Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 2nd January 2003: Pen y Wern sits at the top of the hill (the one it takes it’s name from), at the top of a cultivated field. The area immediately around the site has been left unploughed and there are a couple of sorry looking Scots Pines standing on the south west edge of the site. The view across the valley towards the small town of Knighton (aka Tref-y-Clawdd) is presumably quite impressive on a good day, but unfortunately it wasn’t a good day when we visited. Unless you enjoy climbing hills, I’d recommend approaching from the north because it’s a relatively gentle slope up to the site itself.

I’m afraid that there’s not much to see at Pen y Wern, and I’m pretty convinced it’s a cairn rather than a stone circle. There are some stones on the ground, but they are relatively small. I’d hesitate to suggest that they are anything but cairn material, but I may be wrong. The edges of the cairn are difficult to discern, but the stones that can be seen don’t appear to correspond with the contours of the site, so probably not a kerb cairn. There is a large hollow within the site that may relate to an illicit excavation at some time.

Unless you’re already in the area I wouldn’t recommend making a trip just to see this site.

Horseyeatt Stone Row – 28.12.2002

I don’t know if this row has a name, and considering that there is little around to call it after I’ve temporarily called it the Horseyeatt Stone Row, as that is the closest house on the map.

This row is shown on the map from SX549707 to 551708. An easy starting point are the lay-bys for the Sharpitor stone rows. The ‘path’ marked on the map (i.e. from the lay-bys towards Horseyeatt), isn’t an obvious path and doesn’t take you that close to the row anyway so if you want to get to the stone row without any embarrassing meanderings, try my directions below.

Again, this may be too much info for some of you but I’m just trying to make it easier to find for people with as bad compass reading as me, or people caught in the infamous Dartmoor fog. This proved quite hard to find, but I have a foolproof way to find it...he says. Presuming that you’re in the right area (i.e. just West of the Sharpitor lay-bys), head for the telephone poles that streak across the land down towards the West. One pole has bigger electrical bits than the others – this pole is labelled YP42 on a yellow marker. Go to the next pole down (i.e. to the West), which is labelled YP41. Walk 40 metres North East of this pole and you should be at a cairn that seems to be the Northern end of the row. The row then runs South West down the moor, towards and just across a stream (and through a gorse bush or two by the stream). If you approach from the South, use the shapes of the field walls and the stream to guide you up to what is presumably the South West terminus, a relatively huge twisty stone, standing 110cm tall. I counted 54 stones in the row, some barely visible and some up 70cm tall, including one in a gorse bush, some recumbent (but most standing) and a couple a bit off line near the North Eastern cairn. There are also probably a few hidden in the stream and its banks. The average height of the stones is about 30 cm tall.

I found this a real challenge and felt really chuffed that I had managed (I think) to adequately map this and to see this beautiful row flying down the hill, past sheep and stream.

Sharpitor Cairn and Cist – 28.12.2002

60 metres from the North East end of the stone rows lies a lovely little cairn and cist. And it seems to be in perfect line with the stone rows.

Sharpitor Stone Rows – 28.12.2002

I don’t know if these rows have a name so I’ve temporarily called them Sharpitor Stone Rows, because of their proximity to Sharpitor.

They are situated next to a small lake and lay-by just to the South of the main B3212 road, between Yelverton and Princetown, near the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. I found the lake and lay-by difficult to spot whilst driving; don’t concentrate on looking for the lake, it’s small and not that easy to spot (well not for me, in a low Coupe and no companion to help); just follow your instinct and wait for the lay-bys to come into view as you approach the brow of the hill. There are two small lay-bys either side of the lake.

Just as I think I have sussed out the North East end of the rows 2 people come bounding across from the cairn and cist, waving their arms about profusely and making themselves look important. They stride up the row, jumping on mounds (doh!) to see if there are stones
underneath. More arm waving occurs around the end of the row and after quite some time they depart.

The two parallel Stone Rows at Sharpitor run across the Southern edge of the lake but it’s hard to tell what is what, and it’s not aided by it being eroded around the lake and by a constant stream of people going up to Sharpitor, barely 400m to the South East. I think the South West
end is relatively easy to work out, with what looks like a overgrown rock cairn, but the North East end had me confused. There is quite a large stone, as if an end stone (or blocking stone, like found at merrivale which is only a 4 kms away as the crow flies), but after that there are a few more stones leading down towards the cairn and cist, often looking like they are in the right place and size to be continuing the row. From this possible end stone, across the edge of the lake to the probable finish on the South West side, I counted 66 stones (some barely poking through the grass).

The Merrivale complex – 28.12.2002

Merrivale was another site not so easy to spot in the Dartmoor fog. Coming from the West it should be relatively easy to find. As you pass through the hamlet of Merrivale (recognisable by it’s pub and it’s quarry), you start to go up hill and a lay-by is placed on your right hand side (south). Walk up over the lay-by and you can’t really fail to bump into at least one of the stone rows, a few hundred metres away. If coming from the East it is similar, but this time the lay-by is not long after the TV mast, as you go down hill.

And Merrivale has a lot. Plan to spend some serious time here. The stone rows, the stone circle, a standing stone, barrows, cairns, lots of rocks, and even a less old boundary stone designed to confuse a little.

Apart from all the more well know stuff in most of the books I thought it was also of interest to wonder about the lesser known scatterings of ancient remnants like the barrow about half way along the South row, the barely perceivable stone row leading from the South row towards an outlier, and the stones around the standing stone to the South of the stone circle. The centre of the barrow mentioned above contained the fag end of a Marlboro Light (naturally). I’m no smoking fascist, but if you do smoke please at least take it home with you. The small stone row starts from a barrow towards the West end of the South row. I counted 13 stones (some barely tiny specks sticking out of the ground) in this row, starting from a barrow and moving towards the larger outlier. It looks like there is a barrow just a few steps to the east of the standing stone, plus 3 small stones behind it (to the south) as if part of a row. 2 other similar sized stones stand close to the standing stone, looking suspicious. A recumbent stone (210cm long)
lies just to the East of the standing stone. It wasn’t until I later read Aubrey Burls ‘Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’ (1995) that my suspicions made sense. He says it was once erect and it was a pair of standing stones.

At the other end of the complex, I found it difficult to make out all of the 5 cairns marked on the map amid the boundary work, but it’s worth a wander.

Wonderful!!

Spinsters’ Rock – 22.12.2002

I approached this from the main rd, the A382. The junction with the side road towards the Spinsters’ Rock is tiny and like me you may overshoot it. It is signposted from this junction. The junction is almost a cross roads, and the road up to the Spinsters’ Rock looks (at the
junction) like you are driving into someone’s front garden! Half way up the road you will find a small lay-by on the South side of the road opposite the biggest farm buildings along this road, with a small wooden signpost to the burial chamber. The lay-by says that it is specifically for people visiting the burial chamber.

At the end of the lay-by is a gate that takes you into the field where the Spinster’s Rock stands. A wooden plague on the gate reads “A Neolithic burial chamber erected around 3500-2500 BC. This chamber probably contained many burials and would originally have been covered by a long earthen mound. The stones fell down in 1862 and were re-erected in the same year. Traditionally this monument was erected by 3 spinsters one morning before breakfast”

Again, a great setting for a lovely burial chamber. Real peace and beauty. A small plea though, please don’t leave dodgy ‘gifts’ around the burial chamber. Someone had left mistletoe here, which for the lovely (if slightly territorial) grey horse sharing this field is not a good meal. Please think before you do things like that. Mistletoe is a parasite, the berries have poisonous properties and should be kept away from (especially) children and animals.

Grimspound – 22.12.2002

These notes may seem overly detailed, but in the Dartmoor fog, you may need them!!

Grimspound is shockingly not at all signposted from the North (the B3312), or at the nearest place on the minor road that runs past the site (Grid ref – SX697809). And before anyone says ‘well...that’s good because it keeps the crowds away and keeps the site to people clever
enough to find it’, I say this. This is one of the most important settlements in Britain and is a national treasure, not something to keep to the select few. And, anyway, even with a large scale map you may struggle to find it (as I did, in fog and without a map reader in the car!).

From the North (i.e. from the B3212) I can only advise that you take the turning that you think it should be, if you’ve been closely following the OS map. The junction does have a general signpost at its north side (pointing to Tavistock, and Moretonhampstead) but nothing towards Grimspound. If you successfully get this road then on a clear day you may spot Grimspound up on the hill on your left hand side, between Hookney and Hameldown Tors, exactly 2 km south of
the junction. On a less clear day look for the only place along that road where there is quite a substantial tarmaced lay-by (enough for about 4 cars) on the right hand side of the road, very close to the kink in the road where it crosses the stream that comes does from Grimspound. If you reach the road on your right for Headland Warren Farm, you’ve gone too far.

Opposite the lay-by there are 4 stone steps; that’s the way towards Grimspound. If you find the partly paved route to the main West entrance of Grimspound, well done. If not, don’t worry; the other route will take you to the edge of the outer wall anyway.

Grimspound is magical. Amazing. I love settlement sites. At these places my imagination is far more rampant than at other sites. We know people lived here – slept, ate, drank, talked, loved, argued, planned, died; just like we do today. And the big drystone outer wall reminds me in essence (although not in purpose) of Gaho and Gersale, small villages where I used to work in the very dry and dusty Southern Ethiopian badlands where local feuds have led to circular protective walls being built by the villagers.

The Hell Stone – 22.12.2002

Hell this was muddy, and the cows in the first field were very territorial. From SY601869 (almost opposite Hampton Barn Farm), there is a small lay-by and stile into the first field. The cows feeding centre is also situated around here so in December it was extra muddy! The footpath on the map seems to follow the fence across the field on its northern side, and as I couldn’t see that far ahead I played it safe and followed the fence on this side despite the cows. Half way
along the field the fence then forced me to change sides, and at the end of the filed there was a handy notice, saying something to the effect of ‘Please walk on whichever side of the fence the cows are not using’. I could have done with a similar sign at the road end of the field!

I am slightly surprised that other people have said that the hell stone is not so easy to spot as I seemed to be able to see it / the enigmatic gnarly tree that is next to it (see photos), from quite a way off. When I visited there was a duck pond barely a few metres to the South edge of the burial chamber (shown well in Phil’s excellent picture on this site). I could be wrong but it did not look natural at all. Very pleasant to look at all the ducks but surely made too close to the burial chamber? Maybe it’s a trade off because there seems to be no official footpath to the Hell Stone and access presumably relies on the farmer’s goodwill.

The chamber is exactly as I had imagined it. Amazing views back towards the Hardy Monument, and all very peaceful. Big fat dark bulbous stones, looking like something out of a Beryl Bainbridge painting. And that tree is also amazing and very fitting to the surroundings.

Treverven Menhir – 23.12.2002

This is just off the B3315, where there is a tiny lay-by just to the East of the kink in the road. Otherwise you could park just further up the hill where the road widens a little. A public footpath, which is clearly signposted on the kink of the road, leads from the road (opposite the
entrance to Burnewhall Farm) 30 metres up through a short wood to a stile. From the stile walk straight ahead towards a telephone pole and a gap in the hedge. This is not 2 separate fields as the OS map suggests, and therefore the public footpath is not at the edge of the field, but actually straight across one larger field. The stone is in the next field up. It’s a nice curvy stone and measures 180cm (H) x 80 (W) x 50 (D).

Of all the lone stones I visited around Land’s End this is the most suspect of them all because it isn’t that tall, is in the middle of a field, and is not mentioned in Craig Weatherhill’s excellent 1981 book ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books). However, using Weatherhill’s ground rules for what is probably an ancient menhir and what is probably a modern cattle rubbing post this is big enough to be a menhir, and is mentioned as a ‘“possible menhir...excavated in 1922 but no finds” in Ian McNeil oCoke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio).

Trelew Menhir – 23.12.2002

This is off the B3283, 2km North East of St Buryan. A track to Trelew B&B is just after the brow of the hill, almost forming a crossroads with a very minor farm track. The menhir is not far from the junction. At the first ‘lay-by’ on the left two field entrances meet. The menhir is then 30 metres from one of these gates. I’m not sure whose land this belongs to. The field bore the aftermath of a maize crop, so I would imagine that in summer the stone may almost be swamped by maize! The stone measures 250cm (H) x 110 (W) and is quartzy and very impressive, although very lonely!

The site was excavated in 1871 by W.C.Borlase (busy year!) and cremated remains, wood, flint, clay and calcified bone were found in a pit 3ft below ground level, close to the foot of the stone. The stone appears to be unusually erected on its narrowest end.

The Blind Fiddler – 23.12.2002

There is a small lay-by on the North side of the bend in the road where you can pretty safely park. A small concrete stile leads into the field. The footpath leads through the field so officially you are trespassing by going to the stone, but considering that the footpath goes straight through the crops, whereas to look at the stone you can skirt round the field and do no damage at all, I would hope that any sensible landowner would take that into consideration. The field looked like it was planted with winter wheat.

The Blind Fiddler stands alone at the edge of the field, stunning in its quartz studded, triangular tooth-like grandeur. It measures 320cm (H) x 205 (W, at the base) x 50 (D). It’s’ also known as the ‘Trenuggo Stone’ or ‘Tregonebris Stone’.

Early 19th century excavations near its foot uncovered fragments of bone. Ian McNeil Cooke in his ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 Men-an-Tol Studios) says that “cremated remains were found by a labourer while digging for treasure in the early 19th century”.

The stone gets its name from 18th century Methodist preachers telling their flock that the stone is a wayward musician, struck into stone for performing on a Sunday. Some people link The Blind Fiddler to the Higher Drift stones, and tell a similar tale of two sisters struck into stone for not obeying the Sabbath.

Higher Drift Stones – 23.12.2002

I asked at Higher Drift Farm (just the other side of the road – map ref SW435285). The farmer there said that it was on the next farmer’s land (Jeffrey) and that he couldn’t imagine Jeffrey having any worries about letting me look at the stones. Judging from the map, the next farm is quite a long way away (probably Tresvennack Farm).

These two enigmatic stones stand close to the A30, just West of Drift. One is 230cm (H) x 70 (W) x 80 (D). This one has a long crack across it. The other is 190cm (H) x 115 (W, at the base) x 50 (D).

The stones are also known as ‘The Sisters’, ‘The Two Sisters’, or ‘The Triganeeris Stones’. They were investigated by W.C.Borlase in 1871 when a 6ft long earth-cut grave was found well off centre between the stones. However, no actual finds were made.

Some people link the Higher Drift stones to the nearby Blind Fiddler and tell a traditionally simplistic tale of two sisters struck into stone for not obeying the Sabbath.

Boscawen-Un – 23.12.2002

I’m not convinced it really is a public road but presumably the locals have got used to people driving up the farm track towards Boscawenoon Farm, because half way up to the Farm there is a lay-by on the right and small sign saying ‘No cars beyond this point’. The wall to this lay-by also presumably contains the standing stone marked on the map at SW418277 (a triangular stone). Ian McNeil Cooke in his ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studios) calls this stone ‘Boscawen-Un 2’. It seems to make sense that this is the stone on the map.

Boscawen-Un – 23.12.2002

I’m not convinced it really is a public road but presumably the locals have got used to people driving up the farm track towards Boscawenoon Farm, because half way up to the Farm there is a lay-by on the right and small sign saying ‘No cars beyond this point’. The wall to this lay-by also contains the standing stone marked on the map at SW418277 – called Boscawen-Un Menhir on this site.

After the farm, you walk towards Changwens and then a small sign (at SW415274) points the way up to the circle. The track up to the circle is not a road track like the OS map makes it seem like. In fact, in December it was pretty narrow and overgrown and not very pretty.

After a while (at a double set of farm gates, either side of the track) the track widens out and after another 200metres or so you scoot through the wild hedge and the circle is in front of you in all its glory. The quartz stone is opposite the entrance.

As I walked back up the track I became suspicious at the enormous stones that formed the wall with the field to my left (the North). This is the first field back towards the Farm. As I got back to double gates mentioned above I decided to explore (officially trespass, but I was just looking along the side of the field, with no livestock or crops in). About halfway back down the field, parallel with the track (i.e. towards the circle again) there is a huge suspicious lozenge shaped stone making up part of the field wall – it’s 270 x 170cm (on it’s side – I’ve labelled the photo on the page as ‘Boscawen Un suspicious stone 1’). 100 metres on, right down in the corner of the field (i.e. a stones throw from the circle, but separated by the hedge and the lane) there is another large suspicious lozenge shaped stone looking well out of place in the wall/hedge -it’s 195 x 165cm (upright – I’ve labelled the photo on the page as ‘Boscawen Un suspicious stone 2’).

It is almost impossible to give these stones separate grid references as they both lie at about SW413274.

Just thought of a little bit of info that might go down well with the subject of the Coate Stones.
Not very far away from this site is a rather “exclusive” housing area near the golf course,which has large standing stones on the end of some of the closes as “punctuation points”. I’m not sure if they are all “real” standing stones as one of them looks like its made of a dodgy sandstone/cement mixture and it has that strange golden colour.
Might be worth investigating further to see if they are related in any way.

Visited with MushroomSi and Ursula on a tour of a few of the Cumbrian sites at Winter Solstice. This hadn’t been a planned visit, we were driving past when I pointed it out to Si, who as it turned out hadn’t visited before. The car was quickly turned round and we paid a visit. It was worth it just to hear how delighted Si was to be here! I’ve been here quite a few times now but am always amazed as the inner bank comes in to view. Once again I found my mind racing with interpretations of this site in it’s original use.

31/12/02ce A return visit – again I was initially disappointed, I’d once again got it in my head that this stone was bigger! Why I was so bothered I just don’t know. One of my shots shows it to scale, and looking at it now it doesn’t seem that small... The view did again, however, impress me. From here the ugly chimneys of the Shap granite works, belching great plumes of smoke, serve as a reminder of just how close you are to a lot of the other Cumbrian sites, all within pretty easy walking distance.

05/01/03ce A return visit on a beautiful crisp clear winter day with about an hour of sunlight left. The snow on the tops served as a great visual aid, somebody had been here earlier and trodden out the rough line of the circle. Being able to visualise the size and position of the site makes the sad state of the circle all the more poignant. Seeing the size and location of the circle, along with an approximation of the height of the stones, when they where still in situ, brought The Twelve Apostles of Ilkley Moor to mind...

Spotted this from, of all places a seat on the 10:25 Cardiff to London train, diverted around the Severn because the tunnel was closed. 5 minutes out of Chepstow on the left hand side when travelling east was a quite unmistakable standing stone.

The stone is approximately 50 feet away from the line and looks as if it’s at least 5 foot high. After checking the OS map I’ve found this is recorded as “the broadstone” (as if there’s not enough of those already on this site!). From the impression I gleaned from the train window this is a big old fella’ of a stone which looks out across the severn. Spotting or Snapping it from a moving train will be a challenge for TMA-ers and will certainly enliven my next journey on this line. Access on foot looks as if it would be from High Hall Farm at Wibdon on the A48 about three miles out of Chepstow.

The Witch’s Stone sits by the road to Meikle Obney farm, just behind the fence-line of a grassy field. It is shielded to the NW by a small hill about 50m away, and is on the edge of the Obney Hills which seperate the farmland of this area from Strathbraan. It is seperated to the NE from the Staredam standing stones by a mere 1.0km and the valley of a small burn. The Witch’s Stone stands 2.2m tall, and is very upright, with a pointed top. It measures 1.5m broad by 0.7m wide, with a basal circumference of 3.5m.

The origin of the stone’s name is unclear, although there is a legend that the stone was being carried in the lap of a witch as she flew over Meikle Obney, but she dropped it and it has remained there ever since.

This four-poster circle sat on a pronounced mound originally, but the mound was destroyed on the S side when the road was built, and has been ploughed away on the N side in the field. However, it’s profile can still be seen by looking from the road. Two stones sit on the mound, surrounded by brambles behind the hedge, while another stone sits isolated on an island of grass at the junction of Tullibardine Road and Easthill Road. The fourth stone is also thought to be on the island, covered entirely by the grass.

The two hedgerow stones both feature interesting carvings. The NW stone has 4 large gouges cut into it’s northern face, but the SE stone is much more interesting. On it’s southern face is carved a medium-sized left hand-print, pointing down the way. The hand is quite faded, but can be easily found by running a hand over the surface of the stone.

The stones on the island in the road have fared less well. When Hutchison visited in 1893, both were lying prostrate, the more northerly one (now standing) half-covered by turf, and the more southerly one completely covered. The more northerly stone has a distinctive girdle mark around it’s centre, and leans sharply to the E. The more southerly stone is presumably still buried in situ.

The most plough damaged of the three henges, but the bank is still in reasonable condition as is the northwest entrance. The henge now stands in its own fenced and wired enclosure and is an easy walk across grassland and past a ploughed barrow, from the road beside the central henge.

We visited this unusual rock art site in May 2002. If you look for variations to the great abstract rock art tradition, this is the right place to be. Not only the horse-like design made up of > 100 cups in line, but also encircled cups with radiates will trigger your imagination. Don’t forget to ask permission from the farmer (mr Lance Strother) of Fowberry Moor Farm to walk his land. Park your car outside the farm grounds along the wall and walk-up to the farm. Cars are always in the way here! On your way back to the farm gate you’ll find Fowberry Cairn at the left side of the road just before the gate in the wooded triangle.

This reminds me a lot of Mayburgh henge, it’s in a similar state of disrepair and has the same air of abandonment. The entrances are still well defined but the bank is badly damaged and the internal ditch has just about gone. Apparently it is thought that the banks of this henge and its two siblings were covered in gypsum crystals, echoing the chalk earthworks of the south of England. The henge also stands over an earlier mile long cursus which ran in a northeast to southwest direction and later more than 2 dozen round barrows were constructed in this area, so it was obviously an important place for some considerable length of time.

Have to agree with Fitz about this henge, while the centre and south henges are derelict and abandoned this one is alive and well, even in the depths of winter and with a frosting of snow. The bank is huge, as is the berm (does my berm look big in this?) and the 2 entrances to the northwest and southeast are both clearly defined and lead over the deep ditch to the centre. Must be a wonderful place in the summertime.