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Sites Anne T has logged on trip number: 31 (View all trips)
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Carby Hill
Trip No.31 Entry No.5 Date Added: 30th Jun 2017
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 24th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3
Carby Hill submitted by Anne T on 25th Jun 2017. We only saw Carby Hill Settlement from the Milnholm Cross just south of Newcastleton, then again from the track by the quarry just below the fort/settlement. When we arrived, we saw some enormous cattle grazing the site. Even my husband balked, and he was brought up on a farm and is used to these beasts. Looking forward to a return trip in the not too distant future - it looks amazing.
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Log Text: Carby Hill Settlement, Scottish Borders: We only got to see this from a distance because of the ENORMOUS cattle grazing it's slopes. Even my husband, who was brought up on a farm was wary of these beasts. We plan to come back for a repeat visit in a month or so. Whilst the hill looks steep, from the path from the nearby quarry towards the base of the hill, the climb didn't look too bad.
Milnholm (Newcastleton)
Trip No.31 Entry No.4 Date Added: 30th Jun 2017
Site Type: Ancient Cross
Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5
Milnholm (Newcastleton) submitted by Anne T on 30th Jun 2017. Standing behind the cross looking over to Carby Hill Settlement (middle right of the photograph).
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Log Text: Milnholm Cross, Newcastleton: Not my usual type of cross, but interesting nevertheless. This cross sits just to the south of Newcastleton Village, on the right hand side of the B6357. There is a small layby at NY 47633 86073 where a side road heads off up the hill, signposted to Ettleton cemetery. It is very reminiscent of a site near Eskdalemuir that we visited some time ago. Carby Hill settlement can be clearly seen to the south-west.
The railings made it quite difficult to photograph the cross properly. I wasn’t that enamoured of it, or the location (more interested in going up to the cemetery at Ettleton, but we didn’t go there). There is an interpretation board at the base of the steps.
Old Castleton (Newcastleton)
Trip No.31 Entry No.2 Date Added: 30th Jun 2017
Site Type: Misc. Earthwork
Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4
Old Castleton (Newcastleton) submitted by Anne T on 30th Jun 2017. Approaching the earthworks from the north eastern end of the cemetery, there is a large 'motte' to the left hand side, a broad ditch (moat?) to the middle and a large bank/rampart to your right. To the middle left of the photograph the ground drops steeply (100 feet straight down!) into Liddel Water.
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Log Text: Old Castleton Earthworks (Liddel Castle), Near Newcastleton: At the north-eastern end of the cemetery, there is a small iron gate which leads out onto the field with the earthworks. The gate had been tied fast, but rather than walk all the way round, I used my un-knotting skills (honed from many years of knitting with cats around) and let ourselves into the field. Whilst the earthworks seemed big viewed from the B6357, they were very large as we approached them.
I was surprised, on reaching the western flank of the earthworks that the ground disappeared straight down some 100 feet to the Liddel Water below on it’s western side and a small burn running north-south to its east. There appeared to be the remains of a large ditch (moat?) to its southern flank and the mound is further divided into two parts east-west across the middle
Very impressive. A lot of history in a small area round here, with St. Martin's cemetery and the old cross nearby.
Castleton (Newcastleton)
Trip No.31 Entry No.3 Date Added: 30th Jun 2017
Site Type: Ancient Cross
Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 1 Ambience 4 Access 5
Castleton (Newcastleton) submitted by Anne T on 30th Jun 2017. Standing just behind the cross at its eastern side, looking back over the Liddel Water valleys.
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Log Text: Castleton Cross, Near Newcastleton: Whilst this cross can be seen from the road, it is best viewed from the field (gate opposite the cemetery, otherwise its a clamber over a barbed wire fence in boggy ground). The shaft is a modern replacement, made of concrete. The field contains many lumps and bumps - the remains of the old village. This spot is virtually opposite Old Castleton earthworks (Liddel Castle) and with the enigmatic cemetery with its strange grave markers and brilliant views, it was well worth the stop. Shame the road was so busy at this time on night; cars whizzed by at 60 mph at regular intervals. Not the safest place to walk.
Caddrounburn Calvert
Trip No.31 Entry No.1 Date Added: 26th Jun 2017
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 5
Caddrounburn Calvert submitted by Anne T on 26th Jun 2017. Standing near the north west corner of Enclosure B, looking south west towards Liddel Water. The ditch between Enclosure B and Enclosure B can be seen to the middle right of the photo.
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Log Text: Caddrounburn Calvert, Scottish Borders: [Note: whilst the site can be seen from the road by Liddel Water, it is a short climb up the slope to walk round the exterior walls of the settlement. I found the tussocks of grass and hidden lumps of stone challenging on my ankles, but took a walking pole to help.]
Following the road to the west of Kielder Water, this twists and turns gently through the countryside. The border here takes some interesting lines, but we ascertained we were just into the Scottish Borders. This fort/settlement is in a lovely spot overlooking a bend of Liddel Water. The grass was almost knee high, but it was still possible to make out Enclosure B from the road. To the western side of Enclosure B, there was a deep ditch and the start of another boundary feature, but the grassy was too long and lush to make out much of Enclosure B at this time of year.
We parked on the south side of the road at NY 58270 98319, where it widens out very slightly on a bend (avoiding the sheep and their large lambs who were totally unperturbed by the car) and headed up the slope to Enclosure B.
The banks are high (up to 1.5 metres) in places, clearly made up of stones and earth. Whilst not quite a square, the corners are well rounded and there is an about 8 foot wide entrance at its south western corner. The banks appear to be between 3 to 4 meters wide, including the tumble at either side. There was a north-south bank from about the middle of Enclosure B to about half way down the enclosure, before it petered out. I (stupidly) thought this was the division between Enclosure A & B, but looking at the site on UK Grid Reference Finder once I got home, I was sadly mistaken! We’d missed Enclosure A completely, although I did spot the ditch dividing the two areas. The grass was very lush and thick, and any banks of Enclosure A were certainly hidden from both the road and Enclosure B. I’d love to see this site again in the winter.
Gibbie's Knowe (Kielder)
Trip No.31 Entry No.3 Date Added: 19th Jun 2017
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 17th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 3
Gibbie's Knowe (Kielder) submitted by Anne T on 19th Jun 2017. About 200 metres further south along the track, the whole of Gibbie's Knowe defended Iron Age settlement comes into view. It sits within a loop of Kielder Burn.
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Log Text: Gibbie's Knowe, Kielder Forest: After our long trek up to Dour Hill Chambered Cairn, the heat was definitely getting to both of us. Andrew decided to drive the 12 miles down the Forest Drive toll road from Cottonshopeburnhaugh to Kielder. Goodness, this road is remote, but lovely.
We stopped off to see Gibbie’s Knowe, an Iron Age defended settlement, parking off Forest Drive just west of East Kielder Farm (there is a small layby at NY 65257 95857) and following the track south-south-west up the slope towards Kielder Village. We were unable to get down to the mound, but retraced our steps and drove further west along Forest Drive to park in the layby and walk down the overgrown track to the site of an old observation hide (no longer there) at NY 64791 95234. A lovely spot, with the sun glinting off this deep loop of Kielder Burn.
Unfortunately, it was almost 6pm by this time, and we were flagging with the heat, so we abandoned our next walk to Devil’s Lapful long cairn.
Rochester (Otterburn)
Trip No.31 Entry No.2 Date Added: 19th Jun 2017
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc
Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes
Rochester (Otterburn) submitted by Anne T on 19th Jun 2017. View of this modern stone circle from the gateway into the field from the rear of the Camien Café.
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Log Text: Rochester (Otterburn) Modern Four Poster: We’ve seen this stone circle and a tumble-down round house whilst driving by on the A68 on a number of occasions but never stopped. However, today, after a hot but pleasant afternoon walking to Dour Hill Cairn, we doubled back to the café for refreshments and got chatting to the owners.
The café owners told us there used to be a round house here, but it was demolished by the University of Newcastle who ran the Brigantium project. There is now a timber faced building on the site and they intend using it for ‘Dark Skies’ and the Redefest music festival which is run on 1st weekend of August in Redesdale (this year it will be Friday 4th August to Saturday, 5th August). See https://redefest.org.uk/about-us.
Dour Hill (Rochester)
Trip No.31 Entry No.1 Date Added: 19th Jun 2017
Site Type: Chambered Cairn
Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 17th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3
Dour Hill (Rochester) submitted by Anne T on 19th Jun 2017. This is the larger Bronze Age cist, sited towards the north western end of the cairn. We had to pull back a large conifer branch to get a clear view. This chamber was easily deeper and much more visible than the smaller chambers up and down the length of the cairn.
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Log Text: Dour Hill Chambered Cairn, Near Otterburn: We picked the hottest day of the year so far to visit here, and climbed the gently sloping hill up past the very tall forest plantations towards the top of Dour Hill.
This visit was interesting as the army were carrying out exercises on the Otterburn Ranges less than 400 metres away. They must have been at the top of Dour Hill as, as soon as we'd reached the cairn, there was an almighty boom and the ground under our feet trembled with the ordnance being fired. On the way back to the A68 we heard the radios and voices not far away.
Unlike Bellshiel Law chambered cairn, this cairn sits in a forest clearing and nature has been allowed to reclaim it. The chambers can still be made out, and there is a large, deep Bronze Age cist cut into the cairn to the north west of its middle section (I had to pull back a large conifer branch to photograph it properly).
Well worth the walk. Would have liked to have seen the Bronze Age round cairn some 170 metres to its east but the forest was dense and we missed it.