Latest Fieldnotes

Just flagging the existance of this really – I’m not even sure what the real name should be.

On the OS map it is marked fort, but I was unable to find much else out about it really. the Maps in the park mark it as an Iron-Age Hill Fort but there was nothing in the visitors centre about the fort.

From the public carparks it is a fair walk to the earthwork. The ditches use the natural contours to create some very steep banks 3-4 meters high in places. The site has a road running straight through it.

Not one but four long barrows not all shown on Streetmap. All sites within less than a mile radius.

W.Barrow marked by post.
E.Barrow by uneven ground.
Long Barrow, W. of Moody’s Down Farm. SU426387.
Long Barrow SE of Middlebarn Farm. SU417382.

Other sites in this group;

2 Bowl Barrows SU436384.
3 ” ” ” 1 visible SU418389.
2 ” ” ” SU406370.
1 ” ” ” SU418362.
1 ” ” ” 17M by 0.6M SU420362.

A remarkable collection within such a small area. The first two long barrows may be unique as they were built within a few metres of one another (Although see Milston Down nr Bulford wiltshire-web.co.uk/history/barrows.htm )
Sadly time has not been kind to these monuments, most are badly damaged or only visible as crop marks. However the loss of the first two is unbelievable, the raised bank of the army firing range (The butt?) was dumped straight on top of them! Even to have put it a few metres to the E would have avoided this wanton damage.

My first go at some field notes so I hope this is OK

The “hillfort” is roughly oval in shape. It encloses 2.6 hectares and occupies the end of a spur with extensive views to the south (when all the trees were chopped down!) a stream rising in marshy ground in the south-east corner is an unusual feature. The steep hill slope on the W and SW adds to the strength of the single V shaped ditch (2.7meters deep). The original entrance has not been identified.

The West side features a forest Ride runining along a contour at the bottom of the earthworks but dug into the hill – I have been unable to findout if it was created as part of the victorian “ride building program” or is an original feature. The banks are very heavily forested though quite easy to find and hardly any moden damage except 1 area where mountain bikes have caused damage (they are now banned from the site).

Visited around June 1998
Just as we pulled up at the point on the small country road nearest to the circle, it began to drizzle despite the bright sunshine.

We headed across a field in the direction of the circle, but the rain drove my (less megalithacentric) companions back to the car.

I continued uphill, becoming drenched but focused on skirting the fields leading to the circle. Once I sighted the circle I was so wet that there was no way I was going to turn back!

This circle is fairly ‘knocked about’, with several of the stones leaning at various angles and a couple fallen. I must admit that to me that just added to the attraction, making the circle feel more ‘real’, more ‘used’, more ‘ancient‘.

As I reached the far side of the circle I turned to look back the way I’d come and was rewarded with the sight of a vivid rainbow arcing perfectly above it....

I called this a barrow cemetery because even though there’s only three barrows here, they are close together and in alignment, and it is this relationship that makes me feel they should be treated as a group.

Even though these barrows are protected monuments I do not think they will be here for very much longer. You see protection means the farmer can continue ploughing them. A small mound, if continually ploughed will eventually be flattented to nothing.

This was dramatically demonstrated today when I visited the excavations of Dr Jan Harding, who had placed an excavation trench across one of the barrows. The barrow is almost flat, the ditch on one side was about an inch deep once the plough soil had been removed and in some places the plough had cut through the ditch to the natural underneath. The ditch on the other side of this ring ditched monument was about six inches or so deeper, but clearly it won’t be long before this crop mark is just a crop memory.

I’ve included some pictures of the excavation but as you may guess, there’s not a great deal to so, these may be the last.

Walking West out along the ridge from the Mam Nick road, the path rises after just over 1km to the Lord’s Seat barrow. Stick to the path on the crest of the ridge for the best views – Edale to your right, Mam Tor behind, Windy Knoll to your left and the barrow itself looming up ahead. Well worth the effort.

Very subtly situated on Henley-Marlow road, it sits at the point where the Chilterns meet the River Thames. Better know now as “Danny, Champion of the World” territory, before Roal Dahl there was Sir Francis Dashwood, keeper of the “Hellfire Caves” – themodernantiquarian.com/browse.php?site_id=549 (it’ll look neater when I figure out linking). Just to the south of this almost obliterated site is the infamous “Medmenham Abbey”, where Dashwood would have parties-cum-rituals that involved almost the entire gentry and their genitals, and lasted for weeks. Baboons were also often in attendance.

You can read more about Sir Francis and his antics here:
blather.net/archives3/issue3no1.html

As for the Camp, sadly very little remains, with the north-western corner being the last vestiges of the earthworks. But rejoice! The site is crowded with gorgeous trees, and seems safe enough for now, as long as the scrambler-crew don’t overdo it ...

Actually two long barrows in the same field.

These long barrows are part of the Black Mountains group of tombs.

OS map required

Permission to visited need from Ffostyll farm.

On unclassified road about 3km northeast of Talgarth.
Monuments are in a field to right and behind farmhouse.
Walk up a track a short distance.
Ahead are three gates on left, ahead and to right.
Take the one on the right.
Ffostyll South is visible ahead in the field.

This is the first time I have ever been intimidated by livestock. Rams, tupped or otherwise were in the field, and although content to urinate and growl around me when I was writing up fieldnotes for Ffostyll North, by the time I went back to Ffostyll South, one had decided he had had enough of me and then the other dozen or so took an interest. So be prepared if they are still there when you visit.

I know the idea of being threatened by sheep is amusing, but rams are quite large, and if they butt you onto the ground, they’ll probably keep doing it for a while. They do have impressive testicles mind, like badly inflated footballs.

Apparently if you leave them alone they won’t chase after you, but in my case they came up to me growling and dipping their heads and the only trees to climb there are the thorny hawthornes on the barrows.

Two long barrows 70m apart.

Partially excavated 1920-23.

There was once a round barrow nearby

Ffostyll North

The larger of the two, like Little Lodge, mature hawthorn trees up against the remaining stones causing root damage to the monument.

Measurements for the mound are given as 40m by 22m. It has been ploughed up to and livestock have had a go at it as well as previous excavations. A lot of stone scatter is present. It is orientated not far off west-east.

The is a surviving eastern chamber, consisting of five upright stones (no capstone) all around 1m in height and of similar lengths. The western and eastern sides of the chamber are comprised of two stones each, whilst the fifth stone is set traversely between the two pairs on either side, probably making it a blocking stone. The depth of the chamber is around 1.2m

The opposite end of the mound has many field clearance stones, some quite large which lie under the barbed wire fence which cuts up against the monument. Many of these must surely have once been part of the monument.

The centre of the mound has some very large and impressive flat stones, one which appears to be the broken halves of a large capstone. The measurements for these two stones are given as 2.7m long by 2.3m wide and 0.25m thick and the other 2.3m long by 0.9m wide and 0.12m thick.

To the southeast are four more. This is where my notes went to pot because of the rams, but I did write:
Front (west) about 1.3m apart two parallel ground breaking stumps about 0.4m long.
Mound f**ked, say 1m high.

Ffostyll South

My notes are abysmal for this one, as no sooner had I got onto the mound than I was intimidated off of it.

They read: mound higher nearly 2m. lot of small stone scatter from tiny to heavy.

However, measurements for the mound are given as 36m by 23m. Orientated northeast-southwest.

Towards the northern end are the visible remains of a single chamber comprising of seven stones. Four in a row making up the western side, two in a row making up the eastern side, and a single blocking stone set traversely at what remains of the north-eastern end of the chamber. Measurements for it are given as 3.3m by 1.2m. A large ‘covering slab’ at least 2.4m by 2.1m has been displaced to the south-west.

Failed fieldnotes

‘Prehistoric sites of Breconshire’, Children and Nash, Logaston Pr, states that permission to visit this long barrow is obtained from Trevithel Farm. It isn’t, the site is on land owned by Pipton Farm.

When I got there no one was in, but this is how you get to Pipton farm:

A479 at Three Cocks take the A4079 to Builth Wells.
Less than 1km, on the right is Pipton farm.

Pen-y-Beacon is on common land with open access (an OS map is helpful).

Located at the foot of Hay Bluff, about 5km south of Hay on Wye.
In Hay on Wye head west on the B4350, look out for a turning on the left signposted: Capel y Ffin. Take this turning.
Shortly afterwards when the road forks: take the left fork.
After about 4km when the road forks again: take the right fork.
If all is well you will cross a cattle grid in 100m.
When you reach the next fork in the road: take the right one.
When you reach the plateau on top of the hill, the stone circle is on your right beyond the car park area.

The car park area is bounded by a series of low stone blocks (to protect what remains of the stone circle from encroachment by parked cars). What appears to be a reasonable sized standing stone is clearly visible just beyond this area.

This is one of those sites where guides promote the view more than the quality of the remains of the site.
If you enjoy exercising the powers of imagination, this is the stone circle is for you.

Proved to be a circle in 1970. Guides state that 18 stones are visible in a circle of 30m diameter.

My notes read: one large stone, 1m high, broad yet thin edge on, leaning. Stone circle: go figure?

This is the stone on approach which gives the site the impression of a standing stone. Apparently it is the remaining half of a pair of stones set radially, which may indicate a ceremonial entrance/exit of about 1.5m.
The stump of the other radial set stone is visible. To its right in an arc I could find only three other low stumps.
To the left of the remaining standing stone I could find only two remaining stumps at ground level.

Infront of the radial pair (just inside the circle) are two fallen stones now almost submerged into the ground,neither is large.

Walking across the uneven, quarried and still heavily metal detected area for about 30m, away from the car park. There is a shallow arc of three stone stumps at ground level. I would imagine that it is this, which gave archaeologists the diameter of 30m for the circle.

It really does take a leap of imagination to visualise the circle from the evidence which is left on the ground.

Thwarted field notes:

Just off of the A438 at Clyro. One of the Black Mountains Group of tombs.

Travelling in either direction look out for the Texaco petrol station set back slightly from the road.
One of the exit/entrance sliproads goes past the entrance to Clyro Court Farm (there is a sign on the entrance).

Landowners were out and farmworker would not give me permission to visit.

Guides state that what is visible is a low mound and a few uprights. Indicating remains of single chamber and passage. Orientated in the direction of the valley southwest-northeast.

Nearby there once existed another long barrow: Clyro Long Barrow, but this has since been destroyed.

Chambered Long Barrow

Part of the Black Mountains Group of Tombs

OS map required

Permission to visit required from Little Lodge farm.
Although a public right of way does cross the field.

A438 from Brecon.
At Three Cocks take turning on right just beyond hotel signposted: Velindre.
Less than 1km later at the crossroads continue ahead do not turn right for Velindre.
Around 1km later (the first building you reach) is the Little Lodge farm on the right.
The barrow is in the field before the farmhouse (on the right). Set back against the field boundary on the side of the field furthest from the house.
The barrow sits between two trees and is easy to locate.

This was the first of two long barrows I visited that day where hawthorn trees have been allowed to take root on the barrows causing extensive root damage.

Excavated in 1929.

Orientated north-south. The mound is in a cultivated field and is badly damaged. Many small cairn stones lie around the site. Measurements are given as 55.5m by 22m.

There is a chamber at the southern end (no capstone). Wedge box shaped, that is to say, narrower at one end and broader at the other. About 2m by 1.4m, consisting of five stones, all less than 1m in height. At the southern end, one either side up against the outside the chamber are two stones aligned west-east. I guessed at it being a forecourt of some kind, but according to the plan the one on the right is the remaining upright of another chamber which would have stood next to the remaining one, or in English: two contiguous chambers with one common side.

To the west of the chamber are three stones just breaking the surface. Archaeologists are unsure of their function.

The largest stone there, is a huge traverse slab towards the northern end, supposedly from the main chamber. It is almost 3m long, 1m high and 0.45m wide. To its east is a broken stump of a stone also arranged transversely. Further towards the northern end (covered in nettles) is another low slab, which according to the plan is the eastern side of a chamber. Apparently kerbing is visible at the northern end, but my summer visit co-incided with the height of nettle growth so I didn’t see it.

Well ruined, but enough remains to keep a visitor occupied, I like the guidebook which says ‘possibly a typical Severn-Cotswold type’.

Chamber Long Cairn

Part of the Black Mountains Group of Tombs

OS map required

In Hay on Wye head west on the B4350, look out for a turning on the left signposted: Capel y Ffin.
Take this turning.
Shortly afterwards when the road forks: take the right fork.
Proceed for about 3km until a footpath sign is visible on the righthand side of the road.

(After this the road goes sharply to the left and up hill to the nearby Penyrhenallt farm. If you reach the farm you have gone too far).

Cross over the stile, keep to edge of field and monument is ahead 100m, visible from road.

Almost, if not on, a public right of way.

At first all that seems to remain is the long box like chambered created by the four upright stones, but if you do visit in the summer when the nettles are high, it is worth having a look around the mound as there are other stones still in situ.

Excavated in 1920-21.

Main Chamber of four uprights, is about 2m long by 1m across. All four stones are a little less than 1m in height. There is no capstone. Packing stones visible.

Mound: described as pear shaped of approximately 18.5m in length. When visiting it, the monument is now closely bounded in by field boundaries and nettles abound so it was difficult to pace it out as the mound is also now low in height. Orientated southeast-northwest.

There is the remains of a small chamber towrds the north-eastern end of the mound. Three low stones (less than 0.3m) arranged in right angles to form the plan of three sides of a rectangle. Many smaller stones lay jumbled around them.

Visiting the Fishstone this morning I was delighted at the size of the beast. Eighteen feet, to the inch, is stands solemnly beside the River Usk, with an air of bemused calm. Like a stunned salmon one gains the impression this stone is merely recovering its senses before leaping back into the cold, clear waters nearby. The warm red, almost salmon pink sandstone adds to the fish similarity, and also makes touching the stone a welcoming tactile experience.

The slight angle it finds itself leaning lends to it an air of dynamic movement, like a crouching hare, alive, sensitive to its environs and watching, watching, watching...

The site is friendly and clean, and small offerings were placed in cracks and cubby holes of the stone. The early morning sun had stripped the grass of dew, but the rear of the stone still shone in the cooling shade.

The dynamics of the location are interesting, as is the relation to the other stones in the locale. Local folkore twists many tales around these, but I note that not one contains the usual ‘punishment’ for dancing on the sabbath so beloved of the Cornish sites. These stones have been loved, and this is reflected in the folk memory that permeates the area.

This is a site you could visit at dead of night, in winter, and still feel protected.

Access is by appointment only. In the wet this would be a bog – walk for about half-three quarteres of a mile beside the river.

This camp has a fascinating possible faulse entrance system. Several hollow ways which approach it from the south converge at Fortress Dyke stream and on the other side diverge again. One of them takes a course straight to the camp, another runs beyond its western side whilst another tow seem to go nowhere – running for 30m or so and then just stopping. Whilst this sort of complex entrance is the same sort of idea as at other Iron Age hillforts, this system is completely different. firstly there are no apparent walls to the hollow ways that approach the camp – it is was a defensive measure they would have had to be lined with wooden fences.

The camp itself is sub rectilinear aproximately 45m by 60m. It has a single bank and ditch which is only apparent on three sides. The fourth side – east appears to have a slight ridge running along it for some of it’s length at least. The camp is cut right through by a stream running east west. This may have been an original feature which has now eroded quite a deep path through the camp.

To the north are several other enclosures which have been interpreted as field systems, although one at least is too small, being approx 20m by 7m, and may have been an animal enclosure.

10 August 2003
We drove through Reeth up into the bottom of Arkengarthdale and parked around NZ027006, on the verge by the track to Castle Farm. We followed the track down to the river amongst trees (beautiful spot).

Across a bridge, back out into the now blazing sun and up the gentle slope towards the farm buildings.

In the fairly small enclosure to the right of the further farm house (Castle Farm itself according to the map), you can immediately see the ‘orthostatic’ walls of upright stones that the more modern walls seem to have been built onto – if I understand correctly.

As I know absolutely NOTHING about the subject, I suggest you read Brigantesnation’s fieldnotes.

Just to the left (north west) of the farm buildings is a stand of trees, on a bank littered with massive rocks, presumably from field clearance.

At the bottom of the bank where you approach it from the path leading along the valley, is a kind of ‘kerb wall’, possibly related to the orthostatic walls Brigantesnation talks about, or perhaps just a more modern effort to support the bank. We sat in perfect peace for a good few minutes before the walk (mainly uphill!) back to the car.

10 August 2003
I can’t believe how unknown this place is, despite being right on the Dales Way alongside the Wharfe. But I’m glad.

And the OS will have helped by seemingly having removed it from the 1:25,000 Explorer – my friend John is sure it was on the previous 1:25,000 of the area! (And I’m sure it’s never been on the Landranger.)

The position is beautiful, and having previously visited, I have to say it has a wonderfully open and light atmosphere on a sunny day, but it’s worth a visit in any weather!

Being a cairn circle, it’s certainly not a stone circle in the ‘true’ sense, but if you want a picturesque but accessible and peaceful circle of stones to sit and chill at, look no further.

Because of showery weather and time constraints, we parked by the road on the opposite (west) side of the river and leapt and splashed across. But it is vastly preferable to park near Yockenthwaite farm, cross the Wharfe by the bridge and turn left (north west) along the Dales Way for 10 or 15 minutes or so….

Back in the car we watched the ‘world’ passing the circle by for a while, wondering what the walkers and cyclists would have thought had they known what they were passing….

The circle is easy to spot from the road, but only if you know roughly where to look and what you are looking for.

If you don’t have time or inclination to walk from Yockenthwaite, drive west with the river on your right. Keep an eye on the wall separating the river from the fields on the far bank. The circle is right next to a place where the wall has (mysteriously?) tumbled….

Be prepared for damp toes unless you want to spend a goodly amount of time looking for a really dry crossing point!

*Also see weblog More Moth meanderings (starring the squid family).*

10 August 2003
Got here at the fourth attempt in about 2 years, having thrashed about within a few yards of the damn thing on every single previous occasion….

Well worth all the trouble it was though! A distinct circle of stones including one pretty big boulder, which looks as if it’s possibly in the position where it was found by the ancients, with the other stones placed to make a circle….

This is the ‘inner’ circle of what is allegedly 2 concentric rings.

The outer ring, however, is so irregular and ruined that I don’t think I’d have suspected it if I hadn’t known in advance – especially as the whole area is littered with ‘random rocks’. John and I spent some time pacing out distances to surrounding rocks and to be honest, remain slightly sceptical.

Ironically, the site did remind me very faintly of the double concentric ring I’d visited the day before, the Druid’s Circle of Ulverston. This had more to do with its size and atmosphere than the possibility of a double circle though.

Well, who cares? Single ring or double, the setting overlooking 3 dales is beautifully remote and infinitely calming. It won’t be long until I’m back now I know where it is!

10 August 2003
I went up to this one following Fitzcoraldo’s comments... and am in WHOLEHEARTED agreement.

Just my opinion, but if this really is what the OS has marked as a hut circle, all I can say is “is it HELL a hut circle “!

We all know the OS are flawed on this sort of thing – stone circles marked as cairns (Druid’s Altar to name but one), cairns marked as stone circles, you name it….

I was accompanied by my mate John, a man not easily impressed with ‘alleged sites’, having like most of us here, seen plenty of stones. He thought it was a stone circle too.

That’s 2 more necks out with yours Fitz!

The circle stands on a slight platform and is much wider than any hut circle I’ve ever seen or heard of. It shows no signs of ever having been even vaguely contiguous, which for me pretty much says it isn’t a cairn circle either.

Some of the stones aren’t firmly seated and may possibly not be in their proper positions, but some have what looked like very clear packing rubble and stones around them. Looks pretty damn authentic to me.

As well as the impressive ‘earthwork’ nearby, there are also what we thought looked like a few ruined cairns on the way to the circle.

To find the circle, we approached from Leyburn, heading for Grinton. Descending towards Grinton, we took a left turn signposted (I believe) to Redmire, a short distance after passing Grinton Lodge on the right.

This road goes gently uphill and pretty soon there is a sharpish bend left at approximately SE044974, by a barrier gate onto the moor. We parked here.

A track heads WSW onto the moor. We found that the simplest thing to do was to follow this until it crosses a small stream called Grovebeck Gill just after passing a fence leading off to the right. Cross the stream and leave the path to the right and follow the fence, leading just about north.

You will soon come to a very clear and quite spectacular earthwork ditch and bank. Follow the earthwork left (WNW) and where it peters out, continue straight on, along a projected line from the earthwork.

On the nearest crest almost exactly in front of you should immediately or soon see the outline of some small rocks. That is the circle.

Oh, and by the way, try not to jump out of your skin when the grouse shoot out of the undergrowth! I reckon I lost a good few minutes off my life….

Visited 17th July 2003: After successfully finding Hoyle’s Mouth Cave I decided that I had time to find it’s neighbour, Little Hoyle Cave, before the coach left Tenby. I walked up the road, and over an enormous cattle grid onto the private driveway that leads to the Golf Course.

The cave is on private land, so strictly speaking there’s no public access without permission. I found that a cheery wave seemed to work whenever someone drove past, and after a bit of walking (and some waving) I took the plunge and followed the GPS into the forest. It really was a nightmare in there, with brambles and stinging nettles up to head level. Progress was slow, and I got it wrong quite a few times before I found the cave. I got stung to bits, and it wasn’t nice. Don’t try this in the summer!

The cave isn’t all that far from the drive, but impossible to see until you’re right up next to it. As the name suggests, it’s smaller than Hoyle’s Mouth, with a lower, rounder area inside. Although I had no torch, I could go to the back of the cave because the roof has fallen, letting enough sunlight in to see by. This time I really did feel like I was in a place where very few people go. I didn’t stop for long for fear of getting left behind, which was a good job because it took longer to get out of the forest than it had to get in.

George Currie and I mapped out this circle with a tape measure and compass the other week, and I’ve drawn a plan for it. As you can see from my plan above, this is a much disturbed site, but when you are standing there the circles are much more obvious. There appears to be a circle of diameter approx. 25m which is the clearest, but there may also be the remains of a smaller one around the 14 or 15m mark inside it. We also saw what might possibly be the remains of two outer rings as well. We also spotted what looks very suspiciously like a pair of cairns that have been flattened by forestry machinery.

Looking at the plan, you can see that stones A, B, C and G are all the same distance from the central stone, and are equally spaced out 30 degrees from each other (G is 60 degrees from C, but it looks like E has been shifted from its original position halfway between G and C) which would suggest that they are close to their original positions in an original circle of 12 stones. However, there is a definite lack of stones to the E. Just over a metre from the central cup-marked stone is another large stone, and this is exactly due E – could there be some significance to this? Who knows? (I don’t!)

9 August 2003
This was only the second time I’ve been to Long Meg, though it has to be said that there aren’t many sites I’ve been to more than once – there’re too many ‘new’ ones to see!

I must admit I’d forgotten just what a high profile site this is and, stupidly, I was a bit shocked, for a moment at least, to see other people there!

Luckily of course the circle is more than big enough to swallow up a few sets of visitors without it being a problem. It helped that all the visitors that came and went while we were there looked very interested in the stones and the site rather than just wandering around in the disinterested way you sometimes see.

This is such a beautiful site, despite the metalled farm road through it. I can’t imagine ever becoming used to its sheer size and general impressiveness. I got exactly the same feeling as my other visit, around 8 years ago – it seems a particularly peaceful spot.

No, that’s not right Little Meg is peaceful, Long Meg is… calm, if you see the difference. I know what I mean.

Tombo’s ‘zen cows’ were still in evidence.

9 August 2003
I’d never visited Little Meg before, as when I went to Long Meg before (around 8 years ago), I was only just becoming interested in stones. Having only used a road atlas to find Long Meg, I didn’t even know Little Meg existed.

Since first reading of Little Meg I’ve been expecting to visit but had never yet made it. The theory about the origin of the site as a barrow was particularly interesting I thought. We left Long Meg and her Daughters following the hedge away from the circle, to the right of the farm road, roughly north east.

Littlle Meg is in the next field you come to on the right. Go through the (new-looking) gate and keep right, heading towards the edges of 2 separate stand of trees. Even in long grass the stones are evident.

And as for the theories, it certainly doesn’t look much like an actual stone circle. Especially not a typical Cumbrian stone circle!!! Pretty difficult to see it as a ruined barrow either though!

As someone has previously remarked, it could easily be taken for field clearance, albeit field clearance made of significant rocks! I guess as it is generally accepted as a ruined barrow, the stones just happen to have ended up in particularly non-barrowy positions!

Whatever, the stones occupy a gorgeously out of the way spot of remarkable peace and tranquillity. And the spirals on the decorated stone really are stunning – and that from someone who doesn’t usually ‘get’ rock art….

9 August 2003
I’ll never get over the setting here. The circle itself is too spectacular and wonderful for words but is still completely overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the surrounding hills.

When we arrived the circle was teeming with people, but luckily, over the half an hour or so we stayed, they gradually dissipated and for the last 10 minutes there were only a few left.

The first time I went I was lucky enough to have the place virtually to myself and I think I’ve avoided revisiting fearing the crowds…but I found it much less off-putting than I expected.

I’m tempted to wish Castlerigg was harder to get to, but that wouldn’t be fair would it? Everyone should see this place. The circle’s actually just a (big) bonus…! This is one hell of a special place and I have to admit I’d kind of forgotten that because of its popularity and the crowds. I’ll not forget it again.

9 August 2003
Like a lot of people, this place used to remind me a lot of Castlerigg. Until visiting them in quick succession on Saturday that is. Maybe it was because when I first visited Sunkenkirk it had been a good few years since I was at Castlerigg...maybe not.

They’re certainly not dissimilar in some ways, but on Saturday I felt I’d been oversimplifying things by drawing such a strong parallel. There’s also a definite Rollright parallel in the proximity of the stones to each other.

The setting here is beautiful, but not half as stunning as Castlerigg when put in direct comparison. Even in sunny weather I find Castlerigg’s setting awe-inspiring, whereas with all but pretty forbidding conditions Sunkenkirk feels relatively welcoming to me and almost enclosed.

In good weather it would be possible for me to spend hours here, even alone (not something I feel very often), but at Castlerigg in similar conditions I can’t imagine spending more than about an hour at the most, leaving aside the irritating stream of people.

The circle itself is undeniably reminiscent of Castlerigg in size and style, but without the well-known internal setting. It does add a couple of external stones marking a probable entrance. Yet to me it seems to nestle in its field and embrace you, while Castlerigg stands bold but dwarfed on its open ground and you never truly feel inside.

Both wonderful places but certainly to me invoking very different feelings and atmospheres. I could happily visit Sunkenkirk every day.