Remains of a chambered cairn, in one of the hollows in the dug out top are 2 large stones, not being an expert, I don’t know if they the remains of the chamber or not. The cairn was built over a standing stone, this stone is supposed to be visible, again is this something to do with the larege stones on the top?
Views over the fields to Win and Lose Hill.
The moor is around 60 hectares and contains 70 or so cairns mainly from the early bronze age. The most notable are all visble from the paths on the moor.
The Heathcotes (father & son) excavated most of the cairns and circles on the moor. They also tidied (?) some of the ones they dug, not necessarily to their original form.
Visited 7th September 2002: Neither of these stones is now standing, and there appears to be some uncertainty as to whether they are Bronze Age standing stones, marker stones, or just conveniently placed lumps of rock. Similarly, although they share a name, there may be no connection between the two stones.
That’s the scepticism over with. I think that these two stones could be the real thing (i.e. Bronze Age standing stones) based on their proximity to the river and the meeting of two routes through the mountains. The stones are named after the nearby lake, which is a 19th century lead and silver mining reservoir.
The smaller of the two Pond Nant y Cagal Stones is to the south (SN72709034) and is accessible via a footpath that has been churned up by 4x4s. The path crosses the road, and you can park up almost at this point. Follow the footpath southeast (i.e. not in the direction of the lake) for a few hundred yards and you’ll come to the stone on your left. It’s not very big, so don’t start out looking for a gigantic monolith!
The larger of the two stones (to the north) is adjacent to a cattle grid. You could park by the cattle grid if you wanted to, but we just walked up from the other stone. This second stone is a large lump of white quartz, which sits conspicuously on the hillside to the west of the road (to the south of the perimeter fence that runs down to the cattle grid). You can clamber up to the stone, but it’s a bit steep, so not ideal if you’re not feeling agile (like Lou, who is 8 months pregnant). The views from up there are beautiful though, with the lake and Pumlumon making a stunning backdrop.
I’d recommend visiting these stones if you’re passing through, or if you’re very enthusiastic about standing stones, but not if you’re looking to visit a site that is still intact.
Loved the tight entrance, made me think of Le Corbusier- only the leanest, most focused motherf***ers can gain entry. Only carry what you need.
As I affected my exit I saw lights and the ground rushing up at me...but then I had just K-RACKED my head on the capstone. Yes, I was the concussed guy hobbling aided towards Pendeen.
Also wish I’d worn trousers, the gorse is particularly hungry this time of year.
A wonderful site, only Mulfra Quoit is better situated, and odd as it may seem, the airtraffic control radar adds to the scene.
After 3 years of working nearby I finally tracked down the well at Clerkenwell and popped along one lunchtime.
The experience itself was as rewarding as the London Stone. I got to stand on a busy street and peer through a large window at the covered hole in the ground that is the well. One or two people walking past gave me some very strange stares.
There is a fair bit of history to read next to the well, but unless you either have the key to the room beyond the window or very good eyesight, you may have a few problems reading it.
Worth visiting if you are in the immediate viscinity but I wouldn’t bother making a day of it...
What a delight to find this so close to Bath, Tourist Central and yet have no-one else appear in the 2 hours we were at the site. On a fairly pleasant saturday afternoon too.
I couldn’t help but compare Stony Littleton to West Kennet, both are fairly large chambered long barrows after all. WK is quite a bit larger than SL; its side chambers are bigger, you can stand up in it and I was assured WK is longer. I wouldn’t be too keen on spending a solstice night with 30-40 stoners in SL...
However the peace of SL is amazing when compared to WK. I’ve never had longer than 20 minutes alone at WK, whereas SL was completely empty. A gem hidden very thoroughly in the modern world. Signposts do now point it out from the nearby village, but you’d need to know it was there and be determined to actually find it.
Whilst you’re talking about St Helen’s Church, Stubob, you might want to mention the Sheila-na-Gig inside the church, the Celtic carvings in the porch, and the bizarrely carved tombstones in the graveyard, which include pentacles and skull-and-crossbones. The yew-tree is indeed very ancient, and was old when the builders of the church rested under it’s shade.
Is there any reason that ‘St Helen’s’ churches often have a prehistory connection, such as being built on a neolithic earthwork or have standing stones? Or is it just me?
Sorry, I don’t know what your markers are Stubub, but I’ll look out for them when I’m next that way (I live near Matlock).
I visited this site first in about 1989, when it was in rather a delapidated (literally) condition and had only a low wire fence around it. Visiting it for a second time in August 2002 I was pleased to find a proper fence and stile around it, therefore keeping the non-seeing from walking all over it, and that the shape of the tomb was much more clearly defined. English Heritage have now also provided an interpretation board’, which explains that the poor state of the site is all due to Thomas Bateman’s excavations in 1853, and not because English Heritage have neglected it. Ho-hum.
It was very overgrown with ferns and heather in August though. I shall return in Winter methinks.
A curious incident; I had not met a single person all that morning, walking over Gibbet Moor from the Robin Hood pub, but at Hob Hurst’s House there was a couple; a middle-aged man and a small, younger, far-Eastern looking woman. The man was in the middle of the enclosure pleading repeatedly with the woman to climb over the stile into the midst of heather and waist-high ferns and see the ancient remains (which, to be honest, aren’t exactly impressive). The woman, who was dressed in a skirt and had bare-legs, was understandably not going to do it, and the man started calling in Chinese (or maybe Japanese – hey, I’m no expert) for her to please please please see the ‘wonderful’ Hob Hurst’s House. Eventually he gave in, and he petulantly led her off back across the moors.
If you were that man – shame on you sir!
Revisited.
A little more meat to add to the bones.
The settlement marked on the OS map is a large stone banked circle with a raised bank and ditch. It would have been the foundation for a very large ‘hut’*. It is stone walled with a definite entrance marked by large stones.
Nearby are other smaller earthworks that could be the remains of hut circles. And the site is defended by large double ditches to the south.
The cairn circle is the prize site
It is 12m in diameter and contains one large standing stone.
One thing I have never noticed about the Rigg before is that the peaks of both Freebrough hill (to the north) and Roseberry Topping ( to the west) are visible poking up over the surrounding moors. The site is overlooked by the areas main mother and father hills.
I’m sure this wasn’t lost on our ancestors.
*19th September 2004
According to Harding & Ostoja-Zagorski’s 1994 report, this is a Ring Cairn
Approach this site from the A171 to Castleton Road.
A track leads down to the enclosure.
The structure is roughly rectangular 26m x 40m and faces west overlooking Commondale Beck and Moor.
It is a banked enclosure with a shallow ditch.
Within the enclosure on the North West end is a circular depression approx 4m across.
20m to the north is a row of stones ? ancient field boundary with another row running off at right angles. Two large stones mark the corners.
I came across this enigmatic stone whilst following the prehistoric trackway known later as ‘The Portway’ on the section from Wirksworth up to Gallows Knoll, along ‘Chariot Way’ (sic), to Grangeway, then through Winster to Harthill Moor (with its Castle Ring Iron Age fort, Nine Stones Close, Robin Hood’s Stride, and the Hermits Cave.
Surely it was used as a marker for travellers on that ancient route, as they ascended the steep hill to within sight of the ancient settlement at Harborough Rocks?
Such I felt, as I saw it standing in the field, a permanence in time that extends millions of years more back when you examine it’s limestone heart and see its composition of coral reef shells.
This one eluded me today.
It’s marked on the OS Explorer.
I just couldn’t get to it.
I first tried down the lane from Mayburgh..dead end
Then from Yanwath..dead end
Then into the Skirsgill depot site from the M6/A66 roundabout...no joy
I thrashed around a farmers field and found nothing but a small low lying glacial boulder at the foot of the embankment of the A66.
There is a farm there and you can see the lane, but were it starts and how to access it beat the crap out of me today.
next time .......
I stopped off at this fella.
Very difficult to assess. If I hadn’t been told it was there I would never have guessed in was a long cairn.
The whole thing seems more like a long Dyke. I can see where the cairn side comes in because someone had cut into the side of the beast and the thing is definitely constructed of rocks.
The Easterly end is truncated by a ditch and bank, this could be a drainage ditch but it seems unlikely.
All in all a very unsatisfying site.
One thing though.
It is yet another site on the eastern margins of the lakes running from Grey Yauds in the north to south of Shap following what I call the Eden/Lowther Corridor of sites (at least 30 of ‘em).
I’m sure the rivers are significant in possibly what were axe trade routes and junctions.
This is a fantastic site although I would not advise anyone to approach it by the route we took.
Myself and my two dodmen apprentices took the road to Burnbanks at the head of Hawswater and parked up.
We then walked along the well made path until we reached Mile Craggs and the took the uphill route following the beck (no footpath).
My apprentices had a hard time of it but remained uncomplaining as they sank into bogs and were totally lost in a forest of bracken. I was trying to show them how to follow the sheep paths but failed miserably as even sheep are not daft enough to take this route up the fell.
We eventually made it to the top and were rewarded with fabulous views across Haweswater to Hare Shaw in the east and High Rise and Long Stile in the south.
The site itself is nestled in a lovely sheltered high vale.
You are first aware of the two stones on the horizon, as you walk up to them they seem to get smaller. One stone is upright the other is leaning. They look out over the southern flank.
As you move into the site you come across a small pond (about 30M long, very shallow) that is bizzarly flanked by a lowline of stones ( ?an ancient wall structure), slightly up the rise to the North east is a lovely hut circle about 10M across.
The combination of these three features coupled with the views and absolute isolation of this site make it a wonderful place to visit.
As we sat and admired the views we watched a storm move towards us, helpless to escape it we got soaked, when the storm moved on it left a beautiful rainbow across the fell.
Out of interest I’m sure this site used to be called the Giants Grave or graves but cannot find a reference to back me up.
I also wonder what happened to the other two stones of Four Stones Hill.
Any info?
My lad collected a mean set of sheeps bones on the way down! ” look dad , some of ‘em still have the skin on!”
His mum was well impressed when he took them home to show her.
If you visit this site, I would advise the safer less strenuous route from Drybarrows. Or walk along the lakeside to the Forces and follow the footpath past the waterfall.
This is probably my favorite circle in Derbyshire. It is not grand or big but its location is super. Along with many circles on the east side of the Peak District it shares a view onto Win Hill.
I found this stone sort of in passing, it is by a public footpath and quite easy to find, the stone is unremarkable apart from its size and preservation. Four hundred meters to the east is a collection of cairns, they look well dug out but there are a large quantity of white quartz stones amongst the more ordinary stones.
This area is difficult to understand, there are lots of sites spread out over a large area, it is not very clear where public access is allowed and not allowed. A little investigation and talking to the locals soon establishes what is possible though. I found that travel by bike is suitable as the moor is quite passable and the bike makes the spread out area shrink. It also has the advantage of being almost flat and the few steep bits quite walkable. The large amount of horses, sheep and cows have kept the grass quite short. In adition to the circles there are many ditches and dykes over the moor an area worthy of further investigation. An additional useful bit of information is that the Blisland Inn is worthy of a vist.
Around 400 or so yards to the NE, tall stone thought in the early 20Century to mark the star Capella( rising ) although the stone isn’t visible from the circle
This is an interesting place, there are stones like erratics but the Glaciers didn’t reach here. This particular stone is on a platform it is aligned to the Beltane sun and sits, if you get on your hands and knees to have a look, on smaller stones. Have a look if you are there.
Follow the road down to Kinshaldy beach. Morton Lochs is now a nature reserve and a haven for bird watchers, therefore it is not really possible to get right into the locks themselves without clambering over fences!
Running out of superlatives for Aberdeenshire, this place beats the lot. 20 minutes from Inverurie, half an hour from the show site of Loanhead & East Aquhorthies, this is the one circle you have to visit.
I don’t think it was a recumbent, although that may have gone, there are 7 upright stones and an outlier, plus many fallen. Additionally, the centre is filled with cairns and rubble, and the circle has been embanked many years ago. The whole place is just wild and ragged and absolutely full on. The tallest of the stones is over 7 feet, and to my eyes the top looks just like Mither Tap, which as ever you can see in the distance.
Set on top of a hill with massive views all around, its at the top of my Aberdeenshire list without a doubt.
A gorgeous recumbent a few miles from Loanhead of Daviot, which I couldn’t get closer to bcause of growing crops.
This circle has perhaps the most spectacular view of Mither Tap of any site in the region, and the views are truly breathtaking.
There is an old Minstry of Works sign in the hedge giving some basic information (access – ask at Bourtie Farm), and it concludes with a fairly stern statement to the effect that there are 2 restored sites at Loanhead and East Aquhorthies to go and look at, so don’t bother with this one!
I don’t agree...
Looking at the OS map for this area, I noticed a rash of standing stones (8) which need further investigation.
Unfortunately the crops were up, which meant that many couldn’t be seen or got at, but this was a real surprise. The circle is gone, but its one of the finest recumbent and flanker sets I’d seen. Propped against the back is a large red stone which may have been part of the circle.
Definitely worth a visit after harvest to see if you can plot out where the circle was.
Like Balgarthno in Dundee, this was another multi-map find, whilst looking for the hospital.
Three fine stones, bisected by 2 roads and a fence/hedge, it does make me wonder what else was here. The two in the hedge especially are large and purposeful.
Like so many sites at this time of year, further investigation is foiled by growing crops. I shall return....
Looking up a multi-map to find my Dundee Travelodge (just give me the keys bitch!) I saw the words ‘Stone Circle’ just 1/2 a mile away-too good a chance to miss!
As you can see the circle is fallen, except for one stone, and its now overgrown on the edge of a playing field. However at least 8 other stones are present, forming a slightly flattened circle.
The standing stone was grafittied and there were plenty of broken bottles around, so in truth the long grass is probably protecting the remaining stones.
If you happen to be going round the Dundee bypass, the circle is on the right of the road off the roundabout just after the Travelodge (turn left) or coming the otherway the Travelinn (Turn right). Worth a quick look for sure.
