Zeb
One of the stone huts with Hookney Tor in the background. Grimspound is a hidden treasure. Well worth a visit.
04/10/2005 CE
The stripes seen across the Weald Stone in this picture are shadows being cast by the street fencing on the roundabout that this stone rests by. There are many roundabouts that try to dress themselves up with would-be stones and stone circles and yet this one hides its very own stone with a fence. Still, at sunset it makes for interesting patterns. I guess the others just collect chip wrappers. 07/09/2005 CE
The Weald Stone seen in relation to the the Weald Stone Inn with it’s sign paying homage. What you don’t see in the picture is the suburban roundabout it rests by. The area became known as Wealdstone after the railway was built close by in Victorian times. The local station, built at the time of the modern railroad, is the site of one of Britains worst rail disasters which, in 1952, killed 112 people. As seen on 07/09/2005 CE
Dragon Hill as seen from the bottom of Uffington White Horse. 27/08/2005 CE
Marlborough Mound is pretty well hidden by the trees in the background. I saw this stone close by and don’t know whether it’s an ancient standing stone or if it’s been put there by the school. From the top of the mound looking towards the white horse you can see another standing stone in the field and, again, I don’t know if it’s ancient or not. This first stone could be school decoration but surely the one in the field can’t be. 28/08/2005 CE
The view from the top of Cherhill Down. A crop circle is visible in the distance and three deer could be seen in the field below. This place is a breathtaking and should be near the top of the list of anyone visiting Avebury. 28/08/2005 CE
Oldbury Hillfort at the top of Cherhill Down as seen on 28/08/2005 CE
I have read on the MA website that some believe this site to be authentic whilst others have their doubts. I pass over Parliament Hill often and have always thought it to be an ancient burial mound (without any justification). On the hot evening of 19 June 2005 CE I observed this woman conducting what looked to be a ceremony of some kind. My friend said this pic looked posed but I can assure you it isn’t. I only hope the woman in the photo doesn’t mind me posting it here!
I first came to this site in 1985 when it was little more than a tent sheltering an excavation team. It was fascinating literaly seeing another World, that had been buried for thousands of years, unearthed before your eyes. Twenty years later I revisit Flag Fen to find an established visitor centre built to preserve these Bronze Age findings and to challenge our understanding of this, and other, Bronze Age societies. Flag Fen is perhaps more exciting to visit now as more is known about the place and this, in turn, excites as you can only wonder at what is yet to be discovered.
Visually Flag Fen is not the most eye-tingling place to visit and yet you sense that this is perhaps a very important historical site and ancient place of pilgrimage. Because the remains of this allignment are made of wood they must be difficult to excavate and even harder to preserve once excavated. In a way this gives the place more of a living history feel and all the more exciting.
The surrounding area, complete with an excavated section of Roman Road built on top of the Bronze Age allignment, recreates a Bronze Age settlement with huts and sheep from breeds farmed thousands of years ago. As much as this only recreates what we understand to have beeen around in antiquity Flag Fen is all the better for educating about the Bronze Age and for paying homage.
A display shows what Flag Fen intend for the future with more excavations planned. I look forward to revisiting it in another 20 years.
The remains of some of the 50-60,000 posts stretched in 5 rows across the marsh and meadows of Flag Fen. The visitor centre here houses some of the offerings given-up on the site (from different parts of the UK) such as swords, stones, axe heads and jewellrey.
12/06/2005 CE
A Drove Road. Part of the Flag Fen field system (best seen from above), “lined by ditches planted with hedges (probably winter hard wood cuttings such as Hawthornes, Slow & Dog Rose) in shallow banks to make hedges. The road was built to drive cattle & sheep into fields & open fen without disturbing livestock. This is known as the ground is rich in phosphates from animal dung. It also contained sheep and cattle bones”.
12 June 2005 CE
There’s an avenue of buried stones leading to the side entrance of Tinkinswood burial chamber and the ground is either worked or walked to make a furrow leading up to the chamber. To the left of this avenue there’s what appears to be (to me, a lay person) the buried beginnings of another burial chamber. From this position, looking straight ahead, there are some stones (behind a hedge). Again, after jumping the fence, these look, to me, to be what could be another collapsed and un-excavated chamber. There are large stones all over this site, in hedges and buried. I got the feeling that there was more to this place than initially meets the eye. I’m thinking maybe these excavation teams dig a small area (the tomb we’ve come to see) and leave the rest of the area be. It is, after all, a burial place. But, hey, what do I know? Maybe I’m getting stone-blind.
Interesting place all the same.
The huge cap stone of the the Tinkinswood burial chamber (I’m adding perspective) as seen on 29/05/2005 CE.
Tinkinswood burial chamber from the side. 29/05/2005 CE
Image credit: Philip Brecht
This cow staring at the St Lythans burial chamber really reminded me of the film 2001 Space Odyssey. If you’ve seen the film you’ll know what I mean.
A peaceful site. I liked this place.
29/05/2005 CE
On parking the car nearby these stones some kids were sitting on another large stone and I asked if they knew where the Rocking Stones were. One kid, about 10, said he’d take us to them. His friend asked what the big deal was to which our guide said “they’re really cool and everyone wants to take pictures of them”. His friend said they’re not cool and stayed on his own stone. The first kid was right, the stones are cool and I took pictures. It seems that these stones are a place to hang-out too because they are covered in carved grafitti.
Apparently all of the stone configurations in the fields around are modern and this area does seem to be where modern antiquarians go to make their circles and alignments. I even found what looked like a modern-day version of a burial chamber construction close by (albeit a tiny chamber).
The last remaining stone of Falkner’s Circle seen in relation to the West Kennett Avenue in the distance.
I seem to be visiting sites after someone else has been and left an offering. This offering, in the bottom right hand corner of the picture, was seen left at the Devil’s Den on 12/04/05 CE
An offering has been left beside the Adam stone at Longstone Cove, as seen on 12/04/05 CE
In the book ‘Ghosts and Witches of the Cotswolds’ J A Brooks tells how the Stones are supposed to go down to the stream to drink on New Year’s Eve. There was no evidence of this the next day when I visited (01/01/2005ce) but an offering of Holly, Ivy and Misletoe had been made to one of the Stones.
J Harvey Bloom’s book Folk Lore, Old Customs and Superstitions in Shakespeare’s Land recalls how a farmer would shut his gates around the stones and would find them open the next day, even if fastened by padlocks and chains. He also tells of how a farmer tried to move a stone down the hill and how his team of horses became terrified and could only move it a few yards. It only took one horse, however, to pull the stone back up the hill.
The man on the gate at the Rollright Stones suggested I check out Chipping Norton car park en route to The Hoare Stone and Lyneham. This stone certainly looks similar to the weathered stones in the region.
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