Latest Fieldnotes

The row lies accross the bottom of a natural bowl below the Craddock Stone Circle. Iain, our guide on Saturday morning, found it easy after we had visited the settlement below Golddiggins Quarry. This is a new area of the moor to me and there is lots to discover! Much discussion was had as to what various mounds, stones, dips might have been. Hopefully I will have some photos to post soon.

I have reached the top of Cornwall, this is my second time up here, the first being in thick mist about 16 yrs ago. What a difference 16 years makes! The views are fantastic, Morwenstow to the north, Rame Head to the south, Dartmoor to the east and looking in to the wind most of Cornwall to the west. I wonder how many TMA sites can be seen from here?
There are two barrows up here though I would guess the one on the summit is modern in its construction (though many of the stones possibly belong to an older structure) The southern one though looks to be original with a shallow depression in the centre.
My plan to walk back via Loudon Hill has been cancelled as the track from Fernacre looks barren and windswept, I shall return via Butter Tor.
But before that I have a birthday lunch to eat.....with the best view one could ask for.....the wine list please waiter....waiter?

The footpath from King Arthurs Hall takes you beside this settlement. Lots of huts that are each devided in two by a grass covered ridge. Did not explore far up hillside, only into two or three huts.
Standing on Butter Tor looking back you can make out early field patterns on the hill side to the right of Garrow farm House.

Maybe it was the sun beating down on my bald patch but I thought I counted 9 stones with 2 still standing proud. Did not realise till I got home that there was another circle to the south east, another reason to go again.

Visited 5th June 2003: This site isn’t in very good nick compared to Cae’r Arglwyddes II. It’s smaller and more scattered. From what I could make out it looks like there is an exposed cist, but it’s so overgrown with stinging nettles that I’m not sure how well preserved it is. The cairn is also less easy to get to than it’s neighbour.

Visited 5th June 2003: This cairn is on private land with no public access (although it’s worth noting that there’s no fence between it and the road). When I visited, the field it stands in was full of cattle including an enormous bull. Luckily the herd was over the brow of the hill, so I moved swiftly.

The site turned out to be quite a beauty, not so much because of the cairn material, but because of the exposed cist. I managed to walk all the way around the cairn before realising just how well preserved the cist was. The setting is also spectacular, with views out towards the Dyfi Estuary (which I failed to capture in any of my photos).

Visited 5th June 2003: This was my third visit to Bedd Taliesin. I thought I’d try and get a better understanding of the site as a cairn, rather than focussing my attention on the exposed cist and capstone. There are large kerb stones visible around the site (the largest on the east side), and what remains of the cairn mound suggests that it was originally relatively large. Perhaps this is why it is so well known locally.

The sites I went on to visit further up the valley suggest to me that Bedd Taliesin stood at the head of some sort of sacred route, stretching down from the mountains (or up from the sea?) along the Cletwr Valley. This would be similar to the nearby strand of sites leading up towards Pumlumon from Plas Gogerddan.

It all looks so clean! I had a look last year some time, and it was filthy! Could hardly see the stone through the glass... I’ll post me pics later for what it’s worth...

In agreement with all previous posts – a very sad sight. London’s compromise to the destruction of an ancient relic. Sad indeed.

Bet the same wouldn’t happen to the other more modern local attractions – Tower of London, etc... Not that it would fit in a class case... anyway... sort of...

I have been wanting to get out here for years....So, seeing it is my 40th birthday and I felt like doing something special I decided to walk up Brown Willy taking in King Arthurs Hall, Garrow Tor, Loudon Hill and Middle Moor Cross.
Loaded up with lots of goodies I set out from Casehill (I have never had a problem parking there), first stop KAH. What a site, the sun was shining like it only does in Cornwall and in the middle of the hall the reeds were all topped with cottony blossom. Overhead Skylarks kept up what would be the soundtrack to the day and everything was perfect.
Must geta picture I thought........got camera out focused everything with Roughtor standing proud in the background......click......something don’t sound right.....the shutter has not closed.
Well it wasn’t going to spoil my day but I am afraid i will have no photos of my birthday walk to share with you.
I had a great day, didnt make Loudon or Middle moor but I can reccomend using the Garrow route to climb Brown Willy. It took me 2 hrs each way...but I do stop and look at things.

Visited 25th May 2003: We approached from the direction of Maen Pebyll along an interesting little road that runs over the mountain. In the village there were teenagers playing what appeared to be hide and seek, and I was sorry to see that the pub was shut down.

When we arrived we went round the church the wrong way, so my first view of the Four Stones was from the south. My first thought was ‘look there’s an old stone marked boundary’, and I never quite managed to shake this idea off. The stones are very striking despite their medium stature. The Latin carved stone is a bonus, if you like that sort of thing (creative vandalism?). The proximity of the stones to the embankment that leads down from the churchyard down to the River Elwy is interesting, as is the short distance between the church itself and the stones. I wonder what the history of this place is. I think I need to do some reading.

The Four Stones Of Gwytherin were our last stop before Pizza Hut (I know it’s not very ethically minded, but there you go) then home.

Found this yesterday after spending a couple of hours tramping on Hadrian’s Wall – thought I would go for something pre-Roman for an hour! Couldn’t cut across the field from the gate, due to it being full of attack cows(!), so we walked round, clambered over a wall and trudged up a hill, to get to it. It was the most amazing day – big sky, sun shining and wind blowing.

I really loved this site but had no knowledge of it having been part of a bigger circle. It seemed perfect as it was, so will choose to believe it was intended to be just 2 stones, mirroring the opposite hill!

Thought we’d drop by these beauties on the way to The Merry Maidens on a damp and foggy day in May...

Found them nice and easy, but once in the field, suddenly became unsure whether or not we were allowed to be there! So we took a couple of pics and legged it. Very nice, though – was a bit overgrown and very foggy and muddy when we were there, but it all adds to the effect, I think.

Might find out about access, and stay a little longer next time if poss...

Clifton is the next vilage along from Eamont Bridge on the A6 south.
We tried to access the stones via the footpath at Mount Clifton but the farmer had not kept the path clear and it would have meant taking two lads through a bunch of agro-industrial stuff. So we used the path from Clifton Hall instead. This turned out to have a bonus because there’s a Peel tower that you can have a mooch around.
Cross the motorway using the bridge and follow the path south along the side of the motorway. Once you get to the gate you can see the stones a couple of fields away. Just before you walk down the field boundary towards the stones, check out the field clearance in the corner of the field. There is one large stone that may be earthfast and a number of other stones. This clearance is on the same alignment as the two standing stones.
The stones themselves are a handsome pair of boulders a big ‘un and a little ‘un. They are made of a red stone. The smallest stone has been set in concrete. They are aligned NW-SE.
There is a nice view of eastern Penrith to the north

In Late Summer 2000, a friend and myself after arriving late at the Tinkinswood site, happily set up our tent and chilled down for the sun-melt and starry nightshow. Half-surrounded by a small and dense bunch of trees and sitting upon the top of a small, gradual hill, Tinkinswood is a surprisingly wind-free and gentle-sight.

Kicking-back we spoke about Magick and other oddities under warming, summer lunar currents. The night punctured with novel and odd rackets from the undergrowth around and beside us!
Later just before we hit the hay i started to get an extremely seriously headache. It came out of no-where, and was quick and intense. Over the next 3 hours or so I experienced intense head pain accompanied by strange images which didn’t leave me till I left the site and slept in the car!! Most of these images were just too fantastic to remember and I later managed only to draw one of them accurately from memory! I hadn’t taken any khemicals to open the gates and the experience being so strong i thought maybe there was some form of ‘contact’ occuring My Gran saw and spoke to the dead often!

Afterwards I only remembered one or two things, the most sane being that the whole site was surrounded by thousands of differently coloured beings – shaped like humans – all linked, stood shoulder to shoulder and glowing!! They ‘felt’ benevolent, and I think they may of even tried to speak to me, though this is still ‘weird’ in my mind!!... this ranks as a mind-expanding experience in my own humble journey I seek no single judgements; I am open minded!

We left the site the next morning in a downfall (which was to last for weeks, producing floods across most of Britain). A mile up the road though we had to turn back, I had lost my Silver Celtic Ring somewhere. Back at the site, I flew up the field in the pouring rain. Arriving at the site I looked at the ground for the space of a couple of seconds and saw my Ring immediately. I thanked the ‘Spirits’, said a few words and ran back elated. I had a warm glow all the way home.

I intend to visit the site again sometime... despite a very painful episode I feel positive about this place. It took me off on a tangent... which I always respect!

Slightly overshadowed by the numbers at Stonehenge, there was still quite a gathering on Bodmin Moor early saturday morning. About 30 people gathered to watch the sunrise and then walk over to Craddock circle whilst approx 40 bikers from the Plymouth area also joined us on the barrow. Add to this those camping out and you have numbers approaching 100.
The sun rose right on time over the northern edge of Dartmoor before dissapearing into the cloud cover, the mist sitting in the Tamar valley making for a wonderful vista. The bikers departed to visit a friends grave, we headed off towards the Hurlers and Craddock Moor.

I visited this mound yesterday on my way back from Avebury after the solstice celebrations.

As it was a Sunday, I drove straight through the main college gateway, parked in the central area and asked a student for directions. I was told to go down a small flight of steps which led behind the canteen....and there it loomed before me.

Hemmed in behind the backs of buildings, overgrown with trees, yet quiet and peaceful because of it.

You have to climb this mound to fully appreciate it and there are steps on the opposite side.

A splendid site just south of Jedburgh on the A68 at a little hamlet called Rochester. The old Roman fort of Bremenium is a 20 minute walk away but it is not for this that the visitors come.

Brigantium is a series of reconstructions from sites discovered in the local area. You can see cup and ring marks, a stone circle, a bronze age burial cairn and an iron age farmstead as well as various roman reconstructions.

By far the most interesting part of the site however is the Hunters Rock Shelter which is the only part of the site which is likely to have been really used by mesolithic hunters and gatherers. Whilst excavating this area flints were found at the entrance of the natural rock shelter and certain slabs of stone appeared to have been placed.

This lone menhir stands on the tiny island of Eigg in the Inner hebreides, it is situated just off the roadside in the middle of the island.

I saw this whilst on the path heading towards the significantly more famous ‘Signal Rock’ from where the Glencoe massacre was orchastrated.

Signal rock is just under a miles walk from the road running through Glencoe and the path runs through a wooded glen.

I spotted this stone just off the path on the way to Signal rock and thought it looked a bit out of place.

The island of Harris is blessed with many fine sandy beaches. The Macleods stone is signposted from the road and is situated atop a hilloch looking out onto the bay of Traigh Lar.

The remains of a galleried iron age dun in the middle of Loch Chromor. It’s pretty much at the end of the road to nowhere and once you reach it you need to clamber over a small hill to see it. One should imagine that there was a causeway to the island originally which has long since disappeared.

Just off the A858 at Bragar in North Lewis lay the ruins of a collapsed broch. The broch is situated on a small island on Loch an Duna and is only just accessible by a causeway. It has a diameter of 16m and in its heyday might have reached a height of 3 metres.

This circle of six stones is situated in the grounds of a nursery at a dead-end on part of the old A9, which runs parallel to the new A9. Overgrown with gorse and brambles, the circle was re-discovered by workmen clearing the ground for a garden in 1855, as recorded in the Building Chronicle:

‘A small Druidical circle was discovered a few days ago at Tynrich, Perthshire close upon the highway....about eighteen feet in diameter, and quite entire, each of its huge stones standing erect and in its proper place; ....while digging and levelling the interior, four huge urns, about two feet in height and one foot in diameter at the mouth, were exhumed, quite full of calcined bones, besides three or four stone coffins, formed of thin, unshapen slabs, and likewise containing the mortal remains of the ancient Caledonians of a pre-historic period. The urns were of very coarse manufacture, and in their removal they were broken to pieces.‘

The soil at the centre was stained a darker colour than the surrounding earth, and charcoal and burnt bone material were found. Stamping your feet at one side of the centre of the circle causes the ground to visibly move further across it, and makes a dull thud, as if there are hollows under the ground – possibly where urns or cists have been removed.

The circle is in the grounds of Tynreich Nursery, the owner of which is very friendly, and happy for people to view the circle. But please only visit when the nursery is open:

Monday to Friday

9:30am to 1:30pm and 5:30pm to 9:00pm

Saturday and Sunday

9:30am to 1:30pm

This pair of stones sit on a terrace overlooking the Tay’s flood plain as it sweeps round from Dunkeld and Birnam. Surrounded by ferns, just back from the road, they are sandwiched between the A984 main road and a steeply-sloped spur of Newtyle Hill. Approximately 3m apart, the NW stone is 2.1m tall, and the SE stone half a metre shorter at 1.6m. Coles (1908) suggested that they may be the remains of a circle. Due to their situation at the foot of the slope, the circle would have to have been where the road now runs, although I think this is unlikely. Even more unlikely is Marshall’s (1880) suggestion that they mark the graves of two Danish warriors killed during the invasion of Dunkeld.

Nearby, on Newtyle Hill itself, an Early Bronze Age flat axe was found in 1915. It is now in the museum at Blair Castle.

This single standing stone sits on a slight mound towards the NW corner of a field off the A926. Standing 1.6m tall, it swells slightly around its middle, where it is wider than at it’s base or top. Around its base is piled field clearance, and it has obviously been scraped by farm machinery at some point. Although a largely unremarkable stone, it’s a nice site, with a good view to the south, over Strathmore, towards the King’s Seat and the distant Sidlaws.