Latest Fieldnotes

I lived in Stanton Harcourt between 1993 and 1997 and now live in the next village (Eynsham) and although I knew the Quoits were there, I never saw them until October 2002 where I was treated to acarefully re-constructed building site.

It’ll be great when they are re-erected and reopened for public scrutiny, however, one Stanton Harcourt resident reported to me that there may be some opposition from certain (small minded!) villagers as they fear that displaying them again might attract ‘undesirable-types’ to the village.

Sitting alone, silently, gracefully, in splendid isolation at the top of a field, its a miracle this one wasn’t pulled down and ploughed up centuries ago. But she wasn’t.

What a grand place this will be to return to in the summer for a picnic with a loved one. Big skies, tall grass, great open sort of vibes off this. Tricky finding it. You need a map. She is marked, just as Julian says, but there’s no signposts and you can’t really see her from the bottom of the field. Have faith and keep walking. This peaceful and stately treasure is just waiting to be discovered.

WOW! What a great place to find, tucked away just off the A44 at Enstone. (Coming up from Oxford, just turn left after the ugly garage as you hit Enstone, towards Spelsbury and it’s on the corner of the next crossroads – about 100 ms off the main A44)

This is a HUGE monumental beastie – quite hard to photograph as it’s tucked away amongst some trees and is very, very big.

A very masculine place but comforting, too, like being swept up into the arms of a strong man. Some real swirls of magic coming off it. Sit on the broken stones nearby and take in that mossy green vibe. It’s dank, it’s dark, it’s brooding and big. You’ll love it.

Although only 2ft tall this is worth a look because standing stones are rare in this part of the country. There used to be 3 stones here but only one remains

A tree covered Ironage hillfort, it has 2 banks, with a ditch in between, and another bank and ditch to the SE and W

The fortifications enclose Cholesbury Church

A very enigmatic earthwork, which curves around the river Lea forming a semicircular area just over 7ha. No entrances or extrenal features are known. But stone age pottery and flint arrow heads have been found. Finds are in the Luton Museum

Five Knolls Round Barrows is an ancient burial place dating from the New Stone Age/ Late Bronze Age. It is actually a group of 7 round barrows. Consisting of 2 bowl barrows, 3 bell barrows, and 2 pond barrows.

Over 90 skeltons have been found here, about 30 of these had there hands tied. Finds are in Luton museum.

Ivinghoe Beacon is a late Bronze Age – early Iron Age hill fort which has been settled since the 7th-8th century BC. There are numerous barrows around the site.

One in particular is quite impressive as it is rather large and there appears to be a raised causeway linking it and the top of the beacon.

This is a good place to watch the sunrise on the Summer Solstice, as the sun aligns itself with the above barrow.

Parking is good and it is well maintained.

Poor nine ladies. visited last week and was disappointed by how the site is treated. Stones broken. People thinking they are to be used like a picnic bench (’hey if you sit on this one it like vibrates!’ was the cry of one idiot). Beer cans, burnt out tea candle tins. I stayed about 5 minutes having just come from the magnificent Arbor Low. Thankfully there are many other peaceful spiritual places in the peak that require a bit more than a stoned shuffle from a car to see. I havent heard anything about the quarrying proposal recently. Can anyone enlighten me? Seems they have been quarried already. Pagan rituals....PAH! Self indulgent and deluded bullshit is what I see from most of the people that visit this place.

There are two tracks to threestone burn, the one we chose had us park at South Middleton and walk the three miles to the circle over bridleways and pathways.

To the left and right on the route there is a cairn and a remains of a fort. Looking backward on the way, you can see across to Old Bewick.

To reach the Circle you must walk through the garden of Threestone Burn House, so tread politely (no dogs seen or heard) cross the stream and follow the path towards the woods, the circle is on the left as you reach the woodland.

Overgrown in its surroundings, Burle states one of the stones is 5ft 6, but I dispute that. The northern end of the circle is closest to being intact, other stones are fallen or removed.

The modern landscape is blocked by plantations, but its proximity to Cheviot & Harthope suggest worship of the mother landscape.

Access is denied until June 2002 due to woodland operations

Up on the moor, turning off the Wooler to Chatton road at a 90º corner head up the single track road until you cross the first cattle grid. Park here and the rocks are on your right about 100yards away.

Stone markers have been left to show which rcoks are inscribed.

Our Neolithic friends had plenty of canvas to work on, but some of the largest & flattest rocks are untouched.

Looking at the views, maybe this is because of the carvings alignment with the surroundings. There are new trees nearby, but if you look to the South-West you can see the twin hills of Harthope and Cheviot.

A Sacred Landscape.

Field Notes From The Tomb of the Eagles 5th September 2000

We arrived in Orkney on 3rd September 2000 with the idea that we would tour around and had pitched camp initially at the campsite at Stromness which was on the headland overlooking the harbour at this stage we had a vague plan to camp at different places as the week wore on.
Every morning as we paid for another night at the Stromness campsite the woman who ran the site would ask where it was we were off to that day Stennes, Maes Howe etc, until one day we said that we were going to visit The Tomb of the Eagles. This led to the following conversation which if you have seen the Comic Strip’s Five Go Mad in Dorset ran along the lines of the exchange Robbie Coltrane as the old gypsy/ old woman etc warning the Famous Five not to go anywhere Kneecap Hill (a strange place full of mysterious comings and goings etc)

It went something like this

Campsite warden (in mysterious knowing all but giving nothing away Scottish tone)“So your are going to the Tomb of the Eagles are you? Aye that’s a place you will never forget you will still be talking about it many years from now”
Joolio Geordio “ Why what is it like?”
Campsite warden “ I cannot tell you but you will never find me going all of the way out there but it will be an experience that you will never forget aye you and your friend!!”

I have to admit that in the true Scooby Doo tradition that this got the alarm bells going somewhat – what was out there that was so scary?

Julian described the Tomb of the Eagles as an outstanding place a perfect place “Visit the Tomb of the Eagles it’s a killer.”
So with curiosity and trepidation we drove down there past the Churchill Barrier and the hulks of wrecked ships to the Tomb of the Eagles. And what did we find?

Firstly an excellent and informative presentation on the history of the tomb at the museum at Isbister Farm handling some of the relics found there. Then a walk to the Iron Age House where Ronald Simison who had discovered the tomb, again gave an excellent talk on the history of the house.
And then we were off to the Tomb itself the walk to this is worth the admission fee alone, along the coast skirting high cliffs and the weather was perfect “on a clear day you can see forever”

The tomb itself sits not far from the cliff edge facing the sea Julian was right a perfect place. To get into it you have to lie on a wooden trolley (like those used by Charles Bronson in the Great Escape) and pull yourself through the tunnel using the rope.

And what did we find? Come on that would be like giving away the ending to The Mousetrap! If you haven’t been there already then you really need to go. If you have already been then go again.

Incidentally for those of you that are interested the reason for the Campsite Warden’s mysterious warning was that two long lost relatives returning from Australia had tried to enter the tomb and not being as slimline as they once were had become wedged in the tunnel. I take it that this was a hint for me to go on a diet!!

Joolio

Maelmin is situated in the middle of the Milfield plain, part of the Till Valley. Today, it is a reconstruction of the Milfield North Henge. In the past it has been many things, Including a Royal Town.

Interesting to see beside the modern plantation, but step back and imagine how it must have looked, with the backdrop of the Cheviots – an awesome site.

The henge is 33 metres in Diameter with 21 outer posts and a ring of 30 inner postswith ditches and banks.

A reconstruction, with a short “timeline walk” but worth seeing. No dogs though which is disappointing for me. You can get info in the village of Milfield at the cafe

At the other side of the man-made Loch Airthrey from the Airthrey Stone (about 800m W of it) stands the Pathfoot Stone.
This 11 ft giant sits on top of an embankment at the side of Hermitage Road close to the Stirling University student blocks. When you stand at the bottom of the embankment, the stone imposes itself over you with trees behind it. It really has a huge presence.
Despite it being a bit patched up with concrete and the surrounding university building and landscaping(see misc.), its a great place to just come, sit, chill out, people watch and have your lunch, as I’ve done a few times before.

I’ve been up here once before , in November 2000. I walked up through the old copper mine wood from Bridge of Allan. The old copper mines possibly made this whole place a place of added power during the bronze age.

The cairn sits at the edge green 11 of the Bridge of Allan golf course. It is a lot smaller than it used to be according to Faechem’s Prehistoric Scotland – a lot of the stones were removed for the usual dyke building. I think there were some goodies found by the victorian robbers, although I’ll update this when I get Faechem’s book from the library again.

The view sitting on the cairn is amazing – the hills rise up slowly from the other side of Strathallan and then further away to the NW the higher highland mountains are THERE. The Forth Valley and Stirling town are spread out down to the west.

I made my way back down to Bridge of Allan, following the old cattle droving road.

I’ll be back here with a camera.

03/02/02 And back I came. Well worth the climb from Bridge of Allan.

Finally, we reach The Cop. Deep in the cougar-infested woods on the Bledlow Ridge, on the eastern spur, opposite the Bledlow Cross, a small mound, deep in trees.

Now hugely overgrown, this must have been a magnificent place to be buried (along with the other barrows in this small group) – the Chilterns fall away (the Ridgeway marking the boundary) to reveal an enormous plain, a view for eternity, still takes my breath away every time I see it.

Trees, nettles and rabbits occupy this site now ...

About 2 years ago my daughter and I visited the circle on Hordron Edge as part of a circular walk, and had some difficulty accessing it from the nearest road. I went for the high jump and she opted for a bit of limbo dancing. From the circle we returned to the car at Sheepwash Bank (large car park) with little difficulty.
So, park at Sheepwash Bank (238838), walk along the road fist north west, then west, then south and turn right on to path on to Bamford Moor. Follow this path roughly north west with the stream on your right and the magnificent Stanage Edge behind it. this part of the edge runs north west anyway so it acts as your compass. Soon you reach the watershed and begin to descend Jarvis Clough, where Hordron Edge becomes apparent to your right and running off to the north.
All this sounds a lot but on a nice day it’s no problem, and there are many other sites of interest in this area.

Visited Wayland’s Smithy on my 30th birthday, and must say I didn’t feel quite so old! And what a birthday party with such esteemed company. Mrs Ironman & I enjoyed a bit of birthday cake there and managed to get a whole hour of undisturbed peace. The highlight of an otherwise hectic day spent travelling from Bristol to London and back again!

On this freezing cold January afternoon the hills above the circle were alive with people walking their dogs, out with the kids etc. Quite a few of them walked to the circle in the time we were there, and I got the feeling, as in Julian’s notes in TMA, that local people Love this site. Great view of the hills to the east and over Morecambe bay.

Scant remains, in complete ruin (the result of excavations, from what I can gather), of what must have once been a very impressive site (well according to the artist’s impression!). Still keeps a good amount of atmosphere however.

Cheetham Close stone circle is almost non-existant. One stone stands roughly 0.5m upright, the rest are fallen and barely visible above the tufts of moorland grass. Around the site are the remains of a couple more cairns.

The ruinous condition of this circle are the result of a local farmer, the tenant of Turton Tower, taking sledgehammers to the stones in 1871, the circle was said to be in a good condition until that point.

Love your brum-brum engine! It won’t love you that’s for sure when you make it climb the hill to this place! “Upwards at 45 degrees” gained new meaning there!

After roaming around, freezing are fingers and toes off, Commondale and Freebrough Hill we finally reached these lovelies. I was a stone-circle virgin and lost my circle virginity at the High Bridestones – how appropriate we thought!

The main stone looks just like a big willy with it’s bell-end and it’s lovely grassy forest – but it’s a good one! I’m currently painting it, and everyone who sees it thinks the same thing...

A few fallen stones beside it, and some smaller ones scattered about – we had some gorgeous views on that FREEZING autumn evening.

The area can be very boggy when wet, so best not take your good shoes. Lots of lumpy moss all around helps give it an other-worldly atmosphere, but I have to aggree that the area has been badly disturbed by ignorant pheasant shooters, local teens and sheep farmers!

The Low Bridestones just down the hill towards Grosmont are quite hard to find amongst the heather and peat bogs, but just follow the stone wall from the road and you’ll soon see them.

We could easily see circles here, but you’d need an aeriel view to get a better idea of what’s there – but we’re convinced!

Take lots of thick, warm clothes and hot drinks if you go at anytime other than a heatwave – that wind is a nighmare!

I probably wouldn’t be able to count how many times I’ve climbed this wonderful hill!

Also known as Odin’s Hill, due to the theory that he was once worshipped here, it is a great place for a lovely walk with friends and family, and is often visited by the locals in the Cleveland / South Durham area.

Has gorgeous views of the Freebrough Hill, Cleveland Hills, the North Sea, Eston Nab, the Wainstones, Great Ayton and the ‘Teesside’ conurbation.

If you look at this site on Multimap (or just any map really!) you’ll see, just to the south, Aireyholme Farm, once home to that great explorer James Cook! He has a bloody great monolith all to himself over on Easby Moor – lucky sod!

As you climb from Roseberry Lane and Newton-under-Roseberry you’ll pass through Newton Woods, which a wonderful oak wood filled to the brim with bluebells in spring!

Go there, climb, sit, enjoy. And if anyone uses their mobile phones: THROW THEM OFF THE EDGE!!!!!! (the people that is!)

I first saw this stone when I was still at school and used to hang around here with a friend who lived nearby.
This sturdy, giant, 12 foot stone stands in the centre of the small county town of Clackmannan.
The stone almost certainly doesn’t sit in the original landscape but has been revered in history and folklore throughout different ages and now is a symbol of the fierce independance of the old county of Clackmannanshire.
You wont usually find this a particularly serene place, but it is worth the visit, if for no other reason, than to check out the extraordinary phallic nature of this monument – the main part of the stone is at a slight angle and has a large and seperate boulder sitting on top.
It’s an absolute rager, sitting right in the middle of this traditional and sleepy looking Scottish town centre.

This feature is cool, you can actually lie inside it like a granite coffin.
I visited this site a few years back. I was maning a check point for an orienteering event.
Spent about 3 hours here. Even had a snooze in it!