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Fieldnotes by ruskus

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East Kennett (Long Barrow)

From East Kennett church I took the byway up to the right, circling East Kennett Longbarrow from a distance. I overshot it to explore Harestone Down SC, and if my way onward to Little Avebury hadn't been blocked, I probably wouldn't have ventured any closer to the great mound - just taking a picture from afar. Instead I had to descend the track back towards Manor farm, passing by the end of the barrow.
After passing by and looking back up to it against the sky, level with the horizon, suddenly it began to dawn on me how big the thing actually was.
Although, obviously a different beast from WKLB, EKLB has such an unexplorable wildness to it.
Could've spent longer, but saw the farmer milling around below, and the wind was biting now, so walked on (...past the sign saying "no admittance"). Whoops.....looked ok on the map, and the farmer said nothing, so.....

Devil's Den (Chambered Tomb)

It took me a return visit the next day to finally find the Devil's Den (the day earlier I taken the wrong byway, only to spot the Den down in the valley below, as the light faded, and the weather worsened).
But, on this morning I was determined to visit it, and so the walk from Clatford, through the ankle-twisting frozen ridges of mud was always going to be worth it.
Sitting peacefully in a little amphitheatre of surrounding slopes, the monument looks more striking from a little distance away. Could have stayed for longer, soaking up the place, despite the bitter cold.

Harestone Down Stone Circle

Thought I'd finish my Avebury area tour by checking out East Kennett Longbarrow, Little Avebury and Harestone Down SC.
Parked near the church, and headed up towards the circle in gale force winds and a temperature of just below zero. It was a battle between sunshine and snow flurries, with both trying to break from the clouds.
Harestone Down initially appeared underwhelming, but the longer I spent looking around the more I could get a sense of place. As I passed the seemingly randomly placed collected stones beneath the platform of the circle, and headed off in the direction of Little Avebury I found the way fenced off. Whilst walking down towards East Kennett Longbarrow, I looked back up at the circle, and that was when it really revealed itself, up on the ridge above.
Coupled with the massive EKLB, I glad I braved the cold.

Pentre Ifan (Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech)

Despite a slight feeling of 'too-perfectness' of one of those 'show' sites, you still can't help feeling in awe of such a great monument. As others have said, Pentre Ifan does have great views from here, but the thing itself is the great view!

Apologies to the new age old guy, with the 2 ladies (one seemingly just come from a wedding - nice hat!), for the not-great view of myself in Bermuda shorts and almost day-glo t-shirt, straight from Newport beach. Not exactly TMA garb, I suspect, but at least I drew the line at flip-flops....

Carreg Coetan Arthur (Dolmen / Quoit / Cromlech)

I was torn between feeling a bit sad for this small, but sturdy-looking dolmen, overwhelmed by the nearby bungalows, making it look like a puppy put out in the backyard, or admiring its determination to hold its ground and ignore its neighbours.

It's a lovely, lovely dolmen, but it was hard to feel a sense of place, however much I tried to focus up towards Carn Ingli.

Garn Turne (Burial Chamber)

As Postman says, the gap in the hedge is easy to find, with a short walk over strewn stones until you circle 'round to face the court and chamber. On such a beautiful day, and with it's wide open vista, it really felt very impressive. That capstone really is a biggie, isn't it.

Of all the Pembrokeshire sites I visited (including the obvious Pentre Ifan/Carreg Samson/Coetan Arthurs) on this trip, Garn Turne was my favourite.....despite nearly getting run over heading back through the hedge onto the (unbusy) road. Still, no pain no gain.

Garnwnda (Burial Chamber)

Although I did better than Carl (my namesake, actually) and managed to find Garnwnda, the scramble up towards it was too brutal-looking today. Merrick's directions are pretty comprehensive, except to add that if coming from the church, head uphill and look out for the outcrop on the right. The capstone looks strikingly out of place, being a flat, rectangle seemingly thrown into the side of the cliff.

Easter Aquhorthies (Stone Circle)

This was, a few years ago now, my virgin site!What a great one to start at methinks.On a howler of a stormy day, after visiting the nearby Archaeolink centre, I craved to venture further back in time.The extreme weather suited the site:it felt "IN YOUR FACE!". Alive.....

The Nine Stones of Winterbourne Abbas (Stone Circle)

Visited The 9 on sept 11th (hmm....).While patient wife and baby Liberty waited back at the Little Chef.Nearly got killed by roadraged truckers on route back to the stones...serious autogeddon!Met lovely old couple looking for the site, who'd wisely parked at the nearby barn. Rushed visit, but still was a relaxed feel to these sleepy old stones under the trees.
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