Latest Fieldnotes

It would be nice to have more up to date info on this mound as the last research done was in the 50s. If it was a “Roman” burial mound it must have been enormous as the present mound has been “truncated and spread” and is still large. Info at the site mentions that it was built over a previous barrow!
It’s position commands extensive views in all directions and would have been visible for miles. Was it the site of the burial of an impotrant chief as it’s dominant position suggests?
There are few enough prehistoric/Roman structures to be seen in the London area perhaps this is one that has escaped the net.

Disabled: Car park within 100M, Level, mown grass.

12th January 2003

True this isn’t the most interesting site but I believe that there were large stones here once as the surviving stones of similar material to other local standing stones and the pieces also appear to have been broken relatively recently, many of the shards have flat sides.

There is also large recumbent stone in the hedge of the field (to the East) I’ll post a picture soon.

Although this site alone might not warrant a special trip the surrounding area is quite spectacular, with a most impressive Hill Fort – Caer Cradoc clearly visible across the valley.

This setting is about 40 yards from the first, and is pretty overgrown and difficult to make out at first. Two stones are fairly prominent but again, the more northerly is virtually buried. CANMORE carries this group as 3 stones of a four-poster, about 4m in diameter, and states that an ‘urn’ was found buried here in the 19th century.

Three small stones forming a rough triangle. Two stand about 2 feet proud of the ground, the most northerly is almost buried. Forestry work has been going on around them, and they are partially covered by felled trees. They stand in a little clearing, and once the lumber has been cleared away they will be a bit more obvious.According to CANMORE they are three stones of a four-poster, about 3.5m in diameter.

I’m not sure if this may have been part of the original circle or not. It’s not too distant from the standing stone, and in the same alignment along the ridge. It’s pretty heavily scarred by ploughs, so may have been buried at some point. Hard to tell, I’ll leave others to make their minds up about this one!

This stone stands around 4’6” in height, with the broad faces aligned NW/SE. There are no significant markings to be seen on it.

This is an interesting little group of sites. There is a single standing stone at the top of a ridge, just beside a small wood and near a trig point – easiest way to find the group is to head up the side of the wood to the trig point. The stone is just a few metres away. Just to the SW of the standing stone is a large recumbent stone, heavily scored by ploughs. Whether this is part of the original circle I’m not sure, but have included it for completeness! Entering the wood to the north east, about 40 yards in is a small group of three stones. Another 40 yards on in the same direction is yet another group of three. Forestry work and natural growth obscure both of the small groups, but it was fairly peacefull there when I visited today, despite the fact that standing out on the ridge I was face-on to a 40+ knot northerly wind, which changed into a blizzard as I descended the ridge!

I had to wait in the car today for a rare (for this area) snowstorm to pass before I could walk to the fort. The light dusting showed the ditch and bank clearly from afar. What is more obvious is that the barrows clearly dominate the skyline for miles around. The fort builders obviously lived in harmony with these relics from an earlier age. The three tumuli in the top look as though they have been robbed in the past, the usual depression in the top, but next door there is a peculiar circular depression with a small bank about 10 M across. Is this the remains of a Bowl barrow or could it be a dew pond? Near the E entrance there is a new (?) circular pond. Near the two entrances are scattered about 13 other barrows. Geophys has found nearly 70 hut platforms on the site. After the blizard had gone the sky cleared and the views were spectacular, I could see Beacon Hill, another fort just outside Newbury and with better eyesight perhaps the barrows on St. Catherines Down on the I.O.W!
Must come here again when the wind chill is not -10 and explore the whole National Nature Reserve.

This large hill fort is situated on a spur of chalk downland just to the E of the River Meon and was probably built as a tribal centre for the valley. It covers an area of about 14 acres with the ramparts following the contours of the hill. The ditch and bank are well preserved and have two entrances E and W where the bank is also higher and incurved. The ground falls steeply on all sides except the E.

Within the fort are three large barrows and a possible Bowl barrow. A long barrow is situated at the bottom of the hill to the SW. The fort has never been excavated but is probably Iron Age.

The views are magnificent covering most of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Disabled: Dedicated parking, gently sloping access on grass and tracks to centre of site.

Visited September 2001: We were originally heading for Bryn Celli Ddu, but when we got there it still had Foot and Mouth signs up on the roadside warning not to go near it. We decided to see whether Bodowyr was accessible. William fell asleep in the car as we wound our way along the lanes between the two sites.

It wasn’t all that tricky to find Bodowyr, given that we only had a crappy road atlas with us. When we arrived we parked up right by the footpath, and decided to leave him in the car to snooze. The walk to the site is short, and relatively flat (no surprise there really, it is Anglesey). Bodowyr does look strange in it’s iron cage, but it was sunny, and we enjoyed just chilling out by the stones. I remember that it was good having some child free time to talk to each other (no offence meant Will).

Had a nice surprise today when I unexpectedly found myself passing this site on the way to a meeting... unfortunately didn’t have my camera on me, so just had to quickly write down the location so I could identify it later. Will go equipped next time I promise :-)

Originally there must have been fantastic views across the Firth from here, now blighted a bit by the closeness to the road.

Except of course for the fact that it is in the perfect position to sometimes give a nice vibe to a passing traveller.

Hurrah!

.o0O0o.

Visited 25th January 2003: Peterborough is a maze of dual carriageway. Without a map it took me while to find the road that runs near these stones. If you’re approaching on the A47(T) (guess what, it’s a dual carriageway) you can only get at the junction if you’re travelling west. Look out for a signpost for Castor, Ailsworth, Marholm and Golf Course. At the top of the slip road you need to turn left, then immediately left again down a little access road, so you’re heading east again. There’s a Nene Park information board on the corner. Keep on down this road and resist the temptation of parking until you the next information board (with some blurb about the stones on it).

There’s no public access to the stones, but you can get very close to them (or hop the fence). They are at the top of the field between the road and the River Nene (not right next to the river), but they’re a bit obscured by foliage if you’re standing on the road. From the information board walk west until you see a small crumbling concrete water main sign on your left (at least I think that’s what it is). The stones are directly adjacent to this sign, on the other side of the fence.

I’m a bit suspicious about the antiquity of the stones themselves. They’re both very square in cross section, and apparently there’s a theory that they date back to the Middle Ages. If they’re Bronze Age, they don’t look like anything else I’ve seen. Worth a visit if you’re stuck in Cambridgeshire and longing for some olde lumps of stone.

Just like to say this is in the running for my favourite circle.
Cute and perfectly formed (perhaps too perfect?)
And it has nice memories for me.
And I found the cist.

.o0O0o.

Been to Dumfries lots of times but hadn’t been here before! Very overcast day but clouds somehow comforting. Stopped for lunch here, very quiet spot but quite near a major road. Not many decent hills overlook the site.
A couple of the stones are fairly big, but some are about the same size as the sheep!

BTW I could only count 11.

.o0O0o.

Yup, I’ve spent an hour or 2 looking for this on more than one occasion, with similarly little success. I’d love to know if there’s owt there and, if not, what WAS there....

Regarding Kammer’s comments re parking, I’d suggest following the sign to the Kit’s Coty Brasserie (drop down off the A229, past the pub then immediate right (back to the A229) then immediate right again). Small car park on the crest. Walk the rest of the road, then cross the road at the junction and follow the steps down straight to Kit’s Coty. No good for the Countless Stones though, unless you enjoy a walk.

This was a repeat visit after my New Year’s Day trip which resulted in corrupted photos (see my entry for the Chestnuts. I think I must be fated as, having checked 3 sets of batteries the previous night, 2 sets were dead when I got there! Changing camera batteries in the rain is not a pleasant experience...

Anyway, the stones seemed very sad, sitting alone on the edge of the field, caged as they are. There was a lot more site damage compared to my visit on the 1st. Lots of chalked graffitti – childishly scrawled pentagrams probably reflecting the mental age of the idiots who do this kind of thing. Some flowers (memorial wreaths) had been left outside the railings – easily moved, but they seemed very fresh so I left them as they were. The worst damage was at the ‘back’, against one of the uprights where it looked as if someone had tried to dig a small pit against the base of the stone.

I suppose, trying to be reasonable, this damage is minor compared to the 19c names and dates carved into the stones, and to the much more major damage of having had the full burial mound removed which left the uncovered stones as they can be seen today. For all that, I wish these idiots would just leave them as they are, to be enjoyed.

SK 044128

The site is on the southern edge of Cannock Chase, and is reached by unclassified roads, which are well signposted (brown heritage signs).

Ample parking (25 or so spaces), but a popular spot with walkers and can get busy at weekends.

The highest point on Cannock chase (801 ft/244m above sea level) according to the guides 3.4 hectares.

The bank is extant and can be walked around the full circumference. The original (and largest) entrance is to the east. Parts of the bank and ditch are still impressive (up to 4m).

Internally: trees have been cleared, there are stone foundations (NW sector), but these are from a later period and ridges and furrows (SE sector) probably from ploughing, but I expect these are also from a later period. The ground rises upwards from the south to the northwest.

Externally: impressive series of banks and ditches, from the carpark heading in a anti-clockwise direction (E) we counted at least three banks, whereas Dyer (Discovering Prehistoric England) could make out five. As you make your way around to the north only the main bank and ditch remain, continuing back to the carpark (W) two banks and ditches are clearly visible.

We visited late january and the entrance from the carpark was waterlogged, I would imagine in spring/summer the ferns will be a problem. Also prepare yourself for the view of Rugeley Power Station’s cooling towers.

The carpark is just beyond the Park Gate Inn which serves food.

Had no trouble finding these. Left the car in layby opposite the “Rocky valley gallery” and followed footpath signs down the valley crossed over a footbridge across a fast running stream. The carving were just behind the ruins of the old mills about 100 metres after the bridge. Also guided by strips of cloths and other rubbish hanging from the trees around the site. This spoilt an otherwise idlic setting.

Hanging of cloth is quite common at certain holy wells in Cornwall but I was surprised to see it here. There is no tradition on of healing wells or trees at this site perhaps visitors were influenced by displays of cloth on trees at the the nearby Witchcraft museum in Boscastle.

The sign at the site claims that the carvings Bronze-age but there is heavy debate that the carvings could have been carved by a “bored miller”. Perhaps they are ancient but more that one historian has pointed out the that work seems to have been carried out with a tool similiar to the ones used by millwright.

No other carvings of this type are found in Cornwall.

A site full of a mystery and well worth a visit. (Don’t let the miller theory put you off).

There are many dykes and defensive earthworks in this area, see the individual images for their map references as it covers a fairly large area.

Unfortunately the forestry commission saw fit to plant on top of the dykes themseleve, but they are still very easy to identfy . Judging by the amount of tumulii in the area, I would expect that there were originally much more fotifications than currently remain.

This hillfort views Humbleton hillfort to the north-west.

Beside The Kettles fort there is a rock outcrop called the King’s Chair, which got it’s name from a local legend that a Scottish king once sat here during a battle between the Scots and English in the valley below. There are no records of this battle... although there was one near Humbleton.

The valley beneath was a once-busy passageway including a spring called the Pin Well, which got it’s name from the local tradition of visiting the well on Fair days, throwing in pins and making a wish.

.o0O0o.

St Cuthbert’s Cave 11-1-2003

Took a brisk walk up here from the car park, lovely place, a dingly-dell with a wonderful feel. Set in a wooded copse, this place serves as a burial site for the old landowner, who’s family then donated it to the National Trust. It’s actually quite an impressive size. A bit used and abused now sadly, with lots of graffiti of various sorts, including one a bit tasty of a cool little yellow drude in a cave-painty stylee. No older rock art visible sadly.

Behind the cave on top of the hill there is a fantastic viewpoint with more rock features, and some wonderful natural weathering, including plenty of examples of why and how lichen protects sandstone from wind damage! View spans right over local landscape taking in Doddington Moor and the Cheviots, and back to Holy Island.
One the way back down, passed three young local types going up there to camp, presumably in the cave. You’re not telling me they didn’t do that 3,000 years ago!

.o0O0o.

Chysauster Settlement – 27.12.2002

Approaching from the North, Chysauster was signposted from the road, just North of Newmills (approx SW458344), but it’s not a brown tourist sign. This lane to Chysauster is extremely narrow and includes numerous totally blind corners – probably the most dangerous lane I travelled on in a week in Cornwall.

A car park is situated at approx SW470347, complete with sparkling new toilet block. It’s a short walk up to the entrance kiosk, 2 fields away. It’s then another short walk up to the main settlement. I’m a bit confused as to their opening policy. In 2002 it was advertised as open from 10am – 6pm between 24 Mar & 30 Sept and then 10am – 5pm in October. At other times of the year it seems to just be sort of open anyway. When there is someone there to take money its is £1.80 for adults, 90p for kids, £1.40 for Concessions and free for English Heritage members. The Head Custodian is available on 07831 757934.

The village itself is excellent but I could imagine it might be a bit impersonal on a touristy hot summers day. Thankfully not even the amazing ineptitude of English Heritage can ruin the spirit of this fascinating settlement.

What is English Heritage trying to do to this place? Do they expect this place to become a huge tourist trap despite the fact that there is only room for about 7 cars to park and the narrow lanes are pretty dangerous? The website says it will take 2 coaches, so I guess they are more confident than me about a coach getting through the lanes into the small car park! Why fill in the fogou with earth and stick big bars across its entrance “for safety reasons”. And why stick a garish wooden shed and picnic table high up on the South East edge of the site? And why erect an info board that says “ the village appears to have been built in the Roman period between the 1st and 3rd Centuries AD”, totally denying its Pre-Roman reality. Cornish expert Craig Weatherhill says, “It has been suggested by some that courtyard houses were native imitations of Roman dwellings, but it is clear that Chysuaster was built before the Romans ever came to Britain, perhaps as early as 100BC. There is no sign of any Roman influence….”.

Presumably the treatment of this fascinating settlement has got worse in recent years. In Weatherhill’s 1981 book ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books) he describes the site as “beautifully maintained by the Dept of the Environment”. By the time of the 1997/2000 updates to his other book ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ he comments that “recently ‘English’ Heritage, the supposed custodians of the site, made the outrageous decision to infill the fogou rather than effect repairs to an unstable roofing stone, despite assurance to the contrary. The passage can no longer be seen but the face of the outer roofing slab is visible”. The fogou now has a nasty set of railings over its entrance.

Don’t miss the sexy walled pathway on the North side of the field (i.e. as far away from the entrance hut as possible), which leads up to the houses.

Maen Llia feels right, but it worries me that this may be a natural boulder that just happens to be upstanding in an attractive location.

Extremely impressive fortification. Dun Aonghasa is semi circular as it backs on to a naseauatingly high cliff. There are several concentric walls and a chevaux de fris (sp?), an area of upstanding stones to prevent one from riding one’s horse toward the fort. Shame about the victorian butresses. The ground within the enclosure slopes towards the cliff.