jacksprat

Another face...

I don’’t know if it’s my love of Brian Froud’s illustrations but I always see faces in the stones I meet. In the Hawkstone I see many, this being the most obvious.

In the garden of my friend the Hawkstone.

A good view of the valley, the Jarrassic way runs along behind those hills.

And then the phallic cloud was gone...

The standing stone at Lyneham Longbarrow

How I chuckled at the phallic cloud in the background. I swear it’s not photoshopped.

Lyneham Longbarrow is apparently underneath this mess of briar and thistle. stone in foreground

The Standing Stone at Lyneham Longbarrow

Vandalism at the Hawkstone – apologies for the picture quality, it was taken with the camera on my phone.

An aerial view of Rainsborough Camp.

Pesky Moles...

You can still see paint on some of the stones...

Nearly two years after it was first perpetrated, unsightly reminders of that mindless vandalism are still clearly visible on the King’s Men

The Rollrights on a cold February afternoon

In the foreground are some of the remains of stones that won’t make it, with one that did in the middle ground.

Please note that there is still NO public access to the site.

You can see the richness in colour of the new stones. It gives a tangible view of how the original stones must have looked, before the lichen and weather took hold.

The foundations are very fresh and the whole site looks very ‘new’ and ‘constructed’ for want of better words. But when it has been completed and nature has taken her course, I can see Devil’s Quoits becoming a major attraction in years to come.

Please note there is still NO public access to the site.

When the sun came out the whole site shimmered silvery white from the down and feathers from the birds’ ‘base camp 1’. You can see the reconstructed henge in the background.

Please note there is still NO public access to the site

A view of the largest newly erected stone.

Please note there is still NO public access to the site.

Please note there is still NO public access to the site.

When the sun came out the new stones almost seemed to glow a gloriously rich deep yellow.

Please Note there is still NO public access to the site.

Eight new stones have been erected at the site, all quarried locally. You can see in the foreground that markers have been erected to indicate the placement of future stones.

Please note there is still NO public access to the site.

A view of the reconstructed henge with some of the replacement stones. You can see the damage caused by rabbits to the ditch in the foreground. Please note there is still NO public access to the site.

Two of the three original stones have been re-erected... And obviously used as a preaching post for various hundreds of waterfowl at the site.

Please note there is still NO public access to the site.

This is the third and final (and significantly larger) of the original stones to be re-erected. You can see the foundation for it in the bottom left of the picture. In the middle ground is a view of the ditch and henge that encircles the stones.

Please note there is still NO public access to the site.

The view from left to right of Madmarston Hill (where the hillfort was sited), Round Hill and Jester’s Hill.

Madmarston’s neighbour, Jesters Hill, can be seen in the background to the left of the image. Jester’s hill is not thought to have been built upon.

To the right of the image you can make out darkened lines near the brow of the hill. These are remains of the earthworks.

Madmarston Hill from the North

Although the site has been farmed for many years it is possible to make out the remains of the earthworks. You can’t really see from these pictures unfortunately!

Madmartson Hill, site of ironage hillfort

Madmarston Hill, approaching from the southeast, along the Roman Road

The curious Thor Stone.

Hawk Stone at Dean.

Master of all he surveys...the enigmatic Hawk Stone

I told my niece to get out of the way, but....
In the valley beyond the stones lies the brook where the knights are said to take drink on New Years Eve. Rumours about them having acquired a taste for hooky are unconfirmed...

The smaller entrance can be seen between the two trees

The east facing earthwork has a large gap and the ground is raised outside it. Presumably, this was the main entrance. There is a smaller one to the west.

Inside the camp. It could easily hold three football pitches in its boundarys

Part of the west facing earthworks.

At some points the earthworks are 20 feet high and incline steeply. You can imagine how imposing it must have been with its timber structure towering

The camp’s wall seen from the south west.

You can see the fort looming from 1/2 mile away. This is taken from 300 metres, approaching from the north east.

There are the remains of several barrows at Rainsborough. This one is about 400 metres to the north of the site.