Latest Fieldnotes

bit of a sad site. neglected, not much magic.

had an interesting experience here summer solstice a few years back.

In a field at side of A39 to Wadebridge, near Columb Major. Go past the woods on the left, then look for layby on right with phone. There is a stile by layby, but hidden. You cannot miss the stones.

This is the only alignment of stones within the County of Cornwall. Nine stones remain extending over 300ft. Some big, some small, some fallen. Orientated NE/SW. After eight hours in the motor, dusk here brought me up.

Mind the cow shit.

A fantastic Scillonian entrance grave close to Lands End. About 15ft long with five capstones still in position. Marked as Chambered Cairn on Landranger, close to Penzance. National Trust land but ask at farm/house for permission. Quiet and beautiful.

Jan2000CE Eastern Scottish Borders

On a day of intermittent Snow, hail and Sun, I decided to head off to find this small site.
Narrow roads lead to where you will have to leave your car.

Bizarrely, you have to follow a rutted track of the old roman road called Dere Street for about a mile and a half to reach it. Being in the Cheviot hills, the roman soldiers didn’t have it easy, yeah, the road was straight, but up and down, upand down.

The site is windswept with fantastic views. The air was crisp and I left invigorated, back to the car before early nightfall and heavier snowfall.

The hike up to this stone is a killer, and the landscape is unforgiving. But reward is to be had when the twelve apostles are reached.

I can’t believe they are going to turn this place into a quarry, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The stones are so delicate, and the light catches the atmsophere beautifully. When I visited them in 2000, there were people camped nearby, supposedly trying to save the stones, all I saw was abuse of them.

Coldrums

Visited 21/09/2001. Continuing backon the M20 towards Sevenoaks we still had time to search out the Coldrums. it is rather weird burning down a busy motorway in search of our megalithic past – but if its good enough for Julian its good enough for me!

The road maps are all abit confusing but somewhere at junction 2A you pull off to Trottiscliffe – if you pass under the M20 you are going the right way...It seems a lot further than you think. You pass through the village and down past the church. you then wind on a bit and then come to a line of houses, inbetween which points the sign to The Coldrums.

Park in the car park (why would someone want to drop sweet wrappers here?) and follow the track down and to the right. the whole walk is about 3-4 minutes and the surrounding hills on this late summer evening were starting to glow with the suns dimming light. you reach a wider track and then continue along this (to the right) for a short way until the NT sign points you in!

Again, the stones are surrounded by a fence, but it is clear that this has not stopped revellers/devotees/nutters form gaining access. The stones that remain standing have a weary but defiant appearance and those that have slid down from the entrance form a formidable shambles. The site has a proud atmosphere.

Kits Coty

Even though this is near to Little Kits Coty, we still found ourselves a bit disoriented! You need to travel on up the hill back to the layby (described in Little Kits Coty, 4); about halfway, the road is joined on the left from Burham/Eccles. At the meeting of the roads, in the corner, there is a track. This track continues on the other side of the road – the Pilgrims Way. There is no sign for KC. Proceed up the wooded track, which is quite steep, and pass into the field on your left. Look up the hill (to your right!) and there it is on the crest. The Pilgrims Way continues up the hill/track.

As is told elsewhere, KC is surrounded by railings, but this has not stopped some graffiti artist. However, the vandalism is fading and I felt that the site was so much more than this silly incident. The view across the valley is impressive, with the recumbent(?) hill – Holly Hill (Holy Hill? etc) drawing your eye. There is unfortunately light industry doing its non-bit for the environment and the geography, although the remaining hills have no clear or specific strong features.

The stones are wonderful and very noble in their stance, quite heavily cup-marked. Again there was a cool serenity around and the adventure of finding this site was part of the buzz.

Little Kits Coty

Visited on 21/09/2001. LKC is clearly signposted on the road from Aylesford to Bells Hill on the right hand side. Even so we overshot, but found a layby/pull-in about 200m further up the hill on the left. We returned on foot which was abit hairy as there is little pavement and much traffic. the site is set within a large field and is accessed via a iron railing fenced, grassed walkway. As you look across from the site (North) there is a line of humming pylons. the road is busy enough to be distracting. LKC still has an ambience, and it was good to be there. The stones lie in disarray with the cupmarks full of recent rain. It is amazing really that this is still here...

As soon as I set foot within the boundary of this circle I was stopped dead in my tracks and overwhelmed with an unexpected demand for respect and reverence. The sense of power is immense and very alive.

(visited 3rd October 2001)

So very gutted that I can’t fit through this mysterious stone- will I ever be healed of this modern day grime? I think that this visit- beyond all expectations- will help. I think that I could sit here (and become another 1 for a 1011) for a long time-wind swept, megalithic contentment.

Yes, this amazing circle exudes peace. The walk here was all moaning winds and undergrowth but the second I stepped into the circle- quiet. Only the tops of the outer stones visible but the central pillar clear and still all quite easy to run around before I discovered the calming sensation of leaning on the centre stone- mellow. Well worth the rain.

It is reckoned that these settlements, of which there are many in Penwith, were training centers or initiation centres. Most of them are near or contain a fogou and are always situated near to a sacred hill, a quoit, a stone circle and a holy well. So it seems that each community had it’s own set of tools as it were. Unfortunatly the fogou at Carn Euny is the least impressive in Penwith as far as it’s feel goes. Probably because parts of it are missing, though the main passage seems complete.
However the whole complex of Carn Euny is very impressive – the largest ‘room’s shape is well worth checking out. Also notice how there is a ruined dwelling from a later period tacked on the edges of the settlement which has a very different feel to it ie. it is square. A nice compare and contrast – ‘brighten the corners’!

Go into the quoit – it’s a must. It’s often reckoned that quoits were once covered in soil, which would make them a bit like the fogou’s but with Chun it has such a wonderful vantage point to watch the sun rise and set from within (with gaps in just the right positions) that I would think that no-soil is the supossed state of affairs. So quite a stellar perspective then.

...over a year now since we visited the lonely Giant’s Grave, but it has stayed with me. It really just is two rocks in a field but shouldn’t be ignored. As we walked away up to the Lacra complex I felt the presence of the two stones all the way, and kept checking back to see them, tiny but eminently visible in the landscape, as we trekked up the hill. Not much left to see at the Lacra circles except the views of the sea and Black Combe’s westerly looming – a pleasant spot to hang out though. The pull of the Giant’s Grave clung on; I can’t help but feel we should have gone the other way – from the hilltop down to the gate way like stones and on to where...

A beautiful site in a great location. After suffering the drive from Oban along Loch Ness this is a great place to stop off and take in where you are. Sitting inside Corrimony is very cosy and warm on a bright day (how lucky is that), sounds naff but the site is really cute! After having a good look round Corrimony I took a walk to the nearby nature reserve which is really worth a visit. If you follow the road up the valley you’ll eventually come to a gate, past this is an avenue of trees, some of which are huge Gaint Reds. In the avenue there is a single stone on the left about 1.5m tall. Carrying on up the now dirt track you’ll soon hit the trees where I found a toad sitting under a toadstool, he look very blissed out and did not want to move but seemed quite happy to have his photo taken which one day I’ll hopefully get round to adding to the site. Shortly after entering the wood and you may be able to hear the Corrimony water fall. To find this there is a small path on the left and you’ll eventually come to a fantastic site where the water just flys off the top of the hill into a severe gorge. If you’re brave enough you could go swimming in the plunge pool. I tried to walk back along the river but could not due to a smaller fall and I didn’t fancy getting wet. There’s a disused hydro station in a shed at the bottom of the falls where the old supply pipe runs across the river. Its support bridge is very rusty, I’d recommend not touching it as any day not it’ll all come crashing down. This is one of the most stunning river gorges I’ve seen in the UK, it may be short but its beautiful.

The woods are natural Scots Pine and Silver Birch which make a nice change from the usual money mono crop forests in the area; there is alot of wild life about including deer if you’re quiet enough.

If anyone has ideas about how the location of Corrimoony may relate to the falls please add your feelings.

I can ignore that. There is a real sense of place here and in the whispering winds I can still feel it. Less of a pretty site and more of a place of raw power- awesome and rugged. So much imagination can be put to the other stones which surrond, standing and lying. I’m sure we passed through at least two ruined circles on the road leading up, too. Lots to think about and this large and impressive circle still here and central to it all. Rough, tufted fun.

Took a walk up here on 7-9-01. A friend who lives locally knew the way, ( if you are driving there is a small carparking area about 1/2 way up from the village. This leaves about a 40 minute climb.) this was helpfull as it was not particularilly well signposted.

A glorious sunny morning, however you turn a corner and the wind coming from the sea hits you. Take a hat.

The walk is more than worthwhile, an excellent circle with stunning views. We sat around for 1/2 hour taking it in before the wind got too much. It makes you think as to how much effort went into creating these works.

Hidden in a plantation of foreign trees that are alien to the landscape, this tiny circle has been much ravished.
But the feeling of ancient presence prevades it, whispering of dark, shadowy landscapes and torch-lit funeral processions in honour of a powerful, dead, queen.
The hairs on the back of your neck creep, and you turn around quickly and just miss seeing a primeval human darting behind a tree.
Spooky!

Visited the quoit in an autumn gale, the capstone poised ready to launch itself onto the surf of swelling grass.
Felt like I could ride that board to Men an Tol and out into the Atlantic!

Visited at the same time as a ‘Harry Safari’ minibus full of the elderly and foreign. Well, why not; but I observed that the not so nimble were struggling bending down in the fogou and the non-English speakers were somewhat baffled by Harry’s colloquialisms and interpretations of the site (and listening in, so was I). Still, the smiles in their eyes told me that the site had touched them with its mystery, as it did for me.
Rushed on to Men an Tol etc. before the minibus got there. I like people to enjoy the places so beloved to me, but I don’t like being part of a tourist attraction as I perform my ceremonies or just sit and meditate. Sorry Harry!

Dancing with the maidens at new moon on the autumnal equinox, raising the energy to heal a world reeling from The Lightning Struck Tower(s) across the ocean.
A merry dance of life amongst death; the joy of here and now, and place and time.
I finished by laying down in the centre, in the Shape of the Cross, and clung to the earth as the stars carried on dancing in a circle above me.
Returned to Treverven campsite and a celebratory feast of the Maiden’s blackberries, and scrumpy, in our tent.

Standingstone Farm, East Lothain
Friday 21/9/01 3:50pm
This is about plan C or D after a trip down to the Lammermuirs to check out some sites proved fruitless due to the continuing FMD restrictions. All the land, farm tracks, hill paths etc in this part of the land remain closed so I’ve compensated this disappointment by heading NW to the might of Traprain Law and the megaliths in its shadow. I was really hunting out Loths Stone, but have ended up here at the farm called Standingstone- no prizes for guessing where it gets its name from! I thought I’d better check the access around here and was directed to this amazing old farmhouse from a nearby cottage. The elderly woman owner was charm itself and invited me into her kitchen so we could have a look at the maps I had. She phoned round her neighbouring farms inquiring about access for me- turns out the public track up to Loths Stone still has sheep on it so the farmer would rather folk didn’t walk there just now. Anyway the woman gave me her number to phone at a later date to check out access and in the meantime was more than happy for me to have a look at the stone on the farm grounds. Back down the road from the main building and just behind a small cottage stands an orchard with this great monolith in the middle presiding over the trees. The orchard itself is waist high in stinging nettles and these buggers even managed to sting me through my combats! The stone’s over 2 metres high by about 60 cm thick and has been expertly shaped. The top of the stone slopes at about 45 degrees in a N to S direction and the whole monolith is covered in an amazing coat of khaki, yellow and white lichen. Even today after many years the stone still holds an almost perfect square cross section with sides almost in a N/S alignment (about 10 degrees) pointing towards Traprain Law. Time to head there and see if it’s open for business!

Directions
Take the A1 east from Edinburgh and head through Haddington on to East Linton. From here take the road south heading towards the might of Traprain Law. Pass Traprain and Sunnyside farms and pass the sign for the Law itself. Head straight on for a T junction and turn right passing Luggate farm. Traprain Law is on the right and at the SW base is a small group of cottages and farms. Standingstone is the last big building on the left of the road.

Traprain Law, East Lothian
Friday 21/9/01 4:35pm
This is East Lothians ‘Dunadd’- this hill dominates the East Lothian skyline as it rises out of the fertile farming plains all around. I can even see this mound from window in my work place in Edinburgh and it’s visible from many other points across the Capital and Mid Lothian. This must have been a great Mother of a central point for the megalith builders living around here- certainly- along its west base is a line of standing stones from Standingstone Farm, through Loths Stone, ending at another monolith just outside East Linton. The only other dominating feature of the land around here is the perfect cone of Berwick Law- another focal point for ancient civilisations. The climb up here is probably the most precarious I’ve done to any ancient site- my very limited climbing/scrambling skills certainly came in useful. I came up by the NE side of this ancient mound (not the easiest route I later found out!) which has been quarried in complete blinding disregard for this place. The presence of the quarry makes the climb up kinda scary and not for those like me trying to ignore the far-too-high drop to the right. This is the first time I’ve come up here though it’s been on my skyline all my life whenever I look towards the east. Driving here along the amazing country roads I rounded a small hill and it all of a sudden loomed over me filling the windscreen- ‘Fuck’ was my exact words! This place has been occupied/used from Neolithic, through Bronze (when it was used for burials), Iron ages up through Roman to about 5th century AD- jeez- that’s about 5000 years! It’s very size and position acts as a natural defence but there’s also man-made fortifications all around extending for over 100 m and up to 3.5 m thick. In more recent times this area has become the focus of paranormal/UFO research as the skies above my head have been filled with glowing orbs. Today it’s misty and I can’t even see as far as Edinburgh. There’s only one way back down from here and methinks it’s a sliding-down-on-yer-arse job!

Directions
Take the A1 east from Edinburgh and head through Haddington on to East Linton. From here take the road south heading towards the might of Traprain Law itself. Pass Traprain and Sunnyside farms and take the next right following the signs. There’s a couple of car parks- the second one from this direction has some Historic Scotland boards telling of history, folklore, natural history etc.