Latest Fieldnotes

Visited on a coast path walk from Land’s End to Treen. The path is very steep in places along this section and would be difficult to access if mobility was an issue. The well itself is right next to the path so you can’t miss it.

There is a good pub at Treen (The Logan Rock) and an unexpected little shop at Porthgwarra selling vegetable pasties, chocolate bars and postcards, so you’re well catered for!

You can also see nurse sharks off the coast around here if you’re lucky.

We didn’t linger at the well or try the water, so I can’t comment on any healing (or otherwise) properties.

Visited as a slight detour from a coast path walk from Land’s End to Treen. The stone is an oddity, it reminds me of a big stone beetle and must have predated the church being sited here. There are several ancient stone crosses in the churchyard, one of which is of a respectable “menhir” height. [Not very prehistoric, but there are some good carved bench ends inside the church too.]

Further back up the coast path we passed the remains of St Levan’s Well, but didn’t linger to try the water – we were looking forward to a different kind of drink at the Logan Rock at Treen!

Easily visited natural rock feature, on the side of the Balnoon – Rose-an-Grouse road, where the St Michael’s Way footpath crosses on its way to/from Trencrom Hill. In the care of the National Trust.

Visited in June 2002 on the way down from Carn Galva in the direction of Gurnard’s Head. The settlement consists of both courtyard houses and also scattered hut circles. We weren’t looking for this site, but came across two of the hut circles as we crossed the fields.

This is called up on the OS Map as a “Burial Mound” and also on Archaeology.ie.

It is in about 3 fields from the road in fields that often have horses in them.
The mound itself is quiet large, maybe 3 metres high but is covered in scrub so it is difficult to figure out its true shape.
There is a river shown on the map beside it but it seems to have been blocked at some point because it is no longer flowing.

Visited in June 2002. Watch Croft is the highest point in Penwith (252 metres). Approached from the road to the west and then along the bridleway leading from the Dakota turning. There’s a bit of a cross-heather scramble to reach the summit (and there are some mine-shafts to avoid!) but it’s worth it for the views across West Penwith, particularly to the south, where the ever-present landmark of Ding Dong and the surrounding moors are laid out. Gurnards Head cliff castle is visible to the NE.

At the summit, there is a natural rock outcrop, against the south side of which the remains a circular structure are clearly visible. According to Craig Weatherhill (“Belerion” 1981), this is suspected to have been the site of a barrow. W.C. Borlase excavated and found nothing.

The other summit is surmounted by a fine, large (66ft diameter, 8ft high) cairn topped with an OS trig point. Again according to Weatherhill, some pottery was turned up when the OS erected the pillar.

Just down the slope to the south is a 6ft standing stone of an unusual (for this area) irregular shape.

Another barrow lies 275 metres or so to the SW of the summit, but we didn’t see this. A revisit is obviously called for.

Visited June 2008 as part of a walk from Treen tombs and “circle” to Mulfra and Zennor Quoits. The Mulfra barrows lie on the hill between Treen Common circle and Mulfra Quoit. There are several prominent barrows, at this time of year most discernable as raised features on the horizon, as the bracken and undergrowth obscures most of the features of their construction. Like Treen Common circle, worthy of a return visit in the Autumn or Winter when the undergrowth is lower.

Shown on the OS as “tumulus”, this obscure round barrow occupies a stunning headland position at the end of Dinas Head (a spur of Trevose Head, near Padstow).

The barrow itself is a low mound, with visible kerb stones, but the setting is magnificent – worth visiting as part of a coastal walk.

A mound marked to the east of Cashel near Manserghshill where there are the remains of a fine castle.
Called up in archaeology.ie as a Burial Mound. The remains themselves arent much to look at, with no real discernible form within a thicket of scrub.
Picture quality is poor as the sun was low on the day I took the photos. There is an unmarked lane down past it from the road in the off chance that anyone would like to view this sometime. Personally I wouldnt recommend it.

The Copstone can be seen easily from the road. A short walk up the gentle hill and the stone is upon us.
Standing in the trough that goes all round it the stone is nearly 6ft tall, leaning slightly to the northish
helpfully pointing us in the direction of all the other little lovelies that hide amongst the grasses up on
the moor. The stone is nice and smooth and at the tip I kinda saw it as a bit phallic, and at the bottom
were some probably natural markings that almost looked like ancient carvings, lozenges and a spiral
but it was more than likely just me after a long walk I was beginning to see the ancient world everywhere.

For ages I’d known of this circle but because of its location on the saddle between two bigger hills
i’d put it off, till now, I wish I had gone sooner it wasnt as far as I’d thought and the other stones on
the way keeps one occupied (like we need it up here).
The stones are sparce to say the least round the northern edge but much better the rest of the way
round, at times it seems like a double circle with the stones of the rings really close but are probably
just larger stones from the embanking. The western arc are covered with that lovely thick grass ive
come to know as “Goddam awful stuff” , from here we can see White Raise cairn back up the hill and
down by Ullswater Dunmallard hill settlement, of which I know nothing.
Buckets of thanks for Dave who not only accompanies me on these sometimes foolhardy trips, but also
carried the ladders all the way and stood underneath them holding me up just that little bit higher.

This mound is marked as a barrow on the OS map and is included in Archaeology.ie as a “burial mound”.
It isnt very impressive maybe only 100mm high under all the scrub that is has grown up on it.

There is an interesing part of Irelands history located next door to it. The “Warhouse Famine Memorial”.
It doesnt open during the winter months. I cant see it being too busy anyway.

ballingarry.net/warhouse/guide.html

White raise cairn is by far the biggest on the hill, the one back down the path was either of two different
monuments, but this one was laaaarge and obvious, and as if to not have any confusion the cist to the
west of the cairn was open and get inable. One large boulder and the cist are all there is to see amongst
all the cairn material, so we appreciated its size and moved on to the star of these hills the curiously
named ” Cockpit” .

This standing stone isnt marked on the OS map. It is about 1.2 m high and is located to the east of the town of Killenaule in Tipp.
There is a holy well to the east in the same townland which I didnt investigate at the time.

Just a few hundred yards onto the moor is this thumping great cairn circle, the big grey stones
are visible from quite a distance.
I suggested to Dave we take the step ladders to get a if not a gods eye view then definately a giants
eye view and he manfully carried them all across the place. It chucked it down all the way
there up the M6 but as soon as we got out of the car it brightened up tremendously, the stones were
big and easy to find, the morning sun shone in a way only morning sun can, even the moon put in an
appearance, and to cap it all, I was able to take some pictures from eleven feet up, fantastic.
Thanks be to Dave .

Parking is best had at the parking place north of the stone circle on the A57, Glossop to Sheffield road .
A small path leads up and over the verge to a fence which needs to be jumped, once over, go up hill to
the top of the rocky scarp now infront of you, Hordrens edge . From on top of here the path is easily
found and leads directly to the circle.
Some intrepid believer has been here with some shears and had at it to the troublesome tussocks ( no
doubt brought in from Wales) that I don’t mind, but the mostly full jam jar and spent candle had to be
removed. A good stone circle this one, the tallest of ten stones , seven of which are upright is just shy
of four feet, but there are what looks like stumps of stones, poking forlornly through the tough grass.
Stanage edge dominates the area it’s long rocky crescent of ancient rock looks down over two stone
circles, the other of which I’m off to find now.

The first time I came here my now almost seven year old son was just a few months
old, so seeing as the winter solstice sun wasnt going to show up anywhere near me today
this was as good as ever a time to reaquaint ourselves. Its dead easy to find so no directions
are needed.
I didnt remember it being this big, its really huge. The chamber is nearly half dug into the ground
and the whopping great capstone rests on about half a dozen stones but another half a dozen are just for
show it seems.
Inside are two stones that particularly stick out, one is the long flat bed like stone or outcrop and the
left entrance stone, they both have vertical runnels from when they were exposed to the weather and
both are attractively rubbed smooth. A really cool place to be after a long bout of sunshine but an
otherwise damp place elsetime.

I went to visit this today. I was quite disappointed the see the warden’s hut had gone. There was actually a small fire burning where it used to be, which was ironic. I did notice one of the stones seemed quite badly blackened which must be fire damage.

I have been here today, and got home just in time to find out about the severe weather warning. I enjoyed the walk up to Belas Knap. It does look to me like a hobbit’s dwelling. Having been to Rollright Stones on the same day though and seen the fire damage, I was dismayed to see the same sort of thing in the east and west chambers of Belas Knap. It seems people go up there at night and light fires and tea lights. Perhaps they don’t realise by doing this they are damaging the stones.

I thought Belas Knap looked very different from Waylands Smithy. Belas Knap is definitely more curvaceous and feminine. I agree with Jane on most points and because it looks very “cosmetic” and restored, I would like to know how much of it is original and how much has been restored.

I parked in a road next to several other cars which was where the sat nav took us. I do not yet have GPS for walkers so I was using a Jarrold guide book for the walk up to the barrow. The views of the cotswolds are certainly beautiful and it felt like we were up in the clouds. I intend to go back at some point and do the full 8 mile walk around Cleeve hill which incorporates Belas Knap.

We’ve been visiting Nine Maidens every year (sometimes several times) since 1999 and each time have failed to find (or sometimes couldn’t be bothered to look for) Bosiliak. We have approached both from Ding Dong and from the road with no success. Anyway, on a particularly lovely October day, having walked from St Just, via Tregeseal circle and holed stones, Chun Quoit, Men Scryfa and Nine Maidens, I was determined that today was going to be the day!

Paying particular attention to Ian McNeil Cooke’s instructions and to the OS map, we reached the gate into the field where I thought the barrow was. At this point, rather footsore girlfriend decided she couldn’t face the prospect of poking about in the autumn vegetation to find something which may or may not be worth the effort, so I set off alone, leaving her with our bags. And found the barrow straight away. How have I missed it all these years? And what a beauty – much better than I expected actually, I somehow always thought Ian Cooke’s drawing had an element of “reconstruction” to it, but it certainly doesn’t.

Anyway, it warranted going back and getting patient girlfriend, who was also suitably impressed.

The weird thing is, once you have seen some of the sites you then can’t miss them. We walked from Bosiliak to Lanyon Quoit and from there the barrow is clearly visible – perhaps the autumn vegetation helps, rather than thicker summer bracken. From Lanyon a stroll to Madron to catch the bus back to Penzance and St Ives. One of the best days out I have had in West Penwith, we actually got sunburned in October. But of all the old favourite sites we saw that day, finding Bosiliak was the most unexpected highlight.

Highly recommended, and not too difficult to find (he says now) if you follow the directions in Ian Cooke’s books.

A return visit to this site, not so peaceful this time as the army were playing war very close by. This time I was able to get onto part of the hill where the barrows are. I could only get photos of the northern three, they appear to be in good condition although low and covered in bracken.
It’s an odd site this with, what appear to be two sets of barrows on different levels but well worth a visit for it’s oddness and peacefulness – just don’t go on a thursday!

13th May 2006

The last time I was here the temples they were still being repaired after they were horrifically damaged by hunters at Easter 2001. The temples were fenced in locked up and no amount of pleading could get me through the gates. I had to satisfy myself with a mooch around the perimeter and a prolonged sit on the hillside behind the monuments.

As I walked up to the gated perimeter fence that separates the Hagar Qim temples from the path to Mnajdra I noticed some men working, as I got close to them I could see that they were putting razor wire onto the top of the already substantial fence. The temples have survived the ravages of time, environmental collapse and a couple of thousand years of conquest and invasion. It’s extremely saddening that these unique structures, have to be protected against the all too real threat of vandalism by local people. I won’t let this dishearten me, today is my temple day.

On the hillside between Hagar Qim and Mnajdra are a series of deep cavities that have been carved into the rock which are known as the Misqa Tanks It is thought that they were used as water cisterns for the prehistoric community in this area. It is possible to walk up to the tanks but today, despite having plenty of time, I declined not to do so. Today was not not a day for traipsing, I had to remain true to my purpose, Mnajdra is where I want to be.

Mnajdra is a difficult site to get your head around. It is actually three temples facing into a common oval forecourt. The smallest and oldest temple is to your right as you approach the site. It is described as a simple trefoil of the Ggantija phase. The second and third temples are of the four apse form and that’s about as technical as I’ll get.

I sat down and let the pure, deep joy of this place wash over me. The temples are nestled into a hollow in the hillside when you look uphill you see an endless blue sky, when you look downhill you see an expanse of deep blue sea. If you walk from the sea to the sky you will find the temples tucked into their niche somewhere in the middle.

Each temple is a different experience but it is all held together by the land and seascape. The temples, the hillside, the sea, it’s just all too perfect. If you ever fortunate enough to visit Mnajdra, I would strongly urge you to go there as early in the morning as possible and try to experience the place without the distraction of strangers.

I’m afraid I’m not eloquent enough to elaborate on the feelings and emotions that this place provokes. Mnajdra is one of the few places on earth that really reaches down inside of me.

themodernantiquarian.com/post/46149/templehead_pt2_mnajdra.html

Laid close to the summit on the eastern side of Burgatia hill and obvious in a field to the left of a road junction as you drive north, is this striking egg-shaped cap-stone; 2.25m by 1.7m and 1.4m thick*. It is lifted and supported by the inside edges of two blocks, the eastern and larger of which is a quartz conglomerate. Clearly visible at the next junction and almost disconcertingly close across the valley to the east, is Bohonagh stone circle.

This is an area, associated with St. Fachtna, where historic and early Christian curl tightly with the prehistoric. Immediately across the road are the remains of Lisfachtna and Templefachtna.

*Archaeological Inventory of Cork, 1992; No.104, 30

I’ve been looking at the Gop recently, and I believe that it was a complex site of major ritual importance, going far beyond the cairn itself.

First, the entrance to the cave on the south side of the hill. It seems to have been cut away to form a limestone backdrop and platform reminiscent of the entrance to the chambered tomb at Newgrange.

Second, there is another excavated area, rather larger but similar in shape, near the bottom of the hill just on the outskirts of Trelawnyd.

Third, the Gop itself and six tumuli form a ring which very closely mimics the ring of stars in the Pleiades, but in mirror form (as they would be if the stars were to “fall to Earth”). The Pleiades cluster actually contains 13 stars, nine of which are represented on the ground. The missing four would have been close the present day roads and may have been destroyed. There are a lot of other tumuli in the area, of course, but these make a remarkably accurate fit.

Fourth, Gop Hill itself is the head of a recumbent figure. Viewed from the Clwyd valley near Abergele, Gop Hill is her head, Moel Hirradug ot the right of it is her pregnant belly, and the hill to the right of that is her knees.

I am sure there is a lot more to be discovered about this site.

This rock was first discovered four years ago but weather then was dull and pics equally so . Nine cups and fine view of Stath Garry and Atholl .