pebblesfromheaven
Heavy going – he’s not joking!
We took the path up from the gate at the eastern end of the plantation. It’s a slog of about 1.5 miles uphill, but decent underfoot. Until you get to the top!
The area at the top of Windy Edge is boggy and (as you would expect) covered with hidden treestumps and branches. Normal instincts to use the hillocks as dry stepping stones became scuppered when in fact they were rotten chunks of wood!
That said, there was some lovely moss and lichen action, if that’s your thing.
The cairns were very, very interesting. We thought at first they were one rediculously long Long Cairn, as the piles of stones were close together to a length of about 100 metres!
Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow 25-11-06
Sadly it’s been chalked, but displayed well next to a collection of axes, arrowheads and Aberdeenshire Balls.
The museum doesn’t say where it was from just who donated it (Ludovic Mann in 1955) but it is the same stone as recorded on BRAC as being Greenland 3.
This stone which is regarded as one the finest pieces of rock art to survive in Cumbria, is now on display in Tullie House Museum, Carlisle. Also on display are the carved stones from Old Parks.
Talking of excuses to come back another day.... we lasted about a week ;)
This time we were on a mission: to find a particular design we had seen images of (but we’ll save descriptions for when we actually find it!)
Where to start? We lifted a random bit of turf to find a tell-tale ring and 3.5 hours later had the whole panel lifted and photographed.
The design left me confused as to the true intentions of the carver (more than normal I mean)... Panels usually appear to have set modes and feelings but this panel felt very sketchy – not only because some markings were faint and unfinished, but because there seemed to be such a mixture of styles and motifs.
HUGE basins next to small pecked cups next to lines linked to shallow rings enclosing another ring of cups, when it’s more usually rings around cups?!? So on and on.... some overlapping as if carved by different individuals with no consideration for the previous artists.
Rock art rule number 67 – there are no rules!!!
A lovely little valley, but not an easy field to get into, and when we visited, very boggy! Thankfully the resident bull and posse stayed at the other side of this vast field while we explored.
I was pleasantly surprised by the details of carving on this stone, expecting it to be a lot more weathered.
Tortie 2 can be just seen on the skyline from here, on the top of the same hill to the east.
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It was extremely windy up here today.... Good views, possibly the Tyne valley to the east (?) and to the Solway valley in the north-west.
After asking Townhead farm, we parked at the abandoned worksheds nearby and walked up the path, past Black Hill cottage and stopping briefly to check out the rock art there.
The morning had been very rainy but the sun was out now, giving us a lovely few hours wandering and exploring the sites.
There were cows and associated bulls in all of the fields we wanted access to, but the farmer had reassured us they’d be “nae bother” ... thankfully he was right!!
Our wanderings took us to the far end of the field first, behind a knoll which has a sneaky little southern view of the Solway.
Found the main panel just before the autumn sun sank below the trees, another excuse to come back another day...
Handy to access not far from the new extended ringroad (B8082) around Inverness. Follow the “General Wade” road until turning right into the appropriately named Druidtemple Farm.
I asked at the farm for directions and permission to park. They gave me instructions to follow the path behind the farm, which gave fantastic views right across Inverness and the Beauly Firth.
This site is one of these wonderfully atmospheric places now protected by trees.
I love it when rock art is carved on a big hump like this, and although there are quite a few humpy shapes in this landscape for some reason this one was chosen for the carvings.
The day we visited it was one of those autumn days that although you leave the house wrapped up for winter it was actually quite warm. I felt so snug... so I lay against the side of the hump shelter from the breeze and had a little sleep ;)
Nice!
Spotted this from the M6 because the sun was catching it... on the way back north we came off at junction 41 and took the road for Calthwaite, followed our noses until it was unveiled...
But... no!!! coos!!! Field was full of young playful cows, bah!
Undeterred, I decided to take a shot from the road that runs alongside the railway line ;)
Then sodded it and tried to get in through the field. Chickened out when the cows were getting just a little bit toooooo friendly... jumped behind the sandstone wall and got pics from there; unfortunately the sun was right behind so only got a sillouette. Made our way back towards the car and the coos (who we’d perhaps not given enough credit to) had blocked our way out, and we had to make a dash for it through the river!!!!
We’ll go back after market day.
Stopped by on my way past, having previously dismissed the signposts as being not worthy of stopping (“Tealing Earth House”-wtf?)
I wasn’t disappointed! My first soutterain, would you believe.
I wish I’d seen Nick’s instructions first, though... I followed the signs and continued down a farm track, until I spotted something in the distance that looked a likely candidate... Walked through a couple of fields and it turned out to be an old concrete air-raid shelter!! Well, it was very well-preserved... ;)
So don’t do that, kids! The real thing is just through the little metal kissing gate in the hedge on your right, up the little path and over the style. About 50 yards from the road.
Second visit to Torrs and this time we’d done our homework... but of course, we only spotted the path after struggling through the gorse!!
Lovely fine day, clear view over to the sea.
29-5-05
Unsure as to what to call this site... answers on an electronic postcard please....
This was just inside the danger area but the flags weren’t up and we reckoned the lambs wouldn’t be there if there was any danger ;)
The panel was very weathered and the surface of the rock was shaped as much by the natural clefts and cuts as by the carvings. A real shame as there were some very nice shapes.
Another one biting the dust...?
There was a ring around five cups which looked like a clover. A bit like the one on page 75 of Stan B’s “British Prehistoric Rock Art” but not quite the right layout...?
29-5-05
The road to the farm looks very rough – we weren’t sure whether it was wise to go up – but glad we did because it was quite a way and there was an actual car park at the top!!
Well sign-posted, over two stiles through open farmland which this day was home to some very excitable young bullocks.
I was initially disappointed with this site, because maybe my hopes had been built up, but like Fitz and Stubob before, this was a “must do” and justifiably so. The panel was very overgrown....
Maybe cups are for growing offerings to the great god of moss.
Not far from High Banks... took a little while to find the right path into this field, had to dodge a couple of electric fences on the way. It’s in an area with roaming cows and the surrounding land had also been recently ploughed roughly, so the ground was hard-going...
The panels are on higher ground near to some gorse bushes (an obvious place for RA really!!)
Some of these were hidden so we replaced the turf. There are surely more under there, too. The bedrock is particularly fragile so I think it’s best these are protected from hoofs etc...
We spotted the best panel just as we were leaving to move on to the next place... there are very good pick marks on it and even some small holes as if the tool slipped and hammered a few pecks by accident ;)
One panel overlooked the little watering hole – a spring or a quarry? wasn’t clear.
Visited 29-5-05. Parked nearby at the junction into a farm. Walked about 50 yards west to a place near a tree where we could get over the wall. The ground over to the hill was a bit boggy in places but not too bad...
6-fig GPS coordinates would have taken us further up the hill but found it on the way. 10-fig coordinates NX 73322 48861
Spent a little while cleaning it up ready for its pictures and the true character was revealed – wow!!! Really impressed by this one. Two cups in particular were really deep, as if they were natural holes that had been enhanced...
The view from the site is towards inland hills, can’t really see the sea from here.
Back at the car trying to decided where to go next a helpful woman (did she really exist?!) came to offer directions...must have been the fact we were wrestling with maps in the car that made us look helpless!!
14-10-03.
I visited Arran for work reasons so I was limited to the sites I could see... this one is conveniently on the verge of the main road road through Brodick A841, almost opposite a school.
An impressive slab of sandstone, there are faint signs of graffitti / letters carved into it.
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24-9-03.
I wouldn’t like to count the number of times I’ve driven past here... not sure I’ll be back much though. I felt the place had a miserable feel... in an absolutely disgusting state, used as a playground by local kids. Two of the stones have serious red graffitti. Gave the stones my apologies before I left, I will think of their sorry plight each time I pass.
Directions to the site: follow the A89 towards Broxburn from the Newbridge roundabout and turn left after the garage. Left again, behind the garage, to the dead end. The site is on the right hand side, announced by a worn out board.
Access: Right next to the road and up a short path about 30m. There is a wide gate which was padlocked, but also a reasonably wide gap alongside. There is a rocky path leading up to and amongst the stones.
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13-9-03.
This hillside is easy to locate, a short drive into the Ingram valley, signposted from the A697.
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9-9-03
With trees all around, there is a nice open view down the fairway to the river from here, possibly towards Myerkirk circle.
The access road to the east of the stone was closed off when I visited but at least it provided a nice parking place. To find the stone, go inside the gates past the derelict gatehouse cottage, the top of the stone may be just visible from here behind the bank on your right.
Disabled access: Quite good, part of a park / golf course. There’s a path avoiding the bank.
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9-9-03
Asked permission and went round the back of the building. Certain amount of curtain-twitching going on from the rooms above the conference centre.
The stone is a massive, heart-shaped beast. Would have cost a fortune to get out of the way when the wall was built so thankfully they left it be.
Disabled access: you’ll have to squeeze round the outside of the building into a garden on the grass.
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9-9-03
More directions: From the bypass, follow the road signposted to Charleston helpfully named Myerkirk Road. Park just on the left; the circle is on your right in the corner of the playing field opposite.
There was football practice on tonight with a load coach bawling instructions, and a flock of starlings squawking on the overhead cables. I tried to ignore them all, I felt they were all laughing – but the stones called me over. They had been a bit uncared for. The vandalism is disgusting. Sorry to say, but at least Asda may have saved the place from the horrible state it’s currently in. Keeps getting hit by footballs too – how humiliating. Felt sympathy and sadness here for an abused place in what felt like the wrong location.
Disabled access: In an open field. Fine once over the road.
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10-9-03.
Whatever possessed anyone to build a road right through these stones?!
If this was further south I would have suggested the R*mans, after all they like straight lines and were a bit mad.
You could touch these stones from an open car window. I bet some people do. Just remember to slow down first. There is space to park at the recycling depot about 50m away. Watch for cars!
One stone has been broken and repaired.
Disabled access: Aye right.
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10-9-03
After the French tourbus left, there were only two other cars here – not too bad for this site, but it was nearly sunset.
A lovely place, purposefully peaceful. The trees make the sunlight stripy. Although the site has obviously been prepared to be enjoyed by as many visitors as possible, the atmosphere is still wonderful. Spend as much time as possible here.
Disabled access: There are two large gates to allow easy access but when I visited they were padlocked. The remaining access is a swing-gate into a small fenced area created by the locked gates, which would allow a wheelchair inside, it’s tight but it looks like an experienced driver could squeeze through the space. Once inside the site, a path has not been cleared so the ground is quite uneven, but firm. At the far end, there is a kissing gate out to the road.
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11th September 2003
What a bloody crap circle.
To start with, some other people arrived at the same time, which always annoys me. There is a nice tree-lined avenue to the circle, framing it nicely as if designed that way. Oh, hold on, it was. Someone has redesigned this site into what it should look like if it was in a TV garden project. There is a total municipal feel to the place caused by the careful placing of blue-grey foreign gravel in a very regular way around what “they” see to be the limits of the area. As a result, the stones appear bored and lifeless. The internal cairns seem like an uncomfortable, tidied version of their original state. As a redeeming feature there appeared to be a genuine cup-mark on one of the internal cairn curbstones.
The site is on relatively low ground, not sure what’s there on a clear day but there were no views tonight.
I left quickly after double-checking the info board for Charlie Dimmock’s photo.
What not to do with a prehistoric site.
However, on the plus side, disabled access: Excellent! No gate, there is a ramp from the road down to a smooth grassy field, and a distance of about 100m to the circle.
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11th September 2003
As I approached, the thing that struck me most was the stones individual beauty – this wasn’t a group chosen for shape and size alone.
The first welcoming stone looks like it’s made out of dark pink sugar.
Then there’s the focal point: the mackerel-striped recumbent, the dark grey one beside with the white quartz lines, then a granular pink round boulder, the smooth pale uprights…
The size felt irrelevant, a collection of pebbles a thousandth of this size would be just as beautiful to me. Even now I am left with a persistent memory of the colours left by the stones and the landscape, something I usually only get after spending a day at the beach.
Over the back towards the black Mither Tap, I could hear the sound of rhythmic drumming (I think it was a pile-driver); this and the dark skies should have made the place threatening but I’m sorry it was just too beautiful.
Disabled access: The carpark has a gate to the path but this can be avoided by going around by the road. It’s a fair distance uphill to the site. I would say it’s 400m but it’s tarmac. I think it may be possible to get a car right up the hill lane, but not sure about the permission for this. Unfortunately when you get to the top, the remaining piece of the track is very rocky and there is a small kissing gate into the circle itself.
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5-7-03. Visited in misty rain, almost disappeared down the numerous badger holes, and the bracken was waist-high!
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29-6-03.
Coming in from the south, you can’t miss the house – and I spotted the top of the stone peeping over the hedge.
Easy access, right on the road.
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26-6-03
The slopes here have been flattened slightly. The result is a relaxed, curvy outlook, which feels almost submissive with the area wide open to the skies.
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26-6-03
This had an industrial feel to me, as if people had been taking advantage of it.
The wildlife in the area surrounding this henge seemed to consist of seagulls and plastic bags blown here from the nearby landfill site.
Recently a crop circle appeared in the next field: now I like crop circles but this seemed to be laughing at the henge; well the last laugh is at the wheatfield, it is one which is earmarked for quarrying. A sad place.
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21-6-03
Entering the wooded area, I immediately saw the banks, steep and dark, under the trees. It was impossible to see the henge as a whole, hence difficult to get a scale.
This henge had a sleepy, foreboding nature, and felt a little creepy to me.
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26-6-03
I visited this area three days previously but was looking in the wrong direction; I only found the northern henge. Armed with a map and compass and personal guide, I found the others this time ;-)
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17-6-03
Spotted a farm called Lundin: thinks to myself ah I wonder if it’s any coincidence (having been to Lundin Links a little while ago). Hmm knew I should have investigated..... next time – I shall be back
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17-6-03. Was visiting Aberfeldy with work and wasn’t organised enough beforehand to plan anything (give me a laptop grrr). This was the only site noted around here in my otherwise bald roadmap. Note to self : must buy OS!
Luckily by previous experiences I at least remembered to search out any cups ;-)
Had a lovely little break here even though it’s right next to the road. Then off south.
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Been back a few times but I remembered this time to look out for the Cups. StanBeckinsall’s wonderful book told me the Rock Art was to be found at the base of the hill: There were a few largish rocks here, about half of them had some sort of cup marks, and although visible on the day the photos didn’t come out very well!!
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New discoveries are still possible!
Saturday, 3rd May 2003. Decided to go to one of my favorite places Holy Island for a bit of a wander. I took a route around the island, away from the tourists and had the fantastic beaches almost to myself. I was walking towards this Big White Triangle Thing (some kind of landmark for shipping) as usual looking at my feet at the wonderful pebbles thereabouts. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it, literally. A big chunk of sandstone rock art. I mean, it couldn’t be, not here, right? I decided to move it up the beach, away from the tide, onto the dunes and hid it where I could find it again. I didn’t feel right taking it, but I couldn’t leave it where it was. I made a note of the largest stone nearby as a landmark.
That night, I emailed RockArtUK for an opinion. Jan & Gus got all excited and the next day I decided to go back for it – only one problem: by the time I’d made the decision, the tides were against me! That night I kept waking up worrying about it!! And Monday, although it was a bank holiday, I was working. There was no option – I phoned for the afternoon off and went back on Monday 5-5-2003 to retrieve it. I planned where to park the car, but this was still a mile from the spot. I did it anyway, lugged this massive stone back. The stone I had memorised was nowhere to be seen – the sand had shifted and must have buried it. I’m glad I moved the stone when I did!
I decided to keep it quiet for a while, because I wasn’t convinced it was really carved; there are lots of holed stones naturally occuring on the island but this was different.
I emailed Stan Beckinsall for advise. As luck had it, he was in the area and could he come to see it in person? Er – yeah!
The verdict – not sandstone, possibly metamorphic due to the high density. Probably not local, possibly washed from Scotland, Micro-cups.
I am keeping the stone for now, but intend to report it.
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Went back to Old Bewick to find the hogback... Luckily Jan&Gus had come all the way from Holland to show me the way:-)
It it hard to find as it is sunk below the normal ground level.
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25-5-03. Visited as part of a group (RAM03), with permission from the farmer.
There are several panels of art here, some very worn, but some very deep.
Lovely feel to this site, set in a wood which today had lots of bluebells. Later in the year the panels may be hard to find through the ferns.
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10-5-03
Passed this site on my way home, the sun was just going down after a beautiful clear day. Hadrian’s wall is situated to the north of this site; the whole of this area is fantasically open-skied and remote [not far from where the bit in Prince of Thieves was filmed, movie fans ;-) ].
I didn’t read the previous information posted here before my visit so I couldn’t possibly comment on it’s origins as a circle: but I took it as a pair of stones and the setting was lovely: Just on top of high ground within a valley which is naturally sheltered, with views to the west to the Solway Firth.
There seemed to be “earthwork” trenches immediately beside the site; anyone know anything about these?
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7-5-03
I had a worky visit nearby when my accomplice suggested taking a slight detour on the return journey to some stones he knew of at a Ladies Golf Course… I was sceptical because he isn’t a believer (!) and I thought yeah, golf course, stones, hmmm… but then I saw them, wow! Well impressed with these, they are enormously tall. Made up for the gigantic weight of guilt for taking a 20-minute skive to see them!!
It was a gorgeous day for it, had to push past a couple of Old Dears on the first tee (“you off to see the stones, then?”) – the stones are on the second tee. On the way back we visited the little golf hut and the bloke gave us a printed handout, details posted separately. Not surprisingly, the handout says the stones are called “Lundin Ladies Standing Stones”.
Originally they would have been able to see down towards the Forth below. One stone appears to have cups, but it is probably just weathering.
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I was a lovely clear day brought about by extremely strong winds, which came apparent when I walked up the golf course to the site! The clouds were racing so a dull spell soon turned into a spotlight for the rockart on the top of the hill.
Very clear views in all directions: from various parts of the Moor you can see: north to Broomridge and Goatscrag close to Routin Linn; the hillforts of Humbleton and Yeavering; the Cheviot itself; Weetwood Moor ; Kettley Crags and Chatton; and over to the sea. Fantastic.
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Most of the marks here are cup-marks.
The major slab of flat rock to the west end of this site feels like it should have markings, but the sandsone is quite soft and it is very exposed : I couldn’t see any definate marks apar from ones which looked natural and are 2 feet across.
The site is pinpointed from afar by a pair of windswept trees... I can see these trees from my back door :-)
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Just east of the triangulation pillar, it’s hard to make out the enclosure while you are in situ.
The rock art is found at the centre of a small cairn. The markings are really faint, didn’t come out on my first picture so had to resort to marking the main points with water.
Extremely windy up there but it provided a clear view to the sea one way and the Cheviots on the other. Lovely open skies.
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It’s hard work this one – struggled through knee-deep heather to get here, felt like I’d waded through a mile of thick treacle.
Hard to find too: and I was a bit disappoined to find that the beautifully clear stone I’d seen pictured in a book had turned into a monster of a lichen colony!!
One for the determined.
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The outcrop of Buttony is now covered by trees, inhabited by deer (I heard one but couldn’t see it).
To find it from the southerly part of Gled Law look to the east, you can see a Pill Box on a hill. The Wooded area behind it contains the Rock Art. My OS map shows it as open countryside but the trees are quite mature.
To the southern edge of the wood is a gate, the rock art is up towards the north-west of the area.
The largest slab is open to the sky so is “spotlit” on a bright day; the two intertwined carvings are towards the top end of the outcrop.
Well worth stooping through the trees :-)
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23-4-03. I had just been up to Kettley crag and decided to investigate the Kettley Stone marked on the OS map; this rock is the only feature in the immediate vecinity so I presume this is it.
It’s in a very sheltered little valley, with a fort, settlements and rockart nearby. Only the rabbits here now.
Does anyone know anything about it please ?
Can’t find it in my book.
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Visited 21-3-02 – Just found these pictures, some of the first I took with my digital camera, and before I changed my name to Pebblethief...
Wonderful to visit this site – one of my first.
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I love this sheltered snug. Visited at 9am on this sunny spring morning. Can’t escape the perpetual motorway noise, but no-one else was around except for a skiving postie in the car park.
Some evidence of swings on the trees, small bonfires and seats made of stones. Anyone remember Murun Buchstansinger?
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Just had time to pop here on my way back from the Megs. Also failed to find any rockart... I think Stan makes it up sometimes :-)
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