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Exploring the Gypsey Race! A tour around a forgotten landscape

Of all the neolithic centres in Britain, one that has always held a special interest to me is the area built up around the Gypsey Race stream. Not least because the last place you expect to see a centre such as this is on my doorstep in the East Yorkshire wolds.

The name of the Gypsey Race also has certain romantic connotations. In the TMA Julian was told by a Bridlington book seller that the name of the river was such because it 'wandered around all over'. Whilst it does indeed meander all through this area, that is not really the reasoning behind the name.

A Gypsey river or stream is simply one which flows overland in certain parts and underground in others. At times of high rainfall the underground water levels from which the Gypsey survives breaks out overland and sometimes within a couple of hours a previously dry riverbed can become a raging torrent.

During the research for my trip to I'd come across lots of references to egends about the Race foretelling doom when in full flow. More references told me that the Race was only actually in full flow every two years or so.

I would suggest that to the Neolthic peoples who built there monuments around this river, this place was made ever more important because of the nature of the Gypsey. How amazing it must have been for the river to be suddenly dry and then because the underground water levels were full suddenly become a torrent. For a people who seemed to place great emphasis on nature and the 'Goddess' this life giving flow must have been a sight truly amazing to them. I don't see this river as being an omen for doom, rather a giver of life to be celebrated and not vilified.

So where to start? The TMA does say that the area around the race is a destroyed landscape. Many of the places having being ploughed out and the remnants simply impossible to see because of the crops growing around and on top. In actual fact there is only one possible place to start a pilgrimage such as this…Rudston!

The Rudston Monolith stands proud in the yard of the local church. A truly massive and awe-inspiring feature it stands 26 feet above ground with a lot more below. The monolith from the road gives the impression that it is much smaller, indeed my companion said to me at the time that it only looked the same size as the stones of Callanish. As soon as you get close though, it really does hit you. It is gargantuan, enormous, huge, this is something else, a lone monolith standing proud. How many odds must it have defied to stay standing in a place which has clearly been Christianised. I would wager that the only reason it did survive is because of its size. Indeed at one point in its history a cross had been placed upon its top. Not there any more I hasten to add! Now its crown is adorned by a metal helmet to help prevent erosion.

I had heard a rumour that the site was formally surrounded by a stone circle. I do not feel that this is folly! Of all the places that a stone circle should have stood this is surely it although there are no real remains of it left. The outer wall church yard is made up of red brick so no clues there. No sarsens remain in the walls to tell us their story. But the fact that a church has been built slap bang next to a clear Neolithic structure should be clue enough. Also part of the boundary walls look as though they could have once been circular. If that isn't enough there are earthworks in the grounds of the churchyard which go round in a circular motion. Maybe I'm reading too much into things but its all very coincidental. Plus it also appears that the church and the churchyard have been built on a mound with clear earthworks visible - further signs?

Our next point of call was to see if anything remained of the Little Argham Henge. The OS map showed the henge as being in a supposedly easy to find spot at the corner of two roads on the Maidens Grave hill. Also the Gypsey Race runs straight past it. According to local sources burials had been discovered here within a triangular structure at least four trackways led to it over the wolds. Given its proximity to Rudston and it being in direct alignment with the monolith, one suspects that the place was once of great importance.

Alas, farmers and father time care not one jot for former influence. The Henge was a massive disappointment. It has indeed been totally ploughed out and there are no signs of it that I could see from the ground. Add to this the added disappointment of seeing the Race for the first time – totally bone dry and rather anti-climactic! Ah well I understood that the race could be free flowing in some parts and dry in others such is the nature of the Gypsey.

After a long walk around the site of the henge we made our way back to the car and into the village of Burton Fleming. Here, as in most of the villages along its route, the Gypsey race runs alongside the main street. However at this moment in time the race was empty and the riverbed of the stream had grassed over such was the length of time that the Race had not flowed overland in this part of its journey. Back in the day such an event was the rising of the Gypsey race, it became a tradition for the local youth to come out and 'meet the Gypsey'.

From Burton Fleming we made our way to Willy Howe, a tree covered artificial mound, which had been hollowed out by excavators in the past. The Howe is in a dominant setting on the brow of a hill overlooking the race and can be easily seen on approach from the village. You can clamber through the thick undergrowth and onto the top of the howe but once you get there you are conforted with a steep drop into the middle. The place is totally overgrown and quite literally you can get into the belly of the mound where trees now grow.

From Willy Howe we headed to the gorgeous village of Wold Newton. Here the Gypsey Race flows freely and indeed supports a rather nice duck pond in the centre of the village. Our plan was to find the Wold Newton Barrow otherwise known as Ba'l Hill, a place identified in the TMA but only marked down as 'tumulus' on the OS map. Finding it was not hard. It lies in a field on the outskirts of the village it can be easily reached by going through a gate at the end of the street and following the race all of 50 yards to it. The Hill is not spectacular but I enjoyed being here much more than Willy Howe. The race in full flow and in such close proximity made it a bit more special. I could have done with taking a rest and enjoying a cup of tea of its summit however that would have involved forward thinking and I'm not great with that. From the top of the mound, its neighbour Willy Howe's tree covered summit can easily be seen.

Our nest stop was the tiny village of Foxholes which according to the map in the TMA, the source of the steam is. My companion entertained us with stories of his youth on the way there. He entertained us with recollections of boredom, staying in the village whilst on holiday as a youth. The highlight of his time being a trip to the now non-existant mushroom farm. Indeed there isn't much of Foxholes at all apart from the supposed source of the Gypsey Race that is.

Alas even this boast is not entirely true. The race merely disappears underground at the village only to re-appear along the road to Weaverthorpe a couple of miles down the road. There is much more to the complex of the Gypsey Race than meets the eye, namely Duggleby Howe one of the largest neolithic barrows ever found in Britain. It is the Howe that really marks the start of the ceremonial centre of the Gypsey Race for its true source is only a short distance away in a thicket on the outskirts of the tiny village of Wharram Le Street which in turn lies next to the ancient and abandoned village of Wharram Percy.

Duggleby Howe can easily be seen on approach from the village of Duggleby. It stands dominant on the brow of a hill overlooking the village. Alas its true majesty was disguised slightly by the wheat that was growing around us. My friend Andy had been suffering from hayfever quite badly all day and during the walk through the field his sinuses were giving him some serious problems. I'm sure the joy of reaching the top of the Howe was worth it despite his agony. I consoled myself afterwards with the thought that the tears streaming down his face were those of joy rather than the results of the pollen bombarding his senses.

With that our first days worth of touring was completed. We headed back to Rudston where we had booked ourselves into a room for the night. Early the next morning we used this base to explore the tiny village and take the opportunity to walk along the Race which trickled through. As one walks along pockets of air bubbles can be seen continuously rising from the river bed, air being squeezed out from pockets of air in the caves below.

We had not done the area around Rudston justice when we first visited. We were on a schedule and couldn't really deviate. Today we could be more relaxed and take things at a more leisurely pace. Following our exploration of Rudston we headed along the road to Burton Agnes and onto the summit of Beacon Hill. This is the highest place in the area and the place on which the Romans chose to build their road, Woldgate, directly across. We made our way to the summit using the OS map as our guide and were slightly saddened to see that our view to Rudston was obscured by a pesky copse of trees. Further down the hill along the Woldgate towards Southside mount, a much better view can be seen of Rudston church. Beacon Hill doesn't look like it should be that high but when you get on top you can see all around and the views, despite annoying copses, are tremendous.

On then to Southside Mount, which in its day would have been much more than just a grass covered mound. Its proximity to beacon Hill means that it would have easily been seen from there. It too would also have had a view of the monolith at Rudston and like its neighbour opposite, its view is also obstructed by a copse of trees. To get there we had a short hike of not more than half a kilometre from the road. The mound was easily found with the help of our trusty OS map nestling in the middle of a fledgling potato field. I was glad we found it so easily, we dodged our way through the crops and clambered onto the grass covered dome. Someone had been there before us, doing what I don't know but the grass was all flattened so make your own conclusions.

From here we thought a trip to the seaside would be nice. Given our proximity to the sea we thought it rude not to. Bridlington was a mere few miles away and we'd also be able to see where the Gypsey Race meets its end.

In actual fact the end of this magical flow is not entirely spectacular, it flows underground through the coastal town of Bridlington and into the North Sea at Bridlington harbour taking the sewage of Bridlington town with it. An unseemly end for a stream which was used to being held in such high esteem.

This was indeed a sad demise and Bridlington is not the most exiting of coastal towns. With this thought we drove out of the Harbour car park and towards the town of Flamborough and Danes Dyke.

Danes Dyke is a fantastic structure. Whether it had anything to do with the people that built the centre around the Gypsey Race I have no idea but I do know that this is a great place. The Dyke literally cuts off Flamborough head from the rest of the mainland and even now the size of it leaves you in awe just thinking of how someone could have constructed such a thing.

We are lucky that these days, parts of the Dyke are protected as a park and you can walk along it to its end. We parked up and did just that, the Dyke is huge when you walk along side it and then when you reach its end the view of the coastline is so fantastic. A worthy trip in anyones book and had we not had only one day left to explore as much of this area as possible I would have loved to have walked its length.

At Flamborough we dined on Fish and Chips and walked to the end of the head, seeing the lighthouse and also visiting the much less heralded lighthouse further inland. Now in the middle of a golf course, this lighthouse is actually the oldest in Britain despite its distance from the coastline or any form of nuisance rocks. Back in the day, ships had to pay a toll to go past a lighthouse and so the primary objective was not to save lifes but to get money. How it worked I have no idea but information plaques can be extremely good sources of information.

We returned inland and back through the Dyke, again looking mightily impressive from the road. This time the plan was to visit Spell Howe, a tumulus mentioned in the TMA but not covered on this website. I could not understand why this was but as soon as I found it I understood. The tumulus of Spell Howe is located within the grounds of a farmers garden. Not just any farm but a fort knox type place with beware of the dog signs, intercom and infra-red gate opening mechanisms. I had initially been confused by what my OS map was telling me and I walked all around the field at the side of the house to see if I could catch a glimpse of the mound. I was wrong, the mound is actually very easy to see, its just beyond the gate and is bang next to the roadside. We tried buzzing the intercom for a better look but nobody was home so the pictures that we took were from the outside. Again the placing is obvious, on the brow of a hill overlooking a valley, Spell Howe is at the top most point and could probably have been seen for miles.

We followed this with a trip to its neighbour, Sharpe Howe, again Julian marks this on his map of the region in the TMA. Our initial disappointment of not being able to see Spell Howe immediately had been overcome when we actually did find it. How we hoped that Sharpe Howe would continue our jubilation.

Unfortunately the ancient Neolithic monument of sharpe Howe is now a farmers dumping ground with sacks of rubbish, bails of hay and farm equipment strewn around it. The mound looks sad and more akin to a rubbish pile than the once proud hill that it probably once was.

After a quick clamber up and then down we decided upon one last port of call. A trip down the Wolds way to see the Kirkheads and the site of the Folkton Drum Barrow, which according to the TMA, could be aligned with Beacon Hill over eight miles away.

There is nothing to see, we followed the Way and were rewarded by some really quite beautiful scenery but the fields were far too full of crops and ploughed out to see anything at all. We headed to the Camp and then back again, I suffered sunburn and my companions hayfever didn't get better. The walk was wonderful though and the area and shape of the hills and valley floor reminded me very much of the Uffington White Horse and the Manger below.

There is indeed much more to the area around the Gypsey Race than meets the eye and I can only speculate as to what went on here in years past. Whatever it was, the Gypsey was a stream which inspired peoples to great things and although a lot of its course has changed and despite its unseemly end, it still plays an important role in the historical landscape of the Wolds.

The Gypsey Race — Images

10.06.04ce
<b>The Gypsey Race</b>Posted by notjamesbond<b>The Gypsey Race</b>Posted by notjamesbond

Willy Howe — Images

10.06.04ce
<b>Willy Howe</b>Posted by notjamesbond

Spell Howe — Images

10.06.04ce
<b>Spell Howe</b>Posted by notjamesbond<b>Spell Howe</b>Posted by notjamesbond

Spell Howe — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
We returned inland and back through the Dyke, again looking mightily impressive from the road. This time the plan was to visit Spell Howe, a tumulus mentioned in the TMA but not covered on this website. I could not understand why this was but as soon as I found it I understood. The tumulus of Spell Howe is located within the grounds of a farmers garden. Not just any farm but a fort knox type place with beware of the dog signs, intercom and infra-red gate opening mechanisms. I had initially been confused by what my OS map was telling me and I walked all around the field at the side of the house to see if I could catch a glimpse of the mound. I was wrong, the mound is actually very easy to see, its just beyond the gate and is bang next to the roadside. We tried buzzing the intercom for a better look but nobody was home so the pictures that we took were from the outside. Again the placing is obvious, on the brow of a hill overlooking a valley, Spell Howe is at the top most point and could probably have been seen for miles.

Sharp Howes — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
We followed this with a trip to its neighbour, Sharpe Howe, again Julian marks this on his map of the region in the TMA. Our initial disappointment of not being able to see Spell Howe immediately had been overcome when we actually did find it. How we hoped that Sharpe Howe would continue our jubilation.

Unfortunately the ancient Neolithic monument of sharpe Howe is now a farmers dumping ground with sacks of rubbish, bails of hay and farm equipment strewn around it. The mound looks sad and more akin to a rubbish pile than the once proud hill that it probably once was.

Rudston Monolith — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
The Rudston Monolith stands proud in the yard of the local church. A truly massive and awe-inspiring feature it stands 26 feet above ground with a lot more below. The monolith from the road gives the impression that it is much smaller, indeed my companion said to me at the time that it only looked the same size as the stones of Callanish. As soon as you get close though, it really does hit you. It is gargantuan, enormous, huge, this is something else, a lone monolith standing proud. How many odds must it have defied to stay standing in a place which has clearly been Christianised. I would wager that the only reason it did survive is because of its size. Indeed at one point in its history a cross had been placed upon its top. Not there any more I hasten to add! Now its crown is adorned by a metal helmet to help prevent erosion.

I had heard a rumour that the site was formally surrounded by a stone circle. I do not feel that this is folly! Of all the places that a stone circle should have stood this is surely it although there are no real remains of it left. The outer wall church yard is made up of red brick so no clues there. No sarsens remain in the walls to tell us their story. But the fact that a church has been built slap bang next to a clear Neolithic structure should be clue enough. Also part of the boundary walls look as though they could have once been circular. If that isn't enough there are earthworks in the grounds of the churchyard which go round in a circular motion. Maybe I'm reading too much into things but its all very coincidental. Plus it also appears that the church and the churchyard have been built on a mound with clear earthworks visible - further signs?

Rudston Monolith — Images

10.06.04ce
<b>Rudston Monolith</b>Posted by notjamesbond

The Gypsey Race — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
Of all the neolithic centres in Britain, one that has always held a special interest to me is the area built up around the Gypsey Race stream. Not least because the last place you expect to see a centre such as this is on my doorstep in the East Yorkshire wolds.

The name of the Gypsey Race also has certain romantic connotations. In the TMA Julian was told by a Bridlington book seller that the name of the river was such because it 'wandered around all over'. Whilst it does indeed meander all through this area, that is not really the reasoning behind the name.

A Gypsey river or stream is simply one which flows overland in certain parts and underground in others. At times of high rainfall the underground water levels from which the Gypsey survives breaks out overland and sometimes within a couple of hours a previously dry riverbed can become a raging torrent.

During the research for my trip to I'd come across lots of references to egends about the Race foretelling doom when in full flow. More references told me that the Race was only actually in full flow every two years or so.

I would suggest that to the Neolthic peoples who built there monuments around this river, this place was made ever more important because of the nature of the Gypsey. How amazing it must have been for the river to be suddenly dry and then because the underground water levels were full suddenly become a torrent. For a people who seemed to place great emphasis on nature and the 'Goddess' this life giving flow must have been a sight truly amazing to them. I don't see this river as being an omen for doom, rather a giver of life to be celebrated and not vilified.

Little Argham Henge — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
Our next point of call was to see if anything remained of the Little Argham Henge. The OS map showed the henge as being in a supposedly easy to find spot at the corner of two roads on the Maidens Grave hill. Also the Gypsey Race runs straight past it. According to local sources burials had been discovered here within a triangular structure at least four trackways led to it over the wolds. Given its proximity to Rudston and it being in direct alignment with the monolith, one suspects that the place was once of great importance.

Alas, farmers and father time care not one jot for former influence. The Henge was a massive disappointment. It has indeed been totally ploughed out and there are no signs of it that I could see from the ground. Add to this the added disappointment of seeing the Race for the first time – totally bone dry and rather anti-climactic! Ah well I understood that the race could be free flowing in some parts and dry in others such is the nature of the Gypsey.

Willy Howe — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
From Burton Fleming we made our way to Willy Howe, a tree covered artificial mound, which had been hollowed out by excavators in the past. The Howe is in a dominant setting on the brow of a hill overlooking the race and can be easily seen on approach from the village. You can clamber through the thick undergrowth and onto the top of the howe but once you get there you are conforted with a steep drop into the middle. The place is totally overgrown and quite literally you can get into the belly of the mound where trees now grow.

Ba'l Hill — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
From Willy Howe we headed to the gorgeous village of Wold Newton. Here the Gypsey Race flows freely and indeed supports a rather nice duck pond in the centre of the village. Our plan was to find the Wold Newton Barrow otherwise known as Ba'l Hill, a place identified in the TMA but only marked down as 'tumulus' on the OS map. Finding it was not hard. It lies in a field on the outskirts of the village it can be easily reached by going through a gate at the end of the street and following the race all of 50 yards to it. The Hill is not spectacular but I enjoyed being here much more than Willy Howe. The race in full flow and in such close proximity made it a bit more special. I could have done with taking a rest and enjoying a cup of tea of its summit however that would have involved forward thinking and I'm not great with that. From the top of the mound, its neighbour Willy Howe's tree covered summit can easily be seen.

Duggleby Howe — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
There is much more to the complex of the Gypsey Race than meets the eye, namely Duggleby Howe one of the largest neolithic barrows ever found in Britain. It is the Howe that really marks the start of the ceremonial centre of the Gypsey Race for its true source is only a short distance away in a thicket on the outskirts of the tiny village of Wharram Le Street which in turn lies next to the ancient and abandoned village of Wharram Percy.

Duggleby Howe can easily be seen on approach from the village of Duggleby. It stands dominant on the brow of a hill overlooking the village. Alas its true majesty was disguised slightly by the wheat that was growing around us. My friend Andy had been suffering from hayfever quite badly all day and during the walk through the field his sinuses were giving him some serious problems. I'm sure the joy of reaching the top of the Howe was worth it despite his agony. I consoled myself afterwards with the thought that the tears streaming down his face were those of joy rather than the results of the pollen bombarding his senses.

Dane's Dyke — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
Danes Dyke is a fantastic structure. Whether it had anything to do with the people that built the centre around the Gypsey Race I have no idea but I do know that this is a great place. The Dyke literally cuts off Flamborough head from the rest of the mainland and even now the size of it leaves you in awe just thinking of how someone could have constructed such a thing.

We are lucky that these days, parts of the Dyke are protected as a park and you can walk along it to its end. We parked up and did just that, the Dyke is huge when you walk along side it and then when you reach its end the view of the coastline is so fantastic. A worthy trip in anyones book and had we not had only one day left to explore as much of this area as possible I would have loved to have walked its length.

Kirkheads — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
After a quick clamber up and then down we decided upon one last port of call. A trip down the Wolds way to see the Kirkheads and the site of the Folkton Drum Barrow, which according to the TMA, could be aligned with Beacon Hill over eight miles away.

There is nothing to see, we followed the Way and were rewarded by some really quite beautiful scenery but the fields were far too full of crops and ploughed out to see anything at all. We headed to the Camp and then back again, I suffered sunburn and my companions hayfever didn't get better. The walk was wonderful though and the area and shape of the hills and valley floor reminded me very much of the Uffington White Horse and the Manger below

The Gypsey Race — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
Our nest stop was the tiny village of Foxholes which according to the map in the TMA, the source of the stream is. My companion entertained us with stories of his youth on the way there. He entertained us with recollections of boredom, staying in the village whilst on holiday as a youth. The highlight of his time being a trip to the now non-existant mushroom farm. Indeed there isn't much of Foxholes at all apart from the supposed source of the Gypsey Race that is.

Alas even this boast is not entirely true. The race merely disappears underground at the village only to re-appear along the road to Weaverthorpe a couple of miles down the road. There is much more to the complex of the Gypsey Race than meets the eye, namely Duggleby Howe one of the largest neolithic barrows ever found in Britain. It is the Howe that really marks the start of the ceremonial centre of the Gypsey Race for its true source is only a short distance away in a thicket on the outskirts of the tiny village of Wharram Le Street which in turn lies next to the ancient and abandoned village of Wharram Percy.

Ba'l Hill — Images

10.06.04ce
<b>Ba'l Hill</b>Posted by notjamesbond<b>Ba'l Hill</b>Posted by notjamesbond

Duggleby Howe — Images

10.06.04ce
<b>Duggleby Howe</b>Posted by notjamesbond

South Side Mount — Images

10.06.04ce
<b>South Side Mount</b>Posted by notjamesbond<b>South Side Mount</b>Posted by notjamesbond

South Side Mount — Fieldnotes

10.06.04ce
On then to Southside Mount, which in its day would have been much more than just a grass covered mound. Its proximity to beacon Hill means that it would have easily been seen from there. It too would also have had a view of the monolith at Rudston and like its neighbour opposite, its view is also obstructed by a copse of trees. To get there we had a short hike of not more than half a kilometre from the road. The mound was easily found with the help of our trusty OS map nestling in the middle of a fledgling potato field. I was glad we found it so easily, we dodged our way through the crops and clambered onto the grass covered dome. Someone had been there before us, doing what I don't know but the grass was all flattened so make your own conclusions.

Little Argham Henge — Images

11.06.04ce
<b>Little Argham Henge</b>Posted by notjamesbond
notjamesbond Posted by notjamesbond
10th June 2004ce
Edited 11th June 2004ce


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