Carn y Defaid (S)

Date Added: 31st Mar 2025
Site Type: Cairn Country: Wales (Monmouthshire)
Visited: Yes on 26th Mar 2025. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: A visit Raglan Castle, and as it's such a lovely day and seeing the hills on the horizon, I just had to go up top of Blorenge and walk along to the highly visible Carn y Defaid. It's a terrible path underfoot from the Foxhunter car park, all a jumble of rocks, bog and heather. The hilltop southern cairn can be seen from miles around, and equally, on a day like today, can see for miles from it. To the north is the great whaleback moutain Blorenge, while to the northeast, over Abergavenny, can be seen the broken hill of Ysgyryd. Superb, but I do remember being here in the past, all cold and wet with about 10 yards visibility!

Carnac Plage Dolmen

Trip No.206  Entry No.35  Date Added: 23rd Mar 2025
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 29th Jun 2016. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: In square Leblois in the seaside resort of Carnac plage can be found a dolmen and a menhir.

Carnac Plage menhir

Trip No.216  Entry No.36  Date Added: 23rd Mar 2025
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: France (Bretagne:Morbihan (56))
Visited: Yes on 29th Jun 2016. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: In square Leblois in the seaside resort of Carnac plage can be found a dolmen and a menhir.

House Crag (Howl Moor)

Date Added: 11th Dec 2024
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: I had an hour or so to spare, but it was foggy on the moor so had to be careful where I went. Decided that having a look for the stones beside the road from Goathland was sensible, then maybe over to the roman road. A closer look at the Mega Portal map showed this (possible) stone circle fairly near, and not far from what appeared to be a decent path, so I gave it a go. Perhaps stupidly, as I had deemed it not far, I went without my bag, therefore no paper map or compass, relying on the phone app alone in the fog, something I would never have done in the past. Anyways, it was a decent track up to the top of the hill, so then came time to hunt for the stones, as seen on the portal. I proceeded across the open moor from the path to where marked on the portal map, but nothing. So call up the portal site page and see that the accuracy rating was not good, but that comments from JohndHunter did give a better reference. Now a fair distance from the track which would lead me back, and in very limited visibility, I was unsure of proceeding in case my battery went flat or I lost the signal, but my curiosity got the better of me, aided by the thought that all I needed to do was head back in the direction I had come, keeping the hill edge to my right and at some point I would get to the track. Anyways, all worked out just fine, and I found the stones as seen in the pictures. At first they just seemed like a jumble of mostly large stones laying on the ground, but then I got to a point where a good arc of stones could be made out, or maybe several arcs. A few of the stones were definitely once standing and set into the ground. Having seen the Bridestones, and in the past Commondale, I personally decided that this indeed could once have been a stone circle. The fog was getting thicker, not aided by it starting to get dark, so I decided to head back, across the moor to the track and then back down to the car, all in taking about an hour. All was good, and I had a real feeling of achievement, so went for a well deserved pint at the Mallyan Spout Hotel.

Hunt House Road Waymarkers

Date Added: 9th Dec 2024
Site Type: Marker Stone Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: Had an hour or so to spare, but it was foggy on the moor so had to be careful where I went. Decided that having a look for the stones beside the road from Goathland was sensible, then maybe walk over to the roman road. First one was easy, but nowhere obvious to park on the single track road out past the next two.

Hunt House Road Standing Stone

Date Added: 9th Dec 2024
Site Type: Marker Stone Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Had an hour or so to spare, but it was foggy on the moor so had to be careful where I went. Decided that having a look for the stones beside the road from Goathland was sensible, then maybe walk over to the roman road. First one was easy, but nowhere obvious to park on the single track road out past the next two.

Low Bridestones (S) (Yorks)

Date Added: 7th Dec 2024
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 17th Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: The sun is getting low and I consider giving up at this point, but I wisely decide that I do still have time to go and have a quick look for the southern of the three marked groups of stones, and I am very glad that I did. Walking southwards through some initially very difficult boggy ground with long couch grass, I find easier going up the hill a bit and then along what was presumably a sheep track. Then I see in the distance a row of about half a dozen stones standing proud of the moorland, showing clearly as shadows with the golden light of the settng sun behind. They look magnificent. Feeling good now that I have found them, I head over with a spring in my step, and not worrying about the boggy ground underfoot. Thank goodness I have my boots on! When I get there, the five or six large stones are clearly standing in an approximate straight line, but with many other smaller stones also with them. In the middle it seems to be a double row of stones about three or four feet apart, reminding me a bit of a Dartmoor double row. At the lower, southern end, any real form sort of disintegrates into a bit of raised ground with lots of stones almost in a heap. The light here is now just beautiful, all golden with a blue sky and green/brown moorland underfoot. Time to head back, and there looks to be a boggy stream between me and the bridle way back, but after a good look around I find a sheep track which leads me through the marsh ground and across to get me back to the bridleway. All my years of training on Dartmoor have paid off, as it is much easier going than much of that! Walking back to the north along the bridleway I see many large stones laying between the stony track and the nearby field wall. Could these possiby be the remnants of anther row of stones, or are they just large stones which have been moved and dumped out of the way of the track? Its hard to know. Back to the car and time to go for a celebratory pint. It has been another great day, with some grade 1 stone hunting this early evening, and I have a real feeling of achievement.

Low Bridestones (N) (Yorks)

Date Added: 6th Dec 2024
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 17th Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: From the High Bridestones I now drive down the hill to the northwest and am able to park in a big area where the bridleway crosses, and an entry road to a quarry. From here it is easy to walk out towards the Lower Bridestones, which I don’t remember finding before (I was being rushed), but it is now much easier with the detailed maps available through the Megalithic Portal which show three groups of stones. A couple of hundred yards along the bridleway and then head southeast up the slope to look for the first of three groups marked on the detailed OS map. Yes, theres the top of a stone peeking above the long grass. And another. Three in a line to start, then a good look around in the boggy ground and there are many stones to be found, maybe a couple of lines across the slope, but to be honest, they could be almost anything. I now see a couple of bigger stones standing above the long grass to the west of here, which must be the second group, so head over towards them, which is not quite so straightforward with the long couchgrass and a very boggy area between me and them. Approaching them and I can first see three stones standing in a line across the slope, and several confusing sheep, which look just like more. When I get to them, it is clear that there are many more stones here, again forming a perhaps a couple of lines around the hill, but its all a bit obscured in the long marsh grass, and a bit of a megalithic mess. The upper line seems to go on for a fair distance, with one stone after another to be found. Further over to the northeast a sort of circle of stones is shown on the map, so I wander over for a look. Without GPS and detailed map ths would be impossible to find, but I do get here and find a small cairn like pile of stones, but no semblance of a stone circle.

High Bridestones (Yorks)

Date Added: 4th Dec 2024
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 17th Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: After a day walking the beautiful coastline between Runswick bay and Staithes, I had an hour or two of beautiful sunshine left in the day, and made the decision to drive over onto the moor for a quick look for the Bridestones, of which I have vague memories from 27 years ago. In this weather, three upright stones standing can clearly be seen, so I walk over to the tallest, more than 6 feet tall. At this point, three other large stones can be seen flat to the ground along with several smaller ones. My memory tells me they were in a circle, but that doesn't really look to be the case to me today. To the northwest, slightly down the hill, can be seen several other standers in a rough line, and walking down along the row the I come to another group of several stones, but this time nothing more than a few feet tall. There are many other smaller stumps and flat stones can be seen before progressing down to another fairly large stander. Back at the top, there is another short stander off to the southeast, and what appear to be several moor, but which turn out to be sheep munching! Its all a bit of a mess, but I dont think this should be given stone circle status, it's more like a stone row to me. A megalithic disaster indeed.

Whitby Abbey

Date Added: 27th Nov 2024
Site Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 15th Sep 2024

Log Text: Whitby Abbey in its bleak windblown position on top of the hill above the harbour is a good visit. It has to be said that I thought the weathering shapes and patterns of the stone remains made it truly memorable. The museum was also fascinating with many items of ancient historic interest.

Blakey Topping

Date Added: 27th Nov 2024
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 14th Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Walk from Saltergate layby above the Hole of Horcum along Old Wife's Way to Newgate Foot and up to Blakey Topping and it's stone circle. One six foot standing stone and a stump in the field, with another stone standing at the gate, a flat stone in the field, and a couple of wooden posts. Is that another stone in the hedge I see?

Grime's Graves Flint Mines

Date Added: 18th Oct 2024
Site Type: Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry Country: England (Norfolk)
Visited: Yes on 8th Jun 2024. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: At last got here on my way up to North Norfolk. Not quite sure what I was expecting, but I can't say I was completely impressed to start with, and I couldn't help thinking of West Wycombe caves. Strange, as for something that old, I'd have thought I would be really impressed. This feeling gradually changed into one of awe at what I was seeing. Nice to be able to get down one of the shafts to see the workings as a brand new entrance building enables visits down into one of the mineshafts. Once down in the shaft, a very interesting and impressive audio visual showing the history of this place is projected onto the shaft walls, from the ancient seas depositing to form the chalk and flint, up to the prehistoric mining of the flint. All very well done I thought. Down the bottom of the shaft there are various galleries which can be crawled into. Some of the tools used for excavation and flint nodules are left to be seen. I would not recommend doing this with bare knees or on a very wet day! Some of the items found by Armstrong during the 1939 excavations are on display in the museum. But the big question is this. Are they real or fake?

Buttern Hill row

Date Added: 13th Oct 2024
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 10th Aug 2024. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: From the top of Buttern Hill, in misty drizzly weather, I head down the far side through a load of inquisitive cattle to the source of the river Fowey and the Buttern Hill stone row, which is easier to find than I was expecting, and with larger stones. Probably about a dozen stones remain to be found, with a good section of 5 evenly spaced nearer the uphill, northern end. I head back skirting much of Buttern Hill on its north side, then down the stream trying to avoid the wet on the way back to the car, but still get in knee deep at one place! A change of footwear, then head for a pint at the Rising Sun, Altarnun.

Buttern Hill NE row ?

Date Added: 11th Oct 2024
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 10th Aug 2024. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: On the way home from Padstow on a grey mizzley day, I park at Bowithick, then its a wet and muddy at times climb to the top of Buttern Hill. Part way up I think there is possibly remains of a stone row heading down the hill, with several large edge set slabs about 50 yards in length, seemingly regularly spaced, particularly where they cross an old leat. I suspect its more likely remains of an ancient wall or boundary, but I was intrigued all the same. I can find no reference to anything here at all.

Buttern Hill Cairns

Date Added: 11th Oct 2024
Site Type: Cairn Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 10th Aug 2024. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: On the way home from Padstow on a grey mizzley day, I park at Bowithick, then its a wet and muddy at times climb to the top of Buttern Hill. Once at the top, with the rain a bit heavier and limited views, I visit the 4 obvious cairns, with wild horses in attendance. What a splendid thing the large cist is in the main cairn, which seems a bit like a ring cairn with the chamber in the centre. I am fairly sure there is more up here than just the four cairns, but I'm not staying here exploring for long in this terrible weather. Then in misty drizzly weather I head down the far side through a load of cattle to the source of the river Fowey and the Buttern Hill stone row. Head back skirting much of Buttern Hill on its north side, then down the stream trying to avoid the wet on the way back to the car, but get in knee deep at one place!. Head for a pint at the Rising Sun, Altarnun.

Cross Shaft and Base at St Petroc's, Padstow.

Date Added: 8th Oct 2024
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 10th Aug 2024. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: On my daily (for the week) walk down into town, I noticed this obviously old stone placed near the lower churchyard gate. How had I not obviously noticed this before? I must have passed right by it many times over the last 50 years!

Bray Down Cairns

Date Added: 8th Oct 2024
Site Type: Cairn Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 10th Aug 2024

Log Text: On the way home from Padstow on a grey mizzley day, park at Bowithick for a walk to the top of Buttern Hill to see its cairns and the stone row. I am feeling weary, and the weather is not good, so rule out a climb to the top of Bray Down as well, but can clearly see one or two cairns on the top.

New Downs

Date Added: 5th Oct 2024
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2024. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: A walk along the coast path from Chapel Porth around St Agnes Head to Trevaunance Cove, meeting up with family for lunch at Schooners bar. A lovely walk with lots of old mine remains, I realise that I am near to where the remains of New Downs stone circle are to be found. There are several large boulders spread across the heath in the region and as I head to where I think the circle should be, I see a lovely grass snake romping across the ground. What a thrill. It is hard to be sure that this was once a circle, but there is certainly a stony cairn, with two large stones set about equal distance radially from he centre. Several other stones nearby may well once been a part of a circle around the cairn here.

Tubby´s Head

Date Added: 5th Oct 2024
Site Type: Promontory Fort / Cliff Castle Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 5th Aug 2024. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: A walk along the coast path from Chapel Porth around St Agnes Head to Trevaunance Cove, meeting up with family for lunch at Schooners bar. A lovely walk with lots of old mine remains, from where we can see Tubby's Head jutting out into the ocean below, just about able to make out some of the defensive ramparts.

Blorenge Cairn

Date Added: 5th Sep 2024
Site Type: Round Cairn Country: Wales (Monmouthshire)
Visited: Yes on 3rd Sep 2024. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: Day trip to do the strenuous walk around and over Blorenge; having all the up at the end of the day cannot be recommended! Once up to the summit, there is a large circular cairn structure right on top, with the trig point just to the south. I didn't climb onto the cairn, and missed seeing any internal structure, although I now read that a cist can be seen. A bit further to the south, I saw a couple of stones sticking up, and closer inspection suggested another round cairn and these stones gave me the impression that they were three upright slabs in a line, possibly once the sides to an internal chamber.