King Arthur's Cave

Date Added: 30th May 2025
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: England (Herefordshire)
Visited: Yes on 4th May 2025. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: We walk on through the Lords Wood and arrive at a car park just above King Arthurs caves, to which we wander down. The caves are very interesting and we spend a fair while exploring in them, a longish cave to the right with a smaller separate entrance on the left, with a connection between them. Up in the car park is a noticeboard with all sorts of historical detail and stories about them.

Madawg Rockshelter

Date Added: 23rd May 2025
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: England (Herefordshire)
Visited: Yes on 4th May 2025. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Heading upstream along the northern side along the river Wye, and on the left the left a bare rockface with various small cave entrances and overhangs.

Cavall's Cave

Date Added: 23rd May 2025
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: England (Herefordshire)
Visited: Yes on 4th May 2025. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: From King Arthur's Cave head down a steep valley path covered in wild garlic to the river Wye again. To the left are what appear to be quarries with various cave entrances in the lower face. From here we head back to Symonds Yat crossing the Biblins wire rope bridge.

Symonds Yat West

Date Added: 23rd May 2025
Site Type: Cave or Rock Shelter Country: England (Herefordshire)
Visited: Yes on 4th May 2025. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: May bank holiday circular walk from Symonds Yat, crossing the Wye on the hand ferry, then it’s a slog up forest trails through the woods and get to these caves. They were tentatively fenced off, but easy to get to and have a look in. On the right looking at them is a decent sized cave, with a smaller one to the left. There are plenty of other small cave entrances and mine shafts about, so be careful !

Metheral Hill boundary stones

Date Added: 7th May 2025
Site Type: Marker Stone Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Walking back to Belstone from Hund Tor, I notice two stones standing, marked on the map as Boundary Stones. They are both about 5 foot tall, and have a T carved in them. They have obviously been here a long time as they are all weather worn, so much so that I wonder whether they were ever anything else. I then note that they are lined up side on to each other, and that they are aligned on to the position of the White Moor stone circle. Is this some kind of ancient alignment, or just my imagination running wild? More probably they are aligned along the boundary, of which the next marker is the Whit Moor Stone. I like to think its more ancient than that.

White Moor Cairn

Date Added: 7th May 2025
Site Type: Cairn Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 2

Log Text: Between the Whit Moor stone and the stone circle is a clear cairn to be seen. With it being so dry and the new years growth yet to happen, it's looking more significant than I remember from 21 years ago.

White Moor Stone

Date Added: 7th May 2025
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 2

Log Text: Before setting off to Hound Tor, I firstly head southeast to the White Moor stone and the whole of the northeastern moor opens up in front of me, right over to Hamel Down and Hay Tor, which I was not expecting to see.

White Moor Down

Date Added: 24th Apr 2025
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 2

Log Text: Approaching the top of the hill, I was expecting the stone circle to come into view much sooner than it actually did. In fact it is not to be seen until it is fairly close. It’s a lovely circle and on a superb sunny and clear day like today this is a most fabulous place, with extensive views all around. I spend a fair bit of time here taking lots of pictures, including full 360 degree panoramas from within the circle.

White Hill, Devon

Date Added: 19th Apr 2025
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: I now head northeast to cross the Small Brook running down from the moor, which requires finding a suitable place to jump across, and thankfully it isnt too boggy here today. Now I can head southeast up the hillside towards White Moor stone circle along a fairly reasonable path, which passes the remains of a couple of settlements, with clear hut circles and other features.

Metheral Kerb Cairn

Date Added: 19th Apr 2025
Site Type: Cairn Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: So the boundary stone isnt the kerb cairn, so I still need to find that. With a bit of searching around, it becomes clear a short distance over to the southeast. There are a couple of reasonably sized slabs set on their sides and still upright, with several more forming a circular feature, around a clear cairn of stones. Are the side slabs the remnants of a cist?

Taw Marsh cairnfield

Date Added: 18th Apr 2025
Site Type: Barrow Cemetery Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Before heading up to White Moor, I look for the kerbed cairn Paul has made a sitepage for, over by the marked Boundary Stone. I firstly find the boundary stone, standing proud of the long grass, and it seems to have been mounted on a large stony area. I read later that this has been declared as one of several cairns located in this area, and it makes sense to me.

Metheral circle

Date Added: 17th Apr 2025
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: From Belstone I head south, crossing the river Taw at the large shallow ford, then keep heading south along the east side of the river, following a simple track along a line of waterworks drains and features, then keep going some more. I don't think I would have been able to find the stone circle without an accurate grid ref and my gps, as it was not a clear thing to see, and not at all obvious. I was only sure I had found it when I walked across the remains of one of the filled in trenches, with its post stating "trench 5". My thoughts. I was initially not sure of there being anything making up a stone circle, but then I got my eye in and saw an arc of about three or four equispaced stones. They seem to be just natural boulders rather than shaped stones, although some have been set on their sides. Further exploration and I was able to find other stones which may have formed part of the circle, which seems to be much bigger than most of the Dartmoor rings. As I sat having my lunch, the circle seemed to take its place in front of me, with stones and shadows making their presence known around me, all seemingly equispaced. OK, yes I believe this to be a stone circle, although quite different to the normal Dartmoor stone circle, in both size, stone selection, and of course its flat valley bottom position, which to me seems unusual.

Belstone Dolmen

Date Added: 14th Apr 2025
Site Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Heading down towards the river and on the south side of the Irishmans Wall, a couple of large slab like stones can be seen. One of these reveals itself to be a good sized slab leaning atop a couple of side stones, with a few more nearby possibly a couple more slabs once holding up what is now a moved capstone.

Irishman’s Wall circle

Date Added: 13th Apr 2025
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 8th Apr 2025. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: Fabulous sunny day to Dartmoor to check out the "new" Taw Marsh stone circle etc. This one is easily found by walking along the trackway south from Belstone, and then heading off the track to the west, just before reaching the Irishmans Wall. Its position was notable for the flattened area of short grass, and remnants of the filled in excavation trenches. There were a few upright stones making an arc, with a small sector of about three very close together. I think that this would be some remnants of a cairn circle rather like the nine stones, rather than a true stone circle.

Carn y Defaid (N)

Date Added: 4th Apr 2025
Site Type: Cairn Country: Wales (Monmouthshire)
Visited: Yes on 26th Mar 2025. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: From the hilltop southern cairn, the northern cairn can be seen about 100m away down the slight slope with Blorenge and Ysgyryd in the distance. But the ground underfoot up here is so bad for walking across, no path, knee deep heather, broken stone, muddy holes and adders, that I didn't risk my ankles in going over to it.

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!

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.