Latest Fieldnotes

You can only see it from up here. No clarity to gain down there. What is it now? I cannot see. In the sky I need to be.

All of these fantastic sites (though Castlerigg is currently only viewed at a jump or over a gate due to the evil F & M) but in any local shop there is no aknowledgement that any of it exists. Good if you want a bit of tweed or a random fluffy toy but not even a postcard of this ancient eyefest. How can you visit this region and not see this? Wow, I say...yeh, I’ll come back when the war is over to run around this good!

I used to pass this site often when I lived on the outskirts of Dorchester and one day I decided to stop and have a proper look. Shortly after entering the circle I had a tremendous feeling of unease. Even though I still think it is a wonderful site hidden away and missed by so many which is probably not a bad thing.

Back in 1985 I undertook a watching brief to see what turned up at Mount Pleasant when Wessex Water stripped a 10m wide area to put in an 18 inch pipe. The area they stripped ran from the bottom left hand corner to the top right and passed over part of the bank. Oddly enough very little turned up apart from a clearer picture of the bank and ditch.

I visited a few hill forts this summer, Figsbury was definitely the one which made the most impression on me, helped in part by the effect of the evening sun casting some rather nice shadows.
We only discovered it by chance, we were passing and noticed it was marked on the road map. At first the ominous MOD signs made me think we’d taken a wrong turning.
Glad we visited it, it has a great atmosphere.

Bulstrode Tree Chimneys
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These are the strangest things – not neolithic, just 100 years old, but if you’re visiting Bulstrode Camp, you really should go and see the Tree Chimneys.

They’re in the trees at the North-West corner of the camp – walk around, look up in the trees, and stop when you see a brick wall half-way up one.

I really have no idea about how or why they got their ... since one of them has “1900” inscribed into the top, then all I can assume is that is a Victorian turn-of-the-century celebration.

Rather odd.

Falls of Acharn, Perthshire
Aug 95 (and 94?)
We’ve been up here on a couple of occasions- it’ a great (signposted) walk up the Falls of Acharn which are pretty spectacular. The day we ventured up here in August 95 was rather overcast and grey. Stopped off at the folly which is marked as ‘caves’ on the OS map, but clearly man-made. There are a few places round here that have similar structures- at the Hermitage near Dunkeld, above Dunkeld itself (at NO019439) and down by Taymouth Castle. Once at the top of the walk a gate leads out onto the hills and passes Queens Wood on the right. Previously we have come up here in search of the cup and ring marked rock in this wood at 764429. We spent ages trying to find it, but to no avail. This time, all of the woods have been felled so we vowed to have a look for the rock on the way back down from the circle. The circle itself is quite ruined and has a dry stane dyke running through it, but these facts don’t detract from the outstanding position this site has overlooking Loch Tay. Many of the stones have fallen, but four of them remain upright. Whilst we were exploring the site a Landrover came up the track and a couple of men came over- turns out one was the landowner and the other a photographer from ‘Country Life’! We got speaking to the landowner who was a nice enough chap and he explained ‘Country Life’ were doing an article on him and his estate- so we had our pics taken for the magazine in the middle of the stones whilst studying a map! I never did check out the mag to see if those shots made it in! They bade us farewell and left us with the stones and view. On the way back down we hunted for about an hour or so for the cup and ring marked rock, but the tree felling meant the land was in a terrible state and once again this site eluded us. Oh well- maybe one day.

Simon and I and our two friends visited there at the beginning of summer. I too noticed how windy it was when we got down there. It was quite claustrophobic but the small scale gave a sense of an oasis of peace. Vibes were pretty strong and intensified the spliff we had. I grew up in the area and though often went to Trosley Park we had no idea it was there untill checking it out in The Modern Antiquarian. It’s added a little bit of ancient history to the mostly industrial and commercial scene presented by a lot of North West Kent. A fantastic little treasure.

Kilmichael Glassary Cup and Ring Marked Rock, Argyll
August 98
On our way back to the tent from Achnabreck, we stopped of here for another dose of cup n ring markings! It was a fine August evening- just perfect weather for taking pics of cup n ring marked rocks. This rock is next to some houses with lots of kiddies out playing so I got the twenty questions from them which was rather amusing. I also made some light and careful wax rubbings onto a piece of cloth which I managed to trail through a very stagnant pool of water on the rocks- yuck. Some of the cups were really quite deep and there was unusual ‘key-hole’ type patterns round a few of em. Another couple appeared when I was in contemplation of the patterns and we got talking about spirals and how they are a universal pattern throughout the world.

Directions
Travelling south from Kilmartin on the A816 to Lochgilphead, turn off left at Bridgend just past Dunadd. Go through Bridgend and the next place just a bit up the road is Kilmichael Glassary. The rock is just to the west of the church with the usual Historic Scotland green fencing!

Clach an Trushal Standing Stone, Lewis
22/7/94
We stopped off here on our way up to the Butt of Lewis on a rather blustery and overcast day- nothing like an enormous standing stone to cheer ya up! This monster is one of the tallest in Scotland and is approx 6 metres tall and covered in a fine array of lichen.

Grey Cairns of Camster, Caithness
Saturday 17/8/96
On a beautiful Saturday morning we stopped off here, well, made a detour really, on our drive from Orkney to Killin. The long cairn of these two is real huge- apparently about 60 metres long. It’s unusual to see cairns that have been denuded of their coverings like this, but they look great nonetheless. There’s wooden walkways from the car parking area across the soggy marsh- which is just as well cos all I’ve got on my feet are my Vans! There are two entrances in the long cairn, both of which are a bit of a stoop. Not as much of a stoop as the round cairn entrance though which was another mucky knees job.

Taversoe Tuick, Rousay
Wednesday 14/8/96
This is an intriguing tomb- three parts to it and all were separate at one point til a slab was moved from the floor of the top chamber and ladders placed in to the lower chamber (the first and probably only time I’ve seen ladders in a cairn!). Climbing down the ladders a passage leads you ending in a metal grill to look back into the outside world. Don’t miss the third part of this place- a small ‘mini-tomb’ built into the mound and accessed through a big wooden door. It’s not big (!) and has four large upright stones supporting the structure. The original roof on the main chamber has gone, so no need for torches etc.

Knowe of Yarso Chambered Cairn
Wednesday 14/8/96
A heavy metal door greets the visitor to this cairn- no crawls on hands and knees here. It’s got one of those horrible domed concrete roofs, but the upright stones of the cairn that subdivide the space make up for it. Apparently this place was used almost 5000 years ago with 29 human remains found. 15 skulls were found in a line facing the wall of the innermost compartment. Today someone has left rabbit skulls and flowers down one endÉ.

Hill o’ Many Stanes, Caithness
Saturday 17/8/96
Jeez- yer not joking- there’s loads of ‘em! This place (and the weather today) is just fab! We’ve made a detour here (and to the Grey Cairns) on our way down to Killin from Orkney where we had to get up at 6:30 am to catch the ferry! “Scotland Before History” (Stuart Piggot) says there’s over 200 stones here in a fan shaped pattern of rows from approx N to S. I brought my dowsing rods up here too and did a spot- there’s shit happening all over the place. The stones are real small too- the tallest can only be a couple of foot or so and some are flat with the earth. Great place.

Grain Souterrain, Kirkwall
Tuesday 13/8/96
In an industrial estate on the outskirts of Kirkwall stands a rectangular fenced-off piece of grassland with a couple of strange looking mounds in it- Grain Souterrain. A set of small stone steps takes you down into the earth (mind yer head on the lintel!) and there’s a passage leads off to the right. It’s only about 5 m or so, then opens up to reveal a larger oval chamber. There are four stone pillars holding up the roof (along with some help from a couple of twentieth century iron bars), some of which have been vandalised with modern-ish day carving. Don’t forget yer torch/lantern- this place is lucky enough still to have the original roof intact. I’m always amazed when I get photos back from souterrains, chambered cairns, caves etc as there’s bugger all to see through the viewfinder and it’s a bit hit or miss!

Broch of Midhowe, Rousay
Wednesday 14/8/96
Had an exploration of this broch after we had visited Midhowe Cairn. However, I wouldn’t be too inquisitive as some of this place looks like it has seen better days and might collapse at any minute (there’s lots of iron bars and bolts holding bits together). I got tutted at by a group of American tourist for (carefully) daring to stand on a low section of wall in order to get a better view inside- well, excuse me! Inside, the broch is divided into two by a very thin stone wall (supported by those iron bars!) and has a hearth, water tank, cupboard-type affairs- much like some of the Skara Brae fittings. A grand place to have lunch and watch the scary wave power in Eynhallow Sound.

Blackhammer Chambered Cairn, Rousay
Wednesday 14/8/96
Of all the sites we visited on the tour de Rousay today, I have to say that this one was the most disappointing. Of the original cairn there’s not much left and what is left is only about 4 foot high or so, then it’s concrete time! If you ignore the cairn remains you could be in some dreadful public lavatory. Not nice or sympathetic restoration.

Working in Swansea, I took the team out to Arthurs Stone to show them what real entertainment was. The parked camper hid the stone so we headed for the triangulation point before we saw it and then headed across the bog. OK so they sank a bit. It didn’t warrant all that moaning. Anyway this was a great site. It’s one big stone. The views are stunning and the sun was about an hour off setting between the two hills to west. Couldn’t convince team to stay and watch. The lure of pubs and expenses was too strong. I’ll have to come back another night

Majestic against the setting sun over the Gower hills, we got to this stone having missed it when we previously visited Arthurs Stone (Maen Cetty). Samson’s Jack is on farm land just over a hedge/gate which we chose not to cross as we were being ‘buzzed’ by a local farmer in his van, he was probably friendly but we didn’t get a chance to say hello.

This is my ‘local’ – I live in Winchcombe. Its a beautiful place on the very edge of one of the most atmospheric places in Southern England – Cleeve Common. Not counting the views to the Black Mountains and beyond and ignoring the bloody golfers (and hopefully they will go away..for good) , head North, through skylark and yellowhammer song, to valleys hidden in lunar (post-quarried) landscapes and Belas Knap – try sheltering from a thunderstorm (OK – difficult to predict!) in one of the chambers – a womb with aview indeed!

In the midst of Hampshire and West Sussex’s South Downs Iron Age fest, there are plenty of bronze age barrows but very few of the earlier elongated variety. Compton is South of Petersfield off the B2146 heading towards Emsworth/Chichester. From Compton follow the signs for the Mardens. When the road bends sharply to the right and climbs a hill the barrow is behind a hedge at the brow. It’s all very clinically kempt to the point where the family were convinced the farmer had built it recently. Situated at the foot of Telegraph hill and just to the west of many other walks in and around the downs which will take you past innumerable bronze age barrows and earthworks.

Broch of Gurness, Orkney Mainland
Tuesday 13/8/96
Tuesday- up early and headed first down to the Broch of Gurness. A great broch with lots of small dwelling houses around it. The entrance to the broch was impressive- solidly built structure- there’s no messing with this place! There was one part that totally fascinated me though, and that was the so-called well in the middle of the broch itself. Unfortunately there’s a Historic Scotland green railing all the way round it making it almost impossible to climb into- well- to stop over-inquisitive idiots like myself from falling in and causing much injury to themselves. Still- didn’t stop me lying on the floor of the broch and hanging over the edge and into the hole of the so-called well itself. See- the thing is- half way down the steps in the well is an alcove to sit in and I just got the feeling that this structure was used as more than a means of getting waterÉ..
After going round the broch with our guide book we walked along Aikerness beach for a bit and the first thing I saw on the beach was a rather nice cowrie shell. However further hunting proved fruitless and it appeared to be the only one!

Maes Howe, Orkney Mainland
Monday 12/8/96
We got up early this morning for a day of exploring megaliths. First stop however was the stores in Finstown called Binkies to stock up on their rather excellent butteries! Next stop- Maes Howe. After landing on Orkney and on our way to the van we’re staying in we passed Maes Howe and many other megalithic sites and I got very excited at the prospect of seeing them all at long last. Parked next to the exhibition house/gift shoppie type place, paid our money and waited to be escorted over the road and on to the tomb. It was like being back at a school trip! The tomb has a fantastic entrance chamber and once inside it’s most impressive- there’s some huge slabs of stone went into the building of that place. Okay- so you get herded about by the (very good) guide and not much time to sit and ponder, but this really pales into insignificance in such a powerful place. Imagine being in there watching the sun set at the Winter SolsticeÉ.

Skara Brae, Orkney Mainland
Monday 12/8/96
The next stop after the Ring of Brodgar was Skara Brae. Of all the places we explored today this was Kats fav. I thought it was v good too- nice wee hooses! I wondered why the Ring of Brodgar was so quiet today- that’s cos all the folk were here- busy busy busy! Still- didn’t spoil it at all. The interior of the houses are amazing- stone dressers, stone cupboards, stone boxes, stone beds- it doesn’t seem like they slummed it here! What was also cool was being able to walk through the houses and through the low corridors connecting the various living quarters. There’s also a small hut with an exhibition in it displaying many of the finds from the site which is cool- better than being stuck in some dusty old museum hundreds of miles away.

Ring of Brodgar,
Monday 12/8/96
This was the next stop after the Stones of Stenness and before Skara Brae. The setting of these stones is truly awe-inspiring. The site is between two lochs and has an amazing banked ditch all round the circle. Okay- so the stones weren’t as massive as Stenness, but the actual ring itself is huge. Not that many folk around which was cool- so went a bit trigger happy with the camera! Many of the stones have the same great sloping tops to ‘em- like the Stenness stones.