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Sunkenkirk & Long Meg

I took my mum, as promised to Sunkenkirk last week. We parked in a little lay by fairly near to the site as she isn't too steady on her pins. I took my wild flower book TJJ & managed to identify a few blooms! She kept asking me what had "happened" to me over the last months & that I'd changed; I was more settled & less giddy. Sunkenkirk really enchants me; twice now on the approach I find myself questioning where it's hiding, & if I'm in the right place. I know where it should be but can't see it when all of a sudden it appears over the slight crest of a rise on the path. Like Castlerigg it sits in the centre of the landscape.
She wandered around & around touching the stones & exclaiming at their size & the effort involved in erecting them; & "what are they for?" She told me that she feels about trees the way I feel about stones & that she stands & hugs them; so we hugged some stones together! She commented that if anyone was to see us they'd suppose we were " off our rockers"! On the path back to the car we constantly turned back for one last look & she said she didn't want to leave. When we lost sight of the circle we found a tree & hugged that as well.
Next to Long Meg.; she got a fierce hug & some passers by stopped to chat & laughed with us. Mum traced the carvings with her finger & tears came to her eyes as she wondered about who'd gone before. Some ramblers who looked nearer mum's age passed by saying they should strip off & run around naked & find a sacrificial victim! A young goth couple from Italy set to & explained perfectly the known history of the place; the ramblers soon quieted & left with far more knowledge about their own history than when they'd arrived. The Italian couple had been to Castlerigg & I was proud to direct them to Little Meg. We discussed the journey to Sunkenkirk which they also hoped to see. They were to stop at Avebury on the way down South to Dover on their journey home. They were so excited & knew so much about our places. The boy told me they didn't have circles, cairns or barrows in Italy. They looked fantastic with their wild black hair & studded leather. We ate strawberries together which they'd offered me & mum. Their rickety old car didn't look capable of the distances they had to cover but they had every faith. We counted the stones together. My mum was blown away, as was I. Who'd have thought it she says.

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Posted by carol27
6th August 2015ce


Comments (5)

Lovely, sounds a magic day out. thelonious Posted by thelonious
6th August 2015ce
Great notes Carol :) thesweetcheat Posted by thesweetcheat
6th August 2015ce
I really enjoyed reading this Carol, your Mum sounds lovely. tjj Posted by tjj
9th August 2015ce
lovely post thanks for sharing :) treehugger-uk Posted by treehugger-uk
9th August 2015ce
Thanks folks; yes, she's a treasure. Posted by carol27
10th August 2015ce
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