Latest Fieldnotes

Lud’s Church is one of the most spooky and beautiful places I’ve been too... quite difficult to find (you definitely need a map), but well worth it. I would say though that it should be avoided in wet weather – on Sunday it was warm and sunny, yet in the cleft (chasm? gully?) it felt about 10 degrees colder and was very muddy and slippery. After you’ve walked to Lud’s Church, it’s worth continuing through Forest Wood toward the wonderfully-named Roach End – it’s quite uphill but you’re rewarded with mind-blowing views and an ice cream van.

Located half a mile or so from Hob Hurst’s House along Harland Edge..Look for the two large boulders outcrops visible from some distance around halfway along the edge, the cairn is just below these.

This is an interesting cairn. Oval shaped the cairn has a kerbed banana shaped passage with portal stones at each end, two remain upright.

It wouldn’t surprise me if the two outcrops were a factor in the siting of the cairn they are such a prominent feature of Harland Edge.
Excellent views south over the remaining band of the Eastern Moors and into the White Peak.

Now the area is under “Right to Roam” it’s well worth the short walk along the edge, among the old quarries, to visit the cairn.

This cup marked stone sticks out of a robbed cairn, sections of the rubble ring can still be seen.

Blimey, it took some finding!!!

Its nice to put Lincolnshire on the prehistoric map! This is a henge-like feature – circular ring ditch with 4 gaps aligned approx N-S-E-W (the latter pair are larger), c.30m in diameter. Close-by is an area of reasonably concentrated flint and stone finds. As is usual with this area of intensive arable farming, there is nothing spectacular to see.....the joy will have to come from merely knowing its there.

Built into a wall on the side of the road...I drove passed this 3 times looking for it!?

If you visit Ysbytty Cynfyn, you’ll probably approach from the direction of the A4120, the road between Ponterwyd and Pontarfynach (Devil’s Bridge). This is the obvious way to get there, but if you’ve got some time on your hands, and you’re happy walking a few miles, try approaching from the west. This route gives you a real sense of pilgrimage, taking you past Dolgamfa and across the Rheidol gorge before reaching Ysbytty Cynfyn. The footpath is very well sign-posted (as Ceredigion footpaths go) but a map would be useful.

Starting from the village of Ystumtuen, follow the footpath north-east, past some old mine shafts and a small disused mining reservoir. The path continues through a distinctive saddle shape in the hillside. From the top you can see the bell tower of the church at Ysbytty Cynfyn. As well as being good geographical feature for navigating on foot the pass may have had symbolic significance to the people who built Ysbytty Cynfyn and Dolgamfa.

From here you head down-hill before reaching Dolgamfa, which sits on a small plateau about half way down the hill. There are good views across the Rheidol valley from here. Between Dolgamfa and Ysbytty Cynfyn is the river gorge, which is hidden from view by the ancient oak forest.

Heading downhill from Dolgamfa you pass a farmstead and enter the forest (the trickiest terrain on the walk). At the bottom of the slope is the gorge (very impressive in the winter) and the crossing point, Parson’s Bridge. The bridge (originally not much more than a log) is traditionally associated with a priest who worked between Ystumtuen and Ysbytty Cynfyn. I suspect that this crossing point dates back a lot further than this, possibly connecting the two megalithic sites when they were in use.

From Parson’s Bridge it’s an uphill climb to get out of the gorge, and the forest. The path goes up a small hill before dropping down to Ysbytty Cynfyn itself.

A massive enclosure wall 1.5m high in places with around 7 entrances, along its 500m length. It was called ‘Megs Walls’ when first discovered after moorland fires, around 60 years ago.

The enclosure has been dated to the neolithic and was later overlaid with bronze and iron age cairns, boundaries and field systems.

After many years of excavation the site is now thought of as a neolithic trade centre. And the enclosure was not built for either occupational or defensive purposes. Stone axes and numerous flint tools have been found, the flint is thought to be from the Yorks and Lincs Wolds.

J.Barnatt also suggests the site could have been used for excarnation of the dead and ritual feasting, with the site being used seasonly.

There’s a handy map of what’s where on Gardoms Edge on the website.(see links)
Free parking in public car park next to Robin Hood public house.

Gardom’s Edge is named after Thomas Gardom a mill owner from Calver.

From the ‘Rock Art Boulder’ follow the enclosure wall for a short way the stone can easily be seen in the trees. Great weathering on its top.

The Three Men are 18th century additions to a Neolithic oval barrow, the outer rim still quite visible. This is the only burial found within the Meg’s Walls enclosure.
The 3 cairns are said to commemorate 3 shepherds who died on the moor or, and the more believable story, 3 drunken priests returning from a funeral.

About twenty yards East of the enclosure wall lies this fibreglass replica of a boulder. The original has been reburied. Hmmm.

The King Stone stands guard over the gentle, but beautiful, north-westerly landscape. Nice railings too...

Took a look over at the Rollrights today. The entrance to the stones from the road is being sorted with a gate and some hard standing which, happily, doesn’t detract from the circle itself.

A group of rambler types (nothing wrong with that) were lounging over the stones when I got there but they soon departed leaving me on my own for at least 15 mins.

Site was wonderfully litter free. Took a couple of photos – they’re the ones with the rather overcast sky.

visted 02/07/02
After a fairly lengthy quest starting with a very drunken conversation in a club, I finally found a longbarrow in Richmond Park. Ok so it might not actually be one, but until I’m convinced, it’ll do for me.
To find it, start at Pembroke Lodge Garden and head south. Take the path slowly diverging from the road to the west and you’ll walk straight across the barrow. It is about 40m long, 20m wide and 2-3m high.
It has been reduced to having two peaks (one at either end) and a dip in the middle, which may well have been caused by gravel digging. At least one other mound in the park has disapeared due to this. In addition you should be able to easily identify the barrow due to the large oak on the western end.

The site itself is peaceful with the occasional walker strolling past and worth a visit despite the delapidated state.

I would say that you have to climb Roseberry Toppin to really appreciate it, but to look out your window and see the sun rise over it, is my favourite way....well in the winter when I can manage to be up in time! Mind you, it really does deserve to be climbed to experience its size and views!

Had a wander to the top today and found myself on my own – mind you it was raining...

Still, interesting to notice that the local cattle had made it to the top – I managed to stand in the evidence. Shame those that smoke have to leave their s**t up here too. Have some respect!

Visited 30/6/02
Yet another depressing London site. This entire hillfort is covered by an exclusive golf course; bunkers, leveled off greens, hazards, the lot. The only legal public access on the hillfort is a 3 metres wide path, that goes perfectly straight across the fort running north-east to south west.
I don’t doubt that this is actually a hillfort but it is very hard to distinguish on the ground exactly which earthworks are ancient. A couple of bank-ditch-bank combinations seem slightly more excessive than a normal golf course would desire, 7ft from top of bank to foot of ditch, but the extensive restructuring for a select few to play golf has destroyed this as an effective encampment.In addition to the caged walk with a 6ft wire fence either side of you for 200+ metres, you can walk around the outside of the course, the outer side of another 6ft fence.
Prehistory, but not as we like it.

Visited the Humberstone June 2002 and it has now been signposted, and a wood border added to the area around the stone, by the ‘Friends of the Humberstone’. Unfortunately I was following a walk in a leaflet by the Stepping Stones Countryside Management Project which led through fields, which triggered a major attack of hay fever. If you’re going to visit the Humberstone, drive up to it! It’s very close to a roundabout and I couldn’t see where you might park, but there has to be somewhere near by. There are a lot of new houses being built in the area, which is worrying, and it isn’t difficult to imagine the stone eventually becoming a curiosity in the middle of a large housing estate. We shall see. If you’re in the area check out the village/suburb of Humberstone and the Cruck Cottage, and have a look at Pine Tree Avenue – lovely Sequoias.

Off the beaten track, but well worth the effort....

The site is positioned on the hill called Cleitir which is the Gaelicised version of the name Klettr, a Viking word meaning rocky hillside. One of the stones was I think re-positioned by the laird of the island Le Compte Mirlees in the 1980s.

Original Site
NT2805674241 Saturday 22/6/02
At the very bottom of Meadowbank Stadium carpark on the road to the velodrome is a large triangular stone laid into which is a metal plaque which reads;
‘This stone marks the site of St. Margaret’s Well. The dressed stone work of the fifteenth century wellhouse built over this ancient medicinal well and centre of pilgrimage was removed in 1859 and used to build a replica of it over St. David’s Well in the Queen’s Park and the remains of the medieval building were filled in in 1969.’
This spot was apparently the site of the North British Railway sheds which were named after the well. The main east coast line still runs past here only about 5 metres to the south.

Sunday 16/6/02
Well- it helps if you put the correct co-ords into your GPS- I thought something was up when the direction arrow was taking me into the middle of Hunter’s Bog! I re-entered the co-ords and this time followed the direction indicator round to St. Margaret’s Well- the original site of St. David’s Well being on the path behind what is now St. Margaret’s Well- I visited this site before visiting the original St. Margaret’s site at which the plaque confirmed what I had already thought- these are one and the same wells. In 1859 (or 1860) the well house which now stands here was moved and built upon St. David’s Well (which I imagine was a very less grand affair that the St. Margaret’s Wellhouse).

Sunday 16/6/02
Hidden away in a quiet street (Grange Loan) in Edinburgh’s Southside is the remaining frontage of this once Holy well. I would never have known of it’s existence had I not stayed near here for a while and came across it whilst walking home one day. All that now remains is the red sandstone front to the well with two pieces of metal either side. The sandstone has unfortunately started to crumble especially the block that is inscribed with ‘Penny Well’. Aed and I have stopped off here on the way back from Arthur’s Seat for a quick visit and some pics.

NT2822672710 Sunday 16/6/02
After climbing Arthur’s Seat Aed and I headed off the hill and all the way down to Duddingston. At the car park by the loch I checked the GPS, Explorer map and the RCAHMS broadsheet to try and get some bearing as to where the well might be because looking around it wasn’t obvious. As it turns out we must have passed it about three or four times and was only just above the car park! Hidden in waist high stinging nettles- I actually heard it before spying it. These days it’s partly covered by a concrete slab, partly by an older stone slab which still has the remains of an iron chain attached to the top- obviously once ended in a cup to partake of the curative waters! The water now flows from a small pipe on the front of a vertical stone slab- it tasted cold and clean! However- just to the left was a very boggy piece of ground- looks like some of the outflow has found another way.