texlahoma
I re-visited the stone today, almost eight years since the last time I saw it in this location. The surroundings are now much more overgrown. It’s in a fairly sad state really, lost at the bottom of a garden. There is now a bench in front of it, so maybe some people do get to enjoy sitting in front of it a letting their minds go!
From the one resident I spoke to today though, I don’t think people are that aware of it’s history. It’s a rock feature in an overgrown border with some old crisp packets and cat shit for company.
The trees where the Library stone was found. A far cry from it’s current location.
Image credit: texlahoma
This is the view from the view point where this stone was originally found, included here to give an idea of the intended placement of this stone. The view on a clear day reaches for miles, and likewise any fire on this hill would have been a major feature on this high point.
Image credit: texlahoma
Almost seven years on from my last field notes here I visited again, this time with my Daughter for company.
The benefit of visiting on 26th December is that there is no one about at the quarry next door, so this time there was better for exploring the geographical context of the Bridestones and to further explore the connection to the landscape. Just of from the site standing at the quarry building there is the most spectacular view over Staffordshire and Cheshire, truly awe-inspiring in the distance the naked eye can see. I am convinced that this spot would have been of prime importance in relation to the Bridestones, and there reason for being here, I suspect they weren’t placed here in isolation but would have been a small part in a wider use of this area, leading up higher and higher to the peak of the cloud.
I visited this site for the first time last weekend, driving back from Cheshire I decided to make a detour as I’ve wanted to visit the Rollrights for years and this time the time was right.
I found this to be a truly amazing place, walking around the circle, spending time looking out across the landscape. I love the perspective over to The Whispering Knights and while at their looking back to The Rollright Stones, if it wasn’t for the hedges the view across to The King Stone would have made the sites seem completely connected, which of course they are.
For me the proximity of the road didn’t matter, maybe it’s down to so many visits to The nine stones of Winterborne Abbas with the heavy passing traffic, but the traffic here at the Rollright Stones wasn’t so distracting. The lay by does make it very early for folk to stop off for a visit though, including napping truck drivers, perhaps re-charging their weary batteries in more ways than they are aware. I usually enjoy a bit of a track to a site, a welcome opportunity to detach from the trappings of the everyday modern life into an ancient landscape, however on this occasion my excitement at being there took over and I took a good long walk around and about the whole area making up for the pilgrimage of finding the place by foot that I would have enjoyed..
I recommend making some time to visit this pace, spend a while there, allow yourself to slow down and let the place unfold.
