Latest Fieldnotes

It is relatively easy to get up here, the roads are good enough for any car really. From the Red Lion pub in Bredwardine take the road immediately to the right of the pub, leading up behind it. Follow this road right up, do not turn off at any point – this will lead you straight to the site. Following these directions the site cannot be missed, it lies on the side of the road.

The site is enigmatic. The two capstones, and the fallen one below are a real puzzle. Did they all at one time form one large capstone, the one lying on the floor being a huge flake from the one above? Or, are they separate stones, the one below having been moved from the end of the tomb?

Worth a visit, but quite out of the way. The nearest site is Old Radnor & the Four Stones (about 20 minutes away), and Hay-On-Wye (book capital of the world) is also pretty close.

Clearly marked on maps, well signposted and very close to Belas Knap yet completely neglected. It is possible to discern the location of the chamber and a general lay out of the site but Notgrove has been destroyed by it’s excavators, with no attempt to put it right.

The walk up to Belas Knapp is fantastic, and not the slog I’d been led to believe (or maybe I’m too used to the Cumbrian landscape!) The undulating feminine hills of this landscape prepare you for the site. The sun was shining down when we arrived and we took our time exploring. The NE chamber is currently home to a blackbird’s nest and chicks. A new-age type woman and her entourage of two distinctly ordinary looking guys, trudged round the site – stopping off occasionally to make arcane hand gestures. In the NE chamber, on discovering the chick, the lady exclaimed ‘well that’s definitely a sign for us!’ How arrogant. As they were leaving the lady uttered, very matter-of-fact, ‘well that’s that done.’ Hmmphh.

I returned here to show a friend the site and this visit was even more rewarding than the last. What strikes me most with Bryn Celli Ddu is the mysterious stone, a remnant of the earlier stone circle, within the chamber – I’ve had dreams about it, and seeing it here again just knocks me out. The mound is nowhere near the size of the major Boyne Valley sites, but it is somehow reminiscent, and definitely every bit as stunning.

This site isn’t easy to find, the roads round here are very confusing. We asked a friendly local for directions and he got straight in his car and led us to the spot – what a dude. The site is a disappointment, very little is left, and what there is lies overgrown. The location however is good, with a view stretching from the Snowdonian mountains right out to sea.

This site sits in an excellent location above the mouth of the Conwy. Two large standing stones, which may have marked the entrance, now double up as fence posts, unnecessary amounts of rusted barbed wire surround them. The chamber itself is partially collapsed, and there have been no attempts at the usual brick and cement repair – a major plus point. The capstone is a massive bulk, much thicker than many I’ve seen. It is still possible to climb inside the chamber (just) and the bulk of the capstone, from this position, is overwhelming. Off the beaten track, and presumably rarely visited, this site is well worth the effort.

Stayed with friends in Denbigh this weekend and managed to sneak off for a few hours on Sunday morning to find Moel ty Uchaf.. a little haven on the hill! a clear blue day with big white fluffs scudding across the sky.. this place is like sitting in your cosy parlour up in the middle of the mountains.. I was lucky enough to have the place to myself for a couple of hours.. a neat, tidy circle which although low seems to get bigger when you’re sat down in it! The light and colours are incredible up here, the lichens on the stones shining irridescent silver, green and grey, brown green forests, purple heathery quilts, creamy lambs,turquoise skies.. the circle is central to all this and so much more.. peaceful, still and warm.. I walked barefoot on the springy grass with the sun on my face.. what more could you ask for?! You won’t want to leave this place!

This is a strange one. 6 standing stones along a four mile stretch of moorland road.
If you approach from the south, the first stone is on the brow of a hill just after the ford over the Wheeldale Gill. The stones all vary in shape and character. Three of the stones have a single rectangular hole cut into them.
Unfortunately I could only spend a few minutes at each stone but I shall definitely return here soon and make a more thorough investigation of this strange site.
A little further south on the same road you can see an exposed section of roman road, known locally as Wades causeway.

There’s speculation on other web sites as to whether the remains at Lawrence Field are actually of Neolithic origin. Their focus seems to rest on the one standing stone on the southern footpath being the single remaining standing stone of a possible circle. On my visit I walked west of that stone and thought that another collection of stones could potentially be the circle, especially as the accompanying structures seemed to tie in with the OS map reference to a ‘settlement’. I’m writing up my field notes here so as to help people who’re figuring out the truth from the speculation at Lawrence Field; there are many potential standing stones there that can easily lead you into false assumptions; I don’t offer my speculations as any kind of claim to truth, as I could easily have been deceived by a random placing of stones, but this is what seemed plausible to me when I was there:

‘This is potentially the stone circle in Lawrence Field. 5 stones in an oval (13 paces across), a couple at the centre (flat on the ground; a hollow area beneath them, special stones placed in there recently). All the circle stones are very low; 2 thin and side-on; one completely flat on the ground (but I’m presuming from its shape it was another flat stone standing side-on to the circle). A stone wall, mostly covered by earth/gorse, passes beside it. Which doesn’t leave a lot to see of the stones and there isn’t a particularly marvellous view of the landscape; but you can see a natural tower of stones poised atop an edge on one skyline [Mother Cap Stone]. I can imagine wanting to see that from your circle.

Off to the west, remains of a round structure whose walling seems too well preserved to be Neolithic. However there are two small cairn-like structures beneath a lot of gorse/earth and remains of two walls, one of which often uses upright stones.

Directly south of the presumed circle, toward the river, remains of three structures in a southward row. One appears to be a long cairn. A second is a similar elongated oval shape, but a little wider, and its a walled enclosed area. A third is a small round structure, buried under gorse.

Directions:
To get here I took the path going south from opposite the ‘Surprise View’ car park on the A5187 (not far from Fox Houses, near to Sheffield) and half way to the trees found a smaller path heading west.

There’s a lot of potential standing stones in Lawrence Field to confuse you.‘

1 May 2002

Visited Woodbury Castle (not a castle, nor really a hillfort) on a lovely April afternoon. Beware as the name Woodbury crops up in many places in Devon alone, and many more in other counties too.

This is a camped enclosure of impressive proportions set on a rise in Woodbury Common, north of Budliegh Salterton & Exmouth and South-East of Exeter. It looks like a camp that might have been fortified at one stage as the ditch is outside the bank. The bank is quite impressive in places and gives the inside of the camp a secluded feel. The camp itself has a host of trees inside, and also contains a well (encased in modern brick and iron) called Soldier’s Well.

Well worth a visit if you are passing.

johan

Easy access from the ‘Surprise View’ car park.
The stone marks the Mid-Winter full moon rise minimum when viewed from ‘Wet Withers’. Several books mention that fires may have been lit behind the stone to help with the alignment.

I’ve never found this ring cairn, J.Barnatt mentions it in his 1990 book but doesn’t give any idea, apart from the grid ref, to it’s location. Okay the grid ref. should be enough but in this case it ain’t.
I’ve scoured the area a few times and scanned it again with a guy who had scoured it a few times as well......phew. Still nowt.

JB reckons there’s a rubble/stone bank 1-2m wide with a diameter of 7x5m, with a stone in the NE....entrance in the South, a boulder free interior.

Good Luck.

What can you say.....a corker...

I’m pretty confident I’ve found this one............as corroborated against the 1851 OS map for the area, the stump of what appears to have been a square cut menhir stands in situ at this bleak moorland hill........

The magnificent ruins of this 13th century Castle, sit high above the Town of Llangollen, overlooking the river Dee. The castle was built on the site of an Iron Age hill fort.

A circle of 10 short stones, most of them not initially visible from some angles. Surrounded immediately by a low earth/pebble bank. Covered by gorse except for a path around, paths to the centre and the centre. a recessed circle at the centre and some small stones, making a fire place, though who knows how old this is. 180 degrees of fine view; weather systems traipsing over peaks & troughs; deep greys, light blues, bright whites; warm sunny days suddenly ripped apart; boxed in, poured upon. The most upright stone has a flat face facing inward and a ledge cleanly carved out of it about an index fingers’ length deep, as though a seat but its too small to be. Letters carved in that face (FR**), an enormously deep ‘FU’ in olde English type in its top; 3, maybe 4 cup marks in its outer face. There are other stones with a ‘U’, ‘FU’ and ‘FU100*’. most stones have fallen or are in the process of doing so.

A few feet away is the ruins of the large Eyam Moor Barrow. Made of stones, of which there are many left; hinting at inner structure but its hard to tell. An obtrusive Ministry of Works sign uprooted from beside and placed at one end amongst the stones of the barrow itself.

1 May 2002

Remains of Iron Age Earthworks.

This is the remains of Iron age Earthworks. As is common with similar sites in the forest, there is evidence of mountain Bike damage .
These are easily accessed, being just off the ‘Wakes Arms’ roundabout on the road to Theydon Bois, about a mile from the M25.

‘strong, solid, rock against the clear air alone, within the wind, the land stretched far and long to view, islands and the sea. bejeweled in quartz and lichen
- 8 March 2002

this tilting stone looks down upon Tingwall airport. its probably just possible to see the other standing stone across the valley and voe from here as you can just see the tip of this stone from there if you know what you’re looking for

directions: near Whiteness, off-of the road toward Tingwall and Lerwick. adjacent to the hotel, leave the road and walk toward the top of the hill‘

‘tall flat slab. slap! at the top of its hillock visible from so many places, so many seas, islands and so far away. in this way, better placed than most for visibility, and singularly purposeful at being tall and seen as its so thin and straight. cock shaped. how does a stone of such bold and simple shape come about?‘

- 22 March 2002

directions: visible from parts of Lerwick and from the ferry over. from ‘A Guide to Prehistoric and Viking Shetland’ by Noel Fojut: “Heogan road, then road past Keldabister, left onto track and follow this N”

A maniacal huge lump of red granite (1.6m high), almost nothing in common with other Shetland stones save for its one smooth face, angled toward the sky like a transmitter (facing west), a splodgy mess of lumpyness. It is propped up by a couple of stones and I presume other than this this stone hasn’t been moved anywhere by people, its just too huge and unshapely. You can prominantly see Ronas Hill from here and its cairn, but this stones’ flat face isn’t facing it. It is stood atop a rounded pinnacle that is itself halfway up a steep hillside and bcos it has this hill at its back and despite its size looking at it from below, like from the road, you have to know where it is to see it. There’s a stone beside it, flat faced, thin and oblong that is perhaps a fallen accompanying standing stone.

Directions: where the A970 and A9075 meet (the Hillswick junction), cross the smaller of the two sandy lochs beside that junction (three swans upon that loch) at its southern end (the other sides a boggy nightmare) and walk up the hill.

- cairn (with chamber and cist):
narrow line of coast, you can see both sides from up here.
a string of islands in the sea
white margins, wavering, surround them.
wind, wind, wind.

sitting on a ledge of a perculiarly steep short slope
a burial cairn; below & unmistakeable, across plateau
at the edge of the noisy sea, ruins:
a congregation of stones amid brown-yellow grasses.

- Benie Hoose:
a thrilling site. a Stanydale(’temple’)-like structure. really well preserved. not only the building with alcoves (as at Stanydale) but a rounded structure at its front. far more extensive than any other Shetland building I’ve seen other than at Stanydale. appears to have a kindof alter, a flat ledge above the main room (upon which there’s a slaughtered sheep). small standing stone just uphill from it, possibly aligned with other way down close to the Stones of Yoxie.
either a stream (more an assemblage of water) rises at its centre, or its water gathering bcos this is excavated from the peat and the land around is higher.
by a trick of the shape of the land you can’t see this building from the burial cairn above

- Stones of Yoxie
a) remains of a building (on surprisingly level ground, but perhaps thats the architects’ doing), not quite of traditional Shetland clover leaf plan; comprising an entrance room; long passage; two, maybe three chambers, one leading to another
b) short standing stone on two sides (one of which I’d presumed aligned with the Benie Hoose but maybe it isn’t)
c) small round cairns on two sides
d) a line of stones to one side
e) further on, a wall, that twists around then heads directly to the cliff edge

180 degrees of broiling sea and nothing else; islands; sky; moorland

further away back to the southwest there’s two more stone alignments, one about 50’ and the other twice as long parallel and not straight with the cliff edge then heading straight down right to the cliff edge; and there are scant remains indicating it may have begun at one cliff edge, travelled up then around in an arc and down again to the cliff edge.
a little further on again there’s another very short alignment using much larger stones.
and on again a possible short standing stone, with quite a tilt, beside other stones, fairly close to the cliff edge

- 3 April 2002

‘what a highlight, this stone is absolutely enormous. roughly 5’ by 6’ square and 10’ tall. balanced by a pile of small rocks at its base. broad and oddly shaped; gargantuan compared with the other stones in this area. it seems not to fit in with those other themes going on on this island [except for the standing stone at Yamna Field, Gluss].
overlooking Busta Voe, the town of Brae, out toward the open sea (which you can’t see), looking upon so many peaks.
a smaller pyramidal stone, a couple of feet tall, just downhill from it‘

-12 March 2002

Stanydale’s magnitude, awe inspiring. when we visited a few days ago we froze in snow and wind, today the sound of the winds merely a pleasant backdrop as I lie in the grass in here, the clearest blue sky overhead and a bright afternoion sun. the walls are built from stocky boulders, and smooth, mostly; they walls feel so rigid; and upto about 15’ thick. they were certainly meant to remain. so many stones must have been moved to make this place. I marvel at the thought of the same building perhaps being used for two thousand years.
(its a shame the entrance has been bastardised with a wooden gate).
collections of standing stones, one lot at each side, aligned, only one of which is in a circular shape.

apart from, like, StoneHenge and Avebury, one of the grandest sites I’ve been to (but I haven’t been to many)

-Stanydale ‘temple’, 15 March 2002

overwhelmingly huge. stunningly huge. arched outward, and inward; a head, or transmitter. I believe this is Britain’s most northerly standing stone; a beacon. not vertical, but angled backward, facing upward. an overweight belly. a couple of large stones around its back. surrounded in part by a low raised earth structure (skirt?); another of which, almost complete, only a few yards over. the stone is visible from the sea, in what, for this island, is a tight valley, which peters into nothing, rising quickly, into an open plain of strange landscape, huge boulders layn about upon the gorse. the largest of which, stood on end. facing northeast-southwest (beside the road). pointing toward another such stone a little further down (or across) that possibly stood, now fallen (you can see space underneath part of it).
beautiful blue and green stones lie all around, the rubble left from building the road.

on closer inspection, the rabble of stones on the plain, mostly aren’t a rabble atall but a large circle marked out and curves and a trail of them leading off to the lake; an exciting trail to follow and map out. there are other circular shapes on the sides of rising land around. maybe they’re just fields.
massacred sheep everywhere.

-27 March 2002