckholt Wood, etc) are very badly preserved, with their mounds greatly reduced. Not so Hetty Pegler’s Tump – although there are two large excavation craters on the back of the enormous mound, it certainly hasn’t suffered from the plough. I’m sad that we couldn’t get to see the interior, especially given all the wonderful descriptions, but perhaps it will re-open one day. In the meantime, it’s still here and it’s still more than worth a trip to see.

Final prehistoric outing of the year (27.12.2009), walking up here from Nailsworth via Woodchester Park. The slight rain gave way to some sunshine as we arrived. The carpark near the barrow was busy and there were plenty of people milling about.

The stones that were in evidence lying on the grass in April when I last came have disappeared (presumably not by being replaced) and there were a couple of others now dislodged. The bottom of the chamber was carpeted in red leaves and a pair of gliders circled overhead – like vultures!

From here we headed off to Hetty Pegler’s Tump via the Coaley Peak view point.

This standing stone is one of the better known megalithic sites in the Brecon Beacons national park. It stands around 12 ft high and probably dates to the Bronze Age. It is a very impressive site, surrounded by the atmospheric mountains and is clearly positioned in order to direct ones gaze down the valley to the south. It does appear to be aligned with cairns to the SE and SW. The alignment to the SE passes through the cairn on nearby Fan LLia. I am unsure if this is original, but there is a white qaurtz pebble that can be seen on top of the stone. White qaurtz is often found at megalithic sites and is still used by farmers today as a form of protection.

The final cairn of the day and it was beginning to get dangerously dark. We scrambled, over 500 meters from Glenshee 3, the last uphill often waist deep in snow drifts. Footing underneath was dodgy but we battered on. It was worth it, the sun had gone but the moon was up shining brightly. Also shining, the lights of Huntly, to the east, and Keith, to the north.

Westfolds, no riders of Rohan here, is also known as the Poor Man. It is more likely to be a natural mound than a cairn and measures at almost 17 meters wide by 11/2 meters tall and sits on the top of Norry Hill.

A very pleasant end to the day and suddenly all in the world was well. One big problem, the temperature was -16, our water bottles had frozen in our rucksacks. The descent took forever crossing bogs, streams, fences, tree stumps and very deep snow but eventually we found the track at Parkhall, from there down to the A920, back to the car and heat. Several hours after we’d started we’d finished equipment and bodies still intact.

Visited 21/12/09.

The real reason for this days climbing was Cairnborrow the three cairns at Glenshee, a pure fluke but great luck even if it added miles and aches to our journey. We’d hoped to go to Craig Dorney, hillfort, for the Solstice but ended up in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

Images of the cairn were taken showing the sun setting and the moon rising. This cairn is some 15 meters wide and almost 2 meters high. Boulders and earth were used in the construction, and along with snow lay undisturbed except for two intrepid walkers. (more commonly known as idiots!!)

One extra cairn to go, temperature still -11.

Visited 21/12/09.

500 meters west and the long cairn can be found. To get here two deserted small farms must be past, they sit desolate like a ghost town unused for decades. I often wonder if some of the ancient tales were past down generation to generation only to vanish because of modernisation. Who knows?

Anyway this is the middle cairn of the group of three and looks straight down Park Hall valley to the Deveron way below. At some stage the long cairn was 45 meters in length but has met with some severe treatment. At least it still survives.

A much needed cup of tea and onto the next cairn only a short distance away. As for the temperature it had dropped to -11.

Visited 21/12/09.

There’s parking for one car only, seeing as Iv’e only got one car this made little difference to me.
It’s so much easier to see the winter rather than the summer solstice, ok its colder but come on three extra hours in bed.
Or alternatively three extra hours to drive somewhere remarkable, I hadnt been to Heston Brake till now but I could tell by its position that it would be a good place for a sunrise. I was dead right, although the chamber and portals are aligned just ever so slightly north of east, (but then it was a cheap compass) which would make it a perfect place for an equinox sunrise.
Or it could have been aligned on something across the Severn towards Hetty Peglars tump(god rest her soul), one thing is sure without the last millenia this would be a fantastic place, looking across the river from a well positioned big knoll, but the last millenia did happen and the surroundings have suffered somewhat, the bridges I can take, I came over one to get here (bastards charged me a fiver though) it’s all the damn pylons I cant take, not now not ever.
The chamber stones are very low are they stumps of larger stones or was it a really low chamber, I dont know, but I do like the hole in the southern side stone, perhaps for spirit exit/entry. Or, go on put your arm through and touch the ancesters..........goosebumps.

Found this one without the help of Odnance Survey, just a bog standard road map will do, once your away from “the jewel in Wales crown”
Cardiff going south on the A4232 turn right onto the A48 and when you get to St Nicholas turn left, Tinkinswood is a few hundred metres on the right. 200 metres over a muddy field.
Tinks is on her third information board in eight years, where they get to I dont know maybe it’s like Widnes railway station here. The first info board claimed her to be 4000bc and indeed she is very old, but she’s not lost any of her poise, grandeur and dare I say it, curves, she’s not a day over 3800bc or my names not mick.
After watching the solstice sunrise at Heston Brake it was nice to get away from the modern world here with this big beauty, first came here years ago with my growing family but I’m alone today, it’s good to see the old place again, nothings changed, except the information board, the trees are bare and there’s snow on the ground and it’s bloody cold, did I say I had the place to myself, ok so lots of things have changed.

At the start of the walk we parked opposite Mains Of Cairnborrow and made our way to the two Backtack sites. After this we walked, climbed, fell and struggled to Newton Hill/Cairnborrow, no paths or roads here binoculars definitely needed. From here till the end of the walk snow was often at our waists and drifts very deep, emphasis on very. However the Mad Man had done his homework, mountain rescue had been phoned just in case. He is after all a member so I was in safe hands.

We made our way west, down the hill, thru a bog, jumped a burn and struggled manfully uphill. At the top a deserted farm hinted that long gone eyes watched, but only cows were visible.

This cairn at it’s widest is 27 meters wide and 4 meters tall at it’s highest. It is made from boulders and earth along with todays helping of snow. Some of it is natural which mean’t that the ancient builders had worked along with nature. The so-called tail is also natural. Situated at the top of the Park Burn, which runs into the River Deveron, valley it dominates the landscape along with it’s nearby pals.

To add to the fun I spotted another cairn perhaps a 1/2 mile away. We decided to attempt that as well. Still -10.

Visited 21/12/09.

This badly robbed cairn is about 15 metres wide and 0.5 meters tall. A walk of about 500 meters north is required from Backtack Farm, the cairn sitting on top of the rounded Backtack Hill.

Sadly the cairn has been badly trashed and only 1 earthfast kerb remains in place. Other kerbs can be found easily enough as they are lying all over the place. A serious amount of hacking has happened here and to add to the misery fencing is on the western edge.

A complete tragedy of a site considering lots of nearby excellent cairns. Still at least it survives for the time being unlike the nearby Hill Of Milleath (Gingomyres) RSC.

From here we walked, west, over to Cairnborrow.

Visited 21/12/09

Cairnborrow is only a few meters away so this is really easy to find, difficult to reach like it’s near neighbour. This cairn is some 18 meters wide and reaches a height of 2 meters. There are 3 kerbs on the western side but they hid in the snow.

Now the real fun was about to begin as we walked north to the three cairns in the distance. I’d no plans to go to these and at the time I’d no clue to their names.

Visited 21/12/09.

After climbing up the Hill Of Backtack in what can only be described as dodgy conditions the Mad Man of Glass and myself took the decision to press on and cross the valley to Newton Hill. Although the snow was deep and cruel, we didn’t see King Wenceslas, we ploughed on and climbed the hill walking past the Newton Hill cairn to the Long cairn,

The cairn itself is some 50 meters wide and 35 meters in length. All the other details are in the Link below. As always, in this part of the Deveron valley, the views are spectacular as was the later sunset.

Looking north as well as the nearby cairn another three cairns loomed in the distance. Both of us are experienced climbers so we pressed on as it grew colder and colder. (-10)

Visited 21/12/09.

Some of the barrows here are easy to see as they line up in a field, but the wood hides many more. Fat chance of seeing the latter today though, as it was all I could do to remain upright. The snow amusingly obscures all the dips containing freezing water and slippery leaves -hilarious.

The geology’s a bit weird here. I visited on the pretext of sampling some acidic soil, which isn’t that easy to find in this part of the world. And it turns out there is igneous rock here, andesite, which is quarried a bit further along the ridge. It’s not really what I expected in Somerset. I wonder if the prehistoric types that frequented the ridge were able to use it.

Anyway all the be-wooded barrows and earthworks will just have to wait until spring. But there’s a great view from up here, especially in today’s snow. Glastonbury Tor looked cool.

Yesterday, the day before midwinter, I came over to the Cursus with three friends to see the sunset. Does it actually go into Gussage Down long barrow from the original east end of the cursus? (see this summer’s blog at themodernantiquarian.com/post/77897/weblog/ ) I have seen only one photograph of this alignment, in Martin Green’s book “A Landscape Revealed”, so I was curious to see if it really happened as accurately as they say. I wasn’t sure if my chums would think it was worthwhile, lacking in visible earthworks. We had just been to Knowlton in the dying rays of the sun. Nice midwinter alignment there too through the causeway in from the road.

It was about -1 degrees C as we left the warmth of the car and walked down the side of the field. Now in the low sun, the one foot high ridge that seems likely to have been the original eastern end and might have the platform for viewing the sunset was quite easy to see, until you are near it. We stood along the “ridge” and watched the orange sun slide through a thin strip of cloud, more horizontally than sinking. You could get the impression it is gliding down to rest on Gussage Down. A hare ran out in front of us, stopped and had a good long look. I realised that the appearance of that animal inside the cursus bank at the same time 5200 years ago would have been seen as pretty significant, the hare spirit coming to hang out with the high downland folk.

And yes, the alignment does happen. The sun hits the skyline at the long barrow’s SE end and glides along to the NW end where there is just a glimmer left. It disappears into the ground right next to the NW end. These precise alignments are moved slightly by where you stand along the ridge, but not much, maybe half a sun-diameter (15 minutes of arc). When the bank of the cursus was a full 2 meters it would have interfered as well and I think the sun would not have appeared again outside the cursus. We took a few photographs but it was so cold I had to get my hand back in the glove pretty quick.

The sun was down and the old year dead (approximately). We stood there for a bit watching the snowstorm clouds billowing up on the horizon. I went to investigate what looked like some dead creature that had succombed to the cold in the field ahead. It was a battered motorbike tyre, and it had landed around the skull of a rabbit. The symbols abound when you start looking. Jeez it was cold. The flask of tea in the car went down a treat.

Happy new year everybody!

Long barrow with side ditches opened by J Thurnam who found a primary deposit of at least 18 skeletons plus round flint nodule and ‘A’ pot with lugs. E/W orientation.

Note: no public access, this is on MoD Salisbury Plain Training Area.

Visited on 12th Dec 2009 on Imber Conservation Group fieldtrip.

Bowl Barrow 1.1m high damaged on south by a track.

In the valley bottom N. of Dirtley Wood on MoD Salisbury Plain Training Area (note: no public access).

Visited 28th Nov 2009 on Imber Conservation Group fieldtrip.

Long barrow 210ft in length, oriented NE/SW within “Barrow Plantation” on the MoD Salisbury Plain Training Area (note: no public access).

Excavated in 1863 when remains of 8 skeletons were uncovered.

Visited 28th March 2009 on Larkhill and Westdown Conservation Group fieldtrip.

Clearing has been subject to scrub removal and monument palisaded to prevent military incursion and damage. Good condition.

From Redmires Road, follow the path on the opposite side of the road from the reservoirs that follows the “conduit”: a man-made drainage ditch that empties into the upper reservoir and marked on the map at SK 26018578. You’ll need to follow this for about 1km till you come to a junction with a path crossing a small bridge on your left, and a path to your right onto the moor. You need to take the latter for about 200 metres downhill. The standing stone is roughly 100 metres onto the moor in a NNE direction.

Standing around 1.2 metres high, surrounded by mature heather and aligned roughly North / South I noticed this particular stone one day whilst making my way back from the Reddicar Clough / Ash Cabin Cist and heading towards the Headstone (.5km NNW), there’s no history i know of as i can’t find reference to it anywhere but the weathering on it’s top certainly suggests it’s been stood for a very long period and probably back in to prehistory.