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Standing Stone / Menhir
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Visited 17 October 2010. A lovely autumn Sunday with evening plans limiting the distance I can go persuades me that it's about time I ventured into the Forest of Dean. Despite living in Gloucestershire for four years by this point, I have never made it amongst the ancient glades of one of the county's most famous areas. TJJ's recent late summer pictures of the Long Stone are the clincher.
Taking note of comments about the busy nature of the road, I take the bus to nearby Christchurch, from where it's a stroll along the quiet paths of Ellis Reddings Wood and Marian's Enclosure towards the stone. The forest here is a lovely mix of deciduous species and widely spaced conifers, making for a pleasant atmosphere as sunlight slants through the canopy.
Approaching the edge of the woods, the Stone itself comes directly into line of sight. What a beauty! About seven feet tall, of sedimentary rock (I guess it's sandstone) with a slight lean and lovely tapering shape. Surrounding by bracken turning orange, with the backdrop of trees, this really is a great stone. A couple of tendrils of ivy snake their way up the stone's side, these will want watching if it's not to disappear from view. Being Sunday, the road is not too busy (although busy enough) and it is possible to disregard it enough to admire the stone at some length. Perhaps not a place to lounge around, but nevertheless the fine stone is enough to make a visit highly worthwhile despite the road's proximity.
After a while I head over the road and take a circuitous woodland route to Staunton, before heading on to The Buckstone.
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Posted by thesweetcheat
19th August 2012ce
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