3 sites in 1.
The circle is a small 5 stone, with a the recumbent set at the SW. Next to this are a pair of huge standing stones and a radial cairn. The site is excellent, and in such a beatiful location.
On the way back we bumped in to JC and struck up a conversation about the difficulty of finding these sites in Cork. We all agreed it is definitely worth the trouble, and that the key is to not get too stressed out about it!
A wrecked circle – worth the visit when visiting Kealkil which lies just a 1/4 mile away to the NE. The portals and the recumbent are still standing, so it is possible to get a fair idea of how this site must have once been. The view is awesome. The ring also contains a rectangle of four boulder-burials.
A beautiful site in an equally beautiful location. Drombeg’s dark reputation doesn’t seem to hold up. The setting of the portals and recumbent is perfect and easy to work out. The nearby huts and cooking place add to the atmosphere.
I always leave sites with a bit of other people’s litter – a used flourescent red condom from the recumbent was taken from this vist. Nice.
I found this site a bit difficult to understand. Some of the stones are missing, and the surrounding land has been heavily altered for farming.
The stones themselves were tall and flat-topped.
JC was parked in the lay-by, typing up his notes, as we arrived.
Perfectly located, nestled below a prominent outcrop. The outcrop can be clearly seen from the main road, and I knew instantly that this would be the location of this wonderful site. I cannot imagine many people visiting here, so this is a great spot to just chill out.
This site left us stunned, everything about it is perfect (apart from the reproduction stone). Within the monuments chamber stands a single monolith, adding an ambience I’ve never felt in a burial chamber before.
Lying in the adjacent field this huge outcrop offered us the perfect peace and solitude to view and contemplate the burial mound without much fear of being disturbed. From the top it is perfectly clear that the mound and the nearby menhir are aligned with this gorsedd.
Bodowyr sits imprisoned within a silly little fence. With nobody around, the fence being low and without a gate, the best bet is to hop over for a closer inspection. The views from here to the mainland and the Snowdonian mountains is quite breathtaking.
The setting of Barclodiad-y-Gawres is awesome. The whole thing is spoilt by the huge grass covered dome which houses the monument. The gates were padlocked on the day we came and we were left frustrated by the fact that whoever had been allowed access last had left candles, foil wrapped chocolate Easter eggs and daffodils! Each to there own, but this kind of thing is pretty meaningless. A walk by the cliffs, down to the nearby cove showed the setting off further, with views out to Holy island. The orange coloured foam, as mentioned in TMA, was found frothing round the cliff edges, which shows this must be a perennial problem.
The broken capstone of Ty Newydd is held up by two wide stone built supports which ruin the site – however from one angle, they are obscured so it is possible to see the site as it would have been. A series of large stones in the wall next to the monument look quite suspicious.
Sitting in a field overlooking the gorsedd and monument of Bryn Celli Ddu. The menhir is shot through with a seam of quartz and is covered in thick lichen giving it a fascinating surface quality.
I only had the opportunity to see the central henge on this my first visit, my companion for the day wasn’t feeling too good, and I didn’t want to drag out his suffering any longer! The henge is in quite a bad state of repair, but is pretty big and good enough to recognise and so is worth seeing.
My first time seeing these three fantastic stones. The largest stone lies behind a locked gate on a busy road which is way too conspicuous to just leap over, so it’s best to be content viewing this one from a short distance. The other two stones are accesible and cannot fail to impress with their immense size.
Round Loaf lies off the beaten track. We were walking in the area (Tockholes), and decided to extend our walk to take in this site. The mound is worth visiting for its isolated position, but is probably best combined with a first time visit to the Pikestones site near Anglezark.
NB: It’s a good idea to take a bag with you for the worrying amount of litter – we spent 10 minutes tidying the site up when we arrived.
The best way to reach the Goggleby stone is to take the road from Shap to the Thunder Stone and turn left on the single track road, parking at the sharp right hand bend, a footpath leads to the stone which lies in the next field. The stone stands huge and proud, spoilt only by the concrete reinforcement at it’s base.
Kemp Howe is a travesty. These stones lie dejected by the side of a railway track, overlooking an industrial site. The stones are themselves beautiful, and despite the circles destruction, should be visited.
Well worth the visit to the Iron HIll cairn circle and it’s companion cairn just a few feet away, intersected by a dry stone wall. The circle is difficult to understand, at first, but does eventually make sense. Taking photographs was very hard!
Mayburgh henge never fails to impress. On this day the busy traffic sped past on the M6, Easter bank holiday being well under way, but the solitude of this site *still* impresses. I came with two friends who’d never been before, and both were overwhelmed by it’s size and the thought of this site being used by the ancients.
Castlerigg on a warm spring afternoon is perfect. Swarming with tourists – I still LOVE it. It never fails to amaze me how people, with no apparent interests in their ancient ancestors, can come to sites like this and feel it. We came and chilled here for an hour or so, and in that time watched numerous people arrive, approach the site, and proceed to wander round with broad smiles across their faces.
This small circle near Oddendale is of a similar size to the nearby Iron Hill cairn circle. When we visited five mad sheep were resident in the field which is fenced off and the gate padlocked. It seemed best just to observe from over the fence as those sheep looked just wrong, one came right up to the fence and wanted attention, another grunted wierdly in the background. Quite sad really.
The Three Brothers have been described as hard to find, well let me put that straight now! They are easy to find, only a five minute walk up from a small lay-by just before Leighton Hall and they are clearly intervisible now that the surrounding trees have been thinned out.
Nestled in a very private spot, Capel Garmon has a beautiful air of tranquility. The hum of farm equipment in the distance doesn’t detract from this place. The Gorsedd stone, as described in TMA, is just one part of a complex of hidden spots which must all have had there part within this sacred landscape.
A beautiful place. From the path below the circle isn’t at all visible. However from the entrance the view to the valley beyond is very clear, making this an excellent spot.
On our visit (24/3/2) as we approached the site, a couple were on their way down. Both looked a bit flushed and were just finishing their cigarettes. They giggled as we passed. If you’re reading this:
We know what you were doing! :-)
A tranquil little spot at the centre of the village. Worth a visit en route to or from Capel Garmon. The churchyard itself is worth further investigation – there are three huge, presumably very old, yew trees, two of which it is possible to climb inside, which is nice.
There are two barrows – one low and spread out and another more impressive hillock in the adjacent field. The barrows lie very close to a confluence of rivers – the Ribble, the Calder and the Hodder. This is surely the reason for these mounds location. The Ribble is associated with the river goddess Belisma and Calderstones, the name of an ex-mental hospital about a mile away, suggests that there was may have been more sites in this area.
On the track leading to the Druid’s Circle the remains of this circle comprise of four low stones. The field is very close to the farm and is private. It’s best to peer over the wall, have a look and then carry on – there’s not much to see. Directly opposite the farmhouse, in the field next to the circle is a large ‘playing-card’ stone which is worthy of attention and isn’t at all out of the way.
The rubble remains of a huge cairn made all the more moody on this visit by the wind, rain and sheep skull decoration somebody had chosen to leave.
A low and broad circle, hard to spot amid the grass. If this were anywhere else it would be for the fanatical only but as part of the whole Tal-Y-Fan experience it is a must.
We took an alternate route to the ones suggested in the books. We drove from Rowen to the Rhiw Youth Hostel. From here we walked to the Bwlch-y-Ddeufan stones taking in the other monuments on the way. Walking this way, and the same way back there is never more than 10 minutes between sites. Perfect.
Here the stones are in competition with the ridiculous pylons. They win hands down.
The highlight of an excellent set of monuments below the top of Tal-Y-Fan.
This ‘circle’ is a ring cairn lying 150 metres or so up the track from the Druid’s Circle. The site is a confusing jumble of stones but is worth checking out.
A great end to a day spent visiting a lot of sites in the area. The lashing rain and howling wind didn’t put us off at all but made photography a very rushed affair. A lovely site with fantastic views, the small Irish Five-Stone ring (Circle 275) on the track leading up offers a great view of the Druid’s Circle and is lovely itself. Another on the summer visit list I think.
Whilst trying to circumnavigate the adjoining field, in order to avoid 20 angry looking bulls (not such an iron man today), I came across a large outcrop of rocks and boulders spoilt only by a small television mast on the top. These stones seemed just as charged as the Doublers, one imparticular had a very sexual appearance.
The Doublers themselves were everything I’d hoped for, so I spent a while sat by the largest rock eating some lunch and resting after the walk from Ilkley via White Wells. Meanwhile the bulls moved on to the side of the outcrop I’d been admiring earlier where the farmer was waiting to feed them allowing me to return to the path without any fear!
I returned to the Badger Stone on 16/3/2. This time it was in the late afternoon, so the sun was in a different position from the last time I was here (early morning). The aspects of the stone that had excited me so much last time were now more difficult to make out despite the strong sunshine. Markings I could hardly make out the previous time were however brought into sharper focus.
If you intend to visit the Badger Stone it is worth many repeat visits – only then will you be sure to see it in all of it’s glory. I intend to visit here at night with a decent set of flash lights in order to attempt illuminate it from all angles.
Very strange place. The fall of boulders is covered in huge natural cup marks. One huge stone stands upended, covered in pits and tracks, like a giant nature hewn version of the Badger Stone.
Only a five/ten minute walk from the three circles of Brat’s Hill, these two are in a worse condition than those. DON’T let that put you off. On reaching these circles I turned to face the Brat’s Hill circles and nearly fell over with the impact of this view – in fact a full 360° of perfect views. I felt dizzy with the sheer ancientness of it all. The next port of call would be the settlement at Boat Howe. I’ll be back here in summer, on a very clear day, with perfect blue skies. I can’t wait.
On the approach to the Brat’s Hill complex the first circle you will probably see is one of the White Moss circles. We did just that, only to turn round and notice we’d completely missed the Brat’s Hill circle itself. Of the two, the one nearest the path is in the best condition, and in terms of setting, you couldn’t ask for more.
The low circle of Brat’s Hill is complimented by the two circles of White Moss which lie only a minute away. The circle is dominated by five internal burial cairns, inserted at a later date.
Boat Howe is the summit of a low fell surrounded by true giants. The Scafells loom ominously above – the highest ground in England. We felt a tremendous sense of loss as we took in the beauty of the setting, looking back on the five stone circles which lay nearby. The view from the top is great, in good weather this place would be such a great place to live! The ten minute walk from the summit down to Burnmoor tarn led us to a small lodge house. It’s grey walls gave off a gloomy atmosphere from afar. On approach we were confronted with Christian propaganda in the form of a plaque on the wall. It’s strange to think what separates these two settlements. Below the house, in it’s garden, were the remains of two dead sheep, there bleached bones lying prostrate on the lawn. I don’t know what this building was (is?) used for but it certainly gave me the creeps.
Situated on the edge of the great Malham limestone plateau, this site is a strange one. This ‘four-poster’ is probably best left to the purist. If you are bringing a vehicle, the best thing to do is leave it at the bottom of the steep bit on the single track lane, then walk the mile or so up to the site (it’s not the easiest road in the world!) On the way, one of the highlights is the cave above the farm buildings on the left, looking like an imposing skull shaped castle it fair gets the mythical juices flowing. The stones themselves are initially disappointing. Persevere, there is a lot of character in these stones, from one angle they really do grab you (they did me anyhow!) As with the other sites around this area the views are fantastic.
A lovely little site. This site hardly gets mentioned, but don’t let that put you off. The stones and setting are gorgeous, I led here for 3/4 hour, on this solo trek, without worrying once about the bitter cold. These stones have great character. The view to the west is fantastic, on this day the tops were covered in snow, and stormy clouds gathered on the high ground over Malham. I’d been feeling depressed all week, pressures of work and other niggly little problems, this place just sorted me right out. I got the feeling that this site doesn’t get much attention, I’d love to know how long it is since the last person visited before me.
If you do intend to come here make sure you look at the images on TMA! I came with a map, and no idea what the site looked like. I think I must have found about six other suspect stones and sites before arriving at the correct one! Don’t get distracted by the hundreds of boulders lying temptingly all over the area, carry on, this isn’t a completely ruined circle, it is a recognisable one. The circle is on the brow of the hill – remember that!
One of the bigger stones is covered in cup marks, and if you check around the area a few of the stray stones have similar markings.
I last visited the site in Spring 1997. It’s depressing to see such a remote, innaccessible site like this being the victim of litter. Bottles, bags, the remains of several campsites, nylon rope and plastic barrels presumably from the fishing boats are scattered all over the area. The site itself is quite small, the roof has partially collapsed, but it is worth the visit. The long walk down from Glenbrittle is fantastic, and the return journey is made even more rewarding by the view of the Cuillin. The area is well worth exploring further for other remains including a cave used by neolithic flint knappers and Iron Age smiths, old hut circles and the ruined Dun that gave the point its name.
The carved boulder at Copt Howe lies just outside Chapel Stile, on the road from Ambleside to Dungeon Ghyll. Approach slowly when leaving the village, a clearing with boulders and ferns lies to the right hand side of the road – continue down until the road runs between two walls. You will see a small lay-by, room for one car only, on the opposite side of the road is a gate. Look over the gate and if you’re at the right place you’ll see a drystone wall intersecting two huge boulders. The far boulder is carved.
This is a beautiful site. The carvings are into hard rock and are very gentle. I had been to Rombald’s Moor on the previous day, with its weather worn deep recesses, Copt Howe’s carving are much gentler and therefore much more elusive. In places the lines disappear and merge with the natural features. The suggestion that these carvings could in fact be a map holds ground here (see my annotated image).
A couple of climbers were bouldering on the adjacent large boulder and chatted with me about the shitty weather. This is a very peaceful contemplative place, and is well worth the visit if en route to the far end of Langdale valley, site of the axe factory.
On first arriving at the Badger Stone I must admit I was a bit disapointed. I just didn’t get it. I was tired after excitedly stomping straight across the open moorland from the mound above the waterfall near the White Well’s car park, so I decided to lie down and rest on the bench for a while.
A few minutes later I felt the sun streaming across my face, and so jumped up to take a look at the stone. I couldn’t help but laugh, every last feature was illuminated before me, my disapointment turned to overwhelming joy as I poured over this wonder. The sun stayed with me for 3/4 hour in which time I found myself narrowing in more and more to the surface of the rock. From the initially confusing bigger picture, I soon realised that to appreciate the stone you must get in close, and forget EVERYTHING you know about ‘art’ appreciation. Ideas streamed through my mind about what the stone represented, I thought about ideas I’d read that this was a kind of map – then I started to see the stone as a storytelling device – representing long forgotten places, people, henges, burial sites, hills, events etc. – in short a means of recording both temporal and spacial ‘things’ in an organic record. Of course any ideas about the purpose will inevitably remain just that, but just to contemplate is an amazing experience.
What can I say about Rombald’s Moor. I’ve only been a couple of times, both in the last couple of weeks. I don’t know why ‘cause it’s probably the closest major site to my home. On the first visit I headed straight for the Twelve Apostles. It was getting late, and I was stuck for time. So for my latest visit (9/2/2) I got there nice and early in the morning, and spent a full day. I ended up spending a lot of my time huddled over the sexy Badger Stone, with a tour of some of the other attractions to follow.
All I can say is this has made my love of all things megalithic even more intense. The whole moor is like a playground for the imagination. A dreamlike quality pervades as you travel from stone to stone. After a while I found myself putting my map and list of grid refs away and just looking, the place is literally full of rock art.
It is a very powerful place.
On the downside a lot of the stones are vandalised. I can understand a need to leave a mark behind, almost in the tradition of these stones themselves – but there are plenty of unmarked rocks scattered across the moor. It just seems like people want to destroy this wonder on their doorstep. Perhaps if folk were educated correctly, and taught to have a sense of pride in this, their true heritage, then maybe it wouldn’t happen, who knows.
A word of warning: Be prepared for strange looks from the runners and walkers... :)
Lovely walk up to the Twelve Apostles. Plenty of mud and puddles, path repairs on the way up meant we had to take several boggy diversions, then when the circle was reached the land immediately was drier and more forgiving. The darkness descended while we were up at the circle. I took a few snaps, and stayed long enough to get a feel for the atmosphere of the place. The circle is very fragile, some of the stones sit on the surface of the soggy moorland, propped up by smaller stones. They must get blown over by the wind and propped back up all the time.
The walk back was interesting, my torch wouldn’t work, so we found our way down with the little remaining light and using our feet to feel the way.
We arrived at the farm car park, after just reading Julian’s note about the barking dogs. Sure enough stood waiting in the car park, unchained, was one of these dogs! We sat in the car for a while, the dog strolled over and plonked itself outside my door, then just stared. Images of savaged ankles ran through my paranoid brain. Eventually my mate braved it and got out of the car, to which the dog rolled over – it only wanted to be petted! So much for the barking guard dogs! Next the dog proceeded to lead us round the site – first the henge and circle, waiting on the burial mound as we took it all in, then ran over the field to Gib Hill, again waiting while we took it in. Once we were done it was off into a nearby field and just ran round and round as we drove off. And it didn’t even expect any payment.
My advice for future visitors: Take some dog biscuits!
O yeah, and the site is amazing!
Sunkenkirk is tucked away on a dirt track off a quiet country lane. The surrounding landscape gives the circle a protected, private feel. The nearest, small hill – Knott Hill – dominates the view to the SE. To the North & West the craggy ridge of Swinside Fell cuts across the skyline. On a clear day (?!) the distant lakeland mountains peer over the low lying fells to the North East. This circle feels quite wild. The location, out of the way of the Lakeland tourist trail, the lack of signage (I think there’s only one signpost) and the fact you have to walk to it, albeit not so far, mean there’s a good chance of being left alone here.
Lacra A. Well this is all we could find here today. Or should I say this was all we could be bothered finding. It rained like I’ve not seen in a long time. It’s probably just the weather but I find this site depressing. On a good day the view out to sea, and of Black Combe would make this short walk worthwhile, but not on a day like this.
Lacra D is just a bit further on, after Lacra A – according to Burl this is ‘questionable’, and I’d go along with that!!
Lacra B is by all acounts the one to see, I’ve seen some shots and it probably is worth the visit. On a sunny day. A VERY sunny day. Mmmm summer...