Latest Fieldnotes

...a peculiar beast indeed, lurking in its own picket-fenced enclosure in front of a line of small chalk-built cottages. It seems so lost and lonely, ‘what great site had this been part of?’, I wondered. It felt like the last of its line, a curiosity like a stuffed animal in a museum. But having said that, I liked it hugely and enjoyed it’s quirky resting place nestling at a crossroads in deepest Oxfordshire.

There’s a very small area on the north side of the road where it’s possible to park. This is a pretty large chunk of rock, with no discernible markings on it. No stock in the field today, though there was an extremely large bull in the field next door! The stone is no longer in it’s cage, however!

This tree-covered mound lies just beside a track down to a farm. Access is fairly straightforward, though parking can be awkward – I walked back from where I had parked near the single stone. These two large stones lie almost due E-W, in a sheltered location in amongst the trees. No discernible markings on them, though the eastern stone has several deep grooves in it – probably natural weathering.

Quite clearly marked on the Landranger map, about 200 m in from the cottage, near the fence between the hill field and the one you’re in. Sits on a north-facing spur, quite easy to spot (the biggest stone at the end). About 18 cup-marks on the eastern side of the stone, quite clear and not too badly weathered.

Only sheep in the field today, and at the far end, so no being chased by bullocks as per Hamish! There’s a very convenient layby and the stile is great!

The south face of the stone is marked by diagonal grooves, I assume they are weathering but very reminiscent of Tuilyies. Quite a dramatic stone, over 2 m tall.

Right by the roadside, and a bit of difficulty parking – fortunately the lady who runs the B&B just up the road from here was very nice about letting me park in her driveway! This is another stone just by the roadside, about 1.5 m tall and no distinguishing marks on it.

The undergrowth here has been trimmed back withing the past couple of weeks, by the freshness of the stumps. The road’s not busy, and it’s a lovely peaceful little spot.

Armed with machetes this time to cut through the rhodadendruns, we came across a tunnnel already cut through them, hands and knees stuff for about 50yds through the thick branches.....at the end of the tunnel there stands the Turning Stone. Sadly no longer rocking....looking at it I don’t see how it ever did....but it’s still a great looking lump of rock.

The ‘tunnels’ go all the way along Overton Tor, sometimes only a few inches from the edge....and it’s along way down. But there was no sign of Robin Hoods Mark.

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Over the last few years I’ve recovered a handful of waste flint flakes in the fields close to Cocking Tor.

One of the Scottish Megaraks, George Currie, mentioned this stone to me. It’s not marked on the OS Landranger map, but it’s most definitely there. 200 m or so in from the road, just off a rough track. About 1.7 m tall, and 0.7 m wide, it stands proud with a terrific viewpoint north, west and south, just on the SW shoulder of Drumderg. It’s obviously a great favourite with the sheep, too, as the eroded area round the base and traces of wool on the shaft show. From one angle it looks a bit like an upright axe-head.

Stanton Harcourt is an ancient village 8 miles west of Oxford on the B4449. It got the ‘Harcourt’ part of it’s name from a Norman family who settled here in the 15th century, I believe. The Harcourt family still live in the manor house.

‘Stanton’, of course means ‘place of the stones’ – as indeed it has – the magnificent rebuilt henge, the Devil’s Quoits. But other rich archaeological finds in the river gravels have been made round the village and have been explored in C4s “Time Team” programme.

The quarrying of river gravels have revealed incredible finds of more than 900 bones and teeth of animals including mammoth, elephant, horse, bison, bear, lion and hyena, many in almost perfect condition.

There is evidence that climactic change 200,000 years ago forced the shift of the position of the River Thames, leaving rich fertile grasslands and big prey animals for early human settlers to exploit.

Excavations by various agencies during the past 15 years have revealed stone- and bronze-age tools. burials, beaker peoples settlements and more. Some seriously important finds were made during the excavation of Gravelly Guy.

This stone is in a delightful setting in a picturesque village with a village cross and all the makings. It must be beautiful in the summer.

I tried to take photos of the barrow but it is very overgrown and could have been of anywhere.It was a lovely day,March at its best.Sunny but cool wind.This is another of the sites where despite being by a main road the noise was negligible.

[visited 11/4/03 & 14/4/03] So after a very nice visit to ramsdale, we meandered our way down and up some very steep little roads to this site. Lovely views but a sore site.

The standing stones and the Grouse Butts are just about the only things recognisable as man-made. I think I found the Cairn that Dyer mentions and maybe 1 or 2 outliers but otherwise a sad sad site.

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Despite its trashed state (and possibly because of it) the site lies just off the main Whitby to Pickering road, so as we headed back to London after yet another Whitby goff fest, I stopped for a quick second look. I noticed the huge number of 2ps seemingly welded to one of the stones this time and then we made a run for it as about 100 sheep converged on us expecting food...

Making enquiries at the nearby pub (as you do) the Plough Inn at Coldharbour, it was pointed out that it is on private land and the owner doesn’t like people “Wandering over his land with Geiger Counters”, the mind boggles! Might try to get his address and request a visit.

[visited 11/4/03] Second time lucky to this and oh were we lucky. Last time I attempted these was with three ‘non-believers’, and I was beaten back 100 yards from my target by a combination of driving rain and complaints. This time I left the two ‘non-believers’ with me in no doubt that come driving rain, hail, snow, freak floods or thunder, I would be seeing these stones.

As it happened it was a perfect spring day, the stones were sumptious & the company very nice. We found the stones and then sat and stared out to sea. An absolute treat!

Went to this site last week. Was really quite amazed by the earthworks surrounding the rock.

Seems like a strange place for the ‘fort’ mentioned by another visitor. It didn’t strike me as an easy piece of land to defend. Could there be another explaination for these earthworks?

We found this site fairly easily with this guide but you can see the barrow marked on the Explorer OL 27 map too. It would be a long walk from Whitby if you were not in a car altho I expect you could get off the Moors bus (phone 0870 6082608) near to the B1266.

This hill had intrigued me since driving past it as a wee bairn in the back of the car on route to Cleveland from Yorkshire for regular visits to family in the 70s. Now as an adult I see that it can be seen when standing on Danby Rigg and is lined up with another smaller mound of similar shape in Fryup Dale called Round Hill, and a monument of some sort on the next Rigg. What is very strange is the perspective because the hill seems to get bigger and rounder as you get further away, and when you get up close it seems smaller. Looking at it from Danby Rigg it shows up through a gap between the valleys.

For those who don’t want to use cars, there is a railway station a short walk away (maybe a mile)at Danby. There is also the Moors Bus, phone 0870 6082608. Public toilets in Danby. You can park your car opposite The Fox and Hounds pub which is a little way down the hill from the start of the bridle path. The bridlepath up from Ainthorpe was in terible condition, a mess of deep ruts and loose stones and the sandstone underneath falling away, this path is in dire need of some conservation work on it, and the motorbikes who passed us on the way up to Danby Rigg are not helping. When we got home our eyes were full off gritty dust. Probably a combination of dry weather, periodic heavy rain, walkers, motorbikes, possibly horses too, and the sandy consistency of the soil.
It is a place full of atmosphere and you can hear the sheep and curlews. Many little piles of white grit are here and there beside the path, what are they?
There is a stone chair to rest on and some natural springs past the trig point. Watch out for the bogs and adder snakes on Ainthorpe Rigg. Lots for the naturalist to enjoy too.

I love this sheltered snug. Visited at 9am on this sunny spring morning. Can’t escape the perpetual motorway noise, but no-one else was around except for a skiving postie in the car park.

Some evidence of swings on the trees, small bonfires and seats made of stones. Anyone remember Murun Buchstansinger?

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Just had time to pop here on my way back from the Megs. Also failed to find any rockart... I think Stan makes it up sometimes :-)
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This stone is on private land – you can just about see the top of it from the nearest public path. I had come all this way... wasn’t gonna give up...not a soul to ask... it called my name...honest guv

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If you park near Swinburne Castle the first bank is directly in front of you: walk down the public path the rest are easy to find.
Not easy to tell if these banks were built or natural, and the terraces carved in.
Didn’t see a soul here, the only noises were dogs, presumably kennelled near the manor house – quite eerie.

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I went to the heath about a year ago after reading about it here and I hope that I would have distinguished the barrows were there not signs on them. The longbarrow specifically would be impressive given a little care but the heath itself is a fine ancient place and as a once-local I am just glad that there is just something here.

Incredible stones! So peaceful, despite being so close to the road, an oasis of calm.

As is my wont, I laid hands on the stones, and it was only later that I noticed my hand had been dyed bright green by the lichen which was rampant on the main stone.