Hob

Harelaw Crags featured as the bonus site at the 2006 Rock Art Meet, and as such probably saw more visitors in one afternoon than it had in the previous year.

One of the most frequently remarked observations was that the carvings on this low ridge of outcrop seem to be the survivors of quarrying. Leading to much speculation about how much rock art may have once been there.

Another much noted aspect of the site was the fact that the trees do not half get in the way of an otherwise excellent view of the Cheviot to the south.

As was discovered at RAM06, if you keep walking down to the bottom of the cleared patch between the trees, there is a gate, saving much snagging-on-the-wire.

The suspiciously flat bottomed cup just has to be an enhanced natural feature. No-one could peck such a flat cup.

Midway between the two panels, is a possible ‘sname‘, (a shallow, fire-reddened bowl). Or something that looks like one. If they exist. Which they might not. And even if they do, they might not be archaeologically significant. And even if they are, they might not be prehistoric, let alone contemporary with the rock art.

Visible from the road leading to Doddington, this bit of carved outcrop has been pretty heavily weathered, it’s in a very exposed location. But this means the view over the Millfield plain is excellent, in the olden days, this would have overlooked a henge or three, as there’s shedloads of the on the plain. The view also gives a nice profile of the Cheviot and her pals, whilst maintaining a visual link with the other rock art sites on Doddington Moor.

It’s currently used as a soapbox by sheep who want to bleat at the passing traffic, and for target practise by the local avian community (Maybe they’re actually aiming at the proseletising sheep?)

Gled Law is the name given to the southern side plateau of Doddington Moor. From the moor, up on the hillfort, or by the main panel of rock art at Dod Law, Gled Law seems to be low lying, but this is deceptive. From the fancy panels on the edge, the view across to the Cheviot massif gives the opposite impression.

It’s possible to approach from the north, dipping down off the edge of Dod Law via the path down from the sheperds house, or it’s just as straightforward to park a car down at the bend between High Weetwood and Weetwood Hall.

The path up from Weetwood involves clambering over a strange raised metal sheep-baffling device, which also serves to make buggy/wheelchair access a bit of a serious (but not insurmountable) problem.

There were once a number of cairns in the field, which were still there when Canon Greenwell did his stuff, but which are now untraceable.

The carvings are excellent examples, and in a good light are easily spotted, amongst some of the finest in Northumberland. In a poor light, they seem to recede into the surface of the rock, not in the same ghostly way as those at Chatton, seeming more camouflaged than faint.

As well as the rock art on the hill, Ros Castle (as the name suggests) also is the site of a prehistoric fort. The hillfort earthworks are difficult to discern, not helped by being sliced in two by a boundary wall, with a lot of heather on each side. The road runs quite close, and whilst there are a couple of steep patches, it’s probably worth a detour this way for anyone heading from the Cheviots to the A1. The ground underfoot is loose sandy soil with rocky protuberances, not suitable for wheeled contrivances, and looks like it would need extra care in the wet.

The view is excellent, with the most of Bewick Moor stretching to the south, I think it’s just possible to make out Old Bewick Hillfort. The vista is edged on the south east by Hepburn crags, with it’s cupmarked cairns, cists, and a small hillfort. To the east, the coast is easily visible, and Bamburgh castle stands out like a sore thumb. To my minor chagrin, the long cairn at Ox eye isn’t visible, though it may well have been if the trees weren’t there. To the north, the lost carvings of Amerside Law also hide behind conifererous screening, with the Lammermuirs clearly visible on the horizon, I’d think it would be possible to see as far as Edin’s Hall broch. To the west is the Cheviot Massif, an omnipresent silhouette, best viewed from the smaller hills to the east, such as Ros Castle.

The cottage is now inhabited again, so it’s the sensible place to ask for permission to go check the gatepost.

The gatepost is at the far side of the field to the left of the cottage as you approach from the road.

Shame it’s not in situ, as the vicinity affords good views down Allendale and along the Tyne valley, so there may have been more. It does look as if the marked stone this gatepost came from was bigger.

It’s got to be possible that it came from a cist rather than the presumed outcrop, as it’s reminiscent in form to the cist cover at Stanniston Hill, which ain’t all that far away.