Its time for another visit, this time without snow and Ice, I was able to get much closer with the car this time. In fact so close, that when I parked in front of the gate that gives access to the stones field that I saw a map by the gate and instructions detailing that there is a permissive footpath to the stone. No trespassing needed today or ever again. Good stuff.
Small sheep take no chances with me and run off to the other side of the field, no brave one, no staring, no Baaing, good sheep. The stone is still seven foot tall and still leaning, more or less in the direction of a spring and waterfall to the north west. It is a big hefty chunk of stone similar in appearance, from some angles to Carreg y Big a mile and a half north. Thin wisps of mists can be seen against the dark green of the nearby conifer plantation, but the sun stubbornly stays behind the thick clouds.
A good stone well worth the trouble of navigating the small roads, snow or not on foot or by car, if you've just been to the fort at Oswestry there really is little excuse not to come see these two big stones.
This stone is only a couple of miles away from Oswestry hillfort, the only reason I didnt come here years ago is I dont really do shropshire so I never owned the appropriate map, and didnt know of their existence, put that right straight away.
Needless to say that the roads are still atrocious
and the first hill outside of Oswestry saw my car doing the moonwalk, It couldnt even get a grip of the road following the snow plow. Seeing as the two stones are relatively close to each other I decided it wouldnt be too much hardship to walk from car to stone then to the other stone and back to the car.
I parked the car on the crest of the hill near the old racecourse common, and started the walk down hill, it was further than it looked on the map or perhaps i'm used to getting everywhere in a car at the hurry up, either way I got there eventually.
There is a gap in the hedge nearest to the stone so its easily seen from the road and the fence is easily stepped over, even the snow, though a foot deep was loose and creamy and fun to walk through, I delighted in walking in a few circles just to confound anyone following (like anyone is coming up here today).
The big heavy stone is about seven feet tall and leans slightly to the northwest, it has a snow free trough all around it as if sheep were hiding here. I gingerly touched the stone expecting it to be freezing cold but it was almost warm to the touch, was it my cold hands or does rock not get cold. The fog is moving quickly across the hilltops but right now it lends an ethereal beauty to the place, giving one just a whiff of the outside world.
Its time to start the long walk to the other stone, Carreg y big, when I reached the village at the bottom the hill, Rhydycrousau, a kindly old gent gave me a lift in his 4x4 back up the hill, I think he thought I was a bit nutty being out here photographing stones but he conceded that the snow certainly made for a diiferent photo.
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Posted by postman
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