The stones of the Acharn Falls circle are arguably the best-positioned in Perthshire. Standing at a height of 378m above sea-level, the site commands breath-taking views across Loch Tay towards Ben Lawers and Schiehallion. Apparently formerly within a plantation, the stones now stand out in the open, and even a dry-stane dyke bisecting the circle doesn’t diminish it’s impressiveness.
A much disturbed site, of the original nine stones, four are still upright, while two others lie close to their original positions. Amongst debris from the dyke are what look like the broken-up remains of the missing three stones.
Excavation in 1924 revealed a shallow patch, around 0.60m square, of burnt earth, charcoal and calcined bones. Around this the soil was red in colour, which Burl suggests is where a pyre once burned.
Latest Fieldnotes
July 28, 2003
July 27, 2003
This one may or may not be pre-Christian. I haven’t found much out about it yet, but I did visit it today, so at least I know a little about it.
Whilst reading books and looking at maps I came across the word ‘Enclosure’ on the 1:50,000 map, but no indication of where it actually was. The 1:25,000 map has no such word, but does have two possible sites.
The site that looked promising was a big banana shaped earthwork type thing centred on TQ052747. In reality, this is a huge modern concrete thing inside the perimeter fence of Heathrow Airport (presumably it’s some sort of sound shield or safety device).
The other one proved to be far more interesting, centred on TQ056746. After thinking at first that it might be on private land, I’m now pretty sure it is not. Part of the land off Oaks Road (near ‘The Rising Sun’) does have wire all around it and lots of signs saying ‘British Airports – Private property – No Trespassing’, but the bit that the enclosure lies on is presumably open land, as there are seats dotted around, a few scabby picnic tables, and two official steel entrances, one on the north east side near the Southern Perimeter Road at about TQ058746, and one on the south side at the corner of Russell Drive and Oaks Rd at about TQ057744. But there are no signs to say anything about the land.
The enclosure is basically a decent sized ditch, pretty much overgrown with brambles and trees, but relatively impressive considering is few metres from Heathrow! Varies in size but mainly about 3 metres across and a metre deep.
I can’t find any info about it in “The Archaeology of Hounslow” by Gillian Clegg (1991 – ISBN 0951831901), or “Prehistoric London” by Nick Merriman (1990 – ISBN 0112904475), which worries me. Anyone else know about it?
I am very chuffed about finding this ‘site’ today. However, there is nothing to see on the ground, but it does show up from aerial pics, so if you are landing at Heathrow in the usual way (most planes land from an Easterly direction) get a window seat on the left of the plane and have a look down to your left, just before landing and it might be visible just to the south of Terminal Four – I guess you probably won’t see it though as the angle might not be right, and I’m led to believe that in general crop marks only show up clearly in the right conditions.
After finding out about it from books (which didn’t say exactly where it was) and only having a vague idea of where it was, and two aerial photos of the Bronze Age Enclosure, I did a bit of map detective work and decided that I thought I knew where it was, alongside the A30 between Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport and the Clock House Roundabout (A30 / A315). And I was pretty sure on the ground that I was in the right place, a large field with some sort pea / legume crop, that I hadn’t seen before, growing in it. Nothing can be seen on the ground although the area of the grid ref given for this site is definitely raised a bit compared to the surrounding land.
The books said it was part of ‘Mayfield Farm’ in Bedfont (which wasn’t named on the map) so as a final check I walked around to the other part of the A30 and yes indeed, this is definitely the right place – the farm buildings for Mayfield Farm are at TQ075733.
With a Neolithic henge also found on the farmland, this is one very important site despite the lack of visual impact!
(site of) The Negen Stones – 27.7.2003
Not much I can add. ‘Jimgoddard’ has obviously done his homework!! Like many of the important sites on the fringe of Greater London there is nothing to see at the ‘site’ (unlike you really like busy roundabouts)
Just to say that if you want a nice short walk and a decent place to park (if you can avoid the ‘Private Road’, ‘No Parking’, ‘I have a Big house’ etc signs that pervade the area), drive a few hundred metres down the A320 (Chertsey Lane, which by the by takes you to St Ann’s Hill Fort within about 5 minutes) and take the first left into the side streets. Walk back to the site of the Negen Stones, and then wander along the river and back up to where you parked. ‘The Hythe’ (mentioned by ‘Jimgoddard’) is the lane parallel to the river, starting from the bridge, and has a pub. The riverbank has a pub as well, so a short walk could be turned into a long session – hic!
St.Ann’s Hill Fort (aka Eldebury [Oldbury] Hill Fort) – 27.7.2003
As Juamei said, not the most evocative Hill Fort in Britain, but a pleasant walk if you can try to forget the constant hum of the traffic from the nearby (but unseen) M ways. The whole of the open area covers 57 acres in all.
The info board gives a tiny bit of info on the hill “St.Ann’s Hill takes its name form a chapel built around 1334 dedicated to St.Ann. Its original name was Eldebury (Oldbury) Hill with an old fort, and there are traces of old earthen defences on the top. The most notable resident of the Hill was the radical politician Charles Fox whose house was opposite the present main entrance. The hill was presented to the Local Authority by Baron Camrose of Longcross and opened by the Rt.Hon. Neville Chamberlain MP in June 1928”.
The ramparts are not particularly strongly preserved. Best on the west side. Also strong on the East side but the track up to the Reservoir Cottage (at the top of the hill) makes them look a bit false.
NB – The roads towards the hill are signposted to a point but overgrown at the crucial turnoff onto ‘St.Anns Hill Rd’ so look for the road sign of that name.
July 26, 2003
This bump in the grass by the side of Kingstanding Lane, in the district of Kingstanding, is all that remains of the last surviving barrow in Birmingham (that I am aware of).
If it hadn`t been for an incident in comparatively modern history, there`d probably be houses on this one, too.
July 25, 2003
Great location. It`s exhilarating just to be here, high up over the Wye valley with Hay Bluff breathing down your neck.
BUT......
The only lay-by for miles around on the single-track road has been placed right next to the circle. There are always cars parked here. Most people who park here seem to be totally unaware that there is a stone circle right infront of their eyes. I was angered by the totally unnecessary degradation of the location. To top it all, one of the bollard-stones from the lay-by has become incorporated into the circle.
GPS: SO 23942 37358
Taking the forest road out of Hay-on-Wye signposted to Capel-y-Ffin, the single-track road rises steeply on a southerly course. At the top, where the scenery opens out over mountainous moorland, lies the large Twyn-y-Beddau round barrow, as if standing sentry before the even higher land.
GPS: SO 24148 38612
Just down the road from Longside Moor on Holy Moor is an excellent carved rock. Recently discovered amongst the stones of a large medieval field clearance, it has about 46 cup marks and a worn ring carving.
It’s not known where the stone originally came from.
Follow the path that starts from SK320691 and at the second field along head diagonally left to a stile. The stone is in the first pile of clearance stones over the stile.
The Giant`s Foot stone lies just to the west of Shap, in a field behind the houses lining the A6.
It is said to be one of the stones in the Shap Stone Avenue.
GPS:NY 56297 14781
This stone stands by the side of the B4348, 1/2 mile west of the village of Dorstone, by the side of a field entrance. It has been used as a gatepost in the past.
There is a cup mark under the vegetation.
GPS: SO 30558 42261
About 1km NNW of the Swine Sty enclosure is a disturbed cairn, resting on top of the biggest stone in the cairn is a small cup marked slab.
I can’t really think of decent directions to the cairn as it stands all by itself almost lost in the heather and bracken in the middle of Big Moor.
A truly holy place, I climbed it twice while on holiday in Wales, once in the daytime and once at night. The steady climb gets steep at the top, ending in a scramble to the summit. Just before the very top there’s an amazing circle of grass providing shelter from the prevailing wind... this must be where St Brynach slept. It’s a fantastic view, over there at the bottom of the mount is Newport, the river, the mudflats and the sea. Up the river there’s the Gwaun valley and right over there are the twin mounts (can’t remember what they’re called now) just near White Sands (nr. St Davids).
It’s very strange, almost eerie if it wasn’t so calming, a little like being in a beautiful cathedral. All is calm, which was the case also when I climbed it at night. The mists rose and nothing was visible, just a shining sea of moonlit cloud hanging in the valley below.
The holiest mountain I’ve climbed so far...
the angular black quartziferous stone has a nice toe to it – similar to many stones I have seen – is this where the rope was tied to haul the thing?
Sandstone stone in field of wheat.
Permission asked for at farm – nice woman had an idea we might be looking for stone...
First impressions pretty dissappointing, but good cup marks – well 3 at least that I thought... spotted small in one corner and as ever the views are pretty.
July 24, 2003
I spotted the stones in a field on the right just before entering the village of Trellech from the south. And WOW what an impact! I excitedly passed through the kissing gate into the field. Wading throught the wet grass, thistles and ovine faeces towards the menhirs, I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the stones and their slenderness and the mad angles which they tilted! The biggest looked for all the world like a really rather monumental cock, the angle of it making it inescapably look like a gigantic willy! Yes, I liked this place. It made me smile.
Me and Ella decided to have a traipse down to the Raven Hall Hotel to check out the carving there.
Ella was a bit anxious about going in , “looks a bit posh dad”. The friendly folk on the reception desk informed us that it was £1 per person to have a look around the grounds, but free if we bought a drink from the bar. Two cokes = £2. So drink in hand we checked out the gardens. A quid for this ? complained Ella. Must admit that the gardens weren’t up to much, there was loads of mint and butterloggies but not a lot else. We had a mooch around the ‘battlements’ and admired the views of Robin Hood’s Bay or just ‘Bay’ as it’s known locally.
The carved stone has been cemented into the wall of a wee recess in the cliff face, as Pebbles mentions there is a little carved cave with a plinth carved into it.
The carving is lovely and although I’m glad someone has saved it and preserved it, I would have rather seen it in context, but you can’t have it all can you.
After leaving the hotel we had a walk down to the cliff edge on the NT land, on the way back we were having a poke around an old stone tip next to the cottages beside the hotel when we spotted what appears to be the top portion of a beehive quern being used as an ornament outside of one of the cottages.
If you visit, avoid the bar meals in the hotel – £5 for a cheese toastie!
Check out the lovely Post Office / Tea Shop at Staintondale. 2 toasties, a coke & a pot of tea all for £5.20 new pence.
i am some what freaked out at the discovery of this site – the result of actually trying to find out more about the druidic or megalithic way of thinking leads me to one of the most ancient sites that I look out upon nearly everyday in the magical kingdom of fife.
the caves are in poor shape – but somehow they still maintain a sense of the mystical past they so obviously hold.
As we explore this little part of Fife there is an overwhelming sense of stepping back through history.
What a Great place Fife is.
without OS map impossible – with it still really difficult – well for us it was! with releif we finally found the place – I guess we felt a bit dissappointed but looking at the photos now I am glad we made the effort.
its still a field of barley
great stones
wish i had a scythe
What a hot day – by the time we arrive at sunhoney its truly a summers day – we work our way carefully along a potato field and behold this very mystical circle – I really like this place it has an air of healing and meditation about it!
macfriendly.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/stones/Pages/Image137.html
beautiful cup marked recumbant
we arrived at the place and people said it was not worth visiting – i wish I had had a quick look now!
These stones are remarkable and well worth a visit – I believe now they must be key marker stones to a major circle at Mains of Druminnor. Magnificent views of Tap o’ Noth – I only wish I had had the OS map at the time of spotting these beauties, I would of gone on to seek out the circle – simply stunning..
macfriendly.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/stones/Pages/Image61.html
Aberdeenshire OS sheet 37 E50, W27
The Jaggy recumbent macfriendly.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/stones/Pages/Image71.html
Anyway what a brilliant place – I am blown away. I am particularly drawn by the marker stones in the fields adjacent to the circles.
What fascinating shapes!
macfriendly.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/stones/Pages/Image80.html
Such superb views although the small coniferous copse spoils the panoramas it is still wondorous.
Massive
macfriendly.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/stones/Pages/Image87.html
found this one easily – no problem with horses!
The whole sense of being in a former centre of some incredibly complex society is starting to become overwhelming.