Latest Fieldnotes

I’ve been wanting to visit the Pikestones for sometime now and so on a crisp october day I decided to do so. Suprisingly they were relativelyeasy to find. Follow the road round past the Manor House ‘til the road leads straight again and there is a gate at the top of the road just before the road takes a sharp right. Park your car by the gate as there’s loads of room behind. The gate is at the end of a track leading straight on the Pikestones. Although not signposted, it’s in a field to the left of the gate. You can’t miss it. It’s in the top left of the field by the trees.

Once here you are immediately struck by the utter destruction of the site, although there is still a lot to see. It’s just a shame to see this site in the state its in. It must have been a very grand place at one time, but the thing that really saddened me was the lack of respect it had been given by somebody who had actually stuffed crisp wrappers, a Pot Noodle carton and baby wipes in the burial chamber itself along with other rubbish. Do people not know this place contained burials? It’s a grave, a final resting place of once great people, and they deserve the dignity they were placed here with. Anyway I cleared the site of rubbish and that was an end to that I hope.

I did not find the stone circle nearby which was mentioned although there are lots of earthworks here (too many too photograph). One thing does intrigue me though. The info board mentions this is one of only two chambered tombs found in Lancashire. Does anyone know which the other was? All in all a beautiful place and fantastic views. You sometimes forget how beautiful Lancashire is, and this place indeed reminds you.

According to Paul Bennett the inscription reads, “This is Rumbles Law” and was erected by William Hawksworth in the 14/15th C. He originally erected it at the Grubstones which was used as a moot by local masons, but was ordered to remove it to his own land. The Great Skirtful was just inside his boundary.

On one of my many trawls around the moors behind Nelson looking for those elusive monuments (and there are quite a few round here) I chanced across this place – Wow what a suprise!

There’s banks and ditches everywhere which are quite confusing to work out where one starts and the other ends! On a warmer day I will come back here and map this thing out. So if you are in this area don’t miss this one out.

DIRECTIONS
From jctn 12 I drove through Nelson towards the town centre just follow the through traffic, ‘til you come to traffic lights where you can only turn left or right. Turn right and follow the road through, bearing right. Keep following the road, turning right again at a mini roundabout. Follow this road for quite a while ‘til you see a sign for the activity centre on your right (almost leaving Nelson). Take the right there and at the top of that road which turns into a country lane take a left signposted to the activity centre. Follow this road to the end and if you look left at the end of the road it’s right there. However if you turn right about a 100yards down on the left hand side of the road, there’s a huge gravel verge for you to park on

8th October 2003

This is a tricky one. It’s actually set in the grounds of the school, but a footpath from Porthpean Road just south of the A390 goes quite near. Follow the path along the back of the tennis courts into the field beyond, then look back to see the stone.

There are signs advising against trespass onto the school grounds, and when I was there, the school had just gone onto a break period and the kids were coming out.

Because of this I couldn’t get too close, and taking pictures was tricky in case anyone got the wrong idea! I managed a couple of shots though...

This is a pretty big stone, around 7-1/2 feet tall, and 4 feet wide. It stands in a commanding position on the south side of Soutra Hill, unfortunately now rather dwarfed by the pylons which march along behind it.

I’ve passed this one a few times but the field was always in crop. It’s a tall, thin stone, around my height (6’), and has pretty good all-round views of the area.

Ha! No bullocks today, only sheep – so over the gate and in. This is a pretty impressive lump of rock, stood on a couple of large flat stones and fenced in. The stone looks genuine enough, with streaks of quartz running through it.

My local informant tells me that the cairn was said to have marked the spot of a battle back in the 1450’s between the Ogilvies and Lindsays, but the stone would appear to have been here from long before that date.

Popped in here on the way to the Lizard Peninsula for wells, fogous and the such. Was a bit wary of knocking, despite plenty of people saying the owners of the cottage are happy to let you see it! I’m terrible for access if I even get an inkling it’s private, but this is a bit blatant! You can see it from the little back road but it’s not the same... ;o)

We heard someone in the garden so knocked at the gate (couldn’t see how to get in any other way anyhoo!) There was a lovely lady there on her tea break (she was decorating for the owners, who were not there) and she let us in. Must be my winning smile...

The stone is probably the weirdest that I’ve seen! It’s leaning quite a bit, and triangular... You can see that from the pictures, though... But it’s a lot bigger than I expected. It was stone cold on a  lovely summery day, and damp. It seems to be almost perpetually in the shade of the cottage. Who’d build a cottage so close to this lovely stone? It’s a shame, but nice that the owners/decorators are so welcoming to visitors.

Very nice stone. Wonder what it meant?

Visited 23rd August 2003: We dutifully trekked off to St Bride’s to see the 19th Century church where Julian speculates there may have once stood a stone circle. The church itself is interesting, with two early crosses on display inside bearing Ogham inscriptions.

As for the churchyard and it’s orientation with the road junction, I’m afraid I can’t figure out how it indicates any kind of prehistoric link. A leap of faith is what’s required here, but I really can’t oblige. The church is worth a visit, but unless you have a vivid imagination, don’t expect any kind of megalithic satisfaction.

On the return leg of our holiday we visited the Hill of Tara, which is incredible. A complete jumble of sites, reflecting a rich history and prehistory. I cannot thank our guide enough, as he went out of his way to give us the “extra” tour after the quick version he had to give a coach party. He was clearly in love with the place.

This is a rich and extensive site that surpassed my expectations completely.
It is almost as if someone decided to move a whole jumble of ancient sites to the top of a hill that is invisible from the countryside around it.

I’ll be back...

There is nothing to see inside the King’s Seat, apart from a good view of Cormac’s House.
It is not contemporary with Cormac’s House and was built, I understand, in Christian times.

The weird figure eight formed by the proximity of the King’s Seat and Cormac’s House is fascinating. Within the pre-Christian Cormac’s House stands the Lia Fail and a memorial gravestone to the Irish Rebellion of 1798.
Formerly a statue of St. Patrick stood here, in triumphant celebration of the defeat of the Heathens. When an attempt was made to take it away for renovation it fell apart, so a competition was held for local children to design another statue to stand by the path leading to the Hill of Tara.
Some locals disapproved of the resulting statue, due to his skirt not being long enough, so they pulled it down. A bog-standard St. Patrick now stands by the path instead, “biding his time” as a non-catholic local said to me on the Hill.

Meanwhile, Cormac’s House remains Patrick free…

Reminds me of The Nine Ladies of Stanton Moor which I visit reguarly. Right next to the road high up on the moor so if you get on the right road [which I did at the 3rd attempt] you can’t miss it. Small stones in comparison with other circles in this area.

The size is everything. Great circle but after Castlerigg and before Sunkenkirk which I visited the next day you realise the location is the key factor in determining your favourite circle. I only made it 66 stones by the way Julian.

Visit Little Meg before her bigger sister to avoid disappointment.

Visited 11/10/2003. The setting is everything. The best I had seen until the following day when I visited Sunkenkirk.

Best directions are to turn off at Broadgate and follow the fell road[signposted] until you come to a fork in the road. Take the left hand road up to the farm for about 500 metres up hill as I did but I must admit you are risking your car’s tyres on the farmer’s track. Whatever way you get there just make sure you do because this stone circle is without doubt the best I have ever seen (so far), in terms of the actual circle itself and the position. When I visited 12/10/2003 there were 2 massive horses wandering around the circle as if they owned it as well as the sheep. A wonderful experience that I will never forget.
Stand above the circle and admire the Silbury like hill below.I only really noticed this properly when i got the photos back.Proves how you can overlook all the features when actually on site.

To elaborate on Fitzcoraldo’s comment that “There is one large stone that may be earthfast and a number of other stones”... at this second collection of stones that are seemingly in alignment with the standing stones, beside the large elongated stone layn in the ground, one of those other stones, though small, much smaller than the other stnding stones, is actually steadfast in the ground and standing.

Also, the OS map associates ‘The Hag’ with something in this area, though I can’t tell what.

10th October 2003

There are apparently 8 tombs in total here. The main one is well signposted, and has been restored by EH. I managed to find two of the others in the thick heather, as well as a strangely sculpted rock that looked like two IKEA armchairs, before the rain finally started. The landscape is difficult to make out, the various lumps and bumps looking like a lunar landscape hidden in the plush heather.

9th October 2003

No problems here. Turn off the road just south of the Goonhilly Visitor Centre, into the old RAF centre, which is now in use as a car park. Take the path that leads back to the Earth Centre. And follow the path round to the left. When the fence disappears to the right, follow it around, keeping the fence on your left at all times. After a couple of corners, the Dry Tree is in front of you. Watch out for adders in season, apparently!

This is a big old stone, and as others have said before me, affords lots of photographic opportunities with the modern comms dishes in the background. It was re-raised early in the 20thC, supposedly not too far from its original position.

7th October 2003

The way this has been ‘restored’ onto the church boundary wall, makes it look like one with the large (probably originally standing) stone underneath it. I don’t think this is the case though. Andrew Langdon in ‘Stone Crosses of West Penwith’ states that “the shaft and base no longer exist”.

7th October 2003

Nice to see that Gun Rith has been re-erected, complete with original (or near as dammit) lean. The base has been placed into concrete this time, and the field wall has been reconstructed around it, so hopefully it won’t fall again in a hurry.

7th October 2003

I spent quite a while at the Maidens today, and had the place to myself for a change. The wind was blowing a gale, but at least the fog had lifted by the time we got here. I managed to take some nice photos, but nothing that isn’t on TMA already, though I may try to stitch a panorama together at a later date.

6th October 2003

The fogou is actually in sight of the road, opposite the entrance gate to Trewardreva House itself. A herd of cows in the adjoining field made me slightly nervous, as they all charged toward the gate as I entered the field. I wasn’t sure if they could get into the field containing the fogou…

Andy Norfolk described this as a “cosy, cuddly fogou” on the Stones Mailing List, and I’d have to agree with him. I didn’t descend all the way in, partly because of my bovine nerves, but it looks as if the main passageway may open out to the right at the end. Craig Wetherill in Cornovia refutes this stating that “it was once thought a branch passage may have run southwards…this is now considered unlikely”.

Daylight pervades the far end of the fogou, where the covering stones have shifted somewhat, but this didn’t detract from the cuddliness for me.

6th October 2003

There’s a car park right next to the church, and a 30yd or so gated path down to the church. The stone is just past the entrance door to the church.

I didn’t notice when I was there, but from the photos I took, it looks as if a smaller stone has been perched on top of the main stone, which stands on a slight mound next to the path.

An old cross stands on the opposite side of the path (W Cornwall 69). This cross was first recorded in the 1890s, located in the vicarage grounds. It had moved to its current location by the 1920s.