Kammer

Visited 25th May 2004: Tan-y-Coed is a large ploughed down barrow just to the south of Henriw Standing Stone. It’s easier to spot than the stone because it’s not obscured by field boundaries.

Visited 25th May 2004: To the east of the Cwm-y-Saeson stones is Henriw Standing Stone, a full metre taller than its neighbour but much less accessible. We spotted it from the road, which is probably as close as you can get to it without approaching a landowner. It’s behind a field boundary, so you have to find a spot where there’s enough of a gap in the foliage to see it.

Like the anorak that I am I had binoculars with me, which turned out to be useful (the stone is about 300 metres from the road). Must come back when I have more time and see if I can get a closer look.

Visited 25th May 2004: Of the two stones only one remains standing, the second lying directly to the east. Either these two stood extremely close to each other, or the fallen stone has been moved. The stone that remains upright is big by local standards (1.8m according to the NMR). The boys were more keen on the recumbent stone because it was low enough for them both to clamber on.

This is a very quiet spot. The valley is a dead end, so nobody really comes this way unless they need to. I got the impression that the stones aren’t often visited, which is a shame.

Visited 25th May 2004: After our picnic lunch at Fowler’s Arm Chair Cairn and set out to find the nearby stone circle. After about two steps north William shouted out, ‘is this it?’. I was sceptical, because the stone he was looking at wasn’t obviously part of a circle. After pondering the rocky lump for a couple of seconds (during which William had climbed it) I had to agree with him. Not bad site identification for a four year old! Ironically we had sat eating our lunch right next to the circle without spotting it.

So, not a very impressive site. If Fowler was a giant, then I wonder what he made of his armchair. Not very comfortable I’d have thought. There are only three obvious stones remaining from the circle, the largest being the arcmchair which has been enterpretted as a central stone. None of the stones are big, and none are really standing. On the ground it’s less than clear how they relate to each other.

Visited 25th May 2004: The Cairn next to Fowler’s Arm Chair is much more obvious than the alleged stone circle it stands next to. We approached from the south and had a picnic lunch at the cairn. The weather was spectacular, but the scene was spoilt slightly by the constant sound of 2-stroke motorbike engines coming from across the valley.

This is a great cairn! It’s chunky and well defined compared to many we’ve encountered. Thoroughly recommended as a picnic spot.

Visited 25th May 2004: This lump is probably a Bronze Age round barrow. It’s visible from the road, but partly obscured by trees that have been purposefully planted on top of it. There’s no public access to the barrow.

Not worth a special visit unless you are barmy about barrows.

Visited 25th May 2004: The western of the two barrows is right by the road, so easy to spot. It’s on the wrong side of a fence, so if you wanted to crawl all over it you would have a problem, but just looking at it is easy enough.

The eastern barrow is on private land, and I couldn’t spot it from the road (it was a half hearted attempt to be honest). Not worth an enormous detour, but worth seeing if you’re passing by.

Visited 10th April 2004: The following information is a public disappointment warning. Do not visit the Bridgewater Monument round barrows unless;

a) you are especially fanatical about tiny undulations in the ground,
b) you are visiting Ashridge anyway, perhaps for a nice stroll or something

My visit fell into both categories, but if I’m honest mainly the second. After a rather pleasant pub lunch in the Greyhound in Aldbury we walked back up the hill and I asked at the shop where the barrows were. After lots of discussion I got some directions from a member of staff, and with two young female National Trust volunteers in tow (not the kind of thing that happens to me a lot on these excursions!) I headed off to find the barrows.

We wondered round the field by the monument, looking for these things, but couldn’t see any sign of them. Then I realised just how messed up these monuments are. I was standing right in the middle of the larger one. The two National Trust volunteers were relatively philosophical about it all, but to be honest, it was a bit disappointing. Later on my dad posed for the photo, which cheered me up a bit because it’s quite ludicrous.

Visited 8th April 2004: I’ve been visiting Ivinghoe Beacon since I was a kid, but back then I had no idea there was a hillfort here. I’ve got so many memories of the place, it’s hard to filter out the sentimentality and describe the ‘site’.

OK, there’s not much left of the ramparts but you get a good sense of the defensive position when you stand at the top looking out of the relatively flat surrounding countryside. The southern and eastern sides of the fort are the weakest defensively, and this is where the ramparts can best be seen.

This a simple, early hillfort, and it has a distinctly primeval feel to it. There are usually people up on the summit of Beacon Hill, flying remote controlled gliders or walking, but if you get it to yourself there’s a feeling of splendid isolation. Not bad in such an overpopulated part of the UK!

Visited 8th April 2004: This is the most impressive of the surviving barrows in the area around Ivinghoe Beacon. It stands some way to the east of Beacon Hill, beyond the Ashridge Estate boundary fence, surrounded by arable field.

There’s a path up to the barrow, and the views from the top are pretty good. Gallows Hill has retained some of its character though, which can’t be said of all the barrows in the area. I guess the stories of it being used for executions lend a certain notoriety to the place as well.

Visited 8th April 2004: This barrow is very subtle. We missed it entirely on our walk to Gallows Hill, only spotting it on the way back. It’s very tricky to photograph as well.

All that’s left of the barrow is a very flat donut shape, just beyond the fence as you walk east from Beacon Hill.

Visited 8th April 2004: This is one of those barrows that nobody notices even though it’s quite large. Planted on top of Beacon Hill, within the defenses of the hillfort, I think it’s thought of as just the summit of the hill.

A footpath runs over the top of it, and there’s quite a bit of soil erosion going on. It looks like this must have once been a rather large barrow. It goes without saying that the views here are great.

According to English Heritage, geophysics have uncovered possible evidence for a further two round barrows within the interior of the hillfort.

Visited 8th April 2004: These two bowl barrows are the closest to the National Trust car park, and if you’re walking to Beacon Hill you pass very close to them.

The larger of the two barrows is very prominent from the surrounding countryside. It’s easy to spot and relatively easy to get to, up a steep slope. There are excellent views from the top of the larger barrow.

The smaller barrow lies to the east of the large one, and is much trickier to find. It is a lot smaller and shorter. We visited during the early Spring, but I’d imagine this barrow would be more tricky to find during the summer. Not very spectacular, so if you can’t find it, don’t loose any sleep about it.