The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Shapbeck Plantation

Stone Circle

Fieldnotes

Saturday 12 June 2004
In the area anyway, thought I'd pop up & get a few more pics for Stubob & Fitz who've shown an interest in this place.

You can still recognise the circle by the fact that there's an uncultivated patch in a cultivated field. At the moment this year the right field is recognisable by the fact that the field to the north is either fallow or has only just been seeded - it's bare dirt either way.

The undergrowth the stones lie amongst is not quite as thick or vicious as last year, with fewer nettles, making it MARGINALLY easier to see what's 'going on'.

There are roughly 12 stones left around the outside unevenly spaced and of varying sizes. The largest are probably about 6ft 'tall', though the majority of these are down.

I get the impression that with the possible exception of the few that are still 'rooted', the stones are not necessarily anywhere near their original positions. But as they stil form a vague circle, I'm not sure that it's likely they've been moved far either.

Towards the western side there is what looks like it could be the remains of a cairn-kerb with a whole load of (probably) clearance stones dumped in it. There are a couple of 'rooted' stones in this bit, but because of the undergrowth I found it difficult to estimate where the curve would take them if more remained.

Couldn't say whether it looked like i) nowt, ii) a few remnants of a small 'simple' cairn, off-centre to the outer stones, or iii) an inner circle/cairn circle like Gunnerkeld. Actually, if the latter, it's more like Oddendale, as the outer circle doesn't include any MASSIVE stones as at Gunnerkeld. Though they may have gone of course....

Anyway, I wish someone else'd go and have a look!!!! Preferably when the undergrowth dies down in the winter - it might be easier to make out.
Moth Posted by Moth
17th June 2004ce

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