Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 25th August 2003: Parking for the Braaid isn’t very easy. The nearest lay-by isn’t very close to the footpath, so you’re forced to walk along the A24, which is quite a busy road. Once on the footpath, it’s relatively easy going, but not exactly wheelchair friendly.

Just when you think the prehistoric sites on Mann couldn’t get any stranger, along comes a place like the Braaid. As we approached it I was wondering what the hell it was. Stones stick out of the ground all over the place like shark teeth. It’s only when you get up close that it begins to make sense.

The Braaid is a settlement, used up until the Viking period, but that’s about all everyone agrees on. It contains three structures, one a Viking Long House, one a Viking cattle byre and the other a circle of orthostats with rubble between them. The circle was initially interpreted as a stone circle, adapted for use as a round house in a later period. This would make it the only ‘true’ stone circle on the island. Modern thinking is that it never was a stone circle, but was built during the Iron Age as a round house.

I really enjoyed this place (even the Viking stones were pleasing). Like most of the sites on the island the Braaid is not busy with visitors. The stones are well placed in the surrounding countryside, and it’s easy to sit and ponder it all. It’s quite a puzzle.

Swanborough Tump lies at the t-junction of two long straight roads, in the edge of a wood. To be quite honest it didn’t look like much, and I couldn’t make out what was supposed to be the ‘Tump’ itself. I think you’re on it as soon as you climb up from the road. This could be significant, if you look at the ‘miscellaneous’ entry.

An inscribed stone marks the site:

“Swanborough Tump – Swinbeorg c850
Here in the year 871 the future King Alfred the Great met his elder brother King Aethelred I on their way to fight the invading Danes and each one swore if the other died in battle the dead man’s children would inherit the lands of their father King Aethelwulf.”

Hardly recommended by the Plain English Campaign, I think.

(also – on my way here I was entranced by the nearby ‘Picked Hill’ (also given as ‘Pecked Hill’ on the OS maps) – if this (like its neighbour Woodborough Hill) aren’t natural inspiration for round barrows – or for Silbury hill, for that matter – then I’m surely a monkey’s uncle.)

I like approaching sites on foot, so I parked in the village and walked. Marden is special amongst its similarly monumental friends (Avebury, Durrington..) because it uses a stream as part of its boundary; its banks and ditches only surround it on three sides. Crossing the stream and entering the henge I was fairly disgusted to see the meadow by the stream had been sold and houses are to be built on it. Surely a nationally important place should deserve more protection?

It’s a further walk than you think to the banks on the far side of the monument. I felt pretty confused about their layout to start with. But when you get there look for the stile hidden up in the hedge (almost opposite the big trees, where there is a tiny spot on the road you could park in) – that’s where you’ll find the plan on the EH board that’s in Earthstepper’s photo. I then realised what a tiny proportion of the place is under the EHs guardianship.

Now I could see where the Silburyesque Hatfield Barrow had been. It was too cold to keep still, so I jumped back down onto the road and started to walk back towards the spot. A car heading for the village slowed next to me. “Can you tell me how far Marden is?” a coiffeured woman enquired. I restrained any sarcastic remarks. As she drove on I reflected on how the huge henge could go unnoticed in the modern world. I thought on: the Hatfield Barrow itself would have been a locally famous enigma, something in local people’s consciousness for literally thousands of years. I felt really outraged. How could somebody just come along and ruin it?

I stood there mentally grasping for clues, trying desperately to understand what the mound would have been like. I probably looked bizarre: a shivering figure staring at an empty field. As the wind dropped and the sun finally appeared I got something of it in my mind. It loomed up in front of me. So ok, to some Marden isn’t more than a few low banks and an empty meadow. But to me, just to visit the place and exercise my imagination, it was well worth it. I felt really pleased to have been in the same place where this huge mound once stood.

There are 5 stones stretched out along a distance of 330m on Min-End Lane. 2 pairs and a single stone. They’ve all been used as gateposts in their time, and stand on the line of an old stripped out drystone wall.

The Cheshire Monuments lot, reckon 3 of the stones could be prehistoric in origin. (These are the pair furthest north and the single stone to the far south, with the modern gateposts in between).
The prehistoric idea seems to come from the stones looking different to the ‘modern’ squarer gateposts, (which seems to suggest that there is a kinda ‘model gatepost’) and the fact that they lean.

Not sure I go with it myself.....worth checking tho’ out for the views alone.

What is it?.....barrow or stone circle?

Low grass covered rubble bank, around 13x11m in size, bank broken to the NNE & SW. With several large-ish stones on the banking.

The stone circle theory comes from a geezer named W.Andrew...who described the site as ‘being a stone circle similar to the 9 ladies.’ the rest of his description is a bit confusing....but he makes no mention of seeing upright stones and describes it much like it is now.

Barnatt reckons on it being a robbed cairn and the stones around the bank being kerbstones.

I just wish that all those who take time to visit Meg would come here too! A mere 10 minutes drive (take the Shap A6 turning at the roundabout into Eamont Bridge and the first right at the pub. It is signed posted for Arthur’s Round Table and Mayburgh) and you come across the most amazing place. I come up here as often as I can, just because it is the most beautiful of places (if you can ignore the motorway that is!)

I have never seen another person on all my visits and have always just wallowed in the beauty of this site. I try to visualise how it would’ve looked before the other stones were removed – and look over at Arthur’s Round Table and make the connection between the 2 sites. Quite difficult as you have to sort of squint the houses out of view!

I urge you all to visit – I went up there again last week and it was frosty and bitterly cold – and all the more amazing than ever.

Found it this time, a bit easier in winter, though the river is more boggy. Very small, but it is well worth finding.

Absolutely cracking. In the dark, late afternoon gloom it was difficult to find but when I did...... 22 stones of possibly 24 still there. Try counting yourself but get there before spring. There are 3 paces between each stone and most are above grass level but for one or two you have to scrape beck the grass.

On our way for a wee bit of a visit to the smaller less-visited bits of Avebury and surroundings (main target: Swallowhead Spring) I suddenly remembered the Mound.

Taking a cheeky diversion through the main gates (“Private”) I drove down to the car park (“Private”) and thought if anyone should ask, I’m lost and am just turning round! Ooh, I’m such a rebel!

Nearly drove straight past it! It’s massive and I didn’t expect it to be so close to the road! So we parked up, reasonably happy that it was before term starts, and it was Sunday. Saw a security type chap that just gave a friendly wave, bless him!

Surprised by it all, really. Didn’t read up on it before I went. Surprised by the shell grotto (which I thought was quite nice really! Sorry!); totally surprised by the water tank at the top! Yuk! And what’s that chimney for? Didn’t even know there was a white (yellow!) horse nearby – modern or not!

It is very high, and the views that you can squeeze out of the trees are pretty good. I liked it and will probably hazard a return at some point. Mightily impressive.

I quite like the fact that, enormous as it is, you don’t really notice it till you know it’s there!

Never did get to that spring though...

A very nice embanked circle, looking very dramatic in today’s grey weather. The most prominent stone appears to be to the south-west. Flowers were laid on it today. The cairn next to the circle is very bizarre, some one had mutilated two onions in a variety of mystical ways
Dave 5th January 2004

05/01/2004 Update to my local plan objection regarding development plans for the Broomend of Crichie site:

The council have “partially” accepted my objection, and have ammended the structure plan to show the full scheduled area including the henge as protected from development in this plan’s life. It is not clear to me for how long this will protect the monuments.

I have decided to present my arguments to the report enquiry so that the objection is noted more clearly on the public record, and I obtain clariy as which parts of the objection the council do not currently accept. The hearing has been delayed until April 2004 on a public communications fasilure technicality.

I have heard annecdotally from a 70 year inhabitant of the village, that this is not the first time that developments have been attempted on this site. I have no documentary proof of this assertion however, and the local paper office could not help me with an archives enquiry when I visited their office recently.

Jon Metcalf

My first port of call on what turned out to be one heck of a walk, s I decided to take in too many sites on a cold winters day with four hours of daylight left and only my sausage dog pup for company.

I knew this site was here but never really bothered about it until I read daveyrays description. I’d always assumed this place was a single barrow.
There’s two cairn circles. One is slightly more raised than the other, with 2 large boulders in the centre. The other is lower with smaller stones in the centre. Both have kerbstones, and both have depressions in the centre, presumably due to excavation. These circles are very pleasing to the eye although my photos don’t seem to do them justice. there are a few standing stones scattered about and various other structures too. There was also a strange structure in the field below this hill to the north, which took me ages to get to. It looks rather like an old beacon but the positioning of it cast doubt on that assumption.

It seems to me that this landscape hasn’t changed dramatically since these monuments were built (bar the reservoir). It certaintly feels very ancient and there truly is a sense of tranquility here. Give this site a visit. It’s a beautiful peaceful place with 360 degree panoramic views and no major roads/buildings within sight (or hearing) distance. Bliss!

First visited this site in summer 2003. I wasn’t quite sure what it was; A few curved banks and ditches with seemingly erraticly placed stones on top at irregular intervals.

Coming back here in winter though does make a difference because the banks and ditches are much more prominent. We have some unusual sites here in Lancashire. I’m not quite sure what this is but it seems to have carried on into the next field (but has all been ploughed away on that side). I’ve also posted an old aerial photo of this site, which makes the site look rectangular. This is the same shape for the structure marked on the old O.S. maps as the Ringstones, subheaded as supposedly Roman. Then again the map marks Hambledon pasture barrows as supposed Roman beacons, when they’re clearly not. Confused? So am I.

According to the local history book for Lanteglos parish a stone lined cist was discovered here by the local farmer whilst he was ploughing in the early 1970’s.

The Essa stones puzzle me although I have to admit Essa 1 does look like it could be “proper” as we say down here.
You do wonder how long this one will stay upright what with all the erosion around its base caused by cattle and water.

The Devil’s Stone is in danger of being completely obscured by ivy and other green things!

It stands beside the minor road from Polruan to Lanteglos Church and got its name from the fact that coffins would be rested on it! (so says Robin Payne in the book “Romance of the Stones”) He goes on to say that it is believed to be part of a group of stones that may have made up a barrow in the area mentioned on the 1803 OS map.
There are two or three other large stones built into the wall just inside the field and also on the othere side of the road to the left of the gateway.

The stones are not in keeping with most of the soft cornish slate that is generaly found in this area so must have been brought to this spot but I am still not convinced.

If you walk around the fields here you will see many large lumps built into walls as well as the three Essa stones.

If they were building a barrow wouldnt they have used smaller stones easier to transport?
The tithe map does mention a barrow field at Triggabrowne, further east from the church but why would they then transport stones half a mile or so along the ridge just to leave them in a pile beside the track?

The Barrow Field, as it is known locally, can be viewed by walking south from the Spar shop in Pelynt village. A nice lane heads from the car park down to Wilton Mill where the path vears to the left around the property. Follow the track beside a pond to the road, turn left up the hill. The barrow field in on your left and can soon be viewed through a gate way. I have not been able to make out anything of any signifigance in here, the field being ploughed on regular occasions (what poor eyesite I had...on my most recent trip I walked into the field and identified perhaps 7 barrows, although they have all been “landscaped” by the plough over the years)
.
Continue up the lane turning left after the next field to take a green lane back to the village.

For more information on the discoveries in this field seek out Geofrey Grigson’s book “Freedom of the Parish”.

It is not easy to make anything out in the field where Bake Rings once were. There are many undulations in the field (and on the other side of the road) but to say what shape or form they once took is very difficult.
Not a site worth going out of your way to view.

4th Jan 2004
I can’t believe I have never visited this place before. I have driven past it so many times and I see it everyday on the horizon....but never ventured up to it.
To reach somewhere to park it is possible to take the narrow lane off the B3359 just to the north of the hillfort. This leads up to the radio mast (a landmark for many miles around). WARNING! in order to turn round you will have to go off road on what is a very muddy track in the winter. I managed to park by a gateway once I had turned round. The other problem is getting back onto the main road, nasty junction!
It might be advisable to park in the laybye on the B3359 just further on, from there a footpath cuts cross the field towards the hillfort.
The walk from the road is a short sharp climb until you suddenly come across this large earth bank. I had never realised how large it was, standing in the ditch I would put the bank at up to 9ft high in places. Once inside there is a wonderful flat space gently sloping to the west. I walked straight across and measured 100 paces. The entrance to the fort is on the west side and here the ditch has been filled in to allow access.
The view even on a dull winters day is superb. Looking south you can see the sea from Looe bay to the Dodman, the clay “hills” disapear as you turn to the right and Helman Tor and then Rough Tor and Brown Willy come into view. Further round Kilmar Tor, Stowes Hill and Caradon Hill can be seen before the hill behind the fort obscures further vistas.
Walking around the ditch I noticed how much quartz had been used in the construction of the bank. The stone is common in the area (see Duloe Stone Circle) but it made me wonder what the fort would have looked like in those early days before grass had taken hold, especially on moonlit nights.
Just a last note....on the west side of the bank there sits in the ditch a large lump of rock, it is very similar to the lumps at Essa, nr Polruan. Is this just a lump of rock or was it once a menhir?

one of a number of barrows in a relatively short distance. situated halfway between croft hill – iron age hill fort – and brinklow mound. this barrow holds the most westerly position. Moving east there is copstone barrow and then wigston parva barrow. all within aprox 1 mile of each other. there is not a lot to see here. just a raised level in the middle of some vegetable crops. I Will get permission off the farmer next time to wander aimlessly around his field.

You probably wouldn’t want to go out of your way to see this site but it is roughly equidistant from Legananny and Audleystown.

A large capstone is the most visible feature. The chamber it covers may be a portal tomb but there are early accounts of a large cairn and a lintelled passage so it may also be a passage grave.

Michael Herity certainly includes it in his book on passage graves mentioning accounts of an 18m diameter cairn and a passage open to the NE.

A large Iron Age embanked enclosure with Norman Motte and Bailey. Impressive banks and views all around. There is a small car park and plaque and the site is well sign-posted.

In you’re in County Down and you’ve got as far east as Audleystown and you’re wondering if it’s worth the cost and the effort of getting the ferry over to Portaferry so you can visit this site, the answer is – probably not.

It’s a site that produced interesting results on excavation in 1953 but it has been back-filled to its pre-excavation state and all you can see now is a grassy mound with some stones sticking out.

The excavation revealed an oval of standing stones within which was another oval of thin slabs on end surrounding a long cist full of bones neatly sorted and stacked. Some of the stones carried crude passage grave style art.

Stanton Drew – The Great Circle, North East Circle & Avenues – 30.12.2003

I finally got back to Stanton Drew ten years after my aborted first try – see notes below. Where did those ten years go?

I think the access may have already changed from Moth’s recent notes. The gate at the honesty box is a small normal gate (swing gate). But 30 metres onwards I then had to negotiate two narrow kissing gates in close proximity before I got in the field. The field was pretty lumpy and full of cow shit, but was pretty firm under foot, even in December.

The two accessible circles are amazing. This complex (adding in The Cove, the South West circle, and Hautville’s Quoit) should be mentioned in the same breath as Avebury and Stonehenge, but rarely is, probably because, 1) the two circles and their avenues weren’t open for much of the 1990’s, Hautville’s Quoit is a pitiful sight (on farm land), and the South West Circle has been on private land for as long as I can remember, 2) the lack of tea shop, guide book, huge car park, signposting, etc, and 3) the alleged initial reaction from a distance; that it’s just a lot of jumbled stones.

But Stanton Drew rocks – big time. Easy to get to (I think), easy to access now, enormous stones, amazing history. This is stunning. Everyone should visit (not all at once please! The car park probably holds about 4 cars, and the other car park at The Cove isn’t huge). The North East Circle is the greatest stone circle I’ve seen so far on my travels.

It’s a disgrace that there wasn’t more uproar when the two main circles were closed; it’s almost as though this complex doesn’t want the attention it deserves. I am so happy that we can now all go to these two circles, virtually anytime we like (well....9am to sunset the sign says, any day except Christmas Day).

Propaganda and access has stopped this becoming seen as circles / complex that are truly ‘great’. This is NOT a jumbled mess of stones. Anyone with half a brain will be able to immediately see that there is a large circle (mainly fallen), and then a smaller circle (mainly intact and with enormous stones almost on a par with Avebury). The other stones (the avenues) need a bit of thought but to suggest this is a jumble of stones is a ludicrous assault on human intelligence.

I had this amazing place to myself. No sounds at all except planes droning towards Lulsgate (Bristol Airport) and some birds. Please visit.

Stantonbury – 30.12.2003

I like Rhiannon’s example of walking from Bath to Stantonbury. In reality I visited it as an afterthought after visiting Stanton Drew.

You can park in a small layby on the west side of the hill (approx ST668639), just on the south side of the notoriously dangerous bend in the A39 between Corston and Marksbury. There doesn’t seem to be any better places to park on this side of the hill, however I think the best (and less muddy!) approach to the hill is on the North East side from approx ST679640.

From this layby you could probably nip up the edge of the field and be in the wood in a jiffy but it isn’t officially a footpath. The actual footpath is 300m around the corner of the road and is marked on the north side of the road by a small ‘footpath’ sign. Luckily there is a pavement (of various descriptions) along the road between the layby and the footpath.

The footpath goes straight across a field (very, very heavy clay mud in December!) and into the woods. The bottom of the footpath to the top then isn’t that obvious and isn’t the right-angled affair the OS map suggests – look for the uprooted tree. Then there are several ‘footpath’ signs on the way up, and Wansdyke can usually be seen on your right.

The top is relatively flat and scrubby, with abandoned farm equipment. The ramparts aren’t obvious in most places but can be seen when looking down off the hill. Bits of the west side have a steep slope; otherwise it’s relatively gentle. An entrance seems to partly survive on the north east corner. There are lots of pheasants around; the first of which I disturbed almost gave me a heart attack! Like Rhiannon, I found there wasn’t much of a view on a misty day, but on a good day I imagine the view would be stunning and I’d love to come back one day.

Visited this site again on 2nd January a little more prepared and with a touch better local knowledge. There are two structures in the immediate area, one being Worsthorne Stone Circle (although it feels like a ring cairn to me). The second structure is the Ringstones in the next field on the same footpath. I also mentioned an enclosed circular area in my last field notes, which turned out to be modern. The landowner had made it to fly model aeroplanes in! Back to the circle itself though there are definately two clearly recognisable kerb shaped stones that have been toppled, but a little kicking back of the scrub revealed another three stones making five in all. Not much left to see really but this area is rich in history its well worth combining this site with a trip to Hameldon Pasture, the Ringstones or Delf Hill.