Ravenfeather

Visited 4th August 2011

Ever since seeing a picture of this place in the papery Modern Antiquarian all those years ago, I’ve been intrigued and captivated by this site, indeed it was the whole reason we chose to come to this part of Sweden (although I’m glad we did as Skane is lovely!). I’d pictured it as being on some far flung remote headland, standing in a tundra-like landscape, the reality of the gentle lush countryside of Skane proving the opposite of my preconceptions. Just off Route 9 to the east of Ystad is the village of Kåserberga and parking at the large and well signposted carpark in the pretty village centre, I was gripped with anticipation as we climbed the steep path up to the cliff top, as I eagerly sought a view of the stones.

On our first visit a thick sea mist clung to the stones, which loomed out at us from the fog like a ghost ship, shadowy figures of visitors flitting amongst the stones only adding to the eerie atmosphere. Despite being perched near the cliff edge the sea wasn’t even visible to us, just the haunting calls of seabirds drifting over the water, it was truly otherworldly.

We returned again a couple of days later, this time in glorious hot Swedish sunshine, and able to take in the fantastic views out over the bright azure Baltic, which almost seems to encircle the site. The sunshine had also drawn out the hordes, Ales Stenar in its magnificence, and as a monument of national importance to Sweden, having the ‘Stonehenge effect’ (albeit without all the horrible commercialisation) of attracting the crowds and being firmly on the tourist trail. After all this is the largest skibssaetning in Sweden, a huge oval 67 meters long and 19 metres wide formed by 59 large boulders of sandstone, and according to Scanian folklore the resting place of the legendary King Ale.

These ‘ship settings’ in Scandinavia are generally regarded as burial monuments, yet no grave has ever been positively identified in the limited area that has been subject to archaeological research at Ales Stenar. If not a grave then, what would such an impressive monument have been built for? Various theories include that it may have been raised to honour a local ruler, or as a show of dominance by a particular King, as it would have been a highly visible landmark from the all along the sea coast. It may even have had an astronomical significance, as the sun sets over the north west tip of the monument at midsummer, rising over the tip of the opposite south easterly stone on midwinters day. A cupmarked boulder amongst the stones also points its way to the midwinter sunrise, which we spotted the other day as the shallow cupmarks had been outlined in chalk.

So now after getting up at 6am this morning I’ve come along to the site to see if I could get a few photos of the skibssaetning without any tourists around, and take in some of the atmosphere of the place when it is a little quieter. We were staying only around twenty minutes drive away along the coast, and being another gloriously sunny morning I was full of anticipation of getting some lovely shots of the empty monument. Things looked good when I arrived, the car park being empty, and no-one visible at the nearby camp site, so on reaching the stones I was most annoyed to find two people wrapped in sleeping bags inside the monument. After my initial fit of pique, (and I can’t complain too loudly, as I’ve slept at ancient monuments myself in the past!) I took to tramping around the stones and setting up the tripod for my camera in the noisiest way possible. Needless to say the campers soon took the hint, but by the time they had packed up their sleeping bags and left a family of early risers from the campsite down the road, along with their two children, arrived to shatter the peace. They didn’t stay long though and so finally I was alone at this amazing place.

Although a lot younger than most of the megalithic sites I’ve visited, as I’m convinced that the evidence points to Ales Stenar having been constructed much later than the Neolithic, it’s lovely to experience the grandeur of the Nordic megalithic culture, and know that it survived on here much later than in the rest of Europe.

On a clear morning like this you can really get a sense of how amazing the location of the monument is. I’m sat inside the stones, looking out over the cliffs at the vivid blue of the sea surrounding me on three sides. Looking away from the sea the gently rolling landscape unfolds before you, the stones that delineate the skibsaetning stretch away, and the high prow and stern stones tower above. You only appreciate how massive this place is when you stand back from it to try and get the whole site in shot. It takes on a whole different atmosphere when you have the place to yourself, and you can feel the true magic of the place, I’m so glad I came here this early.

This place is captivating, and I still can’t believe I’m finally here, alone in a stone boat on the shores of the Baltic, and soaking up the wonders of megalithic Sweden. This is a truly special place, and I hope that some day we will be back!

Visited 11th May 2012

It’s getting a little late in the day now as we’ve already been to Minniglow Hill, and had a poke about in the lovely bookshop at Cromford, but it’s been a good couple of years since I last visited the Grey Ladies, so it seemed rude not to pop by.

We parked up where the road is slightly wider, just down the hill from the farm entrance opposite the stones (the plethora of ‘No Parking’ signs by the farm making it quite clear that the farmer wants no truck with visitors blocking his accessway)

I love Nine Stones Close, it’s one of the best sites in the Peak District, fantasticaly framed against the outcrop of Robin Hood’s stride, the whole area redolent of folktales and myth. The four remaining stones are all lovely, each one unique, from the heavily pockmarked stone, to the deep grooves worn into the tops of the stones by the countless years of falling rain.

Its a shame that only four stones remain (possibly five if you count the poor sad stone pressed into service as a gatepost) but they are all of a good size and satisfyingly chunky, the largest stones in Derbyshire. The nearby tree also fits in well with the circle, and as the sun dips lower long shadows are cast onto the stones.

I didn’t get chance to climb Robin Hood’s Stride today, and I’ve never found the Hermit’s Cave yet, but that only gives me an excuse to come back to this lovely place another day.

Visited 11th May 2012

I’d had my eye on Minninglow Hill for some time, quite literally as I kept noticing its distinctive profile on recent visits to the Peak District. So with the rare combination of a day off work, combined with a rare burst of reasonable (or at least dry) weather it felt like time to make the trip.

I wasn’t sure what access would be like now, and as Ellen tends to get a bit twitchy at the thought of having to trespass I thought the best approach would be via the Midshires Way footpath. We travelled up past Ashbourne, as if heading to Arbor Low, but turned off beforehand onto the A5012 road to Cromford. A couple of miles along this road at the village of Pikehall, a right turn is signposted to a parking spot on the edge of the village where the footpath can be picked up.

At the pleasantly large parking area and picnic spot, the tree topped hill of Minninglow was clearly visible. Setting off along the footpath which ran along the site of an old disused railway line, the open countryside, with Minninglow looming ever larger in front of us, looked green and inviting, and so nice to be here after weeks of grey drizzle making life in town seem even duller than usual.

After crossing a high viaduct, and heading through into the remains of a small quarried area, I was more than pleasantly surprised to see a clearly way marked path up the hill. The signage and gates up the path looked fairly new and substantial, and gave no indication that the concessionary path was likely to be closed any time soon.

So safe in the knowlege that access was not going to be an issue we started walking up the hill. The rocky outcrops and large stones on the upper reaches of the slopes reminded me of the remains of ancient ramparts, and with only the stares of curious sheep for company we entered the gate into the tree enclolsed hill.

Two large megalithic barrows spring immediately into view, huge capstones exposed and showing the size this barrow would once have been. Although reduced in size over the millenia when you stand atop the embankment crowning the hill and look around you get an idea of the huge scale of this burial mound.

You feel so enclosed and sheltered here, the outer circle of trees screening you from the outside world, whilst an inner semi-circle of beeches huddles protectivly around the chambers. We unpacked our picnic and basked in the weak sun, just enjoying the magical atmosphere of the place, and as we eat we spot a hare darting from the cover of the trees into the field beyond.

Soon the cold wind starts to buffet at us and dark clouds glower in from the peaks making it too cold to sit around for much longer. But as other posts have said Minninglow is a fantastic place, and so private, we saw several groups of walkers on the footpath below the hill, but none seemed keen to go slightly out of their way to visit this amazing place, although I suppose that makes it quieter for those of us who like to just come to ancient places to chill out!

It may have taken me years to get around to visiting Minniglow but now I have I’ll certainly be back!

Visited 8th May 2012

One of the joys of the TMA website is discovering lovely places you never knew existed, and after many years of quite regular trips down to Glastonbury and never knowing about these nearby stones until I read about them here, I took this opportunity to pay a visit.

Whilst Ellen trawled the shops in Glastonbury I headed out to Wookey Hole, and following the High Street around the back of the huge car park for the caves, until it became Kennel Batch lane, I continued uphill until I saw the Ebbor Gorge National Trust carpark. Leaving the car there (although the gorge itself is definitely worth a vist, as I had a walk around it on my return to the car) I continued uphill until reaching the second signed public footpath to the left. From the stile into the field I could see the stones to my right.

The two stubby stones are modest in size, but have a fantastic aspect, looking out over the Somerset levels, Glastonbury Tor being particularly prominent. The stones must be a good 50’ apart, and the high meadow in which they stand is a sea of yellow dandelions today.

It’s lovely and peaceful here, with only the rumbling of the occasional tractor or car in the nearby lane, but you are perfectly screened here from the road and feel remote from the cares of the world.

I lay my coat on the damp grass so I can stretch out in the sunshine by the stones and relax. Buzzards cry overhead, and the wind sends clouds scudding across the sky, for me this beats retail therapy any day!

As I doze in the sunshine I’m awoken by a thundering roar as the ground vibrates and a dark shadow passes overhead, startled I look up to see a Hercules aircraft sweep low overhead, probably only a hundred feet above the field, affording me the opportunity to get some great shots of the low flying plane.

It’s been great here, worth it for the views alone, but it does still feel like a magical place, despite the fact that the stones have been messed around with in the past, and one of them is not original. As the great man JC (Julian Cope) might say, it’s a ‘righteous hangout’.

Visited 6th May 2012

For our day trip out on the Beltane bank holiday we were heading up to Alderley Edge, but with the Bridestones being on the way (sort of) and also nicely accesible it seemed rude not to pay them a visit.

It must have been fifteen years since I was last here, shocking really since they are only around thirty miles from home. Parking up on the drive right by the access to the chamber, the first thing that struck me was the peace and quiet. I had distinct memories last time of a continual barking from the manic pack of hounds that lived at the farm next door, but the days of canine cacophony now seem to have passed.

The huge portal orthostats, and overall size of the tomb impress, and everything was a lot neater and tidier than I remember it last, when the chamber was strewn with rubbish, and undergrowth choked the stones. Today though everything is neat and tidy and lovely, not a scrap of rubbish to be found, and apart from the slight incursion of the rhodedendrons, which are in need of a prune, the site seems much better looked after than before.

The sun is out, but chill winds sweep clouds across the horizon as I sit in the chamber writing my notes. As I’m writing I hear voices as a pair of walkers sidle up to the stones. As they talk about how the stones were built by ‘Druids’ for sacrificial rites, I feel compelled to give them a brief history lesson on the Beaker peoples and the actual purpose of the site. They thanked me for the information (although I’m sure I could bore for England on matters megalithic!) and we are left alone again at the stones.

It has been lovely to revisit this place, which has been even better than my memories of it, I certainly won’t be waiting another fifteen years to come back, in fact the next warm and sunny weekend we get I think this might be the perfect place for a picnic!

Visited 6th May 2012

Easily found by walking down the footpath at the side of the Wizard Inn which leads to the edge, we found the stone as we were heading back to the car.

Although it’s supposed to be a fallen menhir I really wasn’t feeling it. It seems more like a natural rocky outcrop, as it has a huge slab of a base, I can’t make out how this stone would have stood upright, unless of course all that’s left now is the base of taller stone which has broken off.

It is clear though that this site has been used as a boundary marker for some considerable period of time, and it’s just another of the fascinating oddities of Alderley Edge.

Visited 6th May 2012

After visiting the Wizards Well (if you’re at Alderley Edge you have to really don’t you?) we walked in the opposite direction to come to the Holy Well. As we were there we saw a gentleman placing a leaf into a crack in the rock to allow the water to run off into the carved stone trough below. He explained he was the site guardian, who came every day to check on the place and put a leaf into the crevice so the water could flow. A friendly and interesting guy he explained that he had inherited the task from an old local woman who was now too elderly and infirm to continue doing it. He was also able to direct us to some of the other sites around the edge.

Next to the flow of water of the Holy Well a small cave has been carved out of the rock, with clear toolmarks visible inside. So whilst not ancient the cave has certainly been in existence for several hundred years. It seems possible that it was carved out as a meditative space, as it seems like a lot of effort to go to in order to make a shelter, when plenty of natural caves and mineworkings dot the edge. A tree atop the outcrop looked as if it had the simulacrum of a face at the base of its trunk, and the woodland setting around the area adds to the magical atmosphere. You can see why Alderley Edge has proved an inspiration for a series of books.

I hunker into the cave for a while, and it does retain a calm and peaceful atmosphere here, away from the crowds of people who are visiting some of the more popular parts of the edge. The water that bubbles up through the stone is drinkable (so long as you take it from the source and not the somewhat stagnant water trough!) and cupping my hands beneath the leaf I take a swig of the fresh and slightly coppery water.

Although not an ancient site as such, the water must have risen through this limestone outcrop for thousands of years, and as such must have been a special place in the area for the ancestors. Now it’s one of the nicest spots on Alderley Edge and well worth a visit (ho ho!)

Visited 1st August 2011

Standing on a small natural mound, rising like an upturned boat above a stream which cuts its way through the flat agricultural land, Gårdlösa (literally the ‘loose gravel mound’) draws the eye as you approach. Following the directions in the papery TME we spotted the ridge from route 11 just after passing Smedstorp, and a small lay-by, along with information sign and stile allowed access to the site.

Also known as the Alnabjar skibbstaetning, it was excavated in 1972. The hill was found to contain graves and dommarings as well as the stone ship setting itself.

Only four stones remain of the ancient skibbsaetning which was obviously placed high on the ridge to be easily visible. Just to the south of the stones on the ridge are two dommarings. These are kerb circles dating from the Vendel period of Scandinavian history (550-800CE), which were used for legal pronouncements in the Viking times.

It is still gloriously hot as we watch a group of hikers making their way back down the hill from the monument, and Ellen scans the field for signs of cows. Seeing that a large herd of the bovine beasties are separated from us by the river we climb the stile and make our way to the hill. The walk is pleasant, and not too steep, as we reach the stones shaded by the surrounding trees. After a few minutes of photographing the site though we are disturbed by an ominous mooing, and look around to find that the whole of the nearby herd of cows, accompanied by a rather large bull, and several calves, are now wading across the river into our field, and heading for the monument! Within a couple of minutes the herd had surrounded the base of the hill, cutting off our path back to the car unless we wanted to run the gauntlet of prime beef blocking our way. Now I’m not concerned by cattle, but even I didn’t fancy pushing my way past a group of protective mother cows, and the rather intimidating bull, and as Ellen was by now getting greatly freaked out we looked for another avenue of escape.

Following the ridge along we skirted the herd and headed for a fence dividing the neighbouring field, hoping to head through it and rejoin the road leading to the car further down the lane. All well and good apart from the fact that most fences hereabouts in Sweden tend to be electrified, a fact we confirmed when Linda, who was with us, got a nasty jolt on the arm as we tried to limbo our way under! Eventually we rejoined the lane and headed back to the car to find the cows had now all congregated around the stile that lead to the site, curiously observing us as we took our leave.

So overall Gårdlösa is a lovely site, although on the surface much less impressive than many of the other skibbstaetnings nearby in Skane, there is a real sense of place here, I’ll always remember the visit, although not quite for the nice relaxing experience I would have hoped for! Gårdlösa is one of those places which has obviously been a sacred place for a long time, and so definitely warrants a visit, just to be sure to take a stout walking stick with you in case you need to fend off the cows!

Visited 8th March 2012

The cairn here is now mostly robbed out, although a few chunky stones remain to delineate the circumference of the site. It feels as though it is linked with the nearby Arragon Moar circle, even though it is clearly the lesser monument (perhaps as Kammer suggests built for a lesser personage?) the circumference of the cairn is roughly similar, and the wide flattish stones at the base make it feel as if Arragon Moar Circle was built in the same way, but just raised atop a mound.

I was glad to find that access was considerably easier than in Kammer’s fieldnotes (once we’d actually found the place!), as an open gateway from Arragon Moar Circle’s field invited us over to visit the cairn.

Although much less impressive then the circle, it would be a shame not to visit, and it does provide some great views of the Arragon Moar Circle on the horizon.

Visited 8th March 2012

We spent ages trying to locate this site, Man’s poorly signposted roads really not helping in the endeavour. We seemed to keep missing turnings, coming back around to the same bits of road, and driving over The Fairy Bridge three times (perhaps by not wishing the feyfolk a ‘Laa mia’ as we crossed, they contrived to muddle our way!). Finally in frustration we decided on a different tactic and took the car down to the parking spot at Port Grenaugh on the B25 to see if an approach on foot was viable.

The parking spot looked out over a pleasant cove, and at the beach a signpost pointed out the coastal path. Facing the sea we headed right, the path climbing up steeply to high headland, but with lovely views out along the coast, as we were buffeted by the wind. Heading west along the path a small way we came to an intersection, where a public footpath branched off to the right, bearing north-westerly across fields dotted with sheep, and towards Ballafurt farm. At the farm the footpath comes out onto a proper tarmac lane which we followed up to a T-junction, bearing left to take us toward Arragon Moar. Keeping an eye out in the fields to the right we soon spotted the tumbledown remains of Arragon Moar cairn, and heading through an open gateway, with very grand castellated gateposts, we finally entered the field, the larger mound of Arragon Moar Circle now dominating our view.

The mound on which the stones sit was much larger than I though, and the twelve stones which form the circle were satisfyingly chunky, a couple of them being large quartz blocks which stood out against today’s grey skies. Arragon Moar is like no other site I’ve been to, yet another of Man’s enigmatic monuments.

The stones of the circle hunker down in a depression on the mound, and from inside, as well as affording us some shelter, we were able to look out to sea, as raincluds gathered. It also provides a good view for plane spotting, as we were able to observe the planes taking off and landing at Ronaldsway airport nearby.

The rain starts spitting at us, and it’s freezing cold, my hands going numb. I can imagine on a fine day this would be a great place to spend some time, but for now we are going to check out the nearby cairn before heading back to the warmth of the car!

Visited 6th August 2011

Trollasten, the ‘Troll Stones’ is a small but perfectly formed dolmen. We initially tried to visit earlier in the week, stopping off at the village of Stora Koping to have a look at the carved rune stone in the churchyard.

Parking up at the church and after admiring the runestone we had a wander to the edge of the village to look for the dolmen. One difference you really notice in the Swedish countryside is the lack of hedges dividing up fields, and the dolmen was easily visible in a vast expanse of field stretching away in front of us. However if we wanted to visit it two problems then became apparent. Firstly we would have to dash across a train track with no obvious crossing, and secondly a huge combine harvester type machine was currently working the field. Not wishing to be crushed either by a passing express or some agricultural machinery we decided to try again another day.

Today though we drove through the village, spotted a level crossing on the edge of town, and seeing the crop had now been harvested, we parked up on the correct side of the railway track at the edge of the unfenced field and trekked towards the stones.

The site is in a bucolic paradise, hares played in the sunshine of the field, whilst buzzards circled overhead, and as we neared the dolmen rather than finding Trolls inside we instead disturbed two small deer who were sheltering from the heat of the day, startling us probably more than them as they raced away from the dolmen.

I squeezed inside the chamber, where it’s lovely cool and comfortable, I could stay here for ages. Trollasten reminds me of a slightly more diminuative version of the Spinsters Rock, and the airy inner chamber provides similar feelings of warmth and welcome. I’m really pleased we managed to actually get here rather than just viewing it afar from the wrong side of the tracks!

Visited 5th May 2011

It’s a misty morning, the fog clinging to the trees and muffling the sounds of the forest around us as we sit at ‘The Wolves Lair’, a unique combination of table dolmen and allee couverte, dating from around 2,500BCE.

The small dolmen was once said to house wolves, hence the name, now it is moss covered, seemingly becoming part of the forest, but this morning it feels like a place out of time, and I almost expect to see huge lupine shapes slinking between the trees around us.

Two lines of stone, now jumbled, extend out from the dolmen, and there is still evidence of a vague raised mound on which the monument stood.

We only found out about this place quite late into our weeks holiday, by spotting it in a book on Brittany megaliths we picked up from the museum at Carnac. It is nice and easy to find, just south of the town of Tredion on the D1 a small signposted parking spot points the way to a path through the woodland to the dolmen.

On the walk through the forest several large fallen stones were visible, and it was difficult to tell whether they were once fallen menhirs, as they seemed too worked in shape to be just natural stones.

There is something about this place which draws me to it, whether it is the particular atmosphere of the setting on this misty morning enhancing the place, or some innate magic of the site I don’t know, but the whole place is so evocative it makes it hard to leave. This is a true forest temple, a place of myth and the archetypal ancient ruin in a forest. I really liked it here.

I just love the way the forest seems to embrace the monument, moss shrouds the stones and oaks protectivly encircle it, whilst a smally holly tree grows from the back of the dolmen, how much more Druidic can you get!

This is one of the best dolmens I’ve ever visited, and coupled with the ease of access, but remote feel there is no excuse not to come back!

Visited 31st December 2011

A henge before breakfast! Just across the field from the Bryn Gwyn stones, the cold light of a December dawn illuminates the horizon as I sit on the embankment to write my fieldnotes. The bank remains satisfyingly large, with a clearly visible entranceway. Castell Bryn-Gwyn has been cut in half though and a small farmhouse hunkers within its precincts, which make you feel a bit like an intruder, as if you are sat in someones garden!

I wonder about the links between the nearby Bryn Gwyn Tre’r Drwy stones, and whether the whole area was part of a larger ritual complex, certainly standing on the bank the stones are visible to the south-west. It’s peaceful here, magical in the early morning light.

Bryn Gwyn means ‘Gwyn’s Hill’ (or possibly it could be ‘Blessed’ hill, since the name Gywn means blessed) and I wonder if there are any folkloric associations with Gwyn ap Nudd here? I’ve not come across any, but it’s something I’ll look into. I certainly seem to have lost time whilst sitting in the henge, as if the Twywth Teg were around, half an hour having passed like five minutes!

Visited 31st December 2011

The stones are towering above me in the early dawn light, looming in the darkness in front of me like a pair of stone colossi. Waking up extra early, I’ve walked here from the holiday cottage where we will be seeing in the New Year, eager to visit some of the sites on Ynys Mon I’ve never seen.

Leaving everyone else in bed I grabbed a torch and OS map and set off for the stones and nearby henge. Navigating through the quagmire of mud from yesterdays heavy rains, I tramped across the field. The stones themselves are huge and chunky, this would have been such an impressive site as an intact circle consisting of megaliths this large. I’m pleased to see the stones cruel misuse as gateposts seems to be at an end, the rusting gate I’d seen in previous photos being nowhere to be seen. Now the stones act more like a ritual entranceway, leading you towards the henge of Castel Bryn Gwyn in the next field.

I give the stones a hug on my way past to the henge as the sun starts to peek above the horizon for the last time this year, being here at dawn is just magical. I think I’d underestimated Bryn Gwyn in the past, the picture in the big papery TMA doesn’t do it justice. It’s definitely worth stopping by to see these huge stones, and nearby henge if you’re on Anglesey.

Visited 5th March 2012

About as close to a ‘proper’ stone circle as you get on the Isle of Man, this was high on the list of sites to visit during our trip.

Heading back up to Port Erin after a visit to the lovely Cronk Karran hut circle, we took an unlisted single track road towards Ballnahowe. Despite keeping a sharp eye out we nearly flew past the pull in for the site, no signposts (not even a parking sign) indicate the muddy layby, which looks little more then a passing place in the road, only by noticing a fence and sign on the steep ridge of the hill did we know we were in the right place.

But what a place it is! A steep walk up the path to the top showed us another of Man’s unusual monuments. Six main cists form the circle, and I’m not sure whether this was once a circle that has been re-cycled into a burial place by having cairns built into the perimeter. it also looks as if there may once have been an original embankment or henge style monument here at one time, although the estimable Mr Burl makes no mention of this in his guide to stone circles.

I hunker down in one of the cists to escape the gale force winds, and now sheltered and cosy am able to write some field notes.

It’s definitely a dificult site to get a handle on, but its uniqueness lends it an air of mystery, and somewhere you must see if you are on Man. I’d love to stay longer, but the cold wind, and thoughts of lunch in Port Erin pull us on.

Visited 7th March 2012

On high, wet moorland, the Druidale cairns form part of an area rich in ancient remains. Several hut circles are nearby and medieval shieling sites are also evident. The area on which the cairns stand is known in Manx as ‘The Rheast’, which means ‘waste or moorland’.

Two cairns are evident here, comprised of large white quartz stones, they stood out like beacons overlooking the road as we drove down the C37 through Ballugh glen.

Pulling in at the car park at Montpellier Wood we set off walking up the footpath leading up the hill in front of us. The walk up is nice and wild, almost like walking up a stream due to the water draining off the moorland down the path, the decision to wear wellingtons proving to be a wise one.

Up here on the blowy, waterlogged moors of Druidale it feels like the Scottish highlands. The sun is out after last nights rain, and even the wind isn’t as bitter as yesterday. I’m perched on the quartz blocks of the cairn, which stand out brightly against the dull colours of the moor.

The southerly cairn is the largest, although much of the cairn material is buried, the circumference of the cairn is still visible and from where I’m sitting the outline of the cairn stretches around me, further quartz blocks hidden under the grass. Apparantly this cairn was excavated in the 19th century by a Canon Quine, who employed labourers to dig into it. A burial urn was discovered, which unfortunately was dropped by one of the labourers and broken, and no traces of this artefact now survive.

Around 20’ to the west of the southern cairn lies a fallen standing stone, now partially sunken into the marshy ground. A couple of feet of the stone are visible, but it is difficult to tell how high the stone would have stood when erect.

The northern cairn is more robbed and interfered with, the remaining stones being particularly piled up, probably by walkers, and now it merely looks as if a group of boulders that has been piled up from the main cairn

The wind continues its steady gusts but it’s been a fine walk to the cairns, and I’m glad we took the opportunity to see these lovely quartz cairns.

Visited 6th March 2012

Heading down the A2 from Ramsey to Laxey after a visit to Cashtal yn Ard our intention was to pay a visit to King Orry’s Grave, and spotting a brown sign indicating that monument we took the right turn onto the B11 as directed.

The lane was narrow as it passed through the village of Ballaragh, but shortly Ellen spots the Spiral Stone at the side of the road, the green sign perched above it standing out like a beacon. Pulling into the side of the road, there really isn’t anywhere proper to park, but the road is so quiet we risk leaving the car and head over to the stone.

Without the green sign to indicate its presence you would most likely never spot the stone, as it looks like nothing more than a boulder wedged into the fieldwall, and it’s hard to know whether once this would have been a standing stone, or just a rocky outcrop that the Ancients decided to carve.

It takes a bit of spotting but soon we discern the shape of two spirals, and possibly also some cupmarks, towards the bottom of the stone. Trying to make them out with any clarity is difficult so I rumage in the car for any water to damp the stone and try to make photographing the spirals easier. After a libation of sacred lemonade (the only liquid I could find in the car!) things become clearer and I have a go at photographing the carvings. Two spirals are definitely still there, but the third one does now seem eroded to the point of occlusion. Still it’s been nice to happen upon this stone at the side of the road, and so close to our intended destination!

Visited 5th March 2012

This really is the most idyllic location for a site, I’m blown away (and not for once by the incessant Manx winds).

We initially found it tricky to find, no signposts indicate its presence, and there are a maze of little lanes around the village of Cregneash. We took a narrow left turn just after the village car park, heading towards the coast, having spotted a sign to ‘The Chasms’. The lane soon ended near the cliff tops at a bumpy car park. Heading towards the old cafe building, now just used as a shelter, we opened the gate and entered the chasms.

They are well named, as yawning gaps litter the area. Picking our way through them we initially head left, (as it turns out the wrong way!) and spend about twenty minutes clambering around and trying to find the site. Eventually after heading back the other way we spot the circle and work our way down to it.

Now the sky is a gorgeous blue and it’s wonderfully sheltered here at Cronk Karran. I’m sitting in the circle listening to the call of the gulls and watching the sun sparkling on the sea.

Although there is some argument as to whether Cronk Karran is a cairn circle or hut circle, to me it clearly feels like a dwelling place rather than a site of burial or ritual.

One section of the wall is double skinned, but this only extends for around six feet and has clearly defined ends. It reminded me of the stone beds built into the houses at Skara Brae on Orkney, and I wonder if it was used for this purpose here? Certainly after reclining in it for a while it was just large enough for me to stretch out fully, and in the warmth of the sun, on the relatively soft grass, I’m almost dozing off.

After reading Kammer’s fieldnotes I had high hopes for this site , and it doesn’t disappoint, it’ll be hard to tear ourselves away. Cronk Karran is a definite must visit if you are on Man.

Visited 5th March 2012

A very urban standing stone, this menhir must stand a good 10’ tall. We passed it as we were heading down the A31 on our way to Castletown. I was a bit taken aback by the size of it, and how closely it stood across from the houses on Beach Road in Port St. Mary.

Parking in a small residential cul-de sac opposite the site we spotted two gates into the field, one of which, in the corner of the field between the A31/A5 junction, stood wide open, invitingly beckoning us into the field.

This huge stone is lovely, we sheltered in the lea of it from the unrelentingly bitter wind that seems to have blown incessantly across Man since we arrived.

It was nice to take a bit of time to stand with the stone, the huge empty field streching off before us. I was possibly expecting some curtain twitching from across the road, but either everyone was out or else they are just unperturbed by a couple of old hippy stonehuggers. The dark band on the stone described by Kammer had faded down to be barely noticable, but since the stone’s beard of moss only seemed to cling to its upper half I’m sure cattle still enjoy using the stone to scratch their itches.

One of the finest standing stones on Man, nicely accessible, it’s a lovely stone, and we didn’t feel unwelcome entering the field. This one is a must visit if you are near Port St. Mary.

Visited 5th March 2012

When is a burial chamber not a burial chamber? Arguably when it’s been dug up, partially destroyed and re-erected in a different location opposite a church without any of its previous context.

I don’t want to sound too harsh to the poor Ballaharra stones, as I’m generally in favour of restoration/reconstruction of ancient sites. But the four remaining stones here seem to have been reconstructed almost as a garden feature, by the same token if I collected some stones from a cairn on a windswept moor and piled them up at home would I have a megalithic site in my garden? The stones may come from the monument but the monument itself is long gone.

Still the stones themselves are pleasant enough, with two small trees bookending the site, although the proximity to the busy (for the Isle of Man) road spoils things a bit, as does the litter accumulating near the garden wall. Due to the reconstruction it is difficult to tell how the burial chamber would have been structured, since two of the stones were destroyed during its ‘excavation’ but it looked as if one of the stones was possibly cupmarked.

The information board, with its Stonehengesque delusions of grandeur, is still there but looking a bit faded now. We took a few photos and retired to the very good Tynwald Hill cafe for a drink in front of their lovely open fire.

Visited 3rd August 2011

The Kivik bonus site! In English Penningagraven means ‘Coin Barrow’, as there was supposed to be treasure buried within it. It’s a very fine site within the larger grave field of Ängakåsen, and it’s amazing how much of this Bronze Age cemetery remains, and how little visited it seems considering its proximity to the Kungagraven.

The kerb circle itself is comprised of nice chunky boulders and the battered central standing stone, which was once broken into three pieces, has been neatly stuck back together (no ugly iron banding here!). Two cult houses (’kulthus’ in Swedish), smaller kerbed burial cairns, stand just to west of the monument, whilst another can be found actually inside the Penningagraven itself.

Without the trees which screen the site there once would have been views from Penningagraven out across the Baltic to the north.

It’s lovely and peaceful here, and this is an amazing place. As I sit on the stones in the blazing sun I can just catch a glimpse of the shimmering blue Baltic through the trees, butterflies flutter around me and I’m lost for words in the magical atmosphere here. It’s like being a kid in a megalithic sweetshop! Even the cows across the other side of the field are placid and chilled out by the atmosphere!

Visited 4th March 2012

Parking up in the small village of Ballugh outside the church of St Mary, the bells were calling the faithful to Sunday morning service, but we were in search of a place of older gods...

Taking the footpath opposite the church a pleasant walk down a tree lined path takes us over a stream and soon the asphalt lane becomes a mud track, with high gorse hedges shielding the fields. The OS map indicates the stone will be to our left, but the embanked gorse makes it maddeningly difficult to see anything.

Soon however a conspicuously trampled path up the bank where there is a gap in the gorse allows me to spot the stone. There is no sign of any gate into the field, but with the Ravenfeather mantra of ‘It’s not a visit unless you can hug the stone!’ ringing in my head, I endeavor to clamber over the bank and fence to gain access to the field. Trying not to do myself an injury on the barbed wire I step over the low fence, but Ellen very sensibly elects to stay on the bank to view the stone from afar.

A short trek over the ploughed field brings me to the stone. Well ooh err missus! This is one of the most phallic stones I’ve seen, the bulbous bit of stone at the base (use your imagination) and veiny, ridged (for her pleasure) sides, adding somewhat to the effect, and not for nothing is it known as ‘Mannanan’s cock’. It must be around 6’ in height and fairly chunky. A fine and unusual stone to visit, it’s just a shame the field it stands in isn’t more accessible.

Visited 31st December 2011

Of all my many previous visits to Anglesey I’d never been here before. Despite being only a stones throw from Barclodiad-y-Gawres I’d always found the maze of lanes around Llanfaelog confusing, or maybe I’d been subconsciously avoiding seeing the appalling restoration of the dolmen, now with an OS map in hand there were no excuses so we set off to view the site.

Initial impressions were hopeful, as we parked up in the tiny layby outside Ty Newydd’s field, the shape of the huge capsone hove into view and I thought well that doesn’t look too bad. Indeed from one angle it doesn’t, but as you approach the true horror of the restoration becomes apparent.

Oh dear.

Looking more like a dodgy garage extension than a serious attempt at archaeological restoration the brick pillar ‘supports’ are so inappropriate as to totally ruin the form of the monument, and I desperately try to angle my photos to hide the ugly brickwork.

Well done to the 19th century gaping rustic who lit a bonfire on the capstone cracking it and necessitating this later awful reconstruction. I’m generally in favour of restoring megalithic sites but to be honest this one would have looked better if it had been left in a tumbledown ‘dolmen on a blasted heath’ type state rather than having been used as bricklaying practice for the Ministry of Works. Surely it would now be possible to restore the monument in a more sympathetic way?

If you can overlook the bricks the dolmen is of a good size, the capstone being impressively huge. I was initially perplexed by the small concrete posts which surrounded the structure, before figuring out that they indicated the circumference of the mound which would have once covered the dolmen (at least I think that’s what they’re for, please someone correct me if I’m wrong!) At least from one angle it looks great, like a perfect stone table, perhaps I can dream that one day someone will come along and restore it properly!

Visited 1st May 2011

A lovely sunny spring day on our way down to Portsmouth and the ferry to Brittany. I’d looked for the Thor stone before on previous trips down to the Rollrights, but was always confused by the maze of lanes.

Now with the sat-nav taking the strain we pull up in the tiny village of Tatston. Managing to park near the old stone cross on the green without blocking the roads, (a feat in itself) we have a wander over to examine the stone.

The stone is a good size, and reminds me of the oolithic limestone that makes up the Rollrights, but less holey. It seems indignant to the proximity of the nearby wall, like it’s trying to peer over into the garden. The village is quiet today, it seems to have a bit of a ‘Midsommer Murders’ vibe to it, and no cars come by to interrupt my photographing of the menhir. It’s nice to see that the Thor Stone seems to have weathered the centuries better than the stone cross set up to ward off its evil influence!

Giving the stone a Beltane hug we leave to continue our journey, if you’re in the area the Thor stone, Hawk stone and Hoar stone can all be easily visited being quite close to each other, and I’m glad we finally managed to explore this corner of megalithic Oxfordshire.

Visited 3rd August 2011

We fortuitously found out about this site after browsing through an interesting guidebook on the Kungagraven over a coffee at the lovely Cafe Sågmöllen next to the Kungagraven in Kivik. Leaving the car in the Kungagraven carpark we set off walking east along the road in the glorious sunshine.

Only 300 metres away from the Kungagraven, and nestling among neatly tended apple orchards, we didn’t see one vehicle on the way there, nor encountered any other visitors, and after a five minute walk a small gate at the side of the road afforded an easy entry to the site.

The skibssætning itself is a large one, and has two stones set inside the boat setting, almost as if they represented rowing benches for ancient viking mariners. It also had two stones standing at the ‘prow’, these two features being different from any of the other skibssætnings we have seen. The stones also look as if they stand on a slightly raised mound, which of course may have diminished in height over the millenia, there is also a noticable sunken entranceway which points directly east into the skibssætning.

Ängakåsen itself is part of a bigger gravefield known as ‘Koarum’ remains of which are visible in the field. Almost bisecting the area to north of the skibssætning was a pond and stream, possibly a result of waterlogged ground, but it provided a picturesque backdrop across which the other megalithic remains could be seen. From the skibssætning looking north the kerb circle and standing stone of the ‘coin barrow’ beckon to us.

So I do my usual mad photographic spree of attempting to take pictures from every possible angle of the stones, whilst everyone else chills out in the peaceful atmosphere. Again I’m struck by how well kept the megalithic sites in Sweden are, the field is neatly tended, easily accessible and with nary a piece of litter, not even a fag butt, to be seen.

This whole area around Kivik seems to form part of a larger ritual landscape, almost like the Kilmartin valley in Scotland, I’m so glad we stumbled on this hidden gem.

Visited 3rd August 2011

the Kungagraven is Scandinavia’s largest known burial cairn and therefore was a must visit on our trip to Skane.

Having read about the site and seen the pictures in The Megalithic European, I was worried this site might be one of those over-restored tourist trap kind of places, but I needn’t have worried. We arrived at 10am, just as the place was opening and had it to ourselves.

The low cairn is huge, probably the largest I’ve ever seen, but so denuded from hundreds of years of being robbed for building materials. The curved entranceway was put in during the restoration work in the 1930’s along with the gated doorway and ‘crypt’ containing the cist, but even with this modern meddling the sheer scale of the place allows it to retain its grandeur.

Inside the cool darkened chamber the decorated cist slabs seem to glow in the artificial light, the symbology showing sun wheels and burial rites, the style reminiscent of neolithic cave painting, although this tomb was constructed during the Bronze Age. The preponderance of axe heads painted on the slabs reminds me of the carved axe head symbols I’ve seen in the tombs in Kilmartin valley. The cist slabs were damaged during the 18th century when the quarrying was at its peak, and three of the slabs even disappeared from the site, although fortunately detailed engravings (copies of which hang in the nearby cafe) were made before this happened.

Soon other visitors start to arrive and we move from the small chamber back out to the dazzling sunshine for a wander around the outside of the cairn.

Near to the cairn, where you pay for your entrance tickets, by a murmuring brook, is the picturesque Cafe Sagmollan, where we sat for a very nice cup of coffee and I was able to write up my fieldnotes, Ellen also discovered for sale a great little booklet with information on the Kungagraven in English, and even better after leafing through it we discovered that less than 300 metres south of the cairn was a large gravefield with a number of stone settings! An unexpected megalithic bonus that we could head off to explore.

Overall the Kungagraven has been well worth a visit, reasonably priced at 20kr (about £2 when we went) and not in any way ‘in your face’ touristy.

Visited 20th August 2010

Parking up next to a couple of camper vans we set off to find our third recumbent of the day. After a bit of poking about in the woods (at least I’ve got the O.S. map with me today!) we found what we were looking for and what a cracker it is!

On first sight I missed the recumbent, and thought this was a ‘traditional’ style stone circle, which would have been unusual for Aberdeenshire, but soon the dumpy recumbent boulder with one erect and one fallen flanker became apparent.

Sitting in a sylvan glade this lovely little circle has a fantastic atmosphere, although close to the road, and with several campervans about, it still feels remote and separate, although the remains of a campfire in the circle suggest that it is well visited.

After earlier showers the sun is shining again, the light lancing through the trees and dappling the circle with shadows. I prop myself up on the recumbent to write up my fieldnotes, with only the sounds of woodpeckers from the surrounding forest for company.

The recumbent seems to have the same south-easterly alignment as other RSC’s but as has been mentioned this site doesn’t seem to fit the standard pattern of the Aberdeenshire circles!

Out of all the recumbent circles we’ve seen this week, this one has the best atmosphere, the whole setting of the place is like a scene from a fantasy story, the creaking of the nearby trees like the whispering of Ents. Such a beautiful circle, though hopefully we will get the chance to see a couple more before we have to return to Muggleland (the midlands) tomorrow.

Visited 31st December 2011

The sun is out, turning the sky blue as we arrive at this pair of dolmens. Again another site I’ve not visited before, despite many past visits to Anglesey, and this was top of my list to see this time. Unlike nearby Ty Newydd the dolmen here now stands proud alone, I’m so glad the ridiculous wooden truss had been removed. I squeezed under the capstone of the southern chamber, trying not to get my feet too wet in the huge pool of water which had puddled in there, and putting my faith to the test that that wooden truss really was never necessary.

Two dolmens for the price of one can’t be bad, although the northern chamber is now just a jumble of stones. It feels like the dolmen of elemental water here, being near to a lake and standing on very waterlogged ground, but it has a most warm and welcoming atmosphere, and not just due to the improving weather!

I’m not sure if this would have been one large mound with two chambers, or just two neighbouring smaller cairns, without archaeological evidence its difficult to say. The vague construction date (according to the sign it was built some time within a 2,000 year period!) also may allow for the possibility of it being a multi phase monument.

It’s certainly a special dolmen in fine pristine surroundings, its just a shame the trees screen the view of the nearby lake. Still a great place to spend some time on a lovely New Year’s Eve.

Visited 2nd January 2012

Stopped off to see this beauty on the way back from our New Years stay on Anglesey.

Not as difficult to park as I feared, there is a small layby (well probably a passing place!) up the lane, but we took Postman’s advice and parked at the field gateway.

The field was extremely soggy after the recent rains and whilst everyone else took the sensible option and photographed the stone from the gateway I picked my way ankle deep in mud into the field. (Well its not a proper visit if you can’t hug the stone!)

Up close the stone is impressively tall and its elevated position looks out like a sentinel towards Snowdonia just across the straits. The wind was whipping up as I huddled up against the stone to avoid some of the bitter chill, and as the clouds scudded across the sky the sun sent fingers of light lancing down over the mountains. It’s a fantastic setting for a stone, and well worth the visit, I didn’t want to leave.

Visited 2nd August 2011

Disa’s Ting is a rectangular setting of sixteen stones, which were erected on a small earthen bank delineating an area of thirty-six metres long by sixteen metres wide. Where elsewhere the stone setting could be described as a cromlech, in Scandinavia these types of monument are know as thing-vollr, a law centre or ‘field where an assembly meets’.

The sixteen stones range in height from 7’ tall, in the south-east of the rectangle, to around 1’ high, the largest stones standing along the southern quadrant closest to the sea. There does not appear to be any graduation in the height of the stones.

Excavations in 1920 discovered a cobblestone framework was laid down in order to form the foundation for the earthen bank, and amongst this material were found scattered burnt human bones. These were interpreted as being the remains of an Iron Age grave that would have dated from around 500 BCE to 400CE, later carbon dating has put this towards the earlier end of that scale. The embankment on which the stones stand has now denuded over time, but is still visible, and provides an opening to the enclosure from the west.

Although the archaeological evidence recovered points toward the Iron Age, and therefore long after the rest of European megalithic culture, the surrounding area is rich in earlier Bronze Age remains, including a barrow field (graberfeld) only a few hundred metres to the west, indicating that the site may have had an earlier date of construction and had been adapted for later use, as has been seen at other megalithic sites present in areas of Viking culture.

I’ve had an evening of paddling on the beach only feet away from Disa’s Ting, and even at 8.30pm it is still warm, so I waded into the Baltic at the nice little beach at Svarte, only three miles away from the house where we were staying. Then I walked barefoot to the stones as evening fell, sitting in the middle of the thing-vollr and just relaxing in the atmosphere.

Although so close to the edge of the village, with houses just a stones throw away, it doesn’t feel overlooked or unwelcome here. In fact the whole history of the site as a law centre makes it feel an integral and organic part of the village, rather than humanity encroaching on the wildness of the places where megalithic sites usually stand.

It’s also interesting that this is a very young site in megalithic terms, only 2,500 years old, although I get the feeling that the site was used by an earlier culture and adopted later by the Vikings as a powerful place to make pronouncements. As I sit in the middle of the stones, the spiky grass jabbing at my feet, I also ponder on who the enigmatic maiden Disa was. Was she a volva or seidr? It’s nice that the place is still associated with her name.

Now as the sun sets the light over the stones and the view out to sea is exquisite, before
I sat down I hugged one of the stones and was suffused with warmth, although this was a physical rather than spiritual effect, as a result of the days heat radiating from the stone, although it still feels lovely!

It’s magical to be here at sunset, with the light low over the stones, and the normally busy coast road now quiet. This was the first megalithic site we visited in Sweden, and it feels special, a good introduction to the wonders of Skane!

Visited 4th August 2011

The Gladsax bonus site! After the trials and tribulations of finding the main Gladsax site we happened upon the handy information board back at Rosadala farm. Helpfully written in English (I love Sweden, why can’t all countries be as accessible for megalith hunters!) it indicated that another ganggrift lay about 500 metres nortwest, and had an astonoshing 223 cupmarks on it!

Excited by the thought of another site in such close proximity we set off along a dusty path visible across a field to the north, and handily highlighted by a couple of small flags. Not having any idea of what to expect we scanned the horizon in the blazing sunshine, before spotting something up on a ridge ahead. Shortly the path came to a wire fence which we cautiously approached (electric fences being very popular in these parts!) but helpfully this one has a couple of insulated handles which let you detatch the bungy-rope like wire and allow access to the field.

Up on a low ridge was the unmistakable remains of something meglithic, just to the other side of another dividing fence (this one accessed by a proper gate however). Inside its field Gladsax Norre Vang was within another small fenced enclosure, probably to protect it from use a rubbing post for the inquistive herd of cows which thronged near it. After our encounter with the killer cows at Gardlosa earlier in the week Ellen decided discretion was the better part of valour and so remained in the nearby field while I had a poke about the stones.

A couple of huge capstones covered the tumbledown remains of the passage, which seemed to have been built upon a low mound, with a surrounding kerb of smaller stones, around which about half still remained. Although it lacked the impressive quartzite boulder of its near neighbour, it did have a heavily cupmarked flat capstone. This was the stone with the advertised 223 cupmarks, although many were now eroded and difficult to make out. I started to count them but was aware of the attentions of my bovine onlookers who seemed to be straining to see what I found so interesting about the site, so eventually I admitted defeat and after trying to take some photos without getting a load of cows in shot I decamped back to the next field with Ellen to write up the fieldnotes.

Gladsax Norre Vang seems to share a similar construction to its neighbour, and I imagine would probably date from around the same time, although I haven’t been able to find out any further information on the site, from its slightly raised position it is also possible to see the white gleam of the Gladsax Ganggrift capstone boulder 500 metres away, so perhaps this whole area was once dotted with funary monuments. Whatever the case was this was an unexpected joy, the two sites set in beautiful farmland on a glorious summers day, and if you ever get the chance to Gladsax then do, and don’t neglect to make the short walk to this site as well because it’s definitely worth it!

Visited 4th August 2011

Another gloriously sunny Swedish day and we thought we would try to tick off the last few sites in the Sweden section of the Megalthic European, so with Ellen driving I sat with the big papery Megalthic European open on my knee as we set the satnav for Gladsax.

Following Mr Cope’s directions we drove down an increasingly rough track at the side of Rosdala farm while I scanned the edges of the road for the ‘large boulder’ mentioned in the directions. Looking up I just noticed a glinting in the road, and just had time to shout ‘Stop!’ as Ellen slammed on the brakes and we came to a halt in a cloud of dust mere centimenters from a thin double length of wire strung across the road fencing off the track.

With frayed nerves we backed up and parked the car whilst I set off across a field to a ridge to scout out if we were anywhere near the elusive site. On reaching the ridgeline I could see the large white boulder which tops the ganggrift glinting tantalisingly in the sun on the other side of a nearby wheatfield.

Not having travelled 1000 miles to be this close to the site I refused to be deterred and taking advantage of the Swedish custom of ‘allemansratt’ (oh how I love Sweden!) I set off carefully around the edge of the wheatfield careful not to damage any crops.
What looked a short distance in a straight line was a considerably longer walk as I skirted the edge of the field, but finally the field was circumvented and I reached the huge boulder topping the mound.

As I approached the entranceway the first thing I noticed was a clearly defined path leading from the farm up to the ganggrift! So having established there was easy access I followed the path to see where it came out. Ending in a small place for parking, along with an information board I thought I’d go back and fetch Ellen who had stayed in the car so we could spend some time at the site, so after a long circular walk back down the dusty lane past head high corn, which along with the midday heat put me in mindof the American midwest, I finally made it back to the car.

So trying again we now drove to the farm and parked up. Giving us a bit of time to examine the site and take in the atmosphere, and what an atmosphere there is here!

Gladsax (alsoknown as Stenstuan) is currently the oldest confirmed Neolithic site in Sweden, cremated remains and pottery from inside the structure having been carbon dated to around 3,700BCE. A circular kerbed wall of small stones has a mound constructed on top, with a small row of low stones defining an entranceway, and leading to a tiny burial chamber. Topping this off is a huge quartzite boulder. Technically this could be classed as a ‘langgraff’ or long grave, but the entranceway is so short, and the construction of the monumnent so different to others of that type that it doesn’t seem to fit.

There are some excellent carvings on the boulder capstone, some clearly defined as boats, while others more abstract, I went around furiously photographing them, although the high sun made it difficult to pick out the the detail with little shadow to define the carvings, but the pictures seemed to come out OK.

Then a chance to sit down at the site and write my fieldnotes. It is perfectly quiet here, the atmosphere distinctly ‘Lammasy’ with cornfields dotted around, and a wealth of wildflowers covering the field in which the ganggrift stands, as well as countless butterflies everywhere, we even saw some Large Blue’s!

The perfect bucolic setting and preponderance of butterflies adds to the magical fairy mound kind of quality that this place has, the tiny burial mound is too small to squeeze into but if I did I wouldn’t have been suprised if hundreds of years had passed by the time I emerged! We felt happy here and reluctant to leave, Gladsax exerting it own pull on us, this really is a place you need to visit as pictures don’t do it justice.

Directions: Follow Julian’s directions in the Megalithic European as far as Rosdala farm, but instead of taking the suggested track at the side of the farm instead drive down the farm access road past the line of trees and you will see as you approach the farmyard a small information sign ahead of you, along with a small area to park. Just to the right of the sign (it looks as if it gives access to the farmyard) you will see the start of the path leading to the ganggrift, and the site itself will be visible as it’s only a short walk. You can also folow the track across the adjacent field which leads staright ahead where you park the car which will lead you to the more ruinous site of Gladsax Norre Vang, which is just across the field on a low ridge, directly to the north of Gladsax Ganggrift.

Visited 3rd August 2011

This is probably the most comfortable dolmen in the world! Soft sand to sit on, a glorious view of the Baltic in front of me, and a chamber just my length to recline in. Nice and easy to find, we followed Julian’s directions in TME, parked up at the busy carpark at Havang, and headed for the beach!

The sun is hot today, but with a cooling breeze from the azure sea, we have just had a picnic by the dolmen, within the sheltering enclosure of the surrounding stones. The beach front setting of the monument is idyllic, and although there are plenty of folk around it is not crowded. People come and go at the stones but do little to disturb the feelings of peace.

Havangsdosen was discovered after a heavy autumn storm in south eastern Skane in 1843 blew away sand covering this 5,000 year old grave. The monument consists of a small dolmen, with a large capstone supported by three uprights forming a burial chamber, but seems very different from the British or Irish dolmens that I’ve seen, in that it is surrounded by a rectangular setting of sixteen stones.

The name of the site ‘Havängsdösen’ means “The Dolmen on the Sea’s Meadow” and it is aptly named, being on the edge of the sand only metres from the sea. In Skǻne, the southernmost county of Sweden, it seems common for Neolithic graves to be sited along the coast and larger rivers.

The entrance to the burial chamber itself looks out east across the Baltic, and is aligned in such a way as to be oriented with the sunrise on the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes, the sun rising from the seahorizon illuminating the chamber for twenty minutes during these equinoctial sunrises.

I’ve spent some time relaxing in the comfortable enclosure of the chamber and gazing out over the clear blue sea can only imagine the magical qualities of seeing the sun rise up directly in front of you, bathing the chamber in light, it gives you a sense of the reasons why the ancients built these monuments how and where they did.

This was one of the sites in Sweden I was most looking forward to visiting and it doesn’t disappoint!

Visited 4th May 2011

On the islet of Er-Lannic in the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany, lie the remains of two cromlechs. Originally they would have stood on a small hillock on the mainland, but as sea levels have been steadily rising for the past 7,000 years they have now become partly submerged, Er-Lannic having been cut off from the mainland since Roman times.

The northern site is a flattened circle, which would have been comprised of up to 60 stones, the stones standing almost contiguous with each other, similar to a kerb circle, but being much larger stones than are typically seen in that type of monument, ranging in height from 6’ up to 17’ 4”. There were also two tall outliers to the east and west of the northern circle, in line with the tallest stone in the ring, both of which are now submerged.

The southern site is horseshoe shaped, and is now completely submerged, it has a diameter of around 200 feet, with an opening to the east. It was first discovered in 1872 when Closmadeuc, an archaeologist from Vannes, visited the north ring at very low tide and noticed the tips of some more stones exposed above the sea. At the southern tip of the submerged cromlech there would have been a gigantic stone pillar, called ‘men-ar-gou’ or ‘La Roche du Forgeron’, meaning ‘the blacksmith’s stone’ by fishermen.

Le Rouzic excavating in the 1920’s found around each stone a cist containing charcoal, animal bones, worked flints, pottery, and a lot of polished axes. Two stones are carved with axes and a yoke, and one of the uprights’ packing stones has nine cupmarks (according to Le Rouzic, arranged to form the outline of the constellation Ursa Major). A plan was also made of the submerged site, documenting the layout of the southern horseshoe, and detailing a possible three sided and unroofed Cove within the submerged south-eastern section of the north ring.

Burl suggests there are possible alignments within the monument to astronomical events, (p. 256 ‘Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland & Brittany’ – Aubrey Burl 1995) and that lunar alignments with the major northern moonrise and moonset could be drawn along the South-East to North West axis, which aligns directly between the tallest stone in the northern ring, and the submerged cove.

When Aubrey Burl said this one was ‘very private’ he wasn’t joking! Although I don’t like making fieldnotes unless I’m actually in the site, with Er-Lannic this is as close as I’m likely to get without my own boat. Taking the last trip of the day to Gavr’inis was a lovely end to a day of megalith hunting, the last boat trip to that amazing cairn also comes in close to Er-Lannic. It seems so strange to see the stones protruding from the sea like a sunken ruin, you can only imagine what the scale of the monument as a whole would have been like when it was intact.

I first caught sight of the huge pillar in the northern ring when we were on Gavr’inis waiting to enter the cairn, and Er-Lannic seemed tantalisingly close across the immensely fast flowing current separating the two islands. As we came in closer more stones in the cromlech became apparent, all seemingly providing handy perches for the resident sea birds. Ellen took photos as I struggled to keep the video camera steady, and avoid too many of our fellow boat passengers getting in the way of the shots!

Although it’s now a bird sanctuary I’d still love to set foot on the island and stand amongst the stones, their power seems undiminished despite the advance of the sea. Although bobbing nearby in a motor launch full of tourists is not the best way to soak up the atmosphere of a site, on Er-Lannic it reaches out to you and is irrepressible, a partly sad, partly foreboding feeling of an isolated place, the cormorants perched atop the stones like shadowy guardians warning away visitors to this sacred enclosure.

Visited 11th June 2011

Another Derbyshire daytrip on another sunny day. We’re visiting a couple of standing stones just outside Ashbourne, some of the closest ancient sites to where we live, but I never even knew they existed until recently. The Stoup was refreshingly easy to find, visible from the road, standing proud in its field, although leaning at such a dangerous angle it look as if it’s about to keel over at any minute!

Cupmarks are clearly visible on one side of the stone, they look a little too regular to me to be natural, which only reinforces my belief that this is a Neolithic, rather than Saxon monument. Also interesting is the way that the incised cross is carved on the same side as the cupmarks, maybe the cupmarks were seen as having pagan symbolism even in Saxon times, and this was an attempt to ameliorate this?

There is a lovely view out to the west, with the lean of the stone pointing towards the distant hills, and the meadow the stone stands in is dotted with flowers. A nice spot to sit and contemplate, if only the wind weren’t so fierce, so time to press on to the pub in Cromford I think!

Visited on 17th April 2011

We’d been thinking about visiting this site for a while, so it being a gloriously sunny day we thought it’d be nice to take a trip down to Oxfordshire.

Nice and easy to find, just headed for Stanton Harcourt and followed the signs for the landfill site. Parked off at the first available layby (fortunately no problems were encountered from officious men in hi-vis jackets) and trekked off around the lake looking for the stones.

Well you can’t really miss them as you get near, a huge embanked henge dotted with twenty-eight satisfyingly chunky large stones. The henge has the classic entranceway leading into and out of the circle, and it looked like there was an outlying stone to the south.

The stones themselves are of a strange type of local conglomerate rock, which looked as if it was about to come apart at any moment, most of them are modern replacements, the older stones seemingly identifyable by their darker more weathered colour.

The monument itself originated as a henge, with evidence of postholes having once been in the centre, before the final phase of the erection of the stones around 2,500 BCE.

We had a picnic in the circle, the only sounds the cries of birds and the honking of the geese in the nearby lake, and the ground around us scattered in bones scavenged from the tip by the ever present birds. It certainly has a different atmosphere here, with the landfill site looming incongruously in front of you, somehow you can just tell it’s a reconstruction and not an ‘authentic’ site, even if no-one had told you so, but it is nice that someone has bothered to reconstruct the circle after all it has suffered in the past, and don’t let it put you off visiting, for it is an impressive place.