Latest Fieldnotes

Visited 24th November 2002: Waen Bant is easy to find, but if you want to park nearby you’ll have to risk putting at least two wheels on the grass (something I thought twice about because I didn’t fancy getting stuck).

There’s no public footpath to Waen Bant, but it’s not far from the road, and there are no fences between the road and the stone. We approached from the bottom of the field, and got a good view of the stone sitting on it’s little lump of land in front of us as we walked.

The stone isn’t as big as it looks in photos (I’m warning you now so that you don’t expect something enormous). At a guess (based on William’s height) I’d say it’s about 1.75 metres high. There’s a distinctive undercut on it’s eastern side which is about half the stone’s height in length. I’m not sure that this is artificial, but I’m certain it was significant to whoever erected the stone.

The views out towards Cadair Idris are spectacular, as are the views north towards the mountains on the other side of the Mawddach Estuary. The stone seems to be orientated towards Cadair Idris (specifically the peak called Craig-las). Apparently there’s another standing stone to the south east of Waun Bant called the Afon Arthog Stone, but this isn’t marked on the OS map, so in the failing light we decided not to try and find it.

Unfortunately another London monument of dubious antiquity, but don’t let that spoil it for you.

It looks like a large, well preserved bronze age barrow which seems from a cursory look to have a ditch. Its located on a high point and gives lovely views down a valley to the Thames.

While you are here, take a walk up to Parliament Hill and get a fantastic view over the city.

I’ve been waiting so long to get out here. I felt desperate to get a huge dose of air and view and space (you must surely know what I mean especially in these horrible dark wet days) and we were going whether it poured with rain or not. Which in the event it did, of course. As we were driving along the bottom of the Pewsey Downs there was a fantastic bright rainbow reaching down to it, and then we rounded the corner and saw the white horse. It’s quite new (1930s), a replacement for an older one that was close by. It’s a funny looking animal, could be anything with four legs really – maybe the maker wanted to be a bit ambiguous?

We drove onto the downs and I was horrified to see that the little car park was full of cars – what could all these people be doing out on such a dingy afternoon? and I really didn’t want to share the place with them. But when we started walking we didn’t see anyone. I guess there’s room for a lot of people up here.

Climbing up towards Adam’s Grave you are suddenly surprised by the view stretching out in front of you, it suddenly appears all at once. It was quite misty but we could see for miles. You seem to be on the edge of a huge shallow basin – the lip seems to go all around the horizon. I could pick out where the Westbury white horse is (by the thoughtfully positioned cement works chimney plume) and realised that I’d glimpsed the Pewsey horse from the hill fort there. It starts you realising how the landscape fits together, and how different groups of people lived in proximity to one another. We climbed up onto the longbarrow and stared out at the dark clouds relentlessly coming towards us. Then it started pouring with rain. You feel on top of everything – I would have felt very exposed in a thunderstorm. We stood there in the rain a little while but even with umbrellas it was very cold so we reluctantly trudged through the mud back to the car.

The other half had been in a terrible mood with nicotine withdrawal, but admitted he felt a bit better. Anyone would feel relaxed visiting this fantastic place. I felt a weight off my shoulders. I just have to have peace and quiet sometimes – this place is peaceful. I would love to come back in the sun and stay a long while but will it be full of children and picnics?

It should be even more fantastic in the summer because the Pewsey Downs are a nationally important nature reserve – the rare chalk grassland has been grazed for countless generations and is full of rare plant species, and the butterflies they attract.

The Cairns of Clava (22.8.2002)

I bought a short leaflet on The Cairns of Clava at the National Trust shop at Culloden Battlefield. This was written by Edward Meldrum in 1983 and is described as ‘a delightful leaflet’ by Aubrey Burl in his 1995 book, ‘A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’. If you can find it it’s well worth a read, and describes not only the main ‘show site’ at Clava but also briefly mentions some of the other clava-style cairns in the area.

The short drive from Culloden wasn’t as well sign-posted as expected (both sites are in the care of the National Trust of Scotland), but rest assured, once you reach the little single track ‘Clava Bridge’ over the River Nairn you are getting very close.

The site was full of tourists jumping around on the cairns, but it was still an amazing place in a sexy woodland glade.

Loanhead of Davoit (23.8.2002)

This stite is very well signposted from both of the roads that lead into the South of the village of Davoit from the main road (the B9001). The circle is to the North of the village, and has loads of parking space. A bit too much of a show site, but again, it’s easy to get to and well looked after, which suggests that our next, next, next, generations should also be able to enjoy it.

East Aquhorties Stone circle (23.8.2002)

This site is now very well signposted from the main A96.
There is a car park at the bottom of the track that leads to the circle. The car park even now has a litterbin and info board. It’s about 200m from the car park to the circle.

What still never fails to (happily) surprise me is the amount of people who visit ancient sites. At 9.30 am there was already a couple just returning from the circle – a slightly unlikely couple, dressed very smartly and driving a huge new 4x4. And then a horse rider was passing next to the circle, breaking in a young horse.

East Aquhorties is yet another fantastic place set in a marvellous surrounding. The ‘modernisation’ of the circle (the stone wall) isn’t that bad and I really felt at home here.

Stoney Littleton (circa summer of 1993)

I know what the other field notes mean about getting lost! Despite living in and around Bath for much of my life, all three times I tried to go I seemed to struggle to find Stoney Littleton, and once even gave up when approaching from the south. Don’t get me wrong – with a map and a better sense of direction than me, it shouldn’t be that hard to find; it’s just that it’s not quite as easy as the normal Road Atlases suggest. When I was last there (circa 1993) it still had a locked grill across the barrow entrance (see photo above) but I believe the barrow is currently open. I can’t wait to go again!

There are 2 barrows here, the map ref is for the largest, which although has been robbed in order to build the wall that crosses it.

The smaller one is 100ft or so away, pretty wrecked, there are several visible limestone kerb stones.

Bateman dug here in the 1840’s the only recorded finds are flints.

Stanton Drew (circa summer of 1993)

I have racked my brain and cannot remember exactly when I visited Stanton Drew. I would guess it was the summer of 1993. The main circles were often considered ‘closed’ and I took a lovely photo of the ‘Druid Stones Closed’ sign, with the telephone wires seemingly radiating out of it. I asked at the farm next door, and a man told me that the guy who owned the land was a ‘miserable sod’ and a bit of an absent landlord. He suggested that I wander down on his (the farmers’) land and get as close to the stones as I could, or even duck under the fence and take my chance – it was unlikely that the owner would be around. My natural aversion to shotguns meant that I wimped out of going closer, so I just looked at them from the fence. Also I was a relatively local lad so I knew I could visit again sometime.

Anyway, that’s all in the past. This website has encouraged me to go back soon and see them properly.

Figsbury Ring (Summer 2000)

I visited this as a ‘detour’ on my way back from my friend’s house in Newbury. You know, one of those diversions you take to fix it to make sure you can go past an ancient site on your way somewhere – i.e. a big detour.

I had been visiting an old friend, Dr Jaime Kaminski, a mad ex-archaeologist turned IT person, who finds gunshot from the Battle of Newbury (1643) each time he digs his garden. Jaime got 8 firsts out of nine exams for his Archaeology degree. Bugger. He was some sort of mad genius; just about the last person you’d expect to be a brain box. We had gone up Beacon Hill, a hill fort just outside Newbury, and then I continued on to Figsbury Ring.

When I visited Figsbury Ring it was easy to find, well signposted from the main road, but like other people have said on this website it is a VERY rough track up to the site, and you do get the feeling that something is wrong. Stick with it; after quite an uphill drive/walk you will come to a very large car park. I found Figsbury Ring to be one of the most amazing and intriguing places I have visited. Like others have said, there is something rum going on here. It’s not much of a ‘defensive stronghold’ is it?! Especially after having just seen Beacon Hill and Ladle Hill, and going on to see the huge defences at Old Sarum. And why on earth would any community spend their precious time digging an extra ditch inside their own settlement? I smell a fish here. I am not an archaeologist or a researcher at English Heritage but I have been to a lot of hill forts and henge’s and Figsbury Ring does not strike me to be obviously a hill fort.

Mayburgh (21.8.2002)

400m walk from King Arthur’s Round Table. Or if you prefer you can park very close, below where the main road (the A6) goes over the motorway. The A6 now has a big Millennium Stone (you know, a big stone plonked somewhere to celebrate the Millennium) between the main road and the slip road down to Mayburgh, so it’s probably even easier now to spot how to get to Mayburgh.

Very serious looking dowsers and dog walkers were all around when I visited, and I found it a bit weird because of that. But it was still a physically impressive site even if I couldn’t get much sense of calm or history.

King Arthur’s Round Table (21.8.2002)

Well signposted, but no organised place to park a car. I found it best to park in side road virtually opposite the main entrance to the site. This is on the B5320, barely 50 metres from the junction with the A6. You can also then walk to Mayburgh if you wish. It is hard to really get a feel for the place because of it destruction and location, but it did remind my in a small way of the henge at Arbor Low, and the banks and ditches of numerous hill forts, especially Figsbury Ring.

Balquain Stone circle (23.8.2002)

I found this hard to find without an OS map or decent instructions. And also frustrating because I could see it in the field but wasn’t quite sure how to get to it and where the farm was to ask for permission. Personally I would say either get an OS map, or follow these instructions. If travelling North on the A96 look for the first junction after Inverurie. Take the road west from the junction (signposted from the A96 as Chapel of Garioch) and after exacty 1 kilometre go right at the first road junction / crossroad (it is a crossroads but in reality it doesn’t seem like one and is very small). You MAY just spot a farm sign saying ‘Balquain Main’ at this crossroads. On this track there is a farm about only about 70 metres on your left. The farmer said I could drive up the track for another 70 metres or so and park at the two holiday cottages that he lets out to holidaymakers. He may say something else to you; who knows. Then I walked a bit further up the track and across the edge of two fields to my right (East). It was about a 10 minute walk from the farm to the circle.

The circle was heavily overgrown when I visited, and the rest of the field was ploughed, making it really stand out whilst driving along the road towards the crossroads. The height and ferocity of the grass made it hard to get around (it was far higher than the photo in TMA), but it is in a great setting, and it’s interesting to wonder what it could have looked like many years ago.

The other stone circle that people have referred to below, is the Hampton circle. Its referred to on this website as Hampton Down.

No one seems to be able to agree on its name. TMA refers to it as Hampton Hill Stone Circle on page 213, and Hampton Down on page 128. Aubrey Burl, in his 1995 book, A Guide to Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany refers to it as Hampton Down Stone Circle (pages 67 and 68). The OS map (Explorer OL15. 596865) refers to it as simply Hampton Stone Circle.

PS – Burl also doesn’t include Kingston Russell in his book and his book is supposed to have all but the fake or badly ruined. Very strange.

Winterbourne Nine Stones (4.9.2002)

Lovely once you get there, but a very uncomfortable journey before you get to the safety of the wooded glade.

I would strongly suggest ignoring most other instructions and to actually park at the makeshift lay-by by the entrance to what is listed on the OS Explorer Map OL15 as Grange Farm Dairy (OL15: 621905). It’s a much shorter and safer walk to the Stones. The OL15 OS map alone does not make it clear EXACTLY where the Nine Stones are (I didn’t have the OS grid reference with me at the time – doh!), and we were not happy at walking up the road / racetrack from the Little Chef not even knowing if we were definitely going in the right direction! So we went and found a better place in the lay-by.

If you really want to park at the Little Chef, rest assured that if you turn left as you walk out of the car park and walk along the road for 400m, you will find the Nine Stones, which are on your left as the woods start.

Ps. The English Heritage website gives these instructions: The parking is located in a small lay-by opposite, next to the barn. Cross the road with care.

By barn I guess they mean the dairy / farm buildings?

Winterbourne Poor Lot Barrows (4.9.2002)

I would love to know more about these. Of all the ancient sites we visited in Dorset these were voted ˜most surprising and enigmatic”. We knew nothing more than what we saw on the OS map, which shows the English Heritage symbol with the title “Poor Lot Barrows” and a landscape seemingly littered with barrows / tumuli. I still don’t know much more!

We couldn’t find any sort of entrance or obvious place to park, so we ended up parking on the grass verge of the side road (towards Compton Valence, see below), walking back across the main road (A35) and hopping over the fence. We were pretty amazed that an English Heritage site seemed to have nothing there and made us feel like trespassers! Later I saw the English Heritage website which said there was access via Wellbottom Lodge. We couldn’t see any, but at that time we weren’t quite sure where we were looking and what we were looking for! I presume the Lodge is the house just off to the south of the A35, a short distance before the junction to Compton Valence (if coming from Winterbourne Abbas).

Anyway, remnants of all sort of weird and wonderfully shaped barrows do litter the area, including in the field to the South West, the field to the South East (including quite a large tumulus – see photo), and the field opposite the road (to the North East). Judging by the strange shapes in the maize field to the North there may also be ‘things’ hiding there, but the OS map doesn’t show anything.

And as we were there two jet planes (they looked like American Air Force jets, not RAF?) flew very low over us and then peeled away from each other, like a personal flypast! Amazing.

The English heritage website gives the following information:

Opening Times: Any reasonable time
Admission: Free
Directions: 2 miles W of Winterbourne Abbas, S of junction of A35 with a minor road to Compton Valence. Access via Wellbottom Lodge – 180 metres (200 yards) along A35 from junction (OS Map 194; ref SY 590906)

Penrhos Feilw (circa August 1993)

I loved these two enigmatic stones standing in a field just off of the country lane. It was also another site with a steady stream of visitors. It still surprises me to see just how many people are interested in stopping at ancient sites. I particularly remember a couple of bikers having a wander around.

Ivet Low lies near the roadside, near the junction with Manystones Lane.
The barrow is very overgrown, with dumps of rubble close-by.

Kingston Russell Stone Circle (5.9.2002)

Strangely this is marked on several Road Atlases despite it being over a kilometre from any road (and a very minor road at that), and no obvious way to get there without an OS map or good instructions.

18 recumbent stones in a very circular circle (if you get what I mean). Looks like an info board was there, but now just a short metal pole. Mix of medium and small stones, all from same type of stone (not that I’m a geologist). In a cow field which makes the pic from Joolio Geordio interesting coz in that one it’s been prepared for crops. Very chilled out. Excellent views. I guess Julian had a reason not to put this in TMA?

Hampton Stone Circle (5.9.2002)

9 recumbent stones in a circle in a paddock, next to big modern field gate. Very overgrown when we saw it. I’m so glad I’ve now seen the other submitted pics, to show what it looks like when not so overgrown!

Sign on paddock says, “This stone circle is an ancient monument scheduled by the Ministry of Public Building & Works. It was excavated in 1965 and the stones re-installed in their original sockets. The original circle was probably constructed between 1800 and 1200 BC. Structures of this type are considered to have had a ritual significance”.

Rempstone Stone Circle (6.9.2002)

What a cracker. We were actually staying at Burnbake Campsite, barely a kilometre away and I persuaded the non-stone hunters to also have a look. Later they said that they were glad they had come along. On a hot late summers day the shade and tranquillity of the woods was beautiful. And what a jumble of stones, possible stones, mossy outcrops that looked like stones but weren’t, etc. We think we could spot 10 stones that basically made a semi-circle and we guessed at what it would have looked like with the rest of the circle, and with less tress. This was all before I saw Peter Knight’s book, which obviously goes into more detail about it. We may not have been experts on it but we loved it.

Once again I set off in search of Elgee’s discoveries.
This time a stone row and a stone triangle were my goal.
Guess what i found..yep, nowt
There are two excellent stone rows on the moors here but unfortunately they are not prehistoric, they divide lord Snot’s grouse moor from the Earl of Arse’s grouse moor.
Killing daft birds with shotguns, I ask ya?
Anyway back to the stones, I followed Elgees we map and stuff but came up empty.
I did have a weird experience beside the Black Howes when the low winter sun went behind the clouds and dusk came two hours early.

A nice accessible group of round barows with one big bugger standing out above the rest. This fella has a number of large stones around the base which could possible be the remains of a Kerb.
Also there are an enormous amounts of many varieties of fungi growing on the large barrow!

Frank Elgee describes a kerb stoned barrow here.
I’m afraid there’s now nothing left of the kerb and the barrows are very low key.
However they do occur on the ancient track known as Robin Hood’s Bay Road which takes in quite a number of ancient sites including the Ramsdale Stones and the Old Wife’s Neck.
Strictly one for the enthusiast!

This really was a brucey bonus for me. I picked up a friend in Plumstead en route to Chislehurst Caves and he mentioned a mound nearby, so off we tootled. What a nice surprise, a genuine intact round barrow, with views to the north and west of the Thames Valley.

An unexpected little treat in surprisingly good condition.