Latest Fieldnotes

There is now a dedicated car park 50 yards along the road from the gate. On the way to this site, there is a large broch on the top of a hill off to the right, some hut circles, lime kilns and the path passes inches from a cist. There are also two arrangements of stone rows, almost like “Hills O’ Few Stanes”.

These photographs, of the seven cairns, were taken on the 18th August 2005 while I was returning from a circular walk from Cantrell taking in the Cuckoo Ball , Glasscombe, Corrindon Ball, Butterdon Hill area.
The grid references I have used were taken from Jeremy Butler’s Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities. I approched the Cairns from the north following the boundary stones from the top of Butterdon Hill down past Black Pool.

Both are in a great place to be noticed by anyone coming inland. Anyone doing so may have easily noticed the cairns silhouetted against the sky, perhaps they would then continue up into the rock art strewn landscape to the north, maybe even eventually arriving at Glenquickan. It would be great to have the time to walk such a route, but it would probably be a bit bleak and boggy these days.

Overall, I think it’s nice as it is now, that toothy jaggedyness isn’t quite as oppressive as I’d thought it would be from looking at photos. And there’s even rock art. Hoorah!

I was also chuffed that the chamber in Cairnholy2 is big enough to be able to stick your head in and look through to the sea. I dunno why, but I still am.

Obviously an old cairn, the stones being covered in very old lichen. The centre has been cleared to make a shelter. It is situated to the NNW of Burnmoor Tarn. Is this anything to do with the Burnmoor complex? It’s marked on the map as an old cairn.

Reached here with Pie Eater, just after visiting Brats Hill. We’re even more confused, due to the nearness of Brats Hill, plus the strange wall that looks like an enclosure. Also by the two circles. What went on here? Today all was peaceful, and had a nice feeling. But I’ve been here when the clouds are low on the fells, and a cold rain rakes across Burnmoor (one word, not two), and then the mystery of the place is all pervading, and a sense of doom pervades. Woooooo.

Reached this from Boot. After hitting the ridge, and not wanting to miss anything, we thought we knew best, me and Pie Eater, knowing these wild places of Cumbria like we do. A wearisome plod though deep tussocks saw us overlooking Brats Hill and White Moss. We descended to Brats Hill and found the path we should’ve stuck to if we had had any sense, but adventurous souls will always be adventurous souls, untethered by the constrictions of the modern world. Hmmmm. We noticed a few cairns, dug out(?) in the centre. This circle had a good view of White Moss. We were impressed by the number of large stones comprising the circle, all in surroundings of grass. They must’ve taken some dragging. We were also impressed, as always, by the bulk of Scafell, our next objective, rearing its head in omniprescent steepness to the north. A quiet place. Why here?

Martin’s comments on the scary road are spot on. Steep hairpin bends to make your toes curl.

But if you’re on Skye, it’s possible to get here via the rather unique turntable ferry at Kylerhea (sp?) just up from Glenelg. It’s a short hop, only about 5 mins on the ferry. Alternatively, if you are heading to Skye, and are prepared to brave the road from Shiel Bridge, this is an excellent spot to stop off and have a break in Glen Beag before getting the ferry over to Skye.

This is just about viewable from the path to the main concentration of stones. It’s next to a modern memorial stone, the latter placed in memory of a fella who evidently loved the moor. Nice to think he’s sort of joined the ancestral landscape in a way. Shame about the wooden fence erected around the modern thing detracts from the solitary ambience of the ancient stone, but a few thousand years of weathering may take care of that.

The old stone seems very much a solitary affair, and I certaintly couldn’t see any trace of the remains of a circle which was once alleged to be here.

You can’t easily see this one when the bracken is up. It peeks out, barely visible, and even up close, it’s almost impossible to make out anything beyond the upright stones. It seems to be one of a couple of remnants that mark the start of the megalithic patch of the moor, possibly, being closer to the road, it’s been more prone to having bits nicked than have the monuments further into the moor.

But it’s not far from the track, so it’s worth checking, albeit briefly in my case.

Access for wheelchairs/buggies isn’t all that bad (if you can avoid the presents left by the sheep) until you’re nearly at the good bit. Then it’s ruined by an awkward gate thing, which in our case involved some lifting over a wire topped fence. You don’t half get a lot of old rocks for the effort though.

I was slightly saddened to see that a crude symbol had been hastily scratched into the lichen on one of the stones, it didn’t look deep enough to have done much damage to the actual stone itself.

Couldn’t figure out what was going on with the things that look like abandoned millstones. We spent a good couple of hours mooching about, but still felt like we needed twice that amount of time, there’s just so much to see.

There is debate about this barrow, some think it was artificially exagerated from a more usual low (damaged) profile by the builders of the manor house to make a focal point, but it would be nice to think that it is intact. It’s well worth a look, but there isn’t access (although the land owner doesn’t bother with gates).
There are other probable barrows in the area, including a possible long barrow, they’re just ploughed flat (unfotunately).
Source: North East Lincolnshire SMR

Situated at the Southern side of Cleethorpes municipal graveyard this barrow has had a long life. It is known to have been a medieval beacon, and was used as a burial site by the Saxons, possibly the Romans, and contained bronze age cremations. It’s earliest phase is shown by neolithic flints found c.1930 when it was partly excavated.
When it was converted to a medieval beacon it was probably around 2.2m high, and is still fairly high.
There is some discussion as to whether it is a damaged round barrow, an oval barrow or possibly an end section of a long barrow.
Although it’s completely accessable you might get some funny looks if you hang around the graveyard for too long.
Source: North East Lincolnshire SMR

A huge natural boulder with a simulacrum of a face with a hooked nose and protruding chin, when seen from a certain angle. The upper surface is covered in large natural cups (hence it’s name). Nearby is a large War Memorial obelisk with commanding views towards Oldham.

Happened across this little stone while trying to find a path from Dragon’s Den near Wharncliffe Crags to the road. It’s not marked on the OS map and I’m not sure if it has a prehistoric origin, but there are what appears to be two cup marks on it’s face. Other ancient sites lie nearby with a settlement just up the way, and Walder’s Low cairn almost within site.

A reconstructed Iron Age Roundhouse, on the banks of Clatteringshaws Lock, in the Forest of Galloway. The Roundhouse lies on the path between the visitor centre and Bruce’s Stone

A wonderfully picturesque place with a very primeval appearance. Cairnholy 2 looks great perched atop it’s hillock.

A sweet little circle, with lovely rounded stones. As we were staying only a few minutes drive away, it was great to zip down on an evening and watch the sunset, with the place to ourselves. Loved this place!

Brilliant circle, great scenery, too many people.

Not a great deal to see but prettily sited above the source of the River Itchen.
One of those rather ignored, but still quite rare, long barrows in Hampshire. This, as many, could be under threat by the plough but the farmer seems to be giving it a fairly wide berth.

Access Parking MAY be possible at the cottage to the SE. Up track to stile and footpath leads close to barrow.

The church of St Michael was built on top of a large mound, probably in the 13C. The mound is obviously artificial as the site is on the flood plain of the River Itchen and close to its source. It looks like a classic round barrow to me although for obvious reasons the church and graveyard have obliterated any subtle details which could date it.
As is usual, photos can’t give an impression of the height but the top of the mound is nearly level with the eaves of the local cottages.
The “Wayfarers Walk” (Hants County Recreation) says that “...the medieval building has endured much restoration work due to continual structural failure”.
Revenge of the older Gods?
Hampshire Treasures suggest that the mound is “Celtic”, what ever that might mean.

Spectacular just doesn’t do this site justice. The astonishing capstone matched with the curvaceous portal stones make this possibly the most impressive sculpture in Ireland, ancient or modern.

You enter through a gate behind the church in Kilclooney More village (not through the field directly behind the church which gets shoe-suckingly boggy very quickly). Ardara where I stayed is a bumpy ten minute drive away and makes a good base for visiting this area. Take some time to explore the amazing landscapes around Dungloe and Glenties while you here.

The small tomb is cute, the fact that its almost ruined adding injury to insult of playing second fiddle to the beast next to it.

In a pile of rocks along the pathway lurks a large suspiciously capstone-like slab resting on two boulders, perhaps it was a discarded capstone, quickly forgotten when the extraordinary present capstone was hauled onto the site.

Kilclooney Dolmen seems to be gaurded by a large black dog, at first I thought the dog came with some tourists who arrived but it turned out not to be theirs. The dog stayed with me until I left as it got dark. Next morning I arrived at 7am for sunrise and the dog was waiting at the tombs again. He seems quite friendly, certainly a bit more than the edgy bulls that were moving around the dense undergrowth like hippos in a pond.

The cairn/kist stands in open moor just to the north of the Glaze Meet South Enclosure and only about six hundred metres to the southeast of the Glasscombe Corner Row. One side and one end stone of the kist are still in position,with a few other stones of the cairn around.

The row at Glasscombe Corner starts as a single row but changes to a double around a third of the way along, from the cairn end. There is a badly ruined cairn at the downhill end and there are two other cairns just to the west of the single row .

Two cairns stand on the top of the hill, around one hundred metres apart. They can be reached easily, if the old Redlake Railway line is followed from the foot of Western Beacon for about three kilometres. The cairns are on the right side of the track.

The Butterdon Hill Chambered Tomb lies around 500 metres further north along the same path as the Cuckoo Ball Tomb. It is in better condition than the previous one and as it is in the open moor. It does not appear to have been excavated. Once again it is best to visit in the early months of the year before it is taken over by the bracken.