Appletreewick

Also known as:
Fancarl Top Circle
Nearest town:
Skipton (13km SW)
OS reference:
SE064631
OS sheet:
99
Latitude:
54° 3' 48.67 N
Longitude:
1° 54' 7.94 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Appletreewick (Stone Circle) by Kozmik_Ken

This is a log of visits to various sites from a number of Ambient Rambles over the years, with a number of people. Mostly around the Yorkshire Dales and the Scottish Highlands.

The Witch’s Pool and Glen Elg Brocks

On a trip into the Highlands with Scott and Shaun in May 1998, we’d stayed with a guy called Geordie who was building his own house near Drumnadrochit, overlooking Loch Ness and were now making our way over west for a couple of nights in the Bothy at Glen Torridon.

Near Loch Arkaig we came across a waterfall near an old bridge, down what is known as the ‘Dark Mile’ that seemed like an ideal place to have a poke around. Shaun and I climbed the path at the side of the waterfall and found a wonderful spot at the top. The hillside stream enters a natural rock basin where the water bubbles and boils as if in a deep green cauldron. The water then tumbles over a short ledge and on to a big waterfall into the pool below. The rock around the basin has an amazing swirly, almost psychedelic stratification. Not a megalithic site as such, but I can’t imagine that this place went unnoticed and it must have had some pretty powerful associations in pre-history.

The folklore of the site tells that it got it’s name after the Camerons once chased a witch, in the form of a cat, over these falls to her death. But I suspect that the name originates from the time of Christianisation of Scotland and reflects it’s older pagan associations.

Carrying on northwards we took a diversion over Bealach Mam Ratagan with it’s stunning views over the Five Sisters of Kintail, down into Glen Elg. Near the old Red Coat Barracks and the ferry to Skye are two magnificently preserved Iron Age Brocks, Dun Telve and further down the glen, Dun Troddan.

Both brochs retain about a half of their walls up to about 25ft high and many of the steps and galleries within the walls. Dun Telve still has its entrance intact, which is pretty megalithic looking. They must have been pretty forbidding when they were complete and inhabited with people defending it!

Clava Cairns

Later the same year I returned to Geordie’s, this time with my old friend Carol and her two young lads. Before we made our way over to Glen Torridon, we went for an Ambient Ramble around Loch Ness. After appeasing the young ‘uns with a visit to Urquhart Castle (nice loch, nice ruins, but clipped and pruned to death and crawling with punters) we headed out to more remote areas to seek out the local pre-history.

Trundling along we spotted signs for Corrimony Cairn in Glen Urquhart. A beautiful example of a Clava type cairn with a surrounding stone circle. When excavated in the 1950’s, many of the stones were found to be replacements and the outline of a crouched burial was found. There is also a cup marked slab which may have been part of the cist cover.

Onwards over to the eastern side of Loch Ness for a trundle over the higher moors. Skirting the edge of a plantation near Inverness, I spied a very obvious standing stone in the field. Gask is a Ring Cairn with most of the kerbstones still intact. Three standing stones remain from it’s circle, the largest being the one I had seen from the road, which is a massive flat slab about three meters high and the same wide. I liked this site as it hadn’t been trimmed or prettied up for visitors at all.

Next stop, the Balnuaran of Clava. Three of the many cairns in this area, situated in a wooded glade, with attendant stone circles. A beautiful spot, but we didn’t get long here as a coach-full of huge American tourists turned up and began to squeeze through the entrance, shattering the ambience of the place (I’ve never seen so much hardware in my life – video cameras, dicta-phones.... bet the BBC aren’t as well equipped as this lot!).

Also worth a visit just around the corner (while your there) is the Culloden Battlefield. Again, not a prehistoric site, but interesting non-the-less to see where it all came to an end. A very poignant place.

Ilkley Moor

Managed to fit a couple of trips onto the moor in with a couple of Ambient Rambles around the Dales, staying with friends at the study centre on Malham Tarn. The first being in Autumn 2000, my first time back on the moor for nine years, with a quick stomp up to the Twelve Apostles. I was disappointed to find that a couple of stones had fallen since my last visit. A thin pointed stone at the north eastern point of the circle that had leaned perilously a few years ago, had now completely fallen and lays partially embedded on the ground. Also, a low, flat stone that had stood on it’s longest edge had fallen and been re-erected nearby on it’s short edge. Many of the stones that had lain loose had been propped up with small rocks.

Upon leaving the circle and making our way back down the boardwalk, a plane circling Leeds/Bradford Airport skimmed low over the top of the moor and turned up into sky above us. Quite a sight!!

We returned to the dales the next spring, this time with Shaun along too, and fitted a day on Ilkley Moor in. I did my usual route over the moor – Cow n’ Calf, Haystack, Backstone Beck, Twelve Apostles, The Grubstones, Little Skirtfull, Idol Stone and the Pancake Stone.

While we approached the Grubstones, I notice some folk on a quadbike tearing up n’ down the moor. “Rich kids from Ilkley” I thought at first. We reached the gamekeeper’s hut and found the small path through the heather down to the Grubstones. No sooner had we reached the circle than I saw the quadbike twatting across the heather towards us. It was the flaming Gamekeeper!

“What you doin’ here” he shouted at us.

“Just looking at the circle mate” I replied.

“Keep t’fooking path. You’re disturbing the grouse”.

I pointed out that we’d quietly walked down a path disturbing nothing, whilst he’d just torn up about 20 yards of open heather with his four big wheels.... it didn’t go down well.

“If it were up to me I wouldn’t let no fookin’ c*nt up here”

“Good job it isn’t then!.... hang on a minute, you’ve just called us f*cking c*nts!”

And so it carried on until we walked off n’ left him to it. He got back on his bike with his two square-headed kids and rode off to find someone else to take a pop at. Sure enough, he was back ten minutes later to see if he could catch us in the circle! He became the winner of our first ‘Ambient Rambler’s Monumental Twat of the Week Award’!

So a word of warning to those who like to frequent Ikley Moor... if you see someone on a quadbike, avoid him n’ wait for him to sod off before you wander off the path.

Appletreewick

A bit of a flying visit this one as we were passing through Grassington. A hop over a rickety old dry-stone wall, scamper uphill a while and a bit of a search over scrubby, boulder strewn ground. A very small, low circle, not obvious until you’re right on top of it.... lots of sheep shit too.

Image credit: Andy H
Kozmik_Ken
Kozmik_Ken Oct 1, 2003

Articles

Appletreewick

T
TMA Ed Jun 13, 2006

The TMA Eds have received an email from Miles Johnson, the Countryside Archaeological Adviser for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

He wishes to remind people that the circle at Fancarl Top is on private land not covered by the CRoW open access Act. The landowner contacted him because people trespassing to get to the circle were damaging the surrounding drystone walls. The landowner was also unhappy that the stones had been ‘inappropriately decorated’ by people accessing the field without asking for his permission.

Although Mr Johnson wished us to remove the circle from the website, we would respectfully suggest that it would be better left on here with this note attached, in order that anyone using TMA to identify visitable sites will then know and understand the landowner’s wishes (unfortunately this will not influence the trespassing of people who do not use this website).

TMA Ed.

Appletreewick

T
The Captain Dec 20, 2004

Visited this site yesterday (19/12/04). Though small the location of this five stone circle is incredible. We got there at around 9am as the Sun was rising in a clear blue sky behind Simon’s Seat. Weather was cold, frost on the ground and snow on the hill tops.

The circle appears to be based around one natural boulder. At the particular time of day the shadow cast by this stone bisected the circle and pointed in the direction of the snow covered Whernhside away in the distance.

As other people have correctly stated the hillside is strewn with large stones. There does appear to be some evidence for an outer circle. One large flat 7 foot high stone with a flat base now lays on the ground directly in line with the largest stone in the circle. Other largish stones are also found if you pace the same circumfrence, the weathered striations down the sides suggested that they once stood upright.

Further down the hill, on the way back to the Grimdale Reservoir entrance we found a solitary standing stone, lined up with a boulder.

A great site, well worth a visit.

Appletreewick

Chris Collyer
Chris Collyer Nov 7, 2003

A ring of 6 stones measuring about 10 metres in diameter.
Strange how people’s perceptions of a site can be so different, everybody else who has visited this site seems to have loved it. Maybe it was because it was getting dark and cold, maybe it was having to jump the wall and the feeling of trespassing or maybe it was the decayed whole sheep remains and bits of bones, but I only stayed long enough for a quick look round and a few photo’s. I do have to agree about the largest stone though, it looks like a natural boulder that is partly covered with grass to the south and with a flat front facing into the circle, almost like it was addressing it – could explain the orientation of the site. I found it interesting that the fine views to the south that can be seen from the road are just about hidden at the circle with only the tops of the distant hills still in sight – was this circle meant to be hidden from those approaching from (or living in) the south?

Appletreewick

Jane
Jane Sep 16, 2003

A small circle of six stones, not tear-jerkingly cute in a Doll Tor way, and not dramatic or breathtaking either, it’s just there, comfortable with itself and it’s rather nice. Cracking views of dales all around, this little survivor is absolutely worth a peep. When we saw it there were patches of blue dye all over them, all at a certain height. Immediately I thought ‘bloody graffiti vandal bastard-types!’ but then I realised that the sheep, sprayed with blue identification dyes cuddled up against the stones as they sought shelter from the wind, which fortunately wasn’t howling the day we went.

A gratifying short walk from the car, this is highly suitable for people who find walking either difficult or rather tedious.

Appletreewick

stubob
stubob Sep 8, 2003

I have to agree with Moth......while up at the circle Fitz and me had the same kinda thought...that the biggest stone in the circle could be naturally sited

Appletreewick

Moth
Moth Aug 14, 2003

10 August 2003
Got here at the fourth attempt in about 2 years, having thrashed about within a few yards of the damn thing on every single previous occasion….

Well worth all the trouble it was though! A distinct circle of stones including one pretty big boulder, which looks as if it’s possibly in the position where it was found by the ancients, with the other stones placed to make a circle….

This is the ‘inner’ circle of what is allegedly 2 concentric rings.

The outer ring, however, is so irregular and ruined that I don’t think I’d have suspected it if I hadn’t known in advance – especially as the whole area is littered with ‘random rocks’. John and I spent some time pacing out distances to surrounding rocks and to be honest, remain slightly sceptical.

Ironically, the site did remind me very faintly of the double concentric ring I’d visited the day before, the Druid’s Circle of Ulverston. This had more to do with its size and atmosphere than the possibility of a double circle though.

Well, who cares? Single ring or double, the setting overlooking 3 dales is beautifully remote and infinitely calming. It won’t be long until I’m back now I know where it is!

Appletreewick

L
linz23 May 19, 2002

Came here in February 2002 following a footnote from Aubrey Burl and a bad printout of an OS map. Couldn’t work out where the circle was so headed for the top of the biggest hill, demolishing and re-building a wobbly drystone wall in the process. There are so many big stones, weird dips and sheep skulls in the fields around it that it took a while to get there, but what a cool little circle it is. It feels really peaceful and a place to spend some time despite icy cold, bones everywhere and truckers steaming past on the road nearby. Even under a grey sky the stones were glowing.

Appletreewick

fitzcoraldo
fitzcoraldo Apr 8, 2002

We parked up beside the B6265 Pateley Bridge road and entered the moor through a gate beside the quarry.
A short traipse revealed a moor covered in stone debris. Following Ironman’s instructions we walked along the brow and there it was.
Appletreewick is a lovely little circle.
In comparison to the lakeland circles, which have the vibe of a neolithic minster, Appletreewick has the vibe of a chapel serving a small community.
Once you’ve taken in the circle check the view and you know why it is sited there. It is on a hillside at the convergence of three dales. Ahead of you is Wharfedale, to your right is the valley of the River Dibb and to your left the valley of the Barben Beck.
A mile or so to the south east there is a large area of cup marked rocks, I did not have time, (or should I say my kids would not come with me and I couldn’t leave them) to investigate them. I shall definitely return to this area.

Appletreewick

IronMan
IronMan Mar 4, 2002

A lovely little site. This site hardly gets mentioned, but don’t let that put you off. The stones and setting are gorgeous, I led here for 3/4 hour, on this solo trek, without worrying once about the bitter cold. These stones have great character. The view to the west is fantastic, on this day the tops were covered in snow, and stormy clouds gathered on the high ground over Malham. I’d been feeling depressed all week, pressures of work and other niggly little problems, this place just sorted me right out. I got the feeling that this site doesn’t get much attention, I’d love to know how long it is since the last person visited before me.

If you do intend to come here make sure you look at the images on TMA! I came with a map, and no idea what the site looked like. I think I must have found about six other suspect stones and sites before arriving at the correct one! Don’t get distracted by the hundreds of boulders lying temptingly all over the area, carry on, this isn’t a completely ruined circle, it is a recognisable one. The circle is on the brow of the hill – remember that!

One of the bigger stones is covered in cup marks, and if you check around the area a few of the stray stones have similar markings.

Miscellaneous

Appletreewick
Stone Circle
fitzcoraldo
fitzcoraldo Apr 8, 2002

This site is approx 1 miles EES of Appletreewick

“A major site (rock art) is at Skyreholme, where 33 gritstone boulders and other earthfasts have simple cups, some grooves, and a few rings. Some cups are linked by grooves. The rocks lie at c.350m OD.”

British Prehistoric Rock Art
Stan Beckensall
Pub.1999

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