Nestled in the hedge at Quoit Farm is Hautville's Quoit, Saturday 16th September 2006
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Hautville's Quoit in a very sad state, 16th Sept 2006
Hmmm....
Hautville's Quoit
Taken 21st June 2003: The stone from the east, with the road visible behind the fence.
I thought there would be more to see.
The farmer said this was it.
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As Moth said 'You will think 'is that it?' You almost certainly will think 'why did I bother?'!!
In saying that, when in the area anyway why not have a quick look?
Access at farm on right of B3130 travelling east. It's just possible to park by the gate to the farm. Ask to see the 'stone'. They might snigger – the old chap painting the gate did when we asked! The stone (what there is to see!) lies on the farm side of the hedgerow to the east of the farmgate.
I emphasise this because the aforementioned 'old chap' didn't bother to point this out, letting us set off blithely down the roadside verge.... (I hope he did it out of cantankerousness, otherwise he was just annoyingly unhelpful!!!)
The ground may be a bit rough if you have trouble walking, but the stone is only about 100 feet (?) from the farmgate, next to the hedgerow under a tree.
Tuesday 16 September 2003
No dog in evidence today. Good job. Had no biscuits.
You will think 'is that it?' You almost certainly will think 'why did I bother?' But you'll probably also be glad you did. Me and my imagination were.
To confirm what Kammer says, I've read (can't remember where, other than Burl's mention) that the stone did, relatively recently, used to be bigger. Considerably bigger I believe.
Also see The Great Circle, North East Circle & Avenues , South West Circle and The Cove.
Visited 21st June: After our early start to observe the Solstice, and visiting the well known Stanton Drew sites, we were all ready for breakfast. Before we left the area I insisted on seeing Hauteville's Quoit, so the others stayed in the car while I went to the farm (called Quoit Farm) to ask about the stone.
As soon as I went through the farmyard gate, a sheep dog starting barking at me from the direction of the farmhouse. Luckily there was a woman hanging up washing in the garden, so I didn't have to get past the dog to knock on the farmhouse door. She was very friendly, and gave me directions to the stone, warning me that there wasn't much to see.
The stone lies to the east of the farm buildings, and there certainly isn't much to see. Where Hauteville's Quoit once stood, there's now only a small amount of stone visible above the soil. It's hard to imagine this insignificant piece of rock as a large standing stone. It sits in the shadow of a tree, almost part of the hedgerow. Surely it's been chipped away at over the years for building material. If not, there must be a lot of stone under the ground.
Despite its size, I'm glad I made the effort to see it. With so little left to look at, you'll need to use a lot of imagination (and possibly take some dog biscuits) if you visit Hauteville's Quoit.
An earlier version of the story, from Aubrey's 1664 Monumenta Britannica (and quoted in Grinsell's 'Folklore of Stanton Drew').
The common people tell this incredible story, that Hakewell stood upon the top of Norton Hill, about half a mile off where the Coyte now lies, and coyted it down to this place; for which having the Manor of Norton given him, and thinking it too little, did give it the name of Norton Mal-reward which they pronounce small reward.Which neatly explains the stone and the strangely named village in one fell swoop.
From 'The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset' – three completely huge tomes forming a major achievement written by the Reverend John Collinson in the 1780s, before he died (exhausted, no doubt) in his early 30s.
"In the road lies an immense stone called Hautville's Coit (a name that has sustained for many ages) and is by tradition reported to have been thrown hither by that gigantick champion Sir John Hautville, from Mays-Knolle-Hill [Maes Knoll] upwards of a mile distant, the place of his abode. The tump on that hill is also affirmed to have been the cleanings of the same man's spade, and so confident are the common people of the reality of the manoevre, that a farmhouse erected of late years near the coit was distinguished by the title of Hautville's Coit Farm, which doubtless it will preserve until records are no more.
"This stone was formerly of a vast magnitude, being computed to have weighed upwards of 30 tons; but the waggon loads of fragments that have been broken from it at different times, for the purpose of mending the roads, have diminished its consequence as to bulk and appearance, though not as to antiquity or the design of its erection, for it was part of a very remarkable monument of antiquity, which has distinguished the parish for many ages and has diverted the steps of many a traveller... [ie, the circles at Stanton Drew]."
So, even the Reverend thought the stone ought to have been bigger, much bigger, at one point. Was it really ever 30 tons? Is it just a tall story (like the legend?) – or does its proximity to the road mean it was used for roadmending? Or is the fact that the story connects Stanton Drew with the prehistorically occupied Maes Knoll (a prominent hill from the circles) the most important thing?
Hautville’s Quoit and other archaeological investigations at Stanton Drew, 2012
There is a further 2013 report of The Big Ground Mound and its relationship to Stanton Drew Stone Circles at......
Sites within 20km of Hautville’s Quoit
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The Great Circle, North East Circle & Avenues
photo 159 forum 3 description 38 link 8 -
The South West Circle
photo 29 description 5 -
The Cove
photo 48 forum 1 description 12 link 1 -
Middle Ham, Tynings
description 2 -
Maes Knoll
photo 28 forum 1 description 5 link 1 -
Knowle Hill Settlement
description 1 -
Burledge Hill
photo 3 description 2 -
Herriotts Bridge
description 1 -
Durley Hill
description 1 -
Stantonbury
photo 7 forum 1 description 4 -
Winford Big Barrow
description 1 -
Nempnett Thrubwell
photo 3 forum 1 description 8 link 1 -
Nempnett Thrubwell Horse Barrow
description 1 -
Winford Twin Barrows
description 1 -
Wallmead I and II
description 1 -
Bicknell Farm Round Barrow
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Felton Hill Longbarrow
photo 2 description 3 -
Redhill
description 2 -
Bitton
photo 2 description 8 -
Tunley Farm
description 4 -
Ashton Court
photo 7 -
Nempnett Thrubwell Round Barrow
description 1 -
Tunley Long Barrow
description 1 -
Home Farm Cottage
description 1 -
Burgh Walls
photo 1 description 2 -
The Water Stone
photo 6 description 2 link 1 -
Clifton Down Camp
photo 26 link 1 -
Redhill
description 2 -
Stokeleigh Camp
photo 35 forum 1 description 4 -
Hazle Barrow
description 1 -
Chewton Mendip barrows
description 1 link 1 -
Englishcombe Manor Barrow
description 1 -
Redland Park
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Pool Farm Cist
photo 3 forum 1 description 7 -
Whitestown Farm
description 5 -
Round Hill Tump
photo 10 description 7 -
Priddy Henges (incomplete 4th circle)
photo 1 description 2 -
North Stoke
photo 13 description 3 -
Seven Sisters
photo 6 description 4 -
Harptree Barrows
description 1 -
Little Down Camp Barrow
photo 1 description 1 -
Windmill Tump Cairn
description 1 -
High Barrow Hill
description 1 -
Lansdown Golf Course Barrows
description 1 -
Radstock
description 1 -
Priddy Circles
photo 4 forum 6 description 13 link 5 -
Lansdown Race Field Barrows
photo 1 description 1 -
Jubilee Field Barrow
photo 3 description 3 -
Stow Barrow
description 1 -
Druid Stoke
photo 9 forum 1 description 6 -
Wick
photo 9 forum 1 description 6 -
Three Tuns Farm
description 1 -
Shoscombe Long Barrow
description 1 -
Lansdown Flint Working Site
photo 2 description 1 -
Ashen Hill Barrows
photo 10 description 5 -
Miner’s Arms Inn
description 1 -
Lansdown Barrows
photo 4 forum 1 description 6 -
Redhill Farm and Blackwell Tyning
description 2 -
King Down Farm
description 1 -
Beacon Batch
photo 19 description 4 -
Lansdown Camp
photo 1 description 4 -
Charterhouse Warren Farm Swallet
photo 1 description 2 link 1 -
Aveline’s Hole
photo 7 forum 1 description 7 link 4 -
Beech Wood Barrows
description 1 -
Priddy Nine Barrows
photo 18 description 8 link 1 -
Forge Barrow
description 1 -
Burrington (Black Down)
photo 8 description 2 -
Flock Down Field Barrows
description 1 -
Cleeve Toot
photo 4 description 1 -
Priddy Hill
description 1 -
Freezing Hill
photo 2 description 3 -
Berwick
description 1 -
Rowberrow Farm
description 1 -
Gorsey Bigbury
photo 5 description 3 -
Badock’s Wood
photo 8 forum 1 description 3 link 1 -
Read’s Cavern
photo 3 description 2 -
Rhino Rift Barrow
photo 3 description 3 -
Black Down (Priddy)
photo 9 description 2 -
Blacker’s Hill
photo 1 description 2 -
St Lawrence Church
description 1 -
Langridge
photo 9 description 4 -
Drove Cottage Henge
description 1 -
Shortwood Hill
description 2 link 1 -
Southfield Farm
description 1 -
Giant’s Grave (Holcombe)
photo 2 forum 1 description 2 link 1 -
Eastwater Farm
description 1 -
Rowberrow Warren
photo 5 description 2 -
Whitnell Corner
description 3 -
Priddy 51
description 1 -
Wellington Farm
description 1 -
Stony Littleton
photo 95 forum 8 description 26 link 5 -
Kings Weston Hill
photo 14 forum 1 description 1 -
Kings Weston Hill Barrows
photo 3 description 1 -
Temple of Sulis
photo 4 forum 5 description 7 link 2 -
Blaise Castle
photo 12 forum 1 description 1 -
Tyning’s Farm
description 1 -
Beechbarrow
description 1 -
Portbury
photo 2 description 4 -
Rowberrow Cavern
description 1 -
Tog Hill Camp
description 2 -
Pen Hill
photo 1 description 5 -
Priddy Long Barrow
description 1 link 2 -
Totty Pot
description 1 -
Ashbridge Farm
description 1 -
Dolebury Warren
photo 18 description 6 link 1 -
Cheddar Gorge and Gough’s Cave
photo 9 description 21 link 4 -
Bury Hill Camp
photo 2 description 3 -
Rowbarrow
description 2 -
Bristol Plain Farm
description 1 -
Cadbury Hill (Congresbury)
photo 3 description 2 -
Faulkland
photo 10 description 5 -
The Giants Graves
description 1 -
Bathampton Downs barrows
photo 5 description 1 -
Moor View
description 1 -
Henley Hill
description 1 -
Maesbury Castle
photo 11 description 4 -
Charmy Down Barrows
description 1 -
Kingsdown Camp
description 3 -
Fairy Cave
description 1 -
Ebbor Gorge
photo 6 forum 1 description 6 link 1 -
Cadbury Camp (Nailsea)
photo 4 description 3 -
Charmy Down
description 1 -
Monkswood
description 1 -
Little Solsbury Hill
photo 25 forum 1 description 11 -
Hinton Charterhouse Barrow
description 1 -
Wookey Hole
photo 2 forum 1 description 9 link 3 -
Claverton Down Barrow
description 1 -
Hole Ground
description 1 -
Deerleap Stones
photo 15 description 11 -
Bracelet Cave
description 1 -
Bathampton Camp
photo 10 link 1 -
Tumpy Field Barrows
description 1 -
Hayes Wood Enclosure
photo 1 description 1 -
Big Tree Long Barrow
photo 2 description 2 -
Hurdle Stone
description 3 -
Beacon Barrow
description 1 -
The Wimblestone
photo 7 description 4 -
Bathampton and Claverton Downs
photo 8 forum 2 description 9 link 1 -
Beacon Hill
photo 13 description 5 link 1 -
King Offa’s Tomb
photo 1 description 2 -
King’s Castle
description 2 -
Wells Museum
photo 4 description 3 -
Hinton Hill
photo 12 description 5 -
Conkwell
photo 7 forum 1 description 2 -
Triple H Cave
description 1 -
Almondsbury Fort
photo 1 description 3 -
Jug’s Grave
photo 6 forum 3 description 4 link 1 -
Banwell Fort
description 3 -
Walton Common
photo 1 -
Banner Down Long Barrow
description 1