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Winterbourne Basset
I’d only planned a Saturday night picnic on Glastonbury Tor with Summer Garland, but before driving home Sunday, I bought a copy of the OS map Explorer 157 at a head shop in Town, and was intrigued to see a stone circle marked above Avebury, at Winterbourne Basset.
So, a detour later, and we were at a very impressive standing stone, opposite the field containing the circle.
I have a theory about visiting sites one has never been to or seen pictures of before. The disappointment factor is much lessened. There’s a thrill of the ‘finding’ – there’s no expectation. I loved Winterbourne Basset because it was new (to me), a sunny day, and it gave me the opportunity to visit Avebury again, for the third time this year.
Winterbourne Basset Circle is as destroyed as a circle can be. Five or six stones, buried in a field of cows. All you can see are the tops of the stones. You can’t discern a circle.
Oddly, the standing stone across the road is more impressive, despite not warranting a mention in the Explorer map.
It’s a very peaceful site, no cars passed in the half hour I was there. You can see the Hackpen White Horse yonder, and if you were in Avebury in a motor, you’d enjoy a visit – it’s literally a five-minute drive from the great circle.
Yet another curious delight in the Avebury landscape. . Now, where’s that bloody polisher?
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The Gentle Giant, The Lovers and the pasta people, (two nights in Avebury)
A tardy weblog, it’s been a few weeks now since Summer Garland & I spent a few days in Avebury. So . . Here’s a brief ‘here’s what we did on our holidays’ type blog.
For starters, I like to approach the whole Avebury complex via Cherhill. I see it as a gateway to the whole area. This time however, we drove through Swindon, towards Marlborough. From there I drove the country route so we could stop above the Hackpen White Horse. From there, you can see Cherhill, perhaps ten miles away. Windy, bracing . . . bloody cold!
Driving through Avebury's Swindon entrance just isn’t as good as the southern entrance. I drove all around Beckhampton/Silbury/the Avenue so I could get the ‘entrance thrill’ of the south circle. I'm silly like that, but I don't feel I've arrived till go through the larger stones.
After the usual sightseeing we spent the night inside the circle, (and I don't mean in the Red Lion:-) Summer Garland & I got drunk and eat fine cheeses by our new favourite stone, the 'Gentle Giant', in the inner circle. (yea, we took our rubbish home).We christened another stone 'The Lovers' because of a weird trick of the light that made it look like two people dancing to Sinatra.
Or Ella.
We watched the lazy, low moon rise, seemingly following Mars over the southeastern ramparts of Avebury’s henge. We saw two shooting stars and something else amber & strange. Spending a warm, clear evening inside the circle with someone who is ‘tuned in’ (don’t want to seem elitist here, but you know what I mean), made this the best night of the year so far. Magical.
Whatever rituals and wonders the ancients witnessed or performed at Avebury, I feel sure the most intense were at night. Something’s going on there still. Avebury is a living monument with a pulse I reckon.
Anyways . .
Saw some lads camping under Knap Hill, sky watching for corn-circle making UFOs whilst trying to cook pasta in a vile Vale of Pewsey wind.
Hope they saw something cosmic!
Summer Garland had never been to West Kennet Long Barrow, so I took her, and must admit, felt much the same sense of detachment I felt when I first visited it ten years ago. Somehow Long Barrows just don't enthuse me the same as circles & standing stones. Why do I seem to spend most of my time at West Kennet Long Barrow staring at Silbury?
Despite best intentions, didn't look for the excavation markings around Adam & Eve, (too many triffids in the field), and didn't see Devil's Den again. Well, it was hot, and I'll be back soon.
Avebury was wonderful. I can’t help but be enchanted by it. I calculate this was possibly my 20th visit since 1990. It does keep getting better.
And it also keeps getting harder to explain to friends & family why I keep going!
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More stones . . Hoarstones!
Living in Wolverhamptonshire can be either a Megalithic curse, or a Megalithic blessing;
There are no decent sites local, save a few hill forts- (which leave me cold to be honest). Yet what better place to live when one wants to explore England, than the very heart of England? As Alan Partridge would say, "its beauty is in its location, it's equidistant!".
Going Westward we find ourselves in Shropshire; lovely countryside boasting a couple of stone circles. So, big red van packed with bacon, lettuce & tomato baps, J Cope and A Burl (in book form), and an excited Summer Garland on map duty and inapropriate songbursts we ventured westward; stopping at the Roman town of Virconium (Wroxeter) on the way. (Is 'Roman' a dirty word round here?). Wroxeter is a fine site with attached museum featuring finds from the site. Most of the city remains unexcavated, lying under surrounding fields.
Enough Roman rubbish, let's get full speed and pagan!
The Hoarstones were easy to find, thanks to directions from TMA members, featured on this site. Well done especially to Reg, who visited this site in late February this year, (on Summer Garland's birthday, when we getting blown off Glastonbury Tor!). Your directions were sterling my friend! (Search *Hoarstones* on TMA & you'll get to Reg's great pics and post).
The circle is a little larger than average, about 60-70 feet diameter. The highest stone is only a couple of foot high, (this was never a tall circle). There is a central stone, idly leaning to the south in its own small moat. It's like Boscawen-Un lite! I counted around thirty six stones..
Most stones are buried or fallen. Many merely peeping from the boggy undergrowth The south-east curve being the most complete. Because the field is not farmed inside the circle, the grass is longer there, and because of this, the circle can be seen from the windy road to shelve, as it climbs past the old mine. Despite its state of disrepair, it's an obvious circle.
Some are disappointed in this circle, and the only book that mentions it (that I own) is Aubry Burl's hefty 'Stone Circles Of Britain, Ireland and Brittany'. It is certainly ruined, and after walking through a boggy field with wet feet, (must buy sensible shoes), one could certainly feel disappointed.
But if, like me, you are a complete circle freak, and regard a stone ring as the greatest of megalithic delicacies, then you will feel as enchanted as I did. For the Hoarstones appeared to me to be forgotten 'secret' circle. Hardly visited, lying, (languishing?) in a rather un-poetic boggy field in the megalithic wasteland of Shropshire. And though there were thousands upon thousands of people at theme parks and shopping malls, all over the UK, on this sunny/rainy/sunny again Bank Holliday Weekend, there's no-where I'd rather be than under the same confused sky, inside the Hoarstones. Wet sloshing socks and all.
Even a wrecked circle has its magic. I'll visit the Hoarstones again.
On to Mitchell's Fold Stone Circle. A re-visit for me, and the first visit for Summer Garland. Luckily, the view was clear, and for the first time I was able to take in the greater aspect of Mitchell's Fold. The view from the circle is truly wondrous. Miles of pleasant rolling hills; the threatening mists of rainfall safely distant. Summer garland liked the Witch-stone (on account of her being a witch and all . .) It stood nearly as tall as me, and the tallest by far of the fifteen stones that make up Mitchell's Fold.
I would consider Mitchell's Fold a lesser-known circle, but infinitely more famous than the Hoarstones. It's placement on the landscape and it's larger, more assertive presence warrant it's fame; but we ignore lesser circles like the Hoarstones at our peril.
I made a mental note to myself on this trip . . 'visit more ruined circles'. There is much to see. . and isn't Avebury itself a ruined circle?
And that’s the best place in the world.
Ever!
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Doll Tor- less is more!
Sunday 23/03/03
A glorious Sunday in Derbyshire, the sky vast, deep & blue, the van packed with food, gleaming.
And red.
I'm visiting sites I last visited nearly ten years ago. This time I'm accompanied by lovely starry eyed Julie.
First stop, the nine ladies, and horror of horrors! Metal fencing all round, and new turf laid, looking like a Marks & Sparks quilt - too new, too much!
Of course, we *should* look after our sites, and I'm all for sympathetic renovation, but seeing the caged circle was like seeing your pretty girlfriend wearing Hannibal Lector's anti-bite mask. Even Julie didn't bother to walk into the centre.
When the grass takes, and the railing is gone, it'll no doubt be wondrous again.
Next Doll Tor, and a clamber up the Andle-stone on the way! and after finding the circle - bliss upon bliss! What a lovely site! I missed out on the cack-handed 'renovation' of 1993, and was very pleasantly surprised once again by the sheltered beauty of this lovely monument. A discreet plaque, a new erect stone (I swear there were only five stones erect in 1992), and a very pleasant hour spent undisturbed in the circle and out the circle, listening to the wildlife and watching the sun wane through the trees baby!
Dol Tor was our favourite site of the day, what a delightfully intimate circle!.
Nine stones close next - pip rah! more sun, loads of shouty brats climbing on the rocky out-crops. Trying to imagine what the complete circle might have looked like. The large stones reminded us of our recent visit to Stanton Drew. But as the builders of Doll Tor knew - size ain't everything!
Next Arbor Low - has it grown? I don't remember it this big - nor the henge so deep. Lots of heads milling about, a lazy Sunday afternoon vibe and the views are crisply clear for what seems like a million miles. I know some here on TMAsite are dead against re-erection of stones, but Arbour Low cries out for it, those big babies should be reaching high and proud, fetch the bloody crow bar, I'll do it me’sen!
Was back in Wolverhampton for seven, drinking port and eating last week's cheese. AAaahh life!
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Previous 5 | Showing 11-14 of 14 posts. Most recent first |
Circles Obsessive
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some favourites -
Brodgar
Dol Tor
Reanascreena
Boscawen Un
Long Meg
Sunhoney
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From Wolverhamptonshire UK, (where there are no circles).
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