Thanks to Chance for this link.
Wiltshire and Swindon Sites and Monument Record Information
tjj
A single sarsen standing stone on the edge of the village of Stanton Fitzwarren
Image credit: tjj
LECTURE: The Marvellous Marden Henge: Recent Work
2:30 pm, Saturday, 05 February, 2011
LECTURE: The Marvellous Marden Henge: Recent Work
A lecture by Jim Leary about the excavations at Marden in 2010 and the discovery there of an extraordinarily well-preserved Neolithic building.
The summer of 2010 saw excavations at one of the largest Neolithic henge monuments in Britain: Marden. Located in the heart of the Vale of Pewsey between Stonehenge and Avebury it does not have any surviving stone settings, but its sheer size is astounding.
The excavation was the culmination of a two-year multi-disciplinary project and provided evidence for a now demolished mound – said to be the second largest in Wiltshire after Silbury Hill. More remarkable, however, was the discovery of an extraordinarily well-preserved Neolithic building – undoubtedly one of the best preserved in Britain outside Orkney.
This lecture will discuss the findings from the project, and explore some reasons of why it was constructed and what it could have been used for.
Jim Leary, FSA, an English Heritage archaeologist, was much involved with the excavations at Marden Henge and also those at Silbury Hill. He is co-author of a new book ‘The Story of Silbury Hill’.
Pictures (c) Jim Leary, English Heritage.
Saturday afternoon lectures start at 2.30pm and last approx. one hour.
This lecture is now taking place at Devizes Town Hall, just a short walk from the Museum.
Booking: Essential
Contact the Bookings Secretary:
* Tel: 01380 727369 (10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday)
Cost: £3.00 members, £5.00 non-members
wiltshireheritage.org.uk/events/index.php?Action=2&thID=603&prev=1
King’s Play long barrow – hardly discernable (though unploughed) it sits just below the crest of the hill.
Image credit: tjj
Starting from the small car park by Oliver’s Castle we headed right along a trackway towards King’s Play Hill and long barrow. A typical January day, chilly with a hint of rain in the air but it was a pleasure be out on the Wiltshire Downs again. A round barrow sits on the crest of King’s Play Hill, to get to it we did a back shuffle under a barbed wire fence (a first for me) to come upon an amazing almost sheer drop on the other side of the hill – made negotiable only by the tiers of sheep tracks.
My walking friend, being a keen map-reader, pointed out the long barrow, although not very prominent, sat just below the crest of the hill – where we had just come from on the other side of the barbed wire, so back we went to take a closer look. From where we were standing we could also see the round barrows in the distance on the highest point of Furze Knoll near Morgan’s Hill.
Ultimately, we were heading for the village of Heddington to pick up the track at the bottom of Roundway Down back to Oliver’s Castle so it was under the barbed wire again to make our way downhill along the sheep tracks. This is when the astonishing hillocks that Rhiannon mentions in her fieldnote came into view – similar to the ones near Oliver’s Castle but far more ridged (see photo).
Once on lower ground our way became very muddy; at one point we had to pass through liquified mud by a farmyard near Heddington. A farm worker directed us to the path ‘up on the left’. I looked up and heard my horrified voice say “But there’s a dead cow lying there”.
Farm worker: “Yes, she dropped dead yesterday.” Horrified Voice: “Oh ... what are you going to do with her.”
Farm Worker: “The hunt will have for the hounds”. For a townie out walking, this is one of the unpalatable realities of country life.
A 79 year old recluse has left his fortune to the National Trust of Scotland. He had never visited apparently and his conception of Scotland was based on the film Brigadoon. His only friend, the barber, got the pug and a vet’s bill.
6th January 2011
A rejuvenating hill/woodland walk around the Slad area in the Cotswolds.
Mid afternoon, still quite light as we headed towards The Camp village. Friend parked in a layby along the Calfway – don’t be mislead by the name, this is a fast road. From the road the tumuli and long barrow looked uninviting set as it is in a smallish triangular field, surrounded by a stone wall with an electric fence running along it. At first I thought I would be content to just have a look from the grass verge – until I spotted a couple of tantalising old stones atop the long barrow. We gained entry to the field via a gap in the hedge, across a tumbled down, mossed covered wall and under the electric wire – no problem. Access also possible by climbing a rusty old gate near the layby, which was the way we left. Something of an enigma – the long barrow is much ruined from excavation though the chamber stones seem to still be where they should be. Alongside the barrow is a large tumuli which I didn’t know quite what to make of – possibly another long barrow but somehow didn’t feel like one.
Still walking in your footsteps tsc
Some wonderful lichen covered chamber stones on this much ruined long barrow
Image credit: tjj
The Camp tumuli and long barrow – the long barrow is in the background.
Image credit: tjj
2/11/2010
I’ve seen the Beckhampton or Longstones long barrow many times – as the 49 bus whizzes around the Beckhampton roundabout. It sits approximately at the end of the Beckhampton Avenue, tucked away at the side of Beckhampton training stables.
Today I took myself off for a much needed ramble – the walk went via Yatesbury then up to Windmill Hill. On the final part of the walk we returned to the layby near Beckhampton along a very muddy track which is virtually a continuation of the path down from Windmill Hill. It was an unusual perspective of the Beckhampton Avenue and one I have not experienced before. Strangely, it seemed to bring this lesser known part of Avebury to life – easy to visualise that the Avenue led to the long barrow much in the same way as the West Kennet Avenue leads to the Sanctuary. The other aspect of the landscape that seemed to fall into place was the relationship of Folly Hill (over which now is the road to Beckhampton) to the bigger picture of Avebury. I intitially posted a brief fieldnote which included the paragraph below, however, today walking with a group of ramblers (far to many to be honest) somehow triggered a deeper understanding of the mysteries of Avebury which took a little while to percolate.
Passing the Longstones (Adam & Eve) I got to talking about the Longstones long barrow; someone in the group said that when the Longstones barrow was excavated plough marks were found under it – suggesting the land had been ploughed before the barrow was built. Apparently the oldest known plough marks to be found.
Was out walking locally today down Dayhouse Lane which runs alongside Coate Country Park; also the site of what remains of the Coate stone circle. Dayhouse Lane is a little bit of rural history as, apart from the stone circle, it is also often mentioned by writer Richard Jefferies.
Background:
Redrow and Persimmon Homes originally wanted to build 1,800 homes in the area but plans were refused at a planning appeal in 2009.
In May, developers submitted another application for up to 960 homes, a business park, local centre, school and extension to Great Western Hospital. Objections were received from residents and expert bodies, including the Environment Agency, Natural England and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. A revised application has now been submitted with a 21 day consultation on the revised plans to start on Tuesday. The (Conservative) council will a decision in February or March.
swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/8763730.Fight_is_on_to_save_Coate_again/?ref=rss
William Cunnington – Commemorating 200 years of one of Britain’s first archaeologists
I posted something about William Cunnington, 200 year anniversary of death, at the beginning of December (now removed to avoid duplication). Am glad to see the Wiltshire Heritage Museum are marking the occasion. A ‘must visit’ to the museum some time very soon.
(From their website)
The Wiltshire Heritage Museum will be commemorating the 200th anniversary of the death of one of Britain’s first archaeologists, William Cunnington, by displaying two fragile manuscripts not normally seen by the general public – the original account of the discovery of Bronze Age gold objects from a woman’s grave at Upton Lovell, near Warminster, and beautiful watercolour drawings of the objects, painted by surveyor and artist Philip Crocker. Cunnington, who died on 31 December 1810 and is buried at Heytesbury Church, excavated hundreds of Bronze Age barrows in the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, and discovered the most outstanding group of early Bronze Age finds in Britain, most of which are on permanent display in the Museum.
A wool merchant and linen draper from Heytesbury, William Cunnington became an archaeologist after being told by his doctor to ‘ride out or die’. He was fascinated by the prehistoric remains he saw all around him, and in 1803 he began to excavate for Sir Richard Colt Hoare, the owner of the Stourhead Estate and a member of a wealthy banking family. Colt Hoare, who was by his own admission ‘barrow mad’, provided the finance for the excavations and later published the results in the pioneering History of Ancient Wiltshire – the first account of the archaeology of the County.
Cunnington was a pioneer of excavation and the first scientific archaeologist. He was thorough, paid careful attention to detail when excavating and had a painstaking regard for the facts. He wrote many comprehensive reports and the Museum holds thirteen manuscript books, bound into three volumes, containing the records of his excavations. The objects he excavated were acquired by Sir Richard Colt Hoare in 1818 and in 1883 they were acquired for the Museum where they are still on display and remain vitally important for archaeological research.
Lisa Webb, Curator says, “the Stourhead Collection contains many unique and rare artefacts including fine examples of prehistoric pottery, weapons and jewellery, which form the core of the permanent displays at the Museum. I am delighted that we are able to put on display some of the unique and beautiful drawings made by Philip Crocker which we rarely show visitors because of their fragile nature.”
The items will be on display until late January. Usual Museum admission charges apply.
“The Wierdstone of Brisingamen” by Alan Garner is now out in its 50th anniversary edition.
Am reading for the first time – magical and scary. Great escapism for those journeys on public transport.
Another fine long barrow which was a lovely surprise for me today, I totally have my Cotswold Walking friend to to thank for this. Had just visited Sodbury Camp hillfort and visited this longbarrow, which was comparatively close by near the village of Luckington, on our way home.
Rhiannon’s fieldnote has it covered – a fine long barrow in an elevated position; looked peaceful in the long shadows of winter afternoon sunlight. No evidence of restoration to this one and no English Heritage information boards – just the remains of a chambered long barrow. Large moss covered limestones at the centre of the barrow and – curiously (as Rhiannon pointed out) about five neatly stacked limestones to one side of the barrow. Perhaps some reconstruction work planned for the future – would now doubt preserve barrow for prosterity though in its present natrualised state it has loads of ‘ancient’ atmosphere.
Pleasant day after the bitterly cold spell (a positively balmy seven degrees) today I met with my Cotswold Walking friend. We headed to south Gloucestshire via the village of Sherston then on to Old Sodbury on the Cotswold Way.
There is a clearly way-marked track up to the hill-fort; snow and ice thawing fast though ground still hard, quite slippy in places.
A pair of ravens flew overhead as we drew close to the hill-fort which I believe is quite rare to see in this part of the world. Our visit was spontaneous so I knew nothing in advance about Sodbury Camp hillfort – when reading up on it before writing this fieldnote I came across this passage – copied from the Northstoke Blog:
(Quote)
It is an amazing place, the ground is as flat as a pancake, 24 acres (according to Nicholas Thomas’s Guide to Prehistoric England) he describes it thus;
“Its outer bank and ditch are iron age; the earthworks at the S.W. end enclosing 12 acres are probably Roman. In places the inner (Roman) bank is 10 foot high. Original entrance to the I/A camp is approached by a track up the escarpment along the N.W.side of the camp (the one already described). It enters just S.W. of the N. corner of the pre-Roman earthwork; here there are in-turned banks defining it. Date of pre-Roman earthwork; 3rd to 2nd century B.C. Traces of earthwork to the N belong to deserted medieval village” (Unquote) Very helpful notes – thanks Moss.
We initially walked around the outer bank until coming upon a group of horses from a nearby smallholding. Somewhat deterred by two large barky guarddogs and a fence across the outer ditch we moved back to the inner bank. Spotted a couple of large mature yews on the sides of the inner banks – seemed unusual for a hillfort – usually hawthorn and blackthorn are predominant bushes.
I really enjoyed this visit – a manageble short walk from Old Sodbury which was just what I needed – last time I was out, slipped on a stile (bruised leg, jarred neck) its easy to get out of the habit of walking to ancient sites.
This is good news for people who like to walk in ancient landscapes. Its own website is under construction, meanwhile ...
It’s painful to watch Ireland’s troubles; their future looked so bright when they joined the EU; now the N2 Slane By-pass has been shelved as part of the 4-year cost cutting plan.
As reported in the Irish Independent:
” ... there will be no major schemes starting in 2012 or 2013. This means the N5 Ballaghadreen bypass, N4 Downes upgrade, N2 Slane Bypass, N22 Macroom to Ballyvourney, N8/N25 Dunkettle Roundabout and Enniscorthy/New Ross bypass are shelved.”
However, the report continues:
....“high priority schemes will proceed as funding becomes available and planning permission is granted”.
Prehistoric Society’s new website
Came across this on Facebook earlier today, looks good. Worth bookmarking.
I’ve heard a lot about the Blowing Stone over the years, saw for the first time today. Wysefool and Rhiannon’s entries under folk-lore are well worth a read, I won’t duplicate them. For a small donation (towards the maintenance of the church in Kingston Lisle) you can pick up a leaflet by L.V. Grinsell (1993) which tells you everything you may need to know about the Blowing Stone. Most of it is included in previous fieldnotes and folklore entries.
Leaflet does say that stone is not officially classed as an ancient monument and is therefore not shown on OS maps in Old English lettering. Grinsell says the interest in the stone is botanical and geological rather than archaeological.
Leaflet is in itself a little gem – worth stopping by to see stone and pick up a leaflet.
Woolstone wellsprings by the Icknield Way and at the foot of Uffington Hill.
Image credit: tjj
Inspired by Chance’s fieldnotes and his recent mention of the Woolstone wellsprings (OS: SU296872)
in a comment on Dragon Hill, I persuaded my walking friend back up to Uffington Hill today. A frosty, bright, morning as we made our towards Uffington Castle; today, however, the mission was to reach the woodland at the horse-shoe bend on the road below. We climbed over a stile into the tussocky grass and slowly followed the sheep paths down the hill. Going was surprising tricky, with the wet grass quite slippy – we made it to the bottom of the hill and over the road to the wooded area where we walked along the side of the road to gain access to the wood.
The view of Dragon Hill and Uffington White Horse hill is spectacular from here. Very much a ‘first’ experience for me – Uffington Hill forms a massive amphitheatre with Dragon Hill positioned within it, though to one side rather than the centre. Several springs emerge in the small woodland at the foot of the hill, it is easy to visualise that there may have been a ceremonial aspect attributed to this landscape.
With some difficulty, we scrambled through the wood, over the streams and up the bank on the other side – coming out on private farmland.
A stop for lunch at the White Horse Inn in Woolstone before we followed the waymarked ‘circular walk’ path back up to the Ridgeway.
Wonderful wildlife, a roe deer, frantic fast moving squirrels (clearly not used to people), a flock of fieldfares, buzzards, two herons in flight and best of all – as we reached Uffington Castle, two red kites flew overhead. At one point on the ramparts of the hillfort a red kite flew across our line of vision before gliding down to the woodland where we had scrambled about a few hours earlier.
A friend down from London looking for some photo opportunities; against the odds another beautiful November day broke through the early mist so I suggested Uffington White Horse. Parked friend’s car in Ashbury and walked uphill along a narrow downland footpath at the side of the village church.
Along the Ridgeway via Wayland’s Smithy to Uffington Castle; the White Horse is impossible to truly appreciate from the hillfort – tremendous views of Dragon Hill today though. (See link for history and folk-lore).
berkshirehistory.com/archaeology/dragon_hill.html
While we looked down at Dragon Hill two motorised hang gliders flew over and graced us with a display of their aerial manouvres; a bit later both a kestrel and buzzard appeared over this magnificent place.
Mid afternoon and the sun was sinking fast; by the time we reached the path back down to Ashbury it was setting in the western sky and almost full moon was rising. Utterly peaceful and a perfect day out for my city friend and me.
In a cultivated farm field, a venerable old standing stone along with some fallen stones on the remains of a long barrow, now just a small mound. A small leafless tree growing next to it – an elder I think.
Visited today on a bright, chilly afternoon; near the Cotswold village of Daglingworth in the Duntisbourne Valley is the Hoar Stone long barrow. The field next to it has a locked gate (easily climbed) and a gap in the field hedge for access. I did it the hard way as usual; climbed over a barbed wire fence into the actual field getting caught on both fence and blackthorns in the process. Glad to report no serious injury and jeans still intact.
In Old English ‘se harne stan’ – hoar stone indicates the boundary between the known, familiar world of human activity and the frightening realm of monsters and the supernatural. Also means ‘grey-haired with age, venerable’ which seems about right.
Just up the lane to the left, is Duntisbourne Barrow – two mounds in Cherry Wood (notice on gate saying walkers welcome). I understand these are the remains of one very large long barrow – much evidence of past excavation and damage.
A Jar of Honey
by George Mackay Brown
A woman came from every house that morning to the croft of Scar. Slowly, like holy women, they moved through the fields. Seven men stood at the end of the byre of Scar: five young men, an old man, a boy. The oat fields were yellow, gulls dipped and squabbled over the mackerel in the bay. The men stood outside the ceremony, unwanted and useless. One of the young men shared the holy look of the women, but he too was outside their ceremony. The other men did not have a thing to say to him. They kept turning away from him. He stood there in a double isolation. A woman with huge hands and a face like stone crossed the fields, Bella of Windbeck. She walked slowly, by herself. The door of Scar opened and shut on this priestess. Now it was noon. The men at the end of the byre smoked their pipes, all but the lonely one. Once the boy chased a butterfly with a shout but the old man checked him and the boy sat down at a fissure in the wall, watching bees oozing in and out. A girl, an acolyte, crossed over to the burn from Scar for water. With a pure white look on her she passed the men and returned, silent and intent, a heavy brimming pail at each side of her. Another woman came out for peats, her arms red from the flame. The sun dragged through the afternoon like an ox through furrows. Suddenly the water girl stood in the open door of Scar, her arms wild circles. ‘Simon!’ she cried. ‘Come now.’ The young man turned his burnished face to the house. He wouldn’t move. He was afraid of the elemental women inside there, with their water and fire, the terrible priestess and her servers, swaddlers, shrouders, guardians of the gate of birth and the gate of death. He couldn’t move. The other young men were laughing all around him now. They laid earth-coloured hands on him. They buffered him gently. They turned his face towards the open door. Two of them walked with him, one at each side, to the threshold. He went inside alone. The boy sat at the end of the wall, gray wax at his mouth, his fingers threaded with honey. The old man knocked out his pipe, spat, lifted six creels from the wall, and slowly walked down to the boats.
A young man lifted scythe from the end of the barn. He began to whet it on a red stone.
The gate of life had been opened.
Between that and the dark gate where the fish and the fleece and the loaf, the oil jars and the jars of salt and the jars of grain, and the one small jar of honey.
Today was my second visit to Stony Littleton long barrow – my first last summer.
Firstly, thanks to my friend for providing transport and plotting out a walk from the village of Faulkland. Weather-wise a rare exquisite November day with sunshine and a clear sky; the going was muddy in places but no matter, my walking boots finally well and truly broken in. Wellow Brook was running fast and full from the recent rain, the walk up to Stony Littleton over two stiles was just as I remembered it from last year. Today we had this wonderful site completely to ourselves, my friend crawled to the back of the barrow to investigate the small side chambers. I suffer from claustrophobia but managed to get as far as the first two chambers. The stonework inside, though no doubt restored, is just fabulous.
Outside the barrow a pair of buzzards hovered overhead; a flock of seagulls circled. There seems to be something mystical about buzzards over long barrows. We stayed for a bit, sitting on the edge of the barrow facing the early afternoon sun before returning to Faulkland village – followed the lane on the other side of Wellow Brook then the lane out of the village of Stony Littleton – at this time of year probably the easiest route from Faulkland to Stony Littleton.
(Note: We examined the large ammonite in one of the entrance stones though today it was in shadow so didn’t show up in any of photos.)
Finished our megalithic day with a visit to Westbury White Horse hillfort – the sun going down, casting long shadows onto Bratton long barrow.
Visited today, 10/11/10
An exquisite day weather-wise, the final day (perhaps) in the summer’s ‘Cotswold-Severn long barrows Tour’. It is my friend Ravensroost who I must thank for providing the transport, maps and often much of the research too.
In the village of Rode we parked the car in The Bell pub carpark before setting off over the fields; although waymarked with stiles we did in fact have to crawl under a barbed wire fence (found an alternative and much easier way back). Defra signs on a couple of fenceposts marking out route of a walk.
The barrow itself was a complete surprise – I knew nothing about it until today. The large stones are pale yellow limestone (Bath stone perhaps) I thought I saw some white quartz in one of them. Although we were not conscious of walking uphill when we looked around we could see we were on higher ground – panoramic views. A great start to the day before carrying on to Stony Littleton long barrow.
Some of the bronze/iron age finds listed here. Search for Mother Anthony’s Well and Bromham.
An ancient well at the foot of Roundway Down in sight of Oliver’s Castle.
