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<< Books/Products >> Book Review: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe Factories

Submitted by Thorgrim on Saturday, 31 October 2015  Page Views: 29593

Multi-periodCountry: England County: Cumbria Type: Ancient Trackway

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Langdale Axe Factory
Langdale Axe Factory submitted by Anne T : Gabriel Blamires's Mickleden 4.1 and 4.2 sit close together at the side of Grave Gill, only just above the bridle path. Without Gabriel's book, I would not have picked these two stones out of the landscape, but they definitely have the alignments Gabriel proposes. A beautiful walk, though - well worth coming. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The use of standing stones and other rocks to mark prehistoric routes is not unknown, but it is seldom studied. Gabriel M. Blamire’s scholarly and well-researched study of possible routes to the Langdale axe factories is a model for others to follow. Meticulously documented, mapped and photographed with full grid references, this book will enable other field researchers and fell walkers to go out into Langdale and look for themselves.

This book has nothing to with leylines, but everything to do with how Neolithic people may have moved around, marked their routes and posted guides. It will also appeal to those readers intrigued by British rock art.

We can be certain that axe heads of the finest quality were made from the very special stone of Great Langdale in the Lake District (see here). We can also be certain that these axes were transported all over Britain by traders and by gift exchange. We are certain, because these axes have been found from Aberdeen to Cornwall and from Galloway to Kent with a particular concentration in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Such a manufacturing and export industry must have had a considerable infrastructure. How were the axes transported from the bleak and hostile high fells of Langdale?

The author addresses these issues with detailed maps and very many photographs. He identifies stones that not only appear to mark the routes, but also to point the way. These stones are mainly triangular, lozenge or pentagonal in shape. The presence of hundreds of carved cup, ring and spiral shapes on rocks in northern Britain has never been explained. Is there a link with route marking? Could some of those odd shaped rocks on the northern moors be guidestones too? It might be argued that in an area like Langdale, there are so many random boulders that any researcher could select those that he wishes to make fit a route and exclude others. The author tackles that issue, honestly and openly.

Part 1 describes the Great Langdale Way past the rock art site and on to Raven Crag and then Mickleden. Part 2 covers the Waterfall Way to the axe working sites, Harrison Stickle and Pike o’ Stickle. Written by a man who has lived in Cumbria for thirty years, this is a dependable guide for anyone who wants to search out the guide stones and make up their own minds. By a fortunate coincidence – the Megalithic Portal is adopting a new category of Marker Stones. This category is to be used for natural stones and erratics that appear to have been moved from where nature left them to be used as waymarks. Originally intended to plot the East Anglian Puddingstone Trail (see here
), this category can now be used to plot the guide stones to the Langdale Axe Factory or any other Neolithic trade route.

Readers will make up their own minds. Are these stones just random boulders that seem to mark a trail? Or can we follow the paths of heavily burdened men bringing high quality stone out of the fells? Anyone who has become lost in the sudden mists of Langdale will appreciate how essential are the little walkers’ cairns that lead to safety. Are these strange shaped stones guides to and from the axe factories high up in Langdale? If so – then this study is of major importance to our understanding of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age communications and trade routes. Using the Portal’s sophisticated mapping system; we can perhaps begin to plot Neolithic route maps that will link communities and sacred sites. Very highly recommended!

Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe Factories
Ancient ways to stone axe working sites in the English Lake District.
Gabriel M Blamires
ISBN 0-9550270-0-4
2005 Paperback 135pp.
£5.99 (Special Offer price)
Order now from our Online Shop

See more photos from Great Langdale on our page here, then scroll down for the nearby sites list.

Note: Worth a re-run as this excellent book is now on special offer in our shop.

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"Book Review: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe Factories" | Login/Create an Account | 13 News and Comments
  
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Energyman on Monday, 18 April 2016
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Yes, a fascinating book, I'm very glad I've got a copy. However, I ache to see some diagrams of the rocks and their alignments. For me, it's not enough to say rock so and so is aligned south west, and then a picture of said rock. Which way is SW? Is he referring to the point or the base of the triangle, or even a division of the angle?

For instance a pentagon or lozenge shape rock could be said to be aligned in...how many directions?
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Hatty on Tuesday, 03 November 2015
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It's not just the Langdale area... 'signposts' are on all main routes if you know how to read them.
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    Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by sem on Wednesday, 04 November 2015
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    Totally agree Hatty.
    I've never been to Langdale (its on my bucket list) but Gabriel's ideas explained many things I found at Saith Maen East and the Preselis. Probably the biggest revelation was when viewing a boulder to give a pentagonal profile.
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Anne T on Saturday, 31 October 2015
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Just to add my own comment here. I was delighted to win a copy of Gabriel's book in the August 2014 photographic competition and took it to the Lake District on our trip there on 10th/11th August 2015.

We used chapter 4 as our guide to walking the Mickleden Way and sought out the first 8 of the boulders he lists (we intended to find more but time and dusk stopped us from progressing further). Whilst some boulders stand out in the landscape (4.5 Pike O'Stickle Pentagon and 4.6 the recumbent wedge stone), others, such as 4.1 and 4.2 (recumbent, slanting pentagon topped block and 4.2 recumbent lozenge topped block) we would not have been able to isolate without the book as they formed part of a larger group of (smaller) stones lying next to a brook running down from the peaks above. Both my husband and I found the alignments difficult to spot, and was glad I had the book to help - the grid references were spot on!

Sorry, but based on the first 8 stones we located, I'm not convinced about the alignments, but the book lists loads of others which I'm keen to investigate further when time allows.

I'm absolutely positive stones were used as pointers in times gone by, and look forward to seeing and learning a lot more. Thanks for the book, Gabriel - it is well written, well researched and a great reference book. The Mickleden Way walk is beautiful in its own right so I'm looking forward to trying the other routes that Gabriel details.

I've posted some photos of boulders 4.1 to 4.8 on the Langdale Axe Factory page - Portal Admins let me know if you want me to create a separate page for these.
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Anonymous on Wednesday, 22 April 2009
it's just that I found a similar stone as the one on the cover in the Swiss alps, the "Oberengadine", near St. Moritz at about 2000m above sealevel. And could not figure out, what it may mean. I can mail you a picture.
Katharina von Salis
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    Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Anonymous on Saturday, 26 September 2009
    I would point out that the upper Engadine (Inn River valley) was the route of roads since Roman times, over which travel was accomplished from the Lake of Como over the passes into the Inn valley (leading eventually to the Danube) and into the Rhine watershed. At the high point of the Julier Pass, about 10km SW of St Moritz, are various standing stones preserved by the side of the main highway as remnants of the Roman Empire. At certain points south of the Maloja Pass the stone surface itself of the steep Roman road can be seen not far off the highway. Any large stone found in that region could be very interesting.
    - Andy von Salis (USA)
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Anonymous on Tuesday, 27 October 2009
    I have just seen (rather late!) your April message where you say you found a stone near St Moritz like the one on the cover of my book "Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe Factories". Yes, I would be very pleased to have a picture. My email address is gabriel.blamires@googlemail,com
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by TwentyTrees on Friday, 07 April 2006
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Just finished reading this book. Certainly worth purchasing - its well researched, well written, well presented and very readable. The introduction and conclusion are excellent. I don't necessarily agree with the hypothesis but then I haven't done the fieldwork which Gabriel Blamires as clearly done; I don't by any means discount the hypothesis. The book provoked consideration of communication between regional groups, the development of the Langdale Axe factories, Neolithic environments, contemporary transport systems whilst also introducing me to a number of ancient sites which I wasn't familiar with.

When I visit the Lake District this book will come with me.
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Andy B on Thursday, 16 March 2006
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Link now added to story, thanks.
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Anonymous on Thursday, 16 March 2006
An American, visiting the Lake district in June, wanting to walk on ancient paths and sites, photograph, draw and paint aspects of these prehistoric sites. I have Burl's books, the guidestones book seems to be a valuable extension of his meticulous work. I am eager to purchase a copy of the book but have not found a link to purchase it. Can someone help me?
Jana
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    Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Thorgrim on Thursday, 16 March 2006
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    Hi Jana,
    I believe that there are copies in the online Megalithic Bookshop. Click here
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by nicoladidsbury on Friday, 13 January 2006
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Sounds like a fantastic book. Thanks for reviewing this Thorgrim.
Nicola
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Re: Guidestones to the Great Langdale Axe factories by Andy B on Wednesday, 11 January 2006
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Thanks for the review Thorgrim, a fascinating subject that we will be expanding as he says.

We will be stocking this book through the online shop. It's not listed yet but copies are available now for £10.99 + 1.60 p&p to the UK. e-mail us via the shop if interested.
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