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2097 sites Northern England |
5 posts
3273 sites Southern England |
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Uffington White Duck Those zany National Truss People really had me going then. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/news/second-chalk-figure-discovered-near-uffington-white-horse?campid=Social_Central_Twitter_Conservation_Duck-010417 |
Posted by Howburn Digger1st April 2017ce |
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Environment Agency LiDAR - open data "From September 2015 all our LIDAR data will become Open Data and everyone will be able to use it for free." Although primarily used for flood risk assessment, there will be lots of archaeology to see. https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/2015/06/16/free-mapping-data-will-elevate-flood-risk-knowledge/ |
Posted by thesweetcheat16th July 2015ce |
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English Heritage to become charity by 2015 English Heritage has been given £80m in the government's Spending Review as part of plans for the organisation to become a charity. Some of the £80m awarded by the government will help to set up the charity so it will be fully operational by March 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23064356 |
Posted by Chance28th June 2013ce |
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English Heritage and British Museum commission study into illegal metal detecting English Heritage and the British Museum are so alarmed they have commissioned a £100,000 study into the practice. It could lead to new legislation to combat offenders. Spotted at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/08/nmetal108.xml |
Posted by Robert Carr 10th July 2007ce Edited 10th July 2007ce |
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Some information that may be of use to TMA-ers looking at OS maps of England and Wales, from "Field Archaeology - Some Notes For Beginners Issued by the Ordnance Survey" (1963 - Fourth edition), chapter entitled "Tumuli": "Today the term tumulus is reserved for those earthen mounds either known or presumed to be covering burials. Formerly a class of larger mounds, now known to belong to early medieval castles also received this name in error ..., but now are given their correct technical description or are described as 'Mound' in the appropriate type. All piles of stones are called cairns whether their funerary character is known or not, but the use of an 'antiquity' type will mean that the Survey believes it to be sepulchral. In some very lofty situations it will be obvious that they are not graves. Where a mound has a local name which clearly indicates the belief that it is a burial place the descriptive name tumulus is not added." |
Posted by thesweetcheat 20th January 2009ce Edited 20th January 2009ce |
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ADSYou can download EH's Archaeological Monograph on 'The Neolithic Flint Mines of England' (1999) by Topping, Barger and Field, from the ADS website. |
Posted by Rhiannon12th December 2014ce |
Ancient CraftAncient craft is dedicated to the archaeology of primitive crafts and technologies that encompass the three prehistoric ages: STONE; BRONZE and IRON. This includes working with materials such as stone (also known as "flintknapping"), wood, bone, horn, leather, metals and cloth (plant fibres, and wools). Follow Ancient Craft on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AncientCraftUK |
Posted by Chance 8th April 2014ce |
Portable Antiquities Scheme Database"The Scheme's database holds records of artefacts and coins found by the public, whilst pursuing a wide range of activities (the majority from metal detecting). We do not record details of objects found by archaeologists, and these data can be found within the local Historic Environment Office." "The half a million objects recorded mark was reached on March 21st 2010." |
Posted by Chance 25th July 2012ce Edited 25th July 2012ce |
Early British Trackways, Moats, Mounds, Camps, and SitesA Lecture given to the Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, at Hereford, September, 1921, by Alfred Watkins Download complete book in pdf format |
Posted by Chance 10th July 2010ce |
Grave-mounds and their contentsGrave-mounds and their contents a manual of archaeology, as exemplified in the burials of the Celtic, the Romano-British, and the Anglo-Saxon periods by Llewellynn Frederick William Jewitt Published in 1870, Groombridge (London) Download the complete book in pdf format |
Posted by Chance 25th March 2010ce |
Latest posts for England |
Showing 1-10 of 50,885 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
Hepburn Moor (Cairn(s)) — Images (click to view fullsize) |
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Posted by thesweetcheat 27th March 2020ce |
Berthele's Stone (Natural Rock Feature) — Images |
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Posted by thesweetcheat 27th March 2020ce |
Kingston Russell (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes |
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From the Grey Mare and her colts go back to the bridleway over the stile then turn left and keep going on a north westerly heading, when the track takes you to two hedges either side of the track and there is two gates on your right look for the Kingston Russell information board. The stone circle is through the gate away from the information board. Pretty easy, what went wrong Carl? Hopping over the gate I stroll as nonchalantly as I possibly can, i'm even typing this carefully because that is one big herd of cows over there, and I'd appreciate it if they stayed there. During my nonchalance I extended the tripod for another bout of hoicking. So a hoicking I go, walking round the outside of the circle clockwise, noticing as I go, my only companion, Hardy's monument. It looks like none of the stones are still standing, the largest stone has erosion marks on it like none of the others, like it was pulled out of a river. The immediate area is very flat, which is why I'd chosen this site as an equinox sunrise for this morning, but I'd have gotten here too late. Which is a maddening shame because it is a perfect site for a sunrise, or sunset, someone closer should get onto that. It's not a great stone circle, but it is a good one and having been there gives me a warm feeling inside, it's now half past midday and I'm behind schedule, and very hungry, it's time to seek out another sort of warm feeling inside, en route to site number seven, strangely in the middle of the town of Dorchester. |
Posted by postman25th March 2020ce |
The Grey Mare & Her Colts (Long Barrow) — Fieldnotes |
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From the Valley of stones, a very aptly named place, I head south west on Bishop's Road until the road forks and I go right, and park at the gate with cattle grid. Take the right hand path to the Grey Mare and her Colts, a very inaptly named place. Follow the path with the hedge to your left,in the corner of the field go through the gate for another twenty yards then left over a stile follow the hedge that's right in front of you until you get to a gate, go through it and there she is, looks nothing like a horse. I immediately take shelter behind the stones away from the biting cold, I am no longer using the dog blanket as a cloak but instead have wrapped it round me then put my hoodie over that, it's more practical and less stupid looking, still cold though, wish I'd brought my coat. Sat behind the tallest stone i'm right next to what is left of the chamber, one stone is still in situ as it were, the rest is a bit of a jumble, I was unable to tell if the larger stones were chamber side stones or capstones or a dollop of both. Also right next to me in my hunched up position is a low stone with a hole in it, the significance of which utterly evades me. Out of the cold I extend my tripod to its fullest, then emerge from the comfort of the nook I'd found and circle the tomb a couple of times taking photos from 11 to 12 feet in the air, it's not easy and may take a few tries and if anyone sees you you might look a berk, but it is I think worth it. The pursuit of a new angle and all that, speaking of new there's a stone circle a little over half a mile from here that I've never been to, Kingston Russell, lets go. |
Posted by postman 25th March 2020ce |
The Valley of Stones (Natural Rock Feature) — Fieldnotes |
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After having been to the Hellstone and Hampton down stone circle I drove north and parked at the space by the junction of Bishop's Road and National cycle route 2 Road. Not as eloquently named that one. Passing through the gate, or was it a stile? I can't remember, just get into the field with an information board then head down hill following the most worn path you can find. The Valley of stones is on your left just another stile and your there, you are entering the valley from it's north east. I mostly pass by the drift of stones passing the curious circular structure higher up the east slope until I cant take it anymore and dive straight down into them, Among the most notable stones in the meander are large flat boulders with cup like erosions on the surface, boulders with coffee or rose coloured flint extrusions, a stone with a hole in it, and a stone circle, of sorts. I've not been here before, clearly my one and only trip to Dorset twenty years ago was a bit of a rush job, a cursory glance at best. I passed the Valley of stones by in favour of the Grey Mare and her colts. This is much better, time to wander and time to ponder, and the wind cant get me down here, but the dog blanket is still being my cloak 'cause it's still cold. After having sat and stared at the "stone circle" I get up and walk the stone arc back and forth, in the end all's I can say is one stone in the circle is a boulder practically bristling with rosy caramel flint, it's just about the prettiest stone I've ever seen, and I didn't get the stone circle feel from it, more of an enclosure of some sort, it has an entrance, and no where for the western arc of stones to go. I guess it could be Iron age. Also, this is the place people came to to take stones away to build stone circles, it would be like going to B&Q and building your patio right there in the shop. Or perhaps not. |
Posted by postman 25th March 2020ce |
Hampton Down (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes |
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After having retraced my steps from the Hellstone back to the car, it is straight across the road following the footpath sign saying Abbotsbury hill fort. Unfortunately the fort isn't on my itinerary but this is also the way to Hampton Down stone circle. Improvised cloak wrapped fully round me and with the hedge to my right acting as wind break this is as pleasant as walking has been this morning. Following the hedge on my right, leads to a gate with a sign on it, the sign is for the stones which are now at my feet. That was easier than I anticipated. Most of the stones are pretty low but hefty boulders, made of the same flinty stone as places I've yet to see, the two at the south are largest. In past years summer growth drowns the site completely, so I'm pretty lucky to see it in such good apparel. The view south reveals Chesil beach again, and north once more to Hardy's monument. With less wind because of the close by hedges, I remove my cloak and get the tripod out. I've not yet been to a stone circle that didn't benefit from an elevated photo of the site, so I hoick it up and try to keep it still in the wind, not easy, but always yields good results. This was site three out of the hoped for twelve, and my first site of the day that I haven't been to yet. I liked it. |
Posted by postman 25th March 2020ce |
The Hellstone (Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech) — Fieldnotes |
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The path to the Hellstone has indeed changed, I parked in the aforementioned layby, left the road opposite the farm going through a gate, there were cows in the field so I kept to the left side of the field. This leads to a stile, which in turn leads to a path between two fields, when one whole field has passed on your right, turn right, over the fence at a makeshift sort of stile. then it's up the gentle hill to the stones. Even though it looks like it's been restored by someone who clearly didn't have a clue what it was supposed to look like, the Hellstone is still a pretty awesome thing to see. From on the mound by the stones you can see Chesil beach, Chesil means shingle, pebbles, it is the longest shingle beach in Britain. In the other direction a heath covered hill has a tower on it, Hardy's monument, Nelson's mate, not the poet, the monument is a handy orienteering wotsit, you can see it from almost all the sites i'm getting to this morning. My coat hasn't magically appeared before me and it is terribly exposed on these hillsides so I have wrapped the dogs blanket off the back seat round me in an effort to fend off the icy winds. But it really is too much so I retreat into the dolmen and take a seat huddling for warmth. Boy do I not like the cold. After having a long look round the tombs interior, there is nothing else for it but to brave the weather outside, I didn't spend more than ten to fifteen minutes here, I really am a plonker. The wind is making a mockery of my improvised cloak, whipping it up and over my head, rediculous. But the Hellstone is awesome. |
Posted by postman 25th March 2020ce |
The Nine Stones of Winterbourne Abbas (Stone Circle) — Fieldnotes |
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It's surprising how quickly three months can pass, it's already equinox time again and I thought I'd make a proper long old day of it. Twelve sites in twelve hours, a touch ambitious possibly, but I've neglected to bring either of the kids, which will help, and the car though small and slow has been faithful so far. The plan, such as it was, was to witness an equinox sunrise from Kingston Russell stone circle. There's just two small problems with that, the actual equinox was yesterday, and I'm apparently a slow driver, because i'm not going to get there in time, I blame the poor state of British motorways, roadworks for mile after mile. Poop! So I pull over early at the Nine stones, I haven't been here since before the big tree came down, it is not the only difference. I parked at the farm building fifty yards down the road, walked back to the stones down the not dangerous at all road, and found no way to get to the stones. The stream was too wide to jump easily, the bridge is gone and the gate, there's no way in this way. Back to the car and I drive a bit further down the road away from the stones, there is some new work going on, a housing estate possibly, I parked by the road. Passed through the fence with the red sign that says something like footpath closed and made my merry way off through the field. It's about now I should make note that I have once again forgotten my coat, it is windy and cold, I really don't like being cold. Having crossed the two fields, I arrive at the stones, here among the trees it is at least less windy. The circle is as lovely as I remembered it, with not much deviation from the original I reckon. The two big stones, being entrance stones perhaps, meaning the stone between them is not in it's proper place, are two simply stunning stones, with huge amounts of chocolate rose flint showing, and a small colony of Harlequin ladybirds. Nice. It's not easy to get the moment of sunrise and all the stones into the picture, first of all you have to be on the other side of the enclosing fence and there is a hill side in the way as well. So, not good for equinox sunrises, or winter ones, the hill would be even more in the way, but summer solstice would be fine, if you can cut down a few trees. I did say I was going somewhere else for the sunrise. After failing to see a sunrise, staring closely and intently at the tall flinty stones, and walking round in at least a dozen circles, and this and that, it was time to go get my next stoney fix. So off I go to Hell, there is a stone there. |
Posted by postman 25th March 2020ce |
Kingston Russell (Stone Circle) — Images |
 
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Posted by postman 25th March 2020ce |
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