pure joy

The Longstone – 24.12.2002

SX113820

After Pencarrow a narrow lane passes by Gillings Farm. 350 metres after the farm the public footpath to this menhir is clearly marked by a wooden signpost and a concrete stile. It is near 2 field gates on either side of the road. It’s not easy to park without potentially blocking some access along the lane, especially any wider vehicles.

The longstone itself is impressive, measuring approx 330cm (H) x 90 (W) x 45 (D). The whole Western part of the field seems to be strange. It is littered with stones, some seemingly being like a recumbent circle, some as though they could be a burial chamber, and some like a type of boundary work. Or it could just be a jumble of stones? Intriguingly the rest of the field has no stones in it, nor does the next field (to the West), yet it’s obviously an area of antiquity with
cairns and field systems/settlements being marked on the map in other nearby fields. So despite this just being a single stone on the map, maybe this place is far more interesting than just that?

The Longstone Cross / Long Tom Cross – 25.12.2002

This stone is situated just off the main road 800 metres South West of Minions (on the road towards the A38). The stone stands alone, often amongst sheep roaming the moor, an impressive 285cm (H) x 60 (W) x 30 (D), complete with mark on the back and carved cross. It may have once been a menhir that was then Christianised by carving a cross on its face.

This stone is not mentioned in Craig Weatherhill’s excellent book ‘Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall and Scilly’ (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000), maybe because it bears no inscription to make it more special than the many other stone crosses / Christianised menhirs in Cornwall.

On the horizon behind a line of old mine chimneys can been seen, marking the lode (course of) of a copper vein.

Trethevy Quoit – 25.12.2002

‘Christmas Day’ at the most famous quoit in East Cornwall.

Although this stunning quoit is just about signposted from the main Dobwalls to Minions road, and then from Darite, I wouldn’t rely on these small old white signs to get to this famous quoit. An OS map makes it easier. Once you get to the triangle just outside the field in the which it stands, there is then a then a large modern brown sign, but by then you are only about 20 metres from the quoit anyway! At this triangle there is a tarmaced lay-by for 5 cars, plus other spaces on road, and a nice information board. The info board contains info on the quoit itself and also some of the other ancient monuments in the St Cleer parish.

The site is just inside the field, through a wooden gate, and seems shockingly large once you step inside the field. The stone at the back (the one that has fallen in) seems to be cup marked – ancient or modern?

Duloe Stone Circle – 24.12.2002

Duloe seems to be pretty much open access. Although it is on private land it seems that as long as visitors act properly we should be able to enjoy this lovely lowland circle. The circle is actually close to the church at the South end of the village and is now signposted from the road by a small wooden signpost.

A small lane, next to a barn being converted, leads up to a gate and into the field. As the field in which the circle stands often contains livestock it’s very wise to keep dogs on a lead and beware of the lambing season etc.

Next to the hedge, behind the circle, there is a lovely little info board which has been photographed by Phil and posted on this great website. Enjoy!

Castallack Carn Menhir – 23.12.2002

SW4474/2537 (8 digit reference taken from Ian McNeil Cooke’s book)

I couldn’t find this despite being in the right area. As you come into the hamlet of Castallack you can just about park just before the road turns sharply to the right. The bridleway up to Castallack Carn is poorly marked. I got the feeling that house next to it wants to ‘own’ it (or disown it!). Look for the modern wooden gate. This is the rather posh entrance to the bridleway (as if you’re going into someone’s back garden or driveway). I didn’t have the grid reference at the time and was merely following the map. It was hard to see exactly where it would be on the map and thus it was hard to know exact where to look. I looked in the fields I could, which was not always easy as the bridleway is often sandwiched between 2 fields with trees and brambles on each side. Once at the top there were many huge quartzy stones in some serious gorse and bracken but nothing to suggest it was a (the) menhir.

In Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) he says that it’s 1.8m tall and “stands in an overgrown area close to the footpath West of the Iron Age round”.

With the exact grid ref and the dusk not falling so fast, maybe someone can find it (or me next time I’m down that way!).

Castle-an-Dinas (Restormel District) – 24.12.2002

SW945624 – Not to be confused with the Castle-an-Dinas in Penwith (Land’s End) this magnificent hill fort is well signposted from the road that runs past it, just West of Providence (Cornwall has some great hamlet names). From this road, a steep-ish rough lane takes you up to a rough car park. Then it’s a short walk up to the hill fort.

The Cornwall Heritage Trust took over the site in 1988 and have recently put up info boards at the car park and up towards the fort. They also unveiled a brand new panoramic plate in the interior of the fort in June 2002, which amongst other local landmarks, points out the Nine Maidens Stone Row three miles to the North.

This massive Iron Age hill fort (thought to be occupied circa 400BC to 150 AD) has stunning views all around, excellent multiple ramparts, and stands at 700 feet above sea level. Two Bronze Age barrows are which the interior, the North one of which (near to the panoramic plate) is now a hollow with a stone lying in it.

The Fiddler Menhir – 24.12.2002

Called the Fiddler on the OS map (ref SW939682) but also know as ‘The Blind Fiddler’, ‘The Old Man’ or ‘Magi Stone’. This menhir is 500m to the North East of the Nine Maidens, in alignment. The menhir was broken up some years ago, with part of it lying here.

Call me a conspiracy theorist but I get the feeling that something is up with the public access to this area. A public footpath should lead to the stone but there is no stile from the main road into the first field. If you go over the field gate you are then on the wrong side of a fence and in order to get into the field with the Fiddler in it (which does actually have a stile into it) you have to cross this fence the best you can. Very rum! The field gate also has a sign close-by saying “CASC Clay Shoot. Mondays” which I found less than welcoming. I think what I photographed is the remains of the stone, which is a pretty sad and messed up affair. The field also has several piles of rock in it, along with numerous sheep.

Nine Maidens Stone Row – 24.12.2002

Before the relatively recent discovery of 8 stone rows on Bodmin Moor and one at Lezant, this superb and intriguing stone row was believed to be the only one in Cornwall. Unlike other stone rows these stones are very large, and are aligned on a menhir 500m to the North East known as the Fiddler / Magi Stone (see separate entry for that).

The travel instruction already on this site are excellent, although I would add that t is a small SOS phone, so don’t look for a big public phone box. It is a public footpath to the stones, from the stile, which is an interesting up and down affair, rather like mini ramparts of a hill fort. The field was very very sodden when I visited and full of sheep.

The northern most stone has amazing streaking of quartz across it.

Boscawen-Ros Stones(s) – 23.12.2002

SW428239

Interesting. 2 stones marked on the OS map, but only one remains. Approach from Boskenna Cross at SW426243, where there is a lay-by at the junction of the B3315 and the side road to St.Buryan. A well signposted public footpath leads from here towards the field with the stone in it; which was very very boggy. The remaining stone measures 230cm (H) x 45 (W) x 55 (D) and when I visited had been vandalised by several Christian crosses burnt into the lichen on the stone. This site is not mentioned in Craig Weatherhill’s excellent 1981 book ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books).

So where is the other stone? In Ian McNeil Cooke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio) he says that today’s stone was “re-erected in the centre of the field….a second stone (2m) stands uprooted in the hedge to the West”. I couldn’t spot this, but both fields you walk in seem to be littered with large stones in the field walls! So the jury was out for me. I took photos of suspicious stones and have posted above. The one labelled ‘suspicious stones 1’ is of the stones in the hedge on the East side of the field (approx SW429239). The one labelled ‘suspicious stones 2’ is of suspicious stones now part of the West hedge in the first field (approx SW427242) L stone = 225 (W) x 160 (H) – R stone = 205 (H) x 125 (W). The one labelled ‘suspicious stones 3’ is of stones in the hedge right by the entrance from the road layby.

Kerris Menhir – 23.12.2002

SW444274

Follow the long dead end road to Kerris from the BB315. Just before you get to the village there is a small lay-by to your left. 20 metres on there is a small gate into a field on your right hand side (next to a farm field gate). Go through this field (it is a public footpath), over the stile, and into the second field. The triangular shaped Kerris menhir will be visible in the field, which was had the aftermath of a wheat crop in it when I was there.

Ian McNeil Cooke in his ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studios) says that it was “excavated by W.C.Borlase, when only a flint and pebble were found. In Medieval times a cross was supposedly erected close to this stone – it’s base was destroyed in 1864 long after the cross had disappeared”.

Merry Maidens SC – 23.12.2002

After visiting so many lone stones and obscure sites it was weird to visit this ‘perfect’ circle and see so many stones at regular intervals and organised heights. To be honest it felt fake because I just wasn’t used to it!

The field boundary is interesting and quite stunning, heavily made up of stones especially on one side.

A small signpost points to the circle from the North side of the B3315, next to a lay-by for car parking, literally a stone’s throw from the circle.

Gun Rith Menhir – 23.12.2002

This sexy stone is clearly visible from the Merry Maidens and Tregiffian and is probably an outlier for the stone circle. Also know as ‘The Fiddler’ it’s found lurking in a hedge, just off a public footpath that leads from opposite the lay-by for the Merry Maidens. This strangely phallic and leaning monster measures 285cm (H) x 55 (W) x 55 (D).

W.C.Borlase excavated the foot of the stone in 1871 but found only a beach pebble. Craig Weatherhill suggests that Gun Rith (Gun Ruth) means ‘Red Downs’.

Tregiffian Burial Chamber – 23.12.2002

This really shocked me because it really is ON the B3315 road! It’s such a beautiful burial chamber as well and would be even more well known if it hadn’t been partially devastated by the road.

Considering how close it is to the Merry Maidens it’s wise to park at the Merry Maidens and explore the stone circle, Tregiffian, and Gun Rith menhir all in one cracking visit.

There is a steel girder towards the back of the chamber, presumably to help hold up the stone from the pressures of modern life. The amazing cup-marked stone at the front right of the outside is actually an exact copy of the original, which is now in the County Museum in Truro.

Horseyeatt Stone Row – 28.12.2002

I don’t know if this row has a name, and considering that there is little around to call it after I’ve temporarily called it the Horseyeatt Stone Row, as that is the closest house on the map.

This row is shown on the map from SX549707 to 551708. An easy starting point are the lay-bys for the Sharpitor stone rows. The ‘path’ marked on the map (i.e. from the lay-bys towards Horseyeatt), isn’t an obvious path and doesn’t take you that close to the row anyway so if you want to get to the stone row without any embarrassing meanderings, try my directions below.

Again, this may be too much info for some of you but I’m just trying to make it easier to find for people with as bad compass reading as me, or people caught in the infamous Dartmoor fog. This proved quite hard to find, but I have a foolproof way to find it...he says. Presuming that you’re in the right area (i.e. just West of the Sharpitor lay-bys), head for the telephone poles that streak across the land down towards the West. One pole has bigger electrical bits than the others – this pole is labelled YP42 on a yellow marker. Go to the next pole down (i.e. to the West), which is labelled YP41. Walk 40 metres North East of this pole and you should be at a cairn that seems to be the Northern end of the row. The row then runs South West down the moor, towards and just across a stream (and through a gorse bush or two by the stream). If you approach from the South, use the shapes of the field walls and the stream to guide you up to what is presumably the South West terminus, a relatively huge twisty stone, standing 110cm tall. I counted 54 stones in the row, some barely visible and some up 70cm tall, including one in a gorse bush, some recumbent (but most standing) and a couple a bit off line near the North Eastern cairn. There are also probably a few hidden in the stream and its banks. The average height of the stones is about 30 cm tall.

I found this a real challenge and felt really chuffed that I had managed (I think) to adequately map this and to see this beautiful row flying down the hill, past sheep and stream.

Sharpitor Cairn and Cist – 28.12.2002

60 metres from the North East end of the stone rows lies a lovely little cairn and cist. And it seems to be in perfect line with the stone rows.

Sharpitor Stone Rows – 28.12.2002

I don’t know if these rows have a name so I’ve temporarily called them Sharpitor Stone Rows, because of their proximity to Sharpitor.

They are situated next to a small lake and lay-by just to the South of the main B3212 road, between Yelverton and Princetown, near the edge of the Dartmoor National Park. I found the lake and lay-by difficult to spot whilst driving; don’t concentrate on looking for the lake, it’s small and not that easy to spot (well not for me, in a low Coupe and no companion to help); just follow your instinct and wait for the lay-bys to come into view as you approach the brow of the hill. There are two small lay-bys either side of the lake.

Just as I think I have sussed out the North East end of the rows 2 people come bounding across from the cairn and cist, waving their arms about profusely and making themselves look important. They stride up the row, jumping on mounds (doh!) to see if there are stones
underneath. More arm waving occurs around the end of the row and after quite some time they depart.

The two parallel Stone Rows at Sharpitor run across the Southern edge of the lake but it’s hard to tell what is what, and it’s not aided by it being eroded around the lake and by a constant stream of people going up to Sharpitor, barely 400m to the South East. I think the South West
end is relatively easy to work out, with what looks like a overgrown rock cairn, but the North East end had me confused. There is quite a large stone, as if an end stone (or blocking stone, like found at merrivale which is only a 4 kms away as the crow flies), but after that there are a few more stones leading down towards the cairn and cist, often looking like they are in the right place and size to be continuing the row. From this possible end stone, across the edge of the lake to the probable finish on the South West side, I counted 66 stones (some barely poking through the grass).

The Merrivale complex – 28.12.2002

Merrivale was another site not so easy to spot in the Dartmoor fog. Coming from the West it should be relatively easy to find. As you pass through the hamlet of Merrivale (recognisable by it’s pub and it’s quarry), you start to go up hill and a lay-by is placed on your right hand side (south). Walk up over the lay-by and you can’t really fail to bump into at least one of the stone rows, a few hundred metres away. If coming from the East it is similar, but this time the lay-by is not long after the TV mast, as you go down hill.

And Merrivale has a lot. Plan to spend some serious time here. The stone rows, the stone circle, a standing stone, barrows, cairns, lots of rocks, and even a less old boundary stone designed to confuse a little.

Apart from all the more well know stuff in most of the books I thought it was also of interest to wonder about the lesser known scatterings of ancient remnants like the barrow about half way along the South row, the barely perceivable stone row leading from the South row towards an outlier, and the stones around the standing stone to the South of the stone circle. The centre of the barrow mentioned above contained the fag end of a Marlboro Light (naturally). I’m no smoking fascist, but if you do smoke please at least take it home with you. The small stone row starts from a barrow towards the West end of the South row. I counted 13 stones (some barely tiny specks sticking out of the ground) in this row, starting from a barrow and moving towards the larger outlier. It looks like there is a barrow just a few steps to the east of the standing stone, plus 3 small stones behind it (to the south) as if part of a row. 2 other similar sized stones stand close to the standing stone, looking suspicious. A recumbent stone (210cm long)
lies just to the East of the standing stone. It wasn’t until I later read Aubrey Burls ‘Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’ (1995) that my suspicions made sense. He says it was once erect and it was a pair of standing stones.

At the other end of the complex, I found it difficult to make out all of the 5 cairns marked on the map amid the boundary work, but it’s worth a wander.

Wonderful!!

Spinsters’ Rock – 22.12.2002

I approached this from the main rd, the A382. The junction with the side road towards the Spinsters’ Rock is tiny and like me you may overshoot it. It is signposted from this junction. The junction is almost a cross roads, and the road up to the Spinsters’ Rock looks (at the
junction) like you are driving into someone’s front garden! Half way up the road you will find a small lay-by on the South side of the road opposite the biggest farm buildings along this road, with a small wooden signpost to the burial chamber. The lay-by says that it is specifically for people visiting the burial chamber.

At the end of the lay-by is a gate that takes you into the field where the Spinster’s Rock stands. A wooden plague on the gate reads “A Neolithic burial chamber erected around 3500-2500 BC. This chamber probably contained many burials and would originally have been covered by a long earthen mound. The stones fell down in 1862 and were re-erected in the same year. Traditionally this monument was erected by 3 spinsters one morning before breakfast”

Again, a great setting for a lovely burial chamber. Real peace and beauty. A small plea though, please don’t leave dodgy ‘gifts’ around the burial chamber. Someone had left mistletoe here, which for the lovely (if slightly territorial) grey horse sharing this field is not a good meal. Please think before you do things like that. Mistletoe is a parasite, the berries have poisonous properties and should be kept away from (especially) children and animals.

Grimspound – 22.12.2002

These notes may seem overly detailed, but in the Dartmoor fog, you may need them!!

Grimspound is shockingly not at all signposted from the North (the B3312), or at the nearest place on the minor road that runs past the site (Grid ref – SX697809). And before anyone says ‘well...that’s good because it keeps the crowds away and keeps the site to people clever
enough to find it’, I say this. This is one of the most important settlements in Britain and is a national treasure, not something to keep to the select few. And, anyway, even with a large scale map you may struggle to find it (as I did, in fog and without a map reader in the car!).

From the North (i.e. from the B3212) I can only advise that you take the turning that you think it should be, if you’ve been closely following the OS map. The junction does have a general signpost at its north side (pointing to Tavistock, and Moretonhampstead) but nothing towards Grimspound. If you successfully get this road then on a clear day you may spot Grimspound up on the hill on your left hand side, between Hookney and Hameldown Tors, exactly 2 km south of
the junction. On a less clear day look for the only place along that road where there is quite a substantial tarmaced lay-by (enough for about 4 cars) on the right hand side of the road, very close to the kink in the road where it crosses the stream that comes does from Grimspound. If you reach the road on your right for Headland Warren Farm, you’ve gone too far.

Opposite the lay-by there are 4 stone steps; that’s the way towards Grimspound. If you find the partly paved route to the main West entrance of Grimspound, well done. If not, don’t worry; the other route will take you to the edge of the outer wall anyway.

Grimspound is magical. Amazing. I love settlement sites. At these places my imagination is far more rampant than at other sites. We know people lived here – slept, ate, drank, talked, loved, argued, planned, died; just like we do today. And the big drystone outer wall reminds me in essence (although not in purpose) of Gaho and Gersale, small villages where I used to work in the very dry and dusty Southern Ethiopian badlands where local feuds have led to circular protective walls being built by the villagers.

The Hell Stone – 22.12.2002

Hell this was muddy, and the cows in the first field were very territorial. From SY601869 (almost opposite Hampton Barn Farm), there is a small lay-by and stile into the first field. The cows feeding centre is also situated around here so in December it was extra muddy! The footpath on the map seems to follow the fence across the field on its northern side, and as I couldn’t see that far ahead I played it safe and followed the fence on this side despite the cows. Half way
along the field the fence then forced me to change sides, and at the end of the filed there was a handy notice, saying something to the effect of ‘Please walk on whichever side of the fence the cows are not using’. I could have done with a similar sign at the road end of the field!

I am slightly surprised that other people have said that the hell stone is not so easy to spot as I seemed to be able to see it / the enigmatic gnarly tree that is next to it (see photos), from quite a way off. When I visited there was a duck pond barely a few metres to the South edge of the burial chamber (shown well in Phil’s excellent picture on this site). I could be wrong but it did not look natural at all. Very pleasant to look at all the ducks but surely made too close to the burial chamber? Maybe it’s a trade off because there seems to be no official footpath to the Hell Stone and access presumably relies on the farmer’s goodwill.

The chamber is exactly as I had imagined it. Amazing views back towards the Hardy Monument, and all very peaceful. Big fat dark bulbous stones, looking like something out of a Beryl Bainbridge painting. And that tree is also amazing and very fitting to the surroundings.

Treverven Menhir – 23.12.2002

This is just off the B3315, where there is a tiny lay-by just to the East of the kink in the road. Otherwise you could park just further up the hill where the road widens a little. A public footpath, which is clearly signposted on the kink of the road, leads from the road (opposite the
entrance to Burnewhall Farm) 30 metres up through a short wood to a stile. From the stile walk straight ahead towards a telephone pole and a gap in the hedge. This is not 2 separate fields as the OS map suggests, and therefore the public footpath is not at the edge of the field, but actually straight across one larger field. The stone is in the next field up. It’s a nice curvy stone and measures 180cm (H) x 80 (W) x 50 (D).

Of all the lone stones I visited around Land’s End this is the most suspect of them all because it isn’t that tall, is in the middle of a field, and is not mentioned in Craig Weatherhill’s excellent 1981 book ‘Belerion: Ancient Sites of Land’s End’ (Cornwall Books). However, using Weatherhill’s ground rules for what is probably an ancient menhir and what is probably a modern cattle rubbing post this is big enough to be a menhir, and is mentioned as a ‘“possible menhir...excavated in 1922 but no finds” in Ian McNeil oCoke’s ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studio).

Trelew Menhir – 23.12.2002

This is off the B3283, 2km North East of St Buryan. A track to Trelew B&B is just after the brow of the hill, almost forming a crossroads with a very minor farm track. The menhir is not far from the junction. At the first ‘lay-by’ on the left two field entrances meet. The menhir is then 30 metres from one of these gates. I’m not sure whose land this belongs to. The field bore the aftermath of a maize crop, so I would imagine that in summer the stone may almost be swamped by maize! The stone measures 250cm (H) x 110 (W) and is quartzy and very impressive, although very lonely!

The site was excavated in 1871 by W.C.Borlase (busy year!) and cremated remains, wood, flint, clay and calcified bone were found in a pit 3ft below ground level, close to the foot of the stone. The stone appears to be unusually erected on its narrowest end.

The Blind Fiddler – 23.12.2002

There is a small lay-by on the North side of the bend in the road where you can pretty safely park. A small concrete stile leads into the field. The footpath leads through the field so officially you are trespassing by going to the stone, but considering that the footpath goes straight through the crops, whereas to look at the stone you can skirt round the field and do no damage at all, I would hope that any sensible landowner would take that into consideration. The field looked like it was planted with winter wheat.

The Blind Fiddler stands alone at the edge of the field, stunning in its quartz studded, triangular tooth-like grandeur. It measures 320cm (H) x 205 (W, at the base) x 50 (D). It’s’ also known as the ‘Trenuggo Stone’ or ‘Tregonebris Stone’.

Early 19th century excavations near its foot uncovered fragments of bone. Ian McNeil Cooke in his ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 Men-an-Tol Studios) says that “cremated remains were found by a labourer while digging for treasure in the early 19th century”.

The stone gets its name from 18th century Methodist preachers telling their flock that the stone is a wayward musician, struck into stone for performing on a Sunday. Some people link The Blind Fiddler to the Higher Drift stones, and tell a similar tale of two sisters struck into stone for not obeying the Sabbath.

Higher Drift Stones – 23.12.2002

I asked at Higher Drift Farm (just the other side of the road – map ref SW435285). The farmer there said that it was on the next farmer’s land (Jeffrey) and that he couldn’t imagine Jeffrey having any worries about letting me look at the stones. Judging from the map, the next farm is quite a long way away (probably Tresvennack Farm).

These two enigmatic stones stand close to the A30, just West of Drift. One is 230cm (H) x 70 (W) x 80 (D). This one has a long crack across it. The other is 190cm (H) x 115 (W, at the base) x 50 (D).

The stones are also known as ‘The Sisters’, ‘The Two Sisters’, or ‘The Triganeeris Stones’. They were investigated by W.C.Borlase in 1871 when a 6ft long earth-cut grave was found well off centre between the stones. However, no actual finds were made.

Some people link the Higher Drift stones to the nearby Blind Fiddler and tell a traditionally simplistic tale of two sisters struck into stone for not obeying the Sabbath.

Boscawen-Un – 23.12.2002

I’m not convinced it really is a public road but presumably the locals have got used to people driving up the farm track towards Boscawenoon Farm, because half way up to the Farm there is a lay-by on the right and small sign saying ‘No cars beyond this point’. The wall to this lay-by also presumably contains the standing stone marked on the map at SW418277 (a triangular stone). Ian McNeil Cooke in his ‘Standing Stones of the Land’s End’ (1998 – Men-an-Tol Studios) calls this stone ‘Boscawen-Un 2’. It seems to make sense that this is the stone on the map.

Boscawen-Un – 23.12.2002

I’m not convinced it really is a public road but presumably the locals have got used to people driving up the farm track towards Boscawenoon Farm, because half way up to the Farm there is a lay-by on the right and small sign saying ‘No cars beyond this point’. The wall to this lay-by also contains the standing stone marked on the map at SW418277 – called Boscawen-Un Menhir on this site.

After the farm, you walk towards Changwens and then a small sign (at SW415274) points the way up to the circle. The track up to the circle is not a road track like the OS map makes it seem like. In fact, in December it was pretty narrow and overgrown and not very pretty.

After a while (at a double set of farm gates, either side of the track) the track widens out and after another 200metres or so you scoot through the wild hedge and the circle is in front of you in all its glory. The quartz stone is opposite the entrance.

As I walked back up the track I became suspicious at the enormous stones that formed the wall with the field to my left (the North). This is the first field back towards the Farm. As I got back to double gates mentioned above I decided to explore (officially trespass, but I was just looking along the side of the field, with no livestock or crops in). About halfway back down the field, parallel with the track (i.e. towards the circle again) there is a huge suspicious lozenge shaped stone making up part of the field wall – it’s 270 x 170cm (on it’s side – I’ve labelled the photo on the page as ‘Boscawen Un suspicious stone 1’). 100 metres on, right down in the corner of the field (i.e. a stones throw from the circle, but separated by the hedge and the lane) there is another large suspicious lozenge shaped stone looking well out of place in the wall/hedge -it’s 195 x 165cm (upright – I’ve labelled the photo on the page as ‘Boscawen Un suspicious stone 2’).

It is almost impossible to give these stones separate grid references as they both lie at about SW413274.

Culsh Souterrain (22.8.2002)

Culsh Souterrain is VERY close to the main road (the B9119), just West of Tarland, but because it’s not at all visible you could easily go past it. It’s right on the bend in the road and is marked on some Road Atlases. I came from the west, because it’s not far from the Tomenaverie Circle. This souterrain is given a whole page in Janet and Colin Bord’s excellent 1978 book, ‘A Guide to Ancient Sites In Britain’, but only a brief mention in TMA (pg 93). The Bord book says you can borrow a torch at Culsh Farm if you need but I’d suggest bringing your own because the house next to the Souterrain now looks distinctly unfriendly with its ‘No Parking’ sign and chunky big gate. You can just about park off the road near this house’s driveway and not get in anyone’s way. The entrance to the souterrain is literally 7 metres down from the edge of the road – I somehow expected more of a trek! There is an info board on the grass just a few metres above entrance to the souterrain and you can’t see the entrance until you walk a few metres closer – weirdly shocking.

I wasn’t prepared, and hadn’t brought a torch (doh!). My lighter was fine for a while as I walked further into the underground but became red hot by the time I was in the central part. So on the way out I edged out slowly in pitch blackness. Things like this amaze me. It seemed so long that surely it was underneath the road?! What the hell is going on here? I’m walking (you can almost stand up in the tunnel, and can easily stand up in the main circular bit) into an underground building in the middle of no where on a rainy afternoon in summertime. Moments like this make life great.

I’ve just found a link to this site and it says it is over 14m long?! Is that right? Wow, no wonder it seemed to go on for ages. The picture on the link is fantastic.

Castlerigg (23.8.2002)

Castlerigg seems to be signposted from every direction and every country road, which is a first. It’s obviously a bit of a show site and why not. It is like being at the top of the world. The place was absolutely heaving with all sorts of people and school parties, but heh, quality attracts people. Sure I would loved to have been able to take some nice photos but it just wasn’t possible and I’m not that fussed because there are lots of good photos of it around and I still have my memory.

Long Meg and her Daughters (21.8.2002)

Long Meg and her Daughters was a very pleasant place for me. I hadn’t quite appreciated that it was so big. I had gotten used to going to all these weird and messed up barrows, cairns, lone stones and circles in all sorts of places that I had temporarily forgotten that there are also some mighty impressive double barrelled, full fat, high caffeine big mutha circles out there.

I found this site not quite so simple to find as people say, especially spotting the very sharp left turn (if travelling from the village of Little Salkend) to get onto the final road towards the site. Parking is limited and can be very muddy (on the edge of the field just after cattle grid).

Arbor Low (July 1997)

Us three ex-Uni friends, and Harry, had met up in Nottingham for Martyn’s ‘stag-night’. The next day, on the way to Stockport I noticed that we were planning to go on the A515, right past Arbor Low. So I started lobbying for us to stop and have a look. None knew much about ancient sites and Mike and Harry seemed OK about it. But Martyn was very worried and nervy about time. I felt guilty at asking them to indulge my odd habit just before Martyn’s ‘big day’. But it may be the only chance we get to be so close to this fine site and it might chill us all out. Reluctantly Martyn agreed to stop.

It was very wet but we clambered out of the cars, dressed ourselves up in any jackets we could find and trudged up to the henge. It was a great experience and the cows were very territorial and kept on coming to sniff around us. Martyn had spent a year in New Zealand analysing the effects of cow’s piss on soil, so he should have felt right at home here. What a great place!

I had never met Harry before and never met him again, but I do have a photo of him standing with an umbrella, in the middle of the circle contemplating life. Over the years I have taken ten relatively un-interested people out to see various ancient sites and all have said they really enjoyed it. 3 more converts for the wagon!

Tomenaverie (22.8.2002)

I’m not saying that it’s good that the quarry has eaten into and messed up this site, but it didn’t seem it was as bad as I had expected. Maybe I had just set myself up for the worst, in order to feel good. But it was yet another ancient site that was fascinatingly different to the others. After King Arthur’s Round Table all chopped up by roads, Mayburgh aloofly overlooking the aforementioned site, Long Meg and her Daughters showing what big site looks like, and The Cairns of Clava complex in a sexy woodland glade, this is on the top of a hill with fantastic (if rain soddened) views all around.

Aubrey Burl in his 1995 book, ‘A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’ calls the circle ‘a wreck’, and says that Tomenaverie means ‘the hill of worship’.

PS – Some sort of restoration project was still going on.......i.e over a year since the fieldnote below......

The Grey Mare and her Colts (5.9.2002)

Again, the wonderment at this site is partly trying to imagine what it would have looked like in all it’s ancient glory. I know that Julian is a tall man but how did he manage to see ‘the view down to the sea’ from the barrow?

The Cairns of Clava (22.8.2002)

I bought a short leaflet on The Cairns of Clava at the National Trust shop at Culloden Battlefield. This was written by Edward Meldrum in 1983 and is described as ‘a delightful leaflet’ by Aubrey Burl in his 1995 book, ‘A Guide to the Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland and Brittany’. If you can find it it’s well worth a read, and describes not only the main ‘show site’ at Clava but also briefly mentions some of the other clava-style cairns in the area.

The short drive from Culloden wasn’t as well sign-posted as expected (both sites are in the care of the National Trust of Scotland), but rest assured, once you reach the little single track ‘Clava Bridge’ over the River Nairn you are getting very close.

The site was full of tourists jumping around on the cairns, but it was still an amazing place in a sexy woodland glade.

Loanhead of Davoit (23.8.2002)

This stite is very well signposted from both of the roads that lead into the South of the village of Davoit from the main road (the B9001). The circle is to the North of the village, and has loads of parking space. A bit too much of a show site, but again, it’s easy to get to and well looked after, which suggests that our next, next, next, generations should also be able to enjoy it.