Site Name
(A/D) |
Site Type |
Country
(A/D) |
County/ Region |
Visited?
(A/D) |
Date
(A/D) |
Cond |
Amb |
Acc |
Comments |
Trip Number
(A/D) |
Trip Order |
| St Michael's Church (Kirkby Thore) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
22nd May 2026 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Michael's Church, Kirkby Thore: We've not visited this village before, and with a very old church in the village, decided to stop off. Found the outside of the church, with all its old blocked off doorways and windows fascinating. Didn't expect to see much inside the church, but there was part of a medieval grave slab and some Roman pottery found in the village in 1951. The churchyard was lovely and I unexpectedly came across an Anglo Saxon...St Michael's Church, Kirkby Thore: We've not visited this village before, and with a very old church in the village, decided to stop off. Found the outside of the church, with all its old blocked off doorways and windows fascinating. Didn't expect to see much inside the church, but there was part of a medieval grave slab and some Roman pottery found in the village in 1951. The churchyard was lovely and I unexpectedly came across an Anglo Saxon cross base.
We meant to go onto another church and a well nearby, but the road closures (with no diversion signs) meant we kept having to attempt to turn right onto the A66 to get to our next destination. As it was teatime on a Bank Holiday Friday, with endless traffic in both directions, we sadly had to call it a day.
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191 |
3 |
| Roman Milestone (Temple Sowerby) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
22nd May 2026 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
We last came here 8 years ago, and it's so sad to see the milestone, still in it's metal cage, buried deep in weeds and surrounded by spoil heaps of earth and stone where road works are ongoing.
The plaque is even more illegible! |
191 |
2 |
| St Cuthbert's Church (Cliburn) |
Ancient Temple |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
22nd May 2026 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Cuthbert's Church, Cliburn. Came in search of an Anglo Saxon Cross Head fragment - I'd previously seen a photograph of the fragment propped up against the font, but there was no sign of this at all. Andrew thought if might have been in the padlocked parish chest adjacent to the font.
Very pleasant location. The church is on a circular mound, with two terraces leading down to the 'modern' graveyard. It looks as if the church may original...St Cuthbert's Church, Cliburn. Came in search of an Anglo Saxon Cross Head fragment - I'd previously seen a photograph of the fragment propped up against the font, but there was no sign of this at all. Andrew thought if might have been in the padlocked parish chest adjacent to the font.
Very pleasant location. The church is on a circular mound, with two terraces leading down to the 'modern' graveyard. It looks as if the church may originally have been built on the remains of an old settlement, although it's not quite at the top of the hill within the village.
There were Roman inscribed stones built into the interior porch walls, and a possible old AS cross base which had been repurposed with a modern sandstone cross.
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191 |
1 |
| St Laurence's Church (Morland) |
Ancient Temple |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
8th Apr 2026 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
A beautiful church in a glorious setting. Said to be the oldest church in Cumbria, and still an active church community with regular services.
Am still researching some of the features within, and need to go back and photograph some more. Made for a lovely afternoon out, with lunch at the Mill Yard cafe, followed by a re-visit to the Powdonnet Well. |
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|
| Bosiliack Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Cornwall |
Visited |
19th Aug 2019 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
lucasn Visit Report: originally posted on the Bosiliack Huts site page (duplicate site page, now amalgamated with this). |
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| Bosiliack Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Cornwall |
Visited |
19th Aug 2021 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
LiveAndrew Visit Report: Originally posted on the Bosiliack Huts site page (duplicate site page, now amalgamated with this one. |
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| Apronful of Stones (Carrock Fell) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
31st Mar 2026 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Having seen this area marked on the map, we were intrigued enough to drive down the road from the High Wath North and South cairns to see what it was before moving onto our next cairn.
The area seemed to be mostly a car park for walkers heading off on one of the numerous walks which radiate from this point. I photographed what I could see, but as we drove back towards the High Wath Cairns, I realised just how many stones there were on the ea...Having seen this area marked on the map, we were intrigued enough to drive down the road from the High Wath North and South cairns to see what it was before moving onto our next cairn.
The area seemed to be mostly a car park for walkers heading off on one of the numerous walks which radiate from this point. I photographed what I could see, but as we drove back towards the High Wath Cairns, I realised just how many stones there were on the eastern side of the minor road, and how far they were distributed. The stones really did look like someone had stood on top of Carrock Fell and thrown them down.
Really must go back and have another look next time we're travelling to Mungrisdale along this beautiful little road.
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| High Wath Ford Round Cairn North |
Round Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Mar 2026 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
A short walk up the minor road, with Carrock Fell on my left and the open landscape down to the Caldew Valley on my right. With the breeze picking up, we walked round and photographed the cairn, which is almost right next to a small car parking area just south of High Wath Ford. The stream was in spate and tumbled over the road and down rocks. Could have stayed and watched it for ages. |
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|
| High Wath Ford Round Cairn South |
Round Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
2nd Apr 2026 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
My first trip onto the open fells for over two years, and it was lovely to feel springy turf underneath my feet. Combined with the spectacular views all around and with the sun shining (although the breeze had a chill to it) it was an enjoyable afternoon.
The cairn is close to a minor road, Pasture Lane, with plenty of opportunities to pull off the road to walk to where we needed to be.
Andrew spotted three mine shafts running from the le...My first trip onto the open fells for over two years, and it was lovely to feel springy turf underneath my feet. Combined with the spectacular views all around and with the sun shining (although the breeze had a chill to it) it was an enjoyable afternoon.
The cairn is close to a minor road, Pasture Lane, with plenty of opportunities to pull off the road to walk to where we needed to be.
Andrew spotted three mine shafts running from the level of the road, straight into the Carrock Fell hillside, which made the area much more interesting with its industrial workings adjacent.
Having walked around this cairn, I thought I spotted a couple more cairns almost immediately to the north - one a very much robbed out cairn full of small stones, and another a small hump, about 0.4 m above ground level and 3-4m in diameter. I photographed these just in case, and later identified the possible locations of these using UK Grid Finder.
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| St John the Baptist Church, Chester |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cheshire |
Visited |
23rd Mar 2026 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The church is open daily from 11am until 3pm, Monday to Saturday. Some services may take place during opening hours.
With the museums closed on Monday, I felt destined for a whole day of Romans, but was delighted to find this church on Sunday evening after having walked round the amphitheatre, and even more delighted to find it had a display of Anglo Saxon sculptured stones recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture.
We spent ...The church is open daily from 11am until 3pm, Monday to Saturday. Some services may take place during opening hours.
With the museums closed on Monday, I felt destined for a whole day of Romans, but was delighted to find this church on Sunday evening after having walked round the amphitheatre, and even more delighted to find it had a display of Anglo Saxon sculptured stones recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture.
We spent a delightful hour photographing the stones and chatting to one of the volunteers in the cafe, who, it turned out, was somewhat of an expert on these stones, and showed us a couple more stones which he'd only recently moved from the Chapter House into the church.
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| Roman Garden & Hypocaust (Chester) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Cheshire |
Visited |
23rd Mar 2026 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
It is possible to be dropped off right at the entrance to the Roman Gardens, then walk down hill towards the river (wouldn't like to do it the other way round, as it's a steep slope!).
With 'yet another Roman site' I wasn't keen to visit here, but actually I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful layout of the garden and the variety of objects on display.
Most interesting was the clear glass display board - standing behind it and loo...It is possible to be dropped off right at the entrance to the Roman Gardens, then walk down hill towards the river (wouldn't like to do it the other way round, as it's a steep slope!).
With 'yet another Roman site' I wasn't keen to visit here, but actually I was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtful layout of the garden and the variety of objects on display.
Most interesting was the clear glass display board - standing behind it and looking towards the city wall, it illustrated precisely where the Civil War damage had been, where part of the city walls had been destroyed, giving access into the city.
Walking to the lower end of the gardens gives access onto the river. Turning left, we found the Hermitage, with a cafe next door, serving excellent coffee, which made the visit even more pleasurable.
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| South East Angle Tower of Legionary Fortress |
Stone Fort or Dun |
England |
Cheshire |
Visited |
22nd Mar 2026 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
We walked across the road from the Roman Amphitheatre to take a closer look at what I thought was just an extension to the amphitheatre structure, but is in fact a separate structure. Right next to the city walls, and overlooked by a number of busy bars and restaurants at an upper level, I was watched by their curious patrons as I photographed this small site. |
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| The Hermitage (Chester) |
Ancient Temple |
England |
Cheshire |
Visited |
23rd Mar 2026 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
The current site of this building is in a very pleasant spot, just below the Roman Gardens, and adjacent to the river. As a now private house, it's not possible to enter the grounds to get a better look. |
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|
| Roman Amphitheatre (Chester) |
Ancient Palace |
England |
Cheshire |
Visited |
22nd Mar 2026 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
This site was just around the corner from the hotel, so we went for a quick look in the dusk, then returned again the next morning, 23rd March.
After having seen this site so many times on the television, I was really disappointed. The walls, and what used to be steps, were encased in concrete retaining walls (?) which really spoiled how I interpreted the site. It was also much smaller than I thought, although information boards and more con...This site was just around the corner from the hotel, so we went for a quick look in the dusk, then returned again the next morning, 23rd March.
After having seen this site so many times on the television, I was really disappointed. The walls, and what used to be steps, were encased in concrete retaining walls (?) which really spoiled how I interpreted the site. It was also much smaller than I thought, although information boards and more concrete walls outside the main site area, showed how much further the arena extended.
Pavements allow you to walk around most of the area on display, with a walkway/bridge which allows you to walk over the arena, to appreciate it more.
On Monday, 23rd, we watched a small group of school children being filmed with a 'Roman Centurian' being drilled in arms practice.
I was much, much more taken with St John's Church behind, the original Carlisle Cathedral!
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| Chester High Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cheshire |
Visited |
23rd Mar 2026 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Hadn't checked the opening times of the museums in Chester - they are all closed on a Monday, but there were plenty of other, largely Roman, sites to visit, which kept us occupied. Whilst we've walked past this cross on other occasions in the last few years, it has always been surrounded by people, with a busker seemingly permanently at it's base. Still the centre of city life today. |
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| Gelt Woods (Brampton) |
Carving |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
1st Feb 2026 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
My first proper woodland walk after a hip operation, so I found the going difficult as the paths were steep in parts, very wet and muddy, but so nice to be out and about to see sites again. Due to the mud, and the path ahead closed due to landslips (not sure how up-to-date the signs are), I was unable to reach cliff face where the inscriptions are, but Intrepid Husband found the site and took a few photographs, although at 9m above the current r...My first proper woodland walk after a hip operation, so I found the going difficult as the paths were steep in parts, very wet and muddy, but so nice to be out and about to see sites again. Due to the mud, and the path ahead closed due to landslips (not sure how up-to-date the signs are), I was unable to reach cliff face where the inscriptions are, but Intrepid Husband found the site and took a few photographs, although at 9m above the current river level, they were more than a little difficult to make out. Thank goodness for Historic England's incredible photographs and people with drones!
Lovely river and woodland setting. Would recommend the walk, especially after drier weather.
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191 |
1 |
| Merkland Cross (Woodhouse) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
13th Sep 2024 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Merkland Cross: Almost ten years have passed since our first visit in October 2014, but nothing much has changed. This would have been a glorious location if not for the tremendous amount of traffic rushing along the motorway to the west of this cross. |
190 |
2 |
| Langholm Market Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
13th Sep 2024 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Langholm Market Cross: It's odd to think we've driven past this cross many times, but never noticed it. A curiously small cross with a round boulder on top inscribed with a cross. Also an odd location, sited next to a statue, an information board about astronaut and first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong (now a freeman of the town) and an archway created by Thomas Telford.
The heavy traffic whizzing by on the main road made it difficult to ta...Langholm Market Cross: It's odd to think we've driven past this cross many times, but never noticed it. A curiously small cross with a round boulder on top inscribed with a cross. Also an odd location, sited next to a statue, an information board about astronaut and first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong (now a freeman of the town) and an archway created by Thomas Telford.
The heavy traffic whizzing by on the main road made it difficult to take some of the photos without risking getting knocked over by the huge lorries driving through the narrow high street.
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190 |
1 |
| Birrens Roman Fort |
Stone Fort or Dun |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
13th Sep 2024 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Birrens Roman Fort: I didn't even know this fort existed until we spotted it on the OS map and it was on our way home, so we stopped to look. My hip wouldn't allow me to climb over the stile, but the farmer had left the gate unpadlocked, so we let ourselves carefully in and out.
The field had been heavily churned up by cattle, so walking across it was difficult. Would like to return to this site with some of the reports mentioned in the Canm...Birrens Roman Fort: I didn't even know this fort existed until we spotted it on the OS map and it was on our way home, so we stopped to look. My hip wouldn't allow me to climb over the stile, but the farmer had left the gate unpadlocked, so we let ourselves carefully in and out.
The field had been heavily churned up by cattle, so walking across it was difficult. Would like to return to this site with some of the reports mentioned in the Canmore record and in better weather.
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190 |
3 |
| St Michael's Churchyard Cross (Knill) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
16th Jul 2024 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Knill churchyard cross: our first (and only) site visit for some considerable time, due to my current mobility issues. The church was easy to access, and it was lovely to be out in a really rural area on a warm, if overcast day.
Whilst old, the church seemed unremarkable, with no monuments inside of note apart from one very pretty stained glass window and the font, which is thought to date from the 12th century.
A very impressive carved...Knill churchyard cross: our first (and only) site visit for some considerable time, due to my current mobility issues. The church was easy to access, and it was lovely to be out in a really rural area on a warm, if overcast day.
Whilst old, the church seemed unremarkable, with no monuments inside of note apart from one very pretty stained glass window and the font, which is thought to date from the 12th century.
A very impressive carved large wooden dragon sits just to the south east of the church.
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| Penrith Museum |
Museum |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
13th Oct 2022 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Penrith Museum: With relatively few trains running between Penrith and Carlisle, and recovering from a broken shoulder, this was of necessity a brief, but reasonably interesting visit. Only a relatively small museum, it has a surprising number of exhibits, although not displayed in any cohesive way, and with frustratingly little information about the items on display. However, I was made very welcome by the staff (volunteer?) members manning th...Penrith Museum: With relatively few trains running between Penrith and Carlisle, and recovering from a broken shoulder, this was of necessity a brief, but reasonably interesting visit. Only a relatively small museum, it has a surprising number of exhibits, although not displayed in any cohesive way, and with frustratingly little information about the items on display. However, I was made very welcome by the staff (volunteer?) members manning the reception desk.
I asked permission to take photographs of some of the exhibits, particularly the cross base, and this was readily granted, providing I didn't use flash. I would go back for another look next time I'm in Penrith, feeling better, and able to carry my proper camera with me, rather than using my mobile phone. Am planning on going back in the not too distant future.
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189 |
1 |
| Moor Divock 3 |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
After visiting the Cop Stone, we walked up to the Cairn Circle (which is clearly visible from the footpath). Whilst ruined, it's atmospheric. The more I sat on the edge of the cairn and looked round, the more there is to see. I'd like to go round with someone who knows this area better than I, so I can understand it better. [Note: I originally confused this with Moor Divock 4, the cairn circle and small stone row just to the north. Looking b...After visiting the Cop Stone, we walked up to the Cairn Circle (which is clearly visible from the footpath). Whilst ruined, it's atmospheric. The more I sat on the edge of the cairn and looked round, the more there is to see. I'd like to go round with someone who knows this area better than I, so I can understand it better. [Note: I originally confused this with Moor Divock 4, the cairn circle and small stone row just to the north. Looking back on my photographs, I could find no evidence of this feature on the ground].
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| St Ninian's Preconquest Monastery (Ninekirks) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
13th Sep 2022 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
St Ninian's Pre-Conquest Monastic Site: See visit report for St Ninian's Church (Ninekirks) for now. More details to follow. |
188 |
2 |
| St Ninian's Church (Ninekirks) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
13th Sep 2022 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
St Ninian's Church, Ninekirks: We parked in a very small car park which is at the start of a green lane/permissive footpath, at NY 55815 28944. This was quite tricky to spot as the entrance to the car park is small and hidden by tall grass.
The permissive footpath initially leads us a gentle slope at the northern side of a very recently ploughed field, with the River Eamont downslope to our left. The path then turns northwards, still with a ...St Ninian's Church, Ninekirks: We parked in a very small car park which is at the start of a green lane/permissive footpath, at NY 55815 28944. This was quite tricky to spot as the entrance to the car park is small and hidden by tall grass.
The permissive footpath initially leads us a gentle slope at the northern side of a very recently ploughed field, with the River Eamont downslope to our left. The path then turns northwards, still with a steep drop down to a loop of the river, but with pasture to our right. The sheep here were so large they looked like calves.
Through the trees, we could see a large tower attached to a large building, so it came as a bit of a shock to drop down to river level and see the church was so small. It turned out that the building we could see was on top of a hill on the northern side of the river.
Whilst there was no church guide book, the notes left by the Churches Conservation Trust were very helpful.
Beautiful spot, and well worth the walk.
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188 |
1 |
| Giants Cave Holy Well (Edenhall) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Saw from a distance |
13th Sep 2022 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
Giant's Cave Holy Well: Having walked to St. Ninian's Church, Ninekirks, and wandered around the site of St Ninian's preconquest monastery, it was only a short walk northwards across the field towards the location of the Giant's Cave and the River Eamont.
There was no sign of the well on the south side of the river, and the river was too big, wide and fast flowing to cross to get to the Giant's Cave, so we tried to spot it from afar.
This s...Giant's Cave Holy Well: Having walked to St. Ninian's Church, Ninekirks, and wandered around the site of St Ninian's preconquest monastery, it was only a short walk northwards across the field towards the location of the Giant's Cave and the River Eamont.
There was no sign of the well on the south side of the river, and the river was too big, wide and fast flowing to cross to get to the Giant's Cave, so we tried to spot it from afar.
This section of the river is dominated by red sandstone cliffs, with heavy tree cover, so it wasn't really possible to spot either the cave or the well.
The photographs show approximate locations for the well, given the 'vague' grid reference. Goodness knows how those Victorian revellers got to the cave, but there are beaches along the river, and a beautiful meadow on the south of the river for celebrations at the well to have taken place at.
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188 |
3 |
| Stanger Spa |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Jun 2020 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Stanger Spa Well, Embleton: The well is approached by a narrow causeway which runs through a boggy area, terminating at the well house. At the time of our visit, the land around the well was very wet, and in places there were deep puddles of water around the edges of the well house.
Whilst there were lots of other walkers in the area, I didn't see anyone else look at the well house.
An interesting spot and well worth visiting. |
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| St Anne's Well (Shap) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Jun 2020 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
St Anne's Well, Shap: Stopped off for a break on one of very rare essential car journeys during lockdown, when exercise restrictions had been relaxed slightly. A lovely spot, although difficult to park as the long, thin, layby next to the motorway maintenance compound was full with cars of other walkers and dog walkers.
Heading east to walk around the forested areas, the noise of the motorway disappeared, and it was easy to spot the small are...St Anne's Well, Shap: Stopped off for a break on one of very rare essential car journeys during lockdown, when exercise restrictions had been relaxed slightly. A lovely spot, although difficult to park as the long, thin, layby next to the motorway maintenance compound was full with cars of other walkers and dog walkers.
Heading east to walk around the forested areas, the noise of the motorway disappeared, and it was easy to spot the small area of limestone pavement this well is located in.
A very peaceful and lovely spot, although a fair way from any habitation in this era.
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| Priest's Well (Catlowdy) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Couldn't find |
30th Aug 2022 |
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Priest's Well, Catlowdy: Tried to find, but the footpath appears block by recently constructed areas for horses. Not wanting to disturb these beautiful animals, we gave up on our search, and will try and seek permission to enter from another direction at a future date. |
187 |
1 |
| Long Meg And Her Daughters |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Aug 2022 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Long Meg and Her Daughters: We walked along the quiet, shady old hollow ways from St Michael's and All Angels, Addingham to Long Meg and her daughters, coming across a well by the side of the track, plus a solitary standing stone in a field just north of Long Meg. The latter was too close to the field boundary to be a rubbing stone. It wasn't marked on the OS map, nor is it mentioned on the Historic England map search or the entry for Long Meg....Long Meg and Her Daughters: We walked along the quiet, shady old hollow ways from St Michael's and All Angels, Addingham to Long Meg and her daughters, coming across a well by the side of the track, plus a solitary standing stone in a field just north of Long Meg. The latter was too close to the field boundary to be a rubbing stone. It wasn't marked on the OS map, nor is it mentioned on the Historic England map search or the entry for Long Meg.
We took my daughter-in-law, son and their two dogs along, and they were amazed it was 'a proper stone circle'. The base of Long Meg itself is currently being used as a shrine, with people leaving offerings even as we walked up to this stone - including flowers, key rings and even a pair of sunglasses!
The rock art on Long Meg stood out well in the bright sunlight. The site was very busy today, and the field full of large cattle, who fortunately kept their distance.
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185 |
2 |
| Preston Park Museum (Stockton on Tees) |
Museum |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
10th Aug 2022 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Preston Park Museum (Kirklevington Stones): I'd tried to arrange a visit here a couple of months before the first pandemic lockdown hit, but the museum closed early, and it's been well over two years until I was able to rearrange the visit.
Some of the Kirklevington Stones are one display (some of the more important ones behind glass), some in the museum store. A small archaeology section, but with impressive exhibits.
Got to see the muse...Preston Park Museum (Kirklevington Stones): I'd tried to arrange a visit here a couple of months before the first pandemic lockdown hit, but the museum closed early, and it's been well over two years until I was able to rearrange the visit.
Some of the Kirklevington Stones are one display (some of the more important ones behind glass), some in the museum store. A small archaeology section, but with impressive exhibits.
Got to see the museum store, but the stones were stored on the floor under a very deep shelf, so some of them were impossible to photograph properly, which was disappointing.
I personally preferred this museum to Beamish, as there were more shops to go into in their Victorian Street, a small cafe, which wasn't too busy (most people were queued up in the cafe in the park), and small, but interesting exhibits.
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186 |
2 |
| St Peter's Church (Croft-on-Tees) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
10th Aug 2022 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Peter's Church, Croft on Tees: The church's wedding co-ordinator kindly opened the church for us at very short notice, and acted as our guide for our brief visit. A very lovely church, right next to the River Tees. Sadly, the stone recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture as Croft on Tees 01 had been moved to the Bowes Museum, and was about to be transferred to Newcastle as part of the celebrations of the Lindisfarne Gospels ret...St Peter's Church, Croft on Tees: The church's wedding co-ordinator kindly opened the church for us at very short notice, and acted as our guide for our brief visit. A very lovely church, right next to the River Tees. Sadly, the stone recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture as Croft on Tees 01 had been moved to the Bowes Museum, and was about to be transferred to Newcastle as part of the celebrations of the Lindisfarne Gospels returning to that part of the world. This was disappointing, as this was the stone I most wanted to see.
A couple of bonuses were the additional stones built into the external fabric of the building, which we walked around to see what we could spot.
Our grand-daughter, Alice, was partly named after 'Alice in Wonderland', so it was good to be able to take a photograph of the sculpture which is said to have inspired Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat.
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186 |
1 |
| St Martin's Church (Kirklevington) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
|
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Martin's Church, Kirklevington: Visited just before first lockdown was enforced. The church wardens opened the church for us and made us very welcome, but what we didn't know before our visit was that most of the stones are at the Preston Park Museum in Stockton-on-Tees. #
There is obviously some 'bad blood' between the congregation and the museum, as the church warden and the ladies cleaning the church made it very clear they think the s...St Martin's Church, Kirklevington: Visited just before first lockdown was enforced. The church wardens opened the church for us and made us very welcome, but what we didn't know before our visit was that most of the stones are at the Preston Park Museum in Stockton-on-Tees. #
There is obviously some 'bad blood' between the congregation and the museum, as the church warden and the ladies cleaning the church made it very clear they think the stones have been 'stolen' and belong in the church.
Am trying to arrange a visit to the museum at some time in the future.
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| St Oswald's Church (Dean) |
Rock Art |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Jul 2022 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Oswald's Church (Dean): Having left St Michael and All Angels at Isel, we visited the well in Eaglesfield and tried to find the Singing Well just outside Deanscales. The latter we could see over the hedge, but were unable to gain access to the field it sits in from the road. Parking by the lych gate of the church, walking along the southern side of the church, the preaching cross is easily visible, sitting on what looks like the base of a la...St Oswald's Church (Dean): Having left St Michael and All Angels at Isel, we visited the well in Eaglesfield and tried to find the Singing Well just outside Deanscales. The latter we could see over the hedge, but were unable to gain access to the field it sits in from the road. Parking by the lych gate of the church, walking along the southern side of the church, the preaching cross is easily visible, sitting on what looks like the base of a large market cross, with seven steps. The cross at the top is topped by a 'modern' (18th century) sundial.
We spent some considerable time in the church with the notes provided, tracking and photographing the medieval grave slabs that were visible. Enjoyed this visit.
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184 |
3 |
| St Michael and All Angels (Isel) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Jul 2022 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Michael and All Angels, Isel/Blindcrake: We had first visited the Grade II listed medieval well in Blindcrake at NY 1486 3482, which has a domed well head very similar to the holy well at Brompton.
This is a very, very pretty location for a church, and the inside did not disappoint. There are two fragments of the same cross shaft displayed immediately opposite as you walk in through the south porch, a couple of fragments built into the w...St Michael and All Angels, Isel/Blindcrake: We had first visited the Grade II listed medieval well in Blindcrake at NY 1486 3482, which has a domed well head very similar to the holy well at Brompton.
This is a very, very pretty location for a church, and the inside did not disappoint. There are two fragments of the same cross shaft displayed immediately opposite as you walk in through the south porch, a couple of fragments built into the walls, and four sun-dials. We went armed with Guy Points's Cumbria Gazetteer, and found all the stones he mentioned.
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184 |
2 |
| Mercat Cross (Kirkcudbright) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
19th Jul 2022 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Mercat Cross, Tolbooth, Kirkcudbright: We'd stopped to see the old well at Mclellan's Castle (not named, just a water supply for the castle, so not recorded here), then walked across to the High Street. This is a lovely old market cross, now displayed high on the steps of the Tolbooth. Well worth walking across town to the High Street, as there are some great historic, old buildings to see. Perhaps a little late for the Portal, this cross bein...Mercat Cross, Tolbooth, Kirkcudbright: We'd stopped to see the old well at Mclellan's Castle (not named, just a water supply for the castle, so not recorded here), then walked across to the High Street. This is a lovely old market cross, now displayed high on the steps of the Tolbooth. Well worth walking across town to the High Street, as there are some great historic, old buildings to see. Perhaps a little late for the Portal, this cross being 17th century, but well worth a visit. There is also a well/well head underneath the cross.
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183 |
4 |
| Stewartry Museum |
Museum |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
19th Jul 2022 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Stewartry Museum: We arrived at the museum with 10 minutes to go until closing, having been to St Cuthbert's Church almost next door, only to discover that the 8th century cross arm was not in that church, but now located in the museum.
Our thanks go to Isla who obtained permission for me to upload photographs to the Portal (she admits to being a keen follower of the Portal, especially stones!), and for her enthusiasm and time in showing us th...Stewartry Museum: We arrived at the museum with 10 minutes to go until closing, having been to St Cuthbert's Church almost next door, only to discover that the 8th century cross arm was not in that church, but now located in the museum.
Our thanks go to Isla who obtained permission for me to upload photographs to the Portal (she admits to being a keen follower of the Portal, especially stones!), and for her enthusiasm and time in showing us the cross fragments, and also the rock art and rock art impressions they have at the museum.
Would love to come back and spend more time here. A small museum, reminiscent of a smaller Hunterian museum, with lots of things packed into a relatively small ground floor room, some interesting modern sculptures (including Odin's Throne) and impressions of rock art panels stored outside adjacent to the street.
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183 |
3 |
| St Winning's Well (Kirkgunzeon) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
19th Jul 2022 |
2 |
|
4 |
St Winning's Well, Kirkgunzeon: We parked near the telephone kiosk in the village, at about NX 86783 66771, and walked back to the small cross-roads, then north-westwards up the little dead-end lane. A very pretty spot. We had the grid reference of the well, so were looking around, when the owner of the large house round the corner came out to see if we were lost. He also warned us that the person who lived in the cottage at the very end of the l...St Winning's Well, Kirkgunzeon: We parked near the telephone kiosk in the village, at about NX 86783 66771, and walked back to the small cross-roads, then north-westwards up the little dead-end lane. A very pretty spot. We had the grid reference of the well, so were looking around, when the owner of the large house round the corner came out to see if we were lost. He also warned us that the person who lived in the cottage at the very end of the lane was very wary of strangers, so helped us find the well. of which he told us there was nothing left. There is a small section of closely mown grass at the end of the white cottage with old threshing (?) wheel at the end, and the stand of trees under which the well is located. We walked up the 10m or so of this path and were able to see into the bowl of what was the well. It was dry at the time of our visit, although some remnants of the stonework forming its crude bowl were visible under the shrubbery. Better, perhaps, to visit in the winter when this has all died down.
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182 |
1 |
| Rumbling Well (Buittle) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Couldn't find |
19th Jul 2022 |
|
|
|
Rumbling Well, Buittle: Unable to get to. Since the Google Earth images and the map on Canmore were produced, an additional lake with platforms for fishing has been introduced at the head of the reservoir.
We parked in the 2-car layby by the footpath sign at NX 80296 61523 and made our way across the fields towards the reservoir, thinking we’d be able to walk around the head of this new lake. What we should have done was parked further north...Rumbling Well, Buittle: Unable to get to. Since the Google Earth images and the map on Canmore were produced, an additional lake with platforms for fishing has been introduced at the head of the reservoir.
We parked in the 2-car layby by the footpath sign at NX 80296 61523 and made our way across the fields towards the reservoir, thinking we’d be able to walk around the head of this new lake. What we should have done was parked further north at about NX 80275 61662 (but this was only a field gate with no footpath sign and only passing places to park in), and walked towards the northern side of the reservoir.
With a party of teenagers arriving to swim in the waters, and temperatures in excess of 30 degrees C, the call of cross fragments and other sites called louder, so we gave up, saying we’d come back another day, as there is so much to see in this area.
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182 |
2 |
| Roman Bridge Remains (Bitts Park) |
Ancient Trackway |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
17th Jul 2022 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
Roman Bridge Remains, Bitts Park: A lovely park, and a lovely walk. Stones are hidden largely in deep shade between the main avenue running along the northern side of the park and the river. We needed to drop down onto the sandy paths below the avenue, and follow the river along. The four stone 'sculptures' come into view first. The rectangular 'display' of stones is about another 100m further westwards. |
181 |
1 |
| Cross Shaped Stone of Keverigg |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2022 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Cross Shaped Stone of Keverigg: We went looking for the boundary stone inscribed with a cross, as marked on the modern OS map, but were unable to find it (grass too high and lots of lichen and moss on surrounding rocks to be able to make out the carved cross).
My impression of this particular stone is that it's the remnants of a quarried stone (or natural), as it lies on/near a long line of limestone pavement. |
180 |
4 |
| Cross Stone of Keverigg |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Couldn't find |
9th Jul 2022 |
|
|
|
Cross Stone of Keverigg: The location of the stone was clearly marked on the Historic England Map search map, but despite my husband clambering (very carefully) over the dry stone wall and stock fence at the eastern end of the access land, he was unable to find the stone. There was considerable growth of grass and weeds in the area, and plenty of moss and lichen on the surrounding stones. He did, however, find the Cross Shaped Stone that Monumen...Cross Stone of Keverigg: The location of the stone was clearly marked on the Historic England Map search map, but despite my husband clambering (very carefully) over the dry stone wall and stock fence at the eastern end of the access land, he was unable to find the stone. There was considerable growth of grass and weeds in the area, and plenty of moss and lichen on the surrounding stones. He did, however, find the Cross Shaped Stone that MonumentMan has submitted (SID 52464), 23m away.
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180 |
3 |
| St Michael's Well (Shawk) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
25th Jun 2020 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
St Michael's Well, Shawk: Situated in a very lovely, heavily wooded area, to the east of a stream, Chalk Beck, which has stepping stones over it (these appear to move and be replaced when the stream floods, as there are several sets).
There is no mention on Pastscape or HE, although the HE map search shows a ‘W’ at the location of the well.
To reach the well, we parked on the grass verge at NY 33234 47664, and walked down the (private?) ...St Michael's Well, Shawk: Situated in a very lovely, heavily wooded area, to the east of a stream, Chalk Beck, which has stepping stones over it (these appear to move and be replaced when the stream floods, as there are several sets).
There is no mention on Pastscape or HE, although the HE map search shows a ‘W’ at the location of the well.
To reach the well, we parked on the grass verge at NY 33234 47664, and walked down the (private?) lane leading first south, then largely eastwards, past a number of properties, including the first which is called ‘Farthings’. At NY 33679 47362, the footpath carries on eastwards, through a gate; there is a private road which continues to the south. Our OS map indicated the well was nearer a footpath which started at NY 33653 47097, and which ran largely eastwards, but after 150m or so, it became so overgrown, we turned back.
We proceeded down the marked footpath at NY 33679 47362, where there are now a couple of wooden stables/sheds. There is an old hollow way which runs alongside the western side of the wood here, and we continued along this, through another gate, and followed the path which ran downhill, with a steep gorge to our right hand side. This path winds downhill, eventually coming to some stones laid across the course of Chalk Beck. We gingerly crossed this (wouldn’t like to try when the river is in flood or after it had been raining heavily). The well is immediately to our right hand side, about 20m to the east of the beck, largely hidden by tall grass and bracken.
The well structure is stone, with an opening in the top. The well was about 1/3 full of water, although we didn’t try and sample the water, as someone had thrown in a beer/lager can (a real shame). No visible signs of any ornamentation on the well housing.
The bedding planes on what we thought are red sandstone here were very clear, with a cliff on the western side of the river. Impressive!
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| Bampton Grange Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2022 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Bampton Grange Cross: A glorious day. We'd previously seen this cross in August 2020, when lockdown restrictions had been briefly lifted for a short time, but I didn't post any photographs. That day had been grey and the cemetery busy with people strimming grass around family graves. Today was glorious, and we had the cemetery to ourselves (living people, that is).
This cross has had a hard life, but has spectacular views over the fells. ...Bampton Grange Cross: A glorious day. We'd previously seen this cross in August 2020, when lockdown restrictions had been briefly lifted for a short time, but I didn't post any photographs. That day had been grey and the cemetery busy with people strimming grass around family graves. Today was glorious, and we had the cemetery to ourselves (living people, that is).
This cross has had a hard life, but has spectacular views over the fells.
We finished this visit with a trip to the Bampton Village Store which served teas, toasties and cream teas, and were made very welcome. NY 51505 18200, with a parking area to the side of the store.
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180 |
2 |
| Plague Stone (Penrith) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2022 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Plague Stone/Cross Base, Penrith: We've driven by this site many a time without realising this stone was here. A bit difficult to find somewhere to park, as the stone is near the hospital, community college and fire station, but there is a modern housing estate, so disk parking is available along Tynefield Drive.
The stone was easily found, once we picked it out from amongst the shadows of the surrounding trees.
I wasn't aware of The Great...Plague Stone/Cross Base, Penrith: We've driven by this site many a time without realising this stone was here. A bit difficult to find somewhere to park, as the stone is near the hospital, community college and fire station, but there is a modern housing estate, so disk parking is available along Tynefield Drive.
The stone was easily found, once we picked it out from amongst the shadows of the surrounding trees.
I wasn't aware of The Great Plague of Cumbria until I researched more about this stone. Definitely a re-purposed cross base. Shame it's being used as a rubbish bin by people who pass by.
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180 |
1 |
| St Mary's Well (Heversham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
21st Jun 2022 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Mary's Well, Heversham: Spotted the blue 'W' on the HE map search when looking up information for St Peter's Church, so decided to have a look. Actually found the well purely by chance, when we drove past looking for a parking spot, then doubled back and parked near the lych gate, walking back to the well after we'd photographed the Anglo-Saxon stone fragments.
Having escaped the noise of building work (and radios) at home, we arrived to f...St Mary's Well, Heversham: Spotted the blue 'W' on the HE map search when looking up information for St Peter's Church, so decided to have a look. Actually found the well purely by chance, when we drove past looking for a parking spot, then doubled back and parked near the lych gate, walking back to the well after we'd photographed the Anglo-Saxon stone fragments.
Having escaped the noise of building work (and radios) at home, we arrived to find the builders in the house opposite the well blasting out very loud rap music. Not a great visit as a result, as we couldn't hear ourselves think, but good to have added another well to the list I've seen.
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179 |
4 |
| Anchorite Well (Kendal) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
21st Jun 2022 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Anchorite Well, Kendal: a short-ish walk from Trinity Church (Kendal Parish Church), through a modern housing estate. The roads have some interesting names: Buttery Well Road (couldn't find the well, though), Mint Cake Cottages and Kirkbarrow.
The well was easily spotted as there is a large green metal sign at the entrance to the site.
Beautifully clear water. Would have liked to have been able to walk all the way around the well pool, bu...Anchorite Well, Kendal: a short-ish walk from Trinity Church (Kendal Parish Church), through a modern housing estate. The roads have some interesting names: Buttery Well Road (couldn't find the well, though), Mint Cake Cottages and Kirkbarrow.
The well was easily spotted as there is a large green metal sign at the entrance to the site.
Beautifully clear water. Would have liked to have been able to walk all the way around the well pool, but the western side path was private access only to the cottages.
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178 |
2 |
| St Peter's Church (Heversham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
21st Jun 2022 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Peter's Church, Heversham: A lovely little village, but so very full of builders with loud radios, which there was no avoiding.
Inside the church was quiet, but a number of other visitors who came and went. We looked at the cross shaft (and the very old south door) in the south porch, and easily found the small fragment in the external wall to the east of the porch, in the south wall.
The church itself was simple and unremarkable, apa...St Peter's Church, Heversham: A lovely little village, but so very full of builders with loud radios, which there was no avoiding.
Inside the church was quiet, but a number of other visitors who came and went. We looked at the cross shaft (and the very old south door) in the south porch, and easily found the small fragment in the external wall to the east of the porch, in the south wall.
The church itself was simple and unremarkable, apart from an old wooden pew which was carved with the date 1626, and a huge chest at the east end of the north aisle, which dates from1400.
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178 |
3 |
| The Kendal Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
21st Jun 2022 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
The Kendal Cross: located on a window sill in the Lady Chapel (east end of south aisle) in the Parish Church of Kendal, Holy Trinity.
The fragment was sited in strong sunlight at the time of our visit, so difficult to photograph.
Such a huge church, apparently the widest in Cumbria, and also the oldest in Kendal, with the site older than the building, as 'evidenced by the 8th/9th century cross shaft'.
A replica of the cross sits outside ...The Kendal Cross: located on a window sill in the Lady Chapel (east end of south aisle) in the Parish Church of Kendal, Holy Trinity.
The fragment was sited in strong sunlight at the time of our visit, so difficult to photograph.
Such a huge church, apparently the widest in Cumbria, and also the oldest in Kendal, with the site older than the building, as 'evidenced by the 8th/9th century cross shaft'.
A replica of the cross sits outside the western end of the church, on the green between the western entrance gates and the church.
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178 |
1 |
| Ladye Well (Terregles) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Couldn't find |
6th Jun 2022 |
1 |
|
|
Ladye Well, Terregles: Armed with the OS map and a description from “Saints in Scottish Place-Names”, we went back (after many, many years) to Terregles. This well is on private ground, so I found myself chatting to a lady who was gardening just opposite the village hall about how we might be able to ask for access.
She was very cagey about giving us any information at all, telling us in order to see it, we’d have to walk half-way down someo...Ladye Well, Terregles: Armed with the OS map and a description from “Saints in Scottish Place-Names”, we went back (after many, many years) to Terregles. This well is on private ground, so I found myself chatting to a lady who was gardening just opposite the village hall about how we might be able to ask for access.
She was very cagey about giving us any information at all, telling us in order to see it, we’d have to walk half-way down someone’s driveway. I did explain the purpose of our visit – my ‘holy well’ project, and that we used to live in the area - which didn’t seem to convince her.
I did try and knock on the door of the house at the very end of the village, at NX 92749 77497, but no-one was at home, apart from the dogs. Just to the west of this house there was an access road into a building plot, and with no-one around to ask, we ventured down this track to the back of the "garden". All was derelict ground with weeds galore.
Finding nothing, we made our way back to the road, and I was going to walk down to Ladywell House, which was some distance down a long driveway, with the house not visible, only for a second lady who drove out of Ladywell House and parked up just down the road, to speak to the Gardening Lady (presumably waiting for us to walk up). I went up to them and told the Gardening Lady we couldn’t find the well, found myself telling them we used to live around here years ago, and my kids went to Shawhead School (only 4 miles away). The New Lady said “there’s nothing to see – it’s all weeds. Even the site of the old chapel is just a lump at the end of the field, covered in weeds. Nothing to see at all”. So that was us told!
We felt really unwelcome, which was very sad.
We went onto see a named well (not a holy well or sacred spring) at Kingholm, and our reception was completely different. Two of the residents were enormously helpful, even giving us a guided walk of the field with possible locations of the well and associated spring.
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177 |
2 |
| Brow Well (Ruthwell) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
6th Jun 2022 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Brow Well (Ruthwell): Having escaped the noisy builders across the road, we decided on the spur of the moment to visit the Brow Well, as it’s only about half an hour’s drive away. We bombed off up the M6, turned off onto the A75 at Gretna, turned off down a side road which turned left at NY 13732 69544 (note: HUGE mistake – too many large, enormous pot holes – continue on down to the B725!), only to find the cottage next to the well was blasting...Brow Well (Ruthwell): Having escaped the noisy builders across the road, we decided on the spur of the moment to visit the Brow Well, as it’s only about half an hour’s drive away. We bombed off up the M6, turned off onto the A75 at Gretna, turned off down a side road which turned left at NY 13732 69544 (note: HUGE mistake – too many large, enormous pot holes – continue on down to the B725!), only to find the cottage next to the well was blasting out music at huge volume. Boo hoo.
In addition, the area around the well had been turned into a building site, meaning the entrance to the small parking area was blocked off, so we pulled into a gateway a few metres from the well.
The well was almost dry, very muddy, and not very nice to visit at all. So disappointed after all the photographs I’ve seen on the internet. We found out from the couple we were speaking to at Kingholm (Lady’s Well) that the bridge by the well had recently collapsed and had just been replaced.
The information board tells us:
“Healing powers of water.
Brow Well is a chalybeate spring with natural iron-salt rich water believed to cure a multitude of ills and was popular with the residents of Dumfries at the time of Burns. From early times spring water was believed to have healing qualities and many locations in Scotland were renowned for their holy or healing wells. In the 17th century spas with mineral rich waters became fashionable locations to visit in the pursuit of health and beauty. Later sea-bathing emerged as part of a growing activity and built on popular traditions that saw seawater as having healing powers.”
That Robbie burns bathed in the well in 1796 but died 3 days later isn't a hugely great advert for the healing properties of this chalybeate well!
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177 |
1 |
| Finglandrigg Spa Well (Chalybeate) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
4th Jun 2022 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Finglandrigg Spa Well: A very pleasant walk through this nature reserve, although the well is not where the published map says it is. In the end, we walked round and round, then tried to find a spot with a phone signal so we could find a rough grid reference, which we acquired from the Old Cumbria Gazetteer. Some 50m from the published path, down a grassy 'lane'. Ruined, but ticked this one off the list. Am trying to trace what properties thi...Finglandrigg Spa Well: A very pleasant walk through this nature reserve, although the well is not where the published map says it is. In the end, we walked round and round, then tried to find a spot with a phone signal so we could find a rough grid reference, which we acquired from the Old Cumbria Gazetteer. Some 50m from the published path, down a grassy 'lane'. Ruined, but ticked this one off the list. Am trying to trace what properties this water had, and added the nearby Toddel Well to my list of places to visit in the near future.
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176 |
2 |
| Hyssop Holme Well (Carlisle) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
4th Jun 2022 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Hyssop Holme Well (Carlisle): A very pleasant, short walk down slope to this well house, the sound of wood on willow from the nearby Cricket Ground accompanying our steps. Am trying to trace the Antiquarian history books which mention this site, as I'm trying to ascertain if the well predates the 1817 date on the keystone, and why the water was regarded as a spa in days gone by, and what properties the water had. |
176 |
1 |
| Homeacres Holy Well (Stanwix) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jan 2019 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Homeacres Holy Well, Rickerby Park, Carlisle: We just about had time to stop off and find this well on our way home. Parking by the lawn tennis club just down the road, we walked to see what we thought was the stump of an old cross at approx. NY 40142 56900, but it turned out to be the stump of an old tree trunk which had been carved into what looked like an old boundary marker.
We headed off north east until we reached the junction of Well L...Homeacres Holy Well, Rickerby Park, Carlisle: We just about had time to stop off and find this well on our way home. Parking by the lawn tennis club just down the road, we walked to see what we thought was the stump of an old cross at approx. NY 40142 56900, but it turned out to be the stump of an old tree trunk which had been carved into what looked like an old boundary marker.
We headed off north east until we reached the junction of Well Lane and the B6264 (Brampton Road), then walked down the road leading to the car park in Rickerby Park. Reaching the junction with the footpath leading almost due west at NY 40510 57081, we walked past a marshy/boggy area which had wooden boarding at one end and a sign saying ‘deep water’.
Walking through the gate across the footpath, we peered deep into the undergrowth and eventually spotted what looked like a railway sleeper running about 6-8ft horizontally across the bank with a black void underneath. We tried to walk across the grassy area to the fence to get nearer to take a photograph, but the land was very waterlogged and we retreated.
Going back up towards Brampton Road, just past the cattle grid, there are faint traces of a footpath which runs down towards the well. Andrew made it down to the well and took some photographs. Having hurt my shoulder, I decided to stay on (this very busy) road. Andrew said there were also traces of another footpath running towards the well from the southern side of Brampton Road, just opposite Well Lane, but we would have had to climb over the metal railing to access it; the path was just visible, but very overgrown.
The well still had water in it. A couple of passers by on the lower path looked us with curiosity, one man asking us what we were looking at. When we told him a holy well, he looked at us in disbelief. I thought the nearby 'Well Lane' might have been a clue, although we initially thought the well was located down Well Lane and not in the park.
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114 |
2 |
| St Cuthbert's Stone and Well (Waverbridge) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Jun 2020 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
St Cuthbert's Stone & Well: We were making our first (and only for a long time) essential trip out, and passed within 400m of this well, so screeched to a halt at the entrance to the track (Watergate Lonning) at its junction with the B5302 at NY 21277 49139, and took our daily exercise walking down slope towards the well.
There is some sign of the well - in the field as an un-mown area of grass and in the hedge-line under the tree are remnants...St Cuthbert's Stone & Well: We were making our first (and only for a long time) essential trip out, and passed within 400m of this well, so screeched to a halt at the entrance to the track (Watergate Lonning) at its junction with the B5302 at NY 21277 49139, and took our daily exercise walking down slope towards the well.
There is some sign of the well - in the field as an un-mown area of grass and in the hedge-line under the tree are remnants of a stone structure between the tree roots and along the bank of the ditch. All along the left hand side of the track (eastern side) is a drainage ditch, which we presume took the water from the fields, then when you get to the well, the water from the well joins the ditch. The well was dry at the time of our visit.
The stone was marked on the OS map, but was several fields away, with no gates in sight, so with time pressing, I photographed the well and we set off for our destination. So very odd to be out-and-about after months at home, but lots of other cars on the road, and difficult to rejoin the main road due to the high speed traffic.
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| Fairy Well (Aikton) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Jun 2020 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
Fairy Well (Aikton): just after lockdown rules were relaxed marginally, and it was possible to travel short distances for reasons other than work or exercise, we needed to travel very near to Aikton, so took a short detour to try and find this well. There were plenty of walkers and other cars, but, as defined by lockdown law, no shops open, and no well to find!
Actually, not quite true, as peering down into the ditch, some water was visible b...Fairy Well (Aikton): just after lockdown rules were relaxed marginally, and it was possible to travel short distances for reasons other than work or exercise, we needed to travel very near to Aikton, so took a short detour to try and find this well. There were plenty of walkers and other cars, but, as defined by lockdown law, no shops open, and no well to find!
Actually, not quite true, as peering down into the ditch, some water was visible bubbling up from the ground, running along a ditch to the south side of the hedge running along the northern edge of the field, but it was very difficult to find.
The gate into the field was open, so we looked along the other side of the hedge - all we could see were huge lumps of stone and concrete, which had been dumped along the ditch-line. Apart from a large lump of stone by the field gate, which looked as if it had simple architectural carving on it.
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| Hallrigg Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Saw from a distance |
28th May 2022 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
Hallrigg Standing Stone, Plumpton: The nearest we could get was the very back (staff only area) of the Pot Place Car Park, and we asked permission to take this photograph from the member of staff working in this area.
We did try numerous other ways to get closer to the standing stone, but couldn't even find a track and/or gate to walk across the fields, or who to ask permission off.
Photo taken with a tripod and 50-300mm zoom lens at maximu...Hallrigg Standing Stone, Plumpton: The nearest we could get was the very back (staff only area) of the Pot Place Car Park, and we asked permission to take this photograph from the member of staff working in this area.
We did try numerous other ways to get closer to the standing stone, but couldn't even find a track and/or gate to walk across the fields, or who to ask permission off.
Photo taken with a tripod and 50-300mm zoom lens at maximum zoom, but even this didn't give an excellent photo, given the haze in the atmosphere.
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175 |
1 |
| Dumfries Museum |
Museum |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
25th May 2022 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Dumfries Museum: We parked on Whitesands, and walked over the Nith by the Old Bridge, to the NW, then turned left to the Robbie Burns House, then up the hill to the Museum and Camera Obscura.
We lived in Dumfries and Lockerbie between 1992 and 2002, but for some reason had never visited the museum, despite going to many other historic sites, and what an oversight!
Armed with Guy Points' book "A Gazetteer of Anglo Saxon, Anglo Scandinavian...Dumfries Museum: We parked on Whitesands, and walked over the Nith by the Old Bridge, to the NW, then turned left to the Robbie Burns House, then up the hill to the Museum and Camera Obscura.
We lived in Dumfries and Lockerbie between 1992 and 2002, but for some reason had never visited the museum, despite going to many other historic sites, and what an oversight!
Armed with Guy Points' book "A Gazetteer of Anglo Saxon, Anglo Scandinavian & Anglo Norse sites in Cumbria, Dumfriesshire and Wigtownshire, we had a wonderful afternoon in the basement of the tower. Treasures indeed, much appreciated after the dearth of things of visit during the two years of lockdown.
Staff at the museum were incredibly helpful. I've been given the details of someone at the Council (press officer for the museum?) to apply for permission to upload some photographs, and hopefully she'll get back to me shortly.
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174 |
1 |
| Moor Divock Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th May 2022 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Moor Divock Cairn - Query: We, too, found this feature, just to the right hand side of the main bridleway/footpath leading towards White Raise Cairn. I photographed it, just in case it was documented on what used to be Pastscape, or Historic England. Some 70m to the north west of Moor Divock 3/Askham Fell Cairn and Stone Row, we debated long and hard as to whether this is part of an old quarry, a shooting butt, or part of a robbed cairn (we kno...Moor Divock Cairn - Query: We, too, found this feature, just to the right hand side of the main bridleway/footpath leading towards White Raise Cairn. I photographed it, just in case it was documented on what used to be Pastscape, or Historic England. Some 70m to the north west of Moor Divock 3/Askham Fell Cairn and Stone Row, we debated long and hard as to whether this is part of an old quarry, a shooting butt, or part of a robbed cairn (we know Canon Greenwell carried out extensive excavations around here in the 1880s).
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| Cop Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th May 2022 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Cop Stone, Askham Fell: Our second visit to this area, which has a wealth of archaeological sites, and reminds me very much of Dartmoor (in places). The weather was gloriously hot, and with many other walkers on the moor, we joined the row of cars parked by the side of the road at around NY 49586 21586.
Nothing much has changed about the Cop Stone since our last visit in 2014, although I was amazed at the number of people who just walked ...The Cop Stone, Askham Fell: Our second visit to this area, which has a wealth of archaeological sites, and reminds me very much of Dartmoor (in places). The weather was gloriously hot, and with many other walkers on the moor, we joined the row of cars parked by the side of the road at around NY 49586 21586.
Nothing much has changed about the Cop Stone since our last visit in 2014, although I was amazed at the number of people who just walked straight on by, without stopping. I had forgotten that the Cop Stone lies on the South Eastern border of a ring cairn, which has been described and illustrated by W. Waistell Taylor in his 1885 Antiquarian paper "Prehistoric Remains on Moordivock". Most of the stones in the ring are largely hidden, or just peeping above, the turf.
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173 |
3 |
| Askham Fell Cairn Stone Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th May 2022 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Askham Fell Cairn and stone row: Using M. Waistell Taylor's Antiquarian paper from 1885, plus Sandy Gerrard's notes from the Stone Rows of Great Britain, we parked at the end of a row of cars at the junction of the single track road and the footpath which runs across it, near the Cop Stone. We set off with our trusty GPS to walk up to this amazing cairn to find the associated stone row.
We've visited this area before (28th June 2014), but more...Askham Fell Cairn and stone row: Using M. Waistell Taylor's Antiquarian paper from 1885, plus Sandy Gerrard's notes from the Stone Rows of Great Britain, we parked at the end of a row of cars at the junction of the single track road and the footpath which runs across it, near the Cop Stone. We set off with our trusty GPS to walk up to this amazing cairn to find the associated stone row.
We've visited this area before (28th June 2014), but more recently, Sandy G has been along to this area and surveyed the 2 verified stone rows in this area. We were unable to join him on this survey, but we're curious to find out more.
Thankfully we had Sandy G's diagram of the 4 small stones in this row (I thought they were just part of the kerb). Andrew very gracefully modelled the location of the smaller 2 stones using my walking poles.
Given the number of walkers around, I was amazed how many people were sticking to the paths and bridleways, rather than look at the archaeology. So much to see in such a concentrated area.
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173 |
4 |
| Bloch Well (Langholm) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
26th Aug 2021 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Bloch Well (Langholm): Described as a "dubious holy well" by J.R. Walker in 1883, now completely ruined. Not been able to find out anything much about this well, apart from its' brief Canmore entry, and a mention that the well is sulphurous, although there was no smell of sulphur at the time of our visit. |
172 |
1 |
| Holy Well (Stonehaugh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Couldn't find |
15th Aug 2021 |
|
|
|
Holy Well (Stonehaugh): We last tried to find this well on 30th June 2014, but failed, despite being directed by a local farmer and his dog, Meg. On this occasion, the steep path down the gorge was very slippery, with wet, knee high grass along the path, and quite dangerous, so we gave up, determined either to come back after a dry period, or to try a different path from the village of Stonehaugh towards the Black Pool. |
171 |
1 |
| Hetherington (Wark) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Hetherington (Wark): Homestead, built on top of an Iron Age Settlement. Lovely spot, and well worth exploring. |
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| Hetherington (Wark) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Aug 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Hetherington (Wark): Our second visit to this site, the first being on 25th May 2017, but I forgotten all about it! A lovely site, and pleasant to explore on a sunny afternoon. Didn't realise that this site has been excavated twice, once in 1957, and again in 1972-73, so must try and find the excavation reports, if they are available. |
171 |
2 |
| Crag Well (Bellingham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Aug 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Crag Well, Bellingham: Not been able to find out anything much about this well, apart from reading a blog which since seems to have disappeared. Is there a tradition of church services being held next to this well, as the blog said? Will keep researching, but a very pretty spot, well worth visiting. |
171 |
3 |
| All Saints (Bradbourne) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
16th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
All Saints, Bradbourne: Our last visit of this holiday. We had a very 'interesting' journey to Bradbourne, as the police had closed off the main road and routed all traffic down some very minor, single track roads, in which traffic was trying to move in both directions, and not succeeding, which was very frustrating.
There is a large parking area outside the church, although the actual entrance to the churchyard was a bit tricky to find, as...All Saints, Bradbourne: Our last visit of this holiday. We had a very 'interesting' journey to Bradbourne, as the police had closed off the main road and routed all traffic down some very minor, single track roads, in which traffic was trying to move in both directions, and not succeeding, which was very frustrating.
There is a large parking area outside the church, although the actual entrance to the churchyard was a bit tricky to find, as there were a number of entrances to different driveways, and we ended up walking down one of these by accident.
The first cross is just inside the churchyard, to your right as you enter from the south. The sundial is just a little further to the north-north-east.
We missed the second cross within the churchyard, as we didn't have access to the HE website at the time of our visit, and whilst looking around, thought it was just another grave marker, so I didn't photograph it.
Loved the carving on the door into the south side of the tower.
Whilst there, a couple of other visitors were very keen for us to see the grave of actor Alan Bates ("Who?" I asked, to much disgust on their part), so we did wander round to find it, out of curiosity.
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170 |
7 |
| Hands Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
16th Jul 2021 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Hands Well, Tissington: The sixth, and final, well marked on the Tissington village leaflet map, and looked like a large, stone cotton-reel. As we approached it, some people were dipping their hands into the water. There was no flow of water into the basin, although the water appeared fresh and clear. |
170 |
6 |
| Children's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
16th Jul 2021 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Children's Well, Tissington: The fifth well we visited in the village, and easy to spot. Not recorded on HE or HERR. The basin within the well head was slightly muddy and dry, but looking over the dry stone wall, there is a boggy area of ground, which is where the water appears to rise, and a stone trough just behind the well head, which was full of water. |
170 |
5 |
| Coffin Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
16th Jul 2021 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Coffin Well, Tissington: Finding this well was pretty tricky, as even with the leaflet showing the location of all the wells in Tissington, we walked up and down, and down and up a lane called 'The Foot'. Eventually, I realised that whoever was in the cottage had parked their car right across the front of the well, with the front passenger tyre almost in the well itself. I had to do contortions, avoiding the bonnet of the car, to get any photog...Coffin Well, Tissington: Finding this well was pretty tricky, as even with the leaflet showing the location of all the wells in Tissington, we walked up and down, and down and up a lane called 'The Foot'. Eventually, I realised that whoever was in the cottage had parked their car right across the front of the well, with the front passenger tyre almost in the well itself. I had to do contortions, avoiding the bonnet of the car, to get any photograph at all.
Presumably the main part of the well is behind the garden wall, in the private garden. The gate to the cottage had a sign which said 'no entry' or 'strictly private', and I was reluctant to knock on the front door and seek permission.
Not impressed by the parking, and no sign to say this was the well.
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170 |
4 |
| Town Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
16th Jul 2021 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Town Well, Tissington: Our third well out of the six in the village. From Yew Tree Well, we headed east along The Green, past the pond (which had very cute young ducklings being taught to swim by their parents). The well is just to your left hand side at the far side of the green. |
170 |
3 |
| Yew Tree Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
16th Jul 2021 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
Yew Tree Well, Tissington: The second well of the day. We walked down The Street from Hall Well (with the cafe to our right hand side and church to our left), turning left into Narlow Street. This well is almost at the entrance to the Candle Workshop, underneath a tall, but relatively young Yew Tree.
There was water in the well basin, but nothing seemed to be flowing into or out of the well, or along the drainage channel at the front of it, at...Yew Tree Well, Tissington: The second well of the day. We walked down The Street from Hall Well (with the cafe to our right hand side and church to our left), turning left into Narlow Street. This well is almost at the entrance to the Candle Workshop, underneath a tall, but relatively young Yew Tree.
There was water in the well basin, but nothing seemed to be flowing into or out of the well, or along the drainage channel at the front of it, at the time of our visit.
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170 |
2 |
| Hall Well (Tissington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
15th Jul 2021 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Hall Well, Tissington: We have been to Tissington before, on a Well Dressing weekend, a long, long time ago (about 38 years!), but because of the sheer number of visitors and really only interested in seeing the church, we took a quick look around only. This time, we walked round to see the wells in their 'ordinary' state. There was a large number of visitors again, but no-one else seemed particularly interested in the wells. It being a very, ...Hall Well, Tissington: We have been to Tissington before, on a Well Dressing weekend, a long, long time ago (about 38 years!), but because of the sheer number of visitors and really only interested in seeing the church, we took a quick look around only. This time, we walked round to see the wells in their 'ordinary' state. There was a large number of visitors again, but no-one else seemed particularly interested in the wells. It being a very, very hot and humid day, we were grateful for the cafe being open, although the queues to get ice-cream from the traditional sweet shop were horrendous, so we gave up.
I picked up a leaflet in the main cafe which showed the location of the wells, which made locating them easy.
A very pleasant village, and well worth visiting. Would have liked to have spent longer.
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170 |
1 |
| Crossfoot Farm Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Powys |
Couldn't find |
15th Jul 2021 |
|
3 |
4 |
Crossfoot Farm Standing Stone: We tried to find this stone, and even hopped across the gate into the field which the OS map shows it in, but no standing stone was visible.
The field is next to a building site and it looks as if the field was being used to store both materials and rubble, making the field very difficult to walk across.
We think the stone now may have fallen, and may be in an area of unmown grass, so is not visible from the...Crossfoot Farm Standing Stone: We tried to find this stone, and even hopped across the gate into the field which the OS map shows it in, but no standing stone was visible.
The field is next to a building site and it looks as if the field was being used to store both materials and rubble, making the field very difficult to walk across.
We think the stone now may have fallen, and may be in an area of unmown grass, so is not visible from the highly chained and padlocked gate into the field.
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169 |
5 |
| St Julian's Well (Ludlow) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Shropshire |
Visited |
15th Jul 2021 |
3 |
|
5 |
St Julian's Well, Ludlow: Last stop of the day before collecting our car from the garage and driving back to the holiday cottage, then home tomorrow. The well was deep in dappled shade, it being late afternoon on a hot, sunny day. We parked just south west of the well, at the side of Livesey Road. This road was busy with other cars, presumably because of all the roadworks in the area, routing cars along past the well.
A very odd spot for the...St Julian's Well, Ludlow: Last stop of the day before collecting our car from the garage and driving back to the holiday cottage, then home tomorrow. The well was deep in dappled shade, it being late afternoon on a hot, sunny day. We parked just south west of the well, at the side of Livesey Road. This road was busy with other cars, presumably because of all the roadworks in the area, routing cars along past the well.
A very odd spot for the well, and the tree next to it had grown over part of the well structure. Someone had wedged a drinks cannister into what had been the pipe from inside the well house, which now appeared to be dry. We couldn't see any obvious channels for water to flow down, and we were unable to hear any water flowing anywhere in the vicinity.
Worth stopping off to take a few photographs, and another well site to tick off the list.
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| St Milburga's Well (Stoke St Milborough) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Shropshire |
Visited |
15th Jul 2021 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Milburga's Well, Stoke St Milborough: We visited the church first of all, and whilst some of the church dates from the 13th century, there was little of this in evidence, the fabric having been restored in Victorian times. The church had been left open, so we looked inside, but not much of note, apart from the lovely geese (I thought they were ducks until I saw the official records) carved into the top of the wooden door into the base of the ...St Milburga's Well, Stoke St Milborough: We visited the church first of all, and whilst some of the church dates from the 13th century, there was little of this in evidence, the fabric having been restored in Victorian times. The church had been left open, so we looked inside, but not much of note, apart from the lovely geese (I thought they were ducks until I saw the official records) carved into the top of the wooden door into the base of the tower at the west end.
Not having a map for this area, we thought the holy well might be near to the church, but thankfully bumped into the church warden as we exited the church. He was carrying a large wooden stake and hammer, so I joked with him "are you hunting vampires?". It turned out he was marking out a burial plot for a recently deceased villager.
He directed us to the well, but told us that "thanks to the water company, there's very little left of the well". Coming out of the churchyard, we headed south on the minor road, then turned left and headed up the hill, following the road round to the left as it levelled off. Just round this bend, there was a gate into the well enclosure. Steps led down to the well head, which still exists, together with a small well pool and a lively outflow into a stream which heads westwards, back towards the church.
A very peaceful spot. Just a shame about the modern domestic water apparatus next to the well.
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169 |
3 |
| St John the Baptist (Hope Bagot) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Shropshire |
Visited |
15th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St John The Baptist, Hope Bagot: We parked in the village hall car park, about the only place in the village we could leave the car, as the lanes here were so narrow. The church was very difficult to spot from the road, but thankfully, a sign in the village hall car park pointed us up some steps, through a gate and straight into the churchyard.
What an unusual old church, very reminiscent of Escomb Saxon Church. Just as we entered the churc...St John The Baptist, Hope Bagot: We parked in the village hall car park, about the only place in the village we could leave the car, as the lanes here were so narrow. The church was very difficult to spot from the road, but thankfully, a sign in the village hall car park pointed us up some steps, through a gate and straight into the churchyard.
What an unusual old church, very reminiscent of Escomb Saxon Church. Just as we entered the churchyard, we met the Church Warden's wife, who stopped to talk to us, and told us how to find the well (underneath a yew tree at the northern side of the churchyard (approaching the church from the north, there is a wooden gate into the churchyard; come through this gate and take the small path to your right hand side. This leads the 20m or so to the well).
There is also a Victorian well head at SO 58858 74092. The Church Warden's wife told us there were a number of springs in the village.
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169 |
2 |
| Luston Holy Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
14th Jul 2021 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Luston Holy Well: This well is not shown on the HE map search, or listed on the HE Research Records or Herefordshire SMR. It is located at the corner of the B4361 and Eye Lane.
We parked on Townsend Park, opposite the well and walked across the road.
There is a plaque on the north eastern corner of the well proclaiming it to be a holy well. Can’t (yet) find out any more information about it.
The handle of the pump had been chained and ...Luston Holy Well: This well is not shown on the HE map search, or listed on the HE Research Records or Herefordshire SMR. It is located at the corner of the B4361 and Eye Lane.
We parked on Townsend Park, opposite the well and walked across the road.
There is a plaque on the north eastern corner of the well proclaiming it to be a holy well. Can’t (yet) find out any more information about it.
The handle of the pump had been chained and padlocked in place. We couldn’t hear any water flowing, and looking down the drain cover, the water was stagnant.
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169 |
1 |
| St Andrew's Church (Presteigne) |
Ancient Cross |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
14th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Andrew's Churchyard Cross, Presteigne: From the Kinnerton Standing Stone, we drove into New Radnor to try and get some lunch, only to find all the shops, pubs and cafe all shut down, which meant driving onto Presteigne. Andrew was keen to see the c1510 AD Flemish tapestry in the church, but as we walked into the churchyard, found this cross, too. |
168 |
6 |
| Kinnerton |
Standing Stones |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
14th Jul 2021 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Kinnerton Court Standing Stones: We'd walked up into the village first, to see if we could locate the old village wells, but were unsuccessful, as they seemed to have been incorporated into the modern water supply or dried up and disappeared. We did walk up to the Kinnerton Castle Mound, which is actually on private land, but can be seen (and photographed) from various vantage points in the village.
The first stone (the recumbent one) we had...Kinnerton Court Standing Stones: We'd walked up into the village first, to see if we could locate the old village wells, but were unsuccessful, as they seemed to have been incorporated into the modern water supply or dried up and disappeared. We did walk up to the Kinnerton Castle Mound, which is actually on private land, but can be seen (and photographed) from various vantage points in the village.
The first stone (the recumbent one) we had difficulty spotting as it was buried in tall grass and weeds, but did spot it reasonably quickly. The other is on the opposite side of the road, in a lush field of pasture, and a very pretty spot.
We thought we were on the footpath as we walked up to the stone, but walking back to the field gate, found the sign actually pointed along the field boundary/hedge-line to the west of the still standing stone. Whoops - sorry.
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168 |
5 |
| Crossfield Lane Barrow (Kinnerton) |
Round Barrow(s) |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
14th Jul 2021 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Crossfield Lane Barrow, near Kinnerton: as this was marked on the OS map, and on our way to Kinnerton, we quickly parked in the field entrance (which was put to pasture) and walked a little way along the edge of the field to take a closer look.
The barrow has been largely lost to ploughing, but a low, circular 'hump' in the field can be made out (easier to see with the naked eye rather than in a photograph). |
168 |
4 |
| Four Stones (Powys) |
Stone Circle |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
14th Aug 2021 |
3 |
|
4 |
Four Stones (Powys): Well worth the stop to see this four-poster. We parked at SO 24562 60871, opposite a small, but complicated road junction, where there was plenty of room for tractors and cars to pass, and walked back to the field.
My first reaction was: "Is this the right place?" on walking into the field, because the grass and weeds were so high, but walking towards the stones, the grass around them had been partly mowed, mostly trodden...Four Stones (Powys): Well worth the stop to see this four-poster. We parked at SO 24562 60871, opposite a small, but complicated road junction, where there was plenty of room for tractors and cars to pass, and walked back to the field.
My first reaction was: "Is this the right place?" on walking into the field, because the grass and weeds were so high, but walking towards the stones, the grass around them had been partly mowed, mostly trodden down by other visitors.
Starting at the southern-most stone, I photographed them all from different angles, in an anti-clockwise direction. Didn't spot any cup marks, but then the grass was still pretty tall around the base of each stone.
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168 |
3 |
| Harpton Round Barrows |
Round Barrow(s) |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
14th Aug 2021 |
2 |
|
4 |
Harpton Round Barrows: Not the most exciting of stops, but interesting, never-the-less. Andrew did try and find the nearby Castle Nimble, but the only access seemed to be through private farmland, and as we didn’t want to trespass, gave up and went onto the more exciting four-poster stone circle. |
168 |
2 |
| Old Radnor Church |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
14th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Old Radnor Church: Whilst we went to have a look at the standing stone, we spent ages walking around the church, enjoying the peace and quiet and the carvings.
Whilst I was excited to see the standing stone, I was immediately disappointed by the memorial carving on it. This is very reminiscent of the 'standing stone' grave markers in Kensal Green Cemetery, which we researched and were found to be official grave markers, not ancient standing...Old Radnor Church: Whilst we went to have a look at the standing stone, we spent ages walking around the church, enjoying the peace and quiet and the carvings.
Whilst I was excited to see the standing stone, I was immediately disappointed by the memorial carving on it. This is very reminiscent of the 'standing stone' grave markers in Kensal Green Cemetery, which we researched and were found to be official grave markers, not ancient standing stones.
There was no guide book for sale, but an information leaflet marked 'Leave In the Church', so I photographed a few pages for later references.
There was a very interesting old font, said to be carved from on old standing stone - still to research this one.
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168 |
1 |
| Higgin's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
13th Jul 2021 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Higgins's Well, Little Birch: We parked outside the church (St Mary's) and walked down the lane towards the well. We could hear water running in the distance, so followed our ears.
A very small stream runs downhill behind the well from Athelstan's Wood currently appearing to flow both into the well and to another pond and stream, joining a larger stream which runs to the south of the well.
The well is very overgrown, and was deep in shado...Higgins's Well, Little Birch: We parked outside the church (St Mary's) and walked down the lane towards the well. We could hear water running in the distance, so followed our ears.
A very small stream runs downhill behind the well from Athelstan's Wood currently appearing to flow both into the well and to another pond and stream, joining a larger stream which runs to the south of the well.
The well is very overgrown, and was deep in shadow at the time of our visit. Stepping inside the gate, there is an 80cm stone slab which runs between the northern wall of the well and the well pool, so it's possible to step into the well and, if you wanted, dip your bucket into the well pool.
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168 |
4 |
| Kilpeck church |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
13th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Kilpeck Church and Castle: Our second church of the day, and I was delighted to find this open. Again, there was a steady stream of visitors, many of whom had a quick look in the church then walked round the outside to look at the corbels and gargoyles.
I bought a book about the church, largely aimed at children, called "From Big Bang to Beasties and Beyond" by Diana Thomas, which is very informative, with lots of information.
After taki...Kilpeck Church and Castle: Our second church of the day, and I was delighted to find this open. Again, there was a steady stream of visitors, many of whom had a quick look in the church then walked round the outside to look at the corbels and gargoyles.
I bought a book about the church, largely aimed at children, called "From Big Bang to Beasties and Beyond" by Diana Thomas, which is very informative, with lots of information.
After taking photographs inside and out (including all the corbels and most of the gargoyles), we wandered over to the motte and bailey site - much, much larger and more interesting than we thought, and spent a happy half hour enjoying the sunshine. Only one other couple wandered over to look at the castle whilst we were there.
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168 |
3 |
| Arthur's Stone |
Chambered Tomb |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
13th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Arthur's Stone: This was a really weird visit. No sooner had we parked in the small layby next to the stone's enclosure, and I'd started to take photographs, than a lady walked along the lane, right into the enclosure, sat down and started to have a picnic, so she was prominent in all the photographs. I was absolutely gobsmacked!
I plucked up the courage to ask her to move whilst I finished taking photographs, which she very kindly (but re...Arthur's Stone: This was a really weird visit. No sooner had we parked in the small layby next to the stone's enclosure, and I'd started to take photographs, than a lady walked along the lane, right into the enclosure, sat down and started to have a picnic, so she was prominent in all the photographs. I was absolutely gobsmacked!
I plucked up the courage to ask her to move whilst I finished taking photographs, which she very kindly (but reluctantly) did, to the railing of the enclosure. Feeling somewhat guilty, I started talking to her, and it turned out she was an archaeologist who had come up to join a party of university students in a dig. A pleasant enough chat, but left me feeling uneasy that people would act that this (but then perhaps that's just me), and sort of ruined the visit for me.
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168 |
2 |
| Bredwardine Church |
Carving |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
13th Jul 2021 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Brewardine Church (St Andrew's): A very pretty church, in a lovely setting, and we were very surprised to not only find it open, but a number of other visitors came and went whilst we were there.
There is parking for a number of car in the small lane that runs up to the church, although most of the other visitors came on bicycles.
In addition to seeing parts of the 12th century structure, a number of carvings and a Norman font on weird t...Brewardine Church (St Andrew's): A very pretty church, in a lovely setting, and we were very surprised to not only find it open, but a number of other visitors came and went whilst we were there.
There is parking for a number of car in the small lane that runs up to the church, although most of the other visitors came on bicycles.
In addition to seeing parts of the 12th century structure, a number of carvings and a Norman font on weird tripod-like legs, there is also a churchyard cross. We spent some time just enjoying being able to look round a church and its churchyard again after a good 15 months of not being able to do this. And in glorious sunshine, too!
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|
| Pen Y Beacon |
Stone Circle |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
12th Jul 2021 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Blaenau Stone Circle (remains of): At first view, there was only one standing stone here, immediately adjacent to the car park park, where people were picnicking in their cars and rubbish all around. Rather than there being a footpath, it was a short walk across the grass to the standing stone.
I was very disappointed, but we got out to explore anyway, and found what appeared to be three other stones lying flat in the grass, and other lumps a...Blaenau Stone Circle (remains of): At first view, there was only one standing stone here, immediately adjacent to the car park park, where people were picnicking in their cars and rubbish all around. Rather than there being a footpath, it was a short walk across the grass to the standing stone.
I was very disappointed, but we got out to explore anyway, and found what appeared to be three other stones lying flat in the grass, and other lumps and bumps around that could have been stones lying under the turf.
We had the Coflein record up on our phones, so tried to trace the 29.8m diameter of the circle, and thought we spotted part of the outer arc of the circle away from the car park.
The one standing stone has a well-worn bench mark on its southern side, almost at ground level.
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167 |
7 |
| Twyn-Y-Beddau |
Round Barrow(s) |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
12th Jul 2021 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Twyn-y-Beddau: This round barrow is right next to the road, although with the twin tyre tracks leading up and over it, it could be mistaken for part of a 4 x 4 obstacle course, which some idiots presumably have been using it for, hence the stones placed on top.
A lovely evening, with paragliders attempting to set up their kites and take off from just to the south of the barrow, although there wasn't enough wind to enable them to take off.
...Twyn-y-Beddau: This round barrow is right next to the road, although with the twin tyre tracks leading up and over it, it could be mistaken for part of a 4 x 4 obstacle course, which some idiots presumably have been using it for, hence the stones placed on top.
A lovely evening, with paragliders attempting to set up their kites and take off from just to the south of the barrow, although there wasn't enough wind to enable them to take off.
Quite a few cars passed by, but no-one (apart from us), stopped to look at the barrow. A beautiful view to the west, as the land just drops down, with mountains (big hills, certainly) rising to the south and the east. Well worth a stop.
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167 |
6 |
| Neuadd-Glan-Gwy |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
12th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Neuadd Glan-Gwy Standing Stone: At first glance, this stone didn't seem very far off the footpath. We couldn't find anyone at the houses at the start of the footpath to ask permission from, so we thought as long as we kept to the very edge of the field of pasture, we would be OK.
The stone is almost at the brow of the hill, with a lively little stream running down in the River Wye below. We both thought we were pretty fit, but by the time ...Neuadd Glan-Gwy Standing Stone: At first glance, this stone didn't seem very far off the footpath. We couldn't find anyone at the houses at the start of the footpath to ask permission from, so we thought as long as we kept to the very edge of the field of pasture, we would be OK.
The stone is almost at the brow of the hill, with a lively little stream running down in the River Wye below. We both thought we were pretty fit, but by the time we'd plodded up the hill, we were tired, as it was a lot further than it looked on the map, and the grass was calf deep, making it hard work. However, the views were well worth it.
A tall stone, very imposing. At some point it has been stood upright again, as the packed earth (and perhaps some concrete?) around its base testifies.
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167 |
5 |
| Ffynnon Gynydd |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Wales |
Powys |
Visited |
12th Jul 2021 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ffynnon Gynydd/St Cynidr's Well: On the way to this well, we stopped at an earthwork/enclosure just south west of Llowes, on Bryn yr Hydd Common, at SO 17808 41972, but the vegetation, trees and bracken were so high, it was virtually impossible to make out any structures.
But, at last, a site we could access, walk into and appreciate! The well house may be modern-ish, but the water is clear and we could hear it running through the well basin....Ffynnon Gynydd/St Cynidr's Well: On the way to this well, we stopped at an earthwork/enclosure just south west of Llowes, on Bryn yr Hydd Common, at SO 17808 41972, but the vegetation, trees and bracken were so high, it was virtually impossible to make out any structures.
But, at last, a site we could access, walk into and appreciate! The well house may be modern-ish, but the water is clear and we could hear it running through the well basin.
The water/spring feeding the well emerges from the fields by the side of a barn at SO 16380 41266, just round the corner, running along a ditch which rounds the corner to the well, down a slight gradient.
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167 |
4 |
| St Maelog's Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Wales |
Powys |
Saw from a distance |
12th Jul 2021 |
|
|
|
St Maelog's Cross: Despite being told the church was open, and going armed with masks and hand sanitiser, the door was very firmly locked. We could see the back of the cross through the windows at the north western corner of the church, but it was impossible to photograph through the tiny, dirty panes. So disappointed. I did spot a sundial in the churchyard, built into a memorial stone, so had to be content with photographing that. |
167 |
3 |
| The Monk's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Wales |
Powys |
Couldn't find |
12th Jul 2021 |
|
|
|
Monk's Well, Clyro: Despite having the grid reference and the Coflein information, we were unable to find this well, which appears to be on private land. |
167 |
2 |
| St Michael's Church (Kingsland) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
11th Jul 2021 |
3 |
|
4 |
St Michael's Churchyard Cross plus Motte and Bailey: This is the church my son and DIL should have been married in over a year ago, but thanks to Covid, then urgent roof replacement works, the wedding was moved to Aymestrey. Lovely church (from what we could see of it behind the scaffolding, almost Minster sized), but the cross took a little bit of spotting, as at first glance it looked just like a sundial (to be viewed from the back of a horse)...St Michael's Churchyard Cross plus Motte and Bailey: This is the church my son and DIL should have been married in over a year ago, but thanks to Covid, then urgent roof replacement works, the wedding was moved to Aymestrey. Lovely church (from what we could see of it behind the scaffolding, almost Minster sized), but the cross took a little bit of spotting, as at first glance it looked just like a sundial (to be viewed from the back of a horse).
A gate from the near the entrance to the churchyard leads off onto a pleasant walk towards the motte and bailey site. As we enjoyed our walk, the rain started to pelt down, so we retreated back to the car. Nice site, and a lot to see.
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166 |
1 |
| Clyro Court |
Chambered Tomb |
Wales |
Powys |
Saw from a distance |
12th Jul 2021 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Clyro Court Chambered Tomb: This tomb, marked on the OS map, lies on private ground behind a cottage. There was no one at home in the cottage, and the gates into the field had been padlocked with the largest padlocks and chains I've seen in a long time! We had to content ourselves with finding a vantage point by the barbed wire fence and photographing the cairn from there. Lumps and bumps vaguely visible. Would have loved to have climbed over...Clyro Court Chambered Tomb: This tomb, marked on the OS map, lies on private ground behind a cottage. There was no one at home in the cottage, and the gates into the field had been padlocked with the largest padlocks and chains I've seen in a long time! We had to content ourselves with finding a vantage point by the barbed wire fence and photographing the cairn from there. Lumps and bumps vaguely visible. Would have loved to have climbed over for a closer look.
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167 |
1 |
| St John the Baptist and St Alkmund (Aymestrey) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Herefordshire |
Visited |
9th Jul 2021 |
4 |
|
4 |
Churchyard Cross (Aymestrey): We were here for my son and DIL's wedding rehearsal, but I was also very keen to get out into the churchyard to photograph this cross before dusk fell. Whilst the cross is medieval, Beaker burials have been found nearby, and I'm doing further research on the church to find out if a wooden building might have pre-dated the 12th century church. A very pretty spot, although difficult to find the church car park (the sma...Churchyard Cross (Aymestrey): We were here for my son and DIL's wedding rehearsal, but I was also very keen to get out into the churchyard to photograph this cross before dusk fell. Whilst the cross is medieval, Beaker burials have been found nearby, and I'm doing further research on the church to find out if a wooden building might have pre-dated the 12th century church. A very pretty spot, although difficult to find the church car park (the small lane is just to the north of the northern wall of the churchyard), and we missed this, so parked in the village hall and walked back the 150-200m to the church along the (at that time of night) quiet A4110.
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165 |
1 |
| Crunzierton Wood Scooped Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
25th Jun 2021 |
2 |
|
4 |
Crunzierton Wood Scooped Settlement: I found the 'scramble' up the steep, leaf covered slope to reach the settlement a little bit of a challenge, and rather than slide back down, we came back down on what had been a forestry track (now ruined by recent harvesting) on the north eastern side of the settlement.
What a pleasant part of the world, very rural, with what appeared to be mixed forestry rather than just pine.
Easier to see the outlin...Crunzierton Wood Scooped Settlement: I found the 'scramble' up the steep, leaf covered slope to reach the settlement a little bit of a challenge, and rather than slide back down, we came back down on what had been a forestry track (now ruined by recent harvesting) on the north eastern side of the settlement.
What a pleasant part of the world, very rural, with what appeared to be mixed forestry rather than just pine.
Easier to see the outline of the settlement with the naked eye rather than try and capture it with the camera. Would love to come back when the undergrowth has died back.
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164 |
4 |
| Moffat Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
25th Jun 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Moffat Sulphur Well: I've described this location as 'good' because, as the well house itself is neglected and run down, the scenery around it is very pretty, and we enjoyed our visit.
Approaching the well from the small car park (having tripped over the low lying fence wire suspended 2 inches from the ground between the gate posts- beware!), we became aware of the strong smell of sulphur from about 10m away.
Taking a very deep breath of ...Moffat Sulphur Well: I've described this location as 'good' because, as the well house itself is neglected and run down, the scenery around it is very pretty, and we enjoyed our visit.
Approaching the well from the small car park (having tripped over the low lying fence wire suspended 2 inches from the ground between the gate posts- beware!), we became aware of the strong smell of sulphur from about 10m away.
Taking a very deep breath of clean air, I ventured into the dark, dark, dank well house, and managed to take a few photos of the tunnel bringing water into the first of two troughs. No water flow was evident at the time of our visit, but there had been a prolonged dry period before hand.
Another spring appears to surface some metres to the south of the well, creating a boggy area with small ponds.
Looking down over the iron railing near the well house to the gorge below, we spotted a series of small waterfalls. Further north, there is a larger waterfall marked on the map, but by this time it was late evening, and we wanted to go home, so didn't venture further.
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164 |
5 |
| Skip Knowe |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
25th Jun 2021 |
3 |
|
4 |
Skip Knowe Standing Stone, Gateside: Our fourth stop of the day, after having investigated Hodge Wells and Springs at NY 10960 95700 [not recorded here, as this is neither a holy well or sacred springs]. I've said this is Access: 4, when you can actually park on the grass verge right by the stone, but the grass verge is very uneven and difficult (for me) to navigate. Couldn't find part of the fence low enough to hop over this time (must have bee...Skip Knowe Standing Stone, Gateside: Our fourth stop of the day, after having investigated Hodge Wells and Springs at NY 10960 95700 [not recorded here, as this is neither a holy well or sacred springs]. I've said this is Access: 4, when you can actually park on the grass verge right by the stone, but the grass verge is very uneven and difficult (for me) to navigate. Couldn't find part of the fence low enough to hop over this time (must have been repaired since April 2019), nor could we find a gate off the side of the field nearest the road.
Not much has changed about this stone. We managed to identify the second stone mentioned by Canmore, some 18ft from the main standing stone, but it did look more like 'just a boulder', which had other stones around it.
Very pleasant countryside, and no workmen erecting telegraph poles this time round!
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164 |
3 |
| Chapman's Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
25th Jun 2021 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Chapman's Stone: Again, our second stop of the day, and I'd remembered wrongly there was a stile which allowed access to the field with this stone in. Rather, the stone acts as a stile, although the height of the fence and the barbed wire at the top stopped us from hopping over; neither could we find a gate on the side of the field nearest the road.
Such a shame this stone hasn't been set upright again. The views in either direction are very...Chapman's Stone: Again, our second stop of the day, and I'd remembered wrongly there was a stile which allowed access to the field with this stone in. Rather, the stone acts as a stile, although the height of the fence and the barbed wire at the top stopped us from hopping over; neither could we find a gate on the side of the field nearest the road.
Such a shame this stone hasn't been set upright again. The views in either direction are very pretty.
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164 |
2 |
| Poldean menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
25th Jun 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Poldean menhir: Re-visited this stone whilst in the Moffat area. Not much has changed, except the weeds have been allowed to grow high around the stone. The area around its base has been heavily trampled, and was difficult to walk across. Two VERY large, very handsome bulls in the field of pasture, but thankfully an electric fence between us and them. |
164 |
1 |
| Eddybroth Well (Whittle Dene) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jun 2021 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Eddybroth Well and Dean Head Well, Whittle Dene: A lovely walk along St Andrew's Lane from Ovington, then down (and across) Whittle Burn, and along leafy, shady paths which follow the side of the Burn. A lovely managed woodland, complete with small wooden chalets that were being well used in this warm weather. Once passed these, we saw only one other person. A really pleasant afternoon, and so pleased to have found this well. |
163 |
2 |
| St Andrew's Well (Ovington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jun 2021 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
St Andrew's Well, Ovington: Parking in Ovington village by the old red phone box (now the Village Information Centre), it was a very pleasant walk along St Andrew's Lane to find this well, now no longer shown on the OS maps, but still very much there.
We carried on towards Whittle Dene, another glorious location, to find Dean Head Well and Eddybroth Well. |
163 |
1 |
| Entry Well (Ovington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
6th Jun 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Entry Well, Ovington: A pleasant walk on a warm, sunny Sunday evening, trying to destress before the builders arrive next door tomorrow. Not expecting to find anything at this site, we were surprised by the remaining, and still visible structure here. Not been able to find out anything much about this well, apart from the fact it forms the western boundary of the parish of Ovington. Have appealed for further information until I can get hold of...Entry Well, Ovington: A pleasant walk on a warm, sunny Sunday evening, trying to destress before the builders arrive next door tomorrow. Not expecting to find anything at this site, we were surprised by the remaining, and still visible structure here. Not been able to find out anything much about this well, apart from the fact it forms the western boundary of the parish of Ovington. Have appealed for further information until I can get hold of some local history books/journals.
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162 |
1 |
| Ings Well (Mickley) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
31st May 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ings Well & Spring, Mickley (North Yorkshire): Our last stop of the day, and what a pretty site, with an easy walk down the Ripon Rowel Way from Mickley village. Note: there was a very rickety stile to cross as you entered the field at SE 25833 77052 (the top step was like a see-saw, although climbing the gate might have been easier!).
Sited under a lone hawthorn tree to the left hand side of the footpath, water flows freely out of the grou...Ings Well & Spring, Mickley (North Yorkshire): Our last stop of the day, and what a pretty site, with an easy walk down the Ripon Rowel Way from Mickley village. Note: there was a very rickety stile to cross as you entered the field at SE 25833 77052 (the top step was like a see-saw, although climbing the gate might have been easier!).
Sited under a lone hawthorn tree to the left hand side of the footpath, water flows freely out of the ground and spreads out into the field.
At SE 25954 77141 a large wooden post marks the location of a spring, the waters of which appear to flow south-east to north-west along a drainage channel. I wanted to investigate further, and also walk to another well (marked 'W' on the HE map search) at SE 26090 77149, but the field was far too wet and boggy and I was sinking up to my ankles in water. So wish I'd taken a pair of wellies!
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161 |
7 |
| Billey Keld |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
31st May 2021 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Billey Keld Well, Grewelthorpe: With some very lively bullocks in the field, we decided not to venture into the field through the gate to look at well. However, we managed to see some of the structure from the roadside.
A local lady walking her dog stopped to talk to us and say she remembers visiting the well to collect water when she was a child. |
161 |
6 |
| Skew Skell Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
31st May 2021 |
2 |
|
4 |
Skew Skell Well, Ilton: We parked at SE 18823 78010, and walked NW down the slope with GPS in hand to find this well. It is in a small, rectangular area (to our right hand side) defined by a the stone walls forming an enclosure open at its south-western side, presumably to accommodate, and allow access to the well and a spring.
The ground was very heavily covered with foliage and nettles. The sound of running water could be clearly heard. Sk...Skew Skell Well, Ilton: We parked at SE 18823 78010, and walked NW down the slope with GPS in hand to find this well. It is in a small, rectangular area (to our right hand side) defined by a the stone walls forming an enclosure open at its south-western side, presumably to accommodate, and allow access to the well and a spring.
The ground was very heavily covered with foliage and nettles. The sound of running water could be clearly heard. Skew Skell Well could be made out by standing in the NE of the enclosure (there was a deep dip, filled with water). The spring appeared to be on the NW edge of the enclosure, with water now appearing to rise just over the stone wall, in the adjacent field. This flow of water could be followed downhill by a line of reeds.
On the opposite side of the road, there was another large pool of water. Other springs rise in the area. Water from Skew Skell Well must be piped under the road and run down the drainage ditch at the other side of the lane.
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161 |
5 |
| Berry Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
31st May 2021 |
3 |
|
|
Berry Well, Swinton Park Hotel: After St Michael's Well in Well, we stopped off in Masham for refreshments, stopping to photograph the water troughs/Renton Well in Masham before setting off to find Berry Well.
We parked at SE 21443 79735, just to the south of the hotel lodge gates. As I stepped out of the car, I immediately noticed the trough.
The area of grass verge up to the well from the hotel gates has been recently strimmed. The soun...Berry Well, Swinton Park Hotel: After St Michael's Well in Well, we stopped off in Masham for refreshments, stopping to photograph the water troughs/Renton Well in Masham before setting off to find Berry Well.
We parked at SE 21443 79735, just to the south of the hotel lodge gates. As I stepped out of the car, I immediately noticed the trough.
The area of grass verge up to the well from the hotel gates has been recently strimmed. The sound of running water can be clearly heard. The well basin is well under the current ground level, and largely hidden by the weed trimmings. The water is piped under the road, although there is no indication that we could find of where the water goes to.
There is a pond on the other side of the wall, which feeds the well. There is a small, lively, very clear stream which wends its way down a very gentle slope in the grounds of the Swinton Park Hotel. (The gates of the hotel were open, so we popped in and followed the wall along).
There is another section of trough on the hotel side of the wall.
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161 |
4 |
| St Michael's Church (Well) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
31st May 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cross Base, St Michael's Church, Well: Our second stop of the day, arriving in glorious sunshine. Parking is available immediately outside the lych gate, and along Church Street. The HE record led me expect a 3m tall cross shaft, but this had been broken off, with no sign of it lying anywhere close to the cross base.
Understandably, the church remains locked to visitors due to pandemic restrictions, but we wandered round the outside of the c...Cross Base, St Michael's Church, Well: Our second stop of the day, arriving in glorious sunshine. Parking is available immediately outside the lych gate, and along Church Street. The HE record led me expect a 3m tall cross shaft, but this had been broken off, with no sign of it lying anywhere close to the cross base.
Understandably, the church remains locked to visitors due to pandemic restrictions, but we wandered round the outside of the church, photographing the few medieval grave slabs built into the fabric of the old building, and the sundial (very, very worn) over the south porch door.
The lower part of the tower is clearly early - 12th century in date at the bottom, the western side containing a very old wooden door which looks like it leads up to the belfry. I would be very interested to go back, as the church contains part of a Roman mosaic found locally, along with some interesting tombs and effigies
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161 |
2 |
| St Michael's Well (Well) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
31st May 2021 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Michael's Well, Well: Our third stop of the day, driving west out of Well village, up a shady, pretty single track road with trees on either side. With little/no traffic on this road, we pulled into the passing place/small layby immediately opposite the well. At first, I didn't think anything was here, but behind the stone wall and wooden fence to the northern side of the road, there was the very distinct sound of running water.
Behind th...St Michael's Well, Well: Our third stop of the day, driving west out of Well village, up a shady, pretty single track road with trees on either side. With little/no traffic on this road, we pulled into the passing place/small layby immediately opposite the well. At first, I didn't think anything was here, but behind the stone wall and wooden fence to the northern side of the road, there was the very distinct sound of running water.
Behind the small stone wall are some steps which lead down to the well itself, through which copious amounts of very clear water are running. This water then leads into a small stream which runs into Well Beck.
We didn't realise until later that the actual source of the water was from the southern side of the road, which also has a stone wall structure, fronted by what is now a muddy patch (once the well pool?). The water looks as if it originally emerged from by a large tree now growing in the wall. This area of ground has been heavily churned by cattle and the small gap/stile in the wall at this point has been wired off.
A very lovely spot, well worth the visit.
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161 |
3 |
| Lady Well (Kirklington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
31st May 2021 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Lady Well (Kirklington): our first site, in our first day out for 15 months. What a delightful location, although a shame the well house itself is crumbling and full of rubbish.
With the site of the deserted medieval village of Yarnwick in the same field, and to the north of, the well, it was a delight to be back in the countryside again
I stopped to photograph a second, now capped well, presumably the well supplying the farmhouse, at SE ...Lady Well (Kirklington): our first site, in our first day out for 15 months. What a delightful location, although a shame the well house itself is crumbling and full of rubbish.
With the site of the deserted medieval village of Yarnwick in the same field, and to the north of, the well, it was a delight to be back in the countryside again
I stopped to photograph a second, now capped well, presumably the well supplying the farmhouse, at SE 31634 81303.
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161 |
1 |
| Easington Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
19th Mar 2020 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Easington Hogbacks and A-S stone fragments: We had already seen the cross base in the churchyard, but arranged with the Reverend Danny Walker to revisit when the church was open. He was there with a very knowledgeable churchwarden (with his two wonderful dogs) to move some furniture around so they could leave the church open for parishioners and visitors at this current time of crisis.
The churchwarden took us into the tower to see a Norman a...Easington Hogbacks and A-S stone fragments: We had already seen the cross base in the churchyard, but arranged with the Reverend Danny Walker to revisit when the church was open. He was there with a very knowledgeable churchwarden (with his two wonderful dogs) to move some furniture around so they could leave the church open for parishioners and visitors at this current time of crisis.
The churchwarden took us into the tower to see a Norman arch that had been rebuilt on the first floor to preserve it. He also showed us St Hilda’s Cross base, and what he said was part of the cross shaft, but I said I thought was a medieval cross-slab as it clearly had a sword on it in the sunlight.
The vicar had cleared the steps to the basement boiler room, where we were allowed to move the old screens and debris to find any pieces we could. We found all but one of the pieces listed on the Corpus (the other may have been under debris, but with dead birds in the corner, we were reluctant to explore this part of the room). A real treat, and thanks to the vicar for opening the church up for us.
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160 |
2 |
| St Oswald's Church (Lythe) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
4th Mar 2020 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
St Oswald's Church, Lythe: Our first stop of the day, and one I was very much looking forward to. Parking is available in the small lane to the west of the church (just off the A174 Lythe Lane). A notice put up by the farmer asked cars to park on one side of the lane only, so they had continuous access to their fields behind the church.
I was concerned about if I'd be able to make it down the 'windy stone steps' to the basement, where many o...St Oswald's Church, Lythe: Our first stop of the day, and one I was very much looking forward to. Parking is available in the small lane to the west of the church (just off the A174 Lythe Lane). A notice put up by the farmer asked cars to park on one side of the lane only, so they had continuous access to their fields behind the church.
I was concerned about if I'd be able to make it down the 'windy stone steps' to the basement, where many of the Anglo Scandinavian and medieval stones were displayed. I needn't have worried, as the steps were modern, and whilst there was no hand-rail, they were easy enough to descend (although I did manage to dislodge small chunks of stone from the south wall as I descended).
We spent an hour and a half here, then needed to move on. I would have liked to have spent another hour (at least) here, with the notes printed from the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, and better lighting to take better photos of the stones in the basement.
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159 |
1 |
| Three Crosses Well (Boulby) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
4th Mar 2020 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Three Crosses Well, Boulby: Parked outside the holiday cottages (there was a large layby just down the road). Originally followed the footpath sign, which took us down a steep bank, but Andrew found a farm track a little further along the south side of the A174, laid through a new area planted with saplings. Despite looking for someone to ask permission from at the farm and the holiday cottages, we were unable to find anyone, so were very carful ...Three Crosses Well, Boulby: Parked outside the holiday cottages (there was a large layby just down the road). Originally followed the footpath sign, which took us down a steep bank, but Andrew found a farm track a little further along the south side of the A174, laid through a new area planted with saplings. Despite looking for someone to ask permission from at the farm and the holiday cottages, we were unable to find anyone, so were very carful to stick to the footpath/track.
At the end of this track, three cross bases came into view, and we peered over the fence line to see the well. The well house itself is a little down slope from the cross bases. We were curious as to the connection between the cross bases and the well.
The view of the sea from the cross bases is hidden by a natural small hill/mound. This is a magnificent site, despite the proximity to the potash mine.
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159 |
7 |
| Easington Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
4th Mar 2020 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Easington Cross Base: The cross base is recorded as HE 1011970 and as Pastscape 1583425. Pastscape 29031 tells us there are "nine Saxon stone fragments [in the basement] at (the) Church of All Saints", although my attempts to contact the vicar by telephone and email have not been successful. I did speak to a gentleman who I thought was the church warden, but he told me "he no longer holds an official position within the church".
As we were...Easington Cross Base: The cross base is recorded as HE 1011970 and as Pastscape 1583425. Pastscape 29031 tells us there are "nine Saxon stone fragments [in the basement] at (the) Church of All Saints", although my attempts to contact the vicar by telephone and email have not been successful. I did speak to a gentleman who I thought was the church warden, but he told me "he no longer holds an official position within the church".
As we were passing through the village anyway, we stopped to see the cross base, although the church was well and truly locked.
As well as the cross base, there is also a sundial towards the western end of the churchyard, and a drinking fountain at NZ 74521 18036, at the side of the main Loftus-Whitby Road.
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159 |
6 |
| Hinderwell Cross Head |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
4th Mar 2020 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
The Hinderwell Cross Head, St Hilda's Church: Whilst the church itself is well kept and nicely presented, this cross head is tucked away in the foyer of the church, at the bottom of the stairwell leading to the gallery/organ.
After photographing the well, we wandered up to the church, finding it open. Just inside, to the left hand side of the lobby, next to the stairs ascending to the gallery, was a cross head, which I photographed. Inside ...The Hinderwell Cross Head, St Hilda's Church: Whilst the church itself is well kept and nicely presented, this cross head is tucked away in the foyer of the church, at the bottom of the stairwell leading to the gallery/organ.
After photographing the well, we wandered up to the church, finding it open. Just inside, to the left hand side of the lobby, next to the stairs ascending to the gallery, was a cross head, which I photographed. Inside was a leaflet describing local heritage, and I found a short section about both Lythe and the Hinderwell Cross in there.
Just outside the south door, about 3m to the south west, is part of either a cross base or a column, which I also photographed.
Guy Points, in his Gazetteer of Anglo Saxon and Viking Sites: Yorkshire, only mentions the well (pages 161/162).
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159 |
5 |
| St Hilda's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
4th Mar 2020 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Hilda's Well, Hinderwell: We parked just past the church in a small layby next to the A174 Hinderwell Lane, at NZ 79018 17137, as the road running past the church was very narrow. Having driven past the church to find somewhere to park, we came across a gated access with a plaque saying ‘St Hilda’s Well’, so parked and walked back to it.
The gate led onto a grassy path which led towards the well at the northern side of the church. As we w...St Hilda's Well, Hinderwell: We parked just past the church in a small layby next to the A174 Hinderwell Lane, at NZ 79018 17137, as the road running past the church was very narrow. Having driven past the church to find somewhere to park, we came across a gated access with a plaque saying ‘St Hilda’s Well’, so parked and walked back to it.
The gate led onto a grassy path which led towards the well at the northern side of the church. As we walked up the path, we disturbed a very large parliament of rooks who had settled in the trees nearby; Andrew commented it was like walking into Hitchcock's 'The Birds', especially with the church dark and looming above us, with dark grey skies beyond.
Reaching the well, the well basin had clear water in it, although the large pool in front was dry and full of leaves. However, there was a steady stream of water which flowed downhill from the church, having presumably been piped away underground a short distance.
There appeared to be the top of an Anglo Saxon window head piled on top of stones at one side of the well; at the other, there was part of a very small stone coffin.
Inside the church there was also a leaflet about the church and the well. This is what is says about the well:
“We learn from Bede that S Hilda was born in 614. She was the second daughter of Hereric, great nephew of King Edwin of Northumbria. Her elder sister, Hereswith, married the King of East Anglia. Hilda was baptised in 627, along with King Edwin and some of his nobles and courtiers. In 647, Hilda decides to live as a nun in Northumbria. Aidan appointed Hilda second Abbess of Hartlepool. In 657 Hilda became the founding abbess of a new monastery at Whitby (then known as Streonshalh).
According to legend, St Hilda was asked to intercede in a drought whilst travelling throughout the parish. Her prayers were answered and the spring which appeared has continued to bubble from the hillside in the grounds of St Hilda’s Church, Hinderwell to this day. The waters were said to have healing properties particularly for eye diseases, and the Well became a place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. The Well is the only Scheduled Ancient Monument in the parish and was renovated in the early 1900s by the Palmer family.
St Hilda is also said to be responsible for the ammonites or fossilised mollusca shells often found along this coastal stretch, as they resembled curled-up headless snakes. Again according to legend, she had prayed for all the snakes of the neighbourhood to lose their heads and turn to stone. For this reason ammonites are known locally as St Hilda’s Snakes. 19th November is St Hilda’s Day.
Hilda suffered from fever for the last six years of her life, but she continued to work until her death in 680, aged sixty-six. In her last year, she set up another monastery, fourteen miles from Whitby, at Hackness, where there is also a St. Hilda Spring. The church now standing in the village of Hinderwell (see below), is dedicated to St Hilda, but the Holy Well in the churchyard has much earlier origins and almost certainly gave its name to the village. A service to celebrate the Well is held on the first Sunday of July."
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159 |
4 |
| Wades Stone (South) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Saw from a distance |
4th Mar 2020 |
|
|
|
Wades Stone (South): As per our last visit, we were unable to find anyone to ask at the now Council Depot (not the Outdoor Centre as marked on the map), and couldn't see any field access into the field containing the stone, either from the corner of East Barnby Lane and the A171 (at NZ 82845 13203), or off the main road. As there were other sites we were really keen to see, we drove on without making an attempt to see this stone. Shame. |
159 |
3 |
| Wades Stone (North) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
4th Mar 2020 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Wade's Standing Stone (North), Brockrigg: We must have completely forgotten we'd visited this stone before, as neither of us recognised either the road or the lane leading up to the stone. However, we walked up the lane towards the farm, and followed the tractor tyre tracks up to the stone to avoid damaging the seedling plants in the field (the field was planted with small cabbage plants which had recently sprouted). The Pastscape entry says th...Wade's Standing Stone (North), Brockrigg: We must have completely forgotten we'd visited this stone before, as neither of us recognised either the road or the lane leading up to the stone. However, we walked up the lane towards the farm, and followed the tractor tyre tracks up to the stone to avoid damaging the seedling plants in the field (the field was planted with small cabbage plants which had recently sprouted). The Pastscape entry says this was originally one of two stones, and we tried to look for possible signs of where the second stone may have stood, but could see nothing.
The deep erosion on the stone was interesting. I looked for the graffiti but only spotted the letters JS on its southern face. The OS map shows this stone to be placed near the Parish boundary line.
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159 |
2 |
| Caulks Well (Selkirk) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Feb 2020 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Caulks Well, Selkirk Hill: No mention on Canmore.
We parked in a small layby at NT 47734 27869, which had been largely used for dumping road repair materials, then crossed to the northern side of the A699 and walked up (North East) to the Borders Abbey Way, and followed the track some 150 metres (part of the path were icy) to the well.
Right at the edge of the Golf Course, there is such a plentiful stream of water that there are three sourc...Caulks Well, Selkirk Hill: No mention on Canmore.
We parked in a small layby at NT 47734 27869, which had been largely used for dumping road repair materials, then crossed to the northern side of the A699 and walked up (North East) to the Borders Abbey Way, and followed the track some 150 metres (part of the path were icy) to the well.
Right at the edge of the Golf Course, there is such a plentiful stream of water that there are three sources of the spring in the same small area: (1) at the base of the signpost; (2) at the well house itself, and (3) in a pool which emerges just to the south of the well house. The water tumbles down to the stream below.
Source: https://blackbob.org.uk/pdf/Trail1-SelkirkHill.pdf
Turn left, and follow the track until the Borders Abbeys Way signpost (12), turn left again, to follow the Way back to the A699. You pass the Hill Shelter (13), and a picnic bench (14), then Caulks Well (15), a drinking fountain. The water from here is so good to drink that a former Provost (who shall remain nameless!) used to bring a bottle to take water from it to have with his whisky; and an Italian woman, who met and married a soldier from Selkirk at the end of WW2, coming to live in the town, would drink nothing else."
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158 |
3 |
| Tamlane's Well (Carterhaugh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Feb 2020 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Tamlane's Well, Carterhaugh: A delightful spot, next to the single track B7039, parts of which aren’t terribly well defined (and we ended up in a very large farmyard, having taken a wrong turn!). The well is located right by the road, in a small grassy area just to the south of a large set of the Carterhaugh farm buildings/barns, although separated it by a dry stone wall. Whilst the original well was some 2.5m behind the wall, and is now filled i...Tamlane's Well, Carterhaugh: A delightful spot, next to the single track B7039, parts of which aren’t terribly well defined (and we ended up in a very large farmyard, having taken a wrong turn!). The well is located right by the road, in a small grassy area just to the south of a large set of the Carterhaugh farm buildings/barns, although separated it by a dry stone wall. Whilst the original well was some 2.5m behind the wall, and is now filled in, the well is now presented in a nice way, presumably to allow visitors to access the well, which was really good of the farmers.
There was a steady flow of water into a trough which then drained into a modern manhole about a metre to the south of the well trough.
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158 |
4 |
| Crystal Well (Benrig) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Feb 2020 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Crystal Well and Mule Gang, Benrig: We retraced our steps along the road from Hier Well almost to the wooden bridge, then turned north and followed a track through the woodland between a bank on our left hand side and the River Tweed on our right.
What looked like lime kilns came into view, although this turned out to be the very interesting Mule Gang and pump house. The gate into the Crystal Well was open, and I straddled the small stream of...Crystal Well and Mule Gang, Benrig: We retraced our steps along the road from Hier Well almost to the wooden bridge, then turned north and followed a track through the woodland between a bank on our left hand side and the River Tweed on our right.
What looked like lime kilns came into view, although this turned out to be the very interesting Mule Gang and pump house. The gate into the Crystal Well was open, and I straddled the small stream of water emerging from it to photograph the well basin and chamber behind. The water appeared to gush straight out of gravel at the back of the well chamber.
A really beautiful location, and I’m surprised there weren’t more walkers and visitors around here.
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158 |
2 |
| Hier Well (Benrig) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Feb 2020 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Hier Well, Benrigg/Maxton: We first tried to get here by following St Cuthbert’s Way from the cemetery/old chapel ruins at Benrig, but there was a steep drop down to the river below on one side, and the path was muddy and slippery. Andrew said a set of steps down to the Crystal Well were too steep for me to cope with (although later, from below, they looked OK), so we tried again from the church by Glebe House (more details below).
We found t...Hier Well, Benrigg/Maxton: We first tried to get here by following St Cuthbert’s Way from the cemetery/old chapel ruins at Benrig, but there was a steep drop down to the river below on one side, and the path was muddy and slippery. Andrew said a set of steps down to the Crystal Well were too steep for me to cope with (although later, from below, they looked OK), so we tried again from the church by Glebe House (more details below).
We found the source of the spring, as described at the foot of a wooded slope, but no sign of the structure photographed by Cope, even though we walked alongside the stream to the wooden bridge looking.
A beautiful woodland location, and very peaceful. On the far side of the ford, another well (Well-brae) was marked on the OS map, but after heavy rain in the area, the ford was too deep to cross at this point, without wellies, which we didn't have.
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158 |
1 |
| Edinburgh Runestone |
Carving |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
18th Feb 2020 |
3 |
|
4 |
Edinburgh Runestone, George's Square: A friend very kindly told me this stone has now been relocated, although it is still in the process of being bedded into its new spot, with the concrete shuttering still around its base.
The red cross on the eastern narrow side of the stone has now been picked out in red paint. The plain, southern side, is presumably to be hidden by shrubs once the bed is replanted. |
157 |
4 |
| St Mary Magdalene (Hart) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
5th Feb 2020 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Mary Magdalene, Hart: From the exterior of the building, I did not expect to 'walk back in time' into this splendid parish church. Such a sense of history, and what fragments of sculptured stones - a real treat. The church was only open for an hour on Wednesdays, between 3pm and 4pm at this time of year, essentially for quiet prayer, but the time flew, and we kept the church warden longer than intended. I would have loved to have spent anoth...St Mary Magdalene, Hart: From the exterior of the building, I did not expect to 'walk back in time' into this splendid parish church. Such a sense of history, and what fragments of sculptured stones - a real treat. The church was only open for an hour on Wednesdays, between 3pm and 4pm at this time of year, essentially for quiet prayer, but the time flew, and we kept the church warden longer than intended. I would have loved to have spent another hour here, just enjoying the atmosphere.
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156 |
4 |
| St Hilda's Wayside Cross (Hartlepool) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
5th Feb 2020 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Wayside Cross base outside St Hilda's Church: I spotted this more by accident than design, and photographed it, before we rushed off to the old Gray Art Gallery and Museum site to try and track down its old site. We couldn't find it where the grid reference placed it. A worker from the now office building, William Gray House, which now houses the Council and Tees Archaeology, told us the art gallery had closed in 1995 although people still came...Wayside Cross base outside St Hilda's Church: I spotted this more by accident than design, and photographed it, before we rushed off to the old Gray Art Gallery and Museum site to try and track down its old site. We couldn't find it where the grid reference placed it. A worker from the now office building, William Gray House, which now houses the Council and Tees Archaeology, told us the art gallery had closed in 1995 although people still came looking for it. He had no knowledge of a cross base in the grounds.
It wasn't until I got home and was doing some research that I came across the HE entry, which we hadn't seen earlier, which told us the cross base had been moved to this location in 1997.
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156 |
2 |
| St Hilda's Church (Hartlepool) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
5th Feb 2020 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
St Hilda's, the Headland, Hartlepool: What a magnificent building, with its collection of huge flying buttresses supporting the external walls of the tower. Inside, it is more like a mini-cathedral than a parish church.
We had the pleasure of being greeted by Mr. John Hogg, parishioner with responsibility for Visitor Ministry, and the most knowledgeable guide we could wish to meet.
We spent almost the full hour and a half looking round th...St Hilda's, the Headland, Hartlepool: What a magnificent building, with its collection of huge flying buttresses supporting the external walls of the tower. Inside, it is more like a mini-cathedral than a parish church.
We had the pleasure of being greeted by Mr. John Hogg, parishioner with responsibility for Visitor Ministry, and the most knowledgeable guide we could wish to meet.
We spent almost the full hour and a half looking round the church, the fragments in the Brus Chapel and the old south door, plus admiring the Hildthryth stone in the St Nicholas Chapel. I just wish the opening hours of the church had been longer, as I was really interested to see the display boards located around the south and north walls of the nave.
The altar rails are also interesting, as they are made of 1,000 year old oak (but do look Victorian!). A real gem, and well worth a visit.
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156 |
1 |
| Pocklington's Druid Stone |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Jan 2020 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Pockington's Druid Stone at the Bowder Stone: A short distance from the Bowder Stone, almost hidden from sight by a small cottage, this 'modern' monolith stands on top of a rocky outcrop high above the road below. At first, I thought it might be a memorial, as there appeared to be writing on the stone. Getting closer, the 'writing' was just striations on the stone. |
155 |
3 |
| Bowder Stone |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Jan 2020 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Bowder Stone, Borrowdale: We parked in the car park (there is a small charge) and walked the quarter of a mile to this enormous boulder. The last time we came here, some time ago, we walked through the quarry and I remember photographing all the old tree roots emerging from the rock and forming strange and complex patterns. Not so now, a recent path runs uphill, following the western side of the boundary for the quarry.
As usual, there w...The Bowder Stone, Borrowdale: We parked in the car park (there is a small charge) and walked the quarter of a mile to this enormous boulder. The last time we came here, some time ago, we walked through the quarry and I remember photographing all the old tree roots emerging from the rock and forming strange and complex patterns. Not so now, a recent path runs uphill, following the western side of the boundary for the quarry.
As usual, there was a party of young people, complete with mattresses, bouldering underneath the overhang. It was amusing to stand and watch them, although some of the tumbles looked a bit painful.
Andrew headed up the ladder to the platform at the top, whilst I wandered round the other side of the stone, a megalith catching my eye.
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155 |
2 |
| Borrowdale Stone Monument |
Standing Stones |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Jan 2020 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Borrowdale Yews and the possible stone monument: Our first trip out for several months, and a way of escaping the windy and wet weather here in Northumberland. However, we arrived in a Cumbria that had experienced very heavy rain over recent days, and the small stream were swollen and many of the roads were flooded, although still passable.
We parked in the small car park near Seathwaite Farm, which is also a camping site and walked through th...Borrowdale Yews and the possible stone monument: Our first trip out for several months, and a way of escaping the windy and wet weather here in Northumberland. However, we arrived in a Cumbria that had experienced very heavy rain over recent days, and the small stream were swollen and many of the roads were flooded, although still passable.
We parked in the small car park near Seathwaite Farm, which is also a camping site and walked through the fields to the two bridges crossing the river(s). There are also a number of other streams to be crossed between here and the yew tree enclosure; at times of dry weather these would be easy to cross. On this occasion, a bit of balancing on convenient ‘stepping stones’ was in order!
The slope up to the yew tree enclosure was very slippery, so I sent Andrew up with the camera to explore. He came back saying the stones are definitely aligned in what seems to be a row, although I remained very sceptical, as there are a huge number of other boulders (large and small) on the hillside. Looking at the site from the south of river, by the car park, there seems to be the remains of the lower half of a double stone circle to the south west of the yew tree enclosure, although this could also just be coincidence.
This area was very heavily mined for graphite from 1555 onwards, and the remains of some of the industrial buildings can still be seen.
Sorry, but I remain unconvinced this is a stone row or alignment – there were so many other short rows of seemingly aligned stones on the hillside, this seemed like coincidence to me.
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155 |
1 |
| St Nicholas's Cathedral (Newcastle) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
16th Oct 2019 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
St Nicholas's Cathedral, Newcastle: I'd arranged with one of the vergers, James, to meet him at noon on 16th October to be allowed down into the vault below the south transept to see the cross slabs now stored down there.
The space is now used as a chair store, with a scissor lift at its southern end, and a larger trap door which comes up underneath the piano in the south transept.
Access was through a trap door, with a vertical ladder whi...St Nicholas's Cathedral, Newcastle: I'd arranged with one of the vergers, James, to meet him at noon on 16th October to be allowed down into the vault below the south transept to see the cross slabs now stored down there.
The space is now used as a chair store, with a scissor lift at its southern end, and a larger trap door which comes up underneath the piano in the south transept.
Access was through a trap door, with a vertical ladder which started a couple of feet below the floor of the transept, so I bottled out of climbing down, and sent Andrew down with the camera.
He reported that it was really interesting seeing this space, with its barrel vaulted ceiling, but the slabs had all been stored against a wall underneath a pile of tables and other general items. What he could see looked very worn, which is presumably why they were stored down here in the first place. The stones must have deteriorated alarmingly in the 100 years or so since they were drawn by C.C. Hodges.
Disappointing. They were tuning the organ whilst we were there, which was interesting. The open trap door caused interest from other visitors to the Cathedral who wanted to look down. I volunteered to stop anyone falling down the trapdoor, so got to talk to quite a few people who were interesting in seeing this space.
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154 |
2 |
| St Nicholas's Cathedral (Newcastle) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
6th Oct 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Nicholas's Cathedral, Newcastle: We went to photograph the four cross slabs recorded by Ryder in St Margaret's Chapel, plus two others - one in the western of the three tomb recesses in the south wall of the south aisle; the other in the south wall of the south transept, at its eastern end.
I've since arranged to return on 16th October to photograph the slabs now stored in the vault under the south transept, although access is through a tra...St Nicholas's Cathedral, Newcastle: We went to photograph the four cross slabs recorded by Ryder in St Margaret's Chapel, plus two others - one in the western of the three tomb recesses in the south wall of the south aisle; the other in the south wall of the south transept, at its eastern end.
I've since arranged to return on 16th October to photograph the slabs now stored in the vault under the south transept, although access is through a trapdoor and down a ladder!
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| Girth Cross (Canongate) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
1st Oct 2019 |
-1 |
3 |
5 |
Site of the Girth Cross, Canongate: Again, we picked this location up from the Treasure Trail, after Clue 15, there is a ‘Did you know?’ box which reads: “Where Canongate meets Abbeyhill look out for the circle of cobbles. This is the site of the ‘Old Girth Cross’ where proclamations and executions took place. In 1600 Lady Warriston was beheaded by guillotine for conspiring to murder her abusive husband”.
This site is at a very busy road junc...Site of the Girth Cross, Canongate: Again, we picked this location up from the Treasure Trail, after Clue 15, there is a ‘Did you know?’ box which reads: “Where Canongate meets Abbeyhill look out for the circle of cobbles. This is the site of the ‘Old Girth Cross’ where proclamations and executions took place. In 1600 Lady Warriston was beheaded by guillotine for conspiring to murder her abusive husband”.
This site is at a very busy road junction, west of Holyrood Palace, and at the eastern end of Canongate, where Canongate meets Abbeyhill, Abbey Strand and Horse Wynd.
Not much to see really, apart from a circle of grey pavers
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153 |
4 |
| Canongate Mercat Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
1st Oct 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Canongate Mercat Cross: Again, we found this cross by chance by following the clues on the "Old Edinburgh Town" Treasure Trail, whilst looking for the answers to two clues within the churchyard. I am sure I annoyed my friend by stopping to photograph all the sites of ancient crosses and wells that we came across, as our 2 hour 'trail' took 4 hours (although this included a coffee and cake stop, too).
Never really having explored Edinburgh Old...Canongate Mercat Cross: Again, we found this cross by chance by following the clues on the "Old Edinburgh Town" Treasure Trail, whilst looking for the answers to two clues within the churchyard. I am sure I annoyed my friend by stopping to photograph all the sites of ancient crosses and wells that we came across, as our 2 hour 'trail' took 4 hours (although this included a coffee and cake stop, too).
Never really having explored Edinburgh Old Town, I was really surprised to find out how much, and how historic, Canongate and surrounding area is.
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153 |
2 |
| Thimbleby Nine Stones |
Standing Stones |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
9th Jun 2016 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Nine Stones Stone Row, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire: Having added a few of the Stone Rows of Great Britain sites on the Portal, and needing to go down to Thirsk it was too much of a temptation to resist visiting one or two of the North Yorkshire sites. With only a 3 hour window before having to travel onto Doncaster, the only one we could reach and explore in time was Nine Stones, just outside Osmotherley.
We’ve been to this area before ...Nine Stones Stone Row, near Osmotherley, North Yorkshire: Having added a few of the Stone Rows of Great Britain sites on the Portal, and needing to go down to Thirsk it was too much of a temptation to resist visiting one or two of the North Yorkshire sites. With only a 3 hour window before having to travel onto Doncaster, the only one we could reach and explore in time was Nine Stones, just outside Osmotherley.
We’ve been to this area before to look at Anglo Saxon crosses in churches and ended up getting hopelessly lost, but this time we had the OS map and our GPS. With the sun shining down from an almost cloudless sky, we reached the car park at Square Corner easily enough. It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many more people in this part of the world than in Northumberland. There were people picnicking on the side of the road near Solomon's Temple enjoying a wonderful view over Oak Dale valley and the woods of Crabtree Bank and Thimbleby Bank Plantations.
As we pulled up, a number of dog walkers drew up, chattering noisily, and I hoped they weren’t going to follow us and destroy the peace and quiet of the afternoon (I’m definitely getting to be a grumpy old woman!). Fortunately, they followed the Cleveland Way up the hill to the south.
From the car park, we walked the couple of hundred metres to the gate where the footpath west over Thimbleby Moor and the Cleveland Way southwards meet. The GPS told us there was almost 700 metres to walk to Nine Stones, so we set off over the stile over the wall by a second gate to the west. The first couple of hundred yards were easy walking along a stoned footpath leading off to some modern shooting butts to the west. After 200 metres we needed to veer off southwards to follow the dry stone wall westwards. This was all through knee deep heather with the occasional field drain and boggy patch thrown in. After another 200 yards we realised we’d reached a much quarried area; there were deep holes full of water which we could only see when we were almost upon them. I managed to disappear up to my ankles in one, although there were other that looked far deeper.
Whilst the area has many blocks of stone poking up through the heather, towards the top of the slope there suddenly appeared on the horizon two standing stones, looming large, beckoning the walker. Here was (were?) Nine Stones, at last.
This stone row was well worth the trudge through the undergrowth. At the northern tip of the row there are five stones, two tall, two stumpy and one almost buried in the heather. We wondered which were actually part of the stone row. The north-western most stone looked as if there had been an attempt to quarry the top of it in the distant past (comparing the holes to some at Edges Green, near Cawfields) that we’ve seen recently.
Two more tall stones sit close to the stone wall, and a few more stones appear further south in the forested area. The Stone Rows of Great Britain site tell us that this stone row is 60 metres long, but husband, tramping through the forest, thought it might be possible that the row was nearer to 100 metres (but then which are natural stones and which are recumbent standing stones?).
There are so many other features in this area to explore: Miley Pike Tumulus, Robinson’s Cross (remains of), a Holy Well, Faber’s Stone – well worth a repeat visit.
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1 |
| West Wykes Farm Tau and Latin Crosses |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
West Wyke Tau and Latin Crosses: The lane to West Wyke farm and the houses here is marked private, so we parked at the viewpoint at SX 65298 93020 and walked the 600m or so up the lane - a very pleasant walk in the evening sunshine.
Despite taking the HE and Pastcape printouts with us, I didn't appreciate what I'd seen until sitting at the computer today (9th June 2019). Good job I photographed the pile of stones at the western side of the t...West Wyke Tau and Latin Crosses: The lane to West Wyke farm and the houses here is marked private, so we parked at the viewpoint at SX 65298 93020 and walked the 600m or so up the lane - a very pleasant walk in the evening sunshine.
Despite taking the HE and Pastcape printouts with us, I didn't appreciate what I'd seen until sitting at the computer today (9th June 2019). Good job I photographed the pile of stones at the western side of the tree, as this was the Tau Cross! The smaller cross next to the entrance to the barns on the opposite side of the road is not recorded on HE or Pastscape, and I'd been really confused until re-reading the entries.
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132 |
16 |
| West Wyke Farm Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
West Wyke Farm Cross: This cross is not recorded on Pastscape or Historic England, so we didn't expect to see it here. It looks relatively modern, like a small rounded-headed grave marker such as we saw in St Mary's in Belstone. It sits quietly by the entrance to the farm buildings, north of the track and West Wyke farmhouse.
Note: the track up to the farm and houses here is marked private road. We parked at the viewpoint at SX 65298 93020 a...West Wyke Farm Cross: This cross is not recorded on Pastscape or Historic England, so we didn't expect to see it here. It looks relatively modern, like a small rounded-headed grave marker such as we saw in St Mary's in Belstone. It sits quietly by the entrance to the farm buildings, north of the track and West Wyke farmhouse.
Note: the track up to the farm and houses here is marked private road. We parked at the viewpoint at SX 65298 93020 and walked up the lane.
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132 |
15 |
| St John's Cross (Canongate) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
1st Oct 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
St John's Cross, Edinburgh (site of): The site of this cross was one of the clues (no. 6) on the 'Treasure Trail' map for the Old Town Trail. The markings for this cross were very faint indeed. I only recognised the spot by the circle of bricks in the road, as I’d seen similar features before. There is a plaque on the wall nearby.
From the funny, small brass plates in the road and pavement just to the west, at the junction of High Street and ...St John's Cross, Edinburgh (site of): The site of this cross was one of the clues (no. 6) on the 'Treasure Trail' map for the Old Town Trail. The markings for this cross were very faint indeed. I only recognised the spot by the circle of bricks in the road, as I’d seen similar features before. There is a plaque on the wall nearby.
From the funny, small brass plates in the road and pavement just to the west, at the junction of High Street and Canongate (W-E) and Jeffrey Street-Saint Mary's Street to the east, the cross would have been located just outside the old city walls.
Whilst I've been to Edinburgh on a number of occasions, I have never walked down Canongate before, and it was a great spot for discovering 'old things and old sites'.
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153 |
1 |
| St Andrew's Church (Bywell) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
10th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Andrew's Church, Bywell: Living only a few miles from here and having visited, and taken friends there, many times over the years, it seemed remiss not to go down and photograph the wonderful collection of medieval cross slabs built into the fabric of this ancient church. Armed with Peter Ryder's "Medieval Cross Slab Grave Covers in Northumberland, 1: South West Northumberland" from Archaeologia Aeliana, Series 5, XXVIII, we were able to find ...St Andrew's Church, Bywell: Living only a few miles from here and having visited, and taken friends there, many times over the years, it seemed remiss not to go down and photograph the wonderful collection of medieval cross slabs built into the fabric of this ancient church. Armed with Peter Ryder's "Medieval Cross Slab Grave Covers in Northumberland, 1: South West Northumberland" from Archaeologia Aeliana, Series 5, XXVIII, we were able to find all the slabs on his list - 27 in total. Brilliant! Really enjoyed this visit.
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150 |
2 |
| St Peter's (Bywell) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Peter's, Bywell: Having photographed the cross slabs at St. Andrew's on 10th September 2019, we walked down to St Peter's to try and photograph the slabs Peter Ryder has recorded here. Unfortunately, the church was locked, so we photographed the few slabs on the outside of the building, returning on 14th September, after having ascertained from the vicar the church's opening hours.
This is a really lovely spot, right next to the River Tyne...St Peter's, Bywell: Having photographed the cross slabs at St. Andrew's on 10th September 2019, we walked down to St Peter's to try and photograph the slabs Peter Ryder has recorded here. Unfortunately, the church was locked, so we photographed the few slabs on the outside of the building, returning on 14th September, after having ascertained from the vicar the church's opening hours.
This is a really lovely spot, right next to the River Tyne, with the Bywell Village/Market cross and St Andrew's Church, Bywell, with its significant collection of medieval cross slabs and its Anglo Saxon sculptured stones.
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151 |
1 |
| St Andrew's Church (Corbridge) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St. Andrew's Church, Corbridge: We returned to this beautiful church, right in the heart of Corbridge, with Peter Ryder's list of medieval grave slabs. Not to be confused with St. Andrew's, Bywell, about 6 miles away.
Always a draw for visitors, this is a peaceful and thought provoking church. As we started on our list of slabs, working out way down the list from 1-21, the Canon came in with a couple of choristers and started practicing for ...St. Andrew's Church, Corbridge: We returned to this beautiful church, right in the heart of Corbridge, with Peter Ryder's list of medieval grave slabs. Not to be confused with St. Andrew's, Bywell, about 6 miles away.
Always a draw for visitors, this is a peaceful and thought provoking church. As we started on our list of slabs, working out way down the list from 1-21, the Canon came in with a couple of choristers and started practicing for a service, so parts of the church were 'out of bounds' to avoid disturbing them. We returned briefly on Sunday, 22nd September, mid-afternoon, to photograph the couple of slabs remaining. We were unable to find slab 21, but later realised we were looking in the wrong place, so will return to complete the list.
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| St Andrew's Church (Corbridge) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
16th Mar 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Andrew's Church, Corbridge: My first proper visit to this church to find, and photograph, the Anglo Saxon cross fragments and grave markers in the south transept. What a beautiful church. |
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| Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens |
Museum |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
20th Sep 2019 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Sunderland Museum: Despite having been here for many meetings and conferences over the years, I've never wandered around this museum - a series of permanent and special displays in themed rooms off the main corridor leading from the main entrance/gift shop to the cafeteria.
Having spent longer than we thought (well, it was VERY interesting!) at St. Peter's, we knew we didn't have time to go the Minster to see their stones collection before shu...Sunderland Museum: Despite having been here for many meetings and conferences over the years, I've never wandered around this museum - a series of permanent and special displays in themed rooms off the main corridor leading from the main entrance/gift shop to the cafeteria.
Having spent longer than we thought (well, it was VERY interesting!) at St. Peter's, we knew we didn't have time to go the Minster to see their stones collection before shutting to visitors at 2.30pm, so came here instead (it was supposed to be our third, and last, stop of the afternoon).
We focused mainly on the Secrets of the Past Exhibition on the ground floor, which has some of the Anglo Saxon stone fragments recorded by the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture. Not all of them (mostly the smallest) fragments were on display, so I have asked if it's possible for us to see, and photograph, these.
There were also prehistoric cists with grave goods, stone axes, jewellery, and other artefacts on display.
The museum seemed largely deserted at this time of day, apart from a few people coming down the staircase at the rear of this exhibition hall.
We enjoyed a rather large, and tasty, lunch in the cafeteria before leaving.
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152 |
2 |
| St Peter's Church (Monkwearmouth) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
20th Sep 2019 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
St Peter's Church (Monkwearmouth): This trip was made largely thanks to coming across Guy Points' "Gazetteer of Anglo Saxon and Viking Sites: County Durham and Northumberland" (2012), as we hadn't really appreciated what was here. Our intention was to visit St Peter's, go to Sunderland Minster, then walk round Sunderland Museum, although we spent so much time here, we will need to visit the Minster another time.
We were made extremely welcome...St Peter's Church (Monkwearmouth): This trip was made largely thanks to coming across Guy Points' "Gazetteer of Anglo Saxon and Viking Sites: County Durham and Northumberland" (2012), as we hadn't really appreciated what was here. Our intention was to visit St Peter's, go to Sunderland Minster, then walk round Sunderland Museum, although we spent so much time here, we will need to visit the Minster another time.
We were made extremely welcome as soon as we walked through the door, and given a personal tour of the church. Imagine our surprise towards the end, when the guide revealed himself as none other than Guy Points! I was astonished.
Would love to go back and find some of the stones he mentions in his book that we missed on the day, and also have a closer look at the glass and plaster fragments, and sit and enjoy the ambience of the church. Brilliant afternoon!
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152 |
1 |
| Old Viney Museum (Corbridge) |
Sculptured Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Old Viney Museum, Corbridge: [Photographed the Prince's Street Pant at the corner of the road prior to walking up Appletree Lane.] We had long sought out the location of this museum, where we knew some of the stones recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture were built into its walls. Having found Peter Ryder's Cross Slab papers for south west Northumberland, we finally had a street, so went seeking the property, thinking we'd be ...The Old Viney Museum, Corbridge: [Photographed the Prince's Street Pant at the corner of the road prior to walking up Appletree Lane.] We had long sought out the location of this museum, where we knew some of the stones recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture were built into its walls. Having found Peter Ryder's Cross Slab papers for south west Northumberland, we finally had a street, so went seeking the property, thinking we'd be able to see it from outside.
We were really fortunate to find the owner of the cottage working in his garage, and he was delighted to show us round, leaving us to take photographs. He was also really interested in the documentation I'd taken along (I have since sent him a copy by way of thanks). His father purchased the museum and adjacent school buildings in the 1970s and his family has owned them ever since.
What a treat! I felt so lucky to be welcomed in and to see these stones, which we've wanted to see for at least three years now. Brilliant.
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151 |
2 |
| Bywell Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
10th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Bywell Cross: Considering we live less than a couple of miles from here, and we regularly pop down to walk around here, I've never really stopped to photograph the cross here. Having decided to photograph the medieval cross slabs in St Andrew's church, I got the camera out, only to find another visitor stopped to look at it.
The gentleman told me he'd been doing an annual walk around this area for the last 5(?) years, and was heading off to O...Bywell Cross: Considering we live less than a couple of miles from here, and we regularly pop down to walk around here, I've never really stopped to photograph the cross here. Having decided to photograph the medieval cross slabs in St Andrew's church, I got the camera out, only to find another visitor stopped to look at it.
The gentleman told me he'd been doing an annual walk around this area for the last 5(?) years, and was heading off to Ovingham/Ovington next. I decided to come back and photograph the cross after going to St Andrew's, only to find him still there!
This is a very lovely, peaceful spot, with the River Tyne about 50m away. He did eventually wander off after a brief conversation, and I popped into the field to get a photograph of the cross from its eastern side.
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150 |
1 |
| Corbridge Crosses |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Corbridge Market Crosses: This is our local village, with some excellent shops, but apart from the church, I've never actually stopped to photograph any of the crosses or the Vicar's Pele. We decided to remedy that today, although with it being a Sunday, I tried to get a photograph of the new market cross without visitors sitting around it, eating lunch. Still, it's lovely to know it's still part of this very active community.
The old cross i...Corbridge Market Crosses: This is our local village, with some excellent shops, but apart from the church, I've never actually stopped to photograph any of the crosses or the Vicar's Pele. We decided to remedy that today, although with it being a Sunday, I tried to get a photograph of the new market cross without visitors sitting around it, eating lunch. Still, it's lovely to know it's still part of this very active community.
The old cross is very sadly tucked 2m away from the door into the Vicar's Pele - now a micro-pub, with dog's water bowls, tables and chairs and a planter immediately adjacent.
On my wish list is gathering the courage to go into the very small Vicar's Pele and photograph the medieval grave slabs built into its structure, without managing to annoy anyone drinking in there - it is a popular place!
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149 |
2 |
| St Mary the Virgin (Blanchland) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Churchyard Cross, Blanchland: The grid reference given by Pastscape is incorrect; theirs places it on moorland to the north west of the village. The cross is at NY 96598 50408.
Blanchland is a relatively remote, but really lovely medieval village, near the border with County Durham. The site of one of five Premonstratensian Abbeys in north-eastern England, with this church having once formed the centre of worship at the monastery here. Toda...Churchyard Cross, Blanchland: The grid reference given by Pastscape is incorrect; theirs places it on moorland to the north west of the village. The cross is at NY 96598 50408.
Blanchland is a relatively remote, but really lovely medieval village, near the border with County Durham. The site of one of five Premonstratensian Abbeys in north-eastern England, with this church having once formed the centre of worship at the monastery here. Today, only part of the church survives, in a really unusual L-shaped form. After the Reformation, the church was left to become ruined, but was partially restored in the mid-18th century. The current building is formed from the north transept (with the tower at its northern end) and the eastern arm of the medieval Abbey church.
We have been to this church before (and occasionally to the Lord Crewe Arms next door, but more often to the White Monk Tearooms opposite). We thought that this churchyard cross was actually a modern grave marker, as it looks relatively modern, but is what Pastscape and Historic England class as "a rare survival" of a complete medieval churchyard cross.
Inside, the church feels somewhat bare, but there are six interesting grave slabs set into the floor of the north transept. Peter Ryder has recorded these, saying they are "without close local parallels".
To see the eastern external walls of the church, you need to relax in the beer garden of the Lord Crewe Arms!
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149 |
4 |
| Old Prior Manor House Well (Corbridge) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Sep 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
We have driven past this well so many times and said “we need to stop and photograph this” and today we did. I thought it was just a hollow in the wall, with a dry pipe coming through the wall, but no, it is a real well, with water, although no water flowed through the pipe and the water was stagnant and full of vibrant green weed.
Looking over the wall, it had a stone domed well house.
The well is located outside the Old Prior Manor House...We have driven past this well so many times and said “we need to stop and photograph this” and today we did. I thought it was just a hollow in the wall, with a dry pipe coming through the wall, but no, it is a real well, with water, although no water flowed through the pipe and the water was stagnant and full of vibrant green weed.
Looking over the wall, it had a stone domed well house.
The well is located outside the Old Prior Manor House, at the corner of the B6529, Stagshaw Road and St Helen’s Lane, with the junction with Corchester Lane, which runs to the Corbridge Roman site, diagonally opposite to the south west.
The OS map of 1895 shows the well being sited opposite Trinity Church. The house, also known as Prior Mains, was formerly the Corbridge Rectory.
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149 |
1 |
| St Cuthbert's Church (Corsenside) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cross base at St Cuthbert's, Corsenside: This church is a little gem. After having let ourselves in through 2 gates (one by the A68, the other near the church), the views around the church are lovely. The church was open, and we were surprised to find out how old the chancel and sanctuary are. There were some very interesting grave markers inside the church, including one which was possibly a Tudor wayside cross.
The socket stone is exactly w...Cross base at St Cuthbert's, Corsenside: This church is a little gem. After having let ourselves in through 2 gates (one by the A68, the other near the church), the views around the church are lovely. The church was open, and we were surprised to find out how old the chancel and sanctuary are. There were some very interesting grave markers inside the church, including one which was possibly a Tudor wayside cross.
The socket stone is exactly where described, and is one of the most ornate we’ve seen. Although a simple rectangle in shape, the rectangular socket stone as a circular depression above it, and in turn a small gully running just inside the top surface.
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149 |
3 |
| Cale Cross (Newcastle) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
7th Sep 2019 |
-1 |
3 |
5 |
Site of Cale Cross (Newcastle): The plaque commemorating this cross is attached the eastern wall of what I think is 3, Akenside Hill (or possibly Akenside House), on the Quayside, just to the west of the A167 where it is about to go south over the Tyne Bridge, and just north-north-east of the Swing Bridge.
The building sits at the junction of Dean Street and Queen Street, just before Dean Street meets Sandhill (the B1600) and Quayside. I imag...Site of Cale Cross (Newcastle): The plaque commemorating this cross is attached the eastern wall of what I think is 3, Akenside Hill (or possibly Akenside House), on the Quayside, just to the west of the A167 where it is about to go south over the Tyne Bridge, and just north-north-east of the Swing Bridge.
The building sits at the junction of Dean Street and Queen Street, just before Dean Street meets Sandhill (the B1600) and Quayside. I imagine in olden times, this would have been the ideal place for a market.
It was the afternoon before the main Great North Run and Quayside was hugely busy with other races starting and finishing. What a crowd, but a lively, friendly atmosphere. I had great fun finding my way back up the hill through tiny lanes I didn’t know existed, passing the Church of All Saints, a huge viaduct, some of the old city walls and Castle Keep.
The plaque reads: “City of Newcastle upon Tyne. Cale Cross. This market cross where food was sold (cale = cabbage) stood near this spot until 1807. First mentioned in 1309 it was rebuilt in 1783 to design of David Stephenson. Re-erected in the grounds of Blagdon Hall Tyne and Wear County Council”.
If the original cross had gone to Blagdon Hall, I would have set off in search of it, but this is only the 1783 re-design.
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148 |
2 |
| White Cross (Newcastle) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
7th Sep 2019 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
Site of the White Cross (Newcastle): Having typed 'Cross' and 'Newcastle' into Pastscape, I was surprised to find two crosses come up. So, armed with my GPS I set off to try and find these sites.
This cross used to be located at the corner of Newgate Street and Low Friar Street, north west of the junction of Clayton Street and Newgate Street.
I cross the road regularly here to walk through the lane to the side of the Gate, down towards Wes...Site of the White Cross (Newcastle): Having typed 'Cross' and 'Newcastle' into Pastscape, I was surprised to find two crosses come up. So, armed with my GPS I set off to try and find these sites.
This cross used to be located at the corner of Newgate Street and Low Friar Street, north west of the junction of Clayton Street and Newgate Street.
I cross the road regularly here to walk through the lane to the side of the Gate, down towards West Walls and Akhbar’s, but this is a part of the pavement I’ve never been on. About 30m to the south east (following the pavement), outside what is now Debenham’s, a large metal plaque is set into the pavement.
The plaque reads: The White Cross. A medieval market cross, first mentioned around 1410, once stood here. / Sited on Newgate Street near to the junction with Low Friar Street (opposite), for almost 400 years, it marked the main entrance into a host of markets including the Bigg Market, Poultry Market, Groat Market, Wool Market, Iron Market and the Flesh Market. Many of the market names are still in use today as street names within the city centre. / The ‘White Cross’ has taken on at least five different appearances. Originally a simple market cross, it also appeared as a pillar & dial, a cistern for the ‘New Water’ and a stone pillar. / In 1783 it was demolished and rebuilt to the design shown here by David Stephenson, a local Architect who also designed the original Theatre Royal in Mosley Street. It had a pretty little spire, with a good clock, and was ornamented on the four sides with the arms of the Mayor, Magistrates and Sheriff. / In 1808 it was dismantled and rebuilt at the north end of the Flesh Market on the current site of Grey Street. / On 22nd August 1701 a famous incident between Ferdinando Forster MP for Northumberland and John Fenwick of Rock, coal owner, took place at the White Cross. / Whilst attending a ‘Grand Jury’ at the Black Horse Inn, near the crossroads of Clayton Street and Newgate Street the two men argued about family matters. Fenwick challenged Forster and as they went out stabbed Forster from behind. Fenwick escaped but was caught within a week, tried and executed by hanging from the white thorn tree that grew close to the White Cross on 25th September 1701.”
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148 |
1 |
| Seal Well (Hexham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Sep 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
The Seal/Sele Well, Hexham: Walking into a part of Hexham we’d never been to before, we came across the Cock Shaw Burn which runs SW-NE along the western side of the Sele. We passed a gloriously ornate drinking fountain (now dry) next to the southern side of the school, right next to the footpath. At the western side of the Sele, a footpath turned to our right, downhill. At the bottom, a footbridge crosses the Cock Shaw Burn. We turned left alon...The Seal/Sele Well, Hexham: Walking into a part of Hexham we’d never been to before, we came across the Cock Shaw Burn which runs SW-NE along the western side of the Sele. We passed a gloriously ornate drinking fountain (now dry) next to the southern side of the school, right next to the footpath. At the western side of the Sele, a footpath turned to our right, downhill. At the bottom, a footbridge crosses the Cock Shaw Burn. We turned left along the footpath running along its southern side, and about 30m along, spotted a stone and cast iron structure behind the nettles.
We managed to trample down the nettles to get a closer look. I unhooked some of the ivy from the ring in the indentation in the middle of the well to get a closer look at the underlying well structure. No-one has seen this well in some time, but it was very nice to find it.
This is a really old part of Hexham, and one we’d never explored before. Nearby, a second burn (presumably the Cowgarth Burn) runs along a cobbled road through Tanner’s Yard.
We went onto find, and photograph, Wine's Well (to the west of Hexham) and the Park Well (to the east). These are recorded as just 'wells' on Pastscape, and have no holy or healing characteristics that I'm aware of.
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147 |
3 |
| Eastern Sanctuary Cross (Hexham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Sep 2019 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Eastern Sanctuary Cross of Hexham Priory (or just the top of a gate post??): We stopped to photograph the scheduled Glover's Pant before making our way to the eastern side of Hexham. We were incredibly surprised to find this cross base, which we’ve looked for before, but at the old grid reference. On this visit, I spotted it straight away, and took its current grid location with our GPS. It is now sited at the eastern entrance to the car park. An...Eastern Sanctuary Cross of Hexham Priory (or just the top of a gate post??): We stopped to photograph the scheduled Glover's Pant before making our way to the eastern side of Hexham. We were incredibly surprised to find this cross base, which we’ve looked for before, but at the old grid reference. On this visit, I spotted it straight away, and took its current grid location with our GPS. It is now sited at the eastern entrance to the car park. Andrew walked right past it, and I might have too, had I not remembered about the carved stone head being in the socket hole! I almost got myself run over trying to take photographs from various angles.
I also found Hodges’ 1897 paper listed in the Pastcape reference (copied in the text below). He reports that the locations of all four of Hexham Priory Sanctuary Crosses were now known. He reports the location of the northern one is at Cross Bank. I’m wondering if this is the one at Crag House, north of Acomb, although this is some 5km from the location of this cross base.
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147 |
2 |
| Crag House Cross Base |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Sep 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Crag House Cross Base, north of Acomb: There have been many times I’ve done a search for sites to visit in this area, but found nothing. Now, having recently done a search for holy wells near Hexham, this cross base appeared on the list. Not only was it on Pastscape, but it was also scheduled on HE.
As I was photographing the small stone by the gatepost, a four-by-four pulled up and wound the window down. “Are you looking at the monument?” the...Crag House Cross Base, north of Acomb: There have been many times I’ve done a search for sites to visit in this area, but found nothing. Now, having recently done a search for holy wells near Hexham, this cross base appeared on the list. Not only was it on Pastscape, but it was also scheduled on HE.
As I was photographing the small stone by the gatepost, a four-by-four pulled up and wound the window down. “Are you looking at the monument?” the lady in the car asked us. “We’ve come to photograph the cross base”, I replied. “Yes, that’s what we call The Monument. We’ve never seen anyone visit it before”.
It turned out they live in Crag House, and are turning the adjacent land into a nature reserve to be handed over to a Wildlife Conservation Trust. The gentleman said he’d never been able to find out what the small stone was for, but we all thought it was some sort of boundary marker.
The lady said she keeps a blog of the work they are doing to their nature reserve, so she was going to say she’d met us photographing the monument.
In Acomb, the name of the cross is heavily reflected in road names leading up to the cross: Cross Bank, etc. The cross base sits at the top of the hill, not far south of the Military Road (B6318), with St. Oswald’s Church at Heavenfield just across the road (within 500m of the cross base). It has amazing views over Hexham.
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147 |
1 |
| Sanctuary Stone (Greystoke) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
27th Aug 2019 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Greystoke Sanctuary Stone: We didn't know this stone was here until I read the church guide book as we walked around the church. There is also a plaque stone somewhere, but we'd almost run out of time today. This stone was disappointing, as it wasn't visible underneath a dense covering of nettles and weeds. I'm now kicking myself for not asking at the swimming pool reception a few metres away if it was possible to pull a few of these away to tak...Greystoke Sanctuary Stone: We didn't know this stone was here until I read the church guide book as we walked around the church. There is also a plaque stone somewhere, but we'd almost run out of time today. This stone was disappointing, as it wasn't visible underneath a dense covering of nettles and weeds. I'm now kicking myself for not asking at the swimming pool reception a few metres away if it was possible to pull a few of these away to take a closer look. There was a photograph of the cleared enclosure on the Old Cumbria Gazetteer.
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146 |
6 |
| Greystoke Village Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
27th Aug 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Greystoke Village Cross: We've been to this area before, on the hunt for the possible Newbeggin Stone Rows, but never driven into this very pretty little village. We left this until the last stop of the day (just before the rain started to hurl down), after having seen the Eyekeld Well, the village Church and the Sanctuary Stone.
There are parts of the original medieval cross built into this largely 'modern' structure. Whilst Pastscape and HE ...Greystoke Village Cross: We've been to this area before, on the hunt for the possible Newbeggin Stone Rows, but never driven into this very pretty little village. We left this until the last stop of the day (just before the rain started to hurl down), after having seen the Eyekeld Well, the village Church and the Sanctuary Stone.
There are parts of the original medieval cross built into this largely 'modern' structure. Whilst Pastscape and HE say the socket stone is original, it looked like the top three steps were original (the new socket stone had chamfered and shaped corners and was a much brighter/less weathered stone than the rest).
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146 |
7 |
| Hunterian Museum |
Museum |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2019 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Hunterian Museum: A (very) rainy day in Glasgow stopped us from going out on my 'well hunt', so we found our way to the Hunterian Museum, which I've always wanted to visit. The displays were nicely done, although the museum as a whole was a lot smaller than I anticipated.
I found the display on the Antonine Wall fascinating, along with some of the medical and scientific items on the first floor. At the time of our visit, the Royal College o...Hunterian Museum: A (very) rainy day in Glasgow stopped us from going out on my 'well hunt', so we found our way to the Hunterian Museum, which I've always wanted to visit. The displays were nicely done, although the museum as a whole was a lot smaller than I anticipated.
I found the display on the Antonine Wall fascinating, along with some of the medical and scientific items on the first floor. At the time of our visit, the Royal College of Surgeon's building was closed (the website said until 2021, for redevelopment).
Unlike most museums, where you need to seek approval to post photographs, the Hunterian says: Photograph Policy: Our visitors are welcome to take photographs and video for personal, non-commercial use. We hope you will share them on your social networks! #hunterian (note: see their copyright statement on the line re works of art).
Note: the stone balls were not on display at the time of our visit.
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145 |
1 |
| Eye Keld Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
27th Aug 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Eyekeld Well, Greystoke: On the eastern side of the B5288 Icold Road which runs south from the village centre. The spring is only visible by peering over the dry stone wall, and the channel is covered with weeds and bracken, although there is a plentiful supply of water running from it, judging by the sounds of trickling water. There is also a long, straight water channel which runs east from the spring.
The Springs of Living Water, page 22 ...Eyekeld Well, Greystoke: On the eastern side of the B5288 Icold Road which runs south from the village centre. The spring is only visible by peering over the dry stone wall, and the channel is covered with weeds and bracken, although there is a plentiful supply of water running from it, judging by the sounds of trickling water. There is also a long, straight water channel which runs east from the spring.
The Springs of Living Water, page 22 (with a photograph on page 25) has a couple of references to two wells in Greystoke, telling us they are dedicated to St Kentigern (aka St Mungo):
“The site of the well at Greystoke is on the roadside when entering the village from the south. This could well have been the place of a preaching stop … There was a well to the north of Greystoke, called Thanet Well after the name of St. Kentigern’s mother St. Tenue. The well is now covered by a concrete slab in a barn/garage belonging to the house next to the holiday park. The name of the well is preserved in the name of the park”.
In McIntire's "Holy Wells of Cumbria", he mentions a visit by Bishop Nicholson on 26th July 1705: "In ye morning we walk'd out to view (and taste) several extraordinary springs about the Town of Greystock; one of which they call Eye-Keld, Mary-Keld, Tolly-Keld." McIntire notes: "Eye Cold Spring still exists as Icold spring; "Mary-Keld" has had its name corrupted to Marigold. It rises in the park. "Tolly Keld" is a small stream discharging into the Petteril."
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146 |
5 |
| St Cuthbert's Well (Clifton) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
27th Aug 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
St Cuthbert's Well (or Kelter Well), Clifton: The enclosure for this well is to the western side of the A6, towards the southern end of Clifton village. In some ways, this well is very disappointing, as the grid over it does not allow you to see very much, apart from some stone steps leading down to what appears to be a culvert with a strong flow of water running through it.
The well has been built into an enclosure which commemorates the la...St Cuthbert's Well (or Kelter Well), Clifton: The enclosure for this well is to the western side of the A6, towards the southern end of Clifton village. In some ways, this well is very disappointing, as the grid over it does not allow you to see very much, apart from some stone steps leading down to what appears to be a culvert with a strong flow of water running through it.
The well has been built into an enclosure which commemorates the last battle on English soil between the retreating Jacobite army and Government troops. This took place on 18th December 1745 (the battle of Clifton Moor).
No entry on either Pastscape or Historic England, although a well is shown on their map if you enter the grid reference above.
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146 |
4 |
| Wetheral Village Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
27th Aug 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Wetheral Village Cross: a very pretty village. The steps and shaft of this cross are relatively modern, erected sometime between 1838 to 1844. The head of the cross is much weathered and appears older than the rest of the cross, although neither Pastscape nor Historic England mention this.
The cross is less than 150m to the west of the church and the River Eden. At the church, there is the remains of an Anglo Saxon cross shaft. |
146 |
3 |
| Gilsland Spa Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
27th Aug 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Gilsland Spa Well: From the hotel car park, we followed the signs for the Sulphur Spa, leading on a path with a steep drop to our right hand side down to the River Irthing below. The path winds round to the left, then splits just above the southern side of the footbridge across the river. Take the right hand fork, walk about 20m, then take the small flight of steps down to the well, which can be smelt well in advance of reaching it!
The groun...Gilsland Spa Well: From the hotel car park, we followed the signs for the Sulphur Spa, leading on a path with a steep drop to our right hand side down to the River Irthing below. The path winds round to the left, then splits just above the southern side of the footbridge across the river. Take the right hand fork, walk about 20m, then take the small flight of steps down to the well, which can be smelt well in advance of reaching it!
The ground was very wet, with a steady flow of water coming out of the well spout. The eastern side of the well basin was covered with a white sulphurous stain, which carried on with the flow of water overflowing from the basin down to the river. I did dip my finger into the running water and had a quick taste. Very sulphurous, but not really unpleasant
As we approached the well, another couple were making a beeline from the well, coming from a path to the east. We fell into conversation, and it turned out they were from Doncaster (which is where I lived my early life), and lived near the race course. They were staying at the hotel for a week, returning home on Friday.
The path leading west from the well and the footbridge had been eroded away by the river. We got to within 120m of the sulphur spring, but not even Andrew wanted to walk this section of path; he said it would have been easier to walk along the river bed. We did try and see it from the other side of the river, but it was too heavily wooded to see anything.
This well is mentioned only briefly in the Springs of Living Water book by Fr John Muster, page 80, under the small section headed ‘Spa Wells’: “Though called holy wells, none are ever found identified with a saint. A good example is the one at Gilsland”. They have a photo on page 86.
No entries on Pastscape or HE, although if you type in the grid reference to the HE map search, it shows a circle where this well is located, and calls the general area to the west of the well a ‘Sulphur Spring’.
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146 |
1 |
| St Anne's Well (Cotehill) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
27th Aug 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Anne's Well, Cotehill: We squeezed on the odd little road junction that led to a small, new housing development, under the footpath sign.
We followed the footpath sign, which led straight through someone’s garden. We got a bit lost at this point, as several tracks through the grass had been mown flatter than others. Andrew followed two of them but could not see the well structure at all. As we were standing looking more closely at the map...St Anne's Well, Cotehill: We squeezed on the odd little road junction that led to a small, new housing development, under the footpath sign.
We followed the footpath sign, which led straight through someone’s garden. We got a bit lost at this point, as several tracks through the grass had been mown flatter than others. Andrew followed two of them but could not see the well structure at all. As we were standing looking more closely at the map, the lady of the house and her children came out. I asked her if she knew where St. Anne’s Well was, and she said she had never heard of it.
Looking more closely, Andrew said the circle for the well was on the edge of the courtyard enclosed by the houses, before the footpath went through the garden of the house, so we retraced our steps a few metres.
There, in the house to our right hand side (facing the footpath and the meadows/open farmland beyond), was a circular brick flower bed. Andrew pronounced “that’s it”. I said ‘surely not’.
The structure was about 10m on private property within the garden, and I was to go up and knock on the door of the house and ask for permission to take photographs, but there no signs of life. “Who can run quickest?” I asked Andrew jokingly, and took a few steps into the garden, feeling very guilty.
There, inside the circular brick structure was a heavy iron grate, with a pool of water inside. This was definitely a well. I took three photographs very quickly, retreating back to the courtyard.
No mention in Pastscape or Historic England, although the well is shown as a blue circle on the HE map.
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146 |
3 |
| Gilsland Spa Sulphur Spring |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Couldn't find |
27th Aug 2019 |
|
|
|
Gilsland Spa Sulphur Spring: We tried to find this well from both sides of the river. Continuing west along the river walk for about 20m, we found the path had been washed away, and not even husband-cum-mountain-goat Andrew felt comfortable walking this section of the river (he said it would have been easier to walk in the river).
We did cross the footbridge and made our way along the side of the river to within what should have been 'sighting...Gilsland Spa Sulphur Spring: We tried to find this well from both sides of the river. Continuing west along the river walk for about 20m, we found the path had been washed away, and not even husband-cum-mountain-goat Andrew felt comfortable walking this section of the river (he said it would have been easier to walk in the river).
We did cross the footbridge and made our way along the side of the river to within what should have been 'sighting distance' of the well, but the banks were too heavily wooded to see. Shame, as I really wanted to find this well-in-a-grotto. May return and have a second look from the Irthing Gorge walk path.
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146 |
2 |
| Askrigg Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
8th Aug 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Askrigg Market Cross and Water Pump: It was dusk by the time we arrived back in Askrigg, and just as I started to take photographs, a large Tesco ‘click and collect’ van pulled up right next to the cross. Typical. With all the cars parked around what must have been the old village green, it wasn't a brilliant spot to linger. |
144 |
6 |
| Casterton |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
8th Aug 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Casterton Stone Circle and Settlement: I found this walk VERY difficult once we were in the field containing the stone circle, largely due to the steepness of the slope, but mainly due to all the stones and boulders hidden under the turf. I did not enjoy this visit at all, despite having really wanted to visit this stone circle.
We parked at SD 64084 79316 and walked northwards up the lane towards Brownthwaite Pike, a steady uphill plod, pas...Casterton Stone Circle and Settlement: I found this walk VERY difficult once we were in the field containing the stone circle, largely due to the steepness of the slope, but mainly due to all the stones and boulders hidden under the turf. I did not enjoy this visit at all, despite having really wanted to visit this stone circle.
We parked at SD 64084 79316 and walked northwards up the lane towards Brownthwaite Pike, a steady uphill plod, passing a spring which emerged from just the other side of the wall, and piped under the footpath to the field beyond.
Reaching the gate into the field with the stone circle, which the farmer allows access to, we had to wade through the first 10-15m, as water was trickling down the slope from across the footpath and pooling around the gate. I was quite astonished at all the heaps of stones (clearance cairns) and part-walls all across the field. It reminded me of the ‘5,000 tons of stones’ site in County Durham that Time Team looked at but couldn’t work out what it was.
On (finally) reaching the stone circle, which took the best part of 40 minutes, my interpretation was that this was a ring cairn, not a stone circle.
On the way back up the slope, did we find a boulder with cup mark? The interior was very smooth, unlike the solution holes, which have a rim. There was also another boulder with a large ‘solution hole’ on its side – an odd location for a solution hole.
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144 |
5 |
| Keld Bank Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
8th Aug 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Keld Bank Settlement: Sitting down in the sunshine, recording the photographs I’d taken for the Keld Bank Propped Stone, I picked up the OS map and realised there was a settlement here. In fact, where I’d chosen to sit, on the edge of a scar, was right on the eastern edge of it.
This settlement is marked on the HE map of the area, but not recorded or scheduled. It was very reminiscent of the Whittenknowles Rocks settlement on Dartmoor, where t...Keld Bank Settlement: Sitting down in the sunshine, recording the photographs I’d taken for the Keld Bank Propped Stone, I picked up the OS map and realised there was a settlement here. In fact, where I’d chosen to sit, on the edge of a scar, was right on the eastern edge of it.
This settlement is marked on the HE map of the area, but not recorded or scheduled. It was very reminiscent of the Whittenknowles Rocks settlement on Dartmoor, where the walls and hut circles had been built round the natural stones/boulders. Built on the terrace just below the propped stone, extending to the terrace below. The sharp ‘edges’ of the terrace by the hut circle made it look a little like a hill fort – natural defences.
Towards the northern side, I identified a clear hut circle with an enclosure attached; this is clearly visible on UK Grid Reference Finder. There were other clearance cairns and the remains of old buildings and field systems in the terrace below the propped stones.
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144 |
4 |
| Keld Bank (Ingleborough) |
Rock Art |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
8th Aug 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Keld Bank Propped Stone: We parked in the small car park for Great Douk Caves on the northern side of the B6255, Low Sleights Road, and began by following the footpath up to the caves, passing the lime kiln on the way. We then largely followed a quad bike track SSE up the slope to the first limestone scar, then headed north east towards the grid reference given by David Shepherd.
The piece of land this propped stone sits on is a nature reserve...Keld Bank Propped Stone: We parked in the small car park for Great Douk Caves on the northern side of the B6255, Low Sleights Road, and began by following the footpath up to the caves, passing the lime kiln on the way. We then largely followed a quad bike track SSE up the slope to the first limestone scar, then headed north east towards the grid reference given by David Shepherd.
The piece of land this propped stone sits on is a nature reserve, managed by Natural England, so we assumed we were safe to walk up over the limestone ridges or scars, of which I counted three. There were easy routes up over each raised section of scar, so I made the walk to the stone easily. Again, we needed to use the GPS and David’s photograph to confirm we were looking at the correct stone, as there were a number of possibilities in the area, including one nicely ‘balanced’ stone nearby.
My comments about this propped stone as the same as above. Even Andrew was less convinced this time, given there were so many other stones around that could also have been counted as ‘propped’ or ‘balanced’.
We ‘called off’ the walk for the third stone as a result of this visit, opting to go and find the stone circle at Casterton.
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144 |
3 |
| Sleights Pasture Propped Stone |
Rock Outcrop |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
8th Aug 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Sleights Pasture Propped Stone: We parked at SD 75081 78117, just beyond the cattle grid on this single-tracked public road (there is room for a couple of cars between the road and the stone wall) then along the very busy, and fast, B6255 Low Sleights Road, walking NE towards the Ribblehead Viaduct, then crossing the road to the footpath leading to this limestone scar, then heading SE along another minor footpath, marked on the map, but barely vi...Sleights Pasture Propped Stone: We parked at SD 75081 78117, just beyond the cattle grid on this single-tracked public road (there is room for a couple of cars between the road and the stone wall) then along the very busy, and fast, B6255 Low Sleights Road, walking NE towards the Ribblehead Viaduct, then crossing the road to the footpath leading to this limestone scar, then heading SE along another minor footpath, marked on the map, but barely visible on the ground.
As there were several possibilities of which this propped stone might be, I made doubly sure I had the correct GPS and we were within 1m of the reading. We also compared it with the photograph on the Portal and the diagram (figure 7, in David’s paper “Propped Stones: The Modification of Natural Features and the Construction of Place” (Time and Mind, November 2013)) - I'd taken a copy with me, just in case.
Sorry, but I’m really sceptical about this being a propped stone. I would have been convinced if the propping stones were of a different material to the top stone. It looked like a ‘happy accident’ of glacial deposits and erosion. Another large boulder to its west was placed almost symmetrically on top of a ‘base pad’ of bed rock, and we spotted another couple of stones that also might have been taken as being propped. It reminded me very much of the ‘Guide Stones to the Great Langdale Axe Factory’, where it was difficult to pick one guide stone out of so many on the ground.
I also wasn’t convinced about the double propping, unless I have misinterpreted what David means about this. The boulder at the western end of the stone appeared to be cracked through, viewed from the north, rather than being two separate boulders on top of each other. Both propping stones were placed/located onto top of a bed of limestone.
There was also a very mysterious wall at SD 75748 78030, which Andrew pointed out, partly built with limestone pavement blocks for its ends. Looked like a sheep shelter to me.
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144 |
2 |
| Carperby Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
8th Aug 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Carperby Cross: Not on our original schedule, we drove past this market cross and just had to turn back to take a closer look. Located on the village green in Carperby, which is a long, narrow, triangular strip of grass orientated SW-NE, the base or steps of the cross looked ancient, whereas the shaft of the cross looks modern, although it is dated 1674. The top of the cross has been broken off and re-cemented in at some stage. There are some in...Carperby Cross: Not on our original schedule, we drove past this market cross and just had to turn back to take a closer look. Located on the village green in Carperby, which is a long, narrow, triangular strip of grass orientated SW-NE, the base or steps of the cross looked ancient, whereas the shaft of the cross looks modern, although it is dated 1674. The top of the cross has been broken off and re-cemented in at some stage. There are some interesting carved faces at the ends of the short, horizontal arms.
The information sign reads: “Carperby (West End). ‘Kerperbi’ is found in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name probably comes from early Scandinavian settlers, with ‘-by’ meaning farmstead and ‘kjarr’ meaning a bushy, boggy area, in old Danish.
Carperby has been designated as a Conservation Area because of its important historic character. The village is unusual in that it has two distinct centres, one at this end around the 17th century market cross and one at the east end where the original medieval manor house may have been.
The Market
The Market Cross suggests that Carperby’s medieval markets were held here but research shows otherwise. The original site at the far end of the village seems to have fallen into disuse after 1587 when Askrigg began to corner trade in the upper dale. It was briefly revived again in the 17th century, but this time at this end of the village. The date of 1674 carved on the cross supports this theory.
Religion
From the mid-17th century, non-conformism began to sweep through the Yorkshire Dales. The first converts worshipped in each other’s houses but eventually they built their own chapels.
West Lea Cottage was the first Methodist chapel, built in 1826. A little further east is its 1890 replacement (Greygarth), a simple Gothic building.
The Grade II listed Friends Meeting House of 1864 is the most sophisticated looking building in the village, with its heavily carved stonework. It seems to have replaced an earlier meeting house (Quaker Cottages) licensed in 1828 but later converted into cottages.
Education
Formal education in Carperby was provided by the school (Quarter House). It looks to be of 19th century date and the school records go back to 1870. A shaped tablet between the windows is inscribed ‘Carperby School’ but the rest is hidden by the later porch roof. The school closed in 1962.”
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1 |
| Coley's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
13th Jun 2014 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Coley's Well, Colwell: There is a brick well house close to the houses/farm buildings to the west, although there is also a dry drinking trough/well basin which looked as if this was the original spot where the waters emerged. For a well that used to be called 'Bridal of Colwell' it is now very sadly neglected. |
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| Pricky's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
13th Jun 2014 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Pricky's Well, Colwell: One of three wells in close proximity in Colwell village. This one sits right by the burn, but is now just a modern brick well house with a wooden door, used to storage some buckets and animal feed inside. |
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| Hadrian's Wall (Coria) |
Stone Fort or Dun |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Corbridge Roman Site: Having lived near here for over 10 years, we'd never visited. We came primarily to see the Corbridge Rock Art panel, but were equally as interested in the well preserved remains of this small fort/town, with great views over to modern-day Corbridge and the Tyne Valley. |
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| Drizzlecombe row 3 |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Stone Row 3: The last of the stone rows we visited today (although there was to be a minor, minor surprise at Yellowmead to end the afternoon). This surprising row, the same length as Row 1, and bends in the middle (it’s not straight).
We split the visit to this row into two; the first part was looking at the eastern end of the row and the cairn; the second was after we’d wandered up slope to look at the larger cist, the settle...Drizzlecombe Stone Row 3: The last of the stone rows we visited today (although there was to be a minor, minor surprise at Yellowmead to end the afternoon). This surprising row, the same length as Row 1, and bends in the middle (it’s not straight).
We split the visit to this row into two; the first part was looking at the eastern end of the row and the cairn; the second was after we’d wandered up slope to look at the larger cist, the settlements and another large cairn. We then meandered back down Row 3. It was on the way back that I found a compass between the tussocks of grass, covered in heavy dew and I thought the moisture had got inside the mechanism and was ruined. I was going to leave it by the stones in case anyone collected it, but given where it was, we concluded no-one was likely to walk along this particular spot between the rows. I later found out that it was a military compass, probably dropped by one of the many soldiers who carry out exercises in this location.
The longstone at the eastern end of the row was intriguing. It appeared to be undressed granite, and bore some sort of resemblance to the marker stone seen earlier today, but is most definitely part of row 3. The large, but friendly, cattle in the field liked to lean against it, presumably because it absorbed the heat of the sun, or to scratch.
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134 |
10 |
| Drizzlecombe menhir 3 |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Menhir 3: Again, I took this to be an integral part of Drizzlecombe Stone Row 3, so I've swapped some of my photos to this site page. I've duplicated the trip/order number with row 3 to match my walk/photo journal. |
134 |
10 |
| Drizzlecombe menhir 1 |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Menhir 1: I counted this pillar stone as part of the stone row, although Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks and Pastscape record it separately. I have switched some of my photographs over to this site page. Beautiful stone, and lovely location. |
134 |
5 |
| Drizzlecombe menhir 2 |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Menhir 2: I took this to be an integral part of Drizzlecombe Stone Row 2, so have moved a couple of my photos over to this site page. |
134 |
7 |
| Drizzlecombe row 1 |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe 1 Stone Row: Having been able to glimpse these stones rows as we walked across the moorland from Whittenknowles Rocks settlement, I couldn’t wait to see these rows at last. But, my goodness, what a richness and complexity of sites all in one small-ish area. I made careful notes throughout the day of which photographs belonged to which row, and hopefully these now all make sense.
Stone Row 1, similar in some ways to the Merrival...Drizzlecombe 1 Stone Row: Having been able to glimpse these stones rows as we walked across the moorland from Whittenknowles Rocks settlement, I couldn’t wait to see these rows at last. But, my goodness, what a richness and complexity of sites all in one small-ish area. I made careful notes throughout the day of which photographs belonged to which row, and hopefully these now all make sense.
Stone Row 1, similar in some ways to the Merrivale Rows, but then again not, had a much, much taller pillar stone. Located at the SW end of the row, this pillar stone can be seen on UK Grid reference finder: SX 59053 66858.
The stone row is unusual because it starts off as a single row (74.5m), then becomes a double row (for 47m), then back to a single row (28m to the cairn) – total length 149.5m.
I was surprised to see quite a few walkers stroll along this valley bottom, some along the row, others not. With the River Plym to our east, the water shimmered in the afternoon light. There were also a lot of cattle in the field, but all seemed used to people and just carried on grazing.
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134 |
4 |
| High Moorland Visitor Centre |
Museum |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Thornworthy Cist and Ter Hill Cross, Princetown National Park Visitor Centre: We had about 15 minutes before the centre closed on the Thursday, so we flew in with Dave Parks for me to see and photograph the Thornworthy Cist and the Ter Hill Cross. There was scaffolding around the back of the building, so I used this to step onto the weedy garden to photograph the cist slab from the top.
By the time I'd taken some photographs, I was being ushe...Thornworthy Cist and Ter Hill Cross, Princetown National Park Visitor Centre: We had about 15 minutes before the centre closed on the Thursday, so we flew in with Dave Parks for me to see and photograph the Thornworthy Cist and the Ter Hill Cross. There was scaffolding around the back of the building, so I used this to step onto the weedy garden to photograph the cist slab from the top.
By the time I'd taken some photographs, I was being ushered out of the garden as they wanted to close the centre for the night, but I was bid 'you are more than welcome to come back tomorrow if you can".
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135 |
17 |
| Shovel Down row 2 |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Shovel Down Row 2 with fallen standing stones: We enjoyed a much welcome lunch break at the two pillar stones at the head (southern end) of row 2. Angie got some photographs of Andy B sitting on the larger of the two pillars, and later I wished I’d have stood over her shoulder to get similar shots.
I didn’t walk to the northern most end of this stone circle, as I thought we proposed to visit it on the way back to the car park, but we took a s...Shovel Down Row 2 with fallen standing stones: We enjoyed a much welcome lunch break at the two pillar stones at the head (southern end) of row 2. Angie got some photographs of Andy B sitting on the larger of the two pillars, and later I wished I’d have stood over her shoulder to get similar shots.
I didn’t walk to the northern most end of this stone circle, as I thought we proposed to visit it on the way back to the car park, but we took a slightly different route, so didn’t see the stones at its other terminus.
By this time of the day, the number of monuments we'd seen already was getting a little overwhelming (so many in such a relatively small piece of moorland), I was really glad I’ been very careful to write down the numbers of the photographs I’d taken for each monument, making it easier to sort the photos out into ‘which monument was which’ that evening.
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135 |
9 |
| Three Boys |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
Three Boys: This was our last stop of the three days, and a lot of a let-down as someone had very recently used this stone as a toilet and left a great deal of white toilet paper around it. Yeuk! I think Gordon and/or Dave may have reported this to the authorities to clear up.
After this, we walked steadily back to the car park, took a few final photographs of the group altogether, using Janet and Gordon’s camera on my tripod on a timed sett...Three Boys: This was our last stop of the three days, and a lot of a let-down as someone had very recently used this stone as a toilet and left a great deal of white toilet paper around it. Yeuk! I think Gordon and/or Dave may have reported this to the authorities to clear up.
After this, we walked steadily back to the car park, took a few final photographs of the group altogether, using Janet and Gordon’s camera on my tripod on a timed setting. Then Andy, Dave, Andrew and myself headed back to Princetown to look inside the Visitor Centre.
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135 |
16 |
| Shovel Down row 6 |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
Shovel Down Row 6: Nothing is visible of this row now, although we walked down the line of the row to get to the Three Boys. |
135 |
15 |
| The Longstone (Shovel Down) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
The Longstone: A welcoming standing stone, very prominent in the landscape, sitting between rows 5 and 6. I had fun posing the group for photographs around the stone. |
135 |
14 |
| Shovel Down row 5 |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Shovel Down Row 5: Having been a little mystified by trying to find Rows 3 and 1, and having to rely on Sandy G to point out a few of the ground-level small stones, to find this stone row, running towards the Longstone, was really good. Glorious views over to Kes Tor, although it was still a little misty to get great photos. |
135 |
13 |
| Shovel Down row 1 |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
Shovel Down Row 1: My goodness, this row was difficult to spot! Thank goodness for Sandy’s patience, his wellington boots and his pole in pointing out a few of the stones! |
135 |
12 |
| Shovel Down stone circle |
Stone Circle |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Shovel Down Stone Circle: Before we visited this site, I thought there would be nothing to see, but I was wrong. Whilst there are just three stones remaining, they appear to the eye to sit along the arc of a circle. However, the authenticity of this stone circle is queried by Pastscape.
The stones are sited in deep, tussocky grass, I was very pleased to be able to reach this stone circle, not far off the main footpath, using my walking pol...Shovel Down Stone Circle: Before we visited this site, I thought there would be nothing to see, but I was wrong. Whilst there are just three stones remaining, they appear to the eye to sit along the arc of a circle. However, the authenticity of this stone circle is queried by Pastscape.
The stones are sited in deep, tussocky grass, I was very pleased to be able to reach this stone circle, not far off the main footpath, using my walking poles to balance.
Our GPS recorded the three stones at:
SX 65830 86187, SX 65822 86196 and SX 65823 86199
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135 |
11 |
| Shovel Down row 3 |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Shovel Down Row 3: To the west of stone row 2, and to the north of row 4, there was not much left to see of this row, which I tried to trace (without much success due to the high, tussocky grass on this part of the moor) as we walked down towards the stone circle.
Now writing up my photojournal, I’m pleased to see that Sandy G’s photographs, whilst showing a lot more stones, are a little similar to mine, largely showing the tops of stones peek...Shovel Down Row 3: To the west of stone row 2, and to the north of row 4, there was not much left to see of this row, which I tried to trace (without much success due to the high, tussocky grass on this part of the moor) as we walked down towards the stone circle.
Now writing up my photojournal, I’m pleased to see that Sandy G’s photographs, whilst showing a lot more stones, are a little similar to mine, largely showing the tops of stones peeking out of the grass. Good job for our superb guide, who pointed out the row to me.
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135 |
10 |
| Shovel Down Fourfold Circle |
Stone Circle |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Shovel Down Fourfold Stone Circle: Again, so many monuments in such a short walk – but by now, I should have stopped being surprised! At Kes Tor, Sandy G had spotted AngieLake, who had arrived a little later than us at the car park, and who had wandered about looking for us. By this time, it was lunchtime, and we were pleased to re-group and sit and take a welcome break, using the two large stones as the head of row 2 as a convenient picnic spot....Shovel Down Fourfold Stone Circle: Again, so many monuments in such a short walk – but by now, I should have stopped being surprised! At Kes Tor, Sandy G had spotted AngieLake, who had arrived a little later than us at the car park, and who had wandered about looking for us. By this time, it was lunchtime, and we were pleased to re-group and sit and take a welcome break, using the two large stones as the head of row 2 as a convenient picnic spot.
Whilst everyone was sharing out their sandwiches and tea/coffee, I took a few minutes to try and photograph the small-ish stones of the fourfold stone circle, largely hidden by the grassy tussocks, but none-the-less still recognisable as a kerbed cairn, although a little similar (if smaller) than Yellowmead.
With its proximity to row 2 and row 4, and other rows and features I'd not yet seen, this was an amazing spot.
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135 |
8 |
| Shovel Down row 4 |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Shovel Down Row 4: From Shovel Down Cairn Row 4, this row started just to the north west, the stones ‘marching’ steadily downhill. These stones were similar in size to the Drizzlecombe Stone Rows 1 & 2, but largely hidden in tall grass.
Whilst everyone else walked down to the Fourfold Stone Circle to start a well deserved lunch break, and see the start of Shovel Down Row 2, I paused to take photographs of row 4. The row reminded me more than a...Shovel Down Row 4: From Shovel Down Cairn Row 4, this row started just to the north west, the stones ‘marching’ steadily downhill. These stones were similar in size to the Drizzlecombe Stone Rows 1 & 2, but largely hidden in tall grass.
Whilst everyone else walked down to the Fourfold Stone Circle to start a well deserved lunch break, and see the start of Shovel Down Row 2, I paused to take photographs of row 4. The row reminded me more than a little of Standingstone Rigg in Northumberland, with the size of the stones and the steepness of the slope down which the stones ran (not literally!).
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136 |
7 |
| Shovel Down Cairn Row 4 |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Shovel Down Row 4 Cairn: Walking from Kes Tor across the moorland trackway, we came across this 'stony lump' at the top of a slope. Looking to my right (north), there was a double stone row running downslope at 90 degrees to the track. Only a small cairn, but interesting, particularly given its context. The group spent some time checking to see if any trace of the cist was visible, but we didn't find it. |
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|
| St Ninian's Well (Brisco) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
17th Aug 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Ninian's Well, Brisco, Cumbria: From Carlatton Demesne Standing Stone, heading back onto the A69, we took the M6 to junction 42, then the third exit towards Durdar. Brisco (Briscoe according to Pastscape) is the first turn to the right. The village is a line of houses on both sides of the road. We parked where the road widened slightly at Brisco Hall farm and walked back southwards to the footpath, which runs to the north of Well View cotta...St Ninian's Well, Brisco, Cumbria: From Carlatton Demesne Standing Stone, heading back onto the A69, we took the M6 to junction 42, then the third exit towards Durdar. Brisco (Briscoe according to Pastscape) is the first turn to the right. The village is a line of houses on both sides of the road. We parked where the road widened slightly at Brisco Hall farm and walked back southwards to the footpath, which runs to the north of Well View cottage (they have a sign on the side of the house saying their drive is Elvis Presley Boulevard!), and followed the grassy lane down towards the railway line. Where the path does a right hand turn, there is a small set of stone steps. The footpath then turns north east towards the railway line, going through a gate into a field. The well is in this small enclosed area, tucked away at its south eastern end, mostly hidden by shrubs and brambles.
There is an arched well head that looks Victorian, and Pastscape and Historic England says was erected in the 1830s to 1840s. A step goes down to the well basin, in which, under the water, is a circular structure with a circular hole in its middle. In the corner of the fence facing the well is a small wooden bench, covered by brambles when we visited, but we used sticks to move these away and sit and admire this spot.
From the well, a gate leads through a fence-line down into a field of pasture below (the ground drops by 3-4 feet and there are steps down to the new ground level). This ground is wet and boggy and in line with the well head and pool is a cattle truck. A steady trickle of water comes through the bottom of the trough into a pool which has large boulders pushed around it in a partial circle, now partly destroyed. It looks like this might have been the original well pool. At the bottom of the field, the main west coast railway line runs and we watched several intercity trains and a steam train go by before returning to go into Carlisle for a late lunch then onto our next stop – a wheel-headed cross north west of Carlisle in Rockcliffe.
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39 |
2 |
| Kes Tor Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Kes Tor Cairn: As the group gathered around the western side of the tor, we saw what I initially thought was a tumble of smaller rocks from the side of the Tor, but as I walked around photographing it, thought it resembled a cairn. Walking back to join the group, Sandy and Dave were in conversation, concluding it was indeed probably a cairn. Dave took a gps with his garmin, remarkably similar to mine with my basic model, and has now included the...Kes Tor Cairn: As the group gathered around the western side of the tor, we saw what I initially thought was a tumble of smaller rocks from the side of the Tor, but as I walked around photographing it, thought it resembled a cairn. Walking back to join the group, Sandy and Dave were in conversation, concluding it was indeed probably a cairn. Dave took a gps with his garmin, remarkably similar to mine with my basic model, and has now included the cairn on Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks as a 'reported cairn' (site 1923).
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135 |
5 |
| Kes Tor Rock Basin |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Kes Tor Outcrop: My fear of falling stopped me from going to the top of this amazing outcrop to see the rock basin (I saw another walker trip over and narrowly miss going over the edge whilst I was there), but I admired the outcrop from down below. I hope I can still tick this site off my Dartmoor list as having visited! |
135 |
4 |
| Kestor Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Kestor Settlement (of which Round Pound is part of): Only across the road from the Round Pound, which I learned later was part of this settlement and not separate from it, as we walked up the slope to the east of Round Pound, I couldn’t believe the amount, and quality, of the structures that remained here.
At first, it was all a little mind-boggling, but then Sandy G produced a plan of the site, and I kept asking where we were on the plan, so ...Kestor Settlement (of which Round Pound is part of): Only across the road from the Round Pound, which I learned later was part of this settlement and not separate from it, as we walked up the slope to the east of Round Pound, I couldn’t believe the amount, and quality, of the structures that remained here.
At first, it was all a little mind-boggling, but then Sandy G produced a plan of the site, and I kept asking where we were on the plan, so I could sort my photographs accordingly. The views to the east and north east would have been quite amazing, had it not been for the mist around that day.
At home, I poured over Butler's "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities", volume 2, pages 170 onwards, which has a map of the settlement and descriptions of the field systems and the individual houses and enclosures within it. Brilliant!
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135 |
2 |
| Modern Stone Circle near Kestor Rock |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
16th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Modern Stone Circle near Kestor Rock: As confirmed by the Dartefacts website, This stone circle is on land that used to the belong to Aid Edmundson and Jennifer Saunders. It is not recorded on Pastscape or Historic England.
The stone circle is on private land, but can be viewed over the fences to the west and southern sides.
We were also lucky enough to be with Janet Daynes and Gordon Fisher who had spent some time on this property doing ...Modern Stone Circle near Kestor Rock: As confirmed by the Dartefacts website, This stone circle is on land that used to the belong to Aid Edmundson and Jennifer Saunders. It is not recorded on Pastscape or Historic England.
The stone circle is on private land, but can be viewed over the fences to the west and southern sides.
We were also lucky enough to be with Janet Daynes and Gordon Fisher who had spent some time on this property doing excavations in years gone by. It was absolutely fascinating to hear them talk about the things they had found. Apparently the whole of the stone circle had, at one time, been surrounded by trees which had blown down or been cut down. The area is surrounded by Historic England List ID 1016691, “Coaxial field system and prehistoric settlements at Kestor”, but this area is not included in the scheduled area.
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135 |
3 |
| The Round Pound |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Round Pound Enclosure (part of the Kes Tor Settlement): For our first stop of the day, this was only a very short walk north-eastwards from the car park, and so visible from the single track road, I was left with open-mouthed and couldn’t wait to get over to this monument to take a closer look.
With Sandy knowing this site so well, we had an almost intimate walk-round this impressive part of the Kes Tor settlement. Little did I appreciate, unt...Round Pound Enclosure (part of the Kes Tor Settlement): For our first stop of the day, this was only a very short walk north-eastwards from the car park, and so visible from the single track road, I was left with open-mouthed and couldn’t wait to get over to this monument to take a closer look.
With Sandy knowing this site so well, we had an almost intimate walk-round this impressive part of the Kes Tor settlement. Little did I appreciate, until we walked over the road to the east, that so much more lay in store.
A superb area, and so easy to reach!
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135 |
1 |
| Yellowmead cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Yellowmead Cairn: Whilst we started walking back to the car park, trying a different path mown through the grass, first running uphill then eastwards then south, we passed this cairn and stopped to take a closer look.
Whilst we were doing this, someone mentioned that the photo of the stone row on the Portal wasn’t the row we’d just looked at, but looked more like a line of stones running above, and parallel to the leat to the south west of the...Yellowmead Cairn: Whilst we started walking back to the car park, trying a different path mown through the grass, first running uphill then eastwards then south, we passed this cairn and stopped to take a closer look.
Whilst we were doing this, someone mentioned that the photo of the stone row on the Portal wasn’t the row we’d just looked at, but looked more like a line of stones running above, and parallel to the leat to the south west of the circle, and which we’d crossed to reach it. Some of the group split off to look at this more closely, and decided that the stones in the photo were of tin workings and an old track.
There was not much left of this cairn at all, although the slight mound did stand out nicely at the top of the slope.
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134 |
20 |
| Yellowmead row |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Yellomead Stone Row: Without Sandy G and Dave P I would not have known this stone row was here at all. Dave and Gordon F disappeared into the long grass towards the south/south west of the circle to see if they could find any more stones. I focussed on trying to understand what I was seeing nearer to the circle. Having Sandy's diagram, along with the information from Butler and other websites, has helped to clarify my understanding. To think ...Yellomead Stone Row: Without Sandy G and Dave P I would not have known this stone row was here at all. Dave and Gordon F disappeared into the long grass towards the south/south west of the circle to see if they could find any more stones. I focussed on trying to understand what I was seeing nearer to the circle. Having Sandy's diagram, along with the information from Butler and other websites, has helped to clarify my understanding. To think that stone rows may have radiated from this fourfold stone circle. Absolutely fascinating!
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134 |
19 |
| Merrivale row 4 |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Merrivale 4 stone row: Without Sandy G and Dave P’s guidance on this, I would probably have looked at these stones and not thought much about them, but in association with the other two short rows (5 and 6), the tall, impressive menhirs and the fallen stone and cairn nearby, it was a jumble to unpick, so I was very grateful for the explanations! |
133 |
8 |
| Merrivale 5 |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Merrivale 5 stone row: I was getting really 'dazed and confused' about the different stone rows here and what I was photographing, so I asked Sandy, Dave and Andrew to each place a foot on or near each stone of this row! |
133 |
9 |
| Hadrian's Wall (Heddon on the Wall) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Sep 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Section of Hadrian's Wall at Heddon-on-the-Wall: This well preserved section of the 'wide' wall can be found a few hundred metres to the east of the church, and comes as quite a surprise as I turned the corner from The Towne Gate, heading east.
There are some structures built into the body of the wall, one said to be medieval corn drying kiln. I saw quite a few tourists passing this spot on the other side of the B6528, but none stopped to wal...Section of Hadrian's Wall at Heddon-on-the-Wall: This well preserved section of the 'wide' wall can be found a few hundred metres to the east of the church, and comes as quite a surprise as I turned the corner from The Towne Gate, heading east.
There are some structures built into the body of the wall, one said to be medieval corn drying kiln. I saw quite a few tourists passing this spot on the other side of the B6528, but none stopped to walk into this part of the wall and take a closer look.
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|
| Merrivale Menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Merrivale Menhir: This tall stone made up for the small size of the stones of the stone circle, and I enjoyed visiting here. My goodness, with the three stone rows, the fallen menhirs, the cairn and the pits, it was certainly interesting here. I'd taken my notes for this site with me, but the wind was so strong I was unable to get them out and read them! Now having the Butler series of "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities" has made it much easier to ...Merrivale Menhir: This tall stone made up for the small size of the stones of the stone circle, and I enjoyed visiting here. My goodness, with the three stone rows, the fallen menhirs, the cairn and the pits, it was certainly interesting here. I'd taken my notes for this site with me, but the wind was so strong I was unable to get them out and read them! Now having the Butler series of "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities" has made it much easier to understand the layout and complexities of the site, as far as I'm able.
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133 |
11 |
| Merrivale 6 |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Merrivale 6 stone row: Only one stone was visible of this row, and thankfully we had Sandy G to point out the location of the row and the only stone of this very short row visible - the western most stone. So many features around the Merrivale Menhir. I'm really glad we had our guide for the day, and also, at home, the Butler "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities" (volume 3) to help interpret all the different stones, cairns and pits. |
133 |
10 |
| Merrivale Second Menhir and Cairn |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Merrivale Second Menhir, pit and cairn: All these monuments were so close together, it was a bit mind-boggling. I made sure I wrote down the monuments and the photo numbers so I didn't mix them up when I processed the photos later (the wind was still gusting strongly so we didn't get my folder with pre-printed notes out in case they blew away).
As a group, we were fascinating with all the pits around here and spent some time exploring them an...Merrivale Second Menhir, pit and cairn: All these monuments were so close together, it was a bit mind-boggling. I made sure I wrote down the monuments and the photo numbers so I didn't mix them up when I processed the photos later (the wind was still gusting strongly so we didn't get my folder with pre-printed notes out in case they blew away).
As a group, we were fascinating with all the pits around here and spent some time exploring them and taking grid references. Dave P later contacted me to tell me these had been documented by Butler in his Volume 3 of "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities".
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133 |
12 |
| Black Tor (Meavy) |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Stanlake Stone Row (aka Black Tor): Our second stop of the afternoon, and our hope was that as we crossed the road and descended from the slopes that we'd be more sheltered from the wind. Not a chance! However, this did not spoil my enjoyment of the next few sites.
From the Leeden Tor stone row, we crossed the main road, ending up in what -after a spell of wet weather - would have been a boggy dip, but at the time of our visit was relatively ...Stanlake Stone Row (aka Black Tor): Our second stop of the afternoon, and our hope was that as we crossed the road and descended from the slopes that we'd be more sheltered from the wind. Not a chance! However, this did not spoil my enjoyment of the next few sites.
From the Leeden Tor stone row, we crossed the main road, ending up in what -after a spell of wet weather - would have been a boggy dip, but at the time of our visit was relatively dry. Even so trying to find a way across that I, and my wonky knees could manage, was a little amusing. Angie stopped to have her photographs taken against the Tors and woodland behind.
This double stone row is partly hidden by a dry stone wall/earthen bank, put up when the landowner enclosed his land, telling his workers to ‘enclose up to and including the stone row’ according to Sandy.
We had intended to come back and photograph this stone row on the way back, but because I couldn’t make it to the sites we'd planned to go to later in the afternoon because of the steep drops by the leat, we didn’t return this way.
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133 |
14 |
| Black Tor Stone Row Cairns (Stanlake) |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Black Tor, cairns at south-western end of the stone row: These cairns lie just to the south western end of the stone row, to the south of the field boundary containing the northern side of the stone row and just to the west of another field boundary which runs NNW-SSE. Whilst I vaguely recognised these as cairns, without Dave Parks and his magic GPS, and Sandy G coming to give us an explanation, I might have dismissed these as being relatively un...Black Tor, cairns at south-western end of the stone row: These cairns lie just to the south western end of the stone row, to the south of the field boundary containing the northern side of the stone row and just to the west of another field boundary which runs NNW-SSE. Whilst I vaguely recognised these as cairns, without Dave Parks and his magic GPS, and Sandy G coming to give us an explanation, I might have dismissed these as being relatively unimportant. Wrong!
These cairns are recorded on Sandy’s Site Report 4 for the stone row (diagram 6, page 12) but again it was too windy to get these out and study them in any detail. I would really have loved to have spent more time here on a lovely, bright sunny day.
These run just to the west of another field boundary which runs NNW to SSE and just south of the field boundary containing the stone row.
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133 |
15 |
| Stanlake Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Stanlake Prehistoric Settlement: Walking down slope from the western end of the stone row, we soon came upon a very interesting, complex and intriguing mix of hut circles, dry stone walls and other features. I lagged behind the group a little, trying to determine what I was seeing as I saw it, but failed miserably - there was so much to take in!
Sandy waited for his Intrepid Dartmoor Expedition Group around the spot marked 6 on his plan (ta...Stanlake Prehistoric Settlement: Walking down slope from the western end of the stone row, we soon came upon a very interesting, complex and intriguing mix of hut circles, dry stone walls and other features. I lagged behind the group a little, trying to determine what I was seeing as I saw it, but failed miserably - there was so much to take in!
Sandy waited for his Intrepid Dartmoor Expedition Group around the spot marked 6 on his plan (taken from his survey report for Meavy Valley Archaeology: site report 1, figure 3, which I've added as a link to Angie's main site page text.
It is interesting that in his report, Sandy links this settlement to the nearby production of tin, with a large tin works just to the south of the Devonport leat.
Having studied point 6 for some time, we wandered over the hut circles and attached compounds, walking to the south and west, and back round to the long house, of which very little now remains, but there are low banks in the ground, partly cut by a modern field wall.
I was sad to leave, as I could have spent at least another couple of hours here. Yet it was to be my last site of the day, as further to the NW along the Devonport Leat, there was a section of steep drops down into the river and the l eat, and I was unable to proceed any further. As it happened, it was a good job we stopped earlier (it was gone 4pm by this time), as Andy B has caught an earlier train and was waiting in Newton Abbott.
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133 |
16 |
| Drizzlecombe Brook |
Marker Stone |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Brook 'Standing Stone': This stone was between the settlement an the tin works that Sandy showed us and I was hopeful of having spotted another monument on the moors not on today's list of sites to visit.
Not having a grid reference from the camera, we’ve tracked it down to one of six stones (one of which I photographed later, but which turns out to be the abandoned gate post!). Looking at the photograph and how near we are to th...Drizzlecombe Brook 'Standing Stone': This stone was between the settlement an the tin works that Sandy showed us and I was hopeful of having spotted another monument on the moors not on today's list of sites to visit.
Not having a grid reference from the camera, we’ve tracked it down to one of six stones (one of which I photographed later, but which turns out to be the abandoned gate post!). Looking at the photograph and how near we are to the tin-works at the stream, this stone is at SX 58709 66946.
Judging by the photograph with the group, I estimate it to be just taller than Janet – 1.7m or just over.
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134 |
3 |
| Drizzlecombe Giant's Basin |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Giant's Basin and associated smaller cairns: Before we arrived at the stone rows, despite having printed off the Pastscape and Historic England entries for these sites, I hadn’t really got the full picture of how complex and interesting this area of Drizzlecombe was.
The Giant’s Basin, to the south east of the cairn at the top of Drizzlecombe Stone Row 1/A, is enormous, and reminiscent of the large cairns at Kilmartin, albeit covered in grass....Giant's Basin and associated smaller cairns: Before we arrived at the stone rows, despite having printed off the Pastscape and Historic England entries for these sites, I hadn’t really got the full picture of how complex and interesting this area of Drizzlecombe was.
The Giant’s Basin, to the south east of the cairn at the top of Drizzlecombe Stone Row 1/A, is enormous, and reminiscent of the large cairns at Kilmartin, albeit covered in grass.
Thanks to Dave P and his trusty GPS (along with vast knowledge of Dartmoor, of course!) took me over and pointed at the three cairns at its western side.
I walked half way up the slope to the top of the cairn and photographed part of the the robbed out interior.
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| Drizzlecombe Cist 6 |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Giant's Basin Cist (Drizzlecombe Cist 6): This cist was pointed out to me by Dave Parks and Sandy G, but I only seem to have one photograph of it, although I remember standing over it and taking photos from different angles. Perhaps I've got muddled up with all the other wonderful stone settings and cairns in the area. A brilliant area to visit. So much to see, all in very close proximity. |
134 |
6 |
| Drizzlecombe row 2 |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe 2: Having three stone rows, their cairns, cists and longstones all in a very close proximity was quite stunning. As we walked up and down this row with Sandy G and the rest of the Intrepid Dartmoor Expedition Group, I was barely able to take it all in - so much to see and understand.
When we started off at the longstone at the western end of the row, there was blue sky and whispy clouds; by the time we'd wandered up to the cairn a...Drizzlecombe 2: Having three stone rows, their cairns, cists and longstones all in a very close proximity was quite stunning. As we walked up and down this row with Sandy G and the rest of the Intrepid Dartmoor Expedition Group, I was barely able to take it all in - so much to see and understand.
When we started off at the longstone at the western end of the row, there was blue sky and whispy clouds; by the time we'd wandered up to the cairn at the eastern end of the row, a mist/clag had started to descend, so the views from/around the stone row weren't quite as good as earlier, but the atmosphere of this place was just amazing.
The longstone is a really peculiar shape. Butler, volume 3 of "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities", page 138, says "According to Worth, it was probably dragged here from Higher Hartor Tor, about a kilometre away".
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134 |
7 |
| Drizzlecombe cairn 2 |
Ring Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Cairn 2: After a most satisfactory and pleasant morning, we sat at the edges of the cairns heading up rows 2 and 3 and had a quick lunch break. It really is an amazing spot, and so pleased to have visited, although correctly cataloguing my photos to the right site proved a little challenging at the end of the day. |
134 |
8 |
| Drizzlecombe cairn 3 |
Ring Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Cairn 3: cairn at the head of Drizzlecombe Stone Row 3. The stone row is just offset from the centre of the cairn. Butler, in his "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, page 138, says: "the third row descends from cairn 3 surrounded by an outer ring of slabs 8.6m across mostly in contact with its base ... probably only three stones are missing out of t10, the largest of those remaining standing about a metre high facing the row". Of the th...Drizzlecombe Cairn 3: cairn at the head of Drizzlecombe Stone Row 3. The stone row is just offset from the centre of the cairn. Butler, in his "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities, page 138, says: "the third row descends from cairn 3 surrounded by an outer ring of slabs 8.6m across mostly in contact with its base ... probably only three stones are missing out of t10, the largest of those remaining standing about a metre high facing the row". Of the three cairns at the eastern end of the row, this cairn has the tallest stones protruding out of it, and the most character. See Butler's diagram of it on page 139 (fig. 49.19.3).
After looking at the eastern end of the row, we proceeded up the slope, looking for the Drizzlecombe Cist and the settlements at the top of the slope, meandering back along stone row 3 as we came back.
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134 |
9 |
| Drizzlecombe cairn 4 |
Stone Circle |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Cairn 4: I took photographs of all three cairns in a row, then one at a time. My notes indicate this is Drizzlecombe Cairn 4. This is the most northerly of the three cairns at the head of rows 2 and 3, but this cairn does not have a row descending from it. |
134 |
11 |
| Drizzlecombe cairn 13 |
Cist |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Cairn 13: Leaving the stone rows behind, we walked up slope and to the WNW. This is a beautiful example of a cairn with central cist. What is very noticeable about this cist is that the stones making up two of the sides projects outside the other two ends. Looking at the Butler diagram for these sites (Volume 3, page 135), cairn 13 is indeed in ine with cairns 2, 3 and 4, but about 150m further from the stone rows. |
134 |
12 |
| Drizzlecombe W row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe West Stone Row: Whilst Sandy G had our group here, he asked us all to help him have a look for this elusive stone row, and we were happy to help, which mentioned in Burl but not in Butler (I haven’t been able to find the mention in Burl, yet).
The others in the group had a far keener eye than me for spotting the lines of stones in the grass, so I wandered up slope and stood on a cairn, observing. Not having my GPS with me, I think...Drizzlecombe West Stone Row: Whilst Sandy G had our group here, he asked us all to help him have a look for this elusive stone row, and we were happy to help, which mentioned in Burl but not in Butler (I haven’t been able to find the mention in Burl, yet).
The others in the group had a far keener eye than me for spotting the lines of stones in the grass, so I wandered up slope and stood on a cairn, observing. Not having my GPS with me, I think this is Butler Drizzlecombe Cairn 15 at SX 5925 6721.
Sandy had the rest of the group stand on stones which they thought might be part of the row, to see how they lined up.
He plans a return visit in September 2019, so I’ll need to watch for an update.
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134 |
13 |
| Drizzlecombe Cairn 18 |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Cairn 18: An enormous cairn, which rivals the Giant's Basin in size, so why there is so little information about it, I'm not sure. I managed to clamber up to the top of the cairn and have a look inside, where there is a hollow where it has been excavated. Built almost on top of one of the settlements at the south-eastern side of Drizzlecombe, it looks over the River Plym to the south. |
134 |
14 |
| Drizzlecombe Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Settlements: After the stone rows, we move up-slope to try and find row 4. Whilst the rest of the group helped Sandy G identify possible stones in this row, I wandered over to Butler's Cairn 18, photographing what looked like some hut circles embedded in the turf. Arriving at Cairn 18, I walked to the top of to look at the enclosed settlement to its south/south western side, which I found fascinating.
Dave Parks was also meanderi...Drizzlecombe Settlements: After the stone rows, we move up-slope to try and find row 4. Whilst the rest of the group helped Sandy G identify possible stones in this row, I wandered over to Butler's Cairn 18, photographing what looked like some hut circles embedded in the turf. Arriving at Cairn 18, I walked to the top of to look at the enclosed settlement to its south/south western side, which I found fascinating.
Dave Parks was also meandering around the cairn, so he and I wandered back towards the group, with me taking photos of the long, low banks running across the pasture.
Higher up the hill was yet another settlement(s) which I barely took in. This area is so complex and interesting, yet I confess to 'brain overload' by this time of the afternoon, especially as there was so much more yet to come!
I've since managed to get hold of a pdf copy of Jennifer Robertson's unpublished thesis "Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley" (all 592 pages), which I'll dip into soon, to try and understand more about this area.
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134 |
15 |
| Yellowmead |
Stone Circle |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Yellowmead Fourfold Stone Circle: This stone circle has long been on my wish-list, but I thought I’d never be able to see it, because access was described as being difficult.
Fortunately, Dave Parks and Sandy G had been here before and knew the pitfalls, selecting the right route for us. We were also extremely fortunate in coming here after a prolonged dry spell, so we encountered no boggy areas, apart from one by the stream on the way back t...Yellowmead Fourfold Stone Circle: This stone circle has long been on my wish-list, but I thought I’d never be able to see it, because access was described as being difficult.
Fortunately, Dave Parks and Sandy G had been here before and knew the pitfalls, selecting the right route for us. We were also extremely fortunate in coming here after a prolonged dry spell, so we encountered no boggy areas, apart from one by the stream on the way back to the car park.
By this time of the afternoon, I was hot and tired, and my feet ached really badly, but I was determined to see this stone circle. I should have swapped my walking boots for my wellies to make the walking a little softer on the soles of my feet, but stubbornly didn’t. Mistake. However, the walk to see this circle was well worth it, although I need to apologise to the rest of the group for being very grumpy on the way back. Also, by this time the sun had come out and everyone was getting sunburned, despite the continuous application of sun-screen.
It was really good to have the experts here to describe the monuments to us. Gordon and Dave Parks wandered off to see if they could find other stones in the stone row further to the WSW of the row, but the grass was knee high in this part of the meadow.
Andrew, on the way back to the pub after our epic trip, was saying that he didn’t think the stone circle was entirely genuine; his thinking was the Victorians had ‘beautified’ it for tourists, so I spent some time in the car pulling up the different websites. The stone circle is described as having been ‘faithfully restored’, but Andrew still has his doubts.
We all met up in the Prince of Wales in Princetown for a couple of ice cold pints, before dispersing for the evening. I confess to not recognising Sandy G in the bar, as he didn’t have his hat on – I’ve never seen him without it!
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134 |
18 |
| Drizzlecombe cist 22 |
Cist |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe Cist 22: This was an ‘added on extra’ as it was only an additional 100m, and if we took a short detour to cross the leat, was on our way anyway. Located in the valley, north of the river, this would have been a pleasant, peaceful spot, within sight of the stone rows. |
134 |
17 |
| Standing Stone Near Cairn at Head of Drizzlecombe Row 4 |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Drizzlecombe West Standing Stone: Whilst Sandy and the rest of the intrepid "Dartmoor Expedition" were searching lower down the slope for the enigmatic and mysterious Drizzlecome West Stone Row, I'd wandered up slope, stopping at this stone and looking at the nearby cairn. Failing to attract the attention of my fellow explorers, I wandered off to look at the large cairn near the southern and smaller of the two pounds. When I came back, I found ...Drizzlecombe West Standing Stone: Whilst Sandy and the rest of the intrepid "Dartmoor Expedition" were searching lower down the slope for the enigmatic and mysterious Drizzlecome West Stone Row, I'd wandered up slope, stopping at this stone and looking at the nearby cairn. Failing to attract the attention of my fellow explorers, I wandered off to look at the large cairn near the southern and smaller of the two pounds. When I came back, I found Sandy in full 'Bronze Age Mode' with his ranging pole standing by this stone.
We photographed it and took a grid reference with our GPS. More research to be done on this stone - not apparently recorded in Butler or any of the other Dartmoor Archaeology books I now possess. Have asked the rest of the group to contribute to the information on this stone, if they are able. Sandy plans to return in September 2019, so more information to follow.
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134 |
16 |
| King Arthur's Well (Walltown Gap) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2019 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
King Arthur's Well, Walltown Crags: Whilst this well may now be destroyed or lost, the scenery here is fantastic, and it was well worth coming out to look.
We were unable to find this holy well, despite having the GPS to guide us to the spot. However, we did see signs of reeds and tall grasses where the water might have pooled and flowed.
On the way up to the nick in the crags where the well is located, there is water emerging from the hills...King Arthur's Well, Walltown Crags: Whilst this well may now be destroyed or lost, the scenery here is fantastic, and it was well worth coming out to look.
We were unable to find this holy well, despite having the GPS to guide us to the spot. However, we did see signs of reeds and tall grasses where the water might have pooled and flowed.
On the way up to the nick in the crags where the well is located, there is water emerging from the hillside at NY 68041 66551, which runs in a small stream down the slope, feeding two drinking troughs in the field below. We did visit after a period of prolonged dry weather, so wondered if the water emerges from higher up the hill after wet weather.
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143 |
2 |
| Hadrian's Wall (Turret 44b) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Turret 44b, Hadrian's Wall: Located on the crag above King Arthur's Well, this is a lovely spot. We had difficulty in locating the holy well, so whilst I continue to search for the it and see if I could find any structure or water course, Andrew ascended the steps to the top of the crag, and came back about 20 minutes later.
This turret is on the Hadrian’s Wall path, which runs almost due east-west here. It is in a very pretty spot. Even wit...Turret 44b, Hadrian's Wall: Located on the crag above King Arthur's Well, this is a lovely spot. We had difficulty in locating the holy well, so whilst I continue to search for the it and see if I could find any structure or water course, Andrew ascended the steps to the top of the crag, and came back about 20 minutes later.
This turret is on the Hadrian’s Wall path, which runs almost due east-west here. It is in a very pretty spot. Even with it being a Monday afternoon, and a very warm day, there were lots of walkers here. Many passed me on the paved section of path but none appeared to stop and look at the turret, as no-one seemed to linger at this point. Perhaps they had already seen too many turrets around here - there are certainly a lot of them!
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143 |
3 |
| Whittenknowles Rocks |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Whittenknowles Rocks Enclosed Settlement: We parked in the small car park at SX 57880 67316 next to a small stream and a ford. Walking across the road bridge, we dived off across a small stream and walked next to a small wood, entering the moorland and continuing in a southerly direction, following an old dry stone wall, then turning eastwards. Most of the walking was really easy, even though this was rough moorland.
We started to come across...Whittenknowles Rocks Enclosed Settlement: We parked in the small car park at SX 57880 67316 next to a small stream and a ford. Walking across the road bridge, we dived off across a small stream and walked next to a small wood, entering the moorland and continuing in a southerly direction, following an old dry stone wall, then turning eastwards. Most of the walking was really easy, even though this was rough moorland.
We started to come across wall lines and groups of stones, and as I started to ‘get my eye in’, the hut circles and compounds became much clearer (see Butler’s plan, “Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities”, volume 3, page 126). The hut circles and enclosures were inter-dispersed with uncleared lines of rocks, which Sandy said were natural, and the occupants had just left them as they were.
Towards the southern side of the site, towards the long houses, we came across a small leat, where Sandy explained there had been ‘in the past, a natural disaster’ and all the soil had come down the slope, presumably leaving no soil for growing crops.
I couldn’t believe how far this site extends – some 4.7 hectares (11.61 acres).
I took photographs, blithely thinking the external GPS device on my camera was capturing the locations of the photographs. It wasn't until a couple of days later that I realised there was no lat/long information on the photographs, so I've had to guess, from Butler's plan, more or less where the photos were taken.
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134 |
2 |
| Hadrian's Wall (Poltross Burn) |
Stone Fort or Dun |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
8th Jul 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Poltross Burn Milecastle: We last visited this site on 27th October 2013, and it hasn’t’ changed at all. Andrew, in typical engineering fashion, went round and talked about the offsets and revetted construction of this small fort. It’s layout is remarkably easy to read.
Andrew recalled reading about a house built right on top of the wall, but we were unable to find it. |
143 |
1 |
| Leeden Tor |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Leeden Tor Stone Row: It was now the afternoon of 14th May. Having driven from Merrivale to the small car park nearest this site at SX 56725 71397, we had 10-15 minutes to spare before everyone arrived. In the meantime, Sandy led us up the hill to look at this stone row. By this time the wind was howling around us, with strong gusts that threatened to blow me over - thank goodness for my walking poles! I took a little satisfaction in watching th...Leeden Tor Stone Row: It was now the afternoon of 14th May. Having driven from Merrivale to the small car park nearest this site at SX 56725 71397, we had 10-15 minutes to spare before everyone arrived. In the meantime, Sandy led us up the hill to look at this stone row. By this time the wind was howling around us, with strong gusts that threatened to blow me over - thank goodness for my walking poles! I took a little satisfaction in watching the small group of soldiers out on exercise also being pummelled by the wind.
When the stones in the row and the cairn at its head were pointed out to me, I could see the alignment and also its relationship to the reave.
Whilst this stone row is near the car park, the tussocky grass made walking a little tricky.
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133 |
13 |
| Chesters Roman Site b |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
4th Jul 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Chesters Roman Site b, Chesters Roman Bridge Abutment: Whilst we were here to photograph the bridge abutment, we took the opportunity to look for this panel again to see if it had changed. It was very much the same. |
142 |
2 |
| Hadrian's Wall (Chesters Bridge Abutment) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
4th Jul 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Chesters Bridge Abutment: It's been some time since we came here to photograph the rock art panel, which is still here (although heavily lichen covered). This is where “The River Hunters” did a search in their series not long ago, just opposite the bath house at Chesters on the opposite bank. This was visible from the bridge abutment.
We met the American party again and another gentleman who said he had been walking round the poppy field tryin...Chesters Bridge Abutment: It's been some time since we came here to photograph the rock art panel, which is still here (although heavily lichen covered). This is where “The River Hunters” did a search in their series not long ago, just opposite the bath house at Chesters on the opposite bank. This was visible from the bridge abutment.
We met the American party again and another gentleman who said he had been walking round the poppy field trying to get some good photos. I set him a challenge - looking for the phallus symbol and the rock art. He got quite excited about the symbol and told me that he walked the wall looking for these symbols. He'd recently been trying to find one near Gilsland but without success.
One of the sources used by Historic England is my book bought for £1 from Hexham car boot sale: Bruce, J C, Handbook to the Roman wall, (1863), 117-120 and Bruce, J C, Handbook to the Roman wall, (1863), 109-111
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142 |
2 |
| Merrivale circle |
Stone Circle |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Merrivale Stone Circle: Will you forgive me for saying I wasn't hugely impressed by this stone circle. For some reason I was expecting the stones to be larger and for it to sit more dramatically in the landscape.
On walking to the circle from the western end of Row 2, we came across an impressively large, black coloured boulder buried in the grass, which does not appear to be marked by Butler. I estimated its grid reference to be SX 55304 74...Merrivale Stone Circle: Will you forgive me for saying I wasn't hugely impressed by this stone circle. For some reason I was expecting the stones to be larger and for it to sit more dramatically in the landscape.
On walking to the circle from the western end of Row 2, we came across an impressively large, black coloured boulder buried in the grass, which does not appear to be marked by Butler. I estimated its grid reference to be SX 55304 74704, or just south of this.
The group walked round the circle and the menhir, looking at the pits in the ground, wondering if these could possibly be the remains of holes for other stones. Dave Parks said he had read somewhere that there was thought to have been a double stone circle here, but no proof had yet been found. He later came back to tell me that Butler has marked the pits on his diagrams of Merrivale, see pages 29-31 inclusive of Volume 3 of "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities".
I do like Butler's description of the circle: "Their arrangement is markedly eccentric, perhaps deliberately so, with the majority of stones up to a metre off a true circle 19m across and with very variable intervals between" and his notes that the numbers of stones seem to vary across the ages: "several detailed nineteenth century accounts of the site show that the number of stones has actually increased, a most unusual phenomenon, from 9 in the early part of the century, 9 in 1828 (Smith), 10 (1827, Rowe, 1829 Kempe), and 9 (1859 Wilkinson), before reaching the present total of 11 in Worth’s 1895 plan. It seems at least 2 stones have been added, probably by some of the early investigators who were not always particular in recording their restorations, which in any case were often somewhat arbitrary".
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133 |
7 |
| Merrivale Centre S |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Merrivale Centre S Cairn (cairn at the head of Merrivale 3/C stone row): Thank heavens for Sandy G's Stone Rows of Great Britain and Dave P's Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks websites to help sort out the photos for Merrivale 3and its cairn. This area certainly has a glut of stone rows and cairns, and the GPS device on my camera had failed. Whilst I carefully wrote down the numbers of the photographs and the sites they related to, and constantly asked ...Merrivale Centre S Cairn (cairn at the head of Merrivale 3/C stone row): Thank heavens for Sandy G's Stone Rows of Great Britain and Dave P's Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks websites to help sort out the photos for Merrivale 3and its cairn. This area certainly has a glut of stone rows and cairns, and the GPS device on my camera had failed. Whilst I carefully wrote down the numbers of the photographs and the sites they related to, and constantly asked Sandy G on the day which site I was looking at, there's nothing like being able to make a direct comparison almost two months later. Thanks, guys!
As the cairn has a separate site page, but I've recorded them both together, as per the Pastscape record (440357), I've given these two the same visit number.
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133 |
6 |
| Merrivale SW row 3 |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Merrivale Row 3/C: Without Sandy G being there to tell us, I would have struggled to identify this as a stone row in its own right, but with Sandy pointing out where it joining up at an angle with Merrivale 2/B and with the cairn at its head, it became more obvious. The cairn is recorded as a separate site page here, so I'm adding the same visit report number, as I've recorded them both together, as the Pastscape record (440357). |
133 |
6 |
| Hadrian's Wall (Brunton Turret) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
4th Jul 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Brunton Turret 26b, Hadrian's Wall: Parked at the layby by the stile. We met a party of four Americans who were walking the wall and who had started at Newcastle on Monday, and from Corbridge this morning. I wished them a ‘happy 4th July’ and one of the ladies replied “Good job we’re friends again”, which raised a smile.
There was also a spring at NY 92109 69847 with the remains of a structure around it, flowing quite quickly and forming a sm...Brunton Turret 26b, Hadrian's Wall: Parked at the layby by the stile. We met a party of four Americans who were walking the wall and who had started at Newcastle on Monday, and from Corbridge this morning. I wished them a ‘happy 4th July’ and one of the ladies replied “Good job we’re friends again”, which raised a smile.
There was also a spring at NY 92109 69847 with the remains of a structure around it, flowing quite quickly and forming a small stream running downhill and round the bottom end of the turret.
The information sign at the top end of the site reads: ”Turrets were positioned equidistantly between largely milecastles where small garrisons of soldiers guarded gates that allowed for trave lthrough the Wall. Shortly after work on the wall started, large forts, such as Chesters, were also constructed to house garrisons of between 500 and 1,000 soldiers.
(Image) Right: layout of Brunton turret. The ‘curtain’ wall is a different thickness on each side of the turret. The turret was laid out with short ‘wing’ walls either side. These were supposed to be incorporated within the curtain wall once it was finished. But between completing the section of the Wall to the west and that to the east, the builders were ordered to narrow the curtain wall. This left about 1m of eastern wind-wall exposed”.
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142 |
1 |
| Merrivale Cists |
Burial Chamber or Dolmen |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Merrivale Cist: I've seen quite a few cists, largely in Northumberland, and none this large. Impressive. I tried to persuade Janet to get into the cist to model it, but she politely declined (it would have made a nice refuge for the wind).
At this point, Angie got her dowsing rods out and was meandering around the cist and the stones. Very interesting to watch. |
133 |
5 |
| Smith's Shield Milestone |
Marker Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
4th Jul 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Smith's Shield Roman Milestone (base of): The base of this Roman milestone, located at the northern side of the road which runs east towards Vindolanda, is easy to spot.
A note of warning to future visitors - we had a run in with the AD122 local bus service who told us off for parking in what he thought was a passing place, but wasn't; there was plenty of room for him to pass, and he parked alongside us before he started yelling. I think he...Smith's Shield Roman Milestone (base of): The base of this Roman milestone, located at the northern side of the road which runs east towards Vindolanda, is easy to spot.
A note of warning to future visitors - we had a run in with the AD122 local bus service who told us off for parking in what he thought was a passing place, but wasn't; there was plenty of room for him to pass, and he parked alongside us before he started yelling. I think he just wanted to shout at someone, but it certainly ruined my day.
There is a second, intact milestone at the eastern entrance to Vindolanda, which we have yet to go back and see.
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142 |
3 |
| Merrivale Centre Row |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Merrivale 2/Merrivale Centre Row: As we progressed further south over the moorland, and not far from Merrivale 1 (the northern-most row) at that, the stone rows kept getting better and better.
The row features a triangular blocking stone at the eastern end and twin blocking stones at the western end. It runs for 262.5m from SX 5530 7475 to SX 5556 7478 - see Pastscape 44056. The stones seem to vary in size quite a lot, and generally larger th...Merrivale 2/Merrivale Centre Row: As we progressed further south over the moorland, and not far from Merrivale 1 (the northern-most row) at that, the stone rows kept getting better and better.
The row features a triangular blocking stone at the eastern end and twin blocking stones at the western end. It runs for 262.5m from SX 5530 7475 to SX 5556 7478 - see Pastscape 44056. The stones seem to vary in size quite a lot, and generally larger than those of the northern row/row 1/row A.
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133 |
4 |
| Merrivale Centre N |
Cairn |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Merrivale Centre Cairn with Cist: Half way down Merrivale North (Row A or Row 1), we hopped across to row 2 to take a look at the cairn in the middle of the row. Fascinating. Worried about the complexity of recording all these sites in my photo/walk journal, Angie Lake told me about the Butler "Atlas of Antiquities" series of 5 books, which has hugely increased my understanding of these sites. Thanks, Angie! |
133 |
3 |
| Merrivale North Row |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Merrivale North Row (Merrivale 1): Between the prehistoric settlement and the first of our stone rows for the day, Sandy G had stopped to point out some of the stones of the Great Western Reave.
Continuing on, these stones could be seen from down slope at the Prehistoric Settlement, and proved a tantalising glimpse of what was in store for the rest of the morning. Sandy was amazing at explaining all the different features along the row, inc...Merrivale North Row (Merrivale 1): Between the prehistoric settlement and the first of our stone rows for the day, Sandy G had stopped to point out some of the stones of the Great Western Reave.
Continuing on, these stones could be seen from down slope at the Prehistoric Settlement, and proved a tantalising glimpse of what was in store for the rest of the morning. Sandy was amazing at explaining all the different features along the row, including part of which had recently been restored.
But my goodness, the wind was blowing, and blowing hard. At some points, it was a little tricky to stand upright – thank heavens for my walking poles!
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133 |
2 |
| Peter Hill Roundhouse (Whithorn) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Peter Hill Roundhouse: Part of the visitor experience at the Whithorn Museum. We arrived just after a small guided tour had started. We asked if we could go round after the tour had finished, but were told we could only get in while there was an official guide there. I cheekily asked if we could join the tour for 10 minutes, and to my surprise, were allowed to go in.
I was really surprised and impressed by the inside of the roundhouse - the c...Peter Hill Roundhouse: Part of the visitor experience at the Whithorn Museum. We arrived just after a small guided tour had started. We asked if we could go round after the tour had finished, but were told we could only get in while there was an official guide there. I cheekily asked if we could join the tour for 10 minutes, and to my surprise, were allowed to go in.
I was really surprised and impressed by the inside of the roundhouse - the compartments for privacy, the central fire pits, and the sheer amount of room within it. Shame we didn't have time for the full tour, but I was so keen to see the early Christian stones in the museum.
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136 |
13 |
| Joicey Shaft Cairn |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Joicey Shaft Cairn: I spotted this mound almost by accident as I was photographing Joicey Shaft B from the track. At first I dismissed it as a manure heap, or possible tailings from the leading mining which used to take place here, but the more I walked round it, the more convinced I was it was a cairn, especially with its proximity to the rock art panels on the opposite side of the track, and because the modern field boundary and the track leadi...Joicey Shaft Cairn: I spotted this mound almost by accident as I was photographing Joicey Shaft B from the track. At first I dismissed it as a manure heap, or possible tailings from the leading mining which used to take place here, but the more I walked round it, the more convinced I was it was a cairn, especially with its proximity to the rock art panels on the opposite side of the track, and because the modern field boundary and the track leading N-S to its western side 'bent' round to accommodate most of the barrow.
It is not recorded by HE or Pastscape, but it is on the old OS maps, so has been here for a while.
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141 |
3 |
| Joicey Shaft b |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Joicey Shaft B: This boulder is only 40m or so to the WSW of panel A, and is the only other large boulder in the field near this location. It is propped on top of other stones, part of the demolished field wall that ERA/NADRAP talk about.
ERA/NADRAP talk about two possible cup marks, which I found by comparing the shape of the stone with the NADRAP drawings. We also thought we saw two more, but these may be just solution holes or natural erosi...Joicey Shaft B: This boulder is only 40m or so to the WSW of panel A, and is the only other large boulder in the field near this location. It is propped on top of other stones, part of the demolished field wall that ERA/NADRAP talk about.
ERA/NADRAP talk about two possible cup marks, which I found by comparing the shape of the stone with the NADRAP drawings. We also thought we saw two more, but these may be just solution holes or natural erosion.
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141 |
2 |
| Joicey Shaft a |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Joicey Shaft A: With the most of the rest of the UK enjoying warm sunshine, up in this part of Northumberland, the storm clouds had gathered. Having checked the weather forecast to make sure rain wasn't due to arrive until this evening, we set off to find these rock art panels, within easy reach of a road. This road was marked on the old OS map as a bridle path, but on the modern OS map it is now a metalled, yellow road, indicating it can be driv...Joicey Shaft A: With the most of the rest of the UK enjoying warm sunshine, up in this part of Northumberland, the storm clouds had gathered. Having checked the weather forecast to make sure rain wasn't due to arrive until this evening, we set off to find these rock art panels, within easy reach of a road. This road was marked on the old OS map as a bridle path, but on the modern OS map it is now a metalled, yellow road, indicating it can be driven down.
OK, the road isn't the best, being potholed in parts, but the stone can be found just through a gate across the road at NY 82906 66462. Both boulders are on the northern side of the road, about 40m apart.
Being here was really wierd, as holes had been drilled in the northern-most gatepost, and as the wind howled through them, it played a tune, the 'melody' varying between different notes dependant upon the width of the hole.
I managed to photograph panel A before the rain started to come down, then we had to sit in the car for 10 minutes or so before there was a break in the clouds.
In walking back from panel B, I spotted through the gate on the south side of the road, a lump which looked like a cairn. I almost dismissed it as a farmer's manure dump, but realised the tractor track respected its western side (albeit cutting it a little). Andrew has just pointed out it is shown on the 1860 OS map.
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141 |
1 |
| Tony's Patch 1 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Tony's Patch Rock Art: The information for this nature reserve said there was room to park one car by the stile into the field at NY 81961 65368, and indeed there was, but only just. As we readied ourselves to walk towards the wood, the first spots of rain started, but we decided it would only be a short shower, so thought we'd walk down anyway, and if the rain got heavy, we'd be sheltered in the wood. Ha!
From the stile we headed ENE across ...Tony's Patch Rock Art: The information for this nature reserve said there was room to park one car by the stile into the field at NY 81961 65368, and indeed there was, but only just. As we readied ourselves to walk towards the wood, the first spots of rain started, but we decided it would only be a short shower, so thought we'd walk down anyway, and if the rain got heavy, we'd be sheltered in the wood. Ha!
From the stile we headed ENE across this field of, for the most part, knee high grass, heading towards the gate into the nature reserve. Then followed the path through the wood, finding a small turn off to our right to this stone at about NY 82262 65565. By this time, the rain was hammering down, and we had started to get soaked.
I don't think anyone had been here for some time, as the branches from the trees had grown right over the rock and I kept getting caught up in them.
We eventually found the cup marks at the bottom, right hand side of the rock, where the rock starts to become 'undercut'. We needed to push some of the bracken aside to see them.
I really don't understand how NADRAP could have classified these are having ben made by water running over the rock surface? Where are the water channels that would have worn? Or if these were solution holes, the rock must have been in a different position for these to form.
Having photographed these as best I could in the very low light levels, we headed back to the car. By this time, the grass in the field was wet, but we waded through. I don't think my walking sandals will ever be quite the same!
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141 |
4 |
| Whithorn Museum |
Museum |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
Whithorn Visitor Centre, Museum, Priory and Roundhouse: I can honestly say that I have never felt so welcomed anywhere as being here as a visitor to Whithorn. From the moment we stepped into the Visitor Centre café for refreshments before buying our tickets, then looking around the round house, museum and priory, the staff were attentive, welcoming and made sure we were well looked after.
The café had good food at very reasonable prices, and...Whithorn Visitor Centre, Museum, Priory and Roundhouse: I can honestly say that I have never felt so welcomed anywhere as being here as a visitor to Whithorn. From the moment we stepped into the Visitor Centre café for refreshments before buying our tickets, then looking around the round house, museum and priory, the staff were attentive, welcoming and made sure we were well looked after.
The café had good food at very reasonable prices, and the prices to get into the museum and priory were well below those we'd expected. A small guided tour had just started, but as we wanted to wander round on our own, we elected not to join. However, round at the museum, we learned that we were only able to get into the round house with a guide present, so we were very kindly let into the round house grounds to join the tour for ten minutes or so.
The interior of the round house was much, much bigger and far more practical than I'd ever imagined. The guide spoke with great knowledge about day-to-day living within this space and we had chance to look around the outside at the various tools and farming methods they were using.
We left to go and explore the museum and I was stunned to see the collection of over 60 early Christian stones displayed in this space. I had previously checked with the Whithorn Trust that is was OK to take photographs of the stones for my walk/photo journal, and was told this was OK if it was 'for personal use'. So armed with my camera, I double checked with the guide. The knowledge of the staff member (Ruaridh) and the time he took to talk to us was extraordinary.
After walking round the Priory and trying to recreate some of the photos in the guide book, we returned to the museum for another wander round, but it was closing at 5pm, so we needed to be swift. The one downside was that there was no guide book describing each of the stones, but I was allowed to use the Museum Interactive Display Screen, and to photograph the majority of the screens (a good job, as trying to find the stones on Canmore has proved a little tricky, as many of their entries don't have photographs).
We had time to go back to the Visitor Centre to buy some postcards, and I had my eye on an expensive reference book. With only a few moments to spare before closing, I decided not to buy it, but on getting home regretted my decision. On emailling the team the next day, they organised for me to buy the book, pay over the phone, and arranged for postage. Great customer service!
I also asked for, and received permission, to post a visit report and photographs to the Portal.
I just wish I'd had a whole day to spend here, and would love to return. 150/100 for visitor experience.
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137 |
13 |
| White Cairn (Crouse) |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
White Cairn, Crouse: Our very last stop of this visit, and not a hugely dramatic one. The cairn has been used for field clearance, and there were lumps of concrete, barbed wire and old fence posts dumped at its western side.
Whilst I was photographing the holed stone, I got an excited cry from Andrew, to say; “You can see through the holed stone from the cairn”, so I wandered through the gate between the two fields and walked onto the cairn. Y...White Cairn, Crouse: Our very last stop of this visit, and not a hugely dramatic one. The cairn has been used for field clearance, and there were lumps of concrete, barbed wire and old fence posts dumped at its western side.
Whilst I was photographing the holed stone, I got an excited cry from Andrew, to say; “You can see through the holed stone from the cairn”, so I wandered through the gate between the two fields and walked onto the cairn. Yes, he was right – there was a glimmer of light through the hole, although what it was sighted on, I’m not sure.
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137 |
16 |
| Crow Stone (Wigtown) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Holed Stone/Crow Stone, Crouse: Coming to these last two sites marked the start of our return journey back to Northumberland, and I wasn’t really ready to go back! This stone stood near the northern edge of a field of grass, just east of the B7052, and south of the White Cairn at Crouse.
The field of grass had just been cut and the farmer and his various tractors and trailers were collecting the grass in the surrounding fields and transporting...Holed Stone/Crow Stone, Crouse: Coming to these last two sites marked the start of our return journey back to Northumberland, and I wasn’t really ready to go back! This stone stood near the northern edge of a field of grass, just east of the B7052, and south of the White Cairn at Crouse.
The field of grass had just been cut and the farmer and his various tractors and trailers were collecting the grass in the surrounding fields and transporting it back to Crouse farmhouse, just to the south and on the other side of the road. Because of all the traffic on the road, we dumped the car in a wide gated field entrance at NX 36446 55808, ready to run back to the car if we needed to move it. We got into the field with the holed stone through a gate at NX 36533 55647, walking NE towards it; it was further than it looked, having to step over the mounds of cut grass.
A very nice spot, with the Galloway Hills a dark blue/grey in the distance.
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137 |
15 |
| Little Balsmith |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Little Balsmith/Stairfield Standing Stone: I was very reluctant to tear myself away from Whithorn Museum and Priory, but with it closing at 5pm, we didn’t really have a choice. I popped back into the visitor centre to buy some postcards, then we headed off down the street to buy an Italian Ice Cream, complete with chocolate flake – delicious!
This standing stone is not far out of Whithorn; take the road which heads east past the school, the B7...Little Balsmith/Stairfield Standing Stone: I was very reluctant to tear myself away from Whithorn Museum and Priory, but with it closing at 5pm, we didn’t really have a choice. I popped back into the visitor centre to buy some postcards, then we headed off down the street to buy an Italian Ice Cream, complete with chocolate flake – delicious!
This standing stone is not far out of Whithorn; take the road which heads east past the school, the B7063, and continue for 2.7km.
We had a very strange encounter driving towards the stone, as we came across a car parked across a farm entrance, with one man sprawled across the bonnet with his hands behind his head, the other was leaning up against the passenger side of the car. There was something really odd about this car – it was missing its rear driver side wheel! We waved at each other as we drove past – they didn’t flag us down and ask for help.
On the way back, another car had joined them and the men were talking animatedly. Wonder what had happened for them to lose the wheel.
The standing stone is in a flat plane here, with Wigtown Bay to the east. The road running past the stone continues to the Isle of Whithorn. Again, this stone is ‘a big boy’. Luckily the crop in the field had just been harvested, so I went in to get some photographs from all sides of the stone.
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137 |
14 |
| Kirkmaiden Old Church |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited (still working on) |
18th Jun 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Kirkmaiden Old Church: A very lovely drive along the coast road (A747) through Port William to the golf course. We had difficulty finding the grassy track down to the church, but eventually stumbled upon it using the GPS.
Down a steep cliff on its eastern side, and with steps down to the beach to the west, this is a lovely spot. Whilst we could hear the sea, we couldn’t see it for the trees. The site comprises two very small churches – the o...Kirkmaiden Old Church: A very lovely drive along the coast road (A747) through Port William to the golf course. We had difficulty finding the grassy track down to the church, but eventually stumbled upon it using the GPS.
Down a steep cliff on its eastern side, and with steps down to the beach to the west, this is a lovely spot. Whilst we could hear the sea, we couldn’t see it for the trees. The site comprises two very small churches – the old one to the west of the site, and the new church to the east. The old church really is just a ruin, but almost buried under ivy, it is very atmospheric.
The three cross slabs mentioned in Canmore we could not find– if there was a slab in the fenced enclosure, there were too many weeds to see. Another two are recorded as being in the church, which is padlocked with a huge chain. The padlock seemed so rusty, I’m not sure when it had last been opened.
With time pressing, I really wanted to get to Whithorn, so we went back to the car and drove on.
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137 |
12 |
| Whitefield Loch Crannog |
Crannog |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Saw from a distance |
18th Jun 2019 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
Dorman's Island/Loch Whitefield Crannog (east): We went seeking Dorman’s Island crannog at the eastern side of the loch. Having missed the fisherman's road, and the road being too narrow to turn round, we ended up parking in the fisherman's car park at NX 23531 54887 and walked down the angler’s slipway but the tree cover was too dense to really make out anything. We could just about see round the small headland to our eastern side, and took a co...Dorman's Island/Loch Whitefield Crannog (east): We went seeking Dorman’s Island crannog at the eastern side of the loch. Having missed the fisherman's road, and the road being too narrow to turn round, we ended up parking in the fisherman's car park at NX 23531 54887 and walked down the angler’s slipway but the tree cover was too dense to really make out anything. We could just about see round the small headland to our eastern side, and took a couple of photographs and may have just caught the crannog.
Looking at the Canmore map there is also a Tree Island crannog to the western end of the loch.
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137 |
11 |
| Culroy Cairn 1 |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Culroy Cairn 1: On the way back from Culroy White Cairn, we had intended to stop and photograph another 4 cairns along this road, but the road was far to narrow to park on, and with large tractors and other traffic coming along, I hopped out of the car and photographed this cairn as best I could.
By this time of the afternoon, I was getting twitchy and impatient to get to Whithorn and the museum, with their fantastic collection of cross slabs,...Culroy Cairn 1: On the way back from Culroy White Cairn, we had intended to stop and photograph another 4 cairns along this road, but the road was far to narrow to park on, and with large tractors and other traffic coming along, I hopped out of the car and photographed this cairn as best I could.
By this time of the afternoon, I was getting twitchy and impatient to get to Whithorn and the museum, with their fantastic collection of cross slabs, cross heads and other early Christian stones, so finding an entrance into the field was pretty low priority!
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10 |
| Culroy White Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Culroy White Cairn: The intention was to drive down this minor road, stopping to photograph three cairns to the south of the road on our way to Crouse. However, the road was very, very narrow with no marked passing places (just field entrances and the occasional driveway) and the stone walls were too tall to see over. All we could see in the end was one of these cairns and we could find no entrance/gate into the field, wo we contented ourselves ...Culroy White Cairn: The intention was to drive down this minor road, stopping to photograph three cairns to the south of the road on our way to Crouse. However, the road was very, very narrow with no marked passing places (just field entrances and the occasional driveway) and the stone walls were too tall to see over. All we could see in the end was one of these cairns and we could find no entrance/gate into the field, wo we contented ourselves with photographing the ones we could find.
We drove to where the minor road forks, just to the north west of a farm called Culroy. Taking the northern (left hand) fork, we parked on the short grass. This cairn is at the end of a quarried knoll, and not really obvious until you get up close to it, when the piles of white stones are clearly different from the quarried area around it.
We visited just after a period of dry weather; the ground in front of the cairn was covered in marsh grass, some areas still with small puddles, so wellies would be recommended after a rainy day or two (although you can always approach from the north if needed).
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138 |
9 |
| Mid Gleniron 1 |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Mid Gleniron 1: I was really impressed with this now oval-shaped cairn with its burial chambers and spent ages walking round it and over it. The photographs don’t really do it justice. |
137 |
8 |
| Mid Gleniron 5 |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Mid Gleniron 5: This cairn lies west of track to the farmhouse, south east of the oval cairn, and is very distinct in the field and on the aerial photographs.
The mound of the cairn stood out particularly today as the farmer was spreading the lines of harvested grass to dry as we walked across the field, and he had gone round this cairn with the tractor. |
137 |
7 |
| Mid Gleniron 4 |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Mid Gleniron 4: This is the large bell cairn at the top of the hill, near the farmhouse, which dominates the view as you walk up the track towards the farmhouse.
Access into the field is easy, and it’s possible to walk all the way round the cairn to see its structure and enjoy the views. |
137 |
6 |
| Mid Gleniron 3 |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Mid Gleniron 3: OK, the GPS led me to this spot, but there wasn’t much to see. Had it not been for the sheer number of cows and their calves in the field, I would have gone for a closer look, but bottled out. I photographed this feature by leaning over the dry stone wall. |
137 |
4 |
| Mid Gleniron 2 |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Mid Gleniron 2: Photos taken from NX 18753 60931, I photographed a mound approximately 20 metres to east (right) of track as walked uphill, with a cattle feeder virtually on top.
I wasn’t sure that this was a cairn at all, although Andrew was certain. In fact Canmore shows there are the remains of two cairns here, one at NX 1877 6093,the other at NX 1876 6092. With the cattle feeder placed virtually on top of the cairn at NX 1876 6092 and num...Mid Gleniron 2: Photos taken from NX 18753 60931, I photographed a mound approximately 20 metres to east (right) of track as walked uphill, with a cattle feeder virtually on top.
I wasn’t sure that this was a cairn at all, although Andrew was certain. In fact Canmore shows there are the remains of two cairns here, one at NX 1877 6093,the other at NX 1876 6092. With the cattle feeder placed virtually on top of the cairn at NX 1876 6092 and numerous, very curious cattle in the field, I photographed these from the gate into the field.
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137 |
5 |
| Mid Gleniron Stony Mounds |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Mid Gleniron Stony Mounds: I found these stony mounds as fascinating as the chambered cairns just north of these mounds, so took a few photographs (just in case they were recorded cairns) and grid references. If they are field clearance stones, why place them in different mounds in the same field? And why so many smaller stones? The larger stones are most likely field clearance, but the make up of the mounds is similar to Gleniron 1 to Gleniron 5...Mid Gleniron Stony Mounds: I found these stony mounds as fascinating as the chambered cairns just north of these mounds, so took a few photographs (just in case they were recorded cairns) and grid references. If they are field clearance stones, why place them in different mounds in the same field? And why so many smaller stones? The larger stones are most likely field clearance, but the make up of the mounds is similar to Gleniron 1 to Gleniron 5 inclusive.
There are two mounds on the eastern side of the farm track and another four on the western side.
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137 |
3 |
| Kirkcolm Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Kirkcolm Cross: From the Knock & Maize standing stone we followed the minor roads across this peninsula until we reached the western shores of Loch Ryan, then drove north to Kirkcolm.
This cross slab has quite a complicated history of being sited in different locations (read the Canmore details below). The town has lovely views over Loch Ryan and Cairnryan ferry terminal.
The cross slab is now located in the external western corner of the s...Kirkcolm Cross: From the Knock & Maize standing stone we followed the minor roads across this peninsula until we reached the western shores of Loch Ryan, then drove north to Kirkcolm.
This cross slab has quite a complicated history of being sited in different locations (read the Canmore details below). The town has lovely views over Loch Ryan and Cairnryan ferry terminal.
The cross slab is now located in the external western corner of the south transept (although the building it stands next to looks more like an outhouse).
In the churchyard is an amazing statue of a woman with child clutching her. It looks as if she is a fisherwoman waiting for her man to come home. I guess she would have had views over Loch Ryan but the church building is in the way.
We did go in search of the original site of Kilmore Chapel and St Mary’s Well, to the south of Kirkcolm, but these appear to either be in a field next to a private house, now ploughed out, or partly in their very gated and (rightly so) private garden.
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137 |
2 |
| Knock and Maize |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
18th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Knock & Maize Standing Stone: Lovely views of the sea, but the view of the stone was a little spoilt by its proximity to the telegraph poles. It was only when we got into the field and I was photographing the stone that we realised there was a large herd of bullocks down the bottom end of the field. Half of them stood up, but thankfully they were too lazy to come over and take a closer look.
There were lots of smaller boulders around this sto...Knock & Maize Standing Stone: Lovely views of the sea, but the view of the stone was a little spoilt by its proximity to the telegraph poles. It was only when we got into the field and I was photographing the stone that we realised there was a large herd of bullocks down the bottom end of the field. Half of them stood up, but thankfully they were too lazy to come over and take a closer look.
There were lots of smaller boulders around this stone – field clearance or where the stone has been fractured over the years? There are certainly lots of fracture lines and ‘dings’ on the stone. Perhaps the stones are both.
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137 |
1 |
| Kirkmadrine Church Stones |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Kirkmadrine Old Church & Early Christian Stones: Now this site I was so looking forward to seeing, but in some ways it was the most disappointing.
As we arrived at the foot of the grassy lane to the church, the heavens opened, and my, did it pour. Thankfully, we were sheltered to some extent by the trees on either side of the lane. Eventually, we came to the gate into the churchyard, with the cross on a mound to our right, and the church to ...Kirkmadrine Old Church & Early Christian Stones: Now this site I was so looking forward to seeing, but in some ways it was the most disappointing.
As we arrived at the foot of the grassy lane to the church, the heavens opened, and my, did it pour. Thankfully, we were sheltered to some extent by the trees on either side of the lane. Eventually, we came to the gate into the churchyard, with the cross on a mound to our right, and the church to our left.
The stones were displayed behind glass at the exterior western end of the church. To even see the stones we had to wipe the rain from the glass with a handkerchief. Unfortunately, raindrops had leaked behind the glass, affecting the clarity of our view of the stones. In addition, the light at this time of evening (around 5pm) was bouncing off the glass, and trying to photograph the most impressive, and oldest, stone at the back left hand side (northern) side of the display proved virtually impossible, despite the UV filter, because the reflections of the trees in the glass were too strong. I tried photographing from various angles, but to no real effect.
I went away really disappointed, as these stones are really impressive and I wanted to see more. I did contact Canmore with a photograph a week ago (today is 26th June) but have had no reply apart from an automatic acknowledgement of receiving my message.
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136 |
14 |
| Cairnweil standing stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
South Carnweil Standing Stone: From Kirkmadrine Church, we travelled back along the road eastwards towards the A716, we stopped off to see this standing stone, by a wall, up a hill, but not quite at the top of the hill. It certainly is a big stone.
The road was narrow, so we bumped right up on the grass blocking a gated entrance to a field, ready to run back if we were causing an obstruction. After such a heavy rainstorm not half an hour befor...South Carnweil Standing Stone: From Kirkmadrine Church, we travelled back along the road eastwards towards the A716, we stopped off to see this standing stone, by a wall, up a hill, but not quite at the top of the hill. It certainly is a big stone.
The road was narrow, so we bumped right up on the grass blocking a gated entrance to a field, ready to run back if we were causing an obstruction. After such a heavy rainstorm not half an hour before, we got quite wet walking up the hill, but it was worth it.
In some ways, this made up for not being able to see the stones at Kirkmadrine very well.
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136 |
15 |
| Spittal Croft cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Boreland Cairn: By this time of the afternoon (early evening) I was getting more than a little ‘cairned-out’ having seen, and still trying to make sense of, all those cairns at Torhousekie. But this was a lovely little cairn, complete with sheep warming themselves by the small piles of stones on top of the cairn.
With rain threatening and the dark clouds feeling as if they were virtually overhead, we walked some way up and down both sides of t...Boreland Cairn: By this time of the afternoon (early evening) I was getting more than a little ‘cairned-out’ having seen, and still trying to make sense of, all those cairns at Torhousekie. But this was a lovely little cairn, complete with sheep warming themselves by the small piles of stones on top of the cairn.
With rain threatening and the dark clouds feeling as if they were virtually overhead, we walked some way up and down both sides of the road, both the B733 and the minor road running between the B733 and the B7052, but could find no gate into the field, so photographed the cairn as best I could from the dry stone wall.
We did go further up the road to find the standing stones and cairn at NX 3522 5808 and NX 3528 5819 (Canmore 62860 and 62849 respectively), but the field was jam-packed full of cattle.
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136 |
13 |
| Torhousekie Farm Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Torhousekie Farm Cairn: With tea-time fast approaching and cars whizzing up and down the road at high speed, Andrew pulled into a gateway opposite the cairn whilst I hopped out to take some photos.
It was a lot more interesting than it looked, with definite structures on the sides and top. I could only view it from the field to the east, where part of it protruded into the field, cut by a dry stone wall. |
136 |
12 |
| Torhouse North Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
Torhouse North Cairn (now destroyed): Being so close to the stone row, the stone circle and other cairns, I was curious to see where this cairn might have been, and what views from it. From the Torhousekie North Side Cairn (to the left/west of the track – see above) we continued up the track for another 100m or so. The site of this cairn can be found at the top of a natural knoll with a view of the stone circle below.
There were no signs of t...Torhouse North Cairn (now destroyed): Being so close to the stone row, the stone circle and other cairns, I was curious to see where this cairn might have been, and what views from it. From the Torhousekie North Side Cairn (to the left/west of the track – see above) we continued up the track for another 100m or so. The site of this cairn can be found at the top of a natural knoll with a view of the stone circle below.
There were no signs of the cairn (we looked around for any humps and hollows and stones at the top of the knoll but were unable to find anything), but took some photos showing where it would have been.
Using the zoom lens I took a couple of photos of the stone circle from just below the top of the knoll (see the Torhousekie Stone Circle entry).
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136 |
11 |
| Torhouse North Side Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
Torhouse North Side Cairn: We had the Canmore ID record printed off for this cairn, but we were a little confused. One entry in Canmore said the cairn had been almost entirely removed and the site used as a dump for field clearance stones, but at the grid reference point there was nothing but a ploughed field.
I've marked the location of where the cairn should be with an arrow on the photograph. It is in precisely the location identified by ...Torhouse North Side Cairn: We had the Canmore ID record printed off for this cairn, but we were a little confused. One entry in Canmore said the cairn had been almost entirely removed and the site used as a dump for field clearance stones, but at the grid reference point there was nothing but a ploughed field.
I've marked the location of where the cairn should be with an arrow on the photograph. It is in precisely the location identified by SumDoood, although we could make out nothing on the ground.
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136 |
10 |
| Torhousekie N |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Torhousekie N cairn: We had a cairn further up slope recorded to find, together with one by the farmhouse, so it came as a surprise to find this cairn here. I took some photographs on the day (a few before a heavy shower of rain, one after in the sun), and found out about it later.
Recorded as Canmore 62839, it stands just to the north of a milestone which stands out bright white against the side of the road, and just to the west of a dry sto...Torhousekie N cairn: We had a cairn further up slope recorded to find, together with one by the farmhouse, so it came as a surprise to find this cairn here. I took some photographs on the day (a few before a heavy shower of rain, one after in the sun), and found out about it later.
Recorded as Canmore 62839, it stands just to the north of a milestone which stands out bright white against the side of the road, and just to the west of a dry stone wall. It looks as if it may have been robbed in the middle.
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136 |
9 |
| Torhousekie East |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
|
Torhouseskie Stone Row: Crossing the road from the layby by the stone circle, we entered this field through the gate at NX 38340 56494. This proved a little tricky, as it was two gates bolted together, then tied with multiple loops of string. Whilst I managed to untie the knots, and Andrew and I between us bolted the gates back together, a later visitor told me he’d had to climb the gate!
Three large boulders with some smaller stones between ...Torhouseskie Stone Row: Crossing the road from the layby by the stone circle, we entered this field through the gate at NX 38340 56494. This proved a little tricky, as it was two gates bolted together, then tied with multiple loops of string. Whilst I managed to untie the knots, and Andrew and I between us bolted the gates back together, a later visitor told me he’d had to climb the gate!
Three large boulders with some smaller stones between them. Standing on this small knoll, looking south towards the River Bladnoch, with the stone circle to our south west, and cairns to the west, it felt like a very prehistoric landscape.
Whilst the stone circle was proving very popular with visitors who came and went every five or ten minutes, only one other of the visitors came across to see the stone row.
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136 |
8 |
| Torhousekie Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited (still working on) |
17th Jun 2019 |
|
|
|
Torhouskie Standing Stone: At the time of our visit, the only route to this stone was either along the very busy minor road then down the farm track (didn't fancy getting run over as sight lines for cars weren't very good) or across the field. With The Huge Bull standing guard, and watching our every move, we had a quick chat with another visitor who was keen to see the stones, we decided we were not brave enough to risk it!
Seeing SumDoood's ...Torhouskie Standing Stone: At the time of our visit, the only route to this stone was either along the very busy minor road then down the farm track (didn't fancy getting run over as sight lines for cars weren't very good) or across the field. With The Huge Bull standing guard, and watching our every move, we had a quick chat with another visitor who was keen to see the stones, we decided we were not brave enough to risk it!
Seeing SumDoood's photographs of this stone on the site page, the size of the stone is very similar in size and shape to the one lying in the field just to the east of the stone circle.
On my list for another visit.
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136 |
7 |
| Torhousekie Stones East |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Torhouseskie Stones East: To be found in the field immediately to the east of the Torhousekie Stone Circles, one of these stones was most certainly the size of the boulders used in the stone circle, although because of the sheer number of cattle (and The Huge Bull) around these stones (and the deep puddles around them and in the adjacent field) we didn't go and investigate further. I then got chatting to another gentleman with his camera who was...Torhouseskie Stones East: To be found in the field immediately to the east of the Torhousekie Stone Circles, one of these stones was most certainly the size of the boulders used in the stone circle, although because of the sheer number of cattle (and The Huge Bull) around these stones (and the deep puddles around them and in the adjacent field) we didn't go and investigate further. I then got chatting to another gentleman with his camera who was also keen to investigate the stones, but taking one look at the cattle and The Huge Bull, we looked at each other and said 'No'.
I confess that even having printed off all the Canmore and Stone Rows of Great Britain records for this immediate area, I'd misread the grid reference and thought these stones were the ones to the south west of the circle (see Torhousekie South West Stones) and only realised my mistake when looking at the photographs and Canmore site together at home later. Although there appears to be a stone marked just to the east of the stone circle on Sandy G's plan of alignments at Torhousekie, which still confuses me - I need to check with Sandy.
Even to my untrained eye, it looked like large field clearance boulders had been dumped next to the large boulder. I have since read Sandy G's visit report, which confirms his thinking that these are field clearance stones, but their proximity to the stone circle has influenced thinking as to what they are interpreted as.
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139 |
6 |
| Torhousekie stone circle |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Torhouskie Stone Circle: Our second stone circle of the day, and right next to the road. Contained by a fence to protect it from the huge cattle in the next field, this is a lovely little stone circle. We were at this site for what must have been an hour. Just after we arrived, a large ‘white van’ pulled up right behind us and sat there for almost half an hour before leaving; I had to be careful not to get it in my photographs. This stone circl...Torhouskie Stone Circle: Our second stone circle of the day, and right next to the road. Contained by a fence to protect it from the huge cattle in the next field, this is a lovely little stone circle. We were at this site for what must have been an hour. Just after we arrived, a large ‘white van’ pulled up right behind us and sat there for almost half an hour before leaving; I had to be careful not to get it in my photographs. This stone circle was very popular with visitors, most of whom let themselves in through the kissing gate, walked to the information sign, then left within about five minutes.
This was the first time I used my wide angled lens, and I wasn’t sure how the focus on the photos was turning out, so I took some photos with my normal zoom to stitch together. Whilst we were there, the heavens opened for a short while, with needle-like shards of rain coming straight at my face thanks to the wind gusting across this fairly open piece of land.
I was struck how near the stone circle was to the River Bladnoch to the south of the stone circle, which glinted in the strong sunlight, in between rain showers.
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139 |
5 |
| The Sill |
Museum |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2019 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
The Sill, Once Brewed: After visiting Great Chesters/Aesica, we popped over to the Sill for a cup of tea and a bowl of soup. It took three attempts to get our (simple) order correct, although as the Sill was popular with walkers, it meant queuing up each time to get the correct items.
I was curious to see if Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group had their display about their surveys at Edges Green and Cleughfoot. We walked round the ver...The Sill, Once Brewed: After visiting Great Chesters/Aesica, we popped over to the Sill for a cup of tea and a bowl of soup. It took three attempts to get our (simple) order correct, although as the Sill was popular with walkers, it meant queuing up each time to get the correct items.
I was curious to see if Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group had their display about their surveys at Edges Green and Cleughfoot. We walked round the very small exhibition, which included a piece of rock art (on loan from the Great North Museum) and an inscribed Roman stone, but could see nothing from the group.
It was difficult to know if the display was aimed at adults or children; having wandered around it, most of it seemed aimed at the younger age group.
A pleasant place for a rest and refreshments, but I had expected more of a museum.
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140 |
3 |
| Aescia Roman Fort |
Stone Fort or Dun |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Aesica (Great Chesters) Roman Fort: In a repeat of our last visit in November 2016 (when we came here to see where the Roman aqueduct finished) we parked just off the small, gated road at NY 70421 66432, by the track leading up to Modern Farm and the Hadrian’s Wall Path.
Whilst I was photographing the inside of the fort, Andrew hopped over the stile at NY 70443 66807 and walked down the slope. As well as seeing a large stone with carved edgin...Aesica (Great Chesters) Roman Fort: In a repeat of our last visit in November 2016 (when we came here to see where the Roman aqueduct finished) we parked just off the small, gated road at NY 70421 66432, by the track leading up to Modern Farm and the Hadrian’s Wall Path.
Whilst I was photographing the inside of the fort, Andrew hopped over the stile at NY 70443 66807 and walked down the slope. As well as seeing a large stone with carved edging embedded in the dry stone wall, he identified the site of the bath house, previously earthed over by English Heritage to preserve it, as some stone were sticking out of the dry earth. Just down the slope was a piped spring which emerged into a modern cattle trough. Was this the spring that served the bath house?
The bath house, visible on UK Grid Finder, is centred on NY 70473 66733; the spring emerges at NY 70473 66698.
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140 |
1 |
| Aesica Vallum Round Barrow |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Aesica Vallum Tumulus: This tumulus is marked on the OS map and recorded in Pastcape. As we were nearby, and the tumulus was a simple walk along the metalled road, we walked along to take a look. The field had just been harvested, so we popped in to take a quick look.
Just to the south of the tumulus is the course of the vallum, parts of which are visible to the south west of the tumulus, between the tumulus and the dry stone wall, running wes...Aesica Vallum Tumulus: This tumulus is marked on the OS map and recorded in Pastcape. As we were nearby, and the tumulus was a simple walk along the metalled road, we walked along to take a look. The field had just been harvested, so we popped in to take a quick look.
Just to the south of the tumulus is the course of the vallum, parts of which are visible to the south west of the tumulus, between the tumulus and the dry stone wall, running west. At first, we thought this was the barrow, as it is much more obvious in the field, but looking closely at the map on our phones, we realised it was indeed the vallum and the barrow was further north.
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140 |
2 |
| Bladnoch |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Bladnoch Standing Stone: We found this stone very hard to spot, eventually parking outside the cottages opposite the dry stone wall the stone was in and walked up and down the road with our GPS. We eventually spotted it by looking along the drystone wall and seeing where the tallest stone poking out of the wall was.
The stone was almost completely covered by wild roses, nettles and brambles, but we managed to push them gently to one side to ta...Bladnoch Standing Stone: We found this stone very hard to spot, eventually parking outside the cottages opposite the dry stone wall the stone was in and walked up and down the road with our GPS. We eventually spotted it by looking along the drystone wall and seeing where the tallest stone poking out of the wall was.
The stone was almost completely covered by wild roses, nettles and brambles, but we managed to push them gently to one side to take a photograph.
We did look for an entrance into the field by the river to look at the other side, but did not see one.
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139 |
4 |
| St. Kennera's Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Kennera's Cross, Kirkinner: It took a little bit of doing to contact the vicar at Kirkinner – numerous phone calls, but no answer, then an email to which there was initially no reply, so I'd crossed this cross slab off our visit list.
An email eventually came through whilst we were near Castle Douglas, travelling down the A75, giving the name and phone number of the church officer. On phoning the number, I was very kindly told the church w...St Kennera's Cross, Kirkinner: It took a little bit of doing to contact the vicar at Kirkinner – numerous phone calls, but no answer, then an email to which there was initially no reply, so I'd crossed this cross slab off our visit list.
An email eventually came through whilst we were near Castle Douglas, travelling down the A75, giving the name and phone number of the church officer. On phoning the number, I was very kindly told the church was open today until 5pm, although it could be arranged to opened it Tuesday if necessary.
We eventually arrived at the church mid-afternoon. The church felt cold, lonely and neglected, the cross slab a mere by-thought in the north eastern corner, by the kettles and cups. We did try and get a photograph from the gallery, but a notice told us the stairs were too dangerous to use.
We later saw similar cross slabs at Whithorn Museum, and were told that the stone these slabs were made of was very difficult to carve as the stone flaked away at an angle from the carving, and they often broke.
It took a little while of looking at it to see the 'armpits' of the cross (carved running into the circular holes of the cross) and to see the shape of the cross itself.
The guide at Whithorn was surprised we managed to get into the church.
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139 |
3 |
| Minnigaff Old Church |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited (still working on) |
17th Jun 2019 |
|
|
|
Cross Slabs, Minnigaff Old Church: The Canmore record says clearly that these two cross slabs are within the ruins of the old church at Minnigaff. We found these enigmatic ruins easily, within the burial ground of the modern-day church. However, the stones have been moved inside the modern church, and there is an information board just to the north of the west door into the church. I was very disappointed. I have sent Canmore a message, which t...Cross Slabs, Minnigaff Old Church: The Canmore record says clearly that these two cross slabs are within the ruins of the old church at Minnigaff. We found these enigmatic ruins easily, within the burial ground of the modern-day church. However, the stones have been moved inside the modern church, and there is an information board just to the north of the west door into the church. I was very disappointed. I have sent Canmore a message, which they've acknowledged, so they can update their webpage for future visitors.
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139 |
2 |
| Temple of Mithras (Carrawburgh) |
Ancient Temple |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Temple of Mithras, Brocolita: This being a Sunday, there was a constant stream of visitors, most of whom ignored the fort and came straight down to the temple. I had hoped for bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds, which there had been at Great Chesters a couple of hours earlier.
Nothing much in the temple had changed since 2014, although I spotted more details on the altar stones this time, and took a few more photographs. Having just re...Temple of Mithras, Brocolita: This being a Sunday, there was a constant stream of visitors, most of whom ignored the fort and came straight down to the temple. I had hoped for bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds, which there had been at Great Chesters a couple of hours earlier.
Nothing much in the temple had changed since 2014, although I spotted more details on the altar stones this time, and took a few more photographs. Having just re-read Pastscape 1013363, "Replicas of the internal fittings have been fitted in cast stone", which came as a bit of a surprise!
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140 |
5 |
| Carrawburgh Roman Fort |
Stone Fort or Dun |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2019 |
2 |
|
4 |
Carrawburgh Roman Fort/Brocolitia: When I last came here in 2014 there was a £4 charge for the car park which allowed you to also park at Housesteads and at other car parks at locations along the wall. Today, the machine has been upgraded and it is £1 for up to one hour. Other charges apply beyond that time. Having been to the Sill and paid to park there, we thought that charge covered this car park as well, but we had no receipt to leave in the ...Carrawburgh Roman Fort/Brocolitia: When I last came here in 2014 there was a £4 charge for the car park which allowed you to also park at Housesteads and at other car parks at locations along the wall. Today, the machine has been upgraded and it is £1 for up to one hour. Other charges apply beyond that time. Having been to the Sill and paid to park there, we thought that charge covered this car park as well, but we had no receipt to leave in the car, so we paid our £1 again.
The sign at the entrance to the fort reads: “Carrawburgh (Procolitia) AD 134-383.
Garrisoned successively by the Aquitani, Cugerni and, in the third century, the Batavi; infantry units 500 strong. This was the last fort to be added to Hadrian’s Wall and obliterates the vallum. / Permissable access to the fort. No access to the trail. Please do not leave litter or disturb the cattle and sheep. Dogs to be kept on a lead. J. du Cane. Freeholder.”
The earthworks are nowhere near as impressive as the remains of Great Chesters Rman fort, further to the west, but it is a sizeable fort. We walked around the eastern, southern and western sides of the earthworks; some remains of the ramparts on the western side remains. We needed to walk back to the south eastern corner to go through the gate to the path down to the Temple of Mithras.
On our way back, Andrew went off the track to try and find a tumulus nearby. This had all but disappeared and we were unable to locate it, but we came across a spring, marked by a wooden post (as Robin Hood’s Well in Chollerton), with large stones and boulders piled up around a drinking trough. The spring is marked on the HE map of the area but no formal records of it (for photos see my separate entry below).
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140 |
4 |
| Roman Cross (Sheepstor) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Roman Cross, Sheepstor: After having been to Whittenknowles, Drizzlecomb & Yellowmead, we drove back through Sheepstor and I asked to be able to stop and photograph this cross, which I'd seen on the way, just outside St. Leonard’s Church in Sheepstor village.
The cross has been restored, and almost looks modern, but reading its relatively complicated history, it is fortunate to have survived (see the references in the main site page text).
...Roman Cross, Sheepstor: After having been to Whittenknowles, Drizzlecomb & Yellowmead, we drove back through Sheepstor and I asked to be able to stop and photograph this cross, which I'd seen on the way, just outside St. Leonard’s Church in Sheepstor village.
The cross has been restored, and almost looks modern, but reading its relatively complicated history, it is fortunate to have survived (see the references in the main site page text).
The cross is in a lovely location, and I would have loved to have had time to pop into the church, but my aching feet and the need for a meal and a drink dictated otherwise!
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134 |
15 |
| St Leonard's Well (Sheepstor) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
St Leonard's Holy Well, Sheepstor: I spotted this well as we were driving down to the car park near Whittenknowles and we stopped to photograph it on the way back.
The sunshine was really, really bright coming over the wall, so the few photos I took worked out best looking at the well from an angle. The well was completely dry, with the well structure full of ferns and weeds.
Our last stop of the day before going for an ice cold drink at P...St Leonard's Holy Well, Sheepstor: I spotted this well as we were driving down to the car park near Whittenknowles and we stopped to photograph it on the way back.
The sunshine was really, really bright coming over the wall, so the few photos I took worked out best looking at the well from an angle. The well was completely dry, with the well structure full of ferns and weeds.
Our last stop of the day before going for an ice cold drink at Princetown.
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134 |
16 |
| Bennet's Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
15th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Bennet's Cross, Devon: Not on our schedule for the day, but as we drove right past this cross, we pulled over in the small car park just to the eastern side of the B3212to take a closer look at this cross and to take some photographs. A slight problem on the morning, as the car park, even before 9.30am was chock-a-block with a party of ‘twitchers’, so as our car was blocking some of theirs in, Andrew stayed with the car and I ran over to the cros...Bennet's Cross, Devon: Not on our schedule for the day, but as we drove right past this cross, we pulled over in the small car park just to the eastern side of the B3212to take a closer look at this cross and to take some photographs. A slight problem on the morning, as the car park, even before 9.30am was chock-a-block with a party of ‘twitchers’, so as our car was blocking some of theirs in, Andrew stayed with the car and I ran over to the cross.
The early morning sunshine was really bright, so parts of the cross were in deep shade. I did see the carved WB on the cross, but the shadows were really deep. The intention was to stop on the way back and photograph the cross in a different light, but we were so tired at the end of the day, I forgot.
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134 |
1 |
| Glenquicken Circle |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
17th Jun 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Glenquicken Stone Circle:
Our first stop of the day, and in a delightfully rural location. There was a small layby just to the east of a bridge over Englishman’s Burn at NX 50847 58492 which was large enough for one car. Walking to the gate into the field at NX 50904 58456, the gate had been tied up with the Gordian Knott, but was eventually undone. There was an easy enough walk of a couple of hundred meters across a lush field of knee deep pas...Glenquicken Stone Circle:
Our first stop of the day, and in a delightfully rural location. There was a small layby just to the east of a bridge over Englishman’s Burn at NX 50847 58492 which was large enough for one car. Walking to the gate into the field at NX 50904 58456, the gate had been tied up with the Gordian Knott, but was eventually undone. There was an easy enough walk of a couple of hundred meters across a lush field of knee deep pasture and wild flowers.
The stone circle was indeed over a fence topped with barbed wire, but a gate to its east at NX 51057 58211 (opposite a modern cairn) let us in to the field, and we followed the small trails through the grass where other people had walked.
This was the first stone circle I’ve seen with a large central stone – can’t recall seeing any like this in Northumberland.
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139 |
1 |
| Merrivale settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
14th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Merrivale Prehistoric Settlement: This was our first stop of the day as part of a three day guided tour by Sandy G, who certainly knew his way around this site, and all the others in this Bronze Age complex.
We parked in the small car park at SX 55311 75018 and, having introduced ourselves to the rest of Sandy's small Expeditionary Force, we walked the short distance onto the moor to start at this site. With the nearer stone rows within site ...Merrivale Prehistoric Settlement: This was our first stop of the day as part of a three day guided tour by Sandy G, who certainly knew his way around this site, and all the others in this Bronze Age complex.
We parked in the small car park at SX 55311 75018 and, having introduced ourselves to the rest of Sandy's small Expeditionary Force, we walked the short distance onto the moor to start at this site. With the nearer stone rows within site just at the top of the hill, expectations for an exciting rest of the day rose rapidly.
The only downside was the absolutely howling wind that blew throughout the day, sometimes makingit difficult to stand upright. However, it was a cheap way of exfoliating!
I found out when copying photos from the memory card of my camera to my computer that the external GPS device on my camera had stopped working, so I was unable to identify the precise locations of the hut circles I photographed.
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133 |
1 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 34 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock 34: see main visit report for Alnmouth Wall Rock 32. |
138 |
2 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 36 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock Panel 36: For main visit report see AWR Panel 32. Trying to match these panels with the photos on the ERA records was interesting, but using the grid references taken with our GPS and the photos, I've managed this as best I can. |
138 |
3 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 37 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock Panel 37: See visit report for Alnmouth Wall Rock Panel 32 |
138 |
4 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 32 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock Panels, Alnmouth: A short walk up a lane towards the trig point, with some very friendly horses in the field and some lovely views over the sea and beach. The wall runs for quite a long way, with its eastern side up a slope so it was a little precarious (for those who don't like slopes!) to photograph those panels.
If you visit, there were many, many rabbit holes, so be careful when walking, especially around the trees and t...Alnmouth Wall Rock Panels, Alnmouth: A short walk up a lane towards the trig point, with some very friendly horses in the field and some lovely views over the sea and beach. The wall runs for quite a long way, with its eastern side up a slope so it was a little precarious (for those who don't like slopes!) to photograph those panels.
If you visit, there were many, many rabbit holes, so be careful when walking, especially around the trees and the base of the wall.
I have recorded these panels in the order we saw them on the day. Some of the wall was hidden by wooden fencing (a small fenced off area for farm bits and pieces) and brambles/barbed wire, Many panels at the base and top of the wall are covered by turf, so we only managed to see 11 out of 39.
I have three panels I'm trying to match up my photos with those recorded on ERA (138.7, 8 and 11). Despite having reasonably accurate grid references, it's been a bit of a challenge to match up the and will add these when I can.
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138 |
1 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 15 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock 15: on top of panel 16. For main visit report see Alnmouth Wall Rock 32. |
138 |
5 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 26 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock 26: for main visit report see Alnmouth Wall Rock 32. |
138 |
10 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 24 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock 24: for main visit report see Alnmouth Wall Rock 32. |
138 |
9 |
| Alnmouth Wall Rock 16 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alnmouth Wall Rock 16: for main visit report see Alnmouth Wall Rock 32 |
138 |
6 |
| St Laurence's Church (Bradford on Avon) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Wiltshire |
Visited |
17th May 2019 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
St Laurence's Church, Bradford on Avon: From Wells, we had to decide which church was going to be the very last visit of our Dartmoor Expedition, as we were rapidly running out of time – Deerhurst or Bradford-On-Avon. In the end, the decision was down to knowing that St. Laurence’s Church would be open, although only until about 5pm or 5.30pm, so the race was on to battle the traffic to get here in time. Eventually we made it with about 45 minut...St Laurence's Church, Bradford on Avon: From Wells, we had to decide which church was going to be the very last visit of our Dartmoor Expedition, as we were rapidly running out of time – Deerhurst or Bradford-On-Avon. In the end, the decision was down to knowing that St. Laurence’s Church would be open, although only until about 5pm or 5.30pm, so the race was on to battle the traffic to get here in time. Eventually we made it with about 45 minutes to spare, managing to park just round the corner from both St. Laurence’s and Holy Trinity.
What a treasure! I’d read that it was as complete as Escombe Saxon Church, but it felt so different – more doorways and very, very dark. The only spotlights were on the angels over the chancel archway, a small light in the sanctuary, then the rest through the narrow doorways and tiny windows.
The church was a real tourist magnet and I had to wait several times to get a shot without people in the photo. I’m sure I annoyed everyone with my flash, but that was the only way I could photograph the stone fragments.
I’m really pleased I’d printed of the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture pages before we went, as I understood what I saw at the time. I put my papers down to take a photograph of the altar, coming out of the sanctuary to find someone had picked them up and was reading them. I had to ask nicely for them back and explain these were mine, but there was a leaflet in a box on the south wall of the nave.
I was really sad we couldn’t get this little church to ourselves for ten minutes or so. We ended up having 15 minutes to look into Holy Trinity Church opposite, only to almost get locked in, although we spent 10 minutes or so talking to the very knowledgeable church warden. Then we walked around the town after to avoid the queues of traffic that had built up.
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136 |
4 |
| St Andrew's Well (Wells) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Somerset |
Saw from a distance |
17th May 2019 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
St Andrew's Well, Wells Cathedral: After having had an abortive trip trying to find the sculptured Anglo Saxon stones (now shut up in boxes and cages on the triforium, only accessible by cathedral staff) I only photographed this through the hole in the garden wall separating the cathedral from the Bishop’s Palace. We didn’t have time to go to the Palace as we needed to beat the traffic and get to Deerhurst or Bradford on Avon before the churches ...St Andrew's Well, Wells Cathedral: After having had an abortive trip trying to find the sculptured Anglo Saxon stones (now shut up in boxes and cages on the triforium, only accessible by cathedral staff) I only photographed this through the hole in the garden wall separating the cathedral from the Bishop’s Palace. We didn’t have time to go to the Palace as we needed to beat the traffic and get to Deerhurst or Bradford on Avon before the churches shut for the evening.
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136 |
3 |
| Wells Cathedral |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Somerset |
Visited |
17th May 2019 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
AS Corpus Wells 4, Wells Cathedral: We'd been seriously held up by traffic on the major and minor roads from Exeter to Wells, then by seriously slow roadworks, so were really rushed for time. I'd previously contacted the cathedral to find out if it was possible to see AS Corpus Wells 3, which the Corpus said was in the cathedral store, but the cathedral said they were unable (unwilling) to find it. Thinking the other fragments would be on displa...AS Corpus Wells 4, Wells Cathedral: We'd been seriously held up by traffic on the major and minor roads from Exeter to Wells, then by seriously slow roadworks, so were really rushed for time. I'd previously contacted the cathedral to find out if it was possible to see AS Corpus Wells 3, which the Corpus said was in the cathedral store, but the cathedral said they were unable (unwilling) to find it. Thinking the other fragments would be on display, we still went to the Cathedral. Throwing the car into a car park just inside the city centre, I managed to photograph the Market Cross/Bishop Beckington's Conduit before going to the Cathedral.
I showed one of the guides the AS Corpus notes and asked if he knew where they might be on display and were told ‘try the undercroft’. Nothing of note in there – it was very bare with very little displayed.
After wandering up and down the nave and chancel, I stopped another guide, showed her my notes, explained I’d previously emailed. She told me one of the stones was in the library, but a special tour had just started and it would be at least an hour before we could get in, and to look at the fragments built into the walls of the cloisters. She then said she’d find one of the vergers and ask him if he knew where the others were.
Eventually, this very kind lady came to find us and took us to the verger’s office, where he looked at my papers. “Oh, yes”, he said, “I remember the email. Everything is now in storage in the triforium, either in boxes or cages, and can’t be accessed.” “That’s disappointing”, I replied, “why did no one tell me that in the email reply?” We were dismissed without a further word, with the verger turning back to another visitor to his office.
We went to find a late lunch in the cathedral cafeteria, only to find it almost empty and only serving coffee and cakes. We left, rapidly, with only a few postcards as souvenirs, and feeling the cathedral had been stripped bare of its medieval treasures and soul.
Not a very satisfactory visit, possibly spoiled by the huge rush we'd been in, the lack of finding the recorded stones on display and being badgered on several occasions to make donations.
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136 |
2 |
| Duddo Five Stones |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
29th May 2019 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Duddo Five Stones, Northumberland: We had three tries at reaching this stone circle, until we discovered the actual, relatively new 'permissive path'. Our first attempt was using the footpath to the north of the stones, but the footpath had been ploughed out and we had to retrace our steps. Then we used the marked footpath which ran from NT 93907 42659, through the Duddo Farm cottages onto open land full of wild flowers, to NT 93495 43489, where ...Duddo Five Stones, Northumberland: We had three tries at reaching this stone circle, until we discovered the actual, relatively new 'permissive path'. Our first attempt was using the footpath to the north of the stones, but the footpath had been ploughed out and we had to retrace our steps. Then we used the marked footpath which ran from NT 93907 42659, through the Duddo Farm cottages onto open land full of wild flowers, to NT 93495 43489, where we could see the stones atop a small rise in the field. Andrew walked further on to see if there was a footpath from the north/north east, but nothing, so we decided to follow the tractor tracks through the wheat field, to NT 93084 43470, where we spotted a line of marked canes and a proper path through the crop to the stones – this was the last part of the permissive footpath, which we followed up to the stones.
Stan Beckensall is certainly right in saying this is a spectacular site – the views all around are amazing, and far-reaching. The stones are very attractive, with their very fluted profiles.
There is an interpretation board (put up by DEFRA, facing away from the stone circle, at NT 92968 43718.
I took my time photographing the stones from different angles, and each individual stone. I did manage to catch the four cup marks on the eastern most stone, but how ERA/NADRAF spotted these amongst the natural features, I’m not sure!
We followed the permissive footpath all the way back down to the road, to the west of the village, running from NT 93221 42619 all the way to the stones. There were a number of cars parked here (there wasn’t when we drove past the first time), together with a small sign saying ‘stone circle’ (which I’d missed) and also a sign explaining about the permissive footpath).
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137 |
1 |
| St Mary's Well (New Etal) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
29th May 2019 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
St Mary's Well, New Etal: The ford across the river from Etal village was pretty high, so we decided not to chance wading across it, but drove round to New Etal and used the farm tracks to walk back down to the western side of the ford to find the remains of this chantry chapel and well.
No signs of the chantry chapel - the foundations are now mostly under the river. All that remains of the well is a rectangular concrete slab with a modern s...St Mary's Well, New Etal: The ford across the river from Etal village was pretty high, so we decided not to chance wading across it, but drove round to New Etal and used the farm tracks to walk back down to the western side of the ford to find the remains of this chantry chapel and well.
No signs of the chantry chapel - the foundations are now mostly under the river. All that remains of the well is a rectangular concrete slab with a modern small drain cover at its western side and an access hole to the side nearest the river.
It is a peaceful spot and worth the walk, even though there wasn't a lot to see.
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137 |
2 |
| High Moorland Visitor Centre |
Museum |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
17th May 2019 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Princetown Visitor Centre, second visit: We had arranged to meet one of Sandy G's intrepid Dartmoor Explorers here at around 10.30am, to have a final look around before starting our journey back home. .
I confess to being really disappointed with this Centre as there was only the cast of a standing/inscribed stone and a prehistoric trackway. There were lots of information banners and photographs. The main entrance was really a shop front for c...Princetown Visitor Centre, second visit: We had arranged to meet one of Sandy G's intrepid Dartmoor Explorers here at around 10.30am, to have a final look around before starting our journey back home. .
I confess to being really disappointed with this Centre as there was only the cast of a standing/inscribed stone and a prehistoric trackway. There were lots of information banners and photographs. The main entrance was really a shop front for cards, maps, books and guide books. I photographed the stone then we left to start the journey home.
The centre was advertising an exhibition due to arrive shortly.
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136 |
1 |
| Holy Well (Belstone) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Belstone Spring Head: From the village green, we decided to walk to the well, following the lane past the church and turning right (ESE) onto the common ground/moorland.
Located almost immediately opposite a large pub, and just down slope, this was a lovely location which attracted families and dog walkers.
No water flowing at the time of our visit (the well chamber/basin was just muddy with nettles and ferns growing in it) but there were p...Belstone Spring Head: From the village green, we decided to walk to the well, following the lane past the church and turning right (ESE) onto the common ground/moorland.
Located almost immediately opposite a large pub, and just down slope, this was a lovely location which attracted families and dog walkers.
No water flowing at the time of our visit (the well chamber/basin was just muddy with nettles and ferns growing in it) but there were pools of water bubbling from the ground around it. Some of the ground was fairly boggy, but I managed to get close enough to look in the well chamber.
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132 |
14 |
| Belstone Ring Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ring headed cross at St Mary The Virgin, Belstone: A lovely little village, with not only the ring headed cross in the church but the Coronation Stone and the old stocks on the village green.
The church has a lovely atmosphere, tucked away to the west of the little village shop cum pub. The church had a slim guide book which made interesting reading, and I went through it during our visit to make sure we didn’t miss anything special.
The r...Ring headed cross at St Mary The Virgin, Belstone: A lovely little village, with not only the ring headed cross in the church but the Coronation Stone and the old stocks on the village green.
The church has a lovely atmosphere, tucked away to the west of the little village shop cum pub. The church had a slim guide book which made interesting reading, and I went through it during our visit to make sure we didn’t miss anything special.
The ring-headed cross is against the south wall of the church, near where the nave and sanctuary join. It’s base had been covered with an Easter scene.
We wandered back to the village green and had tea and cake in the Old Schoolroom Tearooms. This was to be my first experience of “toilet twinning” – there were photos of toilets in other countries that the tearoom toilet had been twinned with – brilliant!)
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132 |
13 |
| Belstone Boundary Marker |
Marker Stone |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Belstone Boundary Marker: Only 1km from the Sticklepath Boundary Stone, this supposedly pre-Conquest stone at the junction of the B3260 and a minor dead-end road which goes north east to a farm.
I got some strange stares from the cars as I photographed this stone, which is no longer on the parish boundary, presumably to accommodate road improvements. Had it not been for the busy road, this would have been in a gloriously peaceful countryside ...Belstone Boundary Marker: Only 1km from the Sticklepath Boundary Stone, this supposedly pre-Conquest stone at the junction of the B3260 and a minor dead-end road which goes north east to a farm.
I got some strange stares from the cars as I photographed this stone, which is no longer on the parish boundary, presumably to accommodate road improvements. Had it not been for the busy road, this would have been in a gloriously peaceful countryside location, with lovely views northwards (the hedge to the south was too tall to see over).
I think the description in the Pastscape entry has been confused with the Sticklepath BS, near Lady Well, as this stone is triangular in shape and the only marking we could see was a partial bench mark on its front.
The acute angle of the minor road junction with the B3260 made the turn right out of the busy road a little tricky, but possible after waiting for a sufficiently large gap in the traffic.
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132 |
12 |
| Sticklepath Boundary Marker |
Marker Stone |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Sticklepath Inscribed Boundary Stone: This stone is only within 20m of Lady Well, separated by a minor road junction. At the time of our visit, the ambience was spoilt by roadworks which had been set up next to, and almost up to it.
With the stone sitting on top of a retaining wall between the pavement and the main road running through Sticklepath, and a footpath running up slope to its WSW side, Andrew stepped onto the bank and photographed ...Sticklepath Inscribed Boundary Stone: This stone is only within 20m of Lady Well, separated by a minor road junction. At the time of our visit, the ambience was spoilt by roadworks which had been set up next to, and almost up to it.
With the stone sitting on top of a retaining wall between the pavement and the main road running through Sticklepath, and a footpath running up slope to its WSW side, Andrew stepped onto the bank and photographed all sides of it for me at close quarters.
Despite peering closely at each side of the stone, we were unable to make out any clear carvings on it at all. The only thing that was clear was the hole for the ball finial which topped the stone at some time in its past.
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132 |
11 |
| Lady Well (Sticklepath) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
Lady Well, Sticklepath: This well is right beside the road. The grid reference given by Pastscape must be the original site of the well, as it actually is at SX 63904 94124.
The ambience of the well was dreadful at the time of our visit, as it sat immediately next to a set of roadworks, and also in deep shade at the time of our visit. Pleased to have seen it, and ticked it off our list, but that’s about all.
The boundary marker is nearby, ...Lady Well, Sticklepath: This well is right beside the road. The grid reference given by Pastscape must be the original site of the well, as it actually is at SX 63904 94124.
The ambience of the well was dreadful at the time of our visit, as it sat immediately next to a set of roadworks, and also in deep shade at the time of our visit. Pleased to have seen it, and ticked it off our list, but that’s about all.
The boundary marker is nearby, just up hill, literally on the other side of the road junction.
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132 |
10 |
| Sticklepath Methodist Chapel Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Sticklepath Methodist Chapel Cross: A very small cross with socket stone being used as a coping stone on the apex of the roof of the Methodist Chapel.
To see the cross better, we let ourselves into the small ‘garden’ of the chapel (being used as a dump for building materials and rubble), and took a bit of a blurred photo. It does seem like a wayside cross in complete miniature, but instinct tells me it’s just a fancy roof finial which has bee...Sticklepath Methodist Chapel Cross: A very small cross with socket stone being used as a coping stone on the apex of the roof of the Methodist Chapel.
To see the cross better, we let ourselves into the small ‘garden’ of the chapel (being used as a dump for building materials and rubble), and took a bit of a blurred photo. It does seem like a wayside cross in complete miniature, but instinct tells me it’s just a fancy roof finial which has been reused from another site/location.
Worth stopping off to see, especially with the Lady Well and the Sticklepath pre-Conquest boundary stone just west of the chapel.
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132 |
9 |
| South Zeal Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
South Zeal Cross: Driving the short distance from Moon’s Cross into South Zeal, this is a busy little working village, not just a place for tourists to travel to Oh the cars that were parked up and down the street, but we managed to find a space just south of the village cross.
This is a tall, imposing monument, standing just north east of the small, but quaint St Mary’s Chapel and a small, beautifully kept communal garden. As we drove south...South Zeal Cross: Driving the short distance from Moon’s Cross into South Zeal, this is a busy little working village, not just a place for tourists to travel to Oh the cars that were parked up and down the street, but we managed to find a space just south of the village cross.
This is a tall, imposing monument, standing just north east of the small, but quaint St Mary’s Chapel and a small, beautifully kept communal garden. As we drove south east down the main road through the village (towards the Oxenham Arms) the cross dominated the village; standing further south east, as the village is on a hill, the cross towered above us.
Whilst visiting the cross, it's worth popping into the tiny, but welcoming St Mary's Chapel next door. Now turned into a place of rest and contemplation for modern day pilgrims.
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132 |
7 |
| Oxenham Arms |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Oxenham Arms Menhir & Roman Stone: We originally headed off to the wrong pub, at the north western end of the village, but having thought the name of the pub wasn't what we remembered, we found the Oxenham Arms just down the hill from the village cross.
Walking into the pub from the bright sunshine of the street took my eyes some time to adjust, but we welcomed the coolness and the opportunity of a long, cold, icy drink.
I asked the barman ...Oxenham Arms Menhir & Roman Stone: We originally headed off to the wrong pub, at the north western end of the village, but having thought the name of the pub wasn't what we remembered, we found the Oxenham Arms just down the hill from the village cross.
Walking into the pub from the bright sunshine of the street took my eyes some time to adjust, but we welcomed the coolness and the opportunity of a long, cold, icy drink.
I asked the barman if I could ask a cheeky question, and he said “on the scale of 1 to 10, how cheeky?” I replied “4”. He said “that’s not cheeky”. He very patiently told us where to find the standing stone, and also told us about the Roman pillar in the restaurant at the back. He very kindly said it was OK for me to take photos.
He also added (tongue in cheek?) that they thought it had taken 40 years to carve the granite standing stone, although how he knew, I don’t know. The stone apparently continues in one of the rooms upstairs.
Lovely atmosphere here. If we go back to Devon, I’d like to go for a meal here. A chance to see a couple of fine stones and have a drink at the same time - only the second time ever (the first being at the Templar Preceptory at Rothley).
There are several notices hanging on the wall and I’ve typed this up.
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132 |
8 |
| St Andrew's Cross (South Tawton) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Alleged wayside cross shaft, St Andrew's Church, South Tawton: This ‘cross shaft’ (gate post?) can be found at the gate at the end of the path running north from the west end of the church. Whilst it has more recently been identified as a gatepost, it look remarkably like a couple of other cross shafts we’ve seen in the area.
Of more interest was the granite grave cover, located right in the middle of the lych gate. According to the church gui...Alleged wayside cross shaft, St Andrew's Church, South Tawton: This ‘cross shaft’ (gate post?) can be found at the gate at the end of the path running north from the west end of the church. Whilst it has more recently been identified as a gatepost, it look remarkably like a couple of other cross shafts we’ve seen in the area.
Of more interest was the granite grave cover, located right in the middle of the lych gate. According to the church guide, this is dated to the medieval period and was set in the north jamb of the north doorway in 1903.
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132 |
5 |
| Moon's Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Moon's Cross, between South Tawton & South Zeal: From St Andrew’s Church in South Tawton, we headed south along Fore Street towards South Zeal. At a cross roads just outside South Tawton, there is the remains of a cross shaft in a socket stone. As the road is quite wide here, it was easy to park just south of the cross shaft, near the barn of the nearby farm.
Lying by the side of the cross shaft and its socket stone is a large stone by the sid...Moon's Cross, between South Tawton & South Zeal: From St Andrew’s Church in South Tawton, we headed south along Fore Street towards South Zeal. At a cross roads just outside South Tawton, there is the remains of a cross shaft in a socket stone. As the road is quite wide here, it was easy to park just south of the cross shaft, near the barn of the nearby farm.
Lying by the side of the cross shaft and its socket stone is a large stone by the side of the cross; at first glance it looked just like a boulder, but closer inspection indicated it might have been shaped. Is this just another gate post, or could it be a cross shaft fragment?
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132 |
6 |
| Oxenham Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Oxenham Wayside Cross: This wayside cross was placed high above a cross roads of two narrow, busy minor roads, where it was difficult to stop. I took photos while Andrew moved the car out of the way. I tried to get a photograph from inside the field, but the gate had been nailed shut with wire underneath, so I did the best I could in between tractors, cars and large farm trucks whizzing past. |
132 |
4 |
| Ring Hill Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Possibly the Ring Hill Wayside Cross?: From the Pastscape description, and armed with our GPS, this cross should have been relatively easy to find, but was actually the hardest. We spotted the old footpath coming down the slope and joining the minor road to South Zeal, but the fence posts and gates have been renewed in very recent years. The cross was perhaps 5m to the west of its given grid reference.
There were a few old gateposts lying aro...Possibly the Ring Hill Wayside Cross?: From the Pastscape description, and armed with our GPS, this cross should have been relatively easy to find, but was actually the hardest. We spotted the old footpath coming down the slope and joining the minor road to South Zeal, but the fence posts and gates have been renewed in very recent years. The cross was perhaps 5m to the west of its given grid reference.
There were a few old gateposts lying around near the fence line, so we thought we’d take a very sneaky look. Letting ourselves cautiously in through the gate, we spotted an old granite gate post at the foot of a tree, which matched the description given by Pastscape, so I photographed it. Nearby was the remains of a brick structure, which looked a bit like an old fireplace back, but which is marked as ‘W’ (well) on the HE map.
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132 |
3 |
| Ringhole Copse Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Ringhole Copse Wayside Cross: Not on our original list, but we spotted this cross on the map, with only a minor detour to our next few stops for this morning.
This wayside cross is adjacent to, and just south of, the A30, about 20m west of the road which connects the minor roads running over the A30 . Strangely, it looks as if it is in its original spot, although the HE scheduling information tells me that it was relocated to its present posi...Ringhole Copse Wayside Cross: Not on our original list, but we spotted this cross on the map, with only a minor detour to our next few stops for this morning.
This wayside cross is adjacent to, and just south of, the A30, about 20m west of the road which connects the minor roads running over the A30 . Strangely, it looks as if it is in its original spot, although the HE scheduling information tells me that it was relocated to its present position in 1988 when they improved the A30.
The incised cross on the eastern side is clearly visible, but only part of the carving on the western face is visible under the covering of lichen.
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132 |
2 |
| Addiscott Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
13th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Addiscott Wayside Cross: Our first stop on this bright, sunny and breezy day, which made us glad to be out of doors.
The Pastscape entry is indeed correct, as the cross is virtually hidden by the surrounding shrubbery and almost impossible to see until we got closer and the sun bounced off its light yellow surface.
A lovely cross, very well made. It looks as if it could have been carved yesterday, although Pastscape dates it to the 14th ce...Addiscott Wayside Cross: Our first stop on this bright, sunny and breezy day, which made us glad to be out of doors.
The Pastscape entry is indeed correct, as the cross is virtually hidden by the surrounding shrubbery and almost impossible to see until we got closer and the sun bounced off its light yellow surface.
A lovely cross, very well made. It looks as if it could have been carved yesterday, although Pastscape dates it to the 14th century and HE to the 15th.
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132 |
1 |
| Hunter's Tor Fort |
Hillfort |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
12th May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Hunter's Tor Iron Age Hillfort: A very pleasant walk from the end of the lane at SX 75702 83203, up a public bridlepath, the path cutting through a farmyard higher up the hill. Continuing up the hill, we eventually reached a long stone wall with a gate leading into the fort. At its northern end (SX 76043 82474) there was a large rocky outcrop with a balanced rock.
Most of the ramparts and banks, whilst ruined, are still visible, and there ar...Hunter's Tor Iron Age Hillfort: A very pleasant walk from the end of the lane at SX 75702 83203, up a public bridlepath, the path cutting through a farmyard higher up the hill. Continuing up the hill, we eventually reached a long stone wall with a gate leading into the fort. At its northern end (SX 76043 82474) there was a large rocky outcrop with a balanced rock.
Most of the ramparts and banks, whilst ruined, are still visible, and there are glorious views over to the west from most of the hillfort.
To its south eastern side, there appear to be rows of stones/banks which might be the remains of old field systems.
Some of the outer banks are cut by a long dry stone wall on its eastern side; looking over these continue in the field behind. We let ourselves out of the gate into the fort at its north eastern side then let ourselves into the gate into the field to take a quick photo of the continuing banks.
There were lots of walkers and mountain bikers walking through the fort. Only one other couple we saw actually appeared to be looking for the features within the fort; others either sat and picnicked by the outcrop, or simply rode through.
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131 |
6 |
| Meacombe Cist |
Burial Chamber or Dolmen |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
12th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Meacombe Cist: We'd arrived in Devon in a torrential downpour, although this had cleared in the evening. The sheer amount of rain might have contributed to ripping away the road surface at the edge of the road leading to this burial chamber.
The roads to this burial chamber were atrocious, with very deep potholes and a centre ‘bank’ of earth and grass, which at times tickled the underneath of the car - we debated about turning back at one po...Meacombe Cist: We'd arrived in Devon in a torrential downpour, although this had cleared in the evening. The sheer amount of rain might have contributed to ripping away the road surface at the edge of the road leading to this burial chamber.
The roads to this burial chamber were atrocious, with very deep potholes and a centre ‘bank’ of earth and grass, which at times tickled the underneath of the car - we debated about turning back at one point. The road was so narrow and parking so difficult that we parked in the next field gate to the north of the cist. Andrew stayed with the car whilst I let myself into the adjacent field, which also looked as if it had archaeology (but are just rocky outcrops, nothing on Pastscape or HE), but didn’t stop as Andrew needed to move the car. Took some quick photos, then ran back.
I was worried about trespassing, but there was a well worn tractor track into an open gate into the next field, then a track from the gate to the burial chamber.
We had hoped to see the enclosure and hut circle to the south west, but no way of stopping, nor could we see any sensible places to stop.
Note: I only found this a 'short walk on the footpath' from the adjacent field.
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131 |
5 |
| Week Down Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
12th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Week Down Cross: We left the car by the Shorter Cross and continued the 250m up the road by foot; in actual fact there is a large grassy area on the moor here, and another car with a disabled passenger pulled onto the grass whilst we were there. Whilst the cross itself is only 9m from the road, there is a bank immediately at the edge of the road to step up to the common.
This cross is in a really lovely location, sitting by the edge of the co...Week Down Cross: We left the car by the Shorter Cross and continued the 250m up the road by foot; in actual fact there is a large grassy area on the moor here, and another car with a disabled passenger pulled onto the grass whilst we were there. Whilst the cross itself is only 9m from the road, there is a bank immediately at the edge of the road to step up to the common.
This cross is in a really lovely location, sitting by the edge of the common/moor, with great views over the moors to Chagford.
I had to be careful about photographing this cross, as to the west there was a camp site with some really brightly coloured tents which took over the photo, so I aligned myself to these were either hidden behind the cross, or behind the gorse bushes!
F H Starkey in his 1983 book “Dartmoor Crosses & Some Ancient Tracks” describes this cross as :”it consists of a tall rectangular shaft of granite, six feet nine inches tall. It has a rounded head and two very short arms have been cut out of the shaft. A Maltese Cross is cut on each face; one of these is in line with the shaft of the cross which is inclined at an angle to the ground, the other is at right-angles to the ground. This rather strange fact led Ormerod (who described the cross in 1874, having know it from at least 1859) to conjecture the crosses had been carved after the cross was erected and had settled down to its out of perpendicular stance Ormerod also tells us that the cross was in danger of falling in 1867 and that it was moved back from the road a little but that its original angle of inclination was repeated when it was re-erected. He says too, that there was a project afoot to move the cross and use it to make a foot-bridge; happily it was spared this fate”.
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131 |
3 |
| Shorter Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
12th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Shorter Cross, near Druid's Well, Chagford: Not far from Druid’s Well (about 350m as the crow flies), this is a lovely cross, more like a standing stone, with no cross arms.
The cross is well hidden behind/between trees, but we were able to walk into the dip/ditch between the road and the dry stone wall. The crosses on both faces of the stone were clearly visible; on the side nearer the road there was a small, square, equal armed cross inside...Shorter Cross, near Druid's Well, Chagford: Not far from Druid’s Well (about 350m as the crow flies), this is a lovely cross, more like a standing stone, with no cross arms.
The cross is well hidden behind/between trees, but we were able to walk into the dip/ditch between the road and the dry stone wall. The crosses on both faces of the stone were clearly visible; on the side nearer the road there was a small, square, equal armed cross inside a larger cross in relief.
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131 |
2 |
| Chagford Druid's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Druid's Well, near Chagford: Our first stop of the day, with bright sunshine and deep shadows. As we approached the well, this was our first of several encounters with a very friendly Granny looking after granddaughter on skittish, but beautiful, horse. Granny was following both round in a car, making sure horse and rider were OK on these narrow lanes. We passed them several times, and met Gran again later in the day outside her farm, when we wer...Druid's Well, near Chagford: Our first stop of the day, with bright sunshine and deep shadows. As we approached the well, this was our first of several encounters with a very friendly Granny looking after granddaughter on skittish, but beautiful, horse. Granny was following both round in a car, making sure horse and rider were OK on these narrow lanes. We passed them several times, and met Gran again later in the day outside her farm, when we were driving towards the burial chamber, when we needed to get past a large tractor and trailer going down the narrow, and very potholed lanes.
This well is just outside a property called Wellpark. At first it looks like a grass covered mound, but looking closer there is a well chamber, a large capstone and an exit water channel. On looking at the Pastscape entry, they mention another well recorded on the OS maps, only 9m away, built of an iron post and slate structure, now infilled. We didn't see this, although there was plenty of farm machinery and piles of stones and grit at the sides of the road.
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131 |
1 |
| South Harton Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
South Harton Wayside Cross: As we drove along the minor roads from the Bishop’s Stone towards South Harton Farm, the sun went in and a haze started to drift across the fields and it started to become very chilly.
This cross simply leans against the dry stone wall, just to the west of the gated driveway leading to South Harton Farm. It has very obviously been cemented together, but is none-the-less spectacular, and I’m glad we braved the narr...South Harton Wayside Cross: As we drove along the minor roads from the Bishop’s Stone towards South Harton Farm, the sun went in and a haze started to drift across the fields and it started to become very chilly.
This cross simply leans against the dry stone wall, just to the west of the gated driveway leading to South Harton Farm. It has very obviously been cemented together, but is none-the-less spectacular, and I’m glad we braved the narrow lane to find this cross.
Out of curiosity, I walked to the gate and looked to see if the cross was visible from the other side of the wall, but it is hidden by the drystone wall and the hedge.
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130 |
10 |
| Bishop's Stone (Lustleigh) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Bishop's Stone, Lustleigh: This stone is on a corner of a busy road junction of three minor roads– I needed to pick my time to step part way across the road to photograph the stone from the front. The metal railing shown in the Pastscape photo is now largely hidden by a beech hedge. The stone goes about around a metre or so back into the garden of the house. It’s a lot bigger than it looks at first glance. We were also lucky that the bright sun...Bishop's Stone, Lustleigh: This stone is on a corner of a busy road junction of three minor roads– I needed to pick my time to step part way across the road to photograph the stone from the front. The metal railing shown in the Pastscape photo is now largely hidden by a beech hedge. The stone goes about around a metre or so back into the garden of the house. It’s a lot bigger than it looks at first glance. We were also lucky that the bright sunlight also helped to show up the incised shield.
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130 |
9 |
| Datuidoc's Stone |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
The Writhelstan inscribed stone, St John The Baptist, Lustleigh: Expecting this to be the prettiest village in Devon, I was a little surprised to find I didn’t agree. The church is right in the middle of the village, and we managed to park by the south wall of the churchyard, immediately opposite the village pub.
Going into the church, the Writhelstan stone was stuck on the west wall of the nave in between, and partly hidden by, a gas heater ...The Writhelstan inscribed stone, St John The Baptist, Lustleigh: Expecting this to be the prettiest village in Devon, I was a little surprised to find I didn’t agree. The church is right in the middle of the village, and we managed to park by the south wall of the churchyard, immediately opposite the village pub.
Going into the church, the Writhelstan stone was stuck on the west wall of the nave in between, and partly hidden by, a gas heater on its south side, and wooden stacking chairs to its northern.
We couldn’t ascertain if the churchyard was oval/circular as a road had been cut to its northern side.
Some lovely old grave slabs in the floor of the chancel, northern chapel and nave. Interesting rood screen with pomegranates and heads. Whilst we were in the church, there were around four to five other sets of visitors, none of whom looked at this inscribed stone, which I thought was odd, but then it was well hidden unless you knew what to look for.
There was also a cross on the village green, which looked to be modern. Could not find this on Pastscape.
There was a photo frame with some information about this stone, which must have been on the wall, but had recently fallen off and the glass had shattered. I carefully moved it from the floor onto the top of the heater and photographed it.
“This ancient stone was removed from a position in the paving below the inner doorway of the church porch on March 13th 1979, in order to preserve it from further wear. It belongs with a well recognised series of commemorative stones erected in the post-Roman period between about AD 450 to AD 600.
The inscription probably read:
“DATUIDOCI CONHINOCI FILIUS”
The language is Latin, although the personal names involved are British. Both the names are in the genitive case, so that the whole inscription requires to be understood as “The stone of DATUIDOC the son of CONHINOC”. Nothing is known of either man, but it is likely that Datuidoc was a Christian, and was buried in the already existing graveyard here about AD 550 to 600, where the stone was erected to mark his grave. It can be assumed that Datuidoc at least, and probably his father also, were men of local importance in this area of eastern Dartmoor during the sixth century AD”.
Lustleigh is one of only four church sites in Devon with an inscribed stone
J.C. Wallace Kemp & A.P.W. Robertson (Churchwardens).
After walking around the church, and photographing the modern cross on the church green, we adjourned to the pub, The Cleave, opposite the church. As it was such as warm evening, we sat in the garden around the back of the pub, listening to the myriad of bird song.
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130 |
8 |
| Higher Combe Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Saw from a distance |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Higher Combe Cross: If we could have obtained access to this cross, access would have been a short walk across a field of improved pasture. Shame the gate was double-chained with two electric fences virtually up against the gate. Lovely horse in the field, though.
Andrew resorted to standing on top of the low stone wall just to the south of the cross, where there was a sufficient enough gap in the trees/hedges to see through. A shame, becaus...Higher Combe Cross: If we could have obtained access to this cross, access would have been a short walk across a field of improved pasture. Shame the gate was double-chained with two electric fences virtually up against the gate. Lovely horse in the field, though.
Andrew resorted to standing on top of the low stone wall just to the south of the cross, where there was a sufficient enough gap in the trees/hedges to see through. A shame, because it looked as if it was in such a lovely location, just above a small stream, and against an old hollow way.
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130 |
7 |
| Sanduck Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Sanduck Wayside Cross: We were going past this spot to get to the next cross on our list, when we spotted this on the OS map, so decided to stop and look for it. We parked outside a very lovely house built around a courtyard; as the road was very narrow, we pulled into a small tarmacked area opposite the house, thinking we’d only be there for a couple of minutes. As we stopped, a lady came out of the house and into her garden. The cross was on a...Sanduck Wayside Cross: We were going past this spot to get to the next cross on our list, when we spotted this on the OS map, so decided to stop and look for it. We parked outside a very lovely house built around a courtyard; as the road was very narrow, we pulled into a small tarmacked area opposite the house, thinking we’d only be there for a couple of minutes. As we stopped, a lady came out of the house and into her garden. The cross was on a bank at the top of the grass verge, just to the western end of her garden. We said hello to the lady and she replied, and wandered back to the house.
Because the cross was immediately adjacent to private land and against a hedgerow with tall trees around, we didn’t ask to get into the field behind as the back of the cross would have been hidden by the hedge.
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130 |
6 |
| Horspit Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Horspit Cross, North Bovey: This was to be an afternoon of ‘cross sighting’, with the weather gradually turning from a bright, sunny day to a dull, almost misty day by the time we’d finished.
This squat, small cross sits right on a road junction, with a large boulder immediately adjacent. We managed o park in the entrance way to a new, but abandoned house, which had a tarmacked driveway next to the road, but large, padlocked gates to stop intr...Horspit Cross, North Bovey: This was to be an afternoon of ‘cross sighting’, with the weather gradually turning from a bright, sunny day to a dull, almost misty day by the time we’d finished.
This squat, small cross sits right on a road junction, with a large boulder immediately adjacent. We managed o park in the entrance way to a new, but abandoned house, which had a tarmacked driveway next to the road, but large, padlocked gates to stop intruders.
The large boulder in front of the cross on the Pastscape photograph I thought looked like part of the cross shaft is in fact just a boulder. The cross has a bench mark on it, which we tried to find; Andrew eventually find it on the ‘front’ of the cross, the top of it showing only just above the vegetation that had grown up around the cross.
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130 |
5 |
| Moretonhampstead Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Moretonhamstead Village Cross: The remains of this old village cross can be found, surprisingly, on Cross Street, outside the gate at the south side of the churchyard. I confess I had not expected to see a wayside/village cross mounted in a large flower bed! I got some strange looks from locals and visitors photographing this flower bed from different angles.
We then went to explore the church (St Andrew's) then for soup and a cup of tea in...Moretonhamstead Village Cross: The remains of this old village cross can be found, surprisingly, on Cross Street, outside the gate at the south side of the churchyard. I confess I had not expected to see a wayside/village cross mounted in a large flower bed! I got some strange looks from locals and visitors photographing this flower bed from different angles.
We then went to explore the church (St Andrew's) then for soup and a cup of tea in a nearby café (the Gateway Tearooms) with superb table service. Carrot and ginger soup with freshly made soda bread. Yum!
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130 |
4 |
| Challacombe Cross Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Challacombe Cross/Shapley Common Hut Circles: Having seen quite a few hut circles in Northumberland, I wasn’t expecting much from this site – a few stony-outlined circles in the bracken, but what a lovely surprise this site was – hut circles with very large boulders making up the perimeter. It turned out this was just a taster of the sites we saw around Merrivale, Stanlake and Kestor.
From the Leeper/Leapra Cross, we walked WSW along the B3212...Challacombe Cross/Shapley Common Hut Circles: Having seen quite a few hut circles in Northumberland, I wasn’t expecting much from this site – a few stony-outlined circles in the bracken, but what a lovely surprise this site was – hut circles with very large boulders making up the perimeter. It turned out this was just a taster of the sites we saw around Merrivale, Stanlake and Kestor.
From the Leeper/Leapra Cross, we walked WSW along the B3212 to SX 70049 83251, where an old hollow way/track leads up onto the moor. Armed with the GPS for the first part of the walk,
The hut circles can be clearly seen on UK Grid Reference Finder. The HE entry gives a location just to the west of the line of hut circles – they run from SX 69750 83029 in the south to SX 69779 83133 in the north. Unfortunately the GPS attachment for my camera seems to have stopped working, so I’m waiting for a plan of this site to arrive, so I can assign grid references to each of the hut circles.
Walking to the top hut circle, looking down towards the viewpoint just off the B3212 Princetown Road at SX 69834 83454, it was possible to get a photo of the hut circles all in a line down the hill. Whilst we saw many people head off northwards across the moor, there was no-one else on or near this site at all.
We must have spent a good hour photographing the hut circles and looking at the medieval banks and ditches, some of which cut the hut circles.
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130 |
3 |
| Leeper Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
The Leeper/Leapra Wayside Cross: We had problems locating this cross, so I ended up walking up the driveway up to Moorgate Farm. Just to the right hand side of the gate, I thought I identified an ivy covered cross head shape. Andrew didn’t believe me, so I let myself through the gate and had a closer look. Now I wasn’t convinced.
I heard voices through the hedge, so went in search of the voices, and ended up speaking to a young man who lived ...The Leeper/Leapra Wayside Cross: We had problems locating this cross, so I ended up walking up the driveway up to Moorgate Farm. Just to the right hand side of the gate, I thought I identified an ivy covered cross head shape. Andrew didn’t believe me, so I let myself through the gate and had a closer look. Now I wasn’t convinced.
I heard voices through the hedge, so went in search of the voices, and ended up speaking to a young man who lived in the cottage. He said he knew where the cross was, and took us to the corner of the wall where my ivy covered shape was. This was indeed the Leeper Cross.
He told me that the cross had been moved from where it had been found at Moorgate Farm to Bovey Castle (“which isn’t a castle”), but there had been dissention so it had been moved back to this spot. His family had tried to get the cross located back to its original spot (at Moorgate Farm?) but “there doesn’t seem to be an appetite for it”.
He was happy to leave me to photograph the very ivy covered cross whilst he went back to erecting his new greenhouse.
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130 |
2 |
| North Bovey |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
North Bovey Wayside Cross: We’d booked into the local hostelry, The Ring O Bells, for supper, but arrived a little early. As well as seeing the cross on the village green, we wanted to see the local church, St John The Baptist. However, the church (given the time of the evening!) was firmly locked.
I was somewhat dismayed to find how close all the cars parked to the cross on the village green, but then there is so little parking in the villa...North Bovey Wayside Cross: We’d booked into the local hostelry, The Ring O Bells, for supper, but arrived a little early. As well as seeing the cross on the village green, we wanted to see the local church, St John The Baptist. However, the church (given the time of the evening!) was firmly locked.
I was somewhat dismayed to find how close all the cars parked to the cross on the village green, but then there is so little parking in the village with narrow lanes and a small public car park, that I guess this is the easiest option for residents and visitors alike.
The different socket stone and shaft are clear, as is in the inserted piece of granite at the base of the shaft, inserted after the cross was knocked down by a vehicle in 1951 to help it fit the base better.
I almost had to sit on the bonnet of the car next to the cross to get a decent photo of the ‘front’ of the grass, facing back across the village green. On the green there is also a village pump, which attracted the numerous children playing on the green.
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129 |
5 |
| Hele Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Hele Cross, Devon: This cross is not far from the Beetor Cross – some 850m to the east, measured from UK Grid Reference Finder. The lane was narrow and a little windy, but a good introduction to the driving around this part of the world. There were few places to park, so we bumped up on the verge next to the farm, at about SX 72084 84153, where they had already parked one of their vehicles.
This area was heavily shaded by trees, with a (narro...Hele Cross, Devon: This cross is not far from the Beetor Cross – some 850m to the east, measured from UK Grid Reference Finder. The lane was narrow and a little windy, but a good introduction to the driving around this part of the world. There were few places to park, so we bumped up on the verge next to the farm, at about SX 72084 84153, where they had already parked one of their vehicles.
This area was heavily shaded by trees, with a (narrower) lane running east from the cross (eventually joining up with Yard Hill), and to the south a drop down to a stream.
The cross was again raised up above the road and was clearly visible once we’d walked onto the road junction. A tractor track up to a field gate allowed us to walk up ‘behind’ the cross and take photos. The socket stone was completely covered in ivy and brambles, so we didn’t really see this at all. (Later research using Crossing's Ancient Stone Crosses of Dartmoor (1902) says the chapel was by the stream).
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129 |
4 |
| Watching Place Waymarker |
Marker Stone |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
11th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Watching Place Waymarker/original site of Beetor Cross: Having seen the OS map and sorted out the Pastscape entries, I finally realised that this 'standing stone' was where the cross had originally been located.
Our first stop today was to go and photograph it so I could complete the Beetor Cross entry. It was nice to understand the relationship between the waymarker stone and the wayside cross, although it too me a while to understand the co...Watching Place Waymarker/original site of Beetor Cross: Having seen the OS map and sorted out the Pastscape entries, I finally realised that this 'standing stone' was where the cross had originally been located.
Our first stop today was to go and photograph it so I could complete the Beetor Cross entry. It was nice to understand the relationship between the waymarker stone and the wayside cross, although it too me a while to understand the confusion between the names (HE calls the waymarker the Beetor Cross and the cross the Watching Place Cross).
I had to be careful photographing the front of the cross as cars sped quickly at irregular intervals.
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130 |
1 |
| Beetor Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Devon |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Beetor Wayside Cross, North Bovey: Our first trip out on the evening we arrived in Devon and having unpacked our things at the barn. This cross was less than a mile from the barn we were staying in.
I was really confused when I read the entries for this cross at first, not realising that it had been moved from its original spot just round the corner, opposite a crossroads. That original spot is now marked by a boundary marker.
This cross ...Beetor Wayside Cross, North Bovey: Our first trip out on the evening we arrived in Devon and having unpacked our things at the barn. This cross was less than a mile from the barn we were staying in.
I was really confused when I read the entries for this cross at first, not realising that it had been moved from its original spot just round the corner, opposite a crossroads. That original spot is now marked by a boundary marker.
This cross is very overgrown with ivy. It is in part of a private garden, used as part playground, part rubbish dump, but with no-one around, we opened the gate to see if there was a better view of the cross from the side opposite the road, but in fact because the cross was at the top of the bank and there was so much shrubbery around it, the view was worse.
Having worked out the original location of the cross and the significance of the nearby boundary marker, we made the boundary marker our first stop the next morning.
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129 |
3 |
| Cockleroy Hill (Beecraigs) |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
22nd Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Cockleroy Hillfort, Beecraigs Country Park: From Lower Craigmailing Socketed Stone, we drove north past the Korean War Memorial to Beescraig Country Park. There was a small car park at about NS 99445 74270, where a path led through the forest, leading to a gate into the field containing the hillfort.
According to the Scotsman of 9th December 2012, Cocklroy means “the hat of the kings”. Situated in Beecraigs Country Park forest, there is a cl...Cockleroy Hillfort, Beecraigs Country Park: From Lower Craigmailing Socketed Stone, we drove north past the Korean War Memorial to Beescraig Country Park. There was a small car park at about NS 99445 74270, where a path led through the forest, leading to a gate into the field containing the hillfort.
According to the Scotsman of 9th December 2012, Cocklroy means “the hat of the kings”. Situated in Beecraigs Country Park forest, there is a climb of 278 metres to the top and a mown path goes straight up the hill to the top of the fort, where there is a viewpoint. I wasn’t feeling too good, so opted out half way up the climb. Andrew continued up to the trig point at the top, and had great views across Lochcote Reservoir to the south west and the Forth Bridges at Queensferry to the north east.
Andrew said there wasn’t much to see of the fort itself – there were very little signs on the ground. I sat on the large stones about half way up the slope, at first thinking they were defensive ditches and banks, but were in fact modern quarries, when I looked closer!
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49 |
3 |
| Holy Trinity (Rolleston) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Nottinghamshire |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cross Shaft Fragments and Cross Slabs, Holy Trinity, Rolleston: By the time we’d photographed the sundial in the churchyard then walked up to the village cross, the church had been opened (thankfully) and we let ourselves in. The cross shaft was immediately opposite the south door into the church, although in a really difficult position to photograph (between a heavy wooden desk with information leaflets and a fire extinguisher). The most ornate ...Cross Shaft Fragments and Cross Slabs, Holy Trinity, Rolleston: By the time we’d photographed the sundial in the churchyard then walked up to the village cross, the church had been opened (thankfully) and we let ourselves in. The cross shaft was immediately opposite the south door into the church, although in a really difficult position to photograph (between a heavy wooden desk with information leaflets and a fire extinguisher). The most ornate section of the cross was to its western side, so after Andrew had moved the chairs, I virtually had to squeeze myself in next to the desk and squat down as best I could to capture the carvings – not the most elegant of positions!
It wasn’t until after I had photographed the cross and was making my way towards the fragments in the eastern wall of the northern aisle that I realised the chairs in the church had been set up in a labyrinth pattern. We did have to move some of the chairs to access several parts of the church, but made sure we put the chairs back exactly where we found them.
Thank goodness I had my printouts with Peter Ryder’s drawings and descriptions, as we would have missed a lot here! We’d spotted one or two of the most obvious carved stones built into the external fabric. However, now knowing how much was on the external walls, we went round the outside again and spotted so much more.
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129 |
2 |
| Rolleston Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Nottinghamshire |
Visited |
10th May 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Rolleston Cross: This was our first stop on our way down to Dartmoor. Having stopped off in Newark for a very early breakfast, we arrived in Rolleston at 08:30, only to find (not surprisingly!) that the church had not yet been opened. After having photographed the sun dial in the churchyard of Holy Trinity, we walked up to find this old village cross, which I completely missed the first time round, as it blended in with the surrounding pavement ...Rolleston Cross: This was our first stop on our way down to Dartmoor. Having stopped off in Newark for a very early breakfast, we arrived in Rolleston at 08:30, only to find (not surprisingly!) that the church had not yet been opened. After having photographed the sun dial in the churchyard of Holy Trinity, we walked up to find this old village cross, which I completely missed the first time round, as it blended in with the surrounding pavement and benches!
The very sad remains of an old village cross, but another site to have ticked off the list. By the time we'd photographed this cross stump, we walked back to Holy Trinity to find it now open.
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129 |
1 |
| The Hanging Stone (Haydon) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
6th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Hanging Stone, south of Haydon Bridge: We tried to find the Treacle Well (Traking Well) in Slaley, but despite an old footpath opposite the church being shown on the OS map, we couldn’t find our way through the houses to see it, so headed off through Hexham and off west on the B6305 to find The Hanging Stone.
This is marked on the OS map; Andrew found it on the 1860 map of the area, so it has been there a long time. There are no reference...The Hanging Stone, south of Haydon Bridge: We tried to find the Treacle Well (Traking Well) in Slaley, but despite an old footpath opposite the church being shown on the OS map, we couldn’t find our way through the houses to see it, so headed off through Hexham and off west on the B6305 to find The Hanging Stone.
This is marked on the OS map; Andrew found it on the 1860 map of the area, so it has been there a long time. There are no references to it on HE (although it is marked on their map), and only the briefest of mentions on Pastscape.
This stone wasn’t what I was expecting. I half thought that we’d see a flat stone marking the site of a gallows, not a standing stone! But it is very definitely a standing stone, and one that seems to have been here for some considerable time.
The road was very busy and the cars very fast. We did manage to bump up onto the soft verge, but for safety should have pulled up on the driveway up to the farm. The entrance to the field is at NY 88081 61695. After photographing the stone over the stone wall, I didn’t fancy trekking all the way up to the farm house in the distance, so took a chance and let myself into the field.
The stone is located in a dip, below current ground level, and has stones packed around its base. To its north east a rounded channel runs off to join a stream or modern field drain, as if the stone marked the start of a spring at some point.
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128 |
2 |
| St George's Well (Minsteracres) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
6th May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St George's Well, Minsteracres: Minsteracres had an open day today between 11am and 4pm, so we decided to drive up and see if we could find the well. I understood that it was located near to the chapel, but this was mistaken, as we found out on arrival.
Driving up the private road from the A68, we parked just past the cattle grid about 200m away from the main buildings, parked on the grass alongside the vegetable garden to our north, and walk...St George's Well, Minsteracres: Minsteracres had an open day today between 11am and 4pm, so we decided to drive up and see if we could find the well. I understood that it was located near to the chapel, but this was mistaken, as we found out on arrival.
Driving up the private road from the A68, we parked just past the cattle grid about 200m away from the main buildings, parked on the grass alongside the vegetable garden to our north, and walked back to The Shrubbery, a woodland with specimen and ornamental trees and two signposted walks.
With only a rough grid reference to guide us, but with the OS map in hand, it quickly became apparent that the well wasn’t in The Shrubbery, so we made our way back to the road and walked a little back towards the A68, heading north-north-east. In a small wood to our right hand side, the well became quickly apparent. I quickly recorded the waypoint on our GPS.
Whilst there was water in the pool, there was no water bubbling into the well pool. The well had a fairly large ditch running from it, so there appears to still be a fair flow of water from it at certain times.
Someone had recently been clearing away weeds and shrubs from the area. Scrapping away some of the leaves at the base of the steps into the well basin, water quickly flowed in to fill up the space where the leaves had been, although there was no evidence of flow.
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128 |
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| Mossknowe 2 |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Saw from a distance |
2nd May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Mossknowe Cairn: the cairn nearest to the bend in the road, south east of the cottage which has Mossknowe Tumulus in its garden. Nothing special, but another site ticked off the list. |
127 |
3 |
| Mossknowe Tumulus |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Saw from a distance |
2nd May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Mossknowe Cairn 1/ Belten Mound: We stopped outside the cottage to the west of the minor road at NY 27846 69513, but could not see much. Carrying on to where the road bends at NY 28117 69281, the only gate into the field from the road here is at NY 28067 69222 and hadn't been opened in such a long time, the hawthorn hedge had grown round the edges. With the rain starting to pelt down, and with evening rapidly falling, we decided to cut our loses...Mossknowe Cairn 1/ Belten Mound: We stopped outside the cottage to the west of the minor road at NY 27846 69513, but could not see much. Carrying on to where the road bends at NY 28117 69281, the only gate into the field from the road here is at NY 28067 69222 and hadn't been opened in such a long time, the hawthorn hedge had grown round the edges. With the rain starting to pelt down, and with evening rapidly falling, we decided to cut our loses, quickly photograph the cairns from a distance and go home.
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127 |
6 |
| Mossknowe 3 |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Saw from a distance |
2nd May 2019 |
2 |
3 |
|
Mossknowe Cairn 3: Saw this from a distance only, as the light was fading rapidly, the rain was pelting down and we couldn’t open the gate into the first field. Couldn’t get too excited about this, although it looked the most interesting of the three cairns. |
127 |
5 |
| Fair Helen's Tombstone |
Marker Stone |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
2nd May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fair Helen's Tombstone: This ‘monument’ is in two parts, the first of which came as a complete surprise, to our west, just off the path in a clearing, just above Kirtle Water.
For the legend of Fair Helen of Kirkconnel see: Fair Helen's Legend and Sir Walter Scott's epic poem.
This was a simple gravestone with a plaque on it, which reads: “In memory of fair Helen of Kirkconnel as well as Richard Bell and Adam Fleming who were involved in th...Fair Helen's Tombstone: This ‘monument’ is in two parts, the first of which came as a complete surprise, to our west, just off the path in a clearing, just above Kirtle Water.
For the legend of Fair Helen of Kirkconnel see: Fair Helen's Legend and Sir Walter Scott's epic poem.
This was a simple gravestone with a plaque on it, which reads: “In memory of fair Helen of Kirkconnel as well as Richard Bell and Adam Fleming who were involved in the tragedy which took place here. Erected by Clan Bell descendants. Irving Bell. Founder”.
Walking into this small, overgrown but very atmospheric, graveyard, with its tumbled ruins, I struggled to find Fair Helen’s Tombstone, but Andrew pointed it out – right behind a large metal sign announcing this is “Kirkconnel Churchyard”. The sign reads: “In the ballad “Fair Helen of Kirkonnel”, Adam Fleming’s Lover Helen was shot by mistake by a rival in Kirkconnel churchyard. The bullet was meant for Adam, who promptly killed him. Adam was later buried beside Helan and this is his tombstone: Hic Jacet Adam Flemeng. The adjacent uninscribed stone is Helen’s; and the nearby late-medieval cross is called “Fair Helen’s Cross”, marking the site of her death. / The romantic story of the ballad might be an 18th century invention, and the association of the monuments in the churchyard with the ballad’s characters is questionable”.
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127 |
2 |
| Hoddom Parish Church |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
2nd May 2019 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Sculptured Stone at Hoddom Old Parish Church: Our first stop of the day, and a strange place. A church in ruins, boarded up, although with parts of the churchyard really nicely tended – presumably because of the war graves.
Sitting on the southern side of the B725 to the south west of Ecclefechan, we parked in the layby outside the main gates into the churchyard, immediately next to the ruins. It took us ages to find the location of the scu...Sculptured Stone at Hoddom Old Parish Church: Our first stop of the day, and a strange place. A church in ruins, boarded up, although with parts of the churchyard really nicely tended – presumably because of the war graves.
Sitting on the southern side of the B725 to the south west of Ecclefechan, we parked in the layby outside the main gates into the churchyard, immediately next to the ruins. It took us ages to find the location of the sculptured stone, and trying to describe its location is a little tricky as the church is built in the shape of a square cross, orientate N-S, E-W. The stone is built into the outside corner of the eastern wall of the southern 'arm' and the south wall of the eastern 'arm'. We were unable to get right up to it because of the proximity of the railed family grave enclosure, although we succeeded in knocking some brambles down from the front of the stone so we could view it.
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127 |
1 |
| Fair Helen's Cross (Kirkconnel) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
2nd May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fair Helen's Cross, Kirkconnel Old Church: It was a beautiful walk from the small parking area provided at about NY 25239 74833. We let ourselves through the kissing gate and followed the footpath which ran just to the east of Kirtle Water, and a pasture field with sheep and young lambs to our right. The very dark storm clouds gathering to the north east made a fantastic backdrop to the mature trees in the field.
Along the footpath, we were di...Fair Helen's Cross, Kirkconnel Old Church: It was a beautiful walk from the small parking area provided at about NY 25239 74833. We let ourselves through the kissing gate and followed the footpath which ran just to the east of Kirtle Water, and a pasture field with sheep and young lambs to our right. The very dark storm clouds gathering to the north east made a fantastic backdrop to the mature trees in the field.
Along the footpath, we were distracted by a modern tombstone about half way along our route to Old Kirconnel Church. We also stopped to admire the wonderful trees, with all their different colours, from a soft pink of a newly emerging copper beech tree, flowering cherries, silver birches and horse chestnuts. Eventually stumbling upon a very large marble tombstone at the entrance to the old churchyard, we let ourselves in and started exploring.
Having missed, at first, Fair Helen's Tombstone, and having to have it pointed out to me (well, it was hidden by a large metal signpost immediately in front of it), I walked round the ruins of the old church whilst Andrew went to search for the cross. "You'll need a machete", were his words on his return.
Walking through the kissing gate in the far north western corner of the churchyard, we walked 20-30m north along the path until the vague outline of the cross appeared behind the shrubbery. It didn't help that the largest tree next to the cross was a holly - very prickly!
As we arrived at the cross, the rain started to pelt down. Fortunately, the shower didn't last very long, and after taking photographs of this old village cross, we went back to admire and photograph the unusual grave markers in the churchyard.
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127 |
4 |
| St Michael's Church (Warden) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st May 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Michael and All Saints, Warden: Anglo Saxon Sculptured Stones, including The Warden Man and Hammerhead Churchyard Cross: I last visited this church on 3rd September 2014, when I was almost new to the Portal, and hadn’t yet come across Pastscape, Historic England or the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture databases, so taking Andrew back here was a very pleasant surprise, as I learned an awful lot about these stones.
Well worth a repeat vi...St Michael and All Saints, Warden: Anglo Saxon Sculptured Stones, including The Warden Man and Hammerhead Churchyard Cross: I last visited this church on 3rd September 2014, when I was almost new to the Portal, and hadn’t yet come across Pastscape, Historic England or the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture databases, so taking Andrew back here was a very pleasant surprise, as I learned an awful lot about these stones.
Well worth a repeat visit!
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126 |
3 |
| St Michael's Church (Warden) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Sep 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
St Michael's Church, Warden, Northumberland: On the way back from Robin Hoods' Holy Well at Colwell, I detoured via Warden, a church we’ve visited before whilst visiting the Roman enclosure on the hill above Warden, but not really seen. On this last visit, on approaching St Michael’s, we heard a saxophone being played nearby – the same tune repeated over and over (and very badly (sorry, player!)). As we were going into the church, another coupl...St Michael's Church, Warden, Northumberland: On the way back from Robin Hoods' Holy Well at Colwell, I detoured via Warden, a church we’ve visited before whilst visiting the Roman enclosure on the hill above Warden, but not really seen. On this last visit, on approaching St Michael’s, we heard a saxophone being played nearby – the same tune repeated over and over (and very badly (sorry, player!)). As we were going into the church, another couple were coming out. The noise of the saxophone got louder and louder, and a man appeared to serenade us. He proved a bit of a nuisance, so we escaped to the Boat pub for a drink, only to be closely followed by the saxophone and it’s player who then sat next to us.
The current church is 18th century, but built on much older foundations, originally thought to be the site of the oratory of the Anglo-Saxon saint St. John of Beverley.
On today's visit, I met a lady going into the church with some leaflets, and got chatting to her. She told me the same man still lives in the village, and she’d just come from his house. She also told me the Parish had just had the church restored and how proud they were of it now, pointing out the 7th century cross at the south side of the tower, by the porch.
The lady didn’t know anything about the Warden Man, so as we went into the porch, I spotted it and pointed it out. “Perhaps we should scrape the moss of it”, she exclaimed. I gulped loudly. “I think you should leave it as it is – you need to ask a professional before doing that”.
There are some fascinating features within the church – the 11th century arch at the base of the tower includes a roman stone, and the Saxon gravestone which is on the floor in the chancel (northern wall, next to the choir stalls, just before the altar rails).
The Saxon gravestone, in the right light, shows tegulations (a word I hadn’t heard of before I picked up the guide book for the church! – “use light and shade to create a distinctive appearance”) to look like a tiled roof. Outside, there is the 7th century cross (which the Keys To The Past record says is 7th to 11th century), gravestones with iron hoops over them to prevent body-snatchers taking the bodies and a Saxon tower.
In the porch, opposite the Warden Man, is a collection of grave stones. There was a really interesting small roundel, with what looked like knot-work on it. I was unable to find out any more about the date of these.
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| Warden Hill Hillfort |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st May 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Warden Hill Hillfort: Homer’s Lane is very narrow, so we struggled to park the car. We eventually ended up bumped up on the verge at the wide entrance to a farm house at NY 91187 67190, ensuring there was plenty of room for tractors, trailers and other traffic to get past.
Walking back to the start of the footpath at NY 91217 67247, we used the kissing gate and walked up hill, turning left onto the well-marked path, zig-zagging through what i...Warden Hill Hillfort: Homer’s Lane is very narrow, so we struggled to park the car. We eventually ended up bumped up on the verge at the wide entrance to a farm house at NY 91187 67190, ensuring there was plenty of room for tractors, trailers and other traffic to get past.
Walking back to the start of the footpath at NY 91217 67247, we used the kissing gate and walked up hill, turning left onto the well-marked path, zig-zagging through what is virtually a small village at High Warden (there are so many signposts and ‘private’ signs’ people must have become fed up with walkers). We ended up on a small woodland path leading northwards along the edge of a field towards the telecoms mast just below the summit of Warden Hill. By the mast, the track dog-legs slightly westwards, with the path running north up-hill through the centre of a field of pasture.
Towards the top of the hill there is a trig point, immediately to the east of the gate into the next field. Going through the gate, there is an interesting series of low banks which are medieval/post medieval in date. Walking 10-15m further onto the hill, the outer banks of the hill fort become clear.
We spent ages walking around the outside and inside of the hillfort. We’d taken the printed HE and Pastscape records with us, determined to understand all the features. We particularly looked for the Roman signal station, and identified a small, square structure where the grid reference said it should have been. From here, running eastwards, a line of stones poked up intermittently out of the grass.
There are brilliant views in most directions, although the endless noise of the A69 became a little tedious.
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| Homers Lane (Warden) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Couldn't find |
1st May 2019 |
|
2 |
4 |
Homers Lane, Warden, Rock Art Panel: Having visited Warden Hill Hillfort, we decided to drive the 1.15km to try and find this rock art panel, as it was so close. Driving north up the almost single track lane we managed to park next to the gate into the field with the rock art panel in, at NY 91110 68391, and walked back south the 50m or so towards the grid reference where the panel was located.
I'd gone armed with the ERA information and thei...Homers Lane, Warden, Rock Art Panel: Having visited Warden Hill Hillfort, we decided to drive the 1.15km to try and find this rock art panel, as it was so close. Driving north up the almost single track lane we managed to park next to the gate into the field with the rock art panel in, at NY 91110 68391, and walked back south the 50m or so towards the grid reference where the panel was located.
I'd gone armed with the ERA information and their photographs, and the GPS took us to within 9m of the previously recorded location of the panel. We leaned over the very ivy covered dry stone wall and tried to identify the boulder, but could not see it.
The field was planted with wheat, but with a large, long pile of fertiliser combined with a wide grassy edge to the field, we thought if we trod very carefully, we could let ourselves in through the gate and walk back to the piles of boulders. This was easy enough to do, although I wish there was someone I could have asked permission from first!
Using the GPS, we got to within 3m of the recorded grid reference, but still could not find a boulder the right size and shape. With the ERA photos in hand, I identified the two trees in one of the their photos, lined them up, but there were no boulders at that location. It looked as if they had been rolled further downhill, towards the drystone wall, to make room for the huge pile of fertiliser.
Andrew very bravely balanced on the boulders, trying to locate the panel, but after a reasonably through search, had to give up. Disappointing, but the NADRAP survey photos were dated 2008 - some 11 years ago.
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126 |
2 |
| Howden Hill Middle Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Apr 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Howden Hill Middle Cairn: From the rock art panels, it is only just over 150m to walk to this cairn, which is the most prominent of the two on this side of the ridge above Settlingstones Burn.
In a very lovely spot, the make up of the cairn from stones and earth becomes evident. It is around 9m in diameter and about 1m (perhaps slightly higher) above the surrounding ground level.
With its proximity to Hadrian’s Wall, the location of this ca...Howden Hill Middle Cairn: From the rock art panels, it is only just over 150m to walk to this cairn, which is the most prominent of the two on this side of the ridge above Settlingstones Burn.
In a very lovely spot, the make up of the cairn from stones and earth becomes evident. It is around 9m in diameter and about 1m (perhaps slightly higher) above the surrounding ground level.
With its proximity to Hadrian’s Wall, the location of this cairn cemetery with its rock art, cists and cairns is intriguing. Sewingshields Crags is visible on the skyline to the south east.
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125 |
5 |
| Howden Hill 3 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Apr 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Howden Hill/Settlingstone Burn 3: Standing at the Howden Hill Rock Art Panels 1 and 2, two large stones and a large erratic were prominent on the skyline a couple of hundred metres to the east. They looked well worth investigating, so we followed the tractor trail up to the them. Wow. The location is lovely.
What a setting for the remains of this cairn, which sits high above Settlingstone Burn, at the top of a steep slope. The rock art panel...Howden Hill/Settlingstone Burn 3: Standing at the Howden Hill Rock Art Panels 1 and 2, two large stones and a large erratic were prominent on the skyline a couple of hundred metres to the east. They looked well worth investigating, so we followed the tractor trail up to the them. Wow. The location is lovely.
What a setting for the remains of this cairn, which sits high above Settlingstone Burn, at the top of a steep slope. The rock art panel within it is the most prominent of the stones within the cairn with its almost luminescent yellow/green lichen which served to highlight the cup marks. Whilst NADRAP/ERA says the cups may be caused by erosion, we thought they were pretty convincing, the outer cups being seemingly arranged in lines. If this was the original cist cover, it has been overturned at some time in the distant past.
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125 |
7 |
| Howden Hill Cist |
Cist |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Apr 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Possible stone lined cist and stone setting on Howden Hill: Getting to the sheepfold near the two cairns and the rock art panels was a little challenging, as we had to cross electric fences, cross a number of field drains, boggy areas, and avoid the deep tufts and holes in some parts of the access land.
Thank goodness for the GPS. We headed for the centre of the southern side of the prominent sheepfold at NY 83080 69696, before min on trying t...Possible stone lined cist and stone setting on Howden Hill: Getting to the sheepfold near the two cairns and the rock art panels was a little challenging, as we had to cross electric fences, cross a number of field drains, boggy areas, and avoid the deep tufts and holes in some parts of the access land.
Thank goodness for the GPS. We headed for the centre of the southern side of the prominent sheepfold at NY 83080 69696, before min on trying to find the rock art panels to the east of the sheepfold.
Surprisingly, we found ourselves looking around in awe, as we found ourselves in the middle of what looked like a stone setting with a possible small standing stone and small lumps and bumps on the ground with stones protruding, which could be other cairns.
Walking towards the rock art panels, I stumbled across what I thought were two cairns and called Andrew and Jennifer back to take a look. We later found out at home that one of the cists (stone-lined trough) is only mentioned on the HE and ERA-1414 entries.
Just to the SW of the cists was a small standing stone at NY 83082 69685, which might be marking part of another cist/dolmen?
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125 |
4 |
| West Howden Hill |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Apr 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
West Howden Hill RB Settlement: Unusually, our daughter joined us for this trip, as it was on her way to our house from Scotland, and we met outside the Old Repeater Station on the Old Military Road (B6318) and took one car the 1.4km down to the gate with the path leading to the access land on Howden Hill/Brown Moor.
This settlement straddles the marked track from North Road which runs from the Old Military Road and Old Repeater Station , pas...West Howden Hill RB Settlement: Unusually, our daughter joined us for this trip, as it was on her way to our house from Scotland, and we met outside the Old Repeater Station on the Old Military Road (B6318) and took one car the 1.4km down to the gate with the path leading to the access land on Howden Hill/Brown Moor.
This settlement straddles the marked track from North Road which runs from the Old Military Road and Old Repeater Station , past a large farm called Grindon, to reach the access land. We parked on the grass verge next to the gate into the field at NY 82336 69216 and made our way through the fields towards the location of the rock art.
There is no entry for this settlement on HE, but it is marked on their map as an enclosure.
I didn’t see this settlement until we were almost upon it. The outer ditches and banks are very clear, with an entrance half way along its eastern side. I also stopped to take photos on the way back, together with some large erratic boulders which lay next to the footpath. The site is gently sloping towards the south east and there are prominent boulders protruding from its central platform, although we could make out no discernible structures.
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125 |
1 |
| Howden Hill 1 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Apr 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Howden Hill 1: Rock Art panel within Bronze Age Stone setting, not far to the south of Hadrian's Wall. Setting is quite fascinating, comprising cists, cairns, low banks and rock art. We had not expected to see this cists, so this came as a nice surprise. Whilst we could see quite deep cups on this rock, most of it was covered by turf, so we left it alone to preserve it.
Immediately to the east of the easternmost of the two cists we saw, Hist...Howden Hill 1: Rock Art panel within Bronze Age Stone setting, not far to the south of Hadrian's Wall. Setting is quite fascinating, comprising cists, cairns, low banks and rock art. We had not expected to see this cists, so this came as a nice surprise. Whilst we could see quite deep cups on this rock, most of it was covered by turf, so we left it alone to preserve it.
Immediately to the east of the easternmost of the two cists we saw, Historic England List ID 1418656 says: "The first and most northerly panel (ERA 1415) is roughly triangular in shape and dips steeply into the ground from an uncovered high point on its south edge; it is about 0.8m by 0.5m and is oriented east to west. There are about thirty cup marks scattered across the boulder and some appear to form slightly curved or straight lines".
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125 |
2 |
| Howden Hill 2 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Apr 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Howden Hill 2: Literally 1m to the north of Howden Hill 1, and has most visible. It is clear that both rocks continue under the turf, but not wishing to cause any damage, viewed them as they were. Having seen Andy Curtis's photograph on Geograph beforehand, I'd expected both panels to be covered in turf, and was surprised to find the cups that were above ground were very visible in the strong sunlight. Both panels are to the east of the sheepfol...Howden Hill 2: Literally 1m to the north of Howden Hill 1, and has most visible. It is clear that both rocks continue under the turf, but not wishing to cause any damage, viewed them as they were. Having seen Andy Curtis's photograph on Geograph beforehand, I'd expected both panels to be covered in turf, and was surprised to find the cups that were above ground were very visible in the strong sunlight. Both panels are to the east of the sheepfold and the two cists that we saw and went back to examine after photographing what was visible of these two RA panels.
Recorded as HE 1418656 and ERA-1414: "The second panel (ERA 1414) lies immediately to the south of the first, and is a rounded boulder about 0.9m across. there are more than fifty cup marks, again some forming prominent lines, curved arcs or more scattered groups; the latter are particularly clustered on the south and west sides. It is possible that the panels represent a broken, decorated cist cover".
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125 |
3 |
| Wamphray Place |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Saw from a distance |
4th Apr 2019 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
Wamphray Place Motte & Bailey: Continuing down the hill (north west) from Wamphray Church, past the mill and over the narrow bridge, as we climbed the hill at the other side of the river, we spotted this small, compact motte and bailey and stopped to take a few quick photos. Wish we’d had more time to explore and photograph this site from the river, but we wanted to try and find the cairn cemetery at Pumplaburn before heading off to meet our dau...Wamphray Place Motte & Bailey: Continuing down the hill (north west) from Wamphray Church, past the mill and over the narrow bridge, as we climbed the hill at the other side of the river, we spotted this small, compact motte and bailey and stopped to take a few quick photos. Wish we’d had more time to explore and photograph this site from the river, but we wanted to try and find the cairn cemetery at Pumplaburn before heading off to meet our daughter at Annandale Water services.
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124 |
5 |
| Pumplaburn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Saw from a distance |
4th Apr 2019 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Pumplaburn Cairns: Making our way back towards Annandale Water, we went under the smallest railway bridge we’d ever travelled under – 7ft tall and 7ft wide! We didn’t find these cairns, despite wandering up and down the road. Looks like they may have been buried by the large hardstanding for tractors next to Pumplaburn Steading. From plotting the ngrs on UK Grid Reference Finder, the cairn at NY 1191 9650 may still be there, but we only saw it fr...Pumplaburn Cairns: Making our way back towards Annandale Water, we went under the smallest railway bridge we’d ever travelled under – 7ft tall and 7ft wide! We didn’t find these cairns, despite wandering up and down the road. Looks like they may have been buried by the large hardstanding for tractors next to Pumplaburn Steading. From plotting the ngrs on UK Grid Reference Finder, the cairn at NY 1191 9650 may still be there, but we only saw it from a distance.
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124 |
6 |
| St Cuthbert's Church (Wamphray) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
4th Apr 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Anglo Scandinavian Cross Slab, St Cuthbert's Church, Wamphray: This seemed far too modern a church to incorporate any old stones, but I was to be surprised. The churchyard was quite spectacular, with a large walled mausoleum and two very large monuments, one being a replica of a churchyard cross.
We found the stone over the west door of the church. It was an interesting exercise to photograph this, as the ground sloped down very steeply to the...Anglo Scandinavian Cross Slab, St Cuthbert's Church, Wamphray: This seemed far too modern a church to incorporate any old stones, but I was to be surprised. The churchyard was quite spectacular, with a large walled mausoleum and two very large monuments, one being a replica of a churchyard cross.
We found the stone over the west door of the church. It was an interesting exercise to photograph this, as the ground sloped down very steeply to the river. The stone was carved on its wide face, and also some interlacing on its underside, next to the door.
Sadly, the church was very firmly padlocked and doors locked, so we were unable to get to see the reverse side of the slab. There was a modern, recreation of a churchyard cross at the south side of the church, near the gate into the churchyard.
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124 |
4 |
| Poldean menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
4th Apr 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Poldean Standing Stone: The third stop of the day with this stone easily visible just to the west of the road, towards the eastern edge of a large field of pasture.
We let ourselves in through the gate NY 10424 99981, walking over a small stream, again with the River Annan to its west and the busy A754(M) in the distance.
The eastern side of the stone is very craggy, as if bedding planes have been worn/broken away. There appears to have bee...Poldean Standing Stone: The third stop of the day with this stone easily visible just to the west of the road, towards the eastern edge of a large field of pasture.
We let ourselves in through the gate NY 10424 99981, walking over a small stream, again with the River Annan to its west and the busy A754(M) in the distance.
The eastern side of the stone is very craggy, as if bedding planes have been worn/broken away. There appears to have been a cup low down on its western side, but this could be a solution hole, if the stone had been lying flat for some considerable time in the past.
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124 |
3 |
| Chapman's Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
4th Apr 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Chapman's Stone: Our second stop of the day, and easy to stop alongside the road where it widens slightly, at NY 10746 99049 and walked back the short way to the stone. The stone has a fence built right over the middle of it (it looks like it could be used as a stile). It’s eastern side looks as if it has been knocked and broken by farm equipment. Looking at where the stone is placed in the landscape, it is along an old drover’s road, with the R...Chapman's Stone: Our second stop of the day, and easy to stop alongside the road where it widens slightly, at NY 10746 99049 and walked back the short way to the stone. The stone has a fence built right over the middle of it (it looks like it could be used as a stile). It’s eastern side looks as if it has been knocked and broken by farm equipment. Looking at where the stone is placed in the landscape, it is along an old drover’s road, with the River Annan to its western side; to the NE, there are two flat topped hills in the distance.
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124 |
2 |
| Skip Knowe |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
4th Apr 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Skip Knowe Standing Stone: Our first stop of the day, which nearly wasn’t, as we got caught in a SSE convoy putting up new poles and wires. We stopped by what looked like a community hall and I asked permission to park there for 10 minutes whilst we walked back 100m to look at the standing stone. We were told that was OK, but we needed to move within half an hour otherwise they would be stringing a cable over our car. No sooner had we spoken to...Skip Knowe Standing Stone: Our first stop of the day, which nearly wasn’t, as we got caught in a SSE convoy putting up new poles and wires. We stopped by what looked like a community hall and I asked permission to park there for 10 minutes whilst we walked back 100m to look at the standing stone. We were told that was OK, but we needed to move within half an hour otherwise they would be stringing a cable over our car. No sooner had we spoken to one helpful worker, than another appeared and we went through the same exercise!
We were quickly able to walk back to the stone, hop over the fence into the field, take a few photos and back to the car just as a new pole was being craned into position in front of the neighbouring house.
This is a huge standing stone, just opposite Skip Cottage, with the River Annan just to the west. There were no discernible features on the stone that we could see, and we had a good look around. There were a couple of large boulders in the bank just to the west of the stone, but these looked like just part of the bank, but the Canmore entry from 1906 mentions a possible second stone.
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124 |
1 |
| Crailing Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
31st Mar 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Crailing Cross: We’d driven by this cross a couple of times before, but just thought it was a stone bearing the name of the village. This time, I got a closer look, then looked it up on Canmore after we drove past and confirmed it was a medieval ‘mercat’ cross. We stopped on our way back from Kelso to take a few photos. Nothing special, but another to tick off as a visited site.
I was aiming to take a photograph of the cross from the south si...Crailing Cross: We’d driven by this cross a couple of times before, but just thought it was a stone bearing the name of the village. This time, I got a closer look, then looked it up on Canmore after we drove past and confirmed it was a medieval ‘mercat’ cross. We stopped on our way back from Kelso to take a few photos. Nothing special, but another to tick off as a visited site.
I was aiming to take a photograph of the cross from the south side of the A698, but the traffic was so fast and frequent, I decided not to risk getting run over.
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123 |
2 |
| Crosshall Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
31st Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Crosshall Cross: Details of this cross had printed out along with some details of Kelso Abbey, which we visited beforehand. Having found it was not far from Kelso, we decided to take the short drive to see it, and it was well worth it.
This was a little further out of Kelso than we originally thought, but it was a pleasant drive. Whilst the cross was 'protected' by an old iron railing, with the remains of an old signpost next to it, the fence...Crosshall Cross: Details of this cross had printed out along with some details of Kelso Abbey, which we visited beforehand. Having found it was not far from Kelso, we decided to take the short drive to see it, and it was well worth it.
This was a little further out of Kelso than we originally thought, but it was a pleasant drive. Whilst the cross was 'protected' by an old iron railing, with the remains of an old signpost next to it, the fence was a taut wire/barbed wire fence with no 'give' to squeeze through, so we walked down the lane, away from the farm to the gate into the field. The ‘gate’ into the field with the cross was right at the cross roads, so we climbed over and walked back down the field of pasture to take a closer look.
The low, very bright, sun, made it difficult to photograph its eastern side with its man and its hound (we thought it was a lamb), but it was well worth seeing this cross, with its Latin crosses, shields, incised man with his hound, and a Crusader sword.
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123 |
1 |
| Bremenium Roman tumulus |
Artificial Mound |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th Mar 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Petty Knowes Roman Cemetery/Bremenium Roman Tumulus: We walked too far north along the track, past Lamb Crags, and had to double back. We should have turned immediately right through the gate at NY 83788 98236. However, being on top of the crags gave us a good viewpoint down to the tomb below, although the sun was by now directly in the camera lens.
As I was walking round the one remaining, circular tomb, the farmer came speeding up on this q...Petty Knowes Roman Cemetery/Bremenium Roman Tumulus: We walked too far north along the track, past Lamb Crags, and had to double back. We should have turned immediately right through the gate at NY 83788 98236. However, being on top of the crags gave us a good viewpoint down to the tomb below, although the sun was by now directly in the camera lens.
As I was walking round the one remaining, circular tomb, the farmer came speeding up on this quad bike and came to a halt by the fence. At first, I thought we were trespassing, and asked him, but he said “no, you’re alright”. His farmhand had told him 8 people had walked up to have a look, so he’d come up to see us. “No, there’s only the two of us”, Andrew replied.
The farmer very kindly walked us round the base of the tomb and pointed out three carvings on the bottom (visible) layer – two diamonds and a bull. He showed us another layer which is now buried under the earth, but the top of its lip can be felt underfoot.
He also pointed out the 51 Roman graves by the quarry (“head for the beech tree”); he also told us about some interesting stones near the footbridge, and that the small extension at the old School House (next to the war memorial) was partly built out of Roman stones. He said he himself had moved some stones into his own garden.
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122 |
2 |
| Three Kings |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Three Kings Stone Circle, Byrness: Driving up the A68 from Corbridge, passing through Rochester, we turned left off the A68 at NT 78013 01533 into the Border Forest Caravan Park. We thought we’d get to a car park where we could leave the park, but instead ended up at a Reception hut with a barrier closing off the road. There was no one in the hut, so I rang the buzzer. Rather than explain what I wanted, a man’s voice came through the speaker “I’...Three Kings Stone Circle, Byrness: Driving up the A68 from Corbridge, passing through Rochester, we turned left off the A68 at NT 78013 01533 into the Border Forest Caravan Park. We thought we’d get to a car park where we could leave the park, but instead ended up at a Reception hut with a barrier closing off the road. There was no one in the hut, so I rang the buzzer. Rather than explain what I wanted, a man’s voice came through the speaker “I’ll be with you in a moment”, and rang off. Seconds later a man on a bike appeared. I asked him if there was anywhere we could park to go and see the Three Kings, and he said “as we’d asked, we could park here” (by the hut), and he gave very precise directions for reaching the stone circle. He also told us that the Forestry Commission hadn’t been maintaining the track to the stone circle very well, and some of it was very overgrown.
Stopping to almost scratch the pet pig’s nose (he was called Bubbles (sadly not more 'Squeak')), we set off south west through the static caravan area, crossing over the metal bridge, then turned north west along part of the Pennine Way, walking over a wider bridge where two rivers meet, then turned almost due west along a forest track, which turned a corner southwards and climbed steadily uphill.
We missed the first track up to the stone circle, as it really was very overgrown, but continued up the hill and came to reasonably well defined track, over a boggy area, then uphill along a moss covered track which eventually came to some wooden steps, which even had a handrail in parts. From the comparative dark of the forest, we came out into a sunlit clearing with the four poster to our right hand side.
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122 |
1 |
| All Saints (Asfordby) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
17th Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
All Saints, Asfordby: The church is usually open on Saturdays between 2pm and 4pm, but we were fortunate because there was a service here today, from 10.30am until 11.30am, so we arrived as close as we could to the finish time of the service (which, because we got lost, was 12 noon). The congregation was having coffee and biscuits, but made us hugely welcome – even our son and DIL’s Labrador was allowed into the church and made a fuss of. The v...All Saints, Asfordby: The church is usually open on Saturdays between 2pm and 4pm, but we were fortunate because there was a service here today, from 10.30am until 11.30am, so we arrived as close as we could to the finish time of the service (which, because we got lost, was 12 noon). The congregation was having coffee and biscuits, but made us hugely welcome – even our son and DIL’s Labrador was allowed into the church and made a fuss of. The vicar had very kindly made arrangements for us to meet the Secretary and Historian of the church, who warmly welcomed us, introduced us to the Curate, and showed us round the church.
All Saints is very obviously a vibrant, active church, and the building is well used for community activities, which is lovely to see.
Miriam, the historian, very kindly showed us the three Anglo Saxon stones cemented into the far south western corner of the nave, with members of the congregation very kindly re-arranging tables and chairs for us to have easier access.
I came prepared with a list of features I really wanted to see, including the rare Tudor painted bench end (next to a pillar just to the east at the north western corner of the nave), the Green Man (on a boss high up in the middle of the nave) and Norman aumbry (in the northern wall at the north eastern corner of the nave) with its original Norman chevrons. Miriam also pointed out a ‘ladder’ (stairway to heaven) on the pillar at the north eastern side of the nave, and pilgrim crosses and what looked like a scratch sundial on the external western side of the door frame into the church.
I really could have spent a lot longer in the church, as it had a lovely, calm, reflective atmosphere and would love to attend a service here.
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121 |
1 |
| St Mary and St Hardulf (Breedon on the Hill) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
15th Mar 2019 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
St Mary & St Hardulph, Breedon on the Hill: This church is visible from miles around, perched on top of its hill, which used to be an Iron Age hillfort (The Bulwarks). Most of the fortifications have been quarried away, and at the eastern side of the church there is a steep drop down into a large quarry, protected by a substantial metal fence and barbed wire. This is also the site of a beacon.
We arrived on a day when there was a weather warn...St Mary & St Hardulph, Breedon on the Hill: This church is visible from miles around, perched on top of its hill, which used to be an Iron Age hillfort (The Bulwarks). Most of the fortifications have been quarried away, and at the eastern side of the church there is a steep drop down into a large quarry, protected by a substantial metal fence and barbed wire. This is also the site of a beacon.
We arrived on a day when there was a weather warning for high winds, and my goodness, the winds were high. Other walkers were sitting in their cars in the small car park at the viewpoint, whilst we struggled to open the car doors and braved the winds to walk up to the south porch to let ourselves into the church! I am glad I had my husband with me, as the wind made the outer porch door rattle badly and it sounded as if a group of people were standing just outside the door having a muffled conversation. Very spooky, although the atmosphere in the church was friendly and welcoming, and I could have spent several more hours here.
There is a church guide with a plan of the stones, but not all of them are included individually. I went armed with a copy of A W Clapham's paper "The Carved Stones at Breedon on the Hill, Leicestershire, and their position in the History of English Art". I had problems linking his descriptions with the actual stones, so ended up making my own drawing and labelling the stones and photo numbers, so it was easier to 'unpick' once I was at home.
I could have spent at least several more hours here, but time was pressing, and I left reluctantly, to brave the wind yet again!
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| Rothley Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
17th Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Rothley Cross, Leicestershire: The church is usually kept locked, but we had arranged to pick up a key from the Parish Office mid-afternoon. However, calling at the office, there was no reply. Walking back to the church, I spoke to a lady who had been busy clearing the churchyard of broken branches, and she told us the administrator had gone home ill. However, fortuitously, she had a key to the vestry and very kindly let us in.
The church...The Rothley Cross, Leicestershire: The church is usually kept locked, but we had arranged to pick up a key from the Parish Office mid-afternoon. However, calling at the office, there was no reply. Walking back to the church, I spoke to a lady who had been busy clearing the churchyard of broken branches, and she told us the administrator had gone home ill. However, fortuitously, she had a key to the vestry and very kindly let us in.
The church has a long history, and has some amazing grave slabs and a Norman font. The bases of the pillars are said to date to the original Norman church. We found a cross scratched into one of the pillars.
The Rothley Cross is to be found to the south east of the church, near some tall yew trees. At the time of our visit, the cross was in deep shade, although the worn carving was still visible.
We also spotted an unsual carved mark - much more ornate than a mason's mark on the external western jamb of the vestry door.
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| Bottesford Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
17th Mar 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Market Cross, Bottesford: We saw this purely by chance as we turned down the road heading north towards the A1 and home, and stopped to take photographs. The village stocks and whipping post were right next to the cross, which was placed on top of five steps, the top two of which are modern repairs. |
121 |
6 |
| St Peter's Church (Redmile) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
17th Mar 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Carved Anglo Saxon Stone, St Peter's Church, Redmile: Our last planned visit before heading off home, and this church didn't disappoint, despite being greeted by "Warning. Falling Masonry" signs on entering the church through the south door! The north western part of the nave was cordoned off, with similar notices.
No two walls of this church were plumb, and the cracking in the north wall was quite spectacular. However, the atmosphere of the ...Carved Anglo Saxon Stone, St Peter's Church, Redmile: Our last planned visit before heading off home, and this church didn't disappoint, despite being greeted by "Warning. Falling Masonry" signs on entering the church through the south door! The north western part of the nave was cordoned off, with similar notices.
No two walls of this church were plumb, and the cracking in the north wall was quite spectacular. However, the atmosphere of the church was warm and friendly, and we felt relatively safe knowing there had been a service there only that morning.
We found the stone, reused as a windowsill, easily enough. Placed under a window by the pulpit, it proved a little tricky to photograph, and I could have done with a ladder to photograph all of it from above.
I also spotted what could have been what looked like another fragment in the south wall of the church, and Andrew found 'witches marks' on the eastern external jamb of the south porch.
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121 |
5 |
| St Michael and All Angels (Harston) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
17th Mar 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Anglo Saxon cross fragments, St Michael and All Angels, Harston: Before visiting, I wasn’t able to find out much about the church or the AS stone fragments. I was hoping for a church guide book, but there was nothing. There were newspaper articles and photos of the bell tower and the bells displayed in the bell tower, but nothing was made of the fragments – one in the external east wall, and another in the south porch. Pastscape mentions that t...Anglo Saxon cross fragments, St Michael and All Angels, Harston: Before visiting, I wasn’t able to find out much about the church or the AS stone fragments. I was hoping for a church guide book, but there was nothing. There were newspaper articles and photos of the bell tower and the bells displayed in the bell tower, but nothing was made of the fragments – one in the external east wall, and another in the south porch. Pastscape mentions that the stone in the east wall is possibly part of a cross shaft
The church looks very appealing from the outside, being made of warm, yellow stone. Inside it is very Victorian. The only thing of any age appeared to be the stem of the font.
Nice to have been able to drop by and photograph the fragments.
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121 |
4 |
| Asfordby Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
17th Mar 2019 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Asfordby Village Cross: Not really much to see, as the cross shaft is obviously modern, on an older base, but as this was just round the corner from All Saints, we whizzed round to take a very quick look. |
121 |
2 |
| St Bartholomew (Sproxton) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
17th Mar 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Sproxton Cross, St Bartholomew's Church: This church was a little way out of the village and we parked in a small metalled area next to a 'gallop' at SK 85667 24972 and braved the wind to walk back down the road to the gate into the churchyard.
The vicar had previously told us the cross had been moved inside the church, but looking after 11 churches in total, he must have been confused, because as soon as we rounded the west end of the church ...Sproxton Cross, St Bartholomew's Church: This church was a little way out of the village and we parked in a small metalled area next to a 'gallop' at SK 85667 24972 and braved the wind to walk back down the road to the gate into the churchyard.
The vicar had previously told us the cross had been moved inside the church, but looking after 11 churches in total, he must have been confused, because as soon as we rounded the west end of the church to reach the entrance through the south porch, the cross came into sight. What is inside the church is an 11th century cross slab/grave marker.
This is a very quiet spot, apart from the occasional car that came hurtling past.
The inside of the church appears relatively modern, but has some really interesting corbels. We also found a portion of carving, either part of a fluted column, or cemented to it, next to the north western side of the door into the tower.
We did have a good scout around for the shaped stone in the south western wall mentioned by The Journal of Antiquities, but were unable to find it.
In the field to the south of the church is a well, but could find no mention of this on Pastscape or Historic England.
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| Camp Hill (Catcherside) |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Camp Hill Hillfort, Catcherside, Knowesgate: We drove up to Catcherside, which was very obviously a very well looked after cluster of farmhouses with a common courtyard between. As Andrew was looking for somewhere to park, a man walked out of Catcherside Cottage so I leapt out of the car and asked if it would be OK if we could park for 20 mins to go and look at the settlement. He said it was his daughter’s farm, but went away to ask, came back a...Camp Hill Hillfort, Catcherside, Knowesgate: We drove up to Catcherside, which was very obviously a very well looked after cluster of farmhouses with a common courtyard between. As Andrew was looking for somewhere to park, a man walked out of Catcherside Cottage so I leapt out of the car and asked if it would be OK if we could park for 20 mins to go and look at the settlement. He said it was his daughter’s farm, but went away to ask, came back and said that was OK. As Andrew came back from parking a little way out of the lane, he hadn’t brought my walking poles, so the gentleman lent me one of his. Nice!
As we walked by the gate into the garden of the cottage, I spotted a carved stone at NY 99191 87596, which looked like a round cross or pillar base (reminded me of the one we saw at Bamburgh Castle in the Stones Museum).
The farmland here looks really fertile, and the sheep were magnificent. The hillfort has been ploughed out on the southern and south western side, but the ditch, rampart and hollow way through the entrance on the north western sides are still clear. We did look for signs of structures within the oval platform at the top of the hill, but these looked as if they had been ploughed out by rig and furrow. A really nice walk on a warm February evening.
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119 |
5 |
| Rugley Walls (Cambo) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Saw from a distance |
24th Feb 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Rugley Walls Holy Well: (note wellies a must if trying to get to the well): We stopped off here very quickly as we wanted to leave enough time to see the settlement at Catcherside.
Whilst we could see the source of the well, and there was a gate into the field, we would have need our wellies to get over the stream and boggy area to reach the well. As the light was starting to fail, we elected to carry on to Catcherside.
The well is shown o...Rugley Walls Holy Well: (note wellies a must if trying to get to the well): We stopped off here very quickly as we wanted to leave enough time to see the settlement at Catcherside.
Whilst we could see the source of the well, and there was a gate into the field, we would have need our wellies to get over the stream and boggy area to reach the well. As the light was starting to fail, we elected to carry on to Catcherside.
The well is shown on HE map but no mention on Pastscape. I need to look up the Holy Wells of Northumberland papers. All indications from Keys to the Past are that the well is connected to the deserted medieval village of Rugley Walls, which lies to the eastern side of the B342 road which runs through here.
I'd really like to see the structure that Andy Curtis photographed, so a return visit is on my wish list.
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119 |
4 |
| The Elsdon Stone |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Cuthberts, Elsdon (The Elsdon Stone): We stopped off at the very friendly and informal tea shop for tea (one tea bag in a pot for 2) and an ‘omelette sandwich’ (was supposed to be fried egg, and it took me a while to recover from the taste). We’ve been to the church before, but not with the HE and Pastscape information with us.
Spotted the unique Roman soldier’s tombstone (it lists his entire military career), the medieval cross slabs and t...St Cuthberts, Elsdon (The Elsdon Stone): We stopped off at the very friendly and informal tea shop for tea (one tea bag in a pot for 2) and an ‘omelette sandwich’ (was supposed to be fried egg, and it took me a while to recover from the taste). We’ve been to the church before, but not with the HE and Pastscape information with us.
Spotted the unique Roman soldier’s tombstone (it lists his entire military career), the medieval cross slabs and the horse skulls. We thought we’d seen everything in this church on a previous visit on 25th August 2013, but indeed missed a great deal. Whilst I photographed most of what we took in today, at the time I wasn’t so interested in the medieval grave slabs and the Elsdon Stone (after all, it was only Roman, wasn’t it?!). I really wished I’d thought to take Peter Ryder’s articles on the medieval grave slabs, but until we got to the village, had no real thought of going back to the church.
I was really saddened to see how much the inside of the church has deteriorated since our visit four and a half years ago. There is so much black mould and dust around, especially towards the western end of the church.
I also hadn’t realised how complicated the stone work around the junction of the nave and the transept was – all small spaces and intricate junctions.
I could have spent all afternoon the churchyard photographing all the amazing grave markers.
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119 |
3 |
| Steng Cross and Winter's Gibbet |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Steng Cross & Winter's Gibbet, near Elsdon: If there was a category for Ambience = Spooky/Very Spooky I would assign it to this site.
This is a remote spot, at the very top of the moor at the western end of the forest which runs along the north side of the road. The thought of anyone being hung in chains and left to rot, murderer or not, doesn't bear thinking about. I expected to turn around and find the ghost of William Winter breathing ov...Steng Cross & Winter's Gibbet, near Elsdon: If there was a category for Ambience = Spooky/Very Spooky I would assign it to this site.
This is a remote spot, at the very top of the moor at the western end of the forest which runs along the north side of the road. The thought of anyone being hung in chains and left to rot, murderer or not, doesn't bear thinking about. I expected to turn around and find the ghost of William Winter breathing over my shoulder at any moment. Even the birds seemed silent with the cold wind whistling along the long, straight road nearby. I was glad to escape back to the car and head off to Elsdon.
Just inside Northumberland National Park, St Cuthbert’s Way runs on the south side of the fence next to the cross, although to get to it you have to walk back to the road, a little further west, then onto the marked footpath.
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119 |
2 |
| The Rothbury Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Rothbury Font/Anglo Saxon Cross & Other Fragments: We started off in Rothbury, parking on Haw Hill, just outside the church. We intended to go for a cup of tea, but the town was inundated with tourists and bikers, so we went straight to the church to find the font. I’d forgotten how glorious this was, but then it’s a long time since we looked in the church.
There were odd lights in the church, highlighting a few pieces, including the font,...The Rothbury Font/Anglo Saxon Cross & Other Fragments: We started off in Rothbury, parking on Haw Hill, just outside the church. We intended to go for a cup of tea, but the town was inundated with tourists and bikers, so we went straight to the church to find the font. I’d forgotten how glorious this was, but then it’s a long time since we looked in the church.
There were odd lights in the church, highlighting a few pieces, including the font, but it was so dark under the tower that, after hunting unsuccessfully for the light switches, we had to go and get the large flash gun from the car.
I also photographed the pieces on the west interior wall of the porch, and a sundial to the south of the nave. At the NW corner of the tower, there was a collection of fragments and a bell. The sign said: “These fragments of an Anglo Saxon Cross was discovered during recent building work in the All Saints Churchyard. It is believed to have been a carving that broke as it was being worked on”. The way the fragments were stacked in a jumble made it impossible to see any carvings on them.
We missed two scratch clocks on the exterior south wall; I looked for a church guide book, but the only thing on display were postcards, cards and the parish magazine.
On the western wall of the south transept, on the window sill, is a modern carving. The sign reads: “This carving celebrates the 500th anniversary of Bernard Gilpin. It depicts a historic incident in Rothbury Church. Bernard Gilpin was a Catholic priest whose brave efforts to bring Christianity and peace to the warring families of the Borders eventually earned their respect. They rewarded him with the honorary title of The Apostle of the North. Queen Mary order Gilpin to be brought to London to be burnt at the stake as a heretic. However, the Queen died before he reached London so he was able to return to the North to continue his good works”.
The notice board by the Font reads:
“The pedestal consists of the base of the ancient Saxon cross of Rothbury dating from the 8th century AD.
East Side: Before the Fall of Man
North Side: The Ascension of Christ with angels wither side and the Apostles looking upwards. The Evangelicals hold their gospels (this is said to be one of the oldest carvings of this subject in Britain).
West Side: After the Fall
South Side: The Saxon knot-work pattern
Other fragments of the Rothbury Cross are in the Museum of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne (Great North Museum). [The bowl is dated 1664].”
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119 |
1 |
| St Mary's Churchyard Cross (Wirksworth) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
17th Sep 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Mary's Churchyard Cross, Wirksworth: I've split this page off as the cross has it's own HE scheduling record and Pastscape record, and got a little lost in with the other Anglo Saxon carved stones within the church itself.
Until we wandered around the churchyard, we didn't know this cross was here, so it was a really nice surprise to have seen it. |
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| The Fawns (Kirkwhelpington) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Feb 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Cairn SE of The Fawns (220m west of Broom House farm): This cairn is easily visible from the top of the ridge, as we walked from the Fawns Farm/Moated Manorial Earthworks, along the footpath, then down hill. The brown blob of the rubbing post comes into sight first, then the circular mound of the cairn comes into view as you get nearer.
A lovely spot to be buried in - very peaceful and quiet, at the bottom of two hillocks, with a small stream ...Cairn SE of The Fawns (220m west of Broom House farm): This cairn is easily visible from the top of the ridge, as we walked from the Fawns Farm/Moated Manorial Earthworks, along the footpath, then down hill. The brown blob of the rubbing post comes into sight first, then the circular mound of the cairn comes into view as you get nearer.
A lovely spot to be buried in - very peaceful and quiet, at the bottom of two hillocks, with a small stream (now) running to the south. The gate from this field onto the footpath back to the village crosses this stream, which needs a long stride to get over it, but it's not very deep.
Wish I'd been able to see the rock art panel and the urns, but a trip to London would be necessary (if the British Museum can find these!).
It is a gentle walk down to the river valley below from here, following ancient dry stone walls now white with lichen. We drove to Kirkharle for a cup of tea and some soup, then visited St Wilfred's Church just along the road, which is where Capability Brown was baptised (he was born in Kirkharle). We stopped to see a very strange monument dedicated to "A Most Unfortunate Man" at the side of the road between the church and Kirkharle Courtyard.
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118 |
5 |
| Fawns Moated Site |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Feb 2019 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Fawns Medieval Moated Site: "One of the few surviving examples in Northumberland and exceptionally well preserved" is how Historic England describe this site. As the third stop on our short circular walk to the east of Kirkwhelpington, this was a nice site to stop and look at. Easier to see the layout from the aerial photographs at home. Just a shame this site is on private land, as I'd have loved to have walked over the site to take a closer ...Fawns Medieval Moated Site: "One of the few surviving examples in Northumberland and exceptionally well preserved" is how Historic England describe this site. As the third stop on our short circular walk to the east of Kirkwhelpington, this was a nice site to stop and look at. Easier to see the layout from the aerial photographs at home. Just a shame this site is on private land, as I'd have loved to have walked over the site to take a closer look.
There is much evidence of medieval field boundaries and rig and furrow ploughing all around here. The land looks rich and fertile, with magnificent sheep grazing in the fields.
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118 |
4 |
| St Mary's Well (Kirkwhelpington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Feb 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
St Mary's Well, Kirkwhelpington: We had previously stopped off at St Bartholomew's Church in the village, and photographed the sundial and some medieval grave slabs. Parking at the eastern end of the the village, almost opposite the entrance to Eastlands, we crossed the small bridge over the ford and headed up over the fields. Having passed the last houses to our left hand side, we let ourselves through the gate into the field and turned right (e...St Mary's Well, Kirkwhelpington: We had previously stopped off at St Bartholomew's Church in the village, and photographed the sundial and some medieval grave slabs. Parking at the eastern end of the the village, almost opposite the entrance to Eastlands, we crossed the small bridge over the ford and headed up over the fields. Having passed the last houses to our left hand side, we let ourselves through the gate into the field and turned right (east). This was the start of a short circular walk which took in 2 holy wells, the ruins of a moated medieval manorial complex and a tumulus.
No signs of the well in the field, which should have been located about 50m due west of the only tall tree in this part of the field, but walking down by the small stream, I spotted a spring issuing out of the bank, with larger stones above it, and what appeared to be a small iron basin over which the water flowed. Has the water from the well been culverted down to here?
There was no end of rig and furrow around here. This land used to belong to Newminster Abbey, which used to own land up to the Scottish Borders. The ruins of the Abbey can be found in Morpeth town centre.
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118 |
2 |
| St George's Well (Kirkwhelpington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St George's Holy Well, Kirkwhelpington: The second stop of four on our short circular walk around Kirkwhelpington. This well is in a lovely location, very peaceful and quiet (once the farmer and his numerous dogs had driven off in his four-wheel drive buggy!). Two holy wells within a couple of hundred yards was a treat, although I'm interested in finding out how they became known as holy wells and what they cured.
The water emerges very peace...St George's Holy Well, Kirkwhelpington: The second stop of four on our short circular walk around Kirkwhelpington. This well is in a lovely location, very peaceful and quiet (once the farmer and his numerous dogs had driven off in his four-wheel drive buggy!). Two holy wells within a couple of hundred yards was a treat, although I'm interested in finding out how they became known as holy wells and what they cured.
The water emerges very peacefully up into a small pool at the base of the stones. By the time the water has gone a couple of metres further downslope, it is quite lively, creating ripples through the grass.
Boulders appear to mark the edge of the pool and water channel, although I couldn't see any signs of a permanent structure.
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| Hallington Holy Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Hallington Holy Well: We drove past this well, despite having the OS map with the location of the well marked. In the end we drove slowly back towards Hallington village, identifying the field because it is smaller than the others, with a fence line and line of trees that runs parallel to the road, about 100m away.
The gate into the field was open, but a large wooden shed indicates the field is usually used for horses. We walked south to the...Hallington Holy Well: We drove past this well, despite having the OS map with the location of the well marked. In the end we drove slowly back towards Hallington village, identifying the field because it is smaller than the others, with a fence line and line of trees that runs parallel to the road, about 100m away.
The gate into the field was open, but a large wooden shed indicates the field is usually used for horses. We walked south to the well pool, about 50m from the gate, coming across a large hollow with boulders/stones poking out of the bank; we interpreted this as having at one point having been a larger well pool.
The spring bubbles up from the western bank of the channel, just where the larger ‘pool’ narrows into the channel into which the water flows south to the field boundary. The water is clear and freely flowing. The collection of stones and wooden blocks leading across the mud indicated people still collect the water today, although I didn’t’ taste the waters.
This is a very lovely spot, and it was a great start of our afternoon out.
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| Barningham Moor 99 |
Rock Art |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Barningham Moor 99: This was a lovely stone, found a few metres east of the track. The cup with three penannulars was clearly made out. The cup marks were a little more difficult to spot on the day, but could be felt by running my finger tips over the rock. The five cups towards the north end of the rock appear slightly darker than the rest of the rock on the photo. |
117 |
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| Barningham Moor 114 |
Rock Art |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Barningham Moor 114: This triangular shaped rock sits in relative isolation on the moor. There is considerably more lichen on the stone than when it was surveyed by NADRAP and photographed by rich32 in 2009. It was a good job I had the description with me, but even with rich32 pointing out the motifs, I’m still not sure I understood what I saw on the day. Looking at the photographs (which were taken in not too good lighting) together with the ...Barningham Moor 114: This triangular shaped rock sits in relative isolation on the moor. There is considerably more lichen on the stone than when it was surveyed by NADRAP and photographed by rich32 in 2009. It was a good job I had the description with me, but even with rich32 pointing out the motifs, I’m still not sure I understood what I saw on the day. Looking at the photographs (which were taken in not too good lighting) together with the ERA drawing of the panel hasn’t really helped, either! I did query on the day if the grooves might have been the result of water running down the stone, but there was no fluting at the top to indicate this.
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| Cowclose House (Barningham Moor) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Cowclose House Unenclosed Settlement, Barningham Moor: In some ways, this settlement was much easier to identify on the ground than Grey Stones, just to the south east, as there was a ditch running east-west alongside the southern side of the metalled track, and a clear circular enclosure, which stood out as being bright green, shorter grass on the north side of the road.
Would love to go back with the notes and the plan and look round again. |
117 |
7 |
| Barningham Moor 97 |
Rock Art |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Barningham Moor 97 rock art panel: This rock was easy to pick out amongst the others on the hillside. It has clearly been squared off and has ‘feather’ marks in the middle as if it was just about to be quarried, but the workmen have walked off and forgotten about it.
Richard pointed out the domino pattern on its south eastern corner, but my goodness I had to look hard for it, then once I’d seen it, it was difficult not to see.
Unfortunately...Barningham Moor 97 rock art panel: This rock was easy to pick out amongst the others on the hillside. It has clearly been squared off and has ‘feather’ marks in the middle as if it was just about to be quarried, but the workmen have walked off and forgotten about it.
Richard pointed out the domino pattern on its south eastern corner, but my goodness I had to look hard for it, then once I’d seen it, it was difficult not to see.
Unfortunately, the light wasn’t brilliant. Would like to come back with a bottle of water and a brush or on a day with brilliant sunlight to bring out the motifs.
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| Grey Stones (Barningham Moor) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Grey Stones Settlement, Barningham Moor: As we parked just to the east of this settlement and walked south onto the moor, it was obvious we were walking up into something, but what that something was a little difficult to make out, until I started to be able to see low, circular banks. The blocks positioned on the banks made these easier to see.
Taking some photos and later comparing them with the HE and Pastscape records made it easier to ...Grey Stones Settlement, Barningham Moor: As we parked just to the east of this settlement and walked south onto the moor, it was obvious we were walking up into something, but what that something was a little difficult to make out, until I started to be able to see low, circular banks. The blocks positioned on the banks made these easier to see.
Taking some photos and later comparing them with the HE and Pastscape records made it easier to understand what it was we were standing in. I’d love to go back with the notes and walk around again.
The carved rock (Barningham Moor 97) is within the settlement.
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117 |
5 |
| Barningham Moor 1. |
Rock Art |
England |
County Durham |
Couldn't find |
6th Feb 2019 |
|
|
4 |
Barningham Moor 1: Despite having the grid co-ordinates and also being with rich32, who knew where this stone had previously been located, we were unable to find it. in the end we started a few hundred yards to the west of Barningham Moor 96 and the three of us walked in a line back to BM 96, but no stones were visible in the ground. This panel was completely covered by grass and moss. Shame, perhaps we'll be able to see this on another visit. |
117 |
4 |
| Barningham Moor 96 |
Rock Art |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Barningham Moor 96: Our first rock art panel on Barningham Moor, and this was a lovely rock to start with. It was so near the road, and easy to reach, with stunning views over to the north towards Barnard Castle. |
117 |
3 |
| St Michael & All Angels (Barningham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cross Base and Cross Head/Grave Marker (Barningham): Having arranged a day out with rich32 to seek out and photograph some of the Barningham Moor rock art panels, I'd also seen the cross base on Historic England, so we arrived in Barningham half an hour before the meeting time to look around the churchyard. As well as the cross base in the south eastern corner of the churchyard, there was also a round headed grave marker in the church; to my surp...Cross Base and Cross Head/Grave Marker (Barningham): Having arranged a day out with rich32 to seek out and photograph some of the Barningham Moor rock art panels, I'd also seen the cross base on Historic England, so we arrived in Barningham half an hour before the meeting time to look around the churchyard. As well as the cross base in the south eastern corner of the churchyard, there was also a round headed grave marker in the church; to my surprise, the church was open, and we were able to get in and photograph this, too.
The church looks surprisingly modern (and it is largely Victorian) but the churchyard is much, much older, and also includes a 1503 grave slab (too covered in moss to identify) which is sited within the remains of the medieval foundations of the original church. There are also some really interesting grave stones, which I photographed.
Within a couple of minutes walk there is also the modern stone (gate post) circle and the village Pant (drinking fountain), complete with its culvert and voussoir arch. A lovely start to the day!
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117 |
1 |
| Barningham Modern Stone Circle |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
6th Feb 2019 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
Barningham Modern Stone Circle: This stone circle, created for a village event in 2006, and made up of gateposts, lies on private land, but is visible from the road which runs roughly east-west through the village. Coming out of the lane from St Michael and All Saints, the circle is virtually opposite the Norbeck Bank road end. |
117 |
2 |
| Homers Lane Cross (Warden) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
27th Jan 2019 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Homer's Lane Cross, Warden: This is another cross base that we hadn't spotted with a short radius of where we live (have Pastscape been adding new records to their database?) This cross base and part of its shaft was easy to find and in a really nice setting, with a small stream trickling away to its eastern side and a bench to sit on and admire it, with the River North Tyne also to the east and the Stanegate Roman Road nearby. A quiet, quiet spo...Homer's Lane Cross, Warden: This is another cross base that we hadn't spotted with a short radius of where we live (have Pastscape been adding new records to their database?) This cross base and part of its shaft was easy to find and in a really nice setting, with a small stream trickling away to its eastern side and a bench to sit on and admire it, with the River North Tyne also to the east and the Stanegate Roman Road nearby. A quiet, quiet spot. Lovely!
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116 |
3 |
| Acomb Sanctuary Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Jan 2019 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Acomb Sanctuary Cross: I spotted this cross base whilst doing some research for a Journal of Antiquities tumulus not far away a few days ago. This cross base is just off the A6079 Cross Bank, going north from Acomb. This is a very busy road and after driving up and back down the road a couple of times, the only safe place we could find to park was just off the road at the entrance to a grassy farm track at NY 92364 66984. Walking north to the cr...Acomb Sanctuary Cross: I spotted this cross base whilst doing some research for a Journal of Antiquities tumulus not far away a few days ago. This cross base is just off the A6079 Cross Bank, going north from Acomb. This is a very busy road and after driving up and back down the road a couple of times, the only safe place we could find to park was just off the road at the entrance to a grassy farm track at NY 92364 66984. Walking north to the cross base, which we’d spotted as a rectangular lump of stone under the hedgerow, we were constantly having to jump up onto the grass verge as the fast travelling cars didn’t give us much room, and it felt quite dangerous.
Fortunately, between lulls in the traffic, I crossed the road to get a ‘context’ photo of the cross base. Close up, the quite large socket hole was filled with leaves and grass. The base sits on two other stones which are barely larger than the base itself.
Andrew managed to find a lower part of the fence and climbed into the field to get photos from the other side.
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116 |
1 |
| Fairy Stone (Fourstones) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Northumberland |
Couldn't find |
26th Jan 2019 |
|
|
|
Fairy Stone (Fourstones): This is one of the sites I added to the Portal from The Northern Antiquarian, so whilst we were in the area, decided to try and find it. We parked at NY 89360 67929 on the outskirts of Fourstones Village (I didn’t think there was much at Fourstones, but there is a large papermill there).
Armed with the grid references (the one given by TNA, the other by Pastscape, we wandered along the road, up past the farms and al...Fairy Stone (Fourstones): This is one of the sites I added to the Portal from The Northern Antiquarian, so whilst we were in the area, decided to try and find it. We parked at NY 89360 67929 on the outskirts of Fourstones Village (I didn’t think there was much at Fourstones, but there is a large papermill there).
Armed with the grid references (the one given by TNA, the other by Pastscape, we wandered along the road, up past the farms and along the lanes, but could find no trace of this stone. What a shame – I was looking forward to rediscovering it. Andrew, through looking at the age of the stone walls and the road surface, was able to tell where the road had been widened, which helped our search before admitting defeat.
I did photograph an old well/drinking trough next to the farm at about NY 89325 68021. This is a lovely old village.
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116 |
2 |
| Corby's Bridge |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Jan 2019 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Corby's Bridge Settlement: This site was quite difficult to make out, as there were stones and banks everywhere, with trees and shrubs growing between them.
On the way down the slope from the rock shelter, we thought we saw the foundations of two old buildings (the stones were aligned in a shape), but were too moss covered to really distinguish. Walking further down the slope, as it becomes gentler, there are obvious traces of low, circular ba...Corby's Bridge Settlement: This site was quite difficult to make out, as there were stones and banks everywhere, with trees and shrubs growing between them.
On the way down the slope from the rock shelter, we thought we saw the foundations of two old buildings (the stones were aligned in a shape), but were too moss covered to really distinguish. Walking further down the slope, as it becomes gentler, there are obvious traces of low, circular banks with stones in them. From this point there are several lines of stones running north east to south west down the slope. The best evidence of structures is at the south/south eastern end of the settlement, were there are stony walls, with aligned stones up to about 1.5m in height. There was a fence in between us and the southern part of the settlement, with no gate through, so we contented ourselves with leaning over the fence and getting photos.
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115 |
2 |
| Corby Crags Rock Shelter |
Cave or Rock Shelter |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Jan 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Corby Crags Rock Shelter: Parked at NU 12646 09945 and walked up to the gate at NU 12763 10096 (avoiding the fast moving cars), and followed the track up to almost the top of the hill, then turned south west, following little tracks through the bracken. On our way up the hill, we spotted a mound of stones surrounded by a circular bank (visible on aerial photographs) at NU 12845 09824. Likely to be mining debris, but it did look suspiciously like...Corby Crags Rock Shelter: Parked at NU 12646 09945 and walked up to the gate at NU 12763 10096 (avoiding the fast moving cars), and followed the track up to almost the top of the hill, then turned south west, following little tracks through the bracken. On our way up the hill, we spotted a mound of stones surrounded by a circular bank (visible on aerial photographs) at NU 12845 09824. Likely to be mining debris, but it did look suspiciously like a cairn, but fits the description below.
We missed the rock art here, as Andrew confused the name with Corby’s Crags just north of here (but the HE map labels the area around the rock shelter as Corby’s Crags), and he didn’t check the ‘nearby sites’ list on the Portal. Grrr.
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115 |
1 |
| Carlisle Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jan 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Carlisle Cross: in a visit to Carlisle, we decided not to make an hour to visit what we thought was a cross in Rickerby Park (turned out to be the carved stump of a tree trunk!) and a holy well nearby. This was the first time I've not seen anyone sitting or playing around the base of the cross, and not having my camera, took some photos using my mobile phone. Will return on our next trip to Carlisle and get some better photos.
Didn't realise...Carlisle Cross: in a visit to Carlisle, we decided not to make an hour to visit what we thought was a cross in Rickerby Park (turned out to be the carved stump of a tree trunk!) and a holy well nearby. This was the first time I've not seen anyone sitting or playing around the base of the cross, and not having my camera, took some photos using my mobile phone. Will return on our next trip to Carlisle and get some better photos.
Didn't realise this cross stands on the base of an earlier cross (the five steps look much older than the 1682 top), marks the centre of the City of Carlisle and stands where the Roman Forum used to stand - see the HE and Pastscape entries for more info.
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114 |
1 |
| Broomhouse (Haltwhistle) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jan 2019 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Iron Age/Romano British Settlement, Broomhouse, south of Haltwhistle: From the smelt works, we headed back to the A69 and turned left towards Haltwhistle. Just before crossing the river South Tyne for the second time, we turned left up Bellister Bank, parking on the grass verge where the road was slightly wider, just before the footpath which headed south east past the farm houses, and over the South Tyne Way. As we approached the farm building...Iron Age/Romano British Settlement, Broomhouse, south of Haltwhistle: From the smelt works, we headed back to the A69 and turned left towards Haltwhistle. Just before crossing the river South Tyne for the second time, we turned left up Bellister Bank, parking on the grass verge where the road was slightly wider, just before the footpath which headed south east past the farm houses, and over the South Tyne Way. As we approached the farm buildings, it sounded like ‘the Hounds of the Baskervilles’, with four farm dogs barking at a gate to warn us off going into the farmyard.
The South Tyne Way was a busy place, with any number of walkers following its route. We headed over the bridge and followed the track south east up the hill. As the track reached the top of the hill and turned to our right, we headed over the moorland to the west, and within 50m had come across the outer ditch of this settlement.
The outer stony bank with a ditch either side is pretty much intact, although to its eastern side confused with a modern drainage ditch. Inside the settlement are three clear roundhouses, still with their stone and earth foundations.
There were great views over to Haltwhistle to the north. On the way back, we noticed the gate where the dogs had been was open. “Better be careful”, warned my huband. We walked past the farmyard expecting the dogs to come barking at our heels, but nothing. A few paces further and four dogs came running up to us – all wagging tails and friendly this time. They were closely followed by the farmer, who bid us ‘good day’.
No listing on HE scheduling, although the site, together with the positions of the roundhouses, are shown on their map.
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113 |
2 |
| Tommy Stout's Well (Thornley Gate) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jan 2019 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Tommy Stout's Well, Thornley Gate: Another site ticked off the list of Isaac’sTea Trail. This is obviously a popular spot for walkers, as there are paths both sides of the river, and we passed a number of dog walkers. The small layby on the south side of the river was full (2 cars), so we parked on the grass verge by the entrance to the Allen Smelt Mill.
The well is through the kissing gate on the opposite side of the road from the smelt mill...Tommy Stout's Well, Thornley Gate: Another site ticked off the list of Isaac’sTea Trail. This is obviously a popular spot for walkers, as there are paths both sides of the river, and we passed a number of dog walkers. The small layby on the south side of the river was full (2 cars), so we parked on the grass verge by the entrance to the Allen Smelt Mill.
The well is through the kissing gate on the opposite side of the road from the smelt mill gate, with the well some 15m further on, to your left hand side.
Water appears out of the hillside below a small protruding dressed stone, largely hidden by moss and lichen. There is a fair flow of clear water which comes out; I did taste it, but there was nothing really to taste. Above the simple, dressed stone well head with drain there is a marshy area in the field above, from which the source of the water appears to come. Between the well and the kissing gate, on the other side of the fence, is a stunning little stream with a mini waterfall, which is a different water course to that of the well.
Also being interested in some industrial archaeology, we spent some time wandering around the fascinating remains of the smelting works opposite. There is still quite a lot left, and it is left accessible for visitors. Some of the underground flues are currently being excavated.
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113 |
1 |
| Park House (West Allen) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Dec 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Boundary stone (?) near Parkhouse, Mohope Burn, West Allen: Andrew found this stone in a book about Isaac’s Tea Trail in Waterstones in Hexham, and as this is an area we’ve not really explored before, we decided to drive out and take a look. Andrew says no one is sure what this stone is – an old standing stone or a boundary marker, or something else.
We walked down the lane eastwards towards Park House, where a sign post directs you to ‘Malak...Boundary stone (?) near Parkhouse, Mohope Burn, West Allen: Andrew found this stone in a book about Isaac’s Tea Trail in Waterstones in Hexham, and as this is an area we’ve not really explored before, we decided to drive out and take a look. Andrew says no one is sure what this stone is – an old standing stone or a boundary marker, or something else.
We walked down the lane eastwards towards Park House, where a sign post directs you to ‘Malakoff Bridge 1”. The path goes through the garden of the house and along its north-south eastern boundary with the Mo Hope to your right hand side. A kissing gate leads onto Isaac’s Tea Trail, running north south. The stone is approximately 2/3rds of the way into the second field. We needed wellies at there was a considerable amount of standing water near the field gates.
This valley is really beautiful. Such a remote valley, but with lots of houses scattered about. The Mohope Burn meanders to your right (eastern side). The stone sits in a row of trees, and my immediate thought was that it was a gatepost, but it doesn’t line up with the other gaps in the stone walls.
There is nothing recorded on Historic England or Pastscape for this location, although the HE map shows the stone lies between the Mohope Burn (to its eastern side) and Blind Burn (to the west). A quick search on Pastscape reveals the whole area has lead mines within 1km of this stone plus lime kilns. Pastscape 957727 records a lime kiln nearby the stone at NY 7750 5106, some 30m to the north.
Going to the next field boundary, a track carries on north-south, but another drops down to the Mohope Burn. Perhaps the stone marks the edge of a trackway and a possible ford across the river?
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112 |
2 |
| Limestone Brae (West Allen) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Dec 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Limestone Brae Overturned Cross Base: We parked next to the chapel, just before the lane to Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey. At first sight this stone just seemed like a boulder in the field. “Are you sure that’s it?” I asked my husband. We let ourselves in through the gate into the field and walked along the tussocky grass to the stone. As soon as we saw the other side, it was obvious this is an old cross base which has been overturned.
Looki...Limestone Brae Overturned Cross Base: We parked next to the chapel, just before the lane to Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey. At first sight this stone just seemed like a boulder in the field. “Are you sure that’s it?” I asked my husband. We let ourselves in through the gate into the field and walked along the tussocky grass to the stone. As soon as we saw the other side, it was obvious this is an old cross base which has been overturned.
Looking to the gate to the south of the cross base, there looks as if there is an old hollow way, somewhat obscured by its use as a quad bike route, but there is a definite dip in the ground. The cross has superb views west/north west over the River West Allen Valley.
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112 |
1 |
| Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery |
Museum |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
29th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow: After Glasgow Cathedral and the Govan Stones, I found the exhibition of Scotland's Early People a little small and disappointing, but what they had on display was interesting. Best items on display for me were the beaker found when they excavated Temple Wood in Kilmartin and a wooden ladder from a crannog. And of course the rock art stone Andy B was photographed with! |
107 |
4 |
| Tuilyies |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
2nd Nov 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Tuilyies Stone Setting: There is a small layby on the A985, right by the stones, but as there was no direct entrance into the field, we ended up walking along the grass verge down to where the wire fence is jointed to a wooden one. This is by a small clump of trees, at NT 02801 86657, where we succeeded in clambering over the fence.
The stones are set in a very ‘lumpy and bumpy’ field that looks like it has several building platforms and ...The Tuilyies Stone Setting: There is a small layby on the A985, right by the stones, but as there was no direct entrance into the field, we ended up walking along the grass verge down to where the wire fence is jointed to a wooden one. This is by a small clump of trees, at NT 02801 86657, where we succeeded in clambering over the fence.
The stones are set in a very ‘lumpy and bumpy’ field that looks like it has several building platforms and banks within it, but no structures are visible.
The tall stone to the north north west of the setting of three stones is tall and impressive (although thin) with the eastern face peppered in cup marks.
Combined with the three stones to the south south east reminded us somewhat of the stone setting at Kilmartin. I amused myself by standing behind the taller stone trying to line it up with the three smaller ones, but there was always one stone hidden from view, behind the larger stone.
The Firth of Forth glinted in the sunlight to the south. Shame about the proximity to the main road.
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111 |
2 |
| Pitcorthie. |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
2nd Nov 2018 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
Pitcorthie Standing Stone, Dunfermline: Our last site visit of our short holiday, and I wish we'd picked a better spot to end on. After the Balfarg Henge, I shouldn't have been surprised that this stone is surprisingly right in the middle of a housing estate, on Standing Stone Walk.
It is a poor, sadly neglected stone; it could just have been a garden feature, especially as it is set in a rectangular pavement of black stones. Like a previou...Pitcorthie Standing Stone, Dunfermline: Our last site visit of our short holiday, and I wish we'd picked a better spot to end on. After the Balfarg Henge, I shouldn't have been surprised that this stone is surprisingly right in the middle of a housing estate, on Standing Stone Walk.
It is a poor, sadly neglected stone; it could just have been a garden feature, especially as it is set in a rectangular pavement of black stones. Like a previous visitor to the stone, being surrounded by rows and rows of houses, we very much felt watched as I was taking photographs and looking around.
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111 |
3 |
| Dogton |
Class III Pictish Cross Slab |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
1st Nov 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Dogton Cross: With the clocks having gone back an hour on the Sunday before, it was difficult to correctly judge how fast dusk would fall. It was getting a little dark, but whilst we were here, we really wanted to see this stone.
With the roads busy at this time of night, we managed to park just off the road at the entrance to the track leading up to Kinglassie House, just off the B922 and set off up the footpath to find this cross.
...The Dogton Cross: With the clocks having gone back an hour on the Sunday before, it was difficult to correctly judge how fast dusk would fall. It was getting a little dark, but whilst we were here, we really wanted to see this stone.
With the roads busy at this time of night, we managed to park just off the road at the entrance to the track leading up to Kinglassie House, just off the B922 and set off up the footpath to find this cross.
The gate into the field the stone was in was an amalgamation of several gates tied together, so it was easier just to step over the tumbled stones by the gate post. Fortunately the field the stone was in had just been harvested, so we walked up through the corn stubble, just as dusk was setting in.
I photographed each face of the cross by leaning over the railings, or poking the camera through the railings, then stitched them together.
The sign on the railings reads: “Dogton Stone. This stone is a free-standing Celtic cross probably 10th century AD. The top and arms of the cross have been destroyed, but the centre boss is still visible on the east face. A horseman is carved below it and there are entwined serpentine animals on the south face. Cared for by Historic Scotland.”
When I got back home and looked at the Canmore records, I was surprised to see the cross and its railings had been, in the not too distant past (photo dated 1927), incorporated into a dry stone wall, no longer there.
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110 |
5 |
| Balfarg Riding School mortuary enclosure and henge |
Henge |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
1st Nov 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Balfarg Riding School Henge Reconstruction: This now recreated henge is just by the A92, at the end of Old Leslie Road, with part of it seeming to have been cut by the construction of the A92. Traffic streams by constantly.
We arrived with the sun high in the sky and deep shadows, which tested my photography skills. I had expected a circular henge, but this was oval. I didn't pick up any atmosphere at this site at all. Sadly, it was just li...Balfarg Riding School Henge Reconstruction: This now recreated henge is just by the A92, at the end of Old Leslie Road, with part of it seeming to have been cut by the construction of the A92. Traffic streams by constantly.
We arrived with the sun high in the sky and deep shadows, which tested my photography skills. I had expected a circular henge, but this was oval. I didn't pick up any atmosphere at this site at all. Sadly, it was just like walking through some old fence posts set up to cast some interesting shadows.
The information board reads: “You are standing in a revered landscape where ceremonies were performed by generations of prehistoric people. Here is an artist’s reconstruction of how the stone circle looked around 4,000 years ago. By this time it had already been in use for 1,000 years, when it became a place of burial. It stood close to the Coul Burn which then enclosed a wider sacred landscape. The picture shows the site of the Balfarg Henge and timber enclosure in the distance.”
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110 |
3 |
| Balbirnie |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
1st Nov 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Balbirnie Stone Circle: It was a good job we had the SatNav and the GPS, which took us almost to the spot. As this was right next to a modern housing estate, we found layby to park in about 100m metres away in Tofthill and walked back to the stone circle, which has a footpath running to its eastern side. Nicely preserved stone circle with cists with an information board and a recreated rock art panel.
We took a few minutes to spot the rock a...Balbirnie Stone Circle: It was a good job we had the SatNav and the GPS, which took us almost to the spot. As this was right next to a modern housing estate, we found layby to park in about 100m metres away in Tofthill and walked back to the stone circle, which has a footpath running to its eastern side. Nicely preserved stone circle with cists with an information board and a recreated rock art panel.
We took a few minutes to spot the rock art panel, but realised it had fallen over slightly, so wasn't very visible. I did my best to photograph it in situ.
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110 |
1 |
| Balfarg Henge |
Henge |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
1st Nov 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Balfarg Henge: From Balbirnie stone circle, to reach this recreated henge, we needed to turn right across the busy A92, then almost immediately left down the B969 Western Avenue. The SatNav then took us directly to the henge. Right in the middle of a housing estate, on a circular street appropriately called ‘The Henge’.
Typically for me, just as we stopped the car and I jumped out with my camera, a large delivery van decided to draw up and p...Balfarg Henge: From Balbirnie stone circle, to reach this recreated henge, we needed to turn right across the busy A92, then almost immediately left down the B969 Western Avenue. The SatNav then took us directly to the henge. Right in the middle of a housing estate, on a circular street appropriately called ‘The Henge’.
Typically for me, just as we stopped the car and I jumped out with my camera, a large delivery van decided to draw up and park in one of the parking spots right next to the outer boundary of henge, so I tried to avoid photographing him!
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110 |
2 |
| The Maiden Stone (Tullibody) |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Visited |
31st Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
The Maiden Stone, Tullibody: This stone coffin is next to the ruins of the old church. We parked in the car park for the new church and walked through the graveyard which runs parallel to the road. Some really unusual tombstones, and quite spooky to walk through the graveyard and look around the outside of the Old Church as dusk was falling on Halloween! |
109 |
7 |
| Court Cave |
Cave or Rock Shelter |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
1st Nov 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Court Cave, East Wemyss: This cave is signposted as 'Dangerous' and 'Keep Out' due to falling rocks from the roof, so despite reading about the symbols on Canmore, we didn't venture in. |
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|
| Haer Stane |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Visited |
31st Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Haer Stane, Tullibody: This is one of the strangest erratics I’ve seen, as it’s been repurposed as a war memorial. We parked on School Road, by the school, and walked down to the entrance to this long, thin park; the only gate we could find into this area was through a lych gate at the corner of School Road and Lychgate Road. The erratic is almost at the far (north western) end of the park.
The stone was adjacent to the rear of the school wh...Haer Stane, Tullibody: This is one of the strangest erratics I’ve seen, as it’s been repurposed as a war memorial. We parked on School Road, by the school, and walked down to the entrance to this long, thin park; the only gate we could find into this area was through a lych gate at the corner of School Road and Lychgate Road. The erratic is almost at the far (north western) end of the park.
The stone was adjacent to the rear of the school where a large construction project is taking place, so the noise was very intrusive. We were the only people taking note of this erratic; all the other people around must have been locals who were walking their dogs.
The crosses on the eastern face of the cross shaft have been well done, and mimic Anglo Saxon crosses with interlaced designs.
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109 |
8 |
| Deil's Cradle (Dollar) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Saw from a distance |
31st Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Devil's Cradle, Dollar: With this being Halloween, I was keen to try and see this massive erratic rock. From the Wizard’s Stone eastwards, the road gets narrower, not much wider than a single track road, so we parked in Tarmangie Drive, at NS 96743 99038, and walked up Upper Hillfoot Road (the southern part) at NS 96743 99038. Looking down through the woodland, we saw a large erratic by the side of a small burn.
This stone is in a very deep ...Devil's Cradle, Dollar: With this being Halloween, I was keen to try and see this massive erratic rock. From the Wizard’s Stone eastwards, the road gets narrower, not much wider than a single track road, so we parked in Tarmangie Drive, at NS 96743 99038, and walked up Upper Hillfoot Road (the southern part) at NS 96743 99038. Looking down through the woodland, we saw a large erratic by the side of a small burn.
This stone is in a very deep gorge, and we couldn’t immediately see a way to get to it With a 70 degree slope on one side and a near vertical drop on the other, we decided, with the failing light, to carry on to Tullibody and see sites which we really wanted to get to before dark, so photographed this stone only from a distance.
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109 |
5 |
| Wizard's Stone (Dollar) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Visited |
31st Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Wizard's Stone (Dollar): We stopped off at a café in Dollar for a sandwich and cup of tea, then set off north east out of the town to find the Wizard’s Stone. This was really easy to spot. There is a small area to park on Hillfoot Road, where the road divides, at NS 96634 98999.
Rather than walk up ‘the (marked foot) path’ we walked into the field to photograph the stone. There are a number of pieces lying immediately around the stone, the...Wizard's Stone (Dollar): We stopped off at a café in Dollar for a sandwich and cup of tea, then set off north east out of the town to find the Wizard’s Stone. This was really easy to spot. There is a small area to park on Hillfoot Road, where the road divides, at NS 96634 98999.
Rather than walk up ‘the (marked foot) path’ we walked into the field to photograph the stone. There are a number of pieces lying immediately around the stone, the larger of which appears deeply embedded in the ground; a smaller piece looks as if it had spalled off through, perhaps, frost action.
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109 |
4 |
| Carleith (Crook of Devon) |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Saw from a distance |
31st Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Carleith Cairn (Crook of Devon): We didn’t go into the field as there were two very boisterous young bullocks who crowded the gate, along with their protective mothers, so I photographed it mainly from the gate into the field. From the edge of the field, this looked almost completely round, and I would have loved to have walked over it. The view to the distant hills was lovely. |
109 |
3 |
| Tullibole |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
31st Oct 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Tullibole Church Ruins with hogback in five pieces: Our first stop of the day, and as Andrew told me this was a site where 11 witches were tried, condemned and burned, a site I thought would be a good, spooky, start to the Halloween. But, this is essentially a field with a few gravestones sticking out of it, and it turned out the trials had taken place at nearby Tullibole Castle. The remains of the church are there, on the south side buried deep...Tullibole Church Ruins with hogback in five pieces: Our first stop of the day, and as Andrew told me this was a site where 11 witches were tried, condemned and burned, a site I thought would be a good, spooky, start to the Halloween. But, this is essentially a field with a few gravestones sticking out of it, and it turned out the trials had taken place at nearby Tullibole Castle. The remains of the church are there, on the south side buried deep in the grass and turf, but more visible on the northern side, where several courses of stones stick up out of the ground.
There is a display board next to a large monument surrounded by a metal railing and tall conifers, but we had difficulty orientating ourselves to the photos, eventually picking up the display board (which was propped up against the railings, and taking it over to the chest tombs).
We did find one part of the hogback, and possibly a second, but the grass tussocks were so high, we were unable to find any more pieces.
As the information sheets were covered in plastic, but the rain was seeping through, and they are likely to become even more worn and stained, I photographed a couple of them and typed them up for future reference.
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109 |
1 |
| Bull Stone (Crook of Devon) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
31st Oct 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
The Bull Stone, Crook of Devon: We parked in St Serf’s Road, Crook of Devon, at NO 03303 00037 and walked down Church Road, then took the right hand fork of the footpath, which lead almost directly south. Just under 220 metres from the fork, there is a farm track which leads off to the east. The Bull Stone is showed on the map just up this track, on its northern side.
I thought this stone was just part of an old stone wall, as the stone was f...The Bull Stone, Crook of Devon: We parked in St Serf’s Road, Crook of Devon, at NO 03303 00037 and walked down Church Road, then took the right hand fork of the footpath, which lead almost directly south. Just under 220 metres from the fork, there is a farm track which leads off to the east. The Bull Stone is showed on the map just up this track, on its northern side.
I thought this stone was just part of an old stone wall, as the stone was fragmented and cemented together again. It wasn’t until I saw the photo on TNA that I believed we had seen the right stone! Not a brilliant monument, but a nice, short walk, and another to ‘tick off the list’ of sites seen.
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109 |
2 |
| Chapel Well (Cambusbarron) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
30th Oct 2018 |
-1 |
2 |
4 |
Bruce's Well, Cambusbarron: Even with the GPS from the Portal, we had great trouble finding this well, and in the end had to ask two locals. One pointed us to an old water fountain in a nearby park, now repurposed as a planter; the other took us to a footpath by the side of a small stream and pointed us down the path, saying “a lot of people come to look, but there’s not really much to see.”
We found the steps, as photographed on the Portal, ...Bruce's Well, Cambusbarron: Even with the GPS from the Portal, we had great trouble finding this well, and in the end had to ask two locals. One pointed us to an old water fountain in a nearby park, now repurposed as a planter; the other took us to a footpath by the side of a small stream and pointed us down the path, saying “a lot of people come to look, but there’s not really much to see.”
We found the steps, as photographed on the Portal, but there was a sign declaring this the site of the well only.
In the middle of the village, a police officer was standing in a doorway with a number of people outside making phone calls. As we headed up the steps from the site of the well back to the car, a white clothed forensics officer exited the house. Haven't found out what happened, but this certainly made it a memorable visit to the site of this well.
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108 |
7 |
| Coneypark Nursery (Cambusbarron) |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
31st Oct 2018 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Coneypark Nursery Cairn: This cairn is right in the middle of a modern housing estate, where it has been left as a corner ‘open space’. The sides of the cairn have been marginally cut away to create the road and the gardens for the houses, but it is possible to walk over the cairn. A few of the residents were arriving home and in their driveways; none of them took (much) notice of me taking photographs and having a walk all around the cairn.
...Coneypark Nursery Cairn: This cairn is right in the middle of a modern housing estate, where it has been left as a corner ‘open space’. The sides of the cairn have been marginally cut away to create the road and the gardens for the houses, but it is possible to walk over the cairn. A few of the residents were arriving home and in their driveways; none of them took (much) notice of me taking photographs and having a walk all around the cairn.
There is nothing much to see here, but it was ‘one to tick off our list’.
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108 |
6 |
| St Thomas's Well (Cambusbarron) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
30th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Thomas's Well, Cambusbarron: St Thomas’s Well is not far from the rock art panel. Going back to the car, we drove further down Douglas Terrace, past the grave yard, to where the road (St Thomas’s Well) turns right. The well is just past it’s junction with the Old Turnpike Road.
This well is in a private garden. It is possible to walk all the way round the well pool, but not to access the garden. The pool still had water in it, but only a...St Thomas's Well, Cambusbarron: St Thomas’s Well is not far from the rock art panel. Going back to the car, we drove further down Douglas Terrace, past the grave yard, to where the road (St Thomas’s Well) turns right. The well is just past it’s junction with the Old Turnpike Road.
This well is in a private garden. It is possible to walk all the way round the well pool, but not to access the garden. The pool still had water in it, but only a relatively small amount. The whole pool was around 30m across. At its western side, there was a paved area with a round well basin built into it, but this looked like a garden feature rather than part of the well structure.
By the names and the old buildings, this is obviously a very old location with history, but no longer has the atmosphere with the modern houses built up around the historical sites. The busy M9 lies almost immediately to the west, although the noise of the traffic was masked to some extent by the buildings between the well and the road.
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108 |
5 |
| King's Park Cup and Rings |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
30th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
King's Park Cup and Rings, Sterling: From Stirling, we headed off to south end of King’s Park which lies south of the A811 Dumbarton Road. The rock art panel is located at the southern end, near the golf course.
We parked on Douglas Terrace and used the little cut-through to the park at the eastern end of the row of terraced houses before its junction with Park Place. We then turned west along the footpath that ran along the bottom of the cli...King's Park Cup and Rings, Sterling: From Stirling, we headed off to south end of King’s Park which lies south of the A811 Dumbarton Road. The rock art panel is located at the southern end, near the golf course.
We parked on Douglas Terrace and used the little cut-through to the park at the eastern end of the row of terraced houses before its junction with Park Place. We then turned west along the footpath that ran along the bottom of the cliffs, but had to double back and use the footpath and steps up to the golf course, just to the right of the cut-through. From here, we turned west along the footpath. The grid reference is spot on, and the rock had had the turf cleared from it. The low light at this time of the afternoon helped to pick out the motifs.
I wondered what other motifs there might be around here, as the footpath here runs along the top of some small cliffs, but these were heavily wooded.
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108 |
4 |
| St Ninian's Well (Stirling) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
30th Oct 2018 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
St Ninian's Well, Stirling: This was just over the road from the Wellgreen Carpark, but we had difficulty in finding this well, because of its rather hidden location. Despite the GPS telling us we were only 20m away, we were unable to find it until we saw the footpath leading to Wellgreen Place at the southern side of the A811 Wellgreen Road. Shame the area is used by smokers, as the rubbish is horrible.
Opposite the well, nearer to the off...St Ninian's Well, Stirling: This was just over the road from the Wellgreen Carpark, but we had difficulty in finding this well, because of its rather hidden location. Despite the GPS telling us we were only 20m away, we were unable to find it until we saw the footpath leading to Wellgreen Place at the southern side of the A811 Wellgreen Road. Shame the area is used by smokers, as the rubbish is horrible.
Opposite the well, nearer to the office block is a small set of steps leading upwards to a now very much overgrown garden area. The steps are virtually hidden under shrubbery, and although Andrew had a try at climbing up, it was very difficult and we gave up and went onto our next destination.
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108 |
3 |
| Butt Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
30th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Butt Well, Sterling Castle: We parked in the layby near the King’s Knot, just off the A811. There is a footpath signposted to Butt Well leading through the field next to the layby, just down the grassy slope.
Walking up towards the Castle, we were met by a fair number of dog walkers walking to or from the well. The footpaths here look as if they give access up to the castle, but we stopped short at the well.
Our first sight of part of thi...Butt Well, Sterling Castle: We parked in the layby near the King’s Knot, just off the A811. There is a footpath signposted to Butt Well leading through the field next to the layby, just down the grassy slope.
Walking up towards the Castle, we were met by a fair number of dog walkers walking to or from the well. The footpaths here look as if they give access up to the castle, but we stopped short at the well.
Our first sight of part of this feature was a small well chamber, still with a fair flow of water running into it, just over the dry stone wall, below the main well housing and at the bottom of the flight of steps, at NS 78937 93894. The water from this runs in a small channel across the field to the northern side of the wall, at the opposite side to the footpath. Looking down at this chamber from above, there appears to be the remains of a stone drinking trough just outside the chamber, but largely buried under the grass and weeds around it.
The well itself, at NS 78948 93898, is now dry and capped off, with a handy bench next to it.
Climbing up the few steps above the main well housing, there is a channel running underneath the footpath running off to the north west at NS 78952 93902.
As I was photographing the well, a young black Labrador was running around with a large tree branch in his mouth. I was laughing at him, and his owner came up and asked us where we were from. He said when he was young, he used to play on the ‘cup and saucer’ (the King’s Knot) then run up here for a drink; “the water was the clearest you’ll ever taste”. He told me that they’d capped the well off some 20 to 30 years ago.
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108 |
2 |
| Randolphfield Stones |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
30th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Randolphfield Stones, Sterling: This visit felt really strange, as the stones were literally in front of the police station, and I wondered if I’d get a tap on the shoulder and the memory card from my camera confiscated! No one seemed to turn a hair, though I took a number of photographs of both stones. |
108 |
1 |
| The Govan Stones |
Museum |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
29th Oct 2018 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
The Govan Stones, Govan Old Church: We only found out about this exhibition/display through a chance email to Glasgow Life, enquiring if St Mungo's Museum of Religious Life and Art next to Glasgow Cathedral had any early Christian stones we could see and photograph. They replied 'no' but told us about The Govan Stones. With only a few days to go before the exhibition closed for the winter on 31st October, we rushed to see it at the first opport...The Govan Stones, Govan Old Church: We only found out about this exhibition/display through a chance email to Glasgow Life, enquiring if St Mungo's Museum of Religious Life and Art next to Glasgow Cathedral had any early Christian stones we could see and photograph. They replied 'no' but told us about The Govan Stones. With only a few days to go before the exhibition closed for the winter on 31st October, we rushed to see it at the first opportunity, and were blown away!
We spent about 2 hours here, wandering around, looking at the stones, hogbacks and the sarcophagus. A guide joined us for part of our visit and put on special lights in which to view the sarcophagus.
I photographed most of the stones, and am still trying to find out more about each one. This exhibition deserves to be much, much wider known than it currently is. It is the best display of early Christian stones that we've seen to date, and I would go again in a heart-beat.
Very, very highly recommended indeed.
Since my visit, I've been in touch with Govan Heritage Trust to find out more information about the stones. They have been immensely helpful and even provided some of the photographs for submission here.
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107 |
3 |
| St Mungo's Well (Glasgow Cathedral) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
29th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Mungo's/St Kentigern's Well, Glasgow Cathedral: This Cathedral is also known as Barony Kirk, High Church, Metropolitan Kirk & St Mongo’s. The holy well is in the south eastern corner of the crypt/undercroft, next to a collection of architectural fragments and part of the arcade of the original St Mungo’s tomb.
Whilst we were there, the Cathedral guide repeatedly brought people to the well, if only for a brief look. I had to chuckle (only ...St Mungo's/St Kentigern's Well, Glasgow Cathedral: This Cathedral is also known as Barony Kirk, High Church, Metropolitan Kirk & St Mongo’s. The holy well is in the south eastern corner of the crypt/undercroft, next to a collection of architectural fragments and part of the arcade of the original St Mungo’s tomb.
Whilst we were there, the Cathedral guide repeatedly brought people to the well, if only for a brief look. I had to chuckle (only a little) as the well cover made looked like an old fashioned toilet seat. I’m not sure how deep the well is, even with a light, but I couldn’t see any water in it – it was either very deep or dry.
The only mention of this well in the Church’s guide book is on page 16: “In the south east corner of the crypt is St Kentigern’s Well, from which water was drawn for liturgical use. Also in that chapel is a display of carved stones, including possible fragments from the base of St Kentigern’s Shrine, and a painted stone thought to have come from the cathedral of the 1100s.
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107 |
1 |
| Lady Well (Glasgow) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
North Lanarkshire |
Visited |
29th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Lady Well, Glasgow: To get to this well, we had to walk through the path to the south of the cathedral leading to the Necropolis, then use a gate at the junction of Wishart Street and Ladywell Street, walking east towards the dead end of this street. The well is to the northern side of Ladywell Street, opposite an entrance into Tennent’s Wellpark brewery. It is dry, and now somewhat delapidated, although people have left offerings of money.
...Lady Well, Glasgow: To get to this well, we had to walk through the path to the south of the cathedral leading to the Necropolis, then use a gate at the junction of Wishart Street and Ladywell Street, walking east towards the dead end of this street. The well is to the northern side of Ladywell Street, opposite an entrance into Tennent’s Wellpark brewery. It is dry, and now somewhat delapidated, although people have left offerings of money.
As the Canmore entry reads, Lady Well was “anciently a holy well dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was probably one of the sixteen public wells in Glasgow in 1736. It used to flow from the E bank of the Merchants' Park, but when this was converted to the Necropolis, the well became polluted and was closed. The Merchants' House, in 1836, built a niche on the spot to mark the site of its exit from the brae. This was rebuilt in 1874.”
A small brass plaque reads: “The Lady Well. Restored by Tennent Caledonian Breweries Ltd. 1983.”
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107 |
2 |
| Boar Stone (Armadale) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
28th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Boar Stone (Barbachlaw), Armadale: This is another site we'd picked up from the Ancient Stones website, and although it's not far from my daughter's house in Amadale, we wouldn't normally drive this road. This stone is clearly visible from the A89. We managed to park in the gateway to another field opposite, crossed the road and had to climb over the gate as it was tied shut with some very tight knots.
The field had been planted and there...The Boar Stone (Barbachlaw), Armadale: This is another site we'd picked up from the Ancient Stones website, and although it's not far from my daughter's house in Amadale, we wouldn't normally drive this road. This stone is clearly visible from the A89. We managed to park in the gateway to another field opposite, crossed the road and had to climb over the gate as it was tied shut with some very tight knots.
The field had been planted and there were some young seedlings showing through. By walking along the edge of the field, then up a tractor track, we managed to reach the stone and walk round it.
Goodness knows how much of this stone is underneath the ground – it was certainly large, and no wonder they hadn’t tried to move it!
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106 |
7 |
| Gogar Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
28th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Gogar or Easter Norton Standing Stone: The last time I visited this stone, the field was planted with crop with no easy way of crossing the knee high rows of plants, so we viewed it from a distance. On this visit, the field had been left fallow, so we parked in the small layby on Freelands Road and walked through a gap in the hedgerow up to the stone. A large rook was perched on top of the stone, but flew off before I could take a photograph...The Gogar or Easter Norton Standing Stone: The last time I visited this stone, the field was planted with crop with no easy way of crossing the knee high rows of plants, so we viewed it from a distance. On this visit, the field had been left fallow, so we parked in the small layby on Freelands Road and walked through a gap in the hedgerow up to the stone. A large rook was perched on top of the stone, but flew off before I could take a photograph of it.
This stone has lots to keep it occupied during the day – planes taking off from Edinburgh airport to the north, trains on the mainline to the south, and cars on the M8. It was nice to be able to wander up to it, take photographs and see the stone up close.
The satnav took us by a funny route back to the A8 and whilst waiting to move off, a white van ran into the back of our car, just as a blue light ambulance was trying to get past. Not a good end to the day, but we decided to stop off at the Boar Stone on the way back as there was still just enough daylight.
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105 |
6 |
| Niddrie House |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
28th Oct 2018 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Niddrie House Stone: This has to be one of the saddest little standing stones I’ve seen. Largely hidden by ivy and surrounded by rubbish, in between a largish utility building and a padlocked, disused cemetery, with a bus stop about 10m to the south west and a new estate with many security cameras to the north east. And a splodge of what was red paint running down from the top of the stone, too. If I could have dug this up and taken it home wi...Niddrie House Stone: This has to be one of the saddest little standing stones I’ve seen. Largely hidden by ivy and surrounded by rubbish, in between a largish utility building and a padlocked, disused cemetery, with a bus stop about 10m to the south west and a new estate with many security cameras to the north east. And a splodge of what was red paint running down from the top of the stone, too. If I could have dug this up and taken it home with me, I would.
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106 |
5 |
| Slidey Stane (Holyrood Park) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
28th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
The Slidey Stane, Holyrood Park: As we were in Edinburgh City Centre, we thought we'd try and find this large erratic stone which is featured on The Ancient Stones website, but my goodness - what a search we had!
We followed the directions given on The Ancient Stones, and even armed with the GPS we walked up and down and down and up and round and round. Eventually, I took my phone out and managed to find a forum post on the Modern Antiquarian ...The Slidey Stane, Holyrood Park: As we were in Edinburgh City Centre, we thought we'd try and find this large erratic stone which is featured on The Ancient Stones website, but my goodness - what a search we had!
We followed the directions given on The Ancient Stones, and even armed with the GPS we walked up and down and down and up and round and round. Eventually, I took my phone out and managed to find a forum post on the Modern Antiquarian which gave a link to a search by the park rangers. This, thankfully, included photographs of the route to find the stone. It is in fact at the location given by the Ancient Stones, but is so hidden in a dip on the hillside, that we were unable to see it, either from below or above. We finally saw it from a couple of metres away, but what a disappointment!
The stone is small, although the top is shiny as if it has been polished over the years. There are larger stones on the footpath running above the Slidey Stone.
Well, at least we found it, photographed it and have now posted the results here. We too a more accurate grid reference of NT 26766 72765.
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106 |
4 |
| Hanging Stanes (Braid Road) |
Marker Stone |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
28th Oct 2018 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
The Hanging Stanes: Having spotted this site on the Ancient Stones website, and with them being just down the road from the Buck Stane, we decided to pay this site a visit on the way into Edinburgh City Centre. I don't know why I thought these were originally associated with witches, but found out otherwise during the visit.
We pulled up next to the junction of Braid Road and Comiston Road, as per the directions on the Ancient Stones, only to...The Hanging Stanes: Having spotted this site on the Ancient Stones website, and with them being just down the road from the Buck Stane, we decided to pay this site a visit on the way into Edinburgh City Centre. I don't know why I thought these were originally associated with witches, but found out otherwise during the visit.
We pulled up next to the junction of Braid Road and Comiston Road, as per the directions on the Ancient Stones, only to find some people from the house immediately next to it were leaving and getting into their car. The older gentleman from the house asked me if we’d seen the plaque on the street and told me around 30 people each day come to see these stones.
The plaque in the pavement reads: “The Hanging Stanes. Thomas Kelly and Henry O’R eil, the last two highwaymen in Scotland to be executed, were hanged in public on 25th January 1616, from the gallows erected on the two stanes still visible on the spot, which was where the robbery took place. Paid for by public subscription. 1995.”
I risked getting run over to avoid my shadow falling across the stones, but they were half in shade and half in the sun, so the photos weren’t great. With these stones being sited on the slope of a hill with views over the city centre, without the traffic and the people around, this would have been a very atmospheric and enigmatic place.
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105 |
3 |
| Caiy Stane |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
28th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Caiy Stane, Edinburgh: It was a good job we had the SatNav to help us find this stone, as all the streets around were called ‘Caiy (something)’ and we could have been driving around for ages!
This is a magnificent stone, set back in a niche backing onto someone’s garden on Caiystane View. It is possible to walk all the way around it, so we saw the 6 cups marks and the more modern graffiti on the back face.
The small sign at the front ba...The Caiy Stane, Edinburgh: It was a good job we had the SatNav to help us find this stone, as all the streets around were called ‘Caiy (something)’ and we could have been driving around for ages!
This is a magnificent stone, set back in a niche backing onto someone’s garden on Caiystane View. It is possible to walk all the way around it, so we saw the 6 cups marks and the more modern graffiti on the back face.
The small sign at the front base of the stone reads: “The Caiy Stone. The Property of The National Trust for Scotland.” The larger sign, on the low wall to the left of the stone reads: “The Caiy Stane. Standing at over nine feet high on a summit, originally with wide views, this broad slab of red sandstone includes a line of six, probably prehistoric, cup marks on its reverse face. / The stone may have been erected as early as the Neolithic period, possibly before 3000BC, to denote a ritual or burial place. Records of cairns, cists and urns found in the immediate vicinity show that the hilltop continued to be used for burial in the Bronze Age. / Discovery of these remains led to the supposition that Caiyside Hill was the site of a battle, variously suggested to have involved Romans, Danes (Vikings); ore Cromwellians. The Caiy Stane, also known as the Kel Stane, the Cat Stane or the Camus Stane, was thought to have been a battle memorial stone.”
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106 |
2 |
| Buck Stane |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
28th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Buck Stane, Braid Road, Edinburgh: Our first stop of the day in the Tour of Edinburgh Stones. The Buck Stone is in a niche on the western side of Braid Road, about 125m north of the junction with Buckstone Drive and before it turns into Buckstone Terrace.
There is a sign explaining what the stone is: The Buckstane. This march stone, a relic of feudal times, occupied a commanding site on the old Roman road about 250 yards north from this s...The Buck Stane, Braid Road, Edinburgh: Our first stop of the day in the Tour of Edinburgh Stones. The Buck Stone is in a niche on the western side of Braid Road, about 125m north of the junction with Buckstone Drive and before it turns into Buckstone Terrace.
There is a sign explaining what the stone is: The Buckstane. This march stone, a relic of feudal times, occupied a commanding site on the old Roman road about 250 yards north from this spot. By tradition the name was derived from the stone having marked the place where the buck hounds were unleashed when the king of Scotland hunted in this region”.
A nice, tidy, well looked after spot.
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1 |
| Easter Broomhouse |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Easter Broomhouse Standing Stone: Dusk was falling as we arrived at this site, which I've long wanted to see. We parked by the water treatment works over the road at NT 67718 76493 and walked down the side of the ploughed area of the field until we were level with the stone, then ‘waded’ through the loose, ploughed soil until we reached the stone itself.
A lonely spot, although it has great views to the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock in the d...Easter Broomhouse Standing Stone: Dusk was falling as we arrived at this site, which I've long wanted to see. We parked by the water treatment works over the road at NT 67718 76493 and walked down the side of the ploughed area of the field until we were level with the stone, then ‘waded’ through the loose, ploughed soil until we reached the stone itself.
A lonely spot, although it has great views to the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock in the distance, to the north. It is a tall, sandstone pillar standing in an ocean of brown-red soil.
There are indeed 3 cups marks on its western face, along with some modern graffiti. The base of the stone has really been worn away; as the Canmore record says, this is the result of a steam plough cable.
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105 |
8 |
| St John's Well (Spott) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St John's Well, Spott: With the wind still whistling and starting to get dark, we really wanted to see this well and the nearby Easter Broomhouse standing stone before calling it a day. At the north eastern end of Spott, a gated stile by the small school lets you into the field, which, at the time of our visit, was full of very large, curious sheep.
Following the line of the first two telegraph poles, a gully comes into view. The well house ...St John's Well, Spott: With the wind still whistling and starting to get dark, we really wanted to see this well and the nearby Easter Broomhouse standing stone before calling it a day. At the north eastern end of Spott, a gated stile by the small school lets you into the field, which, at the time of our visit, was full of very large, curious sheep.
Following the line of the first two telegraph poles, a gully comes into view. The well house is located at the top of this, at the bottom of the gully, so we needed to slither down the 6ft or so to the bottom to photograph the well.
Whilst the well cavity was dry, there was a pool of water a couple of metres further down the gulley.
Further down the field there was a very old, ruined building with an arched window. I am curious to know what this is – need to look it up on Canmore. Because of its location, my immediate thought was that it was a hermitage. No separate Canmore record, but is recorded on the map as a cistern.
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105 |
7 |
| Witches' Stone (Spott) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
The Witches' Stone, Spott: I had expected something a little grander than a large stone by the side of a hedgerow with a rusting iron railing and a sign that we could hardly read. There is a photograph on the Canmore record with a photograph of the sign from 2010 which is legible: “The Witches Stone of Spott. Marion Lillie, the Ringwoody Witch was burnt here in 1698. The stone is reputed to stand on the site of the burning of the last witch in t...The Witches' Stone, Spott: I had expected something a little grander than a large stone by the side of a hedgerow with a rusting iron railing and a sign that we could hardly read. There is a photograph on the Canmore record with a photograph of the sign from 2010 which is legible: “The Witches Stone of Spott. Marion Lillie, the Ringwoody Witch was burnt here in 1698. The stone is reputed to stand on the site of the burning of the last witch in the South of Scotland. Near to this site the Birley Tree stood, under whose branches the local Birley Court was held.”
I had to chuckle as whilst I was photographing a stone, another couple had stopped to take photographs of a brown sheep in a nearby field. Having taken quite a few photos, they continued their walk, walking right by this stone. Perhaps they’d seen it before. I found it touching that people still left coins here as offerings.
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105 |
6 |
| Rood Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Oct 2018 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Rood Well, Stenton: A very pretty well, and very easy to find. Just by the side of the road, some 300 metres north east along the B6370 from The Tron. The well is below pavement level, with steps leading down to it. The well cavity was damp but there was no pool of water. I couldn’t see any pipe leading into the well chamber, so assume the water must seep up into the cavity. Being closely surrounded by a stone wall on three sides, with a ploug...Rood Well, Stenton: A very pretty well, and very easy to find. Just by the side of the road, some 300 metres north east along the B6370 from The Tron. The well is below pavement level, with steps leading down to it. The well cavity was damp but there was no pool of water. I couldn’t see any pipe leading into the well chamber, so assume the water must seep up into the cavity. Being closely surrounded by a stone wall on three sides, with a ploughed field beyond, it was a little tricky to photograph.
As the Canmore entry from the Old Church (ID 57841) says, the finial on the well is thought to come from the Old Church (14th century). There is a small plaque on the side of the well which reads: “16th century historic building”.
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105 |
5 |
| Mayshiel Stone Circle |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Mayshiel Stone Setting: Whilst we were here to see the stones at NT 6298 6465, the first thing I spotted was a huge pile of clearance stones just up the hill in a field just north of the B6355. The second was what looked like a standing stone at the edge of the field at NT 62924 64612. On closer look, this may have been a large field clearance stone, which sits on top of other small boulders.
The stones at Mayshiel are very close to the road...Mayshiel Stone Setting: Whilst we were here to see the stones at NT 6298 6465, the first thing I spotted was a huge pile of clearance stones just up the hill in a field just north of the B6355. The second was what looked like a standing stone at the edge of the field at NT 62924 64612. On closer look, this may have been a large field clearance stone, which sits on top of other small boulders.
The stones at Mayshiel are very close to the road. At first glance, there are only three, but the longer we looked, more became evident.
There were also another group of stones at approx. NT 62814 64541 which had the appearance of a cist, but the stones forming the longer sides were very large. These stones may have just been a natural outcrop. One of the stones had been broken and the split off bit was lying half way along the northern end of the group.
Looking at the latter group of stones at home, they were similar in description to Canmore’s description of the Packman’s Grave (above).
At first glance, an insignificant site, but the more we walked round, the better it became, and it was well worth stopping off to look at this.
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4 |
| Packman's Grave (Whiteadder Reservoir) |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Couldn't find |
|
|
|
|
Packman's Grave, Whiteadder Reservoir: Despite having the grid reference, we were unable to find anything at this site, which was disappointing. We did find something remarkably similar at NT 62814 64541 - five stones in a kite-;ike shape, not far to the south west of the Mayshield Stone Setting. |
105 |
3 |
| Whiteadder Reservoir |
Cairn |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Oct 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Whiteadder Reservoir cairn and stone setting: We parked at NT 64304 64291 and walked along the first part of the Herring Road onto the land high above Whiteadder Reservoir with the GPS to find this stone setting and enclosure, with the cold winds whipping around our ears. From what I'd read on Canmore, I expected something a little different from what we found on the ground, which was in effect a cairn.
Despite walking round the area looking ...Whiteadder Reservoir cairn and stone setting: We parked at NT 64304 64291 and walked along the first part of the Herring Road onto the land high above Whiteadder Reservoir with the GPS to find this stone setting and enclosure, with the cold winds whipping around our ears. From what I'd read on Canmore, I expected something a little different from what we found on the ground, which was in effect a cairn.
Despite walking round the area looking for these stones, and trying to feel for stones under our feet, we only found what looked like a cairn with one stone sticking up out of it. It is the same area as that given by Canmore. A 1971 entry says the enclosure has been completely destroyed, except "three small stones exist." As the grass and heather was calf deep, it was probable the stones were hidden underneath.
Looking at the map on the Canmore record, the cairn we spotted is in the correct location for the stones, with the enclosure about 20m to the south, identifiable as there is a flat, circular area in the bracken. Beautiful views over the reservoir.
The sign on the ‘public path’ signpost reads: Heritage Path, Herring Road. This old path is named because it was used by the fishwives of Dunbar when carrying massive creels of herring to market in Lauder. This track was one of many different routes that were used by the fishwives over the centuries as paths became eroded and were replaced.” And “Herring Road to Dunbar, 12.5miles via Dunbar Common and Halls”.
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2 |
| Duns Mercat Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Duns Mercat Cross: Having set off after a snow storm this morning, we stopped off in Duns just after 12 noon for coffee and a scone.
We went to the café we went to when we were here last (some 3-4 years ago), only to find the café open but no-one in, despite many cars in the town. Parking just round the corner from the market square, I realised that there was a market cross which I don’t think I’d photographed before. Whilst the base was ‘mod...Duns Mercat Cross: Having set off after a snow storm this morning, we stopped off in Duns just after 12 noon for coffee and a scone.
We went to the café we went to when we were here last (some 3-4 years ago), only to find the café open but no-one in, despite many cars in the town. Parking just round the corner from the market square, I realised that there was a market cross which I don’t think I’d photographed before. Whilst the base was ‘modern’ the top appears old.
The café had changed hands, reverting to the original owner, who admitted to being 76 years old and having run a gallery in Harrogate. “We don’t do lunches” we were told. By this time we were cold and hungry so opted for hot scones and tea. A great selection of very reasonably priced antiques to browse round, too, although the only thing I would really have liked to buy wasn't for sale!
The plaque on the cross base reads: “The Mercat Cross of Duns originally stood on the site of the present town hall and was removed when it was rebuilt in 1820. It was re-erected by Andrew Smith Esqr. of Whitchester AD 1897.”
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1 |
| St Andrew's Church (Bothal) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross Shaft Fragment, St Andrew's Church, Bothal: I had arranged to collect the key to the church from the Reverend John Parks, who lives in Pegswood. The church in Bothal is very easy to find, and in a very scenic place, with a nearby footpath running down to the River Wansbeck.
The narrow west end of the church faces the road, and is largely hidden by tall, dense trees. My first thought was “how am I going to photograph the outs...Anglo Saxon Cross Shaft Fragment, St Andrew's Church, Bothal: I had arranged to collect the key to the church from the Reverend John Parks, who lives in Pegswood. The church in Bothal is very easy to find, and in a very scenic place, with a nearby footpath running down to the River Wansbeck.
The narrow west end of the church faces the road, and is largely hidden by tall, dense trees. My first thought was “how am I going to photograph the outside?” This did prove to be a little bit of a challenge, but in the end, walking into the much larger and spacious churchyard, I managed a couple of shots.
There are a number of entries on HE for St. Andrew’s Church, and whilst we spent about an hour and a half here, I felt I wanted to stay longer to explore all the elements in the guide book and the architectural assessments, but Andrew was getting bored and a cup of tea in Morpeth then holy wells beckoned.
There are several really interesting ‘cut outs’ of the wooden panel in the chancel that give viewing access to a remnant of medieval plasterwork, an old tombstone reused as a lintel, and an old wooden door. The cut outs were quite small, which made photographing these features a little tricky. At one point, I thought I was going to drop the camera down the small window on the south wall of the chancel, in an attempt to photograph the bottom of the lintel above! Photographing the remnant of medieval plasterwork was interesting, as Andrew had to shine the torch (kindly provided by the church in a neat holder next to the grille) whilst I manually focussed the camera. Not a great photo by any means, but I had fun trying!
On the eastern and northern external walls of the church there are musket ball holes.
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104 |
1 |
| Lady Well (Bavington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Oct 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Lady Well, Bavington: This is a lovely spot, and well worth the short walk to and from the road to see this well (or what remains of it).
We parked at NY 99286 80701, just off the B6342, and followed the track northwards towards Ladywell Farm. There was a big boulder with lots of cut marks at it at the top of the track, and I worked out it said ‘Ladywell’ on it, although the marks looked more like runes than letters!
There are no records...Lady Well, Bavington: This is a lovely spot, and well worth the short walk to and from the road to see this well (or what remains of it).
We parked at NY 99286 80701, just off the B6342, and followed the track northwards towards Ladywell Farm. There was a big boulder with lots of cut marks at it at the top of the track, and I worked out it said ‘Ladywell’ on it, although the marks looked more like runes than letters!
There are no records on Pastscape or HE, although the well is marked on the OS map. Ladywell Farmhouse is recorded as Historic England List ID 1044928, although this is largely 17th and 18th century.
The footpath goes right past the right hand side of the farm, then deviates off slightly north east, through a kissing ate. Walking straight ahead, there was a dip in the ground with some marsh grass around it to our right, so we made a beeline for this. There was a heap of pebbles in the dip, with a stream of water emerging from the ground between the stones – no great rush of water, just a gentle flow. Judging by the dressed stones at the southern end of the pile of pebbles, it looks as through there might have been a well house or pool surround at some point.
Oh the wind, which must have been a steady 30mph plus on our walk there and back! My ears and cheeks burned when I got back into the car after this walk, although it was nice to actually walk to a site and back, even though it was a relatively short distance.
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104 |
4 |
| Jemmy's Well (Cambo) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Jemmy's Well, Cambo: One of three wells in the village of Cambo, but only this one is marked on the modern OS map, and the only mention we found of it was in Binnall and Dodd's 1941 'Holy Wells of Northumberland and Durham' document. The well lies on private land, just south of Cambo School, and the well field had at least half a dozen horses in it; to avoid upsetting the horses, we let ourselves into the field to the south, using the gate near ...Jemmy's Well, Cambo: One of three wells in the village of Cambo, but only this one is marked on the modern OS map, and the only mention we found of it was in Binnall and Dodd's 1941 'Holy Wells of Northumberland and Durham' document. The well lies on private land, just south of Cambo School, and the well field had at least half a dozen horses in it; to avoid upsetting the horses, we let ourselves into the field to the south, using the gate near the wood alongside the B6342, then walking north to where a 'bridge/track' has been created over the small stream to the south of the well field.
I found the 1863 OS maps when I got home, and the other two wells are marked, to the south west of Jemmy's Well; where these are the two mentioned by Binnall and Dodds (Hepple's Well and Stinky), I'm not sure, but the are close enough to supply the village.
I'd like to get permission to get into the well field and take a closer look. Whilst the well looked dry at the time of our visit, the semi-circle of stones outside the well house indicated there had been a well pool there at some time in the fairly recent past.
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104 |
3 |
| St Cuthbert's Well (Mitford) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Site of St Cuthbert's Holy Well, Mitford: After having visited Bothal church and spent well over an hour looking around, we stopped off at The Old Chantry tea rooms in Morpeth for a bowl of soup and a cup of tea, then headed off to the small, but very pretty village of Mitford, just over 2.5 km west of Morpeth.
OK, so there is no longer a well here, and the Victorian-era drinking fountain structure that was built in the place where the well wa...Site of St Cuthbert's Holy Well, Mitford: After having visited Bothal church and spent well over an hour looking around, we stopped off at The Old Chantry tea rooms in Morpeth for a bowl of soup and a cup of tea, then headed off to the small, but very pretty village of Mitford, just over 2.5 km west of Morpeth.
OK, so there is no longer a well here, and the Victorian-era drinking fountain structure that was built in the place where the well was supposed to have been is now dry, it was easy to find. The road is reasonably busy, so I risked getting run over to get a few close up shots. The carving of the impaled dragon's head (I didn't realise what it was until I saw the photos on the larger screen of the computer and read the Historic England description) was pretty gruesome.
We did wander down to the river and walked along a little way. Someone has built what appears to be a very pretty, but very modern, thatched cottage by the side of the footpath along the river.
Note for next time: the pub does special offers on food for pensioners!
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104 |
2 |
| Bedlington Market Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
The Market Cross, Bedlington: We spotted this rather unusual market cross on our way to St Cuthbert's Church to see the tenth century carved slab, now inside the church. The road was less busy on our return, and we managed to pull into the small car park outside the hairdressers opposite (it was shut for the night) and I walked across the road to take some photographs.
I have to confess this is a pretty ugly structure, and well done to whoever...The Market Cross, Bedlington: We spotted this rather unusual market cross on our way to St Cuthbert's Church to see the tenth century carved slab, now inside the church. The road was less busy on our return, and we managed to pull into the small car park outside the hairdressers opposite (it was shut for the night) and I walked across the road to take some photographs.
I have to confess this is a pretty ugly structure, and well done to whoever uses it as a private parking spot. I was surprised to find this was a Grade II listed structure, built apparently in 1792.
The surrounding flower beds and town signs all proclaimed "The Bedlington Terrier", so presumably this is where those dogs originated.
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103 |
4 |
| Leper's Well (Bamburgh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Oct 2018 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
Leper's Well, Bamburgh: Guided by the grid reference given on Pastscape, we walked down Doctor's Lane from St Aidan's Well. Some of the old stone walls around properties, and at the sides of the lanes running off here are ancient, and we thought they could well belong to the old leper hospital.
The grid reference took us to the corner of a row of cottages, where there was a modern manhole cover. The well was last recorded in 1955, so it look...Leper's Well, Bamburgh: Guided by the grid reference given on Pastscape, we walked down Doctor's Lane from St Aidan's Well. Some of the old stone walls around properties, and at the sides of the lanes running off here are ancient, and we thought they could well belong to the old leper hospital.
The grid reference took us to the corner of a row of cottages, where there was a modern manhole cover. The well was last recorded in 1955, so it looks as if it has now been destroyed. I took a few photos of the site, just in case.
Andrew called up the 1860 OS map on his phone and we were confident we had the right location. When I got home, I used the Pastscape and HE entries which gave distances (the dovecot is 140 NE of leper hospital) to triangulate the location of the well, and it agrees with the spot on the old OS map and the spot I photographed.
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102 |
5 |
| Bamburgh Barrow 1 |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Northumberland |
Saw from a distance |
9th Oct 2018 |
1 |
3 |
|
Rubbing Stone & Tumulus, Bamburgh: Spotted this apparent 'standing stone' in the field when we were walking back along Doctor's Lane towards St Aidan's Well. There was no obvious way into the field along this route, and we'd already walked for miles, so we contented ourselves with photographing from the stone wall in the next field.
On researching this site when I got home, found out that it was marked on the 1860 OS map as a tumulus with ru...Rubbing Stone & Tumulus, Bamburgh: Spotted this apparent 'standing stone' in the field when we were walking back along Doctor's Lane towards St Aidan's Well. There was no obvious way into the field along this route, and we'd already walked for miles, so we contented ourselves with photographing from the stone wall in the next field.
On researching this site when I got home, found out that it was marked on the 1860 OS map as a tumulus with rubbing stone. The tumulus has now been destroyed and the stone is a 19th century insertion into the mound.
Had we realised there was still a visible cist, we might have tried harder to access the field. However, there is such a lot of history in Bamburgh, I'm sure we'll be making a return trip in the not too distant future.
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102 |
6 |
| St Cuthbert's Church (Bedlington) |
Sculptured Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Cuthbert's Church, Bedlington: The Corpus told us the stone we were looking for was on the external east face of the nave. We were joined by a group of four boys who wandered into the churchyard and wondered what we were doing, so I told them, showed them the image, but none of us could find it. Looking through the architectural assessment I found it had been moved into the church and were on the west wall of the nave.
There were lights o...St Cuthbert's Church, Bedlington: The Corpus told us the stone we were looking for was on the external east face of the nave. We were joined by a group of four boys who wandered into the churchyard and wondered what we were doing, so I told them, showed them the image, but none of us could find it. Looking through the architectural assessment I found it had been moved into the church and were on the west wall of the nave.
There were lights on in the church but the doors were locked. On our second try, the door opened and the Brownie Leader popped her head out. She very kindly let us into the church for a look around.
The south wall of the church is very old, but the rest of the exterior is Victorian. The nave of the church inside is incredible. Most of the grave markers were hidden behind the spiral staircase leading up to the organ, but I tried my best to photograph them.
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103 |
3 |
| St Andrew's Church (Bolam) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St. Andrew's Church, Bolam: Hogback, Ancient Crosses and Sculptured Stones: It is almost four years to the day when I first visited this church (15th October 2014), but had only just started making contributions to the Portal and thought the cut-off date for any entries was 1,000AD. That visit took place on a beautiful sunny day with no wind; the church was peaceful and tranquil, and I sat and read the guide book, enjoying the atmosphere of ages...St. Andrew's Church, Bolam: Hogback, Ancient Crosses and Sculptured Stones: It is almost four years to the day when I first visited this church (15th October 2014), but had only just started making contributions to the Portal and thought the cut-off date for any entries was 1,000AD. That visit took place on a beautiful sunny day with no wind; the church was peaceful and tranquil, and I sat and read the guide book, enjoying the atmosphere of ages. Today, the wind rattled the door with great frequency, and the wind whistled through the crack, making it sound like there was a cat howling outside. I was glad of company today!
As well as the AS fragments in the church, a hogback and other grave markers built into the porch, there is also the remains of a cross and cross base.
This is the church where a German bomb came through the south wall but did not explore. The pilot later visited the church to apologise and arranged for a window to be inserted into the east wall of the south aisle – an angel holding a candle.
The information sheet ‘Earth’ says “the oldest part of the church is the Saxon tower, and you can find traces of a sundial inside the porch.” We spent ages looking for this, but couldn’t find it.
The saltire marked stones on either side of the chancel arch were fascinating, as was the arch between the nave and the chancel.
Above the south door, in the porch, are the remains of two triangular inscribed grave slabs (mentioned in the architectural assessment).
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103 |
2 |
| St Oswald in Lee (Heavenfield) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Heavenfield cross shaft and cross base: We have been to this church before, but didn’t realise the Roman altar had been recut for reuse as a cross base, so decided to revisit it. It is in a really glorious location. The church is set back from the road, so we parked in the layby by the large wooden cross and went through the gate into the field full of enormous sheep. You have to cross the vallum for Hadrian’s Wall to walk to the church, althou...Heavenfield cross shaft and cross base: We have been to this church before, but didn’t realise the Roman altar had been recut for reuse as a cross base, so decided to revisit it. It is in a really glorious location. The church is set back from the road, so we parked in the layby by the large wooden cross and went through the gate into the field full of enormous sheep. You have to cross the vallum for Hadrian’s Wall to walk to the church, although this is now largely ploughed away.
Inside the porch, on the western shelf/bench, are the two pieces of AS Corpus St Oswald in Lee 01. As you go in through the south door, AS Corpus St Oswald in Lee 02 is straight in front of you. An information ‘board’ is on the wall next to the cross, which reads: “The cross of Heavenfield. The site is sacred where in 635AD Oswald raised the sign of the Holy Cross. From ancient times it has been a place of pilgrimage. For centuries the exact position was made known by a large stone cross set upon a Roman altar which stood south of the church near Hadrian’s Wall. This weather beaten stone was first hewn to furnish a heathen shrine in about the year 200AD, then claimed for Christ and hallowed by the cross it exalted. / Remember Oswald, king and martyr, in the communion of saints. Pray God may bless and keep the people of Northumbria. / How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the Gate of Heaven. Genesis, 28.17”
On the south wall of the nave is what the church guide refers to as a mason’s mark, but it is very large to be one. It looks like an upside down Templar cross.
Also on the north wall of the nave is a small fragment bearing chevrons and small balls – this is dated to the Norman period.
The churchyard wall is also built with Roman stones.
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103 |
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| St Aidan's Well (Bamburgh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Oct 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
St Aidan's Well, Bamburgh: This well seemed to form a ‘hub’ for visitors, with a school party and tourists sitting on the benches and grass around this structure, so we needed to make two trips to this well. By 5.30pm there was no one around (apart from the blue wheelie bins lined up along the street!). Obviously a modern structure, but this appears to be the original holy well associated with the church.
The well is now dry, which is a sha...St Aidan's Well, Bamburgh: This well seemed to form a ‘hub’ for visitors, with a school party and tourists sitting on the benches and grass around this structure, so we needed to make two trips to this well. By 5.30pm there was no one around (apart from the blue wheelie bins lined up along the street!). Obviously a modern structure, but this appears to be the original holy well associated with the church.
The well is now dry, which is a shame, as I'd have loved to see the water gushing into the basin. It might be a modern well housing, but this may well be an ancient site.
In 1947, when Revd Binnall and Miss Dodds produced their list and descriptions of Holy Wells in Northumberland and Durham, the village green was a small plantation of trees. Pastscape notes the name 'St Aidan's Well' is not known locally, but I don't know what it is called. The antiquarian notes mention it was mentioned as 'Edvn. Well' although I'm not sure was Edvn means.
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| St Aidan's Church (Bamburgh) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh: We hadn’t intended to visit this church, but having seen two wells located in the property immediately to its east, we decided to take a look before heading off to the castle. The church is open during daylight hours, and is very welcoming, with lights in the nave, chancel and sanctuary, and a great display of literature and guide books.
With this church being so old (there was a cell of St Aidan and a monastery...St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh: We hadn’t intended to visit this church, but having seen two wells located in the property immediately to its east, we decided to take a look before heading off to the castle. The church is open during daylight hours, and is very welcoming, with lights in the nave, chancel and sanctuary, and a great display of literature and guide books.
With this church being so old (there was a cell of St Aidan and a monastery on the site), I was surprised there was no remnant of a preaching cross or cross base. To ensure I didn’t miss anything, I picked up the laminated church guide and ran through the features. It mentioned a timber from the original church, placed in the ceiling above the font. The church was so dark at this point (right at the west end of the church) that I sought lights to illuminate the spot, and looking up, indeed there was a very large (cruck) timber.
The guide also mentioned two old tombstones in the churchyard which are said to be older than the present church. I found one, but not the other.
Grace Darling also has a memorial in the churchyard.
Walking down the eastern wall of the churchyard and looking over to the farm buildings beyond, we identified the sites of two wells marked on the 1860 OS map.
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2 |
| Bamburgh Castle |
Sculptured Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Wells and Anglo Saxon Stones at Bamburgh Castle: Note: there is disabled parking next to the State Rooms, but there are many stairs in and around the castle. It’s been a long time since we last came here, and the visit today happened because I’d been sent a 1947 Antiquarian paper about the holy wells of Northumberland. There was also one piece of AS stone in the archaeological museum; listed on the Corpus, which we had still to see.
It was s...Wells and Anglo Saxon Stones at Bamburgh Castle: Note: there is disabled parking next to the State Rooms, but there are many stairs in and around the castle. It’s been a long time since we last came here, and the visit today happened because I’d been sent a 1947 Antiquarian paper about the holy wells of Northumberland. There was also one piece of AS stone in the archaeological museum; listed on the Corpus, which we had still to see.
It was sunny but windy, high up above the sea. It was expensive to get in, but actually was worth the money, as we spent hours here, both wandering around inside and outside.
We found another stone with Celtic Heads in the small Stones Museum, along with a 9th century mortar stone which had been reused to hold a post.
The carved Anglo Saxon stone was in the new Archaeological Museum and Activity area, and there is a recreation of the chair/throne the chair may have looked like outside the keep. This was a favourite for photographs for visitors, so we looked at when it got quieter at the end of the castle opening hours.
Before our visit, I had contacted the castle to try and ascertain the location of three wells inside the castle. There is one well in bottom of keep; the other on the outside wall of the castle at its north western end (no longer visible, but the site can be seen, although covered in sand). The third well we thought we’d found, as we walked up the old Victorian footpath to the castle from the beach, but we were mistaken as we’d had the 1860 OS map orientated wrongly!
Once we’d been round the castle near the ticket office (found when walking back to the car park from the old Victorian footpath from the beach to the castle).
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102 |
4 |
| St Mary The Virgin (Ponteland) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Oct 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
10th century grave marker, Ponteland: As this stone was one of only a few listed on the Corpus in Northumberland that we had still to see, we had previously visited on 20th September 2018, but were unable to get into the tower. Today, I’d arranged to meet church warden David Butler, plus another David, who had arranged to open the tower for us. They were building benches for memorials, so I had to step over the boxes.
The grave marker was la...10th century grave marker, Ponteland: As this stone was one of only a few listed on the Corpus in Northumberland that we had still to see, we had previously visited on 20th September 2018, but were unable to get into the tower. Today, I’d arranged to meet church warden David Butler, plus another David, who had arranged to open the tower for us. They were building benches for memorials, so I had to step over the boxes.
The grave marker was largely hidden behind boxes on top of the cupboards, so we moved the crates, then I climbed half way up the wood steps to get a photo. Great fun!
We got into a conversations about wells, as we were heading off to Bamburgh. David told us that there used to be wells in Ponteland (he lives in a street called Ladywell), there are none remaining.
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102 |
1 |
| Cockburnspath Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Cockburnspath Mercat Cross: Before coming to Cockburnspath, we'd visited the really beautiful Cove, with its smuggler's caves. We'd had to park in the village and follow the single track road running along the top of the cliffs to an old mine tunnel which formed a fun, but very dark, shortcut through to the cove. The bedding planes in the rocks here were fantastic - no wonder James Hutton found the solution to his unconformities only a few miles...Cockburnspath Mercat Cross: Before coming to Cockburnspath, we'd visited the really beautiful Cove, with its smuggler's caves. We'd had to park in the village and follow the single track road running along the top of the cliffs to an old mine tunnel which formed a fun, but very dark, shortcut through to the cove. The bedding planes in the rocks here were fantastic - no wonder James Hutton found the solution to his unconformities only a few miles down the coast. The harbour looks like it might have come straight off an 18th century film set, and there was also a sea arch with a large, round hole in it. Brilliant.
By the time we got to Cockburnspath, only a few miles away, the light was starting to fade rapidly. Parking outside the post office (to avoid the car starring in more of my photographs!), I started to photograph the cross, only to find omeone had left a half eaten pack of McDonalds chips on the base of the stone; we ended up moving these and throwing them away in a nearby bin (yeuk). We also had a look at the churchyard, which had old grave stones, but at this time of night, couldn’t get in. The church had particularly heavy stone slabs used to roof it. We later found the same at Dunglass.
The notice on the side of the cross reads: “Cockburnspath. This Cross was erected in 1503 by King James IV of Scotland in celebration of his marriage to Princess Margaret Tudor, to whom he presented the lands of Cockburnspath as a dowry. The Princess was the sister of King Henry VIII of England and this union of the Scots Thistle and the Tudor Rose was to mark the start of a new and lasting peace, only shattered ten years later by the Battle of Flodden in 1513. / The Cross was repaired with the help of the Regional Council, but mostly by the loyal generosity of the people of this village.”
After seeing this cross, we hopped over the border to East Lothian to see Dunglass Collegiate Church, where we arrived to find a wedding in full swing, and needed torches to look round the inside of this ruined church. Definitely not a chance of getting to see the standing stones nearby at this time of the evening.
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| St Bartholomew's Church (Newbiggin by the Sea) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
|
|
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Ancient cross slabs, Newbiggin by the Sea: The website for St. Bartholomew’s announces that the church “has one of the most important collections of coffin lids and grave markers in the county, mostly re-set during the 1913 restoration, when the north aisle, demolished in antiquity, was reinstated. Other fragments are distributed around the church and in the South porch. There are around 20 pieces in all. Most of the slabs are of late twelfth ...Ancient cross slabs, Newbiggin by the Sea: The website for St. Bartholomew’s announces that the church “has one of the most important collections of coffin lids and grave markers in the county, mostly re-set during the 1913 restoration, when the north aisle, demolished in antiquity, was reinstated. Other fragments are distributed around the church and in the South porch. There are around 20 pieces in all. Most of the slabs are of late twelfth or thirteenth century date; several show signs of post medieval re-use.”
I have included my photographs and notes here, as I think these grave markers are more spectacular than those in Kilmartin churchyard – their designs are less worn and Peter Ryder, archaeologist for the church, has written about them in his assessment of the church, dated January 2013.
On the day of our visit, the mid afternoon sun was streaming through the windows on the northern side of the church, which made photographing some of the fragments a little tricky (my photographic skills weren’t quite up to it!) and the stream of visitors into the church made me feel rude by continually using the flash.
Some of the cross slabs are in the vestry and some in the tower, but it was not possible to see these. Another three have been used as paving slabs on the external west wall of the tower, but I didn’t spot these, as they seem to be worn.
From the small guide book “The Church of St. Bartholomew”, centre right page:
The two (cross slabs) above the altar at the east end are outstanding with their richly carved borders, delicate florets and symbolic shears and keys. An engraving of one was published as long ago as 1854, shortly after their discovery, when they were recognised as being of national importance.
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97 |
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| St. Helen's on the Lea (Old Cambus) |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Sep 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Hogback at the ruins of St Helen's Chapel, Old Cambus: We found the first hogback easily – at the northern side of the east gable wall, but the second one we hunted for but were unable to find. The cross incised slab we searched for ages, even matching up the angles of the stone to the masonry behind on the Canmore images, but drew a blank. The site was knee deep in grass, with tumbles of stone underneath, so it could have been anywhere. A str...Hogback at the ruins of St Helen's Chapel, Old Cambus: We found the first hogback easily – at the northern side of the east gable wall, but the second one we hunted for but were unable to find. The cross incised slab we searched for ages, even matching up the angles of the stone to the masonry behind on the Canmore images, but drew a blank. The site was knee deep in grass, with tumbles of stone underneath, so it could have been anywhere. A strimmer would have helped! Similarly with the fragment of hogback on the southern side of the chancel. We found many tumbled stones in the grass, but even looking closely for the tegulations, we didn’t locate it, which was disappointing.
The information board which sits near the junction of the road to the quarry to the footpath to the chapel and Siccar point reads:
“Proceed from here, through the kissing-gate, past the ruin of St Helen’s Chapel and along the top of the steep sea-braes to Siccar Point, arguably the most important geological site in the world. In 1788 it gave James Hutton final proof of his revolutionary claim that the Earth is eons old He based his claim on painstaking observation of rocks and soil over a period of some 30 years. / James Hutton (1726-1797) farmed locally near Reston and was a self-taught geologist. Having already published his theory, he was on a mission to establish the evidence. Before discovering the proof at Siccar Point, by boat with his friends Sir James Hall and John Playfair, Hutton knew what he was looing for and had an idea of where to find it. He sent Sir James, a local landowner from Dunglass and also a geologist, to review the area before embarking on their boat trip below the braes. Sir James may have done this by observing that the stone used to construct field boundaries in the vicinity was (and still is) a combination of rock from above and below the uncomfority (red sandstone and greywacke). / Hutton’s theory released science and philosophy from limitations of the biblical age of the earth (6,000 years old). Though bitterly disputed at the time, it is now accepted as a fundamental of science. James Hutton also expounded with authority of theories as diverse as the nature of light and methods of education, and was a significant agricultural innovator and improver.”
Just before reaching the ruins of St Helen’s, someone has carved an old tree trunk into an L-shape with a toilet seat on top! Note: the gate to the field was locked, and we had to climb over the rather tall gate.
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100 |
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| Wellbraes |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Sep 2018 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
Eyemouth Leisure Centre Well, Wellbraes: This well can only be accessed through the Leisure Centre. Having walked round the Leisure Centre and surrounding buildings, I had to ask at the reception desk, and show a photo of the well. The receptionist didn’t know but one of the personal trainers did, and let us through the fire exit door in the gym; there is a gate at the western end of the centre which leads through into a small garden area; alter...Eyemouth Leisure Centre Well, Wellbraes: This well can only be accessed through the Leisure Centre. Having walked round the Leisure Centre and surrounding buildings, I had to ask at the reception desk, and show a photo of the well. The receptionist didn’t know but one of the personal trainers did, and let us through the fire exit door in the gym; there is a gate at the western end of the centre which leads through into a small garden area; alternatively there is the fire exit through the back of the small gym which leads into the same area.
We could barely recognise the well at first as it was so overgrown with nettles and weeds. Our eyes eventually spotted the arch of stones through the mass of weeds and we trod down a few of the large nettles and dock leaves to take a closer look. The well chamber goes back at least 2m, if not further; whilst there is a wall at the back, this doesn’t seem to be connected to the arched concrete covering over the well basin. We needed better torches to see the back wall of the well, which was partly obscured by a large pile of rubble (bricks and stone) at the back of the chamber.
We could hear water flowing through the well chamber, although there was only a puddle in the bottom. At the left hand side of the well was a very rusty water pipe, but this was dry. Investigating further, we found the water flowing into a low concrete construction at the back of the lip of the well; from there, the water came out of the well chamber through a small rectangular hole and disappeared into a small drain.
With the amount of rubbish around, I didn’t check the quality and taste of the water.
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101 |
1 |
| Percy's Leap (Beanley) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Sep 2018 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Percy's Leap, Beanley (associated with Percy's Cross): Labelled ‘Percy’s Leap’ on the OS with a semi-circular enclosure marked against the edge of the road. Having the car pointed in this direction, and curious to see this site, as it sounded related to Percy’s Cross (by the name), we headed up and parked in the small layby by the information/interpretation board.
There is a low stone wall next to the layby and a gate leading into a semi-circ...Percy's Leap, Beanley (associated with Percy's Cross): Labelled ‘Percy’s Leap’ on the OS with a semi-circular enclosure marked against the edge of the road. Having the car pointed in this direction, and curious to see this site, as it sounded related to Percy’s Cross (by the name), we headed up and parked in the small layby by the information/interpretation board.
There is a low stone wall next to the layby and a gate leading into a semi-circular walled enclosure which is heavily littered and not pleasant. Inside the enclosure a two large stones, which look as if they have been dumped there for effect. In fact, these are two glacial erratics. There are two other interpretation boards inside the enclosure.
The first interpretation board inside the enclosure reads: “The Red Rose of Lancaster. For 30 years between 1455 and 1485 the two families of Lancaster and York fought for the Crown of England. Between 1461 and 1464 the North of England was the centre of activity in the Wars of the Roses. Edward IV supported by the Yorkists was on the throne which he had taken away from the weak Henry VI After the Lancastrian defeat in 1461 at Towton in Yorkshire Henry VI and his wife, Queen Margaret of Anjou, fled to Scotland to plan another campaign against Edward. / Sir Ralph Percy third son of the second Earl of Northumberland, changed sides four times in the Wars of the Roses. In Spring 1463 he was in the Lancastrian fold as were his castles at Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh. In 1464 Edward IV decided to seek a truce with Scotland to enable him to take action to crush the Lancastrians to the north. Lord Montague, younger brother of Warwick the Kingmaker, was sent to escort a Scottish mission through Northumberland in safety. / Learning of Lord Montague’s attempts to meet the Scottish mission the Lancastrians tried to ambush the Yorkists in Durham but this failed when Montague was alerted to the threat. Before proceeding further north Montague increased his forces at Newcastle. His path to Scotland was barred here at Hedgeley Moor by the Lancastrian troops of Sir Ralph Percy and the Lords Hungerford and Ros. / At the start of the battle Lords Hungerford and Ros decided to leave the field with their troops. Montague’s and Percy’s troops attacked head on. Sir Ralph Percy is reputed to have charged the Yorkist line at which his horse is said to have leapt and was wounded doing so. Sir Ralph fell soon afterwards and said at his death, “I have saved the bird in my bosom”. It is not known whether his final words meant that he died for his rightful monarch, Henry VI, or whether he had kept the secret of where Henry and Margaret were hiding. / Montague’s troops finished off the remaining Lancastrians quickly. Less than a month later the two armies met at Hexham where the Yorkists won a convincing victory which ended the Wars in the north for the time being. / Legend has it that the two stones in front of you mark the leap of Sir Ralph’s horse at the height of the battle.”
There is no record on HE for this site.
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100 |
5 |
| Percy's Cross (Beanley) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Percy's Cross, near Beanley, Northumberland: We didn’t have enough time to head up the hill behind Old Bewick, as it had gone 5pm, and there was about a mile each way to walk to the first site. Having spotted Percy’s Leap and Percy’s Cross on the OS map, we decided to stop off and look at these instead.
It was difficult to park just off the busy A697, but we found the wide entrance to a farm track opposite the sawmill, on the western side of t...Percy's Cross, near Beanley, Northumberland: We didn’t have enough time to head up the hill behind Old Bewick, as it had gone 5pm, and there was about a mile each way to walk to the first site. Having spotted Percy’s Leap and Percy’s Cross on the OS map, we decided to stop off and look at these instead.
It was difficult to park just off the busy A697, but we found the wide entrance to a farm track opposite the sawmill, on the western side of the road, and walked back to the farmhouse on the opposite side of the road.
We could see the cross from the gate into their garden, but the gate had a huge chain and even larger padlock. Fortunately, we spotted a track into the wood a metre or so to the north of the edge of the garden. Following this for about 100m led us to a gateway into a field being used partly for caravan storage, and this gate gave access to the very overgrown cross which was surrounded by iron railings with very sharp ornamental spikes.
Worth stopping off to see, although I wondered if this, being dated at 15th century, was too late to post on the Portal, although it is classed as a wayside cross, so I've posted it, along with its associated 'Percy's Leap' erratic rock site.
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100 |
4 |
| Holy Trinity (Old Bewick) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Sep 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Ancient crosses, Holy Trinity Church, Old Bewick: This is truly a real gem of a church, with great historical notes in a binder in the church. I took these temporarily out of the folder and read out from them as we went round and saw the individual features identified. There was another set of notes, from a talk given in 2017 which I also photographed and will transcribe into my walk journal when time allows.
In some ways, this church is mor...Ancient crosses, Holy Trinity Church, Old Bewick: This is truly a real gem of a church, with great historical notes in a binder in the church. I took these temporarily out of the folder and read out from them as we went round and saw the individual features identified. There was another set of notes, from a talk given in 2017 which I also photographed and will transcribe into my walk journal when time allows.
In some ways, this church is more enigmatic than Escombe Saxon Church, and is smaller. It comprises a nave, a chancel and a semi-circular apse which has been beautifully decorated.
There is so much to look at – original Norman windows. A 14th century effigy. Huge slabs in the west wall. There is what is described as a cross shaft in corner of porch. There is a lovely consecration cross on south pillar of sanctuary. The carvings on north pillar of chancel are particularly nice.
The cross base (?) in the churchyard that I photographed on 13th April 2014 no longer appeared to be there.
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100 |
3 |
| St Bartholomew's Church (Whittingham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Sep 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ancient Cross, St Bartholomew's Church, Whittingham: [please note: there are steps up to the churchyard and church; there may be wheelchair access which we didn't spot on the day - please check before visiting]. This cross was remarkably easy to spot, as it was sited on the corner of the wall to the south east of the churchyard, right by a parking spot for one car at the base of the steps into the churchyard.
There was an informative church gu...Ancient Cross, St Bartholomew's Church, Whittingham: [please note: there are steps up to the churchyard and church; there may be wheelchair access which we didn't spot on the day - please check before visiting]. This cross was remarkably easy to spot, as it was sited on the corner of the wall to the south east of the churchyard, right by a parking spot for one car at the base of the steps into the churchyard.
There was an informative church guide, although the language was slightly archaic and we had to re-read several of the passages to ensure we were interpreting these correctly.
The guide reads: “Whittingham [spoken as “Whitingjum”, or “Witnjum”] is a name which has evolved from the Anglo Saxon Hwita-ing-ham, meaning “the home of Hwita’s people”. The present church stands on rising ground which could have been the meeting place of Hwita’s people for their Moots before it became the site of a church.
Our visit was interrupted by two people coming in to prepare for the 4pm service. As they were praying at the altar, it seemed disrespectful to continue taking photographs.
The church guide is very useful in explaining all the features, and I’ve emailed one of the church wardens to see if it’s possible to get hold of a copy of the detailed guide mentioned both in the church and on one of the websites I’ve visited (the Northern Vicar’s blog).
There is still Saxon work to be seen in the tower, with its semi-circular arch and squared, heavy side, dated to 900AD by the ‘long and short’ stone work (as we saw at Heddon on 20th Sept, last week).
There is also a section of Saxon stonework in the north aisle wall, forming what would have been a half-arch which was later filled in, and it thought to be the entrance to a small side chapel in the original church.
The guide goes onto say: “Almost certainly there had been another earlier church built on this site, but its possible form can only be conjectured (see the detailed guide). There is a record of a consecration at 735AD. It is also likely there was a yet earlier church existing at the time of the Synod of 684AD.
The guide also mentions, as one of the ‘curios’ a stone on the aisle walling to the left of the porch, at the wall’s left hand corner. Just to the right of the top of the buttress is a stone bearing two arrows (Norman chevrons). “This could be an inserted fragment from some demolished structure [or are these natural fault lines in the stone?].
We popped across the road to see the still working water fountain, although this is too recent a feature to log on the Portal.
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| Hawklemass Well (Whittingham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Sep 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Hawklemass Well, Whittingham: From St Bartholomew's Church in Whittingham, we drove round to this site, parking on the verge near the footpath sign to the church, which was quarter of a mile over the hill. Stepping over the stile into the field, there was a boggy patch marked by a substantial post, such as I've seen on a number of other wells, including Robin Hood's Well in Colwell. Sited at the bottom of a slope, it was a natural place to find...Hawklemass Well, Whittingham: From St Bartholomew's Church in Whittingham, we drove round to this site, parking on the verge near the footpath sign to the church, which was quarter of a mile over the hill. Stepping over the stile into the field, there was a boggy patch marked by a substantial post, such as I've seen on a number of other wells, including Robin Hood's Well in Colwell. Sited at the bottom of a slope, it was a natural place to find such a well.
At the hedgerow to the east of the well, but just to the west of the road, there was a small gully or drain coming down alongside the hedgerow, which seemed to form a rectangular pool in the grass near the well. The OS map shows two drains or small streams which meet near this point.
There was no sign of any stone or brick structure to indicate this has been a well basin or trough. There is no record of this well on the modern OS map, neither on HE or Pastscape, or any other local record on the internet - curious.
On such a nice sunny afternoon, this site seemed entirely peaceful and normal - I was disappointed not to meet the Hawklemass Ghost mentioned by The Northern Antiquarian!
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100 |
2 |
| Woodhorn Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
16th Sep 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Woodhorn Church Museum: This church is now deconsecrated and is a museum. It is only open on Bank Holidays and Heritage Days, such as ‘Doors Open Days’. We arrived just before 1pm and they had just arrived to open the church up.
The Woodhorn Cross was easy to find, but asking where the other Norman stones recorded on a notice by the cross, plus the other stones featured on the Corpus, the Friends of the Church who were helping out told us t...Woodhorn Church Museum: This church is now deconsecrated and is a museum. It is only open on Bank Holidays and Heritage Days, such as ‘Doors Open Days’. We arrived just before 1pm and they had just arrived to open the church up.
The Woodhorn Cross was easy to find, but asking where the other Norman stones recorded on a notice by the cross, plus the other stones featured on the Corpus, the Friends of the Church who were helping out told us they didn’t know where they were located, but gave us a leaflet about the church.
We found other fragments incorporated into the fabric of the building, plus others under a table at the north side of the sanctuary, plus others under the altar! AS Corpus Woodhorn 02 and 03 appear to be in the main museum nearby.
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| St Andrew's Church (Heddon on the Wall) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
19th Sep 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
St Andrew's Church, Heddon on the Wall: The church is no longer open every day, but we were asked to go along to Holy Communion at 10.30am on a Thursday and stay and enjoy the church afterwards. A very kind lady called Ann showed us round (I think she mentioned her husband was the historian), and I got proper photographs of the Anglo Saxon Cross Head in the Sanctuary this time (last time I visited I wasn’t aware this was an old piece, just thoug...St Andrew's Church, Heddon on the Wall: The church is no longer open every day, but we were asked to go along to Holy Communion at 10.30am on a Thursday and stay and enjoy the church afterwards. A very kind lady called Ann showed us round (I think she mentioned her husband was the historian), and I got proper photographs of the Anglo Saxon Cross Head in the Sanctuary this time (last time I visited I wasn’t aware this was an old piece, just thought it was an architectural fragment).
There are a number of other really interesting fragments on the west window sill of the meeting room. I really love the way the arches between the nave and chancel and chancel and sanctuary have settled over the years. Wonderful place! Would have loved to have wandered around this church on my own.
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99 |
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| Edinburgh Runestone |
Carving |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
18th Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
New site of the Edinburgh Runestone (not been moved yet): As we were going to a building near to hear, we thought we’d do a detour to this part of the University.
We wandered around George Square first of all, but only found a modern sculpture called The Dreamer. We then identified 50 George Square (taken from the BBC article about the relocation of the stone), but only spotted a large hole in the middle of a square flower bed, hedged by low ...New site of the Edinburgh Runestone (not been moved yet): As we were going to a building near to hear, we thought we’d do a detour to this part of the University.
We wandered around George Square first of all, but only found a modern sculpture called The Dreamer. We then identified 50 George Square (taken from the BBC article about the relocation of the stone), but only spotted a large hole in the middle of a square flower bed, hedged by low privet, around the side of the building. Having walked all around it, we went into check and I asked the security guard at the reception desk. He told us the stone hadn’t yet been moved, but the hole had been dug in preparation. I thanked him and went to take a photograph of the new site.
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98 |
2 |
| Grassmarket modern menhir |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
18th Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Modern Megalith, Grassmarket, Edinburgh: This stone was on our walk for the afternoon. It took a bit of finding, located behind the bins and underneath the trees. This modern megalith stands under a group of trees on the paved area of Grassmarket. In the time we spent photographing it, no-one else appeared remotely interested, despite the large numbers of tourists in the area.
It has a plaque which reads: “This plaque was unveiled on 3rd of ...Modern Megalith, Grassmarket, Edinburgh: This stone was on our walk for the afternoon. It took a bit of finding, located behind the bins and underneath the trees. This modern megalith stands under a group of trees on the paved area of Grassmarket. In the time we spent photographing it, no-one else appeared remotely interested, despite the large numbers of tourists in the area.
It has a plaque which reads: “This plaque was unveiled on 3rd of October 1977 by the Rt. Hon. Kenneth Borwick, Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of a reorganisation of Edinburgh Markets authorised by King James III on 3rd of October 1477. The Cattle Market was situated at the western end of the Grassmarket and in King’s Stables Road. This area was then just outside the Burgh.” Underneath this larger plaque is a smaller one which says: “Stone laid by Grassmarket Area Traders Association, 3rd October 1977.”
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98 |
1 |
| Ulgham Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
16th Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Ulgham Cross, Near Ashington, Northumberland: From Newbeggin By The Sea, we headed inland to try and find this cross, which we thought was near the church. In typical Tate fashion, we'd arrived when there was a Sculpture Show at the Church; as they were charging to go in, we declined, and set off to find this cross, which is around 320m WSW of the church of St John The Baptist.
The photographs we'd seen of the cross had black painted iron rai...Ulgham Cross, Near Ashington, Northumberland: From Newbeggin By The Sea, we headed inland to try and find this cross, which we thought was near the church. In typical Tate fashion, we'd arrived when there was a Sculpture Show at the Church; as they were charging to go in, we declined, and set off to find this cross, which is around 320m WSW of the church of St John The Baptist.
The photographs we'd seen of the cross had black painted iron railings in front of it, and we were temporarily confused as these have now been removed. This cross is located just west of the junction of Ulgham Lane with the B1337, in front of two modern bungalows. With the railings no longer in place, I walked up the four steps and had a look at the back of the cross. It looks as if it’s had a hard life and has numerous holes and weathering. It looked to my untrained eye as if it might have been a repurposed standing stone.
Much to the amusement of the passing traffic, I darted in and out of the road to try and get the best photographs I could, as the sunlight behind the cross was dazzling.
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97 |
3 |
| Redhills Rock Art |
Rock Art |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Sep 2018 |
-1 |
4 |
4 |
Sockbridge / Redhills cist, small stone circle and round cairn (now all destroyed): We went to see this site as part of our amateur investigation of the possible Newbeggin Stone Alignment. Whilst the location is glorious, overlooking a steep scarp slope to the River Eamont below, and views to the hills of the North Lakes to the south, nothing can be seen here at all.
Just to the north of the scarp slope, there is a faint, very shallow, sub ci...Sockbridge / Redhills cist, small stone circle and round cairn (now all destroyed): We went to see this site as part of our amateur investigation of the possible Newbeggin Stone Alignment. Whilst the location is glorious, overlooking a steep scarp slope to the River Eamont below, and views to the hills of the North Lakes to the south, nothing can be seen here at all.
Just to the north of the scarp slope, there is a faint, very shallow, sub circular area, with one very broken stone at its edge, now almost buried in nettles. This stone is very unlike any of the others around Newbeggin in shape, almost looking like a mudstone rather than sandstone or limestone. This stone did have veins of quartz running through it, along with a few inclusions.
It was worth coming to this site for the walk and the scenery. We approached using the footpath from Sockbridge village, walking through a field of enormous Friesian cows, then a huge field of recently harvested sileage, then using the footbridge over the River Eamont, and up the hill, veering off to our left after the limestone pavement that ran along the top of the scarp slope.
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96 |
6 |
| Kells Well (Newbeggin) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Sep 2018 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
Kells Well, Newbeggin: This well is located opposite a house called Rockholme on the OS map, and near the Clickem Inn, just south of the B5288
The farmer from Sycamore View told us about the well, saying it had recently been “done up and claimed for the village” by the villagers. This was more like a glorified rubbish tip – the place was horrible, one of the worst places we’ve stopped at in years.
There was an old pebbled path leading roun...Kells Well, Newbeggin: This well is located opposite a house called Rockholme on the OS map, and near the Clickem Inn, just south of the B5288
The farmer from Sycamore View told us about the well, saying it had recently been “done up and claimed for the village” by the villagers. This was more like a glorified rubbish tip – the place was horrible, one of the worst places we’ve stopped at in years.
There was an old pebbled path leading round the well, together with the remains of an old stone structure, now largely covered in weeds and falling down. There was a pool of water to its northern side, and the whole of the central area around the stone structure was boggy and puddled; a small stream ran to a partly culverted ditch just to the north. Horrible. Glad to escape.
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96 |
5 |
| Motherby (Cumbria) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Sep 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Well, Motherby, Cumbria: This is a very old village, with very picturesque cottages and farm houses. The well is not recorded on either Pastscape or Historic England.
The ‘wall’ is a strange structure. Following the line of stones up the hill, it ends in what seems to be a building platform and possibly an old quarry. The footpath at the village end of the footpath was closed due to building work, so we couldn’t investigate further.
I ha...Well, Motherby, Cumbria: This is a very old village, with very picturesque cottages and farm houses. The well is not recorded on either Pastscape or Historic England.
The ‘wall’ is a strange structure. Following the line of stones up the hill, it ends in what seems to be a building platform and possibly an old quarry. The footpath at the village end of the footpath was closed due to building work, so we couldn’t investigate further.
I have emailed Mark Brennand at Cumbria County Council to see if he has any information. The line of stones follows an old footpath on the 1860 OS map, together with the letter 'T' (troughs?) where the troughs are currently located. No mention of the well.
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96 |
4 |
| Newbeggin Stone Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Newbeggin Stone Row: We went along to Newbeggin armed with permission from a number of landowners to walk along their boundary stone walls to look for other possible standing stones. We found a few more, but these looked more like erratics which had been shaped and used in the stone walls. I will document these and send them off to Sandy G for comment.
We got to see the stones outside Sycamore View/House with the farmer, who said the archae...Newbeggin Stone Row: We went along to Newbeggin armed with permission from a number of landowners to walk along their boundary stone walls to look for other possible standing stones. We found a few more, but these looked more like erratics which had been shaped and used in the stone walls. I will document these and send them off to Sandy G for comment.
We got to see the stones outside Sycamore View/House with the farmer, who said the archaeologists said they were probably rubbing stones, although the farmer said they weren't (currently) tall enough even for sheep to rub against. There were certainly no signs of animals having trodden away earth at the base of the stones.
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96 |
1 |
| Twizel Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
6th Sep 2018 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
Site of possible standing stone, Twizel: The boulder no longer appears to be in the field, although there is a small raised area in the field – as this is England, we couldn’t find anyone to ask permission to walk into the field, so photographed it from the fence near the cottage. For a last stop of the day, a little disappointing, as a standing stone would have 'wrapped things up nicely'. |
95 |
6 |
| Norham Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
6th Sep 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Norham Village Cross: (Before looking at this cross, we stopped off to look at the Victorian Jubilee Fountain just over the border in Scotland, which still has its original pump handle, although this doesn't work). We passed this cross several times today, but with it being immediately next to the children’s playground, there were children sitting on its lower steps, and propping their bicycles against it. When we passed by on the way back from ...Norham Village Cross: (Before looking at this cross, we stopped off to look at the Victorian Jubilee Fountain just over the border in Scotland, which still has its original pump handle, although this doesn't work). We passed this cross several times today, but with it being immediately next to the children’s playground, there were children sitting on its lower steps, and propping their bicycles against it. When we passed by on the way back from seeing the holy wells at Upsettlington, there was fortunately no children around it, so we stopped to take photographs, much to the amusement of two ladies passing by who stopped to watch. It was nice to see the cross still very much part of village life today.
Whilst the top part of this cross looks Victorian/relatively recent, the steps look much, much older and are very worn.
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95 |
5 |
| Nun's Well (Upsettlington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Sep 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Nun's Well, Upsettlington: From St. Mary's Well, walking up the hill to the gate which leasds into the next field, we walked back down hill towards a steam. The well monument can be seen between two large trees, just before a small burn leading westwards into the RiverTweed. The trees on the western bank of the river hid the view of the water, but what a magnificent spot.
I didn’t realise until we got home and brought up the Canmore record th...Nun's Well, Upsettlington: From St. Mary's Well, walking up the hill to the gate which leasds into the next field, we walked back down hill towards a steam. The well monument can be seen between two large trees, just before a small burn leading westwards into the RiverTweed. The trees on the western bank of the river hid the view of the water, but what a magnificent spot.
I didn’t realise until we got home and brought up the Canmore record that the actual well is hidden by the stone dome, which is outside the monument enclosure.
The monument seems to be built on much older steps, which are held together with a large number of iron staples. These aren’t mentioned in the Canmore record.
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95 |
4 |
| St Mary's Well (Upsettlington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Sep 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Mary's Well, Upsettlington: From Monk’s Well, and in the same field, we walked east-north-east towards this fenced off area of the field. To our left hand side, raised some 0.5m+ above ground level, and seemingly in a perfect circle, was a funny wooded area; closer inspection revealed it was being used as a large, tree-covered feeding station for pheasants/grouse? There was no record on Canmore of this being a cairn or the site of a hillfort...St Mary's Well, Upsettlington: From Monk’s Well, and in the same field, we walked east-north-east towards this fenced off area of the field. To our left hand side, raised some 0.5m+ above ground level, and seemingly in a perfect circle, was a funny wooded area; closer inspection revealed it was being used as a large, tree-covered feeding station for pheasants/grouse? There was no record on Canmore of this being a cairn or the site of a hillfort.
St Mary’s Well, with its inscription barely legible on the top, reminded me very much of the well houses in Durham City. The structure was very overgrown, although underneath the name of the well, there was still the remains of a metal pipe leading into the well trough below (the latter was hidden by vicious nettles).
The latest visit report recorded by Canmore in 1971 says the well is now dry, but the inscription is still intact.
From here, we walked northwards, uphill, to a gate into the next field which contained Nun’s Well.
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95 |
3 |
| Monk's Well (Upsettlington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Sep 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Monk's Well, Upsetllington: From St Cuthbert's Church in Norham with its Saxon pillar, we went to Norham Castle (well worth looking round, and free of charge). This was the start of quite a treat - three holy wells in two adjacent fields!
From the castle, we crossed the bridge over the River Tweed, going from England to Scotland, following the B6470 to a left hand turn, by a Victorian water fountain by the side of the crossroads. This turn...Monk's Well, Upsetllington: From St Cuthbert's Church in Norham with its Saxon pillar, we went to Norham Castle (well worth looking round, and free of charge). This was the start of quite a treat - three holy wells in two adjacent fields!
From the castle, we crossed the bridge over the River Tweed, going from England to Scotland, following the B6470 to a left hand turn, by a Victorian water fountain by the side of the crossroads. This turning led to Upsettlington, which seems to have been renamed Ladykirk at some point (all the signs and house names read ‘Ladykirk’ Lodge, etc).
At the cross roads between the houses, at the entrance to the main house, we turned left towards Black Row, the Smithy and East Lodge, parking by the phone box. We let ourselves into the field (gate to the left of the phone box), only to find there were four horses galloping from the far side of the field towards us, and a fence between us and the well. We decided to drive back along the road towards the B6470, where there was another gate into a stock-free field. This field also contained two of the wells and gave access through a gate into the field with Nun’s Well.
There was a large pallet at the point where the grid reference for this well was. Lifting the pallet, a smaller pallet, half buried in the mud beneath, with a man-hole cover underneath. Some 20m to the south east there was a modern man hole cover, demarked from the rest of the field by three stakes placed in a triangle, with a pipe leading down the slope. Which of these is the real well, we weren’t sure. There were a few possibly dressed stones peeping above the turf near the pallet.
Having photographed both possible well sites, it looked as if the ‘staked site’ had possibly been the site for a drinking trough, but there had been so much ground disturbance it was difficult to tell.
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95 |
2 |
| St Cuthbert's Church (Norham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
6th Sep 2018 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Pillar, Norham: The journey seemed to take a lot longer than anticipated, and we didn’t arrive here until almost 3pm. At first, keeping the tower of the church in view, we went the wrong way, past the village cross and the first school, then turned round, travelling back along West Street (the B6470), turning down North Way to Church Lane. We spotted the churchyard first; the church is at the bottom of Church Lane, so we ended up pa...Anglo Saxon Pillar, Norham: The journey seemed to take a lot longer than anticipated, and we didn’t arrive here until almost 3pm. At first, keeping the tower of the church in view, we went the wrong way, past the village cross and the first school, then turned round, travelling back along West Street (the B6470), turning down North Way to Church Lane. We spotted the churchyard first; the church is at the bottom of Church Lane, so we ended up parking near the gate at the bottom at NT 89710 47356 and walking up to the south porch along the path.
Andrew thought there were originally 25 stones here, but there are actually only 18, built into a ‘pillar’, with different sides showing, some recorded separately on the Corpus. A few of the fragments have been lost between their finding in 1833 and today, but the Corpus holds some drawings from the 19th century.
After photographing the Saxon pillar, we looked around outside, spotting the musket ball holes where Oliver Cromwell’s army had shooting practice, and looked at the site of the original Saxon church, which is on a mound slightly higher than the modern church.
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95 |
1 |
| Saffron Well (Barhaugh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
31st Aug 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Saffron Well (Barhaugh): After the peace and quiet of Kirkaugh Wells and the Church of the Holy Paraclete, we drove past this even more remote spot. Andrew was brave enough to hop over the stile and descend the very steep, overgrown path down to the river. He reported that a ‘stream just started from nowhere, forming a pool, then running into Barheugh Burn’. Due to the sheer amount of foliage and trees, it was difficult to photograph. Only a v...Saffron Well (Barhaugh): After the peace and quiet of Kirkaugh Wells and the Church of the Holy Paraclete, we drove past this even more remote spot. Andrew was brave enough to hop over the stile and descend the very steep, overgrown path down to the river. He reported that a ‘stream just started from nowhere, forming a pool, then running into Barheugh Burn’. Due to the sheer amount of foliage and trees, it was difficult to photograph. Only a very short entry on Pastscape. I've done several internet searches and not been able to find out anything else.
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94 |
4 |
| Whitley Castle (Alston) |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
31st Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Whitley Castle / Epiacum Fort/Iron Age Hillfort: We were initially going to Kirkheugh to see the old cross there, but were on the wrong side of the river, and passed the fort, named Whitley Castle on the OS map, so stopped in the car park. There was a van and two other cars in the car park, and we could see people on the hillside above, so thought it must have attracted lots of other visitors.
There are new signs around, along with leaflets u...Whitley Castle / Epiacum Fort/Iron Age Hillfort: We were initially going to Kirkheugh to see the old cross there, but were on the wrong side of the river, and passed the fort, named Whitley Castle on the OS map, so stopped in the car park. There was a van and two other cars in the car park, and we could see people on the hillside above, so thought it must have attracted lots of other visitors.
There are new signs around, along with leaflets under the information board. Now called by its Roman name of Epiacum, the way to the fort is well signposted, and by following the numbered tour (spot the numbered flowerpots) we understood where we were.
As we climbed the hill, one of the men at the top had a stepladder – Postman from the Portal? I asked myself. Another had a ranging pole. By the time we reached the top they were sitting having a cup of coffee before continuing. I asked them if they were doing a survey, and realised I was talking to Stewart Ainsworth of Time Team fame. He, Alastair Robertson and colleague (whose name I didn’t ask but whose face was very familiar) were doing a survey in preparation for taking down a ‘modern’ stone wall to open up the fort site. At the moment, to get access to the Vicus and other parts of the site, you have to walk a long way round through different gates. What a multiple ditch system!
For my future reference: Stewart mentioned a 138 page report produced by English Heritage, which I’ve downloaded to both the picture folder and my Megalithic Portal/Useful Information About Sites folder.
Also see https://www.epiacumheritage.org/
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94 |
1 |
| Kirkhaugh Wells |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
31st Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Kirkhaugh Wells, near Church of the Holy Paraclete: After having spent about 2 hours wandering around Epiacum fort, we left to go for a cup of tea in Alston, where we called to the Top Café for tea and crumpets. As suggested by Alastair Robertson, we called into Local Links/Library at the Town Hall to see if they had a copy of his book/report on the fort, but the librarian knew nothing about it (“he wrote a book, but it’s out of print”), and had...Kirkhaugh Wells, near Church of the Holy Paraclete: After having spent about 2 hours wandering around Epiacum fort, we left to go for a cup of tea in Alston, where we called to the Top Café for tea and crumpets. As suggested by Alastair Robertson, we called into Local Links/Library at the Town Hall to see if they had a copy of his book/report on the fort, but the librarian knew nothing about it (“he wrote a book, but it’s out of print”), and had no further information. We left, walking across to the church of St. Augustine of Canterbury in Alston; I hadn’t taken my camera, and apart from some 13th century gravestones and architectural fragments, the only thing of note was the Derwentwater Clock, set up in the north west corner of the church. Surprisingly, there were instructions to see it working – remove one of the blocks from under the weights on its right hand side, then set the pendulum in motion. Brilliant to see something so old ticking away. To see the hand made cog wheels turning was amazing.
Driving firstly along the A686 following the River South Tyne northwards out of Alston, on the eastern side of the river, we took the minor, very single track road with no passing places, to Kirkhaugh. Just past the farm building is a small triangle of grass; we parked just past this on the grass verge, and made to walk down what looked like the driveway to the Old Rectory, but is actually the only access to the Holy Paraclete Church – Paraclete being another term for ‘Holy Ghost’. The OS map showed ‘Wells’ marked around this point.
As I looked out of the car window, I saw what at first looked like a ‘doorway into the hillside’ but is a disintegrating well house. I walked up the slope to take photographs, and could see inside the well house which is still full of clear water.
The second well, which I saw walking back up the road from the church, is up a hill opposite the farmhouse; now a ruinous brick and concrete structure, it drains into a trough at the bottom of the slope by the road. Presumably it is then piped into the River South Tyne.
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94 |
2 |
| Kirkhaugh Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
31st Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Kirkhaugh Cross, Church of the Holy Paraclete: Having seen one of the wells on the opposite side of the road, we turned our attention to finding the cross. This church is virtually hidden behind the trees, with only a portion of its eastern end and a narrow, tall spire peeping out of the trees at its western end.
I thought at first this cross was a modern grave marker, as it sits up a modern plinth, but closer examination showed this cross has...Kirkhaugh Cross, Church of the Holy Paraclete: Having seen one of the wells on the opposite side of the road, we turned our attention to finding the cross. This church is virtually hidden behind the trees, with only a portion of its eastern end and a narrow, tall spire peeping out of the trees at its western end.
I thought at first this cross was a modern grave marker, as it sits up a modern plinth, but closer examination showed this cross has been used as a gate post at least once in its past.
Behind the cross is a grave stone which has grown into the side of a large horse chestnut tree and been cracked. With the River South Tyne babbling away just behind the eastern churchyard wall, this is a lovely spot.
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94 |
3 |
| Whitcastle Hill |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
29th Aug 2018 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Whitcastle Hill Prehistoric Earthwork: We decided to return to this site another day, having had a glimpse of the herd of very large cattle grazing over the site. Shame - the aerial photograph of this site on Canmore looks absolutely fascinating! |
93 |
10 |
| Whitcastle Sike |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Aug 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Whitcastle Sike Settlement: The OS map shows a group of settlements and hillforts which can be found to the east north east of Broxholme Easter Loch, and today in a pretty remote spot down a gated road. We parked at NT 43929 11939, at the wide entrance to a farm track/field entrance and walked to the gate into the field opposite.
On the map, it looked like these settlements would be pretty easy to pick out. Unfortunately, on the ground, th...Whitcastle Sike Settlement: The OS map shows a group of settlements and hillforts which can be found to the east north east of Broxholme Easter Loch, and today in a pretty remote spot down a gated road. We parked at NT 43929 11939, at the wide entrance to a farm track/field entrance and walked to the gate into the field opposite.
On the map, it looked like these settlements would be pretty easy to pick out. Unfortunately, on the ground, the land had been heavily quarried and tall grass and bracken made picking out the land shapes a little tricky. We managed to identify this settlement by its location next to the stream. Whilst it had been heavily quarried, walking around its outline made it easier to identify.
To the west of this settlement is a very pretty burn which trickles past, forming pools in several areas. To the west and north, the ground around the settlement is boggy, but the area of the settlement is a metre or so above the water and dry; it looks as if the edges of the oval enclosure has been deliberately built up to form a protective kerb.
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93 |
9 |
| Borthwick Mains |
Class I Pictish Symbol Stone |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Couldn't find |
29th Aug 2018 |
|
|
|
Borthwick Mains Possible Pictish Symbol Stone: We got the location of this symbol stone completely wrong, and whilst we found Borthwick Mains, did not find the symbol stone. Its now high on my 'wish list' to return to. A lot of building work had been happening here, with the entrance to the farm in the process of being widened, and the house nearest the road empty and almost derelict. I did venture into the garden, but not having any phone sig...Borthwick Mains Possible Pictish Symbol Stone: We got the location of this symbol stone completely wrong, and whilst we found Borthwick Mains, did not find the symbol stone. Its now high on my 'wish list' to return to. A lot of building work had been happening here, with the entrance to the farm in the process of being widened, and the house nearest the road empty and almost derelict. I did venture into the garden, but not having any phone signal, did not have the photo of the stone on Canmore to refer to.
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93 |
8 |
| Midshiels Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Midshiels Cairn: Having been warned about the large cattle who might "go for us if they saw us", I was cautious about walking the additional 100m from the standing stone to the cairn. Andrew decided that as the cattle were at the far end of the field, and though large, looked relatively docile. “If they come for me I can always leap over the fence (to the railway embankment)”, he said, so I gave him the camera and left to explore the cairn, whi...Midshiels Cairn: Having been warned about the large cattle who might "go for us if they saw us", I was cautious about walking the additional 100m from the standing stone to the cairn. Andrew decided that as the cattle were at the far end of the field, and though large, looked relatively docile. “If they come for me I can always leap over the fence (to the railway embankment)”, he said, so I gave him the camera and left to explore the cairn, which seemed much further away than the standing stone, but in reality was only around 90m away.
The Canmore entry of 1948 says the cairn was ‘planted with trees’, although it is now only covered in grass.
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93 |
7 |
| Midshiels Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Midshiels Standing Stone, near Hawick: At our last visit, we were put off from entering the field because of a very large bull and his ladies. The bull stood guard near the stone, and any approach made him stand tall, with splayed legs, looking menacingly at us – I contented myself with taking photos from near the gate in the field.
At this visit we parked near the entrance to Midshiels farm, at NT 53459 17603, where we made sure we weren’t...Midshiels Standing Stone, near Hawick: At our last visit, we were put off from entering the field because of a very large bull and his ladies. The bull stood guard near the stone, and any approach made him stand tall, with splayed legs, looking menacingly at us – I contented myself with taking photos from near the gate in the field.
At this visit we parked near the entrance to Midshiels farm, at NT 53459 17603, where we made sure we weren’t blocking the entrance into field. Immediately opposite, at NT 53461 17624 is a metal gate into the field, with the top of the stone just visible.
Husband, Andrew, opened the gate and was in the field, and I was just about to follow when a loud voice behind me stopped me going an further. There was a large, but friendly, farmer and his lad in a very large pickup truck. “There are bullocks in that field – if they see you, they’ll go for you. Drive into the next field and go up to the tunnel – you can turn round there. You can see the stone from there.” I thanked him for the ‘heads up’.
Andrew moved the car, but rather than drive the car up to the tunnel, the ground was a bit too uneven to risk the bottom of the car, so we left it at the edge of the field at NT 53518 17745 and walked to the gate near the tunnel at NT 53388 17830. From here, it looked as if all the cattle were at the far end of the field, with many of them lying down, although the hump in the middle of the field made it difficult to really see. We decided to take the chance and walk to the stone, as we could have got back to the gate quickly.
This stone was glorious in the sunshine, with a most peculiar small ‘hook’ to the top. I tried to capture the shadow in the strong sunshine.
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93 |
6 |
| Cavers Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Aug 2018 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Cavers Cross, near Hawick: From the motte, we drove round to Cavers – a very nicely kept estate, with well kept verges and few places to park along the straight, narrow road by the houses. In the end, we pulled right up to the fence at the largish entrance to a field gate at NT 54235 15805, intending to run back to the car if anyone thought we were in the way.
Walking south west towards the houses (I didn’t even recognise the Auld Kirk, as ...Cavers Cross, near Hawick: From the motte, we drove round to Cavers – a very nicely kept estate, with well kept verges and few places to park along the straight, narrow road by the houses. In the end, we pulled right up to the fence at the largish entrance to a field gate at NT 54235 15805, intending to run back to the car if anyone thought we were in the way.
Walking south west towards the houses (I didn’t even recognise the Auld Kirk, as its been converted into a house with large driveway), we couldn’t see anything resembling a cross. There was a lady who was painting her fence and her large dog, who barked at us and sniffed my hands. I asked her if she knew of the remains of the cross, and she said, “Yes, but it’s only small”. She showed us where it was ‘hiding’ – behind a fence and shrubs in deep shade, then behind its own wooden fence, now much broken. She gave us permission to go into the garden of the holiday cottage as there was no-one there at the time of our visit. Whilst the Canmore record mentions the base of the cross (with the metal bands much visible), nothing is mentioned about the shaft it currently holds. This is of red sandstone and shaped, although much moss-covered.
Moving a small bit of stone near the join of the shaft and the base, there is evidence of a straight cut for part of the socket hole. We didn’t’ see any dowel holes, as the surface was moss and twig covered, but then the report that mentions this is dated 1933!
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93 |
5 |
| Fast Castle (Bedrule) |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Aug 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Fast Castle/Bedrule Motte: Not far from Bedrule Church this motte is marked on the map. At first it just appeared as a mound behind some trees, and we weren’t going to stop, until we realised the tree cover finished and the motte was clearly visible from the track going to Bedrule Mill. We let ourselves in through the gate and stopped to photograph this impressive mound. It sits by a bend in the very pretty river Rule. |
93 |
4 |
| Bedrule Parish Church |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Hogback fragments, Bedrule Parish Church: (note for less mobile visitors, whilst access into the churchyard is on a tarmacked path, there are some steps up into the porch where these fragments are stored. Disabled access is signposted but the door was locked at the time of our visit). This parish church is in the tiny hamlet of Bedrule. We could see the church from the minor road, but had to go virtually through the village and turn south past ...Hogback fragments, Bedrule Parish Church: (note for less mobile visitors, whilst access into the churchyard is on a tarmacked path, there are some steps up into the porch where these fragments are stored. Disabled access is signposted but the door was locked at the time of our visit). This parish church is in the tiny hamlet of Bedrule. We could see the church from the minor road, but had to go virtually through the village and turn south past a row of small cottages to reach the church. There was a small car park outside the churchyard gates. Rubens Law is to the south and dominates the view, which is rather nice.
The western side of the churchyard is divided into a series of ’garden rooms’, each with a small collection of interesting, old grave slabs, some dating to the 1650s.
The hogback fragments were inside the porch, along with a small stone with recumbent, robed figure. The fragments were underneath the small table with prayer and hymn books, so we moved the table out of the way (and replaced it), to photograph the fragments.
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93 |
3 |
| Rubers Law |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
29th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Rubers Law (only seen from a distance): This impressive hill fort dominates the area. We decided it was too far and too high to attempt today, although I was fascinated by its changing profile as we drove along the minor roads to Bedrule. We will come back when we're feeling fit and strong - it looks like a long walk, gaining height very quickly over a relatively short distance.
I stopped to take photo from the well house (MP 93.1), then at ...Rubers Law (only seen from a distance): This impressive hill fort dominates the area. We decided it was too far and too high to attempt today, although I was fascinated by its changing profile as we drove along the minor roads to Bedrule. We will come back when we're feeling fit and strong - it looks like a long walk, gaining height very quickly over a relatively short distance.
I stopped to take photo from the well house (MP 93.1), then at various points along the route:
1. NT 57304 12321
2. NT 59495 15298 By entrance to track signposted to Rubers Law
3. NT 59965 17983 From Bedrule Parish Church
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93 |
2 |
| Hawthornside Farm (Bonchester Bridge) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
29th Aug 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Well/tank, Hawthornside Farm (Bonchester Bridge): We spotted this ‘well house’ purely by chance as we passed by, then needing to turn the car round to go to Bedrule Church with its hogback fragments. This is a lovely site, right by the A6088. The well house (or ‘sink’ as it is labelled on the Canmore map) has Rubers Law Hillfort in the background.
There is no mention of Canmore, apart from the word ‘tank’ on its large scale map. The water ap...Well/tank, Hawthornside Farm (Bonchester Bridge): We spotted this ‘well house’ purely by chance as we passed by, then needing to turn the car round to go to Bedrule Church with its hogback fragments. This is a lovely site, right by the A6088. The well house (or ‘sink’ as it is labelled on the Canmore map) has Rubers Law Hillfort in the background.
There is no mention of Canmore, apart from the word ‘tank’ on its large scale map. The water appears to come straight up into the well basin – there is no sign of a pipe in or out. It does have the hinges for a (presumably wooden) door, which is no longer there. The water was beautifully clear and the inside of the structure clean.
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93 |
1 |
| Todley Hill Mound (Great Whittingham) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northamptonshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Todley Hill Mound, near Great Whittingham: Walking back to the car, we saw a couple of vans with trailers belonging to the farmers, and I was looking for someone to ask permission to enter the field to see the mound, but whilst the trailer doors were left wide open, no people were visible. There was a gate into the field at NY 99675 71602, almost opposite where we’d parked the car, but there was a stream in the way. We opted to drive further ba...Todley Hill Mound, near Great Whittingham: Walking back to the car, we saw a couple of vans with trailers belonging to the farmers, and I was looking for someone to ask permission to enter the field to see the mound, but whilst the trailer doors were left wide open, no people were visible. There was a gate into the field at NY 99675 71602, almost opposite where we’d parked the car, but there was a stream in the way. We opted to drive further back up the road, and parked at NY 99488 71218, where the road widens out into a large field entrance and dump for roadstone.
The gate into the field had been chained shut, so we walked back down the road and found part of the fence we could hop over.
This is a large mound, in a pretty spot with a small stream to its northern side. There appeared to be a large earth-fast boulder towards its south western side, with smaller boulders surrounding it, but the latter had been broken and were probably field clearance.
Walking round the mound, it appeared to us to have vague traces of a kerb with boulders/stones poking through, mainly on its southern and eastern sides.
This mound/tumulus/barrow is right on the old Roman Road, the Devil’s Causeway, jus to the east of where this cuts the modern road. The vague remains of an edge of this road can be seen (possibly) in the field opposite, to the south of the small stream (or it maybe modern uplift from dredging the stream).
This really had the feel of a barrow to me, and I enjoyed walking round it.
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92 |
2 |
| Brandy Well (Great Whittingham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Brandy Well, Todridge Farm, near Great Whittingham: We decided to stop off here on our way to Carlisle to look for this unusually named holy well, near The Queens Arms pub/Chinese restaurant we’ve been to several times. We parked at NY 99652 71590, on the verge before the entrance to Todridge Farm. The farm is more than just a farmhouse and a barn – it’s a hamlet with a number of houses.
Following the track to NY 99143 71795, there is gate i...Brandy Well, Todridge Farm, near Great Whittingham: We decided to stop off here on our way to Carlisle to look for this unusually named holy well, near The Queens Arms pub/Chinese restaurant we’ve been to several times. We parked at NY 99652 71590, on the verge before the entrance to Todridge Farm. The farm is more than just a farmhouse and a barn – it’s a hamlet with a number of houses.
Following the track to NY 99143 71795, there is gate into the field on the right hand side (the footpath sign has worn away, it’s just a small white plaque), and we followed this diagonally across the field to the end of the wood, passing a small solar energy ‘farm’ to our right hand side. At about NY 99084 71982 there is a small wooden gate with a footpath sign on it, but this was firmly tied up with a number of ropes (the hinges had broken), so we used the larger gate into the field, and walked a few tens of metres down the slope to the bridge.
On the bridge, you can hear water trickling at the edge of the pool; looking down, there is a dam which lets water out into the stream beyond. Having photographed the well pool from the bridge, we walked up to the land bridge/tractor track at NY 99134 71998 and turned left towards the northern side of the pool. There, in the corner of the fence, we could see the remains of a stone structure, now fallen into what looked like an extension to the pond, where people used to pull water out of.
This is a very pretty spot and a very pretty, if now overgrown, pond, full of waterlilies.
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92 |
1 |
| Kilmartin Churchyard (Poltalloch Enclosure) |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
The Poltalloch Enclosure, Kilmartin churchyard: See main report for Kilmartin churchyard (MP 87.18). |
87 |
18 |
| Kilmartin Churchyard (Lapidarium) |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Kilmartin Church (Lapidarium): See visit report for Kilmartin Churchyard (MP87.18) |
87 |
18 |
| St Bridget's Church (Brigham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Bridget's, Brigham (Anglo Saxon Stones): Whilst this church looks very austere from outside, and the entrance doors dark and foreboding, once inside the church, it is a completely different picture – this church is light, airy and welcoming. The painted ceilings are fantastic.
The church warden turned up as arranged, and was so welcoming. He sought out a guide to the church and old postcards for information, then left me photographing the ...St Bridget's, Brigham (Anglo Saxon Stones): Whilst this church looks very austere from outside, and the entrance doors dark and foreboding, once inside the church, it is a completely different picture – this church is light, airy and welcoming. The painted ceilings are fantastic.
The church warden turned up as arranged, and was so welcoming. He sought out a guide to the church and old postcards for information, then left me photographing the stones whilst Andrew walked round the church with him.
Time was all too short here, and I could have spent another hour, but we knew the church warden needed to get home, and the evening traffic was building up outside. In our haste, we missed Brigham 13, a cross base at the west end of the church (I thought I’d photographed it, as we went through all the AS Corpus pages I’d brought with me, but realised (too late) it wasn’t the correct stone).
After looking at the Fletcher family grave (now very worn and held together with large staples, I walked over to the west end of the churchyard to look at the farmhouse, which used to be the rectory for the farm).
We also looked for the site of Nun's Well, but were unable to see anything.
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91 |
7 |
| Chantry Well (Brigham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
-1 |
2 |
|
Chantry Well, Brigham (Destroyed) The Reverend Mary told us there was a holy well at Brigham. There are actually 2 listed – Chantry Well and Nun’s Well, next to the A66.
Mr. Furness, the church warden also mentioned the well, but said it was no longer there. In the field opposite the church, a new water pipeline is being constructed. In the field to the south a new housing estate is also being built. There is no access into the field bec...Chantry Well, Brigham (Destroyed) The Reverend Mary told us there was a holy well at Brigham. There are actually 2 listed – Chantry Well and Nun’s Well, next to the A66.
Mr. Furness, the church warden also mentioned the well, but said it was no longer there. In the field opposite the church, a new water pipeline is being constructed. In the field to the south a new housing estate is also being built. There is no access into the field because of the building works, but the grid reference gives a point where the tree line bends.
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91 |
6 |
| St Mungo's Well (Cumbria) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Kentigern's Well, Caldbeck: This was our last stop of the day, and to a part of Cumbria we've never travelled through before. From St. Bridget's in Brigham, we followed the B5299 to Caldbeck village, which took us over cattle grids and moorlands, with only sheep and the occasional other car in sight.
Caldbeck is a really pretty little village, and we resolved to come back during the daytime, when the shops, church and café were open.
Th...St Kentigern's Well, Caldbeck: This was our last stop of the day, and to a part of Cumbria we've never travelled through before. From St. Bridget's in Brigham, we followed the B5299 to Caldbeck village, which took us over cattle grids and moorlands, with only sheep and the occasional other car in sight.
Caldbeck is a really pretty little village, and we resolved to come back during the daytime, when the shops, church and café were open.
The well can be easily found by walking down the footpath to the west of the church, until you get to the bridge over the river. As it says in the "Holy Wells of Cumbria" booklet, turn left just before the bridge, and you immediately come to some steps down the (steep-ish) bank to the river. We heard the trickle of water down the slope, and the well basin comes into view as you look down. At the time of our visit the water missed the basin and was trickling down the rock, under the shrubbery, into the river. There was a fair flow of water coming down the bank.
We walked along the footpath along the northern side of the churchyard for about 100mand found a lovely weir with small waterfalls. It was possible to walk down to the gravel beach. A lovely spot indeed.
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91 |
8 |
| St Bridget's Church (Bridekirk) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Font with Runic inscription, St. Bridget's, Bridekirk: We had an hour to fill between appointments between churches, so headed off to Bridekirk to see the font with runic inscription, which we'd missed during our last visit on 1st May 2015. The notice said the church was "normally open during daylight hours" but on this occasion the main door appeared to be bolted at the top from the inside, so we couldn't get in. This time, not having a six mon...Font with Runic inscription, St. Bridget's, Bridekirk: We had an hour to fill between appointments between churches, so headed off to Bridekirk to see the font with runic inscription, which we'd missed during our last visit on 1st May 2015. The notice said the church was "normally open during daylight hours" but on this occasion the main door appeared to be bolted at the top from the inside, so we couldn't get in. This time, not having a six month old granddaughter with us, we walked round the outside of the church and noticed a collection of old grave slabs displayed against the exterior of the apse at the east end of the church, including an old cross base. None of these in mentioned on Pastscape.
Checking back in my photos, I had taken a photograph of the font. The middle band (when enlarged) does indeed have a runic inscription on it.
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91 |
5 |
| Kilmartin House |
Museum |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Kilmartin Museum: We managed to get a space in the car park. From the number of cars parked outside the museum and along the roads, we thought the place would be heaving with people (including a bus tour which had turned up), but the café was quiet and relaxing and there was only one other lady and a younger man who was with her, in the museum.
The museum was small, and a bit disappointing for the £7 entry fee, but it was nicely laid out and ...Kilmartin Museum: We managed to get a space in the car park. From the number of cars parked outside the museum and along the roads, we thought the place would be heaving with people (including a bus tour which had turned up), but the café was quiet and relaxing and there was only one other lady and a younger man who was with her, in the museum.
The museum was small, and a bit disappointing for the £7 entry fee, but it was nicely laid out and they gave you a map of the sites to visit. The lady on reception told us we were allowed to take photographs, but as long as they were not for publication on the internet.
I bought 4 postcards and “In The Footsteps of Kings” book of walks around the Kilmartin area, which gave a lot of information about the area, together with photographs and what to look for, which helped inform our visits greatly – wonderful photos in it, too!
I photographed Glebe Cairn from the path running outside the conservatory.
I have since been in contact with the Visitor Services Office, at the museum, and received the following reply on 14th August 2018 (see private notes).
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88 |
10 |
| St John The Evangelist (Crosscanonby) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St John The Evangelist, Crosscanonby: We had arranged to meet the Reverend Mary at the church at 2pm. Between Gilcrux and here we had an hour to spare, so went into Cockermouth for lunch and a quick walk round the town. Travelling through Dearham and across the A596 to Crosscanonby, as we dropped down a small hill after having crossed the A596, we realised how close this church is to the Solway Firth (according to UK Grid Finder measurements it...St John The Evangelist, Crosscanonby: We had arranged to meet the Reverend Mary at the church at 2pm. Between Gilcrux and here we had an hour to spare, so went into Cockermouth for lunch and a quick walk round the town. Travelling through Dearham and across the A596 to Crosscanonby, as we dropped down a small hill after having crossed the A596, we realised how close this church is to the Solway Firth (according to UK Grid Finder measurements its 900m).
This little church is side on to the road, and is virtually invisible until you reach the gate into the churchyard, although the ‘this church is open’ board gave something away.
I’d not looked at the AS Corpus notes I’d brought, but straight away we spotted the hogback against the south eastern corner of the nave.
Walking inside was a real treat. This is clearly a very old building. Reverend Mary (just ‘Mary’ she said) told us this church used to be the mother church for Maryport and the farm house next door (to the west of the church) used to be part of the monastery; the monks used to process from the monastery to the church; rumour has it there is a tunnel from the farmhouse to the church, but it’s never been found.
The church is pretty special, although I focussed on photographing the stones in the porch whilst Andrew spoke to Mary about the structure of the building, as I was conscious of taking up Mary’s time and we needed her to come across to Dearham to open the vestry for us. I’d love to go back and spend more time here.
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91 |
3 |
| St Mungo's Dearham |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Mungo's Church, Dearham: AS Corpus Dearham 03 and The Adam Stone: This was a return visit. pre-arranged with the lovely Reverend Mary, who drove from Crosscanonby to very kindly unlock the door of the vestry to show us AS Corpus Dearham 03, part of a cross-head.
We also saw the Adam Stone. Mary moved the knitted figures of Jesus and Peter and invited me to climb on the pew to get a better photograph. We felt so welcome, we didn’t really w...St Mungo's Church, Dearham: AS Corpus Dearham 03 and The Adam Stone: This was a return visit. pre-arranged with the lovely Reverend Mary, who drove from Crosscanonby to very kindly unlock the door of the vestry to show us AS Corpus Dearham 03, part of a cross-head.
We also saw the Adam Stone. Mary moved the knitted figures of Jesus and Peter and invited me to climb on the pew to get a better photograph. We felt so welcome, we didn’t really want to leave!
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91 |
4 |
| St Mungo's Dearham |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient Crosses and a Norman font, St Mungo's Church, Dearham: After having been to two other churches which had been firmly locked, this church was, thankfully open and very welcoming.
The church was packed full of knitted scenes from the bible, jewellery and books. We missed the Adam Stone, but are going back on 14th August, and have asked for permission to get into the vestry to see AS Corpus Dearham 03, a fragment of a wheel headed cross...Ancient Crosses and a Norman font, St Mungo's Church, Dearham: After having been to two other churches which had been firmly locked, this church was, thankfully open and very welcoming.
The church was packed full of knitted scenes from the bible, jewellery and books. We missed the Adam Stone, but are going back on 14th August, and have asked for permission to get into the vestry to see AS Corpus Dearham 03, a fragment of a wheel headed cross built into the wall.
We had to move quite a few items from the west window to photograph AS Corpus Dearham 02, and it took us ages to get everything back!
The Norman font, apparently carved from the cushion capital of a column, was really interesting.
There was no church guide book, although there was a postcard (30p) and a display board, which I took a few photos of.
The first notes on the display board say: “There can be no doubt that Dearham had a church during the Dark Ages, following the withdrawal of Roman Forces from Britain. Many pre-Norman sculptured stones displayed in the present church provide evidence that Christianity was prevalent during Anglo Saxon and Viking times. The Reverend William Slater Calverley was vicar of Dearham from 1877 until 1885 and was responsible for uncovering and displaying many of these stones. He worked tirelessly on restoring the church to much of the originality as possible during his period of incumbency. In 1880 it was recorded that he did not know to whom the church was dedicated, the original dedication having been lost. It was rededicated in 1935, as a result of the inspiration of the Reverend Canon Malcolm D. Grieve, to St. Mungo, a Scottish saint whose real name was St. Kentigern. In 1937 Canon Grieve was also responsible for the addition inside the church building, of a side chapel dedicated to the Holy Name. It stands at the east end of the north aisle.”
There is a section on the display called: “A brief look at the history of St. Mungo’s. It is believed that the original stone church dating back to the early 1100s was about 48 feet long in the shape of a long, low tunnel. During the Norman period parts were added and extended later in the Early English period. The tower was added probably early 14th century. The porch was also an addition to the original building covering the Norman doorway. The north aisle was a completely new addition during the 1882 restoration when Mr. Calverley enlarged the church. The vestry, at the east end, is an extension to the north aisle, the date being cut into the pillar of an arch. Built in the north wall of the vestry is the head of the “Kenneth Cross”. It was found near the east end of the church and built into the vestry wall curing restoration. The stained glass window behind the altar was given by Mr. John Wilson of Dearham and built in at the time of the 1882 restoration. The bell, which weights almost half a ton, was given by Colonel Sewell, whose family were seated at Brandlingill end of Hayborough. The ancient windows, dating back probably to 1150 were removed during the 1815 restoration and sadly lost to this day! Had they been lying about in 1880 Rev. Calverley would have restorated them to their rightful place, when he in turn removed the sash windows and inserted new ones fashioned in the style of the originals.”
The display says: “The magnificent wheel head cross (Viking cross) stands 5ft 4ins high and is carved with “Yggdrasil”, the Norse tree of the universe. It stood in the churchyard until 1900 and then brought into the church and placed in front of the organ.”
Another section reads: “The treasures of the Church include two stones found during 1882 restoration work. Standing 4ft high is the Adam stone, dating from AD 900, which depicts the Fall and Redemption of Man, with Adam and Eve hand in hand above a serpent. The Kenneth Cross shows the legend of the 6th century hermit, S. Kenneth, who was lame from birth and after his baptism cast away in a coracle. He was saved from the gales, and brought up by seabirds.”
The small door leading up into the tower was open, with a very narrow set of steps leading up. Not even Andrew fancied venturing up.
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81 |
5 |
| St Mary's Church (Gilcrux) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Mary's Church, Gilcrux: The little car park outside the church was full (3 cars and a Water Board van), so we had to park just west of the well and walk back to the church – only a little way. The church door was open for us this time.
This is a remarkable little church inside. At first site, the nave appears more like a Methodist chapel – at first glance. Then my gaze lit on the archway into the chancel, with a ‘squint’ over the right ...St Mary's Church, Gilcrux: The little car park outside the church was full (3 cars and a Water Board van), so we had to park just west of the well and walk back to the church – only a little way. The church door was open for us this time.
This is a remarkable little church inside. At first site, the nave appears more like a Methodist chapel – at first glance. Then my gaze lit on the archway into the chancel, with a ‘squint’ over the right hand column and a chunk taken out of the eastern side of the left hand column. Walking into the chancel is very reminiscent of Escombe Saxon Church – this place is ancient and very peaceful.
The collection of stones was underneath a table against the south wall, near the porch, so we turned into furniture removers, carefully taking the notice board, vases and loose notices off the table, then moving the table to examine and photograph the pieces.
We managed to put together the pieces of the cross head and part of the shaft, and photographed two sides. One of the pieces left white, chalky marks on our hands, and is very white against the grey of the other two pieces. This is clearly the cast of the upper part of the cross head.
We closed the church door to indicate to the keyholder we’d been in and left again, and walked round to the north side of the church, where it is very obvious that the church has been built on a mound.
There was no church guide book, but there were some ‘notes for visitors’ which I photographed, and have typed into my walk journal.
The spring was in full flow, and it was lovely to hear it babbling away. Brilliant. Definitely worth a return visit.
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91 |
2 |
| St Mungo's Church (Bromfield) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Hogback and ancient crosses at St. Mungo's Church, Bromfield: Our first stop of the day. This is clearly an ancient village.
The church was locked, so the only stone we could see was in the porch – AS Corpus Bromfield 04. From the Corpus image, the top of the hogback looks clearer from the inside of the church, but of course we couldn’t get in.
After walking back from the well, I stopped to look at the hideous memorial in the southern pa...Hogback and ancient crosses at St. Mungo's Church, Bromfield: Our first stop of the day. This is clearly an ancient village.
The church was locked, so the only stone we could see was in the porch – AS Corpus Bromfield 04. From the Corpus image, the top of the hogback looks clearer from the inside of the church, but of course we couldn’t get in.
After walking back from the well, I stopped to look at the hideous memorial in the southern part of the churchyard and noticed that it was built on what looked like the base of an old village/medieval cross. I haven’t been able to find anything out about this – it’s not mentioned in any literature I’ve currently come across – but suddenly it became more interesting!
We did try and find High Aketon Farm to see AS Corpus Bromfield 03, but couldn’t find it on the paper OS map and an internet search pulled up nothing. We decided to move on to the next location.
I’m going to try and contact the vicar to see if we can arrange entry into the church for sometime in mid-August.
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81 |
1 |
| St Mungo's Church (Bromfield) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
14th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Mungo's Church, Bromfield: We'd arranged with the church warden for the church to be left open for us for an hour or so this morning, so this was our first stop on a 'five church stop' tour. We were looking forward to finding cross head and cross shaft fragments, and to being able to see the reverse side of the hogback stone above the doorway.
Whilst it looks quite daunting from the outside, the inside of the church is lovely, with some un...St Mungo's Church, Bromfield: We'd arranged with the church warden for the church to be left open for us for an hour or so this morning, so this was our first stop on a 'five church stop' tour. We were looking forward to finding cross head and cross shaft fragments, and to being able to see the reverse side of the hogback stone above the doorway.
Whilst it looks quite daunting from the outside, the inside of the church is lovely, with some unique features, such as unusual corbels and the chancel arch, which is 'transitional between Norman and Gothic styles'.
I found the cemented remains of the cross head cemeted to the west end of the north aisle, and had to remove umbrellas and a carpet sweeper to see it. It was very cobwebby, and looked sadly neglected.
AS Corpus Bromfield 02 was in two pieces. There was a collection of old stones in the north transept, and we needed to move a low bench and a collection of chairs to be able to see this.
The hogback from the other side (inside the church) was much more convincing, and there was also a consecration cross on the right hand door jamb of the south door. Well worth returning to see.
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91 |
1 |
| Kilmartin Churchyard |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Kilmartin Churchyard: Having booked ourselves in for an evening meal at the Kilmartin Arms opposite the church (warning: the portions were huge, but really good), we went across to the churchyard to find the cross slabs in the churchyard that Rachel Butter mentions in her "Kilmartin" book (page 99) and found so much more. This really finished the evening off nicely.
There is also a lapidarium and the Poltalloch Enclosure with some really ni...Kilmartin Churchyard: Having booked ourselves in for an evening meal at the Kilmartin Arms opposite the church (warning: the portions were huge, but really good), we went across to the churchyard to find the cross slabs in the churchyard that Rachel Butter mentions in her "Kilmartin" book (page 99) and found so much more. This really finished the evening off nicely.
There is also a lapidarium and the Poltalloch Enclosure with some really nice carved grave slabs.
There is a small car park immediately outside the church, and there is disabled access into the church with its crosses inside. The churchyard itself was a little tricky to negotiate, as we had to step over old chest tombs to see some of the carved slabs. Nice views down to the glen below, and a peaceful place to spend time.
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87 |
18 |
| Nether Largie Stone Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Nether Largie Stone Alignment: Ever since I read about this alignment in the early text for the Portal's book "The Old Stones" I've wanted to visit this location. It's in a lovely, lovely, setting, in the Kilmartin Glen. Having got used to Northumberland where you largely only see sheep or cattle around monuments, I was so disappointed by the number of people visiting here. We had two attempts, one being late in the evening, but there were sti...Nether Largie Stone Alignment: Ever since I read about this alignment in the early text for the Portal's book "The Old Stones" I've wanted to visit this location. It's in a lovely, lovely, setting, in the Kilmartin Glen. Having got used to Northumberland where you largely only see sheep or cattle around monuments, I was so disappointed by the number of people visiting here. We had two attempts, one being late in the evening, but there were still plenty of folks here. The photographers amongst us 'queued up' to take photographs along the alignment; when it was my turn, a family meandered over and spent half an hour wandering up and down the row, oblivious to me standing there with the camera. I did manage a couple of photographs along the alignment, but had to chose my moments when they were behind one of the stones! Congratulations to the Kilmartin Museum for having a great tourist trail, but I'd like to come back in late January/February, when hopefully there would be less visitors. After this visit, we stuck to sites largely off the main tourist trail.
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87 |
11 |
| Nether Largie standing stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Nether Largie Standing Stone/Outlier to the stone alignment: The gate into the field with this standing stone was wired shut and the book we had with us asked us not to intrude into the field. There was also a group of largely, lively bullocks clustered around the gate, so we contented ourselves with looking from afar, from the Nether Largie Stone Alignment. |
87 |
11 |
| Glebe Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Glebe Cairn, Kilmartin: By the time I’d walked from Nether Largie Stone Alignment, across to Temple Wood and to Nether Largie, South, Mid, North and Glebe Cairn, I realised it was quite a long way (about 2km the sign post said), but I hadn’t really noticed the distance as the sites were so fascinating to see.
From the lane leading from Nether Largie North Cairn, you need to cross a footbridge over Kilmartin Burn at NR 83147 98870. At this time...Glebe Cairn, Kilmartin: By the time I’d walked from Nether Largie Stone Alignment, across to Temple Wood and to Nether Largie, South, Mid, North and Glebe Cairn, I realised it was quite a long way (about 2km the sign post said), but I hadn’t really noticed the distance as the sites were so fascinating to see.
From the lane leading from Nether Largie North Cairn, you need to cross a footbridge over Kilmartin Burn at NR 83147 98870. At this time of evening, the dragon flies were flitting over the water and the sheep were starting to gathered in a line along the fence.
Following the grassy footpath towards this huge heap of stones, I walked all the way around this cairn, which seemed much larger than the others. There were no real distinguishing features, such as cists or cist covers, that were visible. The mound seemed disturbed in places, with stones pushed out in small ‘arms’ here and there along its edges.
Rachel Butter’s Kilmartin book (page 58) says: “The Glebe Cairn: Excavators found two small stone circles beneath the cairn with two finely made pots and a jet necklace placed in two cists. The cairn is smaller than it was a century ago – in 1864 it was at least 4 metres high and 33 metres across.”
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87 |
17 |
| Nether Largie North |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Nether Largie North, Kilmartin: From afar (approaching it from Nether Largie Mid) this cairn had a white square in the middle of its top, which looked like Cairnpapple, which got me thinking you could enter the chamber. This was indeed the case, as the white square was a hatch which could be raised to descend into the chamber.. According to the information board, the capstone has 10 carved axes.
By this time, I think ‘monument overload’ h...Nether Largie North, Kilmartin: From afar (approaching it from Nether Largie Mid) this cairn had a white square in the middle of its top, which looked like Cairnpapple, which got me thinking you could enter the chamber. This was indeed the case, as the white square was a hatch which could be raised to descend into the chamber.. According to the information board, the capstone has 10 carved axes.
By this time, I think ‘monument overload’ had come over Andrew, who decided to go and get the car, saying he’d meet me at Kilmartin Church, giving me time to visit this cairn and Glebe Cairn before meeting him. I only had one walking pole, and overbalanced whilst trying to climb up the heap so stones so reluctantly gave up. I was disappointed not to be able to see this. We thought we might find time to go back and explore, but there really was so much else to see. One for the next visit.
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87 |
16 |
| Nether Largie Mid |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Nether Largie Mid-Cairn: This cairn is not quite as impressive as Nether Largie South, but we found it fascinating to look at. Reading Webb's "In The Footsteps of Kings" she says the cairn was originally placed on a slightly raised terrace, but its position has been exaggerated because the ground beyond the fence has been ploughed, and reduced in height over time." The course of the Kilmartin Burn has also been straightened; it once would have ...Nether Largie Mid-Cairn: This cairn is not quite as impressive as Nether Largie South, but we found it fascinating to look at. Reading Webb's "In The Footsteps of Kings" she says the cairn was originally placed on a slightly raised terrace, but its position has been exaggerated because the ground beyond the fence has been ploughed, and reduced in height over time." The course of the Kilmartin Burn has also been straightened; it once would have meandered around all these cairns in this 'linear cemetery'. By the time we'd reached this cairn, the stream of visitors had slackened off, and we had time to sit and admire this glorious glen.
Despite searching for some time, we didn't find the axehead carving or the cup mark in the southern cist, nor could we seen the cup marked rock 10m to the north west. I did take a number of photos inside the cist, including the inside of the capstone, as sometimes faint carvings show up better on the photos, but nothing was visible. We tried!
The notice boards on site read: “Nether Large Mid lies at the midpoint of Kilmartin Glen’s line of cairns. Its edge is marked by kerbstones. Two important people were buried here 4,000 years ago. In 1929, archaeologist James Hewat Craw found two empty stone graves or ‘cists’ underneath this Bronze Age cairn. The bodies they once contained had dissolved away in the acid soil. An axehead is faintly carved inside the southern grave. Concrete posts show the position of the northern one.”
“The line of cairns stretches for more than 2.5 miles (4km). Look up the glen to Nether Large North and Glebe. Look down to Nether Large South and Ri Cruin, surrounded by trees. A sixth cairn between here and Nether Largie South was destroyed in the 1880s. This was the burial place of the elite. Their power had probably been based on controlling the flow of metal from Ireland up the Great Glen to bronze-working centres in north-east Scotland.”
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87 |
15 |
| Nether Largie South |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Nether Largie South: Impressively large, with a chamber you can get into. Have seen other chambered cairns in Northumberland, but all in pretty ruinous condition, nothing like this. Our second stop after the stone alignment. Beautiful location; a lot of other visitors at this time of year. |
87 |
14 |
| Temple Wood N |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Temple Wood North East circle: Within sight of the Temple Wood South West circle (I got my bearings all confused here!). This cairn has obviously been recreated, with concrete posts and blocks representing post holes and kerb stones. Nicely done. |
87 |
13 |
| Temple Wood S |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Temple Wood South West Circle: We had this site all to ourselves for all of five minutes before other parties followed us in. We did look for the rock art quite carefully, but were unable to find it. |
87 |
12 |
| Cairnbaan 2 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
19th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Cairnbaan 2 Rock Art Panel: Leaving Cairnbaan 1 by its western corner, there’s a notice saying ‘further panels’. This was a little further than we thought, but very much worth the additional walk.
This second panel was truly magnificent, with its interlinked carvings. As the nice young couple from Huddersfield said: “A lovely one to finish on.”
We waited for the sun to come out to get the best contrast on the motifs. I really, really enjo...Cairnbaan 2 Rock Art Panel: Leaving Cairnbaan 1 by its western corner, there’s a notice saying ‘further panels’. This was a little further than we thought, but very much worth the additional walk.
This second panel was truly magnificent, with its interlinked carvings. As the nice young couple from Huddersfield said: “A lovely one to finish on.”
We waited for the sun to come out to get the best contrast on the motifs. I really, really enjoyed seeing this panel.
As it was very hot, we decided to wander back through the forest slowly and make our way to Lochgilphead for refreshments. With only two more standing stones on the list to see, this almost concluded our Scottish visit.
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89 |
4 |
| Cairnbaan 1 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
19th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Cairnbaan 1 Rock Art: This site is marked on the OS map, and we also got details from “In The Footsteps of Kings” page 149. Following the directions in the book (between the hotel and the neighbouring houses is a sign saying “Cup Marked Rocks”. After a flat start to the path, it then climbs relatively steeply for around 100 metres, then is a pleasant walk through woods, following the metal arrow signs.
We came across the main outcrop, prot...Cairnbaan 1 Rock Art: This site is marked on the OS map, and we also got details from “In The Footsteps of Kings” page 149. Following the directions in the book (between the hotel and the neighbouring houses is a sign saying “Cup Marked Rocks”. After a flat start to the path, it then climbs relatively steeply for around 100 metres, then is a pleasant walk through woods, following the metal arrow signs.
We came across the main outcrop, protected by a metal railing, but with two sets of steps to allow you to get in and out of the compound. Someone had recently deturfed the main rock, although the rest were heavily turf covered and apart from a few cups, couldn’t make out much.
Just as we arrived at the site, we came across the same young couple who had been at Kilmichael Glassary yesterday and Dunadd this morning. They were travelling back to Huddersfield today and said the next panel was “a nice one to end on”.
To our surprise, there was a sign saying ‘further panels’, pointing further north, so we followed the track through the grass into another fenced off area, with the most remarkable carving (next entry).
Since getting back home, I’ve managed to get hold of a second hand copy of Stan’s book “The Prehistoric Rock Art of Kilmartin” and will be comparing my photos with his writings as soon as we get a dull, rainy day (or two or three). So much to learn!
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89 |
3 |
| Dunadd Fort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
19th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Dunadd Fort, with well, footprint, boar carving and cup marked rock: I confess to seeing this site 'from a distance' as the path was too steep for me to feel comfortable. Whilst I say 'this is a short walk on a footpath', the climb is reasonably short, but steep.
Also, being on the tourist trail, this site was busy, busy, busy even at 10am. We bumped into the “Tour of Tor” minibus again (saw them at the Dunchraigaig Cairn last night), who ...Dunadd Fort, with well, footprint, boar carving and cup marked rock: I confess to seeing this site 'from a distance' as the path was too steep for me to feel comfortable. Whilst I say 'this is a short walk on a footpath', the climb is reasonably short, but steep.
Also, being on the tourist trail, this site was busy, busy, busy even at 10am. We bumped into the “Tour of Tor” minibus again (saw them at the Dunchraigaig Cairn last night), who pulled into the car park just after us.
After going some way up the track and seeing the reproduction of the boar carving in the cottage to the left of the track by the gate up to the fort, I decided it was too steep for me. Even Andrew, when he came back down, said he’d had to put his hands out several times to steady himself on the slope, so even he struggled a little.
As well as the fort, this site also has a well and a footprint and carved rock. Andrew said the guide for the Sacred Tour actually took his boot and shoe off, placed it in the footprint and enacted the old oath. Wish I’d seen that!
Andrew commented on finding what he thought was a ‘look out post’ – a small chamber with a lintel over; the well now has a stone slab over it. We’ve yet to sit down and map out where the photographs were taken, so I can tie them in with the plan above.
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89 |
2 |
| Dunadd Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
19th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Dunadd Standing Stone: This was an amusing visit to start off with. As we drew up in the car park, the “Tour of the Tor” minibus drew up behind us, along with the young couple we’d seen at Kirkmichael Glassary Rock Art yesterday. Other parties of walkers came along the path and marched off up the track to the fort. We later saw them standing on top of the fort waving down to those left below.
We set off towards the farmhouse and the river ...Dunadd Standing Stone: This was an amusing visit to start off with. As we drew up in the car park, the “Tour of the Tor” minibus drew up behind us, along with the young couple we’d seen at Kirkmichael Glassary Rock Art yesterday. Other parties of walkers came along the path and marched off up the track to the fort. We later saw them standing on top of the fort waving down to those left below.
We set off towards the farmhouse and the river to see the standing stone, which at first sight looked like a garden feature. We were closely followed by an American lady with her walking poles, a large rucksack and camera. When my husband stopped just before the stone, she stopped next to him and watched me clicking away. “Why’s she taking photos?” she asked. “It’s a standing stone”, Andrew replied. “Oh. Oh!” and with that she got out her own camera and started taking snaps.
Whilst the stone was actually in the garden, a man was coming out to his car by the house and he waved me towards it as if telling me it was OK to take a closer look.
What a really beautiful spot in this valley. With the sun shining and blue skies, it would have been lovely to sit by the river and contemplate the world for a while.
It wasn't until I looked at Canmore later that evening, I discovered other standing stones nearby, which I could have investigated whilst Andrew was playing 'mountain goat' on the fort.
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89 |
1 |
| Achnabreac |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
19th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Stane Alane (Achnabreac), Lochgilphead Cemetery: The time was fast approaching when we needed to head back to Armadale, but there were still two more standing stones we wanted to see. Looking at the map, the quickest way appeared to be to drive to the cemetery, walk through the cemetery and walk a hundred metres or so along the track that ran from its northern wall. This was a large cemetery with a tall back wall. Eventually finding the gate t...Stane Alane (Achnabreac), Lochgilphead Cemetery: The time was fast approaching when we needed to head back to Armadale, but there were still two more standing stones we wanted to see. Looking at the map, the quickest way appeared to be to drive to the cemetery, walk through the cemetery and walk a hundred metres or so along the track that ran from its northern wall. This was a large cemetery with a tall back wall. Eventually finding the gate to the north western side of the cemetery, we let ourselves onto a long, almost straight lane. This stone obviously hadn’t been visited in a while, as it was almost half covered in ferns to the front and back.
In taking a closer look at the back of the stone, we discovered it was on a slight mound. Canmore confirms it is incorporated into a turf and stone dyke.
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89 |
5 |
| Achnabreck Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Achnabreck Standing Stone, Lochgilphhead: Continuing on down the track from the Stane Alane, we came across some new build houses, closely followed by some older ones, close to a road junction with a minor road leading from the A816 towards Auchoish Burn (so presumably the stone could also be driven to). This stone was in the house of a wooden ‘hut’ which fronted a pond, presumably created by enlarging a section of the burn. I looked in the hous...Achnabreck Standing Stone, Lochgilphhead: Continuing on down the track from the Stane Alane, we came across some new build houses, closely followed by some older ones, close to a road junction with a minor road leading from the A816 towards Auchoish Burn (so presumably the stone could also be driven to). This stone was in the house of a wooden ‘hut’ which fronted a pond, presumably created by enlarging a section of the burn. I looked in the houses opposite, and whilst their doors were open, could find no-one to ask, so nipped quickly in through the farm gate and took a few photos.
Whilst this is a tall standing stone, which looks in great condition, I wonder if this is in its original location, or if it has been moved to become a garden feature. It is very close to the old trackway which runs parallel to the modern main road. Looking at the Canmore record, it sits within a landscape rich with cup and ring marked rocks, with the Stane Alane standing stone some 400m away. Studying the Canmore entry more, they say this stone had “already fallen by 1867”.
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89 |
6 |
| Ballymeanoch Stone Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Ballymeanoch Stone Row: Continued from 88.19 visit report (“Who let the bullocks out?”). This was our last stop of the day. We had hoped to fit in DunnAd fort, but we were ‘all monumented out’ by this time of the evening. A truly wonderful spot, with some fantastic standing stones/stone row.
We didn’t get to see the henge due to the very large and very challenging bullocks in the field, but a really fantastic way to end our day. |
88 |
20 |
| Ballymeanoch Kerb Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Ballymeanoch Kerb Cairn: With a number of other cars pulling up in the car park with other people wanting to look at the cairn, we hastened down the marked path towards the stone row, wondering why there were large, fresh cowpats in the cordoned off pathway. We were shortly to be confronted by a large bullock who stood and stared at us, completely blocking the path. The wire fence between the field/woodland and the path had been knocked down and...Ballymeanoch Kerb Cairn: With a number of other cars pulling up in the car park with other people wanting to look at the cairn, we hastened down the marked path towards the stone row, wondering why there were large, fresh cowpats in the cordoned off pathway. We were shortly to be confronted by a large bullock who stood and stared at us, completely blocking the path. The wire fence between the field/woodland and the path had been knocked down and the cattle had invaded, some sitting by the gate. This bullock absolutely refused to move, and his other companions started to stir and look our way. Andrew tried to move it away, but it stood firm and looked as if it might charge. Even Andrew backed away at this point.
Fortunately, there was a gate into a field of pasture to our left hand side, so we let ourselves into that field of pasture and followed the fenced off path along on the wrong side of the fence. There was another gate, leading from a track from the road, into the standing stone field. This gate was next to a babbling stream with a stone bridge across. This field also had a large number of other large bullocks, but these continued grazing and took little notice of us until we got to the two standing stones at the far end, when they started to take a definite interest.
Having made sure we weren’t going to be under (immediate) danger of attack by the bullocks, we tiptoed carefully further into the field. Having read about the cairn in "In The Footsteps of Kings" booklet, I circled it and photographed it as best I could. The sun was intense, being low in the sky, and it was so hot I could have laid down on the ground and fallen asleep. However, time was pressing, so I gathered my courage and explored further.
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18 |
19 |
| Dunchraigaig Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Dunchcraigaig Cairn: Parking in the small car park opposite the cairn, we crossed (ran over between the cars doing at least 60mph) the busy road to have a look at yet another large, stony cairn (special in its own right, but so many of them around here!). Just as we drew into the car park, a black mini-bus with the name “Tour of the Tor”; we kept coming across this bus and its people a number of times for the next few days. They do ‘sacred tour...Dunchcraigaig Cairn: Parking in the small car park opposite the cairn, we crossed (ran over between the cars doing at least 60mph) the busy road to have a look at yet another large, stony cairn (special in its own right, but so many of them around here!). Just as we drew into the car park, a black mini-bus with the name “Tour of the Tor”; we kept coming across this bus and its people a number of times for the next few days. They do ‘sacred tours’ of a number of areas, including Glastonbury and the Celtic Lands. I don’t know where they went, but they didn’t arrive at the cairn until after we’d started on towards the standing stones.
On the way down to the standing stones/stone row at Ballymeanoch, I spotted a smaller cairn to its north eastern side, and another chamber, topped by a large lintel stone on its southern side (note: Canmore says so much material may have been moved from this side of the cairn, it may have been the primary burial).
This was an impressive location, despite its proximity to the busy road.
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88 |
18 |
| An Car, Leckuary |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
An Car Standing Stone, Leckuary: We found this stone on the OS map, and it is also featured on page 130 (walk 17) of the “In The Footsteps of Kings” book. We are advised by the book: “Please call at the farm if you wish to get closer to this stone”.
We thought about letting ourselves in through the gates at the bottom of the farm track, next to the road, but there were four gates all tied together with twine. Putting my hand on one of them...An Car Standing Stone, Leckuary: We found this stone on the OS map, and it is also featured on page 130 (walk 17) of the “In The Footsteps of Kings” book. We are advised by the book: “Please call at the farm if you wish to get closer to this stone”.
We thought about letting ourselves in through the gates at the bottom of the farm track, next to the road, but there were four gates all tied together with twine. Putting my hand on one of them had the whole lot rocking; no way they’d bear my weight clambering over. We decided to walk up towards the farm to see if there was another way into the field, and ended up at the bottom of the hill where the track climbed up a slope towards the farmhouse. Being almost at the farm, I walked up the track, and heard voices coming from the garden right at the back of the farm. There the farmer, his wife and three friends were enjoying the afternoon sunshine.
After apologising for interrupting their afternoon, they were only too pleased to let us see the stone. I got into discussion with the farmer, who did a lot of archaeology with Historic Scotland and Kilmartin Museum. He, in his impressive yellow aviator shades, very kindly gave us directions to a rock art panel, found by him three years ago and currently unrecorded, but about to be included in a survey of rock art sites in the Glen, starting August 2018. The farmer did warn me to be careful when opening and closing the gates: “make sure they don’t fall over!” so he’s obviously aware of the problem with the gates at the bottom of the track.
We let ourselves in the field from the gate at the bottom of the hill up to the farmhouse (the farmhouse, looking back from the stone, appears to be on top of a large, flattened mound, which seemed a little like a motte).
The sun was low in the sky by now and trying to find the right angle to photograph this stone was interesting. The farmer had heaped a pile of stones around the base of this now leaning standing stone, whether field clearance or to keep it upright, or both; this gave the appearance of being a modern day cairn or grave. I wondered who was buried underneath. Canmore says no one, but I’d prefer to be more romantic about it!
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88 |
17 |
| Leckuary Dolmen |
Burial Chamber or Dolmen |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Leckuary Dolmen or just a quartz covered stone? This stone protruded from the surrounding pasture like a gleaming white, stubby standing stone. We walked over to it and photographed it. It appears to sit on a low, almost circular mound with this stone in the middle, which in turn sits on a bed of smaller stones. Having seen quartz on The Boat Stone and the Glenagles Symbol Stone, the importance of quartz in picking a rock for a monument seems...Leckuary Dolmen or just a quartz covered stone? This stone protruded from the surrounding pasture like a gleaming white, stubby standing stone. We walked over to it and photographed it. It appears to sit on a low, almost circular mound with this stone in the middle, which in turn sits on a bed of smaller stones. Having seen quartz on The Boat Stone and the Glenagles Symbol Stone, the importance of quartz in picking a rock for a monument seems both important and symbolic. Whilst not recorded on Canmore, will this site be included in the survey of Kilmichael Glen that is due to start in August 2018? I'd love to know more about this site, and have it confirmed as a burial mound or just a figment of my imagination.
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16 |
| Leckuary Rock Art |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Luckuary Rock Art Panel: A new find, some three years ago, and about to be included in a survey of Kilmichael Glen, which sounds similar to the England's Rock Art project. This was most definitely one of the highlights of our trip, thanks to the farmer who is very interested in archaeology and works very closely with Historic Scotland and Kilmartin Museum. |
88 |
15 |
| Torbhlaran Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Torbhlaren Standing Stone: A farmer in a red tractor had been mowing the field here, but had left his tractor and mower sitting by the side of the gate with the light flashing. There was no sign of the farmer. We parked in the next layby down the road, where there was a passing space on both sides of the road.
We let ourselves in through the open gate and walked to the standing stone. I had hoped to say hello to the farmer who turned up in ...Torbhlaren Standing Stone: A farmer in a red tractor had been mowing the field here, but had left his tractor and mower sitting by the side of the gate with the light flashing. There was no sign of the farmer. We parked in the next layby down the road, where there was a passing space on both sides of the road.
We let ourselves in through the open gate and walked to the standing stone. I had hoped to say hello to the farmer who turned up in his pickup truck, left it by the gate, hopped in his tractor and started mowing again, simply ignoring us (he must see plenty of tourists doing what we were doing).
The standing stone had cup marks on both sides. The ones on its NW face were obvious and low down; the cups on its SE face I only saw when I looked at the photos, because this face was in deep, deep shade. According to Canmore, there was also a second stone (see ID 39544 below), which now acts as a bridge over the River Add to the SW of this stone.
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88 |
13 |
| Torbhlaran 2 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Torbhlaran 2: A large portion of the rock was covered in turf, so there may have been plenty of motifs which were under a soil cover, but we were unable to identify anything at the time of our visit. |
88 |
14 |
| Kilmichael Glassary 1 |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Kilmichael Glassary 1, Rock Art: This was a real treat. From the small car park by the play park opposite the kirk, we followed the road up the slight hill, past the houses. The rocks are railed off, but to my surprise, walking to the top of the railings, there is a step to allow you to climb in to the compound.
The markings were really clear in the strong sunlight. There must have been rain here recently, as some of the deeper bowls contai...Kilmichael Glassary 1, Rock Art: This was a real treat. From the small car park by the play park opposite the kirk, we followed the road up the slight hill, past the houses. The rocks are railed off, but to my surprise, walking to the top of the railings, there is a step to allow you to climb in to the compound.
The markings were really clear in the strong sunlight. There must have been rain here recently, as some of the deeper bowls contained pools of water.
There was also another smaller rock behind the ‘compound’ for the main rock, which someone had recently de-turfed the edges of. There were fewer markings on this, with plenty more of the outcrop under turf, so we wondered what else might lie under the grass covering.
We used the interpretation board to help us pick out key motifs, such as the oval cup and the keyhole motifs.
A young couple came and looked at the stone, and we were really respectful of each other taking photographs, which was nice. We would come across this young couple again at another couple of rock art sites and at Dunnad fort
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88 |
12 |
| Kilmichael Glassary Kirk |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Kilmichael Glassary Kirk, Cross Slab: [note: visit 88:10 was to Kilmartin Museum. Am still awaiting permission to publish some photos.] We parked in the small car park opposite the church and next to the small, very busy, playground. At first glance, this church is very intimidating and Scottish, but on closer inspection parts of it appear very old, particularly the churchyard. There were banners across the gate of the church announcing a “Book ...Kilmichael Glassary Kirk, Cross Slab: [note: visit 88:10 was to Kilmartin Museum. Am still awaiting permission to publish some photos.] We parked in the small car park opposite the church and next to the small, very busy, playground. At first glance, this church is very intimidating and Scottish, but on closer inspection parts of it appear very old, particularly the churchyard. There were banners across the gate of the church announcing a “Book Swap” today, and as we approached the church, there were the noises of a large group of people inside laughing and talking. We decided to just explore the churchyard and not disturb them.
I picked this cross slab up from the “In the Footsteps of Kings” book (page 128) that “Look out for the early Christian stone to the right of the gate, which bears a Latin ring headed cross”. We didn’t find the wheel-headed cross, but another, one of three, shaped like a cross, which was referenced in Canmore. The way the sun was shining left part of it in very heavy shade. Even shining a torch on it didn’t eliminate the shadows.
This stone was heavily encrusted in moss, which we did not disturb. The graveyard was full of other interesting gravestones, some from the 14th to 15th century. The church was still busy after we’d finished looking at the rock art, up the hill, so we drove to our next venue. Wish we’d gone back, but then there was so much else to see, and our time here was drawing to a rapid close.
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88 |
11 |
| Creagantairbh Beag |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Aug 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Creagantairbh Beag Standing Stone: I hadn’t spotted these on the OS map as we were driving along, but saw the still standing stone through the fence line. Quickly stopping by the side of the road to take a photograph, I noticed there was also a fallen stone. We decided to stop and investigate further on the way back down the road from Ford village.
On way back from Ford, we turnedthe car onto a track signposted to ‘Kilmichael Glen 7’ we were...Creagantairbh Beag Standing Stone: I hadn’t spotted these on the OS map as we were driving along, but saw the still standing stone through the fence line. Quickly stopping by the side of the road to take a photograph, I noticed there was also a fallen stone. We decided to stop and investigate further on the way back down the road from Ford village.
On way back from Ford, we turnedthe car onto a track signposted to ‘Kilmichael Glen 7’ we were immediately into the same field as the standing stones(s), only on the right side of the fence. Getting closer we realised that the cracks on both sides of the stone matched almost precisely, so the fallen part must have been the top of the stump. This would have been amazingly tall!
In the field of the house opposite were some brown and black alpacas, and I took a photo to remind me.
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88 |
5 |
| Loch Ederline |
Crannog |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Saw from a distance |
18th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
|
Loch Ederline Crannog: We saw this from a distance only, as the view was impeded by a line of trees and shrubs. We needed to stop on the side of the road, going downhill from Ford, where there was only a short length of fence between us and the loch. A great tanker needed to get past us, so Andrew had to move the car right into the side of the road; even so, he only just scraped by. I hurriedly took some photographs, steadying the camera on a ...Loch Ederline Crannog: We saw this from a distance only, as the view was impeded by a line of trees and shrubs. We needed to stop on the side of the road, going downhill from Ford, where there was only a short length of fence between us and the loch. A great tanker needed to get past us, so Andrew had to move the car right into the side of the road; even so, he only just scraped by. I hurriedly took some photographs, steadying the camera on a fence post to try and get a decent shot.
It was hot and humid, so we decided to beat a retreat to Kilmartin to get refreshments. Only 2pm and already 9 sites under our belt!
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| Ford Stone (Kilmartin) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Ford Stone, near Torran: We spotted this stone to the west of the road as we drove towards Ford village to see the cairn marked on the OS map and the Torran Cross Incised Stone, but the road was narrow and we could find nowhere to stop, so we decided to look on the way back.
This time, we managed to pull into the side of the road by a gate into a field on the opposite side of the road. Andrew stayed in the car in case it needed to be move...The Ford Stone, near Torran: We spotted this stone to the west of the road as we drove towards Ford village to see the cairn marked on the OS map and the Torran Cross Incised Stone, but the road was narrow and we could find nowhere to stop, so we decided to look on the way back.
This time, we managed to pull into the side of the road by a gate into a field on the opposite side of the road. Andrew stayed in the car in case it needed to be moved. A man on his ride quad bike and grass mower trailer was mowing up and down near the gate into the field with the standing stone. He stopped when he saw me hovering and I asked if it was OK if I went to take a look at the standing stone. He replied jovially: “This is Scotland, you can go where you want! ….. There’s another gate up there; go in through the right hand one.The horses are friendly.” I walked up the hill, avoiding him whizzing up and down on his mower. High up above the road, on a flat plain, it has lovely views to the east.
As I approached the standing stone, I realised a heap of stones nearby might possibly be a cairn, so photographed this as well.
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88 |
8 |
| Torran Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Torran Cross Incised Standing Stone: This was to be the first time we’d seen a cross-inscribed standing stone, so we were pretty keen to locate it. From Ford, we continued up the minor road towards Torran, passing An Lodan Loch to our right hand side. We parked at the wide stony entrance to a small housing estate at NM 87884 04817 and walked up the slight slope. We could see the top of the stone poking up at the front of some tall gorse bushes ...Torran Cross Incised Standing Stone: This was to be the first time we’d seen a cross-inscribed standing stone, so we were pretty keen to locate it. From Ford, we continued up the minor road towards Torran, passing An Lodan Loch to our right hand side. We parked at the wide stony entrance to a small housing estate at NM 87884 04817 and walked up the slight slope. We could see the top of the stone poking up at the front of some tall gorse bushes to our right hand side.
Having a good mobile phone signal here, I brought up the Canmore image to try and find out where the crosses on the stone were, and discovered the stone was originally behind the back fence of one of the gardens. These fences have now been removed. It felt a bit like trespassing, walking into the gardens, but none of the houses were occupied, and there was evidence of building work going on in most of them, so we took a chance. The only person who saw us was the postwoman who was working her way up the estate in her van and she gave us a wave.
On the front of the stone (facing the houses) there were four horizontal lines, which are the remains of the cross on the back face.
To see the back of the stone, we had to clamber up behind another smaller stone to the ‘back’ of the main standing stone (away from the houses) and look down hill. The photography was a bit difficult as this part of the stone was in deep, deep shade. Andrew went and got the flash gun from the car, which I slaved to the camera flash, but it didn’t go off as the light was too bright by the stone. I kept trying at different angles, complete with torch from our mobile phone, and ended up with some good photographs.
I was curious as to the location of the stone, and where it was in relation to the valley. Walking back onto the main road, the stone could clearly be seen from the road, and eastwards looked along a small (what appears to be a) valley, which from the map, leading into An Lodan. The stone, slightly up the hill, would have been in a commanding position for anyone walking by. I had though the stone would be at the top of the hill, but the stone seems to be located near a bend in the current road leading up to Inverliever.
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88 |
7 |
| Ford Cist |
Cist |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Aug 2018 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Ford Cist: Not having access to the internet, we thought this was just a cairn which had been marked on the OS map. This monument is in an odd location, just inside the village boundary, tucked between the junction of the road through to Torran and the B840 running along the south shore of Loch Awe, opposite the Crown Hotel and next to a bus stop. Tis mound was fenced off, with no means of accessing the area (apart from climbing the fence) and...Ford Cist: Not having access to the internet, we thought this was just a cairn which had been marked on the OS map. This monument is in an odd location, just inside the village boundary, tucked between the junction of the road through to Torran and the B840 running along the south shore of Loch Awe, opposite the Crown Hotel and next to a bus stop. Tis mound was fenced off, with no means of accessing the area (apart from climbing the fence) and no information board.
We took some photographs of the mound, but didn’t climb the slope, as we were keen to see the cross-inscribed standing stone at Torran and didn’t know if we’d find it, plus we’d seen another standing stone is a field to the west of the road just before we entered the village and wanted to make time to explore that. The cist was just to the south of a babbling River Ford and a small road bridge over the river.
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88 |
6 |
| Creagantairbh Beag Cairns |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Creagantaribh Beag Cairns (near gate to the track leading to the Glennan Standing Stones: see report for Glennan Standing Stones. We spotted the larger cairn on the way to the standing stone; these smaller two (nearest the gate) we spotted on the way back to the car. |
88 |
4 |
| Glennan Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Aug 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Glennan Standing Stones and Cairns: What could top Kintraw Standing Stones & Cairns? But we found places that almost did. Carrying on down the A816 towards Kilmartin, we turned east on the road towards the small village of Ford, travelling along a very beautiful valley. We stopped at Old Glennan farmhouse (pulled into the gateway to the track up to the house, which looked as if it hadn’t been used in ages, and was in sight of the stone). Letti...Glennan Standing Stones and Cairns: What could top Kintraw Standing Stones & Cairns? But we found places that almost did. Carrying on down the A816 towards Kilmartin, we turned east on the road towards the small village of Ford, travelling along a very beautiful valley. We stopped at Old Glennan farmhouse (pulled into the gateway to the track up to the house, which looked as if it hadn’t been used in ages, and was in sight of the stone). Letting ourselves in through the gate, we followed the track up, with the line of an old stone wall, now only ankle height, up to where it turned a corner, just to the north of the house. The stone appeared to be incorporated into a taller part of the wall.
Walking back to the car, I spotted what looked like a cairn with a slight ditch around it. Andrew looked up the Canmore reference on his phone and determined there were two cairns near the gate, one much reduced. According to Canmore there is a cup marked stone on one, although both cairns were well grassed over at the time of our visit.
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83 |
3 |
| Kintraw (Kilmartin) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Kintraw Standing Stones and Cairns: This standing stone, when we spotted it on the evening of 17th July looked magnificent, but we couldn’t find anywhere to park; approaching this stone from the direction of Ardfern, there was a gateway to the field to pull into, which gave us just room to pull off this busy, fast road.
What a complex site. And what beautiful weather we had to enjoy it.The standing stone first catches your eye, but then the...Kintraw Standing Stones and Cairns: This standing stone, when we spotted it on the evening of 17th July looked magnificent, but we couldn’t find anywhere to park; approaching this stone from the direction of Ardfern, there was a gateway to the field to pull into, which gave us just room to pull off this busy, fast road.
What a complex site. And what beautiful weather we had to enjoy it.The standing stone first catches your eye, but then the large cairn, with its huge pile of stones, grabs the attention, and then to the north east, with a smaller one by your feet almost next to the gate. Walking closer, we became aware of a ring cairn (?) just to the south east of the standing stone., at first view this looked like a ‘court’ cairn, made up of a ring of small upright stones – all with views over Loch Craignish from this perch on the hillside. Brilliant.
There were also traces of another, flattened cairn, to the north of the ring cairn-standing stone-larger cairn alignment.
To the east-south-east of the larger cairn was what looked like an old stone farm building, which I didn’t photograph as I thought this was modern. According to the OS map which I’m looking at now, it is noted as a ‘fort’.
This is my new ‘favourite spot’. Can I come back soon, please?
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88 |
2 |
| Port Nan Athlaich (Craignish) |
Cist |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
18th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Port Nan Athlaich Cist, Aird, Craignish: I counted this as 'a bit more of a walk' as it wasn't a simple walk along a footpath, but involved a large step over a ruinous barbed wire fence and taking a few stepping stones across a stream. The walk is glorious, and is to be recommended.
Since we’d stayed at the small cottage on Aird’s Farm not far away, we’d wanted to come here and watch the sun go down of an evening, but quite a few other visit...Port Nan Athlaich Cist, Aird, Craignish: I counted this as 'a bit more of a walk' as it wasn't a simple walk along a footpath, but involved a large step over a ruinous barbed wire fence and taking a few stepping stones across a stream. The walk is glorious, and is to be recommended.
Since we’d stayed at the small cottage on Aird’s Farm not far away, we’d wanted to come here and watch the sun go down of an evening, but quite a few other visitors also wanted to do that, so we watched from our hillside vantage point above.
Finally, on our last but one day, we made the trip down the track. We parked at the small car park half way down the headland, finding other people already camped out at Aird Jetty, and started to walk down to the end of the peninsula, with map in hand, to try and find the cist marked on the OS map. As we’d had no internet connection in all the time we’d been here, we had no idea of the actual grid reference, or what we might find – all we knew was that ‘cist’ was marked on the OS map.
Apart from clambering over some ruinous fences, fording a small stream and trying not to get bogged down in the marshy bits, the cist wasn’t actually difficult to find, as it was on top of a cairn like mound with a great view out to sea to the south and west.
The cist burial seemed to be completely undisturbed. The capstone was cracked, and when I stood on the smaller section to photograph the crack, the smaller part of the rock moved a few inches. Curious, we very gently eased it out of the way by a couple of inches and had a quick look inside. It was very similar to the recreated cist we saw at the Kilmartin museum.
Looking at the cist from afar, it looked as if the cist was on a natural mound, but enhanced around the burial itself.
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88 |
1 |
| Bessygarth Well (King's Meaburn) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
30th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Bessygarth Well, King's Meaburn: This is a very old village, with a scheduled 17th century barn opposite the bus stop next to the village hall where we parked. The village runs in a long ribbon along both sides of the road, with an incongruous caravan park tucked behind the village hall.
Despite being marked on the OS map, we couldn’t find this well at first, so asked someone who’d pulled up outside one of the cottages opposite. He was only v...Bessygarth Well, King's Meaburn: This is a very old village, with a scheduled 17th century barn opposite the bus stop next to the village hall where we parked. The village runs in a long ribbon along both sides of the road, with an incongruous caravan park tucked behind the village hall.
Despite being marked on the OS map, we couldn’t find this well at first, so asked someone who’d pulled up outside one of the cottages opposite. He was only visiting, but was kind enough to ask inside the house, and relayed a message, saying that “if there’s some old tin in the field, that’s the well”. We were told it was OK to go into the field, providing we ensured the gate was shut.
Andrew dropped a stone down it, and it sounded deep! There was a most peculiar solid cast iron ‘bowl’ deeply embedded into the ground next to the well. Was this the cap of an old pump?
The field behind the well is covered in lumps and bumps. Researching it when I got home, found it was the site of the medieval settlement.
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90 |
5 |
| Powdonnet Well (Morland) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
|
3 |
3 |
4 |
Powdonnet Well, Morland, Cumbria: If not quite so overgrown, I'd have awarded this a '4: Good' rating on Ambience (despite the downpour after the long dry spell!). This well is marked on the OS map, but there is no mention in either Pastscape or HE.
The Holy Wells of Cumbria booklet describes this well as: “Morland. Location: Approx. 6.5 miles south east of Penrith. At the northern end of Morland village. Take road from Morland towards Cli...Powdonnet Well, Morland, Cumbria: If not quite so overgrown, I'd have awarded this a '4: Good' rating on Ambience (despite the downpour after the long dry spell!). This well is marked on the OS map, but there is no mention in either Pastscape or HE.
The Holy Wells of Cumbria booklet describes this well as: “Morland. Location: Approx. 6.5 miles south east of Penrith. At the northern end of Morland village. Take road from Morland towards Cliburn. On right, as you leave village, opposite ‘Morland’ sign, is a small parking area. The standing stone and pool are close to the road.
The well had been neglected since the booklet was written in 2008 and we had to pick our way through the tangle of tree branches. We were just approaching the site of the well when the heavens opened, and there was an absolute downpour. Somewhat protected by the trees, we nevertheless decided to explore.
The easiest way to the standing stone and well is to find the overgrown footpath at the southern end of the bridge across the small stream which crosses under the road and joins the Morland Beck to the east of the well site.
The water in the pool is crystal clear. The water really does appear from nowhere. We stood at the southern end of the spring, listening to the water rushing up from the ground. The pool has been created by a couple of stone/concrete dams across the spring just to the northern part of the site. A lovely place. Next time we visit, remember to bring pruning shears!
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90 |
4 |
| Chapel Well (Staffield) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
30th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Chapel Well, Near Staffield, Cumbria: Not far from the incised stone at Cross House. We parked near the junction down the hill where there was room to bump up onto the grass verge and walked to the gate at NY 53603 43081, which is signposted towards ‘Dale’. We kept the dry stone wall to our right hand side, and as we approached the gate into the wood, a stone drinking trough and a tree with a ditch leading from it came into view. Slightly up t...Chapel Well, Near Staffield, Cumbria: Not far from the incised stone at Cross House. We parked near the junction down the hill where there was room to bump up onto the grass verge and walked to the gate at NY 53603 43081, which is signposted towards ‘Dale’. We kept the dry stone wall to our right hand side, and as we approached the gate into the wood, a stone drinking trough and a tree with a ditch leading from it came into view. Slightly up the slope there were some red sandstone boulders on the horizon, with a sheep track leading up to it.
The drinking trough is at NY 53774 43194 and is similar to the ones we saw at Newbeggin. The tree with its accompanying ditch is at NY 53778 43244, and there are signs of another stone structure under the tree, now dry and ruined, but possibly a secondary outlet for the well during wet weather. At the bottom of the slope, a small hole leads through the stone wall into Croglin Water just beyond.
This well is certainly in a lovely spot, hidden in a dip towards the top of the slope. There were two ‘standing stones’, one on either side of the large well pool; the rest of the large boulders had been quarried and placed around the top of the pool. A circular well bowl can be seen at the top, centre of the well, and a good flow of water came from the well (not as much as Powdonnet Well). Half a sheep had been left to rot at the south eastern end of the pool, which spoilt the ambience, and stopped me from exploring the exit pipe, but taking that away, we could have lingered for a long while. Beautiful!
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90 |
3 |
| Cross House Incised Stone |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
30th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cross House Incised Stone, Staffield: We parked at NY 53519 43219, where a gate lets you into the footpath which goes down the hill, and joins a second footpath to Chapel Well. We walked back up the hill towards Cross House. The pillar was just visible through the hedge. We let ourselves in to the field by the gate near Cross House (there was no-one around to ask) and quickly walked to the pillar to photograph the cross.
Interesting that H...Cross House Incised Stone, Staffield: We parked at NY 53519 43219, where a gate lets you into the footpath which goes down the hill, and joins a second footpath to Chapel Well. We walked back up the hill towards Cross House. The pillar was just visible through the hedge. We let ourselves in to the field by the gate near Cross House (there was no-one around to ask) and quickly walked to the pillar to photograph the cross.
Interesting that HE classes this as a sanctuary cross, and Pastscape as a possible wayside or boundary cross.
On processing the photographs to post to the Portal this morning, I realised we’d been to this site in October 2015, but hadn’t submitted a new site or photos to the Portal. I had asked the lady hanging out her washing in the garden of Cross House and she’d given us permission to go into the field.
Splendid views south over to the River Eden and the site of the old priory. The pillar was very near the hedge, , but it was still possible to get photos of the recut stone in its 19th century pillar.
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90 |
2 |
| St Mary's Well (Wreay) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
30th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Mary's Well and copy of the Bewcastle Cross, Wreay: This is a delightful little village, with some very old houses. The church is very easy to find, right in the middle of the village, opposite the colourful school, with plenty of parking on the streets nearby.
This well is to the southern side of the exterior western wall, although it has been dry for some considerable time. The well spout, in the form of an animal head, is quite superb ...St Mary's Well and copy of the Bewcastle Cross, Wreay: This is a delightful little village, with some very old houses. The church is very easy to find, right in the middle of the village, opposite the colourful school, with plenty of parking on the streets nearby.
This well is to the southern side of the exterior western wall, although it has been dry for some considerable time. The well spout, in the form of an animal head, is quite superb and unusual (like the gargoyles on the roof line of the church).
The Holy Wells of Cumbria booklet (page 14) describes this well as:
Location: Approx. 9 miles south of Carlisle. The well is found by the front wall of St. Mary’s Church, Wreay.
Description: Although it is unknown whether this was a holy well, the highly unusual and attractive church is well worth a visit in itself. The original church dates back to 1319, and was rebuilt by Sarah Losh in 1840-42 – see also well 4 at Brisco – in memory of her sister Catherine and her parents. Italian in style, it is full of highly original and deeply symbolic carvings in wood and stone, many representing in forms from nature the eternal contrast between light and dark, or life and death. The well outside is a curious construction surrounded by cast iron arrows. Dog-leg stone steps lead down into the well, where water flows from a lion’s (or dog’s head) into a aquare stone piscina blessed with a solitary green fern and scattering of copper coins. The well (in 2008) was recently restored and is in excellent condition."
There was no water, no fern and no coins when we visited. Whilst the church, the sundial and the font in the churchyard are all scheduled, there is no mention of the well or the copy of the Bewcastle Cross. The church is indeed well worth looking inside. Andrew opened the door and said "I'm leaving you to go in first - it's scary!"
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1 |
| Clenamacrie Stone Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Glenamacrie/Clenamacrie Stone Row: After An Dun, we headed off a few hundreds yards west back down the road. I took two lots of photos here, because I think I mistook an outcrop (an unmown area of the field with stones protruding, at NM 92745 28409). Andrew had mentioned both a ‘stone row’ and ‘four stones forming a chamber’, so I thought I had photographed the right thing. Driving down to the farm, I spotted the right three standing stones in...Glenamacrie/Clenamacrie Stone Row: After An Dun, we headed off a few hundreds yards west back down the road. I took two lots of photos here, because I think I mistook an outcrop (an unmown area of the field with stones protruding, at NM 92745 28409). Andrew had mentioned both a ‘stone row’ and ‘four stones forming a chamber’, so I thought I had photographed the right thing. Driving down to the farm, I spotted the right three standing stones in a field nearer the farm, which I also photographed. Andrew said the ‘lump’ in the field behind was also a cairn, but this was the closest I could get, so we’ve got these standing stones with the cairn behind.
I wish now I’d had the courage to go and ask to see these up close, but I felt intimidated because the farm was so big and the gate into the field seemed to be along the far end of the track. I can’t get used to the ‘responsible right to roam’ act in Scotland, but it still feels like trespassing at times, especially when you are going doing someone’s driveway.
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9 |
| Glenamacrie Farm |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Saw from a distance |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Glenamacrie Farm Cairn: Having stopped to look at the standing stones, with waist height, new wire fence and barbed wire all around this field, the nearest gate appeared to be by the farmhouse. If we'd been bold enough to walk up the farm track to get a closer look, we'd have got much better photos, but something about these big farms always holds me back. I contented myself with photographing the stones by leaning over the top of the fence, tr...Glenamacrie Farm Cairn: Having stopped to look at the standing stones, with waist height, new wire fence and barbed wire all around this field, the nearest gate appeared to be by the farmhouse. If we'd been bold enough to walk up the farm track to get a closer look, we'd have got much better photos, but something about these big farms always holds me back. I contented myself with photographing the stones by leaning over the top of the fence, trying not to get caught by the barbed wire. It wasn’t until I got back to the car that Andrew (who’d stayed in the car in case the roadworks crane needed to come by) had got a mobile signal and told me this was a cairn. I’ve only got it photographed over the top of the standing stones/stone row.
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87 |
10 |
| Glenamacrie Dun |
Stone Fort or Dun |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
An Dun/Glenamachrie Dun: Not far to the east of the cairns and standing stone at Glenamachrie Farm. We bypassed those, and came here first to take photos then turn the car around to go back and photograph the standing stones and cairn. When husband came back, he said he’d had the most bizarre experience. As we stopped at the different sites along this road, we kept being passed by three men in a white truck; Andrew said they’d stopped him aski...An Dun/Glenamachrie Dun: Not far to the east of the cairns and standing stone at Glenamachrie Farm. We bypassed those, and came here first to take photos then turn the car around to go back and photograph the standing stones and cairn. When husband came back, he said he’d had the most bizarre experience. As we stopped at the different sites along this road, we kept being passed by three men in a white truck; Andrew said they’d stopped him asking him if he’d seen a crane. I think on these narrow roads we’d most definitely have been run off the road and noticed. He said ‘no’. However, that alerted us to having to move on, just in case.
Left alone in the middle of nowhere for a few minutes, my first reaction was: “If this is a fort, there weren’t really any outer banks and ditches – this just looked like a large outcrop with a small terrace around it.” These Scottish duns/fort are quite unlike the hillforts we have in England. But then I hadn’t seen Dun Add.
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8 |
| Glenamachrie Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Glenamachrie Cairn: This cairn was marked on the map on the way to An Dun fort and the standing stone to the east; I asked “if we spot this, can we stop”, and there it stood, almost on top of the road. As the road was quite busy with lots of cars and trucks going by, Andrew moved the car to the other side of the road and stayed in it, just in case he needed to move.
There were other small lumps and bumps in the fields either side of the river...Glenamachrie Cairn: This cairn was marked on the map on the way to An Dun fort and the standing stone to the east; I asked “if we spot this, can we stop”, and there it stood, almost on top of the road. As the road was quite busy with lots of cars and trucks going by, Andrew moved the car to the other side of the road and stayed in it, just in case he needed to move.
There were other small lumps and bumps in the fields either side of the river at this point, although indications on Canmore say these may be natural features, possibly glacial deposits - see Canmore 23191 and 23196.
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7 |
| Clach na Carraig |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Clach na Carraign, Lorn: When Andrew said ‘that’s the standing stone’ as we approached it on the road, I thought at first this was just part of an old buttress, like the one’s at St. Matthew’s Old Church in Roslin. I wasn’t until I got closer and had photographed the small cairn to its east, that I really looked saw it was actually a huge block of stone.
It is really impressive, especially so with its location near the stone circle and two ca...Clach na Carraign, Lorn: When Andrew said ‘that’s the standing stone’ as we approached it on the road, I thought at first this was just part of an old buttress, like the one’s at St. Matthew’s Old Church in Roslin. I wasn’t until I got closer and had photographed the small cairn to its east, that I really looked saw it was actually a huge block of stone.
It is really impressive, especially so with its location near the stone circle and two cairns. It is right by the road, but we visited the stone circle and the larger, now ruinous cairn, on our way to really appreciate this stone.
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6 |
| Strontoiller Large Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Strontoiller Round Cairn, Lorn: This cairn is just to the south west of the stone circle. From the stone circle, it definitely looks like a grassed-over round cairn. As we walked over to it, on our way back to the standing stone, I was not convinced we were looking at the right thing, but the GPS and its position in relation to the stone circle and the standing stone were correct.
In actual fact, looking back on the photographs, and now ha...Strontoiller Round Cairn, Lorn: This cairn is just to the south west of the stone circle. From the stone circle, it definitely looks like a grassed-over round cairn. As we walked over to it, on our way back to the standing stone, I was not convinced we were looking at the right thing, but the GPS and its position in relation to the stone circle and the standing stone were correct.
In actual fact, looking back on the photographs, and now having seen a number of large, circular, stony cairns, I realise what I was looking at, and wished I’d taken more notice at the time (well, I confess to being keen to see more standing stones before having to head off back to the cottage).
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5 |
| Strontoiller circle |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Strontoiller Stone Circle, Lorn: After having taken a few photographs of the small cairn, we walked a couple of hundred yards back along the road to the gate in the field, which is at the corner of the road and the track to Strontoiller farmhouse/cottage. It was a short walk over the pasture to the stone circle – whilst we could see a few stones, mainly the cluster at the northern side (which looked a little like large toadstools popping their h...Strontoiller Stone Circle, Lorn: After having taken a few photographs of the small cairn, we walked a couple of hundred yards back along the road to the gate in the field, which is at the corner of the road and the track to Strontoiller farmhouse/cottage. It was a short walk over the pasture to the stone circle – whilst we could see a few stones, mainly the cluster at the northern side (which looked a little like large toadstools popping their heads above the grass), the circle was largely hidden by tall grass and marsh grass.
I was amazed how close the stones were to each other; I’d read about one small stone circle where the stones had been touching, but there were definite gaps between the stones. I thought at first that the stones towards the NNE were part of a ‘double row’, but reading Canmore when I got access to the internet, Canmore says these are four stones which have probably been displaced.
I didn’t get the usual sense of atmosphere at this stone circle, unless others I’d been to, although this was a very pleasant spot, and had three other monuments within a few hundred yards (a small cairn, large cairn and a spectacular standing stone). Worth seeing, and I’d glad we’d stopped. We then strolled the 75m or so to investigate the larger cairn in the field.
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87 |
4 |
| Diarmid's Grave |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Strontoiller (Small Cairn), next to the Clach Na Carraig standing stone: This was perhaps the most amusing encounter of our whole trip, involving a human and two sheep. As we pulled up by the cattle grid at NM 90788 28935, just before some houses set back from the road, I heard a man’s voice repeatedly shouting loudly: “Go away! Get out of here! Get out!” Thinking he might possibly be shouting at us because of where we’d left the car, I hopped...Strontoiller (Small Cairn), next to the Clach Na Carraig standing stone: This was perhaps the most amusing encounter of our whole trip, involving a human and two sheep. As we pulled up by the cattle grid at NM 90788 28935, just before some houses set back from the road, I heard a man’s voice repeatedly shouting loudly: “Go away! Get out of here! Get out!” Thinking he might possibly be shouting at us because of where we’d left the car, I hopped across the cattle grid, only to be almost knocked off my feet by two very large lambs hurtling back across the cattle grid into the field. “Oh, I wasn’t shouting at you”, the man said. “Been naughty?” I asked him, pointing back to the sheep. “It’s always the lambs”, he said, closing the gate.
I asked him if it was OK to park where we where to look at the stone circle, and he replied, “It’s OK. Go ahead. It’s over there.” He pointed, rapidly closing the farm gate into his driveway and scuttled back to his house.
The gate into the field was a little further west along the road, at the junction of the road with the driveway to Stontoiller Farmhouse/Cottage. We let ourselves into the field and walked across to where this neat little stone circle lay, the stones almost buried in tall grass and marsh grass at this time of year. We did a ‘round tour’ of the field, starting off by photographing this neat little cairn, then the stone circle, then the larger cairn, and finally coming back to the standing stone and the small cairn.
Note: the Portal’s page for this site is called ‘Diarmid’s Grave’. I’ve not yet come across any reference with this name in. I’d be curious to know more.
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87 |
3 |
| Dalineun |
Chambered Tomb |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Dalineun (Dalnaneun Farm) Chambered Cairn, Loch Nell: We made the mistake of thinking the chambered cairn was in the field opposite the crannog, and climbed over a small stile over the fence; however, we realised that we were in the wrong field, climbed back onto the road and walked down to the gate in the field at about NM 88045 26771; this way there were no small streams or field drains to cross.
Climbing up the slope, the stones of the cist...Dalineun (Dalnaneun Farm) Chambered Cairn, Loch Nell: We made the mistake of thinking the chambered cairn was in the field opposite the crannog, and climbed over a small stile over the fence; however, we realised that we were in the wrong field, climbed back onto the road and walked down to the gate in the field at about NM 88045 26771; this way there were no small streams or field drains to cross.
Climbing up the slope, the stones of the cist came into view – it reminded me of the photos that Kristiansen has been sending in from Denmark. Turning to look east, there were great views across Loch Nell. Another nice place to be buried.
This was by far a much more atmospheric chambered cairn that the one in Adfern that we’d looked at the night before, as the location seemed both isolated and special. We walked round all sides of the cairn, photographing it as best we could. The Barnacarry crannog is visible from here, and I manged to get a photograph with the lens on maximum zoom. Certainly wish I’d had the plan whilst we were here – should have done a lot more research before we visited, but then that takes the spontaneity out of our daily trips.
It was certainly hot up on this hill. I could have stayed here for a few hours, just looking over the loch, but time marched on, and other sites called.
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2 |
| Barnacarry |
Crannog |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Saw from a distance |
17th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
|
Barnacarry Crannog, Loch Nell: (note on access: boat needed to get across!) Not having any broadband or mobile connection at the cottage we were staying in, we relied on the OS map. Andrew picked today’s sites, but mistakenly thought the area we were going to was only 10 miles north of Ardfern. Wrong. More like 30 and an hour and a half’s drive along twisty roads. Having wanted to come to the Kilmartin area for so long, I was cross that we’d a...Barnacarry Crannog, Loch Nell: (note on access: boat needed to get across!) Not having any broadband or mobile connection at the cottage we were staying in, we relied on the OS map. Andrew picked today’s sites, but mistakenly thought the area we were going to was only 10 miles north of Ardfern. Wrong. More like 30 and an hour and a half’s drive along twisty roads. Having wanted to come to the Kilmartin area for so long, I was cross that we’d already strayed so far from what I really wanted to see. However, the sites we did see today more than made up for this, I’m pleased to say.
First on the agenda were two sites close to each other – the Barnacarry Crannog and the Kilmore, Dalineun (or Dalnaneum) Chambered Cairn. A real treat.
Driving along the road from Kilmore village to the south, we came to the southern shore of Loch Nell. Just after Barnacarry Farm, before we sighted the crannog, we came across Clan (holiday?) cottages, which looked like they were really old and thatched. We couldn’t get close enough to really tell. This is a hugely pretty spot.
Without a boat, we couldn’t really get close to the crannog, but stood on a very small piece of sandy shore (where someone had left a nicely carved wooden seat and table, presumably for fishing), and looked from a distance. A very pretty little island, covered in trees. Not too far from the shore, although the water looked deep.
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87 |
1 |
| Clach An T-Sagairt (Soroba) |
Chambered Tomb |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
16th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Clach An T' Sagairt Chambered Tomb, Ardfern: From the map, this cairn appeared to be just behind the small school in the middle of Ardfern, and finding a small path behind the back of the school, followed this for about 20m before discovering we were in someone’s garden! The reality was we had to walk up the small road to Ardlarach, going past the school buildings to our right, until we got to what looked like a private road (seemingly unnamed). ...Clach An T' Sagairt Chambered Tomb, Ardfern: From the map, this cairn appeared to be just behind the small school in the middle of Ardfern, and finding a small path behind the back of the school, followed this for about 20m before discovering we were in someone’s garden! The reality was we had to walk up the small road to Ardlarach, going past the school buildings to our right, until we got to what looked like a private road (seemingly unnamed). This led up a slope to the right to a number of other houses. A new gate in the fence to our left hand side led into the field with some beautiful horses, with the cairn some 100 yards straight in front of us.
What beautiful views from this chambered cairn. It looked as if it had a number of ‘arms’ coming out of the central mound, presumably the spoil form the excavations.
We were followed to the gate by a local resident, and we got chatting. She had lived in the village for 16 years and her children, who played on the cairn, told her there were dead bodies and gold in it. She started talking about the whole field being protected if there was an ancient monument in it, so I suggested she looked at Canmore, as it was usually only the area immediately around the monument that was scheduled.
She told us the gate had only appeared in the last few days, and the residents were wondering if a developer was looking to build in-fill houses. Seeing us with a camera walking the site got her worried we'd come to survey the site, so she came out to check.
She also said about once a year, before the gate, people asked to go into the field from her garden.
We went onto dinner at the Galley of Lorne Inn in the village. The last two sites had been a good introduction to this area, and despite the lack of internet and therefore having to rely on the OS map for information, we were both looking forward to seeing the many, many sites around here.
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86 |
3 |
| Craignish Sculptured Stones |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
16th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Craignish Sculptured Stones, Kirkton: After having arrived at the cottage we were staying in for the next three nights, we decided to head off to find supper, but taking in a couple of sites on the way, one of which we learned about from Rachel Butter's Kilmartin book, the other marked on the OS map. Not the most auspicious of starts, as a lady on a bicycle rode (at speed) up from the lane leading to the castle and told us off for parking on the...Craignish Sculptured Stones, Kirkton: After having arrived at the cottage we were staying in for the next three nights, we decided to head off to find supper, but taking in a couple of sites on the way, one of which we learned about from Rachel Butter's Kilmartin book, the other marked on the OS map. Not the most auspicious of starts, as a lady on a bicycle rode (at speed) up from the lane leading to the castle and told us off for parking on the grass by the garage near the entrance to the castle. She told us the area opposite had been cleared for a car park. I apologised whilst Andrew moved the car and told her we thought the cleared area was just a large passing place, as the road just in front (heading south) split into two – one road to the castle, the other to Aird Farm. We got chatting and she eventually said ‘not to worry’ (a ‘park here’ notice might have helped). She pointed out the old Kirk and told us to ‘enjoy’, which we most certainly did!
Having moved the car to the layby, we walked up to the metal gates up a short, grassy lane by the side of the modern cemetery, which had a “Craignish Sculptured Stones’ sign hanging on it, and let ourselves into the churchyard. Going through the south door into the church nave, turning to our left (west) there was a collection of old grave markers; to the east are some old box tombs. Almost straight in front of us was a cross base, not recorded on Canmore, with a sundial (see the highlighted entry below).
There are a number of Canmore entries for this location. The ‘Kilmartin’ book by Rachel Butter (page 98) reads: Old Parish Church, Kilmarie, Craignish NM 778 014. This former parish church probably dates to the 13th century though much repair is more recent. It overlooks Loch Craignish and neighbours ruins of a former township, Kirkton. Its dedication was to St. Maelrubha of Applecross. The church contains a collection of medieval slabs which formerly were n the graveyard.
Most of the carved stones are products of the 14-15th century Loch Awe School. They depict crosses, swords, armoured figures in niches, and are mostly carved in local epidiorite or quartzite gneiss. Some are of Easdale slate. There are also some Early Christian slabs (pre 10th century) and some 16th century stone chests.
An epidiorite cross base is carved with a sundial; it has a central socket and 24 rays with cardinal points marked by crosses.
Access: Six miles north of Kilmartin on the A816 take a left turn along the B8002 to Ardfern. You will come to the village after 1 mile. The chapel is a further 3 miles on the left. Kilmarie Church is in private ownership.
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| Inveraray Castle |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Argyll |
Visited |
16th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Inveraray Castle Standing Stone: On our way from our daughter’s house to Craignish peninsula (having had the trauma of catching their cat and taking her to the cattery first!) we decided to stop of in Invarary to see our first standing stone of this part of the trip. Mistake.
We arrived the day before the Highland Games at the castle started, so the town was heaving, both with coach tours of largely American tourists, and people attending the...Inveraray Castle Standing Stone: On our way from our daughter’s house to Craignish peninsula (having had the trauma of catching their cat and taking her to the cattery first!) we decided to stop of in Invarary to see our first standing stone of this part of the trip. Mistake.
We arrived the day before the Highland Games at the castle started, so the town was heaving, both with coach tours of largely American tourists, and people attending the games. There was a large funfair on the grass by the harbour, which didn’t aid the flow of traffic through the town.
We managed to turn up the entrance into the castle, only Andrew had to stay in the car whilst I ran out onto the grassy show-ground area to take photographs of the stone. I chuckled to think what the delivery drivers and people putting up the marquees and stands must have thought of this woman running around the stone with a camera must have thought!
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86 |
1 |
| St Matthew's Well (Roslin) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
15th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St. Matthew's Well, Roslin: Getting to this well was interesting! Parking in Roslyn Chapel car park at NT 27405 63109, we took the gate from the south east of the car park through the cemetery, then out of the cemetery down a very overgrown lane, with very tall nettles on either side. About 50m from the grid reference for the well, we needed to head off south west into the wood. There were some tracks through here, but obviously not regularly ...St. Matthew's Well, Roslin: Getting to this well was interesting! Parking in Roslyn Chapel car park at NT 27405 63109, we took the gate from the south east of the car park through the cemetery, then out of the cemetery down a very overgrown lane, with very tall nettles on either side. About 50m from the grid reference for the well, we needed to head off south west into the wood. There were some tracks through here, but obviously not regularly used. We could see a green, mossy mounds/structure through the trees, but couldn’t find a way of getting down to them. In the end, I realised the track had been covered by a heavy, large dead tree branch, which Andrew and I managed to haul away from the path with a little difficulty. Having cleared the track, we used the tree roots as stepping stones at first, then slide the 20m or so down the slope to the well (I told myself it was always easier going up!).
At first we thought there was only one dome here, but looking harder, there was a second one, a few metres up the slope. The front face of the second dome (nearest the river Esk) had a hole in the front, which I poked the camera through to take a photograph. The was a large iron pipe which gushed water into the well chamber. A continuation of this pipe could be seen in a small gully which headed towards the river from the well chambers, although the gloom and all the detitus made it difficult to capture the location.
Heading back to look at the ruins of St. Michael’s church, we looked over the western end of the graveyard, looking south west, and realised we could not only see the well houses, but it also looked as if there were the remains of a wall and steps, as there were cut blocks of stone lying around.
I went back to photograph the 'Spooky Angel' I'd seen when I visited with my friend two years ago (hidden under a bush by the small outbuildings) - she much reminded me of an episode of Dr. Who, where the angels only moved when you didn't look at them.
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85 |
4 |
| Glencorse Cup and Ring Marked Stone |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
15th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Glencorse Cup and Ring Marked Stone: Just outside the tall, imposing (and locked) Parish Church, which had an amazing old tree in the field opposite, and a long layby; this village is obviously popular with walkers, as there were lots of cars parked around here, and footpaths leading through the woods, away from the church.
This poor cup and ring stone is contained behind railings, so it looked as if the stone had been caged. The lichen and m...Glencorse Cup and Ring Marked Stone: Just outside the tall, imposing (and locked) Parish Church, which had an amazing old tree in the field opposite, and a long layby; this village is obviously popular with walkers, as there were lots of cars parked around here, and footpaths leading through the woods, away from the church.
This poor cup and ring stone is contained behind railings, so it looked as if the stone had been caged. The lichen and moss growing on it made it a little difficult to pick out the cups (we certainly couldn’t count 22), and we saw a couple of cup and ring motifs. Even trying to view the stone from different angles, to try and highlight the cups, didn’t make it any easier. A brush and a bottle of water would have come in useful.
I was much amused by the ‘reserved’ signs next to the stone, as if the minister and church warden might have had cars with specially shaped bonnets to fit neatly around the ‘railing cage’.
We did try the church door, just in case, but like many of these churches, locked and bolted. This church had the most amazing number of floodlights around it, so it must have been well lit in the dark.
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85 |
3 |
| Castle Knowe (Glencorse) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
15th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Castle Knowe Palisaded Settlement, Glencorse: From Castle Law hill fort, we continued northwards up the track, turning right up another footpath onto the Castle Knowe Palisaded Settlement. I stopped half way up to get some photos of Castle Law Hill Fort, looking down on it. There were a few other people walking up the track, and whilst they had largely stopped at the fort to look quickly around, no-one paid any attention to this settlement.
...Castle Knowe Palisaded Settlement, Glencorse: From Castle Law hill fort, we continued northwards up the track, turning right up another footpath onto the Castle Knowe Palisaded Settlement. I stopped half way up to get some photos of Castle Law Hill Fort, looking down on it. There were a few other people walking up the track, and whilst they had largely stopped at the fort to look quickly around, no-one paid any attention to this settlement.
There wasn’t a lot to see, apart from some small boundary banks and ditches on the northern and just the north eastern side. There is a modern cairn on top – just a pile of red sandstone rocks, but this was very eye-catching, particularly from the car park and fort below, mostly because of its red colour.
The military earthworks to the north of this settlement look like a much more substantial monument, but are just for military training exercises.
Whilst there were only a couple of the palisade trenches visible on the north and north east side of the settlement, and possibly signs of one of the timber house circles, it was well worth walking further up the hills for the views to the east and north.
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85 |
2 |
| Castle Law |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
15th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Castle Law Hillfort, Glencorse: First stop of the day, and I was surprised this hill fort was so close to a modern military firing range. Because of its proximity to Edinburgh, there were a few other people parked in the small car park below the fort, but very few walked up onto it; a track carried on up the hill.
The earth house was very unusual, with steps leading down into it, and a narrow, curving passage leading into it. About half wa...Castle Law Hillfort, Glencorse: First stop of the day, and I was surprised this hill fort was so close to a modern military firing range. Because of its proximity to Edinburgh, there were a few other people parked in the small car park below the fort, but very few walked up onto it; a track carried on up the hill.
The earth house was very unusual, with steps leading down into it, and a narrow, curving passage leading into it. About half way down, a small doorway leads into a circular chamber.
We searched, and found, the cup marked stone towards the eastern wall of the terminus. If other stones had been put on top of this, the cups couldn’t have been seen. It was difficult to capture the cups (and some micro-cups?) in the dim lighting, even using flash and a torch, and had me giggling with our efforts to get a good photograph.
We walked round the inner defences of the fort, admiring the shooting range below, then carried on up the hill to what was left of the palisaded settlement. Walking up the hill to this site gave us an excellent view down on to the hillfort.
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1 |
| Market Cross (Kincardine) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Fife |
Visited |
14th Jul 2018 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Mercat Cross, Kincardine: Our last stop of this very hot day, thankfully. This cross was in a very busy stop, next to the main bus stop in the town, with lots of take away shops around the ‘triangle’ of what might have been the village green. Not an impressive site, although the cross (apart from the finial) seems almost identical to the Mercat Cross, Clackmannan. Just one to 'tick off the list' that we've seen it (and photographed it). |
84 |
10 |
| Stone of Mannan |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Visited |
14th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Stone of Mannan, Clackmannan: I was surprised to find this only about 20m east of the Mercat Cross (refer to that page for the rest of my visit report). Right next to the market cross and the Tolbooth. See the report above. I was interested to read the plaque on the eastern wall of the Tolbooth: “The Stone or Clack, originally placed at the foot of Lookabootye Brae, was sacred to the pre-Christian deity Mannan and is an unique relic of pagan tim...Stone of Mannan, Clackmannan: I was surprised to find this only about 20m east of the Mercat Cross (refer to that page for the rest of my visit report). Right next to the market cross and the Tolbooth. See the report above. I was interested to read the plaque on the eastern wall of the Tolbooth: “The Stone or Clack, originally placed at the foot of Lookabootye Brae, was sacred to the pre-Christian deity Mannan and is an unique relic of pagan times. It was raised on the large shaft in 1833”.
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84 |
9 |
| Mercat Cross (Clackmannan) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Visited |
14th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Mercat Cross, Clackmannan: The Mercat Cross, the Stone of Mannan and the Tolbooth are all in the same small area. When we arrived, it was about 6.40pm and the sun was low in the sky, giving deep shadows. Much to the amusement of the people drinking outside the pub behind the Tolbooth, I took a number of photographs of these monuments, then retreated to the car to try and get out of the heat. Was worth seeing, but at this time of day I want...The Mercat Cross, Clackmannan: The Mercat Cross, the Stone of Mannan and the Tolbooth are all in the same small area. When we arrived, it was about 6.40pm and the sun was low in the sky, giving deep shadows. Much to the amusement of the people drinking outside the pub behind the Tolbooth, I took a number of photographs of these monuments, then retreated to the car to try and get out of the heat. Was worth seeing, but at this time of day I wanted something to eat, drink and cool shade!
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84 |
8 |
| Parkmill Cross (Alloa) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Couldn't find |
14th Jul 2018 |
-1 |
|
|
Parkmill Cross, Alloa: Could not find this – the grid reference seemed to be somewhere in a breaker’s yard. Parking in the nearby housing estate just to the south west of this location, we followed the footpath sign to the footpath which ran west-east along the bottom of the field this cross base is supposed to be in, the tall fence and padlocked gates prevented entry. Andrew tried to gain access from the car breakers yard to the north-west, bu...Parkmill Cross, Alloa: Could not find this – the grid reference seemed to be somewhere in a breaker’s yard. Parking in the nearby housing estate just to the south west of this location, we followed the footpath sign to the footpath which ran west-east along the bottom of the field this cross base is supposed to be in, the tall fence and padlocked gates prevented entry. Andrew tried to gain access from the car breakers yard to the north-west, but said it looks as if their site has been extended to cover where this cross might have been.
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84 |
7 |
| Castleton (Dollar) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Clackmannanshire |
Visited |
14th Jul 2018 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Castleton Standing Stone, Pool of Muckhart: To find this stone, we followed the signs to the ‘Japanese’ garden, which had a large car park. The entrance and part of the car park were still in the process of being constructed, but was obviously just about to close for the night, so we parked as close a wall outside the entrance. Scanning the field for a gate, there was one by the farm house, some distance away (and it looked as if there was a sm...Castleton Standing Stone, Pool of Muckhart: To find this stone, we followed the signs to the ‘Japanese’ garden, which had a large car park. The entrance and part of the car park were still in the process of being constructed, but was obviously just about to close for the night, so we parked as close a wall outside the entrance. Scanning the field for a gate, there was one by the farm house, some distance away (and it looked as if there was a small stream we’d have had to cross to reach the stone) or an old, painted red iron gate (very ornate) virtually opposite from where we parked. This had not been used in some time, and our usual gate opening skills didn’t work. We ended up climbing over the gate and walked across the field.
It was by now so hot and sticky, that the sheep had taken shelter under the trees to the east of this stone, in what looked like an old sheep fold, now fallen into ruin. This standing stone had two sides which were eroded, one with what looked like cups, but (having seen similar examples doing the ERA data entry exercise) are probably small holes where pebbles have fallen out, or possible solution holes if the stone had lain on the ground for some considerable time.
A very lovely spot, with gentle rolling hills to the north and north west.
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84 |
6 |
| Gray Stone (Dunning) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
14th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Gray Stone, Dunning: Thrilled to be seeing my second standing stone of the day (and one we were likely to get close to), we parked at the end of the driveway up to The Knowes farm. The stone is signposted, but the signpost follows the line of the fence and wood to the north west. Undecided whether to follow the sign and walk through the knee high grass or take the farm track which ran directly westwards. Consulting the map, we didn’t come ...The Gray Stone, Dunning: Thrilled to be seeing my second standing stone of the day (and one we were likely to get close to), we parked at the end of the driveway up to The Knowes farm. The stone is signposted, but the signpost follows the line of the fence and wood to the north west. Undecided whether to follow the sign and walk through the knee high grass or take the farm track which ran directly westwards. Consulting the map, we didn’t come to any firm conclusion, so to avoid having to climb over any fences, we ended up walking up the farm track, ending up at the cottage just before the gate to the big farmhouse to the left. Turning to our right here, in front of the cottage, there is a way across the deep, wide ditch which ran to our right hand side all along the track, then followed another farm track which ran north east to two field gates at NO 02171 11700. Opening the left hand gate, we let ourselves into the field, and the stone was immediately in front of us, about half way along the middle of the field, near to the fence line with the neighbouring wood which is to the stone’s eastern side.
Walking towards the stone (through what looked like a field of wheat, looking back on the photos, but is actually tall, yellow grass which has gone to seed) which is about 7ft tall, we realised it had a ‘shoulder’ to its northern side. Having seen a few other stones like this recently (the Megget Stone springs immediately to mind), I wondered if this had been deliberately cut like this, but looking at the bashes this stone has had, and the cracks and loose pieces on it, it looks as if it has fractured and a piece fallen off.
Whilst the views to the south and east are blocked now by forestry, there was a great vista northwards to Dunning and the hills (which appeared as a blue mist) in the far distance. On its northern side, there is a change in slope down from the stone; to its west and slightly to the south, there is a very slight rise. I wondered if the change in ground level might be because either farming, or perhaps a prevailing wind over time, has caused the ground level to build up here.
A very peaceful and beautiful place.
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5 |
| Forteviot Cross |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
14th Jul 2018 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
Modern Pictish Cross Slab, Forteviot: Having been spooked by the Maggie Wall Memorial and disappointed at not being able to get into Forteviot parish church (St. Andrews), the lady gardener told us to walk down the road to look at the new cross slab that had just been erected.
Just behind the bus-stop, and in front of a charming courtyard of whitewashed houses, we found out later this cross had been erected only on either 17th or 18th March 20...Modern Pictish Cross Slab, Forteviot: Having been spooked by the Maggie Wall Memorial and disappointed at not being able to get into Forteviot parish church (St. Andrews), the lady gardener told us to walk down the road to look at the new cross slab that had just been erected.
Just behind the bus-stop, and in front of a charming courtyard of whitewashed houses, we found out later this cross had been erected only on either 17th or 18th March 2018, so very new.
The lady gardener told us there were some leaflets ‘in the bus stop’ and indeed there were several tucked underneath the bus timetable board. The cross was carved by David McGovern, of Monikierockart for the 2017 Tay Landscape Partnership project. “In the form of a Pictish Cross Slab, the new cross celebrates Forteviot’s status as an early Christian site and its association with King Cinead mac Alpin. The Pictish stone fragments that inspired the cross design can also be visited across the road in St Andrew’s Church (when open).” The leaflet also gives a guide to the patterns on the cross.
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| St Andrew's Church (Forteviot) |
Class III Pictish Cross Slab |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited (still working on) |
14th Jul 2018 |
|
3 |
5 |
St. Andrew's, Forteviot: We drove up to this church to find a lovely local lady garden by the gate into the churchyard. She told us the church would be locked, "but it'll be open on 29th (July)." We explained we were only here for the day, so this was too late. She told us about the recently erected modern cross, just down the road from the church, next to the bus stop. We thanked her kindly and walked down to take a look. |
84 |
3 |
| Dunning Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Saw from a distance |
14th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Dunning North Standing Stone: From St Serf’s church, we walked along Kirk Wynd, down alongside the stream, down past some cottages, to where the footpath split. The standing stone was right in front of us, albeit in the middle of a ripening crop of wheat. It seemed very far away, and I was very, very reluctant to trample any of the crop, so we stuck to the footpath. With the camera lens on maximum zoom I tried to capture the different faces of...Dunning North Standing Stone: From St Serf’s church, we walked along Kirk Wynd, down alongside the stream, down past some cottages, to where the footpath split. The standing stone was right in front of us, albeit in the middle of a ripening crop of wheat. It seemed very far away, and I was very, very reluctant to trample any of the crop, so we stuck to the footpath. With the camera lens on maximum zoom I tried to capture the different faces of the stone, but as the footpath ran roughly west-east, we couldn’t really get close.
The guide in the church told us there were two standing stones nearby; most people visited the northern (this) stone, but apparently not many people went to the southern stone.
If the field hadn’t been set with a crop, I’d have been tempted to look for the gate, or an alternate route to get closer.
Our next stop was to the very peculiar "Maggie Wall Monument", 1km west of Dunning on the B8062. This is a 20ft tall monument topped by a cross to a witch called Maggie Wall who was apparently burnt in 1657. The stories I've all tracked down say Maggie Wall didn't exist. This monument definitely made me shiver!
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84 |
2 |
| Dupplin Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
14th Jul 2018 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Dupplin Cross, St Serf's, Dunning: Our first stop of the day, and a very old, popular, tourist village. We first saw a drinking fountain outside the churchyard, almost at the cross roads.
By the southern door to the church were two hogbacks.
Inside was the Duppline Cross and a smaller cross slab to its north west. There was a guide, already talking to a gentleman about the cross, but when she saw us, she interrupted her talk and came up t...Dupplin Cross, St Serf's, Dunning: Our first stop of the day, and a very old, popular, tourist village. We first saw a drinking fountain outside the churchyard, almost at the cross roads.
By the southern door to the church were two hogbacks.
Inside was the Duppline Cross and a smaller cross slab to its north west. There was a guide, already talking to a gentleman about the cross, but when she saw us, she interrupted her talk and came up to us to ask us to join in. Not usually one for ‘tours’ we reluctantly joined her, as I really wanted space and time to drink in this cross on my own, then photograph it; this was not to be, as there was a steady stream of visitors coming into the church. As we went out, another family came in, followed later by a large walking group.
I photographed most of the individual panels around the Dupplin cross and need to sort these out using the diagrams in the 'Official Souvenir Guide' (£1). I was particularly fascinated by the base, which appeared to have carved lines across one corner, and cups (or very worn interlacing) on its base.
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84 |
1 |
| Gleneagles A |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
13th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Peterhead Farm Standing Stone, Gleneagles: Our last stop of the day. Driving (it was too hot, and we were too lazy to walk) further along the single track road towards the mast and the entrance to Peterhead Farm, we parked near the mast and walked across the road. The nearest gate into the field appeared to be near the farm buildings, so we clambered over the wooden fence at the corner of the road with the farm track.
This standing stone loo...Peterhead Farm Standing Stone, Gleneagles: Our last stop of the day. Driving (it was too hot, and we were too lazy to walk) further along the single track road towards the mast and the entrance to Peterhead Farm, we parked near the mast and walked across the road. The nearest gate into the field appeared to be near the farm buildings, so we clambered over the wooden fence at the corner of the road with the farm track.
This standing stone looks as if it sits just below the top of a natural mound. There were quite a few packing stones around the base of the stone, with others scattered around the ground nearby.
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83 |
9 |
| Gleneagles B |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
13th Jul 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Peterhead Farm Pictish Symbol Stone: Right next to the A9, so the atmosphere wasn’t brilliant, but ignoring the traffic, looking east, this was a glorious setting.
There was a gate into this field full of sheep, so we let ourselves in and walked over to the stone, which now sits within 30m of a slip road leading to the A9. The Gleneagles roundabout with its golf club ‘sculpture’ provide a strange backdrop.
The views to the east are somewha...Peterhead Farm Pictish Symbol Stone: Right next to the A9, so the atmosphere wasn’t brilliant, but ignoring the traffic, looking east, this was a glorious setting.
There was a gate into this field full of sheep, so we let ourselves in and walked over to the stone, which now sits within 30m of a slip road leading to the A9. The Gleneagles roundabout with its golf club ‘sculpture’ provide a strange backdrop.
The views to the east are somewhat different, and facing this way, you could almost believe you were in the country. Whilst the black clouds were gathering to the north and east, there was no rain.
I was fascinated by the two quartz inclusions underneath the symbols.
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8 |
| Dunblane Cathedral |
Class III Pictish Cross Slab |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
13th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient crosses at Dunblane Cathedral: Having been bitten and bitten again by horseflies at Sheriffmuir Stone Row, the weather being very hot and humid, and the Sheriffmuir Inn decidedly shuttered up, we decided to go into Dunblane to find a cup of tea and a late lunch. We managed to find a parking spot just opposite the cathedral, so after tea and a jacket potato at the Beech Tree café, we walked back and went into the cathedral.
This is a r...Ancient crosses at Dunblane Cathedral: Having been bitten and bitten again by horseflies at Sheriffmuir Stone Row, the weather being very hot and humid, and the Sheriffmuir Inn decidedly shuttered up, we decided to go into Dunblane to find a cup of tea and a late lunch. We managed to find a parking spot just opposite the cathedral, so after tea and a jacket potato at the Beech Tree café, we walked back and went into the cathedral.
This is a really welcoming and peaceful church. The young lady who greeted us and sold us a guide book could hardly be heard for the organist “practising for tomorrow – but you can enjoy the music. You can take photographs, but don’t use the flash around the organist.”
The highlight for me was the two cross marked stones at the western end of the northern aisle. There is a lot of information about the cathedral itself, but not much about the crosses. We marvelled at how worn some of the bases of the columns and other architectural features, as part of the cathedral stood roofless for over 300 years from the late 1500s (says the guide book).
The guide book (page 10) talks about the crosses, saying in the North Aisle: “Here there is a large carved cross – evidence that Dunblane was a religious centre from an early date. Discovered beneath the chapter house floor in 1873, it dates from the 9th century. On the back of the stone are allegorical figures – there are two animals sitting entwined and a horse and rider with an animal, perhaps a wolf, below the horse. Also on display is a fragment from a similar cross-slab found in 1836. It also dates to the 8th or 9th century. The presence of both stones suggests that there may have been an earlier church on this site. Architectural fragments dating from the 1100s and 1200s were found during the construction of the boiler house under the chancel and chapter house in 1836. Some of these fragments are on display in the north aisle. The finely worked chevrons (zigzags) on the arch fragments, and the elaborate column cap hint at the exquisite decoration of the earlier cathedral. Fragments from the 1300s and 1400s are also on display.”
I completely forgot about the four cists around the cathedral, and I didn't have a mobile signal to call up the Portal or the Canmore records, but we will be coming back here at some point in the relatively near future.
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| The Boat Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
13th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Boat Stone, Sheriffmuir to Dunblane lane: Marked on the OS map, but not on Canmore, this fallen standing stone is featured on the Portal and The Northern Antiquarian. The road is single track at this point, with not many passing places. The farmer had left the gate into the field wide open, and it was dry, bare soil. We dared to pull the car just inside the gate.
The farmer had heaped a beautifully large pile of maturing manure betwee...The Boat Stone, Sheriffmuir to Dunblane lane: Marked on the OS map, but not on Canmore, this fallen standing stone is featured on the Portal and The Northern Antiquarian. The road is single track at this point, with not many passing places. The farmer had left the gate into the field wide open, and it was dry, bare soil. We dared to pull the car just inside the gate.
The farmer had heaped a beautifully large pile of maturing manure between the gate and the stone, so I took a slightly wider berth round this than I might have, with the heat and the flies!
This large stone is impressive. It sites on a mound (I walked around it to photograph it and had to step up the mound to get to the top of the stone) and has some lovely quartz inclusions.
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6 |
| Wester Biggs (Dunblane) |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Couldn't find |
13th Jul 2018 |
-1 |
4 |
5 |
Wester Biggs Stone Circle, Near Dunblane: Returning from tea and cakes in Dunblane, we resumed our search for megalithic sites. Next stop, hopefully, a not-before-photographed stone circle, right by the side of the road.
Finding the telephone mast and driving a couple of hundred yards further on, we parked at NN 86368 06240 and walked back south along the road, armed with the Canmore listing on my phone and the GPS.
Despite an intensive ...Wester Biggs Stone Circle, Near Dunblane: Returning from tea and cakes in Dunblane, we resumed our search for megalithic sites. Next stop, hopefully, a not-before-photographed stone circle, right by the side of the road.
Finding the telephone mast and driving a couple of hundred yards further on, we parked at NN 86368 06240 and walked back south along the road, armed with the Canmore listing on my phone and the GPS.
Despite an intensive search of the land east of the road around this point, we were unable to locate any stones amongst the tall heather. However, there was a circle of gras/vergetation which was different from any heather at almost exactly the grid reference given by Canmore, so I photographed ‘the spot’. Andrew thinks the stones may have been removed. Always possible, but I think we need to return when the shrubbery has died back.
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83 |
5 |
| Sheriff Muir Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
13th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Sheriffmuir Stone Row: Please can I claim the Portal prize for 'the most horsefly bites at one ancient site'? At first glance, it looked easy to walk to this stone row. The reality was it was a couple of hundred yards from the road, in deep heather. Having waded through the shrubbery, and having found the Wallace Stone, however, finding the rest of the stones was easy, as they are more or less in a line running north east to south west. I mana...Sheriffmuir Stone Row: Please can I claim the Portal prize for 'the most horsefly bites at one ancient site'? At first glance, it looked easy to walk to this stone row. The reality was it was a couple of hundred yards from the road, in deep heather. Having waded through the shrubbery, and having found the Wallace Stone, however, finding the rest of the stones was easy, as they are more or less in a line running north east to south west. I managed to pull up Sandy G’s ”Stone Rows of Great Britain” website, with details of the stones, which helped enormously.
The horse flies were horrendous. I got eaten alive, and was glad to get back to the car to slap some antihistamine on. It was a real shame the Sheriffmuir Inn wasn’t open, as we were desparate for a cold drink (any drink, really) by the time we’d walked to, and photographed, all five stones.
We decided to go onto Dunblane for a cup of tea and something to eat (and lots of antihistamine cream for me!). Despite all the bites, I thoroughly enjoyed exploring this stone row, in the brilliant sunshine and glorious views.
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83 |
2 |
| The Gathering Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
13th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Gathering Stone, Sheriffmuir: From the Sheriffmuir Cairn & Macrae Clan Monument at NN 81569 01934, we followed the footpath to its eastern side, between the main monument and the cairn, following the line of the stone wall, heading in a roughly north westerly direction.
Eventually a path split off to our left, slightly more westwards and this led us to the Gathering Stone – a strange, strange sight, being protected by its ‘iron ribs’. It ...The Gathering Stone, Sheriffmuir: From the Sheriffmuir Cairn & Macrae Clan Monument at NN 81569 01934, we followed the footpath to its eastern side, between the main monument and the cairn, following the line of the stone wall, heading in a roughly north westerly direction.
Eventually a path split off to our left, slightly more westwards and this led us to the Gathering Stone – a strange, strange sight, being protected by its ‘iron ribs’. It most definitely looks like a recumbent standing stone, now split into at least three parts.
The ribs are very reminiscent of graves covered to protect them from graverobbers. To me, in this setting, it felt like the iron bars constrained the standing stone from getting up off the ground and becoming upright again.
Continuing slightly further west along the track, you cross some rocks which have been much graffitied. We read that the mounds of earth here are the graves of 600 of the fallen from the Battle of Sheriffmuir.
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83 |
1 |
| Stobo Kirk standing stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
12th Jul 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Stobo Kirk, Scottish Borders: This was the highlight of my visit. A church I’ve wanted to see for a long, long time, and I thought I’d better grab the chance whilst we were nearby. As we drew up outside the church, my heart sank, as it looked just like another austere Church of Scotland church. “This isn’t the church I saw on the Portal”, I said to Andrew, “their images are of a pebble built wall with standing stones in it.”
All was explaine...Stobo Kirk, Scottish Borders: This was the highlight of my visit. A church I’ve wanted to see for a long, long time, and I thought I’d better grab the chance whilst we were nearby. As we drew up outside the church, my heart sank, as it looked just like another austere Church of Scotland church. “This isn’t the church I saw on the Portal”, I said to Andrew, “their images are of a pebble built wall with standing stones in it.”
All was explained when we walked into the church and saw the north aisle chapel, from the inside first.
My photography skills were challenged trying to photograph the three large tombstones held by iron staples to the wall. This part of the church felt very old.
We looked at the long stone in the external west wall of the north aisle chapel carefully (due to the chairs in the chapel, we couldn’t really see much without removing several rows of tightly packed wooden chairs). At first glance, it looked as if it went from the south side of the window cill, southwards. Closer inspection made us realise it extended under the window as well.
We bought a guide book and a couple of the postcards of the stained glass windows, as by this time, it was getting quite late and it was at least another hour until we reached our bed for the night. Much too brief a visit - a return visit in bright sunshine is a must!
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82 |
9 |
| Dreva Hill West (Broughton) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
12th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Dreva Hill West, Broughton, Scottish Borders: To the east of the road, there is a gate leading to a farm track, which we followed for about 100m then headed up towards the mast. In typical Tate fashion, Andrew had muddled up the entries for Dreva Craig Fort and this settlement, so I spent ages photographing boulders around the site, thinking they were the ‘chevaux de frixes’.
It’s a great site for a mast, but it’s so close to this settlement,...Dreva Hill West, Broughton, Scottish Borders: To the east of the road, there is a gate leading to a farm track, which we followed for about 100m then headed up towards the mast. In typical Tate fashion, Andrew had muddled up the entries for Dreva Craig Fort and this settlement, so I spent ages photographing boulders around the site, thinking they were the ‘chevaux de frixes’.
It’s a great site for a mast, but it’s so close to this settlement, to me it feels invasive and insensitive. The tall grass made it difficult to see any of the outer banks, although I could feel the rise and fall of the low banks at various points as I walked across the settlement. Because I was able to pick out more features here, on a flatter land with fewer boulders, I was more interested in this site than Laigh Hill. It would be nice to be able to track down a plan, so I can really interpret what I saw.
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82 |
8 |
| Laigh Hill (Tweeddale) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
12th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Laigh Hill Settlement, below Norman's Castle, Scottish Borders: I was really looking forward to seeing this large settlement on the slopes of Laigh Hill, with the River Tweed to the south below.
The walk was easy, along a track, and only 400m past the Patervan Mound. Leaving the track and following the well-worn sheep tracks up the slope, through the low outer banks at the south west of the settlement, we arrived amongst a confusing array o...Laigh Hill Settlement, below Norman's Castle, Scottish Borders: I was really looking forward to seeing this large settlement on the slopes of Laigh Hill, with the River Tweed to the south below.
The walk was easy, along a track, and only 400m past the Patervan Mound. Leaving the track and following the well-worn sheep tracks up the slope, through the low outer banks at the south west of the settlement, we arrived amongst a confusing array of circular flat areas, stony structures and boulders. Even though we'd seen a number of settlements, with our somewhat inexperienced eyes, we had difficulty trying to trace any particular structures to photograph. I called up the Canmore record on my phone, but there was no plan to orientate ourselves to, so we contented ourselves with trying our own interpretations, trying to match what we were seeing with the written description.
Norman's Castle was impressive, on the rocky knoll high above us. This really dominated the scene. Making our way over to the gate in the fence which led up to the rocks, I realised that I wouldn't be able to scramble up to the Dun, so left mountain-goat Andrew to climb up with the camera, hoping the camera would return in one piece!
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82 |
5 |
| Norman's Castle |
Stone Fort or Dun |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
12th Jul 2018 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Norman's Castle, Laigh Hill, Patervan: Strictly, I only saw this dun from a distance, as it was scramble to get to the top of the hill, and my fear of falling kept me on Laigh Hill settlement below. Husband, Andrew, with all the skills of a mountain goat, and no fear of heights, went tramping up with the camera. When he came back down he said: "Goodness knows why they live in such places - it's difficult to get into!" Presumably, raiders would...Norman's Castle, Laigh Hill, Patervan: Strictly, I only saw this dun from a distance, as it was scramble to get to the top of the hill, and my fear of falling kept me on Laigh Hill settlement below. Husband, Andrew, with all the skills of a mountain goat, and no fear of heights, went tramping up with the camera. When he came back down he said: "Goodness knows why they live in such places - it's difficult to get into!" Presumably, raiders would have been deterred by the climb, so the settlers would have been well defended.
From Laigh Hill settlement below, a large rock protruding from the surrounding cliff face dominates, together with what looks like a cairn, but the scramble across the rocks to take a closer look was deemed a little tricky.
There are certainly 360 degree views all around this dun. Very little of the foundations could be seen, due to the high growth of bracken and overlying turf.
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82 |
6 |
| Patervan Cairn, Buildings & Mound |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
12th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Patervan Cairn, Buildings & Prehistoric Mound, Scottish Borders: There is actually a rich archaeological landscape around here, although I’m pleased we’ve been out with an Archaeology Group, or I would have had trouble interpreting what we saw. We passed all of these features, all of which are within 100m of each other, on the way to the Laigh Hill settlement, just to the north east, so stopped with the GPS to make sure I was photographing the r...Patervan Cairn, Buildings & Prehistoric Mound, Scottish Borders: There is actually a rich archaeological landscape around here, although I’m pleased we’ve been out with an Archaeology Group, or I would have had trouble interpreting what we saw. We passed all of these features, all of which are within 100m of each other, on the way to the Laigh Hill settlement, just to the north east, so stopped with the GPS to make sure I was photographing the right thing!
They are perched on top of a river terrace above the alluvial (flood) plain of the River Tweed, which is 100m to the west. The surrounding hills provide an atmospheric backdrop (especially with black clouds (but no rain) looming above us).
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82 |
4 |
| Patervan Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
12th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Patervan/Polmood Settlement, just west of Patervan Farm Cottage: After the Meggat Stone, we stopped off at Henderland Chapel (aka Chapel Knowe and Cockburn’s Tombstone) at NT 23112 23414, which was well worth a look, but too modern for the Portal!
This settlement is (almost!) easily reached. We parked at a layby on the western side of the A701, just north of the entrance to Patervan farm at NT 10850 28570. To think we’ve driven this way ma...Patervan/Polmood Settlement, just west of Patervan Farm Cottage: After the Meggat Stone, we stopped off at Henderland Chapel (aka Chapel Knowe and Cockburn’s Tombstone) at NT 23112 23414, which was well worth a look, but too modern for the Portal!
This settlement is (almost!) easily reached. We parked at a layby on the western side of the A701, just north of the entrance to Patervan farm at NT 10850 28570. To think we’ve driven this way many, many times before over the years, but didn’t even consider exploring this area.
We crossed over the River Tweed (with its river monitoring station) via the robust bridge, and followed the track up to Patervan farm. We passed the cottage on our right hand side. then diverted on the footpath which led into the field just before the sign for ‘Patervan Steading’. The gate into the field on the other side of the track at this point was chained and padlocked, along with an electrified fence. We clambered over the wooden fence next to the gate, only to be confronted by another chained and locked gate. As we wanted to get on and climb up to the hillfort and another, larger settlement, we decided to hedge out bets and simply looked over the stone wall, deciding if there was time on the way back, to hop over and take a closer look (but we ran out of time).
I was really surprised to find so many ancient sites, almost an entire archaeological landscape, in a relatively small area. Worth investigating again, although not hugely, hugely exciting.
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82 |
3 |
| Megget Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
12th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Megget Stone, east of Talla Reservoir: Continuing along the twisty, windy road that follows Talla Water, we passed an intrepid cyclist making his way slowly up the hills, and some motorcyclists who had stopped to photographs the waterfalls along the route.
When we got to the grid reference given for the Megget Stone, we couldn’t see it at first, as it was hidden by the gate. There was room for a car to park just past the cattle grid and gate....Megget Stone, east of Talla Reservoir: Continuing along the twisty, windy road that follows Talla Water, we passed an intrepid cyclist making his way slowly up the hills, and some motorcyclists who had stopped to photographs the waterfalls along the route.
When we got to the grid reference given for the Megget Stone, we couldn’t see it at first, as it was hidden by the gate. There was room for a car to park just past the cattle grid and gate. Hopping out to take photographs and examine this stone in more detail, the cyclist past us, and as he did, I realised that at this point, it was downhill all the way – the watershed.
This stone is definitely a boundary marker, not a true standing stone. It looks as if its eastern face has been broken. In a remote but lovely spot.
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82 |
2 |
| Talla Linnfoots |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
12th Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Cairn & Enclosure at south eastern end of Talla Reservoir: Our first, proper, stop of the day, as I can’t count the visit to Tweedmuir Kirk, as the stone we saw from from the 1600s.
This is a remote, but very pretty spot, albeit with tall, brooding hills around, only tempered by the gentle trickling of the Coddleteth Burn, Games Hope Burn and Talla Water, which join up before entering the reservoir lake.
We were prevented from getting right...Cairn & Enclosure at south eastern end of Talla Reservoir: Our first, proper, stop of the day, as I can’t count the visit to Tweedmuir Kirk, as the stone we saw from from the 1600s.
This is a remote, but very pretty spot, albeit with tall, brooding hills around, only tempered by the gentle trickling of the Coddleteth Burn, Games Hope Burn and Talla Water, which join up before entering the reservoir lake.
We were prevented from getting right up to this cairn and enclosure by a long, continuous deer fence. I think I’ve photographed the cairn, but we had difficulty in seeing the enclosure on the ground.
The enclosure can just be seen, very faintly, on UK Grid Reference Finder.
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82 |
1 |
| St Mungo's Well (Bromfield) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Mungo's Holy Well, Bromfield: The kissing gate from the north of the churchyard led down some sandstone gate, although the gate had been wired shut with a cable tie, so we had to clamber over. Even though there had been a long period of dry weather, parts of the ground around the well were still damp and the cattle’s hooves had sunk deep into the ground, creating tussocks and hollows. The well cavity itself was dry. In a very scenic setting...St Mungo's Holy Well, Bromfield: The kissing gate from the north of the churchyard led down some sandstone gate, although the gate had been wired shut with a cable tie, so we had to clamber over. Even though there had been a long period of dry weather, parts of the ground around the well were still damp and the cattle’s hooves had sunk deep into the ground, creating tussocks and hollows. The well cavity itself was dry. In a very scenic setting, with lazy cattle (and a bull) lazing against a nearby hedgerow, looking over at us, but fortunately too hot to move.
A lovely well in a very nice, tranquil setting.
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81 |
2 |
| St Mary's Church (Gilcrux) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Viking cross head and shaft fragments, St Mary's Church, Gilcrux: We arrived here to find the outer screen door open, but the door into the church very firmly locked. To say this was disappointing was an understatement, as the building looking fascinating with a lot of history from the outside.
I have since exchanged emails the vicar, who is arranging for the church to be opened for us on either 13th or 14th August. |
81 |
4 |
| The Hatching Well (Gilcrux) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2018 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
The Hatching Well, Gilcrux: We arrived here and find this well bubbling away just outside the church - completely unexpected as it's not got any entries on Pastscape or Historic England. Neither is it mentioned in the Wikipedia entry for Gilcrux.
I guess finding this well made up for not being able to get into the church, which was very firmly locked and bolted, despite thinking we'd be able to get in. I'm trying to arrange with the vicar to ...The Hatching Well, Gilcrux: We arrived here and find this well bubbling away just outside the church - completely unexpected as it's not got any entries on Pastscape or Historic England. Neither is it mentioned in the Wikipedia entry for Gilcrux.
I guess finding this well made up for not being able to get into the church, which was very firmly locked and bolted, despite thinking we'd be able to get in. I'm trying to arrange with the vicar to go back mid-August to see AS Corpus Gilcrux 01.
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81 |
3 |
| Blennerhasset Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Three crosses in one, Blennerhasset, Cumbria: Having been to four churches to see Anglo Saxon carved stones, and only found one unlocked, I wanted to stop and see the 'cross' marked on the OS map in this small village. This really is a stunning medieval village, and I wish we’d had more time to wander round and admire the old buildings. There was a lovely bridge over the river, although there was a children’s picnic and football match going on...Three crosses in one, Blennerhasset, Cumbria: Having been to four churches to see Anglo Saxon carved stones, and only found one unlocked, I wanted to stop and see the 'cross' marked on the OS map in this small village. This really is a stunning medieval village, and I wish we’d had more time to wander round and admire the old buildings. There was a lovely bridge over the river, although there was a children’s picnic and football match going on next to it, so we didn’t disturb them. There were two information boards outside the school, but neither mentioned the cross. Despite it looking like a war memorial, I wandered across only to find the base of the medieval cross and the discarded socket stone. Brilliant!
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81 |
6 |
| St Mary's Church (Wycliffe) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
1st Jul 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Hogback and Anglo Danish/Saxon cross fragments, Wycliffe, County Durham: This is a spectacular little village, down a narrow, dead end lane leading to the River Tees. It was difficult to park, as the lane to the church has a sign saying ‘private road’ (although a sign also says ‘to the church’), so we bumped up on the verge, as close to a stone wall as we dared, leaving just enough room for another car to pass (everywhere else said ‘private’ or ...Hogback and Anglo Danish/Saxon cross fragments, Wycliffe, County Durham: This is a spectacular little village, down a narrow, dead end lane leading to the River Tees. It was difficult to park, as the lane to the church has a sign saying ‘private road’ (although a sign also says ‘to the church’), so we bumped up on the verge, as close to a stone wall as we dared, leaving just enough room for another car to pass (everywhere else said ‘private’ or ‘no parking’.
Walking down the lane to the church, we approached from the north west, walking round to the south porch, which held a ‘welcome’ notice. A strange church – lovely, warm (but very worn) yellow sandstone, but no tower, just a couple of bells.
The main hogback fragment is just to the west of the south door, inside the church, with another fragment immediately opposite, and more against the western wall.
There is a really old Bishop’s chair against the north wall of the sanctuary, a Norman (11th century) font also against the north wall of the sanctuary and some really interesting 13th and 14th century glass.
When I got a phone signal, we realised we’d not seen the hogback fragment in the exterior southern wall, and as we were passing on our way back, went back to spot this and also found a boundary marker at the entrance to the churchyard.
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80 |
2 |
| Cleatlam Wayside Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
1st Jul 2018 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Cleatlam Wayside Cross, County Durham: This tiny village is picturesque, with large houses and farms on either side of the minor road through the village. The cross base wasn't easy to spot, hidden behind trees in a temporarily fenced off area of land, which looked like it used to be the old village green.
Sited just to the north of a wooden bench, the remains of this cross base is very odd. At first view, it looks to be a square block of s...Cleatlam Wayside Cross, County Durham: This tiny village is picturesque, with large houses and farms on either side of the minor road through the village. The cross base wasn't easy to spot, hidden behind trees in a temporarily fenced off area of land, which looked like it used to be the old village green.
Sited just to the north of a wooden bench, the remains of this cross base is very odd. At first view, it looks to be a square block of stone split into two, but closer inspection reveals it is two separate pieces of stone embedded into the ground, with a smaller block placed on top.
Both Pastscape and HE say there is no socket hole, so presumably the cross would have been quite low and stood directly on top of this slab.
One of the strangest cross bases I've seen. In the field opposite, there are some interesting lumps and bumps, with a hollow way running almost parallel to the modern stone wall. Several housing/building platforms can be made out in the field. Pastscape attributes these earthworks to 'village shrinkage'.
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80 |
1 |
| The Shearers |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Jun 2018 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
The Shearers, Hownam, Scottish Borders: By the time we got to the Shearers, the sun was high in the sky and beating down on us. Many horseflies, but thankfully no ticks. I was able to help with Sandy G's survey by acting as ‘the target’ for the disto (holding a piece of paper upright against the ranging pole so they could get accurate distances from the pole to each stone).
It occurred to me that where the row goes down the slope and ends at...The Shearers, Hownam, Scottish Borders: By the time we got to the Shearers, the sun was high in the sky and beating down on us. Many horseflies, but thankfully no ticks. I was able to help with Sandy G's survey by acting as ‘the target’ for the disto (holding a piece of paper upright against the ranging pole so they could get accurate distances from the pole to each stone).
It occurred to me that where the row goes down the slope and ends at what is now a bog, at NT 7907 1927, perhaps this might have been a spring in ‘the olden days’ and been the water source for the hillfort.
The top end of the row seems to ‘bend’ slightly to the south east, heading towards looks like a hollowed out/partially excavated cairn.
It was fascinating to watch Sandy’s process of surveying the row, the row being too long to survey in one, so it was done in two halves. First he measured the distance of the centre of each stone from a ranging pole located in one spot, then took the angle of the stone from its central point to the ranging pole, transferring the measurements onto a plan, then photographed each stone individually. Finally, he walked up and down looking for ‘sighting lines’ – seeing what was visible from each stone, in which direction, and whether or not the stones echoed the shapes of any features in the landscape.
The conclusion Sandy came to (I think, as he says working out the details later will confirm or not) is that he counts this as a ‘possible’ stone row. It appears to be clearly associated with the nearby hill fort. I still dispute Canmore’s interpretation as the remains of a field boundary, as surely it would be connected to other old field boundaries nearby. None of these other boundary features had the earth removed from them.
We finally got back to the car at 6.30pm - the time had just flown. A very educational afternoon, and I was really pleased to have been involved in Sandy's survey. Pleasant day in pleasant company.
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79 |
2 |
| Horseshoe Wood (Hownam) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Jun 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone: This was my first real 'day out' since being ill with flu and having been confined to bed for a week, so not feeling hugely great in myself, but great to be outside again. We met Sandy G (of Stone Rows of Great Britain fame) in Hownam Village and followed The Street, Sandy kindly moderating his pace to a slow 'plod' to accommodate me, until we reached Horseshoe Wood. The sun was bright and the temperature rose hig...Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone: This was my first real 'day out' since being ill with flu and having been confined to bed for a week, so not feeling hugely great in myself, but great to be outside again. We met Sandy G (of Stone Rows of Great Britain fame) in Hownam Village and followed The Street, Sandy kindly moderating his pace to a slow 'plod' to accommodate me, until we reached Horseshoe Wood. The sun was bright and the temperature rose higher as we walked up the slope. I was glad to stop at the standing stone for a drink and to take some photographs. Great to hear Sandy’s views about the location of the stone and its context; it’s difficult to know what ages standing stones actually are, and whether they are in their original location. However, this one is placed right next to an important route, The Street, described as a ‘historic cross border route), which provides the context.
There is a quarry to the immediate east of the stone, which makes the location look a little suspicious, but the stone looks as if it is in its original location with packing stones around its base and on a low, oval mound.
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79 |
1 |
| St John The Baptist (Rolleston) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
24th Jun 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Churchyard Cross, St John The Baptist, Rolleston: Apart from one sign post on the road by the church in Skeffington, this exclusive hamlet may well not exist. The road is gated (at least 3 gates), the roads are very narrow, and at the junction of the road and the bridlepath down to the church, there are a number of ‘no parking’ signs. This meant our daughter-in-law-to-be had to drop us off and drive some distance away, then collect us afterward...Churchyard Cross, St John The Baptist, Rolleston: Apart from one sign post on the road by the church in Skeffington, this exclusive hamlet may well not exist. The road is gated (at least 3 gates), the roads are very narrow, and at the junction of the road and the bridlepath down to the church, there are a number of ‘no parking’ signs. This meant our daughter-in-law-to-be had to drop us off and drive some distance away, then collect us afterwards.
There is a small iron gate into the churchyard. This appears to be the only entrance, as the road at the eastern end of the church is labelled ‘private’. Eventually managing to open the gate into the church, we found the cross at the south eastern corner of the church, almost hidden in the shadows of the trees. It looked as if the owner of the modern house had incorporated this part of the churchyard into their private garden, so we very much felt like we were trespassing and expected someone to come out of the house and shout at us to ‘move on’.
Due to the heavy shadows and bright sunlight, it was a little difficult to photograph this cross. There appears to be a difference of opinion between Historic England and Pastscape as to the date of this cross – HE says 14th century; Pastscape 17th. The socket stone was marginally intriguing as it had a small hole in each side, presumably to drain any water away.
Making our way back along the gated road to civilisation, we stopped by the stream to let the dog paddle.
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78 |
4 |
| St Michael's Church (Illston On The Hill) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
24th Jun 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St. Michael's Church, Illston on the Hill: This was our first port of call on the Sunday afternoon, on a brilliantly sunny day with blue skies and very hot. Although we probably could have walked here with the dog from Billesdon, I certainly wasn’t feeling up to a long walk today, and was very grateful that the cross was only just off the road.
A very pretty little church, which seemed larger on the inside than the out. The inside of the chur...St. Michael's Church, Illston on the Hill: This was our first port of call on the Sunday afternoon, on a brilliantly sunny day with blue skies and very hot. Although we probably could have walked here with the dog from Billesdon, I certainly wasn’t feeling up to a long walk today, and was very grateful that the cross was only just off the road.
A very pretty little church, which seemed larger on the inside than the out. The inside of the church wasn’t particularly interesting, apart from a very unusual set of steps that ran up to the top of the rood, from just behind the pulpit.
The cross was unusual, with the socket stone being set straight into the ground (no base or steps) and the remains of the cross shaft set diagonally into the socket. The shaft also had rolled-moulded edges. Also unusual was that it was set almost directly against three large gravestones which loomed above it.
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78 |
2 |
| King's Norton |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Leicestershire and Rutland |
Visited |
24th Jun 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Well, St John The Baptist, King's Norton: This is a very posh village, with very large houses. We parked by the tiny little village green just to the west of the church, almost next to the well, which is low down in the western churchyard wall.
Someone has been refurbishing the well, and recently, as there is a fresh footprint or two in the sand now forming the bottom of the well pool.
The church is relatively modern, a plaque next to the ...Well, St John The Baptist, King's Norton: This is a very posh village, with very large houses. We parked by the tiny little village green just to the west of the church, almost next to the well, which is low down in the western churchyard wall.
Someone has been refurbishing the well, and recently, as there is a fresh footprint or two in the sand now forming the bottom of the well pool.
The church is relatively modern, a plaque next to the gate describing it as ‘Georgian Gothic’. The churchyard is relatively small, and not much to see in it, apart from a huge memorial right up against the exterior eastern wall. The church itself was locked, although a name/phone number was given to collect the keys from, but we weren’t interested enough to go inside.
Pastscape describes this well as a ‘horsetrough’. Whilst the well was very dry at the time of our visit, there is no sign within the churchyard (or the neighbouring house) as to where the source of the water comes from, although the top of the ground is at least 2m higher behind the well.
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78 |
3 |
| Milfield Reconstructed Henge at Maelmin Heritage Centre |
Henge |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
31st May 2018 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Maelmin Recreated Henge, Milfield: We had a bit of a tortuous journey to get here, having been stuck in roadworks on the A1 northbound, so instead of the hour and a half it would have taken us, it was almost two and a half, so we were eager to get out of the car and walk.
Having found the ‘Archaeological Guide’ by Clive Waddington in a local charity shop about 10 days ago, I had read it from cover to cover and was really keen to see this site....Maelmin Recreated Henge, Milfield: We had a bit of a tortuous journey to get here, having been stuck in roadworks on the A1 northbound, so instead of the hour and a half it would have taken us, it was almost two and a half, so we were eager to get out of the car and walk.
Having found the ‘Archaeological Guide’ by Clive Waddington in a local charity shop about 10 days ago, I had read it from cover to cover and was really keen to see this site. I’d shown the booklet to our three year (going on 63) old grand-daughter and we’d talked through the photos on the journey here. As we walked into the centre of the henge from the car park, she turned to me and, pulling a face, said; “It’s just a ‘thing’ with a deep hole”.
Having spotted all the information boards round the site and running through the woods, she ran from one to the other. On getting to the Dark Age hut at the far side of the site, she was fascinated by this, and we had to go inside. Opening the door was amusing, at the wood had swollen in the rain and it took a while to get it to swing open gently without trapping fingers.
We walked back around to the henge following the circular path around the field, taking in the airfield. We found a sign saying ‘Mesolithic hut’ but there was only a hollow in the ground with a few poles laid inside.
No totem poles, or none that we could spot, anyway. It looks like these have now been replaced with two taller plain tree trunks.
After reading the story of the recreation of the henge, I did enjoy seeing it but had expected more from the heritage trail, which was essentially a ‘trail’ of information boards but without any real specific context or associated feature to look at. Would go again, without dearly loved child, to soak in the atmosphere. We went onto the Heatherslaw Light Railway - a great 15in gauge railway, ideal for small children and grandparents!
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77 |
1 |
| Netherwitton A |
Round Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th May 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Netherwitton Round Cairn A: This cairn is clearly visible from both Five Ashes cairn and Netherwitton B. There were some magnificent sheep and lambs in this field, all seemingly oblivious to the ancient monument underneath their hooves. All of them scattered as we approached the cairn. My first impression was ‘how many tens of thousands of stones did they use to create this cairn?’; the second ‘the interior has certainly been hacked about by w...Netherwitton Round Cairn A: This cairn is clearly visible from both Five Ashes cairn and Netherwitton B. There were some magnificent sheep and lambs in this field, all seemingly oblivious to the ancient monument underneath their hooves. All of them scattered as we approached the cairn. My first impression was ‘how many tens of thousands of stones did they use to create this cairn?’; the second ‘the interior has certainly been hacked about by whoever excavated this’.
We walked all round the higher outer bank of the cairn – it’s big. A very pleasant walk, to see three Bronze Age cairns very close to each other. This must have been a thriving community back in the day, especially with the River Font to the east and the Ewesley Burn to the west. I would have expected a standing stone or two to be in this area – it’s very fertile farmland here.
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76 |
4 |
| Netherwitton Hall |
Round Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th May 2018 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Round Cairn near Netherwitton Hall: Pulling up by the side of the road, taking the spot of a car that had just driven off northwards, this field was chock full of sheep and lambs, with the gate tightly tied with string in a ‘gordian knot’. Usually, I’d spent time untying the string, but as the mound didn’t look very exciting, I photographed it through the gate. Whilst it’s recorded on the OS map as a cairn, both HE and Pastscape wonder if this ...Round Cairn near Netherwitton Hall: Pulling up by the side of the road, taking the spot of a car that had just driven off northwards, this field was chock full of sheep and lambs, with the gate tightly tied with string in a ‘gordian knot’. Usually, I’d spent time untying the string, but as the mound didn’t look very exciting, I photographed it through the gate. Whilst it’s recorded on the OS map as a cairn, both HE and Pastscape wonder if this is actually a cairn or not, even though it’s scheduled as a round barrow.
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76 |
5 |
| Netherwitton B |
Round Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th May 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Netherwitton Round Cairn B: This cairn is located in a really lovely spot, on what was a small promontory, one side forming an old bank of the River Font, the river having changed course many years ago. We walked past this without realising this was the second cairn on the map, both saying: “That looks distinctly like a cairn”, then realising after I’d photographed it that it was the second Bronze Age cairn mentioned on Pastscape. Whilst small,...Netherwitton Round Cairn B: This cairn is located in a really lovely spot, on what was a small promontory, one side forming an old bank of the River Font, the river having changed course many years ago. We walked past this without realising this was the second cairn on the map, both saying: “That looks distinctly like a cairn”, then realising after I’d photographed it that it was the second Bronze Age cairn mentioned on Pastscape. Whilst small, it's a really nice example of a cairn, and the internal structure can be seen where a hawthorn tree grows out of its south west side, and animals have rubbed the earth away. This cairn has been apparently undisturbed by the antiquarians. I wonder why? Curious.
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76 |
3 |
| Clavering's Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th May 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Clavering's Cross, Stanton: Disappointed by the third cairn, which we were really unsure of, I’d spotted this cross on the OS map, and as it wasn’t too far away, we thought we go on our way to Ewesley.
Parking on the verge just north of the farmhouse, there were roadworks being set up and a very large, yellow skip had been placed by the gate into the field. As there was a large ditch to its south, there was a very narrow piece of land to walk...Clavering's Cross, Stanton: Disappointed by the third cairn, which we were really unsure of, I’d spotted this cross on the OS map, and as it wasn’t too far away, we thought we go on our way to Ewesley.
Parking on the verge just north of the farmhouse, there were roadworks being set up and a very large, yellow skip had been placed by the gate into the field. As there was a large ditch to its south, there was a very narrow piece of land to walk across, and with the side of the skip looming above my left hand side, I managed the two steps across, because I really wanted to see this cross.
We had to shoo the lovely, fat hens out of the way to open the gate, and spent a few minutes walking round and taking photographs. The steps were in a sorry state, which is unusual - Pastscape tells us the cross has (within living memory) been relocated back to the site where it originally stood, so perhaps the steps weren't built properly during the relocation.
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76 |
5 |
| Ewesley Enclosure |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th May 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Ewesley Defended Settlement, Northumberland: This was our last stop of the day, and it was really warm. There is a permissive footpath which runs along the dismantled railway line, although we drove past and had to retrace our steps to find it. The footpath sign is on a gate at approx.. NZ 05932 92605, just south of the railway bridge, and a small bridge over a stream, on the B642, before the farm to the north of the bridge.
Be warned, as th...Ewesley Defended Settlement, Northumberland: This was our last stop of the day, and it was really warm. There is a permissive footpath which runs along the dismantled railway line, although we drove past and had to retrace our steps to find it. The footpath sign is on a gate at approx.. NZ 05932 92605, just south of the railway bridge, and a small bridge over a stream, on the B642, before the farm to the north of the bridge.
Be warned, as the ‘footpath’ is really non-existent, and if we’d have strayed off the higher ground, we’d have needed waders to cross certain parts. As it was, we found an old boundary bank running north-south across a fence line and followed that to the drier side on the other side of a burn/drainage ditch.
The southern part of the structure can be clearly seen from the road, and it’s clearly a settlement of some kind, although why it’s southern been built on a slope, I’m not sure. There is an outer bank and ditch, which we followed up to where the settlement is cut by the railway line, and we found the easiest way down and across, up to its northern side, where some of the inner banks remain.
This is certainly a settlement of some kind; we couldn’t reconcile ourselves to it being a henge. Certainly enigmatic..
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76 |
6 |
| Five Ashes Cairn (Netherwitton) |
Round Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th May 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Five Ashes Cairn, Netherwitton: From St. Giles’s Church, we drove back through Netherwitton, taking the right hand turn which runs northwards, to the west of the meandering River Font. Parking at NZ 09891 90457, next to the entrance to the field with the footpath running through, we set off across the mowed footpath. This section of shorter grass petered out after about 100metres. Five Ashes Cairn was visible to our west after about 300metres....Five Ashes Cairn, Netherwitton: From St. Giles’s Church, we drove back through Netherwitton, taking the right hand turn which runs northwards, to the west of the meandering River Font. Parking at NZ 09891 90457, next to the entrance to the field with the footpath running through, we set off across the mowed footpath. This section of shorter grass petered out after about 100metres. Five Ashes Cairn was visible to our west after about 300metres. There was a gate into the cairn field, technically trespassing, but the area with, and around, the cairn, had been left clear of crops, so we kept to the field edge and made our way the 50m or so across to the cairn.
At this time, a whole ribbon of small planes began to fly across, one at a time, about 30 seconds apart. I lost count after 20, then came the hang gliders and microlights, the some more small planes. They were all heading roughly from north east to south west, and we haven’t been able to find out where they came from, or where they were going to, although the Borders Gliding Club isn’t that far away from this location, near Milfield and Maelmin.
If we hadn’t have known this what we were looking at, and that it was marked on the OS map, anyone could have been forgiven for thinking this was just a farmer’s mound/junk heap with straw bales and other items left on its north eastern side.
This cairn looked quite large, with a steeper bank on its western side. It looks as if it has been crudely excavated, with various lumps and bumps under the long, tussocky grass (and lots of short, fierce nettles at ankle level!) over the mound.
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76 |
1 |
| St Maurice's Well (Ellingham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th May 2018 |
-1 |
4 |
4 |
St. Maurice's Well, Ellingham (destroyed): This church was in a glorious spot amongst old houses. The church looked relatively modern, and as it was still open, we popped our heads in. There was some really great stained glass windows. They also had a book sale, so we bought a couple of books on cathedral architecture for a £2 donation.
Inside, we spotted the head of an old font, dating (according to the church guide) to the Norman or Early...St. Maurice's Well, Ellingham (destroyed): This church was in a glorious spot amongst old houses. The church looked relatively modern, and as it was still open, we popped our heads in. There was some really great stained glass windows. They also had a book sale, so we bought a couple of books on cathedral architecture for a £2 donation.
Inside, we spotted the head of an old font, dating (according to the church guide) to the Norman or Early English Church (but looked 16th/17th century in style to me). On either side of the path from the lych gate to the church were the old pinnacles from the previous church, dating to 1805.
Finding the right footpath from the church proved interesting, as it had a number of footpaths running from/around it, but we eventually orientated ourselves. Back to the Long Nanny stream.
From the description, we found the footbridge and the gorge/bank, but couldn’t really find any structures. I asked a lady (about 40ish) walking her dog if she knew where the well was. She replied “They used to come from the school to get the water. There used to be steps, but they’re gone, and no-one knows where the well was. It’s lost.”
We tried to find the location, which needed to be in a slight ravine (hence the reference to steps), and any old stonework. We thought we might have spotted something. But, then again, perhaps not! It was worth it to see the wonderful stone-flagged footbridge.
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75 |
5 |
| St Ebba's Chapel |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th May 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
St Ebba's Chapel/Early Christian Monastery site: I have long wanted to come to this spot, ever since seeing the Time Team Excavation of this in July 2013. Whilst the rest of Northumberland had a hot day with blue, cloudless skies, this part of the coast was murky. Still, this was a very enigmatic place.
We’d stopped off at a café/restaurant in Beadnell village for refreshments before arriving here, and I’d looked at their guide book “Limekil...St Ebba's Chapel/Early Christian Monastery site: I have long wanted to come to this spot, ever since seeing the Time Team Excavation of this in July 2013. Whilst the rest of Northumberland had a hot day with blue, cloudless skies, this part of the coast was murky. Still, this was a very enigmatic place.
We’d stopped off at a café/restaurant in Beadnell village for refreshments before arriving here, and I’d looked at their guide book “Limekilns and Lobsterpots” before arriving, which intrigued me further.
A lonely spot, largely surrounded by sea on a narrow promontory. I wish I’d been able to see the excavations, but found the Wessex Archaeology report.
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75 |
4 |
| Tughall Chapel |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th May 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Socket stone and cross shaft fragment, Tughall: Continuing along the busy B1340 from the Long Nanny standing stone, we turned right off the road towards Tughall Farm. There, the remains of the chapel stood above the road. We parked at a small layby just off the main road at NU 21427 26478, where there was a small gate into the field. This had been wired shut, so we walked round to the main gate at NU 21224 26486. There was absolutely no-one a...Socket stone and cross shaft fragment, Tughall: Continuing along the busy B1340 from the Long Nanny standing stone, we turned right off the road towards Tughall Farm. There, the remains of the chapel stood above the road. We parked at a small layby just off the main road at NU 21427 26478, where there was a small gate into the field. This had been wired shut, so we walked round to the main gate at NU 21224 26486. There was absolutely no-one around to ask, and as the cattle were at the far end of the field, we let ourselves in.
The chapel is raised above the surrounding land. Only the tiniest bit of masonry remains (part of the apse, according to HE). The cross base is to the south of the chapel, almost next to what we initially thought might have been a hogback, but is only an old grave stone. I couldn’t see any writing on it.
The portion of cross shaft fragment remaining in the socket stone is very small and thin. I wonder what happened to the rest of it? [Note, this is on private land, but we didn't find anyone around in all the buildings on the farm to ask if we could take a look.]
Next stop, but not recorded on the Portal, was the lime kilns and harbour at Beadnell (too recent in time!)
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75 |
3 |
| Long Nanny |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Saw from a distance |
20th May 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Long Nanny Standing Stone, Tughall: On our way into Beadnell, on the B1340, husband Andrew screeched the car to a halt on the busy road, telling me there was a standing stone in the field that only had a couple of photographs on the Portal. We could only see this from a distance, as there were large cattle and a BIG bull in the field. I took a couple of photographs from the side of the road, although the stone was so far away, even resting the c...Long Nanny Standing Stone, Tughall: On our way into Beadnell, on the B1340, husband Andrew screeched the car to a halt on the busy road, telling me there was a standing stone in the field that only had a couple of photographs on the Portal. We could only see this from a distance, as there were large cattle and a BIG bull in the field. I took a couple of photographs from the side of the road, although the stone was so far away, even resting the camera on the fence and the window ledge of the car, the shot was hazy.
Like wayland, I can’t find anything on Pastscape or Historic England. Intriguing. Need to go back and have a look when the bull and his ladies have been moved out of the field.
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75 |
2 |
| St Hilda's Church (Lucker) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th May 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Cross base, St. Hilda's Church, Lucker: We had a walk around the churchyard, but were unable to find a cross base amongst the gravestones. We wandered down as far as the river, Waren Burn, which flowed to the east of the church. Not finding anything, we wandered into the church. There was no guide book, but there were laminated sheets detailing the history of the church and St. Hilda, which I photographed.
Having found the cross base on Pas...Cross base, St. Hilda's Church, Lucker: We had a walk around the churchyard, but were unable to find a cross base amongst the gravestones. We wandered down as far as the river, Waren Burn, which flowed to the east of the church. Not finding anything, we wandered into the church. There was no guide book, but there were laminated sheets detailing the history of the church and St. Hilda, which I photographed.
Having found the cross base on Pastscape, with the grid reference, I was very reluctant to give up the search. It did indeed take some finding, as it was completely buried under ivy in a very overgrown section of the churchyard. Typically, not having the gps with us when we needed it, common sense said that the cross base should ideally be at the eastern end of the church at the highest point of land before it started to drop down to the river below. I had to clamber over brambles and force my way through trees to get to this part of the churchyard. The cross base was next to the grave of a lady called ‘Janet’.
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75 |
1 |
| National Museum of Scotland (Pictish Stones) |
Museum |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
17th May 2018 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Pictish Stones at the National Museum of Scotland: See visit report for the National Museum of Scotland (Early Christian stones). Also went to the Research Library and came away with some great information on all the Pictish Symbol Stones held by the museum, and the names/details of various reference books. |
74 |
2 |
| National Museum of Scotland (Early Christian Stones) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
17th May 2018 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Early Christian Stones at the National Museum of Scotland: We returned to go to the Research Library to find out more about the Pictish Stones, and to photograph some more exhibits, only to find Tim Peake's Spacecraft had arrived that morning, with a PR exercise in full swing and the gallery we needed to get to had been closed off until 2pm (didn't say anything about this on the web site, until we dug deeper into the events schedule). Fortunatel...Early Christian Stones at the National Museum of Scotland: We returned to go to the Research Library to find out more about the Pictish Stones, and to photograph some more exhibits, only to find Tim Peake's Spacecraft had arrived that morning, with a PR exercise in full swing and the gallery we needed to get to had been closed off until 2pm (didn't say anything about this on the web site, until we dug deeper into the events schedule). Fortunately, by the time we'd been and looked at some casts of grave slabs in part of the Kingdom of the Scots exhibit, the gallery we wanted to go to was temporarily re-opened and we managed to get in and out in between the various waves of visitors and school children. The space craft was minute, and like a cross between something out of Dr. Who and The Clangers. Apparently, Tim Peake had attended earlier that morning, but we'd missed him.
I spent an hour in the research library, coming away with some photocopies and the names/details of a number of reference books.
We also managed to go into the 'Early People's Exhibit' which had been closed during our last visit - more Pictish Symbol stones and Early Christian stones, which more than made up for the disappointment of having arrived at 10.30am and being told we'd have to wait until 2pm to get in because of Tim Peake!
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74 |
1 |
| Carby Hill |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
13th May 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Carby Hill Hillfort/Settlement, Scottish Borders: Literally just across the border from England, we parked by the cattle grid at NY 48834 83744, opposite the bungalow/farm. Just to our south east, there was (unusually for Scotland) a footpath sign which led up to the hillfort, so we decided to follow it. A mistake. The gate into the field of sheep was wired shut, so we had to duck under the electric fence. Following the slope uphill, we had to...Carby Hill Hillfort/Settlement, Scottish Borders: Literally just across the border from England, we parked by the cattle grid at NY 48834 83744, opposite the bungalow/farm. Just to our south east, there was (unusually for Scotland) a footpath sign which led up to the hillfort, so we decided to follow it. A mistake. The gate into the field of sheep was wired shut, so we had to duck under the electric fence. Following the slope uphill, we had to tackle three or four deep field drains, full of running water.
It wasn’t until we got towards the top of the slope that the walls of the settlement came into view. And what walls.
This is a really brilliant site. The last time we tried to get up here, there was an absolutely monumentally huge bull and cattle on top of the hill. This time, there were only sheep and their lambs. With 360 degree views, it was superb.
The interior of the hillfort is not large, but we made out four, if not five, hut circles, still with their banks intact, plus a watchtower in the north eastern corner.
Not much of the walls remains on the north/north eastern side, but there are lower banks of stones. We walked round the outer edge of the wall, to where stones have been piled up to form a modern cairn, overlooking the Liddel Water valley below. We descended the hill from the western side of the hillfort, which avoided the field drains, and a much easier walk.
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73 |
1 |
| Will O'Greena's Stane |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
13th May 2018 |
-1 |
4 |
4 |
Will O'Greena's Stone, Kersehopefoot: What a beautiful spot, where Kersehope Burn meets Liddel Water. Certainly very historic, if you can reconcile Canmore's version with the interpretation board on site. On the Reiver's Trail, its an easy (if wet, due to heavy rain) walk along the old railway embankment, although to descend into the field between the embankment and the river to find the stone, it's a six foot or so slither down the embankment....Will O'Greena's Stone, Kersehopefoot: What a beautiful spot, where Kersehope Burn meets Liddel Water. Certainly very historic, if you can reconcile Canmore's version with the interpretation board on site. On the Reiver's Trail, its an easy (if wet, due to heavy rain) walk along the old railway embankment, although to descend into the field between the embankment and the river to find the stone, it's a six foot or so slither down the embankment. We walked up and down, down and up, trying to find any sandstone boulder/stone which matched the description on Canmore (thank goodness for a mobile signal to call up the record 'in the field').
I eventually spotted this stone next to a gate/fence backing onto private property. The strong fence with two lines of barbed wire made me think twice about hopping across the fence, and we could see no obvious other route into the field to check. A beautiful spot but so disappointing that, having mentioned this famous stone, they hadn't made sure it (what remained of it) could be seen.
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73 |
2 |
| Great North Museum (Rock Art) |
Museum |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
4th May 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Great North Museum (Rock Art): in the 'Prehistoric' Exhibition on the ground floor (see the general Great North Museum page for full visit report). A real shame that most of the exhibits were behind glass, and very close together, which made them difficult to photograph. It was nice to see some of the Beckensall RA stones which had been donated to the museum - but I wonder where the rest are, and there are quite a few. These seemed relatively ...Great North Museum (Rock Art): in the 'Prehistoric' Exhibition on the ground floor (see the general Great North Museum page for full visit report). A real shame that most of the exhibits were behind glass, and very close together, which made them difficult to photograph. It was nice to see some of the Beckensall RA stones which had been donated to the museum - but I wonder where the rest are, and there are quite a few. These seemed relatively poor examples given the photos I've seen on the ERA website. Much enjoyed seeing these.
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72 |
3 |
| Great North Museum (Anglo Saxon Stones) |
Museum |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
4th May 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Great North Museum, Anglo Saxon Exhibit: A small but nicely presented collection of Anglo Saxon cross fragments and grave goods. Ground floor. See general SID page for Great North Museum for main visit report. |
72 |
2 |
| Great North Museum |
Museum |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
4th May 2018 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Great North Museum, Newcastle: The last time I visited here was some 8 or 9 years ago, with some police officers from York. We spent most of our time at the Hadrian's Wall exhibit, with them comparing Roman soldier's battle kit to their modern day riot gear. I found the layout of the galleries confusing, and the signs not terribly clear, but we spent a good couple of hours looking at Anglo Saxon artefacts and rock art. I also enjoyed the Ancie...Great North Museum, Newcastle: The last time I visited here was some 8 or 9 years ago, with some police officers from York. We spent most of our time at the Hadrian's Wall exhibit, with them comparing Roman soldier's battle kit to their modern day riot gear. I found the layout of the galleries confusing, and the signs not terribly clear, but we spent a good couple of hours looking at Anglo Saxon artefacts and rock art. I also enjoyed the Ancient Egyptian gallery, and found the Mouse House for under 5's - definitely a place to return to with my grand-daughter.
I'd love to come back to their library sometime, which is open to all. The coffee shop on the first floor was also good.
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72 |
1 |
| Millstone Burn 1c |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 1c: This panel was very near the road (some motorists tooted their horns as they went past) and parts of it were under turf and moss. Part of the line of cups visible on the ERA photographs were covered by moss, which we left undisturbed. It was difficult to distinguish any other cups on the rock, despite having the ERA images on my phone to compare it to. |
71 |
8 |
| Millstone Burn 1e |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 1e: On the eastern side of the A697, not far from the gate into the field. This was the stone at the grid reference given, but was almost completely buried under moss/turf, with one end of it seeming to have been grazed by farm machinery, which had taken off the moss and a shallow layer of stone. We left the moss as it was, not wanting to harm the motifs (but then NADRAP said they didn't observe anything). |
71 |
6 |
| Millstone Burn 2e |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 2e: This rock is not far upslope from Millstone Burn 2dd and 2d. Again, without GPS we would have struggled to find this rock, and we did struggle to identify any of the motifs - Beckensall described these as two ringed cups and two other cups, one with a natural groove leading to it and a pecked groove leading away from the ring. By the time of the NADRAP survey, they recorded a cup and very thin ring with groove running to the n...Millstone Burn 2e: This rock is not far upslope from Millstone Burn 2dd and 2d. Again, without GPS we would have struggled to find this rock, and we did struggle to identify any of the motifs - Beckensall described these as two ringed cups and two other cups, one with a natural groove leading to it and a pecked groove leading away from the ring. By the time of the NADRAP survey, they recorded a cup and very thin ring with groove running to the northern edge of the outcrop.
This stone was very interesting as downslope it had a step in it, and not only was there a channel wearing, but there were green water stains from where rain water had trickled down the slight slope of the rock downhill.
These motifs must have been placed to have been seen as you were coming down or up the slope.
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71 |
5 |
| Millstone Burn 2dd |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 2dd: only 15m away from Millstone Burn 2d, and relatively easy to find amongst all the other boulders in the field. As these motifs are on top of the rock, they must have been designed to have been seen as you were coming down the hillside.
This rock looks very different shapes depending on what angle you view it at. We had huge difficulty making out any cup marks at all beneath the lichen and moss, although there are some gro...Millstone Burn 2dd: only 15m away from Millstone Burn 2d, and relatively easy to find amongst all the other boulders in the field. As these motifs are on top of the rock, they must have been designed to have been seen as you were coming down the hillside.
This rock looks very different shapes depending on what angle you view it at. We had huge difficulty making out any cup marks at all beneath the lichen and moss, although there are some grooves, which look as if they have been created (enhanced?) by rainwater trickling down and over the side of the rock over the years.
Not the best example of rock art we've seen, but one to tick off the list.
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71 |
4 |
| Millstone Burn 2d. |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 2d: Closer to the A697, it's a good job we had the GPS to find this panel. In usual Tate style, we'd brought everything but a bottle of water to bring out the motifs. I had to call up the ERA media (photos and sketch) on my phone to ensure we understood what we were seeing. There really are cups beneath the lichen and moss, easier to feel with the fingers and see with the naked eye. |
71 |
3 |
| Millstone Burn 2bb |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 2bb: This would be a 'short walk on a footpath' if we'd come in through the gate we used at our last visit. This time we approached it from Millstone Burn 2c, walking down the hill towards the start of the bend in the A697 from Longframlington. The rock was instantly recognisable from ERA's description, as was finding the two indentations at its apex and the oval and groove on ERA's drawing. The three cup marks in a line were the...Millstone Burn 2bb: This would be a 'short walk on a footpath' if we'd come in through the gate we used at our last visit. This time we approached it from Millstone Burn 2c, walking down the hill towards the start of the bend in the A697 from Longframlington. The rock was instantly recognisable from ERA's description, as was finding the two indentations at its apex and the oval and groove on ERA's drawing. The three cup marks in a line were there, but underneath a heavy covering of moss and lichen. They could be felt by running your fingertips over the rock.
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71 |
2 |
| Millstone Burn 4c |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Millstone Burn 4c: It was so hot at home this morning that we decided to seek cooler climes. Husband had compiled a list of rock art panels that looked interesting and their grid references. After having found the gps, we set off for Longframlington, this time parking round the bend at a larger entrance to a slightly different field at NU 11525 05542. This meant walking through virtually knee high heather up to the top of the slope, but we fou...Millstone Burn 4c: It was so hot at home this morning that we decided to seek cooler climes. Husband had compiled a list of rock art panels that looked interesting and their grid references. After having found the gps, we set off for Longframlington, this time parking round the bend at a larger entrance to a slightly different field at NU 11525 05542. This meant walking through virtually knee high heather up to the top of the slope, but we found some paths had been mown through the heather. At the top of the hill, we had to clamber over a double barbed wire fence to get to the main outcrop (there wasn’t a gate for some way).
What we actually saw was Millstone Burn 4c at NU 11516 05169, part of the same outcrop as Millstone Burn 4a and 4b (thank heavens for GPS). Two cups were very obvious, together with some of the iron stone banding/staining. These two cups appeared to be joined by a very faint groove, which could be felt with the fingertips. Much of the rest of the panel was under turf, which we left undisturbed to protect the rock art underneath.
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71 |
1 |
| Millstone Burn 1d |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th May 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 1d: This rock art panel is just to the east of the A697 and largely covered in turf. There is a deep scar in the rock which looks relatively recent. It also has a curious vein of quartz which runs through the rock. |
71 |
6 |
| Long Stone (Barcombe Hill) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th May 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Long Stone, Barcombe Hill: we always thought this was a modern marker stone, sitting high above Stane Way. We also thought it was difficult to get to. Not so. There are well mown grass trackways that lead from Barcombe Iron Age Defended Settlement/Roman Signal Station, as well as from the Trig Point on Barcombe Hill. We approached from the trig point, which is higher than this stone and the settlement.
The whole stone and base are held...The Long Stone, Barcombe Hill: we always thought this was a modern marker stone, sitting high above Stane Way. We also thought it was difficult to get to. Not so. There are well mown grass trackways that lead from Barcombe Iron Age Defended Settlement/Roman Signal Station, as well as from the Trig Point on Barcombe Hill. We approached from the trig point, which is higher than this stone and the settlement.
The whole stone and base are held together with large metal/iron rivets. The base looks as if it has been broken into two, and one half has been taken away. The top of the cross appears rounded upwards at the four corners, as if a cross head (or similar) was mounted on top.
The more time I spent here, the more I was convinced this was an old cross. What a location! With Vindolanda below, it is certainly a very prominent spot.
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| Barcombe Hill Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
5th May 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Barcombe Hill Iron Age Defended Settlement and Roman Signal Station: On a very hot bank holiday Saturday, we decided to try and go somewhere a little cooler, so set off towards Bardon Mill (OK, I was born to live in Scandanavia, not hotter climes). We'd previously tried to visit this site but used a route from nearer the Long Stone, on a day when dog races were taking place and there were lots and lots of people, plus when we approached the sett...Barcombe Hill Iron Age Defended Settlement and Roman Signal Station: On a very hot bank holiday Saturday, we decided to try and go somewhere a little cooler, so set off towards Bardon Mill (OK, I was born to live in Scandanavia, not hotter climes). We'd previously tried to visit this site but used a route from nearer the Long Stone, on a day when dog races were taking place and there were lots and lots of people, plus when we approached the settlement, there was a huge bull and his ladies (we beat a hasty retreat).
Today we parked by the junction of Stanegate with the minor road running to Bardon Mill through Westend Village. A gate led us into the field and there was a mowed trackway leading up to the settlement (a note on the gate said the Open Access land was closed for the week before and a few days after our visit). We wandered over the settlement - the bank and ditch on the southern side is well preserved, but the northern edge has been quarried and there are some deep holes.
Making our way over to the Roman Signal station, I saw Andrew fall over in slow motion - his foot had gone down a hidden rabbit hole up to his knee. Once we'd spotted these holes, which were everywhere, we kept to the sheep tracks to avoid falling again.
After walking round the settlement, we made our way up to the Trig Point to get a view down.
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1 |
| Priest's Well (Bewcastle) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2018 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
Priest's Well, Bewcastle (site of): As the ground was far too boggy to go and see the three cairns to the west of Parkgate Bridge, I found this well marked on the OS map, so we decided to go and see it. Arriving at St. Cuthbert’s and the Bewcastle Cross, we orientated ourselves with the map to find the well is actually on private farmland. The farmer was busy driving around the field in his tractor, so we decided we could probably see the well ...Priest's Well, Bewcastle (site of): As the ground was far too boggy to go and see the three cairns to the west of Parkgate Bridge, I found this well marked on the OS map, so we decided to go and see it. Arriving at St. Cuthbert’s and the Bewcastle Cross, we orientated ourselves with the map to find the well is actually on private farmland. The farmer was busy driving around the field in his tractor, so we decided we could probably see the well from the eastern end of the churchyard.
We did see some indication of where the site of the well was, but there was no well housing or water flowing. I could find very little information on this well, apart from the mention in the Old Cumbria Gazetteer, which says it is a spring. As I finished photographing the site of where the well probably was, drizzle started to hurtle down.
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69 |
3 |
| Askerton Park |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Askerton Park Settlement: This is marked on the OS map, so we stopped at the northern end of Parkgate Bridge, where there is room to pull off the road and put on our wellies. We let ourselves in through the gate and tramped over the fields, entering the settlement from its north eastern side.
This settlement is fascinating, as its basically on a promontory between the Cam Back and Melefarm beck. Hollow ways run from the eastern part of the s...Askerton Park Settlement: This is marked on the OS map, so we stopped at the northern end of Parkgate Bridge, where there is room to pull off the road and put on our wellies. We let ourselves in through the gate and tramped over the fields, entering the settlement from its north eastern side.
This settlement is fascinating, as its basically on a promontory between the Cam Back and Melefarm beck. Hollow ways run from the eastern part of the settlement to the Cam Beck, and there is another hollow way which picks up almost half way across the settlement, leading to Cam Beck. Following the latter trackway to the burn, there are the obvious remains of a cairn.
It was really interesting walking across the tops of the enclosure banks, which stood out a brighter green with shorter grass than the surrounding wheat-coloured taller stalks. There were lots of stones in the banks. The moles had had a field day, and I picked up a couple of the many pieces of pottery that had come to the surface of a mole hill (I wasn't certain they were pots until I got home and saw the inclusions and felt the lightness of the pot as opposed to some odd shaped stones).
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1 |
| Towerbrae Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Saw from a distance |
23rd Apr 2018 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Towerbrae Cairn, Near Bewcastle: We stopped on the road to St. Cuthbert's, Bewcastle to find out how to walk to this cairn, which was basically up a quad bike track just south of Luke's Cottage. As there was nowhere near to park on a grass verge, we decided to go onto try and find Priest's Well at Bewcastle and stop on the way back.
The weather intervened, and a heavy downpour and heavy black clouds stopped us from doing this walk, but we wil...Towerbrae Cairn, Near Bewcastle: We stopped on the road to St. Cuthbert's, Bewcastle to find out how to walk to this cairn, which was basically up a quad bike track just south of Luke's Cottage. As there was nowhere near to park on a grass verge, we decided to go onto try and find Priest's Well at Bewcastle and stop on the way back.
The weather intervened, and a heavy downpour and heavy black clouds stopped us from doing this walk, but we will come back again.
The cairn is highly visible in the landscape. Apparently there is a modern marker on the cairn, and I'd like to complete our trip by returning soon.
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2 |
| Tullie House Museum |
Museum |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Apr 2018 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Tullie House Museum, Carlisle: We went to see the copy of the Bewcastle Cross and the Anglo Saxon cross fragments I'd seen photos of some years ago. The Bewcastle Cross copy no longer stands in the main entrance lobby, but is now in storage, and there are only a couple of rock art panels on display, along with Celtic gods (all displayed behind glass).
There was a very interesting video, and a display of associated artefacts, of the Langdale A...Tullie House Museum, Carlisle: We went to see the copy of the Bewcastle Cross and the Anglo Saxon cross fragments I'd seen photos of some years ago. The Bewcastle Cross copy no longer stands in the main entrance lobby, but is now in storage, and there are only a couple of rock art panels on display, along with Celtic gods (all displayed behind glass).
There was a very interesting video, and a display of associated artefacts, of the Langdale Axe factory.
A small museum, but interesting, even the Roman gallery in the basement, which has lots of interactive displays for children.
We bought a year pass for £10 each, which means we can return at any time for free until the end of April 2019. I've asked permission to go back to use their learning resource to find out more about the Celtic god sculptures.
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| Castlesteads (Lowther) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Apr 2018 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Castlesteads Earthworks, Lowther Castle: This Castlesteads (as opposed to the Iron Age settlement we visited next) is just over 220 metres south of the gate into St. Michael’s Churchyard.
Being on a high spot above a bend in the River Lowther, it looks like a very strategic spot to build a defensive structure. In fact, Pastscape says it’s the remains of an old Pele Tower or other medieval building.
Hidden in the woods, but with a footpath ...Castlesteads Earthworks, Lowther Castle: This Castlesteads (as opposed to the Iron Age settlement we visited next) is just over 220 metres south of the gate into St. Michael’s Churchyard.
Being on a high spot above a bend in the River Lowther, it looks like a very strategic spot to build a defensive structure. In fact, Pastscape says it’s the remains of an old Pele Tower or other medieval building.
Hidden in the woods, but with a footpath leading to it, it is an intriguing ruin, with high banks on all four sides of a rectangle and remnants of the masonry on its western edge.
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6 |
| King Arthur's Round Table |
Henge |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Apr 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
King Arthur's Round Table Henge, Eamont Bridge: We tried to stop here on the way down to Langwathby, but the traffic was so dense and moving in so many different directions at the traffic lights, we decided to try when it was quieter. Thankfully, we managed to park in the layby opposite on the way back and let ourselves in through the kissing gate by the western side of the A66.
The scale of this monument is huge, and we walked all around its...King Arthur's Round Table Henge, Eamont Bridge: We tried to stop here on the way down to Langwathby, but the traffic was so dense and moving in so many different directions at the traffic lights, we decided to try when it was quieter. Thankfully, we managed to park in the layby opposite on the way back and let ourselves in through the kissing gate by the western side of the A66.
The scale of this monument is huge, and we walked all around its outer bank, trying to photograph the whole. Well worth stopping off and taking a look.
I didn't realise until I got home and was looking up information that there is a Little Round Table henge at NY 52387 28180.
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8 |
| Castlesteads (Yanwath Wood) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Apr 2018 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Castlesteads (Yanwath Woods), Cumbria: This hillfort/enclosure is a pleasant stroll away from St. Michael’s Church and Lowther Castle, along footpaths and forest tracks, crossing the River Lowther either on the road or the footpath. After crossing the river, we followed the forest track north then to the west when the track split some 100 metres or so after the river crossing. The track following the river was full of dog walkers from the nearb...Castlesteads (Yanwath Woods), Cumbria: This hillfort/enclosure is a pleasant stroll away from St. Michael’s Church and Lowther Castle, along footpaths and forest tracks, crossing the River Lowther either on the road or the footpath. After crossing the river, we followed the forest track north then to the west when the track split some 100 metres or so after the river crossing. The track following the river was full of dog walkers from the nearby holiday/caravan park, although heading up into the forest, it was peaceful and calm.
This was a very strange site, as there is higher ground to the north/north west of this enclosure. There were some huge boulders within the interior of the enclosure. Some made up what seemed to be wall lines, others just seemed scattered about.
The northern part of the enclosure seems to have been clipped by the construction of the forest track, and this has removed the outer banks and ditches on this side.
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68 |
7 |
| St Michael (Lowther) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Apr 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Ancient Cross and hogback fragments, Lowther: We arrived here eager to see the hogback and grave covers detailed on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture Volume II, but on arriving at the church, the door appeared to be locked. There were a few broken panels in the south window of the porch, so I resorted to trying to take photos through the window, but there was no light. I called up the Corpus on my phone to see what might be in the churc...Ancient Cross and hogback fragments, Lowther: We arrived here eager to see the hogback and grave covers detailed on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture Volume II, but on arriving at the church, the door appeared to be locked. There were a few broken panels in the south window of the porch, so I resorted to trying to take photos through the window, but there was no light. I called up the Corpus on my phone to see what might be in the churchyard rather than inside the church and came up with Lowther 10, which is built into the retaining wall of the churchyard where it drops down to the River Lowther, 9m from the south west corner of the church. Andrew walked all the way round, whilst I stayed in the churchyard marking the spot, but despite having the Corpus photograph, this stone appeared to be too worn to identify.
In disappointment, I went and rattled at the church door again, a little more boisterously than before and as I let the handle go, heard the latch click and the door came open. We made our way inside the church. There are supposed to be a number of fragments in the porch, but only found 2 that are recorded on the Corpus.
There are three more fragments tucked away against the west wall of the north transept, and I had to go and get my large flash gun to take photographs. Only two of these are recorded on the Corpus.
This is a really strange church. Despite its size, it feels more like a mausoleum rather than a church, and I was glad to get out into the sunshine to find the cross in the churchyard.
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4 |
| Roman Milestone (Temple Sowerby) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Apr 2018 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Roman Milestone, in its original position, Temple Sowerby: This was a very curious site - now a newly created 'dead end' and technically a private road. The milestone is hidden behind a mound of dirt and stones at the side of the road, protected by a metal railing. Traffic on the he modern A66 Temple Sowerby by-pass whizzes by at high speed. Shame the railing and hedge behind attracts so much rubbish - really spoiled the ambience.
To think...Roman Milestone, in its original position, Temple Sowerby: This was a very curious site - now a newly created 'dead end' and technically a private road. The milestone is hidden behind a mound of dirt and stones at the side of the road, protected by a metal railing. Traffic on the he modern A66 Temple Sowerby by-pass whizzes by at high speed. Shame the railing and hedge behind attracts so much rubbish - really spoiled the ambience.
To think this has been on an ancient routeway for such a long time. The weather has long scoured away any inscription. I have been trying to find out how they know it's in its original location, but haven't found out anything (yet).
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3 |
| St. Cuthbert's Church (Edenhall) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Apr 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross at St. Cuthbert's Church, Edenhall: There is a small car park to the north of the church, and a tall/wide gate with a stile next to it to access the churchyard. This is a pretty, red sandstone building which looks as if it has been extended many times in antiquity.
There was no mention of anything on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, although the church guide book mentions “the chancel appears to be pre-Norman or ea...Anglo Saxon Cross at St. Cuthbert's Church, Edenhall: There is a small car park to the north of the church, and a tall/wide gate with a stile next to it to access the churchyard. This is a pretty, red sandstone building which looks as if it has been extended many times in antiquity.
There was no mention of anything on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, although the church guide book mentions “the chancel appears to be pre-Norman or early Norman origin, and a small blocked up window high up in this wall is of Anglo Saxon type. Moreover, on the same wall, lower down, there is a carved Anglo Saxon cross. Thus the north wall may be the remains of an earlier church.”
The guide also mentions a Mass Dial on the south wall, to the east of the porch. We both spent about 20 mins looking up and down the length of the wall, both east and west of the porch, in strong sunlight which would have brought the markings out, but failed to find this. We did spot what looked like two fragments of carved cross shaft in the south wall of the tower, west of the porch. There was no mention of these in the guide or Pastscape or HE notes.
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2 |
| Edenhall Cross (Langwathby) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Apr 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Edenhall Cross, near Langwathby, Cumbria: This is one of the crosses we didn't have time to visit on our last trip to Cumbria, and we picked a beautiful, if somewhat chilly day, to arrive.
No sooner had we pulled the car up by the cross to take some photographs, and I was wrestling with the lens of my camera, which had jammed, when a dog walker sidled up and asked us if we were planning on parking there. I said I was just going to take some p...Edenhall Cross, near Langwathby, Cumbria: This is one of the crosses we didn't have time to visit on our last trip to Cumbria, and we picked a beautiful, if somewhat chilly day, to arrive.
No sooner had we pulled the car up by the cross to take some photographs, and I was wrestling with the lens of my camera, which had jammed, when a dog walker sidled up and asked us if we were planning on parking there. I said I was just going to take some photos, then we were heading down to the church; we wouldn't dream of blocking the gate into the field. The man looked mollified and moved on, only to be followed by a steady stream of dog walkers with large dogs.
The view across to the Pennines with their snow caps was lovely. The photographs didn't really do the scenery justice. A lovely spot.
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1 |
| Thockrington Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Oct 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Thockrington Cross, Northumberland:
Having emailed to thank the Reverend Michael Slade (Mike) for the information about Chollerton and Birtley, he replied to my email this morning, saying: Dear Anne, Thank you for your encouraging email. I am so glad you enjoyed your visit. Do have a look at one of my other churches, St Aidan's Thockrington. It is open during the day too and is in the most spectacular location. There is a Grade 2 listed Saxon...Thockrington Cross, Northumberland:
Having emailed to thank the Reverend Michael Slade (Mike) for the information about Chollerton and Birtley, he replied to my email this morning, saying: Dear Anne, Thank you for your encouraging email. I am so glad you enjoyed your visit. Do have a look at one of my other churches, St Aidan's Thockrington. It is open during the day too and is in the most spectacular location. There is a Grade 2 listed Saxon Cross in the churchyard, at least what's left of the cross! Well worth a visit anyway. And there is St Christopher's Gunnerton, an Arts and Crafts church, kept locked but a key is available locally. Michael Slade, Vicar
So husband Andrew and I went along this afternoon. Thockrington is essentially a very large farm with a house or two attached. The roads, whilst only a couple of miles from the A68, are across bleak moorland.
There is parking (on grass at the side of the single track road) by the gate to the church, then a gate leads you up into a field to a gate to the churchyard. The wind was extremely strong.
I spotted the remains of a cross shaft – propped up in a modern plinth (it moved when touched). It is very weathered and the remains of carving (apparently an upside down figure) can be seen upon one side.
The inside of the church is strange. The nave is obviously Victorian, but the chancel seems to be the original, old church with very off-true pillars. Fascinating.
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| Callaly Castle Hillfort |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Feb 2018 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Castle Hill Hillfort, Callaly: After Millstone Burn Standing stone, there was time for one more visit before dusk. Andrew had marked this site on the map, so we drove round to the permissive footpath which led up through the deciduous wood to the top of the hill.
It was a very good job that we’d worn wellies, as the path was ankle deep in mud in parts. The site was so overgrown that we barely recognised the outer defences as we approached fr...Castle Hill Hillfort, Callaly: After Millstone Burn Standing stone, there was time for one more visit before dusk. Andrew had marked this site on the map, so we drove round to the permissive footpath which led up through the deciduous wood to the top of the hill.
It was a very good job that we’d worn wellies, as the path was ankle deep in mud in parts. The site was so overgrown that we barely recognised the outer defences as we approached from the north west,
The interior of the hillfort was very rocky. Whilst the plan of the hillfort looks fascinating, much of it is hidden by the tall bracken and trees growing within and without. Some great fungi and a lovely walk, though.
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| Millstone Burn Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Feb 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Millstone Burn Standing Stone, Longframlington: After having seen the cross base and some of the rock art on the western side of the road, we crossed the A697 and let ourselves into the field on the eastern side of the road, which is also Open Access land. It was a good job we had a GPS, as there were plenty of other upright and earthfast boulders in this field.
My attention was first caught by what looked like an old hollow way, travelling e...Millstone Burn Standing Stone, Longframlington: After having seen the cross base and some of the rock art on the western side of the road, we crossed the A697 and let ourselves into the field on the eastern side of the road, which is also Open Access land. It was a good job we had a GPS, as there were plenty of other upright and earthfast boulders in this field.
My attention was first caught by what looked like an old hollow way, travelling eastwards across the field, ending in a gorse-covered hollow with a large grey stone within. Judging by the mound of rubbish around here, it looks like a local picnic spot, which was a shame. After having photographed this large, grey stone, I made my way to where my husband was standing by the standing stone, where the ground starts to slope down towards the burn. "Is that really a standing stone?" was my first question, as there were so many other boulders in the field. "Come and look", he replied.
This is a really odd shaped stone, strangely reminiscent of the larger stone at Simonburn/Davy's Lee stone circle, with a 'seat' in its edge. The eastern face of this rock is champfered towards its base, the sloping rock disappearing into the turf.
The 'cup' and 'grooves' at first sight looked like very deep cups and weathered grooves. I remember two different archaeologists at our Davy's Lee and Edges Green surveys telling me similar features were more likely to be solution holes (the rock being dissolved slowly over the years as acidic water accumulates in natural depressions); similarly water channels are formed and widen through natural water action. I would like to think these might have started off as cups and grooves - more romantic, somehow. Pastscape does describe this as "not a typical standing stone" and it is recorded as ERA-558. The ERA record also notes that the path I followed down to the erratic and field boundary "is the line of an old track way, marked by hollow-ways, heading from Millstone Burn onto Longframlington Moor."
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4 |
| Millstone Burn 4a |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Feb 2018 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 4a, Longframlington: Following the hollow way up the hill (wellies or good walking boots were needed, as the ground was very boggy in parts), as we approached the fence at the top of the hill, this moss and grass covered outcrop looked like a large cairn at first sight. Following the fence line north for about 100 metres to the gate giving access into this field and stepping up onto the slope, the motifs immediately came into view...Millstone Burn 4a, Longframlington: Following the hollow way up the hill (wellies or good walking boots were needed, as the ground was very boggy in parts), as we approached the fence at the top of the hill, this moss and grass covered outcrop looked like a large cairn at first sight. Following the fence line north for about 100 metres to the gate giving access into this field and stepping up onto the slope, the motifs immediately came into view.
Initially only having come here to see the cross base carved into the rock (not having done any research into this before I came) I was taken aback by the sheer number of the cups and cups and rings here.
With great views across the moors, I was reluctant to leave. Must come back here with ERA's sketch of the rock to appreciate it more fully. And see the rest of the rock art around here. Brilliant.
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| Millstone Burn 2h |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Feb 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 2h, Longframlington: Walking down from the main outcrop, Millstone Burn 4a, back to the car, we had the grid reference for this stone, so decided to detour and find it. From the hollow way near the gate into the field by the A697, a small trackway heads north towards this grid reference. Following this for 150 metres, and having passed some larger, very smooth outcrops, we came upon this apparently unprepossessing stone. "Is tha...Millstone Burn 2h, Longframlington: Walking down from the main outcrop, Millstone Burn 4a, back to the car, we had the grid reference for this stone, so decided to detour and find it. From the hollow way near the gate into the field by the A697, a small trackway heads north towards this grid reference. Following this for 150 metres, and having passed some larger, very smooth outcrops, we came upon this apparently unprepossessing stone. "Is that it?" I asked my husband, who, as usual, was a hundred metres of so ahead of me as he's a faster walker. "Yes, come closer and you'll see" was his reply.
As I came up to the stone, these remarkable motifs came into view. "Wow!" was my instinctive reaction.
Fortunately, we had strong sunlight which brought the motifs out beautifully, and I took around 50 or so photographs. Needing to move onto our next stop, we retraced our path to the car, but I wondered what made the carvers of this rock choose this small rock - it there more under the turf? There were much larger, more prominent outcrops around. Curious, but I expect I'll never know.
Knowing there is so much rock art up here, I'll need to study ERA and make another (at least day-long) trip. Brilliant!
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| Millstone Burn 2c |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Feb 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Millstone Burn 2a, Longframlington: Making the most of a bright, sunny day, before the 'Polar Vortex' was supposed to hit the UK, we decided to go looking for the standing stone and the main rock here, before heading off to find Castle Hill Hillfort at nearby Callaly.
Parking alongside the very fast A697 was fun, but there was a small tarmacked area next to a gate and track at NU 11858 05078. As the gate hadn't been used in a long time, jud...Millstone Burn 2a, Longframlington: Making the most of a bright, sunny day, before the 'Polar Vortex' was supposed to hit the UK, we decided to go looking for the standing stone and the main rock here, before heading off to find Castle Hill Hillfort at nearby Callaly.
Parking alongside the very fast A697 was fun, but there was a small tarmacked area next to a gate and track at NU 11858 05078. As the gate hadn't been used in a long time, judging by the gorse growing around it, we decided to risk it and if the farmer needed access, we could run back to the car to move it.
Heading up the track, we passed a large square boulder standing on smaller stones, that looked like it had been quarried. 36 paces further west, right next to the track was a cup marked stone. I took the grid reference off the GPS and later identified it as Millstone Burn 2c from ERA.
The boulder was heavily covered in moss, but we could make out more cups running along the ridge, and some down its side. Not wanting to cause any damage or erosion, we left the moss, and headed up the slope to the main rock.
I'd spotted ranging poles in the field further to the south west, and a few cars parked nearby, but didn't spot anyone. What a place for rock art. A real treat, and for me really accessible. I could have spent several days here, and ear-marked it to come back to at a later date.
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| St Edmund's Church (Newbeggin) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Feb 2018 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Cross base and remains of cross shaft, St. Edmunds Church, Newbeggin (Culgaith): We arrived here as dusk was dropping fast, so all my photos had to be taken with flash. Surprisingly, the church was still open, so we popped inside, but apart from a reading light near the pulpit, couldn't find any light switches. The church is a lot larger than it looks, and the grave yard is very full, so we had to pick our way over the graves and host of snowdr...Cross base and remains of cross shaft, St. Edmunds Church, Newbeggin (Culgaith): We arrived here as dusk was dropping fast, so all my photos had to be taken with flash. Surprisingly, the church was still open, so we popped inside, but apart from a reading light near the pulpit, couldn't find any light switches. The church is a lot larger than it looks, and the grave yard is very full, so we had to pick our way over the graves and host of snowdrops to get to the cross.
The sundial nearer to the western churchyard wall was also interesting, although part of its lead gnomon had been pulled off.
It was very heavily encrusted in moss, and not wanting to damage it, left it without seeing if there were any carvings or features on it. Another church next to Crowdundle Burn (as is St. Cuthbert's in Milburn). A pretty spot. By the time we'd finished here, it was almost dark, so reluctantly had to set off back home.
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66 |
5 |
| St Cuthbert's Church (Milburn) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Feb 2018 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient cross and pre-Conquest sundial, Milburn, Cumbria: We scouted all around the churchyard for this cross, only to realise it was at the head of the access road from the village, so back-tracked to find it. It sits right by the northern gate post and we had mistaken it for part of the gate/fence structure, then we checked the grid reference and saw the hole in the top of the shaft, presumably either for another section or a smaller cross.
...Ancient cross and pre-Conquest sundial, Milburn, Cumbria: We scouted all around the churchyard for this cross, only to realise it was at the head of the access road from the village, so back-tracked to find it. It sits right by the northern gate post and we had mistaken it for part of the gate/fence structure, then we checked the grid reference and saw the hole in the top of the shaft, presumably either for another section or a smaller cross.
Going back down to the church, I found the pre-Conquest sundial, which is low down on the exterior stone door jamb of the western side of the south door. Thankfully I was able to pull up the Corpus of Anglo Saxon stone sculpture photograph to help me in the growing dusk.
The churchyard is really nicely kept and the Crowdundle Beck/Milburn Beck runs by the western side of the churchyard. A remote, by lovely spot.
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66 |
3 |
| St Lawrence's Church (Kirkland) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Feb 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ancient Cross, St Lawrence's Church, Kirkland, Cumbria: The church itself is unremarkable, although a pretty stream runs just outside the southern wall of the churchyard. Parking is available just outside the church, on the grass, although on the day of our visit it was snowy and the ground was boggy, so we parked just over the bridge, just east of the T-junction.
The church was being renovated, so to avoid the scaffolding and a muddy walk ri...Ancient Cross, St Lawrence's Church, Kirkland, Cumbria: The church itself is unremarkable, although a pretty stream runs just outside the southern wall of the churchyard. Parking is available just outside the church, on the grass, although on the day of our visit it was snowy and the ground was boggy, so we parked just over the bridge, just east of the T-junction.
The church was being renovated, so to avoid the scaffolding and a muddy walk right round the churchyard from the gate at the north-western edge of the church, we hopped across the small wire fence, meant for containing the sheep.
The cross is tall and slender, but with broken arms. We observed two channels in the base, where the cross shaft meets the base, from which melting snow water was running. On another cross base near Cairnpapple, Canmore recorded that similar channels were thought to be from the base being used as a drinking trough at some time in its past. Here, the channels seemed to serve as a way of getting rid of water which might run down between the cross shaft and its base.
Certainly a remote spot here, although plenty of farm traffic.
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66 |
2 |
| St Luke's Church (Townhead) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
9th Feb 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient cross, St. Luke's Church, Townhead, near Ousby. OK, so the weather was supposed to be better the further west we went, so we took the option of travelling to this site via Alston and the high moors. A bit of a mistake, as there was much more snow here than at home, but it was lovely, if a bit of a slow drive. The roads within Ousby village were quite complex for such a small village, and we managed twice to take the wrong turn, but fin...Ancient cross, St. Luke's Church, Townhead, near Ousby. OK, so the weather was supposed to be better the further west we went, so we took the option of travelling to this site via Alston and the high moors. A bit of a mistake, as there was much more snow here than at home, but it was lovely, if a bit of a slow drive. The roads within Ousby village were quite complex for such a small village, and we managed twice to take the wrong turn, but finally ended up at this very small hamlet.
Parking is available just to the west of the church, where the road widens, although walking to the gate of the church was tricky as it was quite a busy road, with farm traffic and lorries (considering the road is a dead end, I wondered where the traffic went).
No-one had been in the churchyard since the snow had fallen, so we picked our way up to the north door. The church is relatively plain inside, until you walk up to the chancel, where there is the most fantastic carved effigy, made out of wood and now encased in a glass/plastic case to preserve it. Half of this has broken off, but I was glad we'd gone inside the church to see this. There was no church guide, or any notes for visitors, and I haven't been able to find out much about this since.
The cross base and remnant of cross shaft are to the south of the nave/chancel, almost on top of a tall, red sandstone grave stone. We could see no markings or carvings on the cross shaft or base, apart from a shallow carved cross on top of the shaft, with small 'cups' as terminals.
The snowy hills in the background made this quite an atmospheric place.
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66 |
1 |
| Holy Stone (North Tyneside) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
3rd Feb 2018 |
-1 |
2 |
4 |
Holy Stone Cross Base, North Tyneside: Having been to the industrial estate nearby, we decided to try and track down this stone. Donning wellies, as there had been torrential rain the night before, we followed the footpath from the Holystone Pub/Premier Inn (where there is a car park almost next to the A19, just north east of the pub) towards Holystone Farm, crossing the bridge above a busy railway line. At the recently built Holystone Cottage, ...Holy Stone Cross Base, North Tyneside: Having been to the industrial estate nearby, we decided to try and track down this stone. Donning wellies, as there had been torrential rain the night before, we followed the footpath from the Holystone Pub/Premier Inn (where there is a car park almost next to the A19, just north east of the pub) towards Holystone Farm, crossing the bridge above a busy railway line. At the recently built Holystone Cottage, another footpath runs north east across the fields towards the A19. The stone is supposed to be located at the junction of the footpath and the front wall of Holystone Cottage.
By chance we met a couple of dog walkers, and I asked them if they knew of this stone. The man said he was brought up locally and remembered playing in the fields at the back of the cottage, where there a three foot high stone they used to gather around. He said the stone had been destroyed some years ago, but the cross base might remain.
He walked us to the spot where he remembered the stone being, but nothing. He did say that there had been recent site investigation in the field, prior to building new houses.
We did find what looked very much like a cross base in the corner of a neighbouring field at NZ 30210 70783. This looked very convincing from the side, but from the top, there was what might have been a long, thin, damaged slot, very unlike the carved slots we've seen in other cross bases.
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65 |
1 |
| Thornborough Central |
Henge |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
15th Jan 2018 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Thornborough Henge: We stopped off here just before sunset and walked round the henge in the dusk. This time, rather than being here on our own, there were lots of dog walkers around for the first part of our visit. I was horrified by the amount of burrowing that was all around the henge; it seemed to be slowly destroying the banks of the henge. I don't remember there being this much on our last visit. Not sure what to do about it. An email ...Thornborough Henge: We stopped off here just before sunset and walked round the henge in the dusk. This time, rather than being here on our own, there were lots of dog walkers around for the first part of our visit. I was horrified by the amount of burrowing that was all around the henge; it seemed to be slowly destroying the banks of the henge. I don't remember there being this much on our last visit. Not sure what to do about it. An email to the local archaeologists?
I took some photographs but need to work out how to produce a panorama from them, as my photostitch software seems to have stopped working.
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64 |
3 |
| Little John's Well (Hampole) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (South) |
Visited |
15th Jan 2018 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Little John's Well, Hampole: Please note, when I say disabled access - the site is visible (just) from the road, but there are a few steps up the brambled covered slope (not enough to say 'short walk on a footpath' because there is none). For what seemed to be like a country area with a few little villages around, there was an endless stream of traffic, including huge lorries, but then I guess there is a huge quarry immediately adjacent to this ...Little John's Well, Hampole: Please note, when I say disabled access - the site is visible (just) from the road, but there are a few steps up the brambled covered slope (not enough to say 'short walk on a footpath' because there is none). For what seemed to be like a country area with a few little villages around, there was an endless stream of traffic, including huge lorries, but then I guess there is a huge quarry immediately adjacent to this site, plus it sits by the side of the A638, a main road into Doncaster.
With parked on the wide entrance to Hazel Lane (made so because the huge lorries need to be able to swing round) and walked round the corner to the A638 and found the well hidden behind a large clump of brambles.
Not having expected to come here (it wasn’t far off the route and we had half an hour to kill) I wasn’t dressed for clambering up slippery, bramble covered slopes (being attired in long skirt and shoes for scattering my step father’s ashes), but with the help of my husband, I made it up the short slope anyway. There was a further stone structure higher up the slope, and from the Pastscape entry, this appears to be the main spring, which feeds into the well trough below.
There were also stone facings higher up the hill, but Andrew said these were more likely to be there to support the slope. From reading the Pastscape entry this morning, these stone may have been part of the enclosure for the well.
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64 |
2 |
| Robin Hood's Well (Burghwallis) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (South) |
Visited |
15th Jan 2018 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Robin Hood's Well, just off the A1 near Burghwallis: With the rain pounding down on the car and a warning light just appeared on the car dashboard, we were glad to pull off the A1 near Burghwallis. It was easy enough to pull onto the layby (it was a busy place), but difficult to get back onto the A1 and we had to wait quite a long time for a big enough gap in the traffic to appear.
I pulled my coat on and headed off the few metres from the ca...Robin Hood's Well, just off the A1 near Burghwallis: With the rain pounding down on the car and a warning light just appeared on the car dashboard, we were glad to pull off the A1 near Burghwallis. It was easy enough to pull onto the layby (it was a busy place), but difficult to get back onto the A1 and we had to wait quite a long time for a big enough gap in the traffic to appear.
I pulled my coat on and headed off the few metres from the car to the well housing, getting soaked on the way. Having wanted to stop off here for years, but never having succeeded, I confess to being really disappointed. This really is just a recently constructed stone 'well house', with a bit of graffiti inside and a vague hollow for where the well pipe might have been situated. Still, I achieved it and got a few photos, having to wipe the camera down well once I huddled back in the car to warm up.
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64 |
1 |
| Piper Lane Standing Stone (Birtley) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th Jan 2018 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Piper Lane Stone, Birtley Shields: Spotted this on the way back from Birtley Shields, standing in the middle of the field. There was no easy access into the field and the ground was waterlogged, so passed up on climbing over the stone wall to get a closer look.
It's location is intriguing, as it stands north of the cultivation terraces marked on the OS maps. There are no other rubbing stones in the surrounding fields. Couldn't find anything...Piper Lane Stone, Birtley Shields: Spotted this on the way back from Birtley Shields, standing in the middle of the field. There was no easy access into the field and the ground was waterlogged, so passed up on climbing over the stone wall to get a closer look.
It's location is intriguing, as it stands north of the cultivation terraces marked on the OS maps. There are no other rubbing stones in the surrounding fields. Couldn't find anything about it on Pastscape, HE or by doing a general web search.
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63 |
4 |
| Mill Knock Settlement (Birtley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th Jan 2018 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Mill Knock Enclosure, Birtley: We didn't realise this settlement was here until we pulled up at the quarry entrance and I studied the OS map more closely. At first, it looked like just outcrops of limestone rock, but as I walked up the gentle slope, the outer banks and ditches became more obvious.
The northern part of the enclosure looked as if it had been used for small scale limestone quarrying, although the outer bank and ditches were rela...Mill Knock Enclosure, Birtley: We didn't realise this settlement was here until we pulled up at the quarry entrance and I studied the OS map more closely. At first, it looked like just outcrops of limestone rock, but as I walked up the gentle slope, the outer banks and ditches became more obvious.
The northern part of the enclosure looked as if it had been used for small scale limestone quarrying, although the outer bank and ditches were relatively in tact.
The Holywell Burn runs past the eastern side of the enclosure - just a waterlogged ditch lined by reeds at this point. The eastern side of the site looks as if it had been ploughed or quarried away.
With all the rock outcrops in the area I spent some time looking for cup marks, but found none.
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63 |
1 |
| Carry House Enclosure (Birtley Shields) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th Jan 2018 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Carry House Settlement, Birtley Shields: Cut by two stone walls and ploughed away at its northern end, but this was a stunning spot, tucked below a hill and with a steep slope down to the River North Tyne Valley below.
In the distance I could hear the farmer on his tractor running animal feed to his Blackies. I said to my husband, "He's going to come over." Five minutes later he drove up on his quad bike and engaged us in conversation, te...Carry House Settlement, Birtley Shields: Cut by two stone walls and ploughed away at its northern end, but this was a stunning spot, tucked below a hill and with a steep slope down to the River North Tyne Valley below.
In the distance I could hear the farmer on his tractor running animal feed to his Blackies. I said to my husband, "He's going to come over." Five minutes later he drove up on his quad bike and engaged us in conversation, telling how this block of land belonged to the Duke of Northumberland "who didn't like visitors and didn't want them taking photographs" ("What, even though its marked on the OS map and its next to a public highway? Why are there no notices telling us this?" I think he was just winding me up!). Anyway, he was very pleasant and told us about his farm and a brief history of the area.
As the farmer was around, we stuck to walking up to the wall and along the track to take photographs. Shame, as I would have nipped through the gate to look for the cairn.
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63 |
3 |
| Mill Knock Chalybeate Well (Birtley) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
7th Jan 2018 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Mill Knock Holy Well: The skies may have been blue and tempting to put on walking boots, but the temperatures were just on freezing and the minor roads around here were just like skating rinks! This well is not marked on the map, but my husband had come across an article on it, and being not too far from our house, decided to drive out to visit.
This is a glorious location (well, if you ignore the quarry). Access into the well field is a bit...Mill Knock Holy Well: The skies may have been blue and tempting to put on walking boots, but the temperatures were just on freezing and the minor roads around here were just like skating rinks! This well is not marked on the map, but my husband had come across an article on it, and being not too far from our house, decided to drive out to visit.
This is a glorious location (well, if you ignore the quarry). Access into the well field is a bit tricky, as there is no gate near the gorge formed by the gushing spring, but a bit of wooden fence allowed us to hop over to get a closer look.
On the eastern side of the road, the Holywell Burn is just a trickle - like a shallow ditch, but crossing the single track road and looking west over the stone wall, there is a strong gush of clear water which comes tumbling out of the hillside.
From a distance, it looks as if the water comes directly from the face of the large stone which is visible at the head of the gorge, but in fact the water is channelled from the stone wall past the western face of the stone.
Whilst I was waiting at the wooden fence for my husband to do a 'reccy' of the field to see if it was safe to go and look, I glanced down at my feet and what looked like narrow, but well worn rings, shone up at me from a portable stone that looked like it had fallen out of the wall. I photographed it, but am not convinced. However, for a moment, it did look like a new rock art discovery and I was quite excited!
This is another complex landscape, but mixed with lots of rock outcrops, so it was difficult to comprehend exactly what we were seeing until we came back home and looked up the official records on Pastscape (HE had nothing). A site to revisit during warmer weather.
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63 |
2 |
| Edinburgh Runestone |
Carving |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
19th Dec 2017 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
The Edinburgh Runestone: Getting to this stone was rather precarious! It was easy to walk up the 40 degree slope by clutching onto the nearby railings around the stone. Getting down was more difficult and left my friend with mud all over his walking boots. The stone is obviously in the middle of being moved - it has been strapped up and well protected. I'm glad its going to a much more accessible site. On my next trip up to Edinburgh I'll ma...The Edinburgh Runestone: Getting to this stone was rather precarious! It was easy to walk up the 40 degree slope by clutching onto the nearby railings around the stone. Getting down was more difficult and left my friend with mud all over his walking boots. The stone is obviously in the middle of being moved - it has been strapped up and well protected. I'm glad its going to a much more accessible site. On my next trip up to Edinburgh I'll make a point of going to see this stone in its new location.
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62 |
2 |
| National Museum of Scotland |
Museum |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
19th Dec 2017 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
Pictish and Early Christian Stones, NMS: The weather prohibited my friends and I from doing much outside, so the National Museum of Scotland seemed like a good place to visits. Neither of us had been before, and as neither of us knew where we were going, asked the lady at the reception desk for the Pictish Stones. She was very helpful, pulling out a guide of the museum and telling us that some of them were in the basement, other in the Kingdom ...Pictish and Early Christian Stones, NMS: The weather prohibited my friends and I from doing much outside, so the National Museum of Scotland seemed like a good place to visits. Neither of us had been before, and as neither of us knew where we were going, asked the lady at the reception desk for the Pictish Stones. She was very helpful, pulling out a guide of the museum and telling us that some of them were in the basement, other in the Kingdom of the Scots exhibition on the first/part floor. She said she would contact one of her colleagues.
She pointed us in the direction of the stairs to the next floor down, and by the time we reached the bottom, a colleague was already waiting to greet us. He walked us round to the start of the exhibition and round to the pod to the side of the ‘early people exhibition’ on the lower ground floor. I spent a very happy couple of hours wandering around the exhibitions and photographing the stones.
The one downside was that not all the signs telling us what the exhibits were could be found. I did try and find someone to ask later in the afternoon, but could find no-one on the museum floor that we were on. I will email or revisit to find out more about the exhibits I'm really interested in.
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62 |
1 |
| Belsay Tower Cross (Northumberland) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
|
3 |
3 |
4 |
Belsay Tower Cross, Northumberland: Passing Belsay on the way back from the Bolam Cairn, we decided to try and trace the cross marked on the OS map. Although we’ve been here before, we’d not tried to look for this, as we largely had our small grand daughter with us.
The cross is located (on the map) very close to the Castle, so we walked through the grounds, having received a stern reminder from one of the staff members, that we had to vacat...Belsay Tower Cross, Northumberland: Passing Belsay on the way back from the Bolam Cairn, we decided to try and trace the cross marked on the OS map. Although we’ve been here before, we’d not tried to look for this, as we largely had our small grand daughter with us.
The cross is located (on the map) very close to the Castle, so we walked through the grounds, having received a stern reminder from one of the staff members, that we had to vacate the car park by 4pm, but became thoroughly disorientated. Husband, Andrew, got his compass out and we decided that to reach the cross from the castle, we would have had to jump the ha-ha or scale a fence to get into a field to cross over to it.
In the end, we walked back through the Quarry Gardens to the private road which runs north from the gate at the bottom of the croquet lawn (where the paths from the Hall cross over to Quarry Gardens); after 100 metres it joins the road which runs east-west between the Hall and the Castle. Turning east along this, we walked for around 150 metres, then found a short trackway running through a sparse wooded area, into a field. Through the wooded area, we got our first sight of this cross.
It is on private land, but we took the chance of going through the gate and taking a quick look. It is within 200 metres of the castle, which is to the west, but the land is well fenced off.
In the end, it would have been easier to walk from the car park, past the estate cottages towards the castle, then take the first track on the north side of this minor road into the field with the cross.
It really reminded me of the Shitlington Cross, with its chamfered sides and missing top.
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60 |
2 |
| Bolam Round Cairn (Northumberland) |
Round Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Nov 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Bolam Bronze Age Round Cairn, near Belsay, Northumberland: Although the sun was shining and the photos largely make this site look like we’ve seen it on a summer’s day, the temperature was 2 degrees C and removing my glove for a few minutes to take photographs made my normally very warm hands icy cold.
Walking along the footpath (which a notice at the field gate said was blocked at Foulmartlaw), the first thing we noticed was the very prominen...Bolam Bronze Age Round Cairn, near Belsay, Northumberland: Although the sun was shining and the photos largely make this site look like we’ve seen it on a summer’s day, the temperature was 2 degrees C and removing my glove for a few minutes to take photographs made my normally very warm hands icy cold.
Walking along the footpath (which a notice at the field gate said was blocked at Foulmartlaw), the first thing we noticed was the very prominent ridge and furrow ploughing, which seemed to be the same in all the other fields around the estate.
Approaching the cairn from its eastern side, it seemed like a large bite had been taken out of the middle. A stone was standing in the middle of the ‘bite’. Pastscape and Historic England say this is a gatepost. BUT - if this was a gatepost, there was no evidence of a field system or boundary matching this. And where was it’s matching stone?
There was a second stone at NZ 09356 82201, some 50 metres away, which was lying with its base in a hollow with some packing stones, which indicated it had stood upright at some point. It is not mentioned on either Pastscape or Historic England entries.
A third, smaller boulder, poked its way out of the ground half way between the cairn and this stone. I photographed it just in case it was associated with the cairn.
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61 |
1 |
| Newton Reigny Enclosure |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Nov 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Newton Reigny Enclosure: Having put the wellies in the back of the car, we decided to try and walk along the lanes from the south of Newton Reigny, where traditionally one of the stone rows ran towards Newbeggin. On our last visit, back in February 2017, the lane was ankle deep in water and mud.
I spotted this enclosure on the map, and keen to see something other than possible (non-existent) standing stones, was keen to see something of histo...Newton Reigny Enclosure: Having put the wellies in the back of the car, we decided to try and walk along the lanes from the south of Newton Reigny, where traditionally one of the stone rows ran towards Newbeggin. On our last visit, back in February 2017, the lane was ankle deep in water and mud.
I spotted this enclosure on the map, and keen to see something other than possible (non-existent) standing stones, was keen to see something of historic value. There were road works immediately opposite the field this enclosure was in, and the workmen, who were partly blocking the road waved us through. We, however, didn't want to be waved on, so my husband drove just past where they were working and I hopped out with the camera, much to the amusement of the workmen who must have wondered what we were looking at.
There were the outlines of low banks and a deeper ditch criss-crossing the field. Not a huge amount to look at, but worth stopping to look at. On looking at the information available on Pastscape and Historic England, this is a scheduled site. It is just to the east of the church of St. John in the village
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60 |
2 |
| Mossthorn Long Cairn 2 |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Saw from a distance |
20th Nov 2017 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Mossthorn Long Cairn 2, Copt Howe, Newton Reigny: See the visit report for Mossthorn Long Cairn 1 for more details. This is the side of the long cairn (or natural feature, as Pastscape says?) we couldn’t see from the road on our last visit on 12th February 2017. This time, we could only see it from the field boundary near the southern end of Mossthorn Long Cairn 1. From this angle, it does look like a natural hummock, although more like a cair...Mossthorn Long Cairn 2, Copt Howe, Newton Reigny: See the visit report for Mossthorn Long Cairn 1 for more details. This is the side of the long cairn (or natural feature, as Pastscape says?) we couldn’t see from the road on our last visit on 12th February 2017. This time, we could only see it from the field boundary near the southern end of Mossthorn Long Cairn 1. From this angle, it does look like a natural hummock, although more like a cairn from the main road.
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60 |
4 |
| Mossthorn Long Cairn 1 |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Nov 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Mossthorn Long Cairn, Copt Howe, Newton Reigny: We wrote to Mossthorn Farm immediately after our last visit here in February 2017, but our letter was ignored and we didn’t get a reply. A local historian, who we’d made contact with to find out more about the standing stones / stone row said he had contacts who would give permission for us to visit, but nothing.
In our latest visit to Newbeggin, we went armed with wellington boots and socks and...Mossthorn Long Cairn, Copt Howe, Newton Reigny: We wrote to Mossthorn Farm immediately after our last visit here in February 2017, but our letter was ignored and we didn’t get a reply. A local historian, who we’d made contact with to find out more about the standing stones / stone row said he had contacts who would give permission for us to visit, but nothing.
In our latest visit to Newbeggin, we went armed with wellington boots and socks and trudged down the lanes from the southern side of Newton Reigny. Whilst the lane is gated, it looks to be frequently used by walkers, so we followed the footpath to Copt Howe at NY 48258 30770. The gate into the field was wide open and a large dung heap had been placed near the field gate. As the rest of the field was pasture, we decided to walk quickly over to the long cairn and take a closer look. The field was very boggy and I was glad of my wellies.
Strangely, I noticed lots of quartz stones scattered around the perimeter of the cairn, shining white in the drizzle amongst the brown-red earth. This cairn had plenty of stones down its length.
We saw the side of Mossthorn Long Cairn 2 that we hadn’t seen before from the eastern hedge line of the field but didn’t want to incur the wrath of the farmer, who was working on his tractor in the field nearby.
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60 |
3 |
| Snuff Mill (Stainton) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Nov 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Snuff Mill Standing (?) Stone: On the way back from Pooley Bridge to Stainton and Newbeggin, I saw a standing stone by the side of the road (A592) so Andrew turned around and we parked in the driveway of Snuff Mill Water Treatment Centre. The stone was just passed a corner of this busy little road, and it felt quite dangerous as none of the cars moved very far out of the way for us walkers.
The dry stone wall had been ‘kinked’ to go around th...Snuff Mill Standing (?) Stone: On the way back from Pooley Bridge to Stainton and Newbeggin, I saw a standing stone by the side of the road (A592) so Andrew turned around and we parked in the driveway of Snuff Mill Water Treatment Centre. The stone was just passed a corner of this busy little road, and it felt quite dangerous as none of the cars moved very far out of the way for us walkers.
The dry stone wall had been ‘kinked’ to go around the stone. It was heavily covered in moss.
I can’t find anything about it on Pastscape or Historic England, so will email Mark Brennand at Cumbria County Council.
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60 |
1 |
| Thompson's Rock |
Holed Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Nov 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Thompson's Rock, Simonside: This was the coldest, windiest day of the year so far,, and I thought we were going to a much more sheltered spot, so I wasn't dressed for the weather. Ashamed to say I sent husband off with the camera, as he was fully equipped for this moorland. He reported the rock was well worth going to see. |
59 |
2 |
| St Edwin's (High Coniscliffe) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
8th Nov 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Fragments, High Coniscliffe: This was a most unexpected location, as my perception was that the church should be within a quiet little village, but the reality was it was just off the main road, the A67 to Bishop Auckland. We parked by the footpath at NZ 22567 15316, and had to walk past the front of the Old Rectory to get to the lych gate.
There were so many stones in the walls of this church. So many of them were greatly weathe...Anglo Saxon Fragments, High Coniscliffe: This was a most unexpected location, as my perception was that the church should be within a quiet little village, but the reality was it was just off the main road, the A67 to Bishop Auckland. We parked by the footpath at NZ 22567 15316, and had to walk past the front of the Old Rectory to get to the lych gate.
There were so many stones in the walls of this church. So many of them were greatly weathered sandstone, and looked like any of them could have been carved then worn down. The walls of the church were a real patchwork of colours – light, medium, dark and red sandstone.
We couldn’t get into the porch. A notice on the gate of the church said keys were available at houses nearby, but none of them had lights on, so we headed home, but not before I’d spotted the view from the south western end of the churchyard down to the River Tees below. Great!
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58 |
3 |
| St Cuthbert's Church (Billingham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
8th Nov 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Stones, St. Cuthbert's Billingham: We’d arranged to meet the verger, at the church at 12 noon. We arrived 10 minutes early, and found the south door didn’t have a keyhole, so wondered how we’d get in. It turns out there’s an entrance from the north side of the church. We wandered around the tower looking for the Anglo Saxon cross pieces built into the church tower. Some of these took some spotting, then we heard the verger calling...Anglo Saxon Stones, St. Cuthbert's Billingham: We’d arranged to meet the verger, at the church at 12 noon. We arrived 10 minutes early, and found the south door didn’t have a keyhole, so wondered how we’d get in. It turns out there’s an entrance from the north side of the church. We wandered around the tower looking for the Anglo Saxon cross pieces built into the church tower. Some of these took some spotting, then we heard the verger calling us in.
The church is large, a fusion of 11th century and 1930s extension. The churchyard is huge – a surprise for somewhere so industrial as Billingham, but then this is Billingham Green.
I much enjoyed this visit. The verger spent over an hour taking us round, and took delight in showing us the stones, even one hidden behind a noticeboard against the west wall.
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58 |
1 |
| All Saints (Crathorne) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
8th Nov 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Fragments and Hogbacks, All Saints, Crathorne: We’d arranged to meet Robert, the curate, at 2pm. He was a few minutes late but by the time I’d walked round the back of the church, he’d opened up the door and turned the lights on. He seemed really shy, asked us how long we’d be, could we turn the lights off when we left and shut the door; he was going for a little walk.
Whilst not huge, this is a very pleasant little church, with t...Anglo Saxon Fragments and Hogbacks, All Saints, Crathorne: We’d arranged to meet Robert, the curate, at 2pm. He was a few minutes late but by the time I’d walked round the back of the church, he’d opened up the door and turned the lights on. He seemed really shy, asked us how long we’d be, could we turn the lights off when we left and shut the door; he was going for a little walk.
Whilst not huge, this is a very pleasant little church, with the delightful smell of lilies greeting us as we walked through the door.
Most of the fragments are in the south and north walls of the tower, apart from one cemented onto a window sill in the north wall of the nave, and two broken pieces being used to prop up an effigy behind the font. Naturally, we moved the candles and chairs out of the way to try and get photographs of the pieces.
Behind the stone on the window-sill is a mirror. I stood on the nearest pew to try and get photos of the man carved on its rear side. This was an unusual shape – described as a ‘collared shaft’
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58 |
2 |
| Dacre Church |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Nov 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Andrew's Church, Dacre: Anglo Saxon Cross Fragments: We'd visited this church back in early 2014, before I joined the Portal, to photograph the bears; the church was firmly locked on the day of our visit. This time, the door was open, and we walked into this lovely church, parts of which are extremely old. The smell of the nave was reminiscent of the church where I used to sing in the choir when I was 10/11 years old - it's been a long time ...St Andrew's Church, Dacre: Anglo Saxon Cross Fragments: We'd visited this church back in early 2014, before I joined the Portal, to photograph the bears; the church was firmly locked on the day of our visit. This time, the door was open, and we walked into this lovely church, parts of which are extremely old. The smell of the nave was reminiscent of the church where I used to sing in the choir when I was 10/11 years old - it's been a long time since I was reminded of those ancient days!
I'd called up the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture website, which showed four recorded stones for Dacre. We could only find 3 (2 of them combined in the Dacre entry), Dacre 3 having been removed to Lancaster University. Despite an intensive hunt, Dacre 1 was also not to be found.
Dacre 4, in the exterior south wall of the chancel took some finding; to my very untrained eye, the motif could have been weathering. Glad I have the Corpus image to refer to, and then it took two of us well over five minutes to find it!
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| Weston Moor |
Rock Art |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
25th Mar 2015 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Needs moving to new site page: Weston Moor (Greystone Rock, Boughey & Vickerman 541)) Rock Art: We had fun and games getting to this site from Otley, as the road over the River Wharfe had been shut for roadworks, then the Weston Moor Road was also closed. We managed to park by the stile over the stone wall close to where Moor Road meets Weston Moor Road. The ground was very boggy indeed. We did have to stray a little way from the footpath to f...Needs moving to new site page: Weston Moor (Greystone Rock, Boughey & Vickerman 541)) Rock Art: We had fun and games getting to this site from Otley, as the road over the River Wharfe had been shut for roadworks, then the Weston Moor Road was also closed. We managed to park by the stile over the stone wall close to where Moor Road meets Weston Moor Road. The ground was very boggy indeed. We did have to stray a little way from the footpath to find this stone, but a dog walker was already in the field with his golden labrador.
Following the footpath west, we went in search of 'The Spectacles' at SE 1843 4965 but even with a 10 digit grid reference and after almost an hour of walking around the same spot, came to the conclusion it was buried too deeply under the turf, and we weren't going to dig around to find it.
Just north of the footpath from the spot where The Spectacles was supposed to be located, both husband and I thought we spotted what might be a cairn rising some 20 to 30 cms in a circle above the surrounding landscape. Given the number of boulders in the surrounding landscape (most part of larger outcrops) it is probable this might be a clearance cairn. The evening light helped this feature to stand out, and I enjoyed trying to photograph it.
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| St Cuthbert's Church (Darlington) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
25th Oct 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient crosses, Saxon sundials and a hogback in Darlington: Originally due to go out for the whole day, we suddenly found ourselves having to rush back for an engineer arriving at our house after lunch. As we had an appointment to be at the church for 10.30am, to look round whilst there was a service in the chancel, we decided there was time enough to get to Darlington and back.
We met the church wardens we'd been liaising with very briefly ...Ancient crosses, Saxon sundials and a hogback in Darlington: Originally due to go out for the whole day, we suddenly found ourselves having to rush back for an engineer arriving at our house after lunch. As we had an appointment to be at the church for 10.30am, to look round whilst there was a service in the chancel, we decided there was time enough to get to Darlington and back.
We met the church wardens we'd been liaising with very briefly to say ‘hello and thanks’ to. It was amusing as at least 3 people came into the church wanting to know where the church office was, so I pointed them in the general direction. It was odd wandering around the church with a communion service taking place in the chancel and sanctuary, and I was careful not to use the flash on the camera, although parts of the church were very dark, especially around the hogback.
We couldn’t find a couple of the catalogued items from the Corpus, and I struggled to identify which of the three cross heads we were seeing against those the Corpus lists. I looked through the Information for Guides folder and found an Architectural Assessment by Petr F. Ryder, Historic Buildings Consultant, dated 1997, part of which read:
“Pre Conquest Sculpture: Six pieces of Pre-Conquest sculpture are listed by Cramp (1984, 62-3). Of these one cross head, with the top of the shaft, dated to the late 10th or early 11th century, and an incomplete cross head of the early 11th century, are displayed in the nave, against the second pier of the south arcade; in a corresponding position on the opposite side of the nave is a supposedly Saxon sundial. In the north transept aumbry is part of a hogback, seen as a ‘crude copying of a type more elegantly represented at Brompton, Yorkshire’, and dated to the second quarter of the 10th century. Another fragment, seen as part of a large recumbent slab of the second half of the 10th century, lies in the south transept along with medieval cross slabs. A fifth stone which formerly lay outside the south transept, seen as possibly part of a dedication or ‘station’ slab from within the church, is now lost.”
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57 |
1 |
| All Saints (Rudby-in-Cleveland) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
15th Oct 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
All Saints Church, Rudby-in-Cleveland: We’d spent so much time walking round Castle Hill, that by this time of day the sun was very low in the sky and dusk was going to fall pretty quickly, pretty soon.
Parking opposite the church at NZ 47133 06667, just off Rudby Bank in a small paved area which apparently used to be used for the main benefactor’s horse and carriage, we walked into the churchyard.
Much to our surprise, the church was open,...All Saints Church, Rudby-in-Cleveland: We’d spent so much time walking round Castle Hill, that by this time of day the sun was very low in the sky and dusk was going to fall pretty quickly, pretty soon.
Parking opposite the church at NZ 47133 06667, just off Rudby Bank in a small paved area which apparently used to be used for the main benefactor’s horse and carriage, we walked into the churchyard.
Much to our surprise, the church was open, so we let ourselves in. Parts of this building are really old. There is also an Elizabethan pulpit and a memorial slab to a 14th century monk holding a chalice.
We also found some old pieces of stone, not mentioned in the church guide, but one portion of which was on the AS Corpus.
Whilst I explored the church, Andrew went in search of the moat, and found it running round the northern part of the churchyard. It is very weird – just a large ditch, most of which is largely dry.
The eastern (modern) part of the graveyard contains the grave of Sir Rex Hunt, Governor of the Falkland Islands when Argentina invaded in 1982.
In the west wall of the vestry, this is also a very strange headless statue, which has been inserted into the wall using part of an old tombstone as a shelf.
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56 |
3 |
| Castle Hill (Bishopton) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
15th Oct 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Castle Hill, Bishoptop: This monument is literally just within sight of the church, just over 420 metres to the north west, at the south eastern edge of the village, opposite the pub and next to a garage.
There is a public footpath which runs through the field in which this motte and bailey is sited, accessible by a rather tumbledown stile. There is also an information board, although this had cracked and fallen off its plinth. We pieced it ...Castle Hill, Bishoptop: This monument is literally just within sight of the church, just over 420 metres to the north west, at the south eastern edge of the village, opposite the pub and next to a garage.
There is a public footpath which runs through the field in which this motte and bailey is sited, accessible by a rather tumbledown stile. There is also an information board, although this had cracked and fallen off its plinth. We pieced it back together to have a quick read, although the text was so faded we couldn’t really make it out.
The site is really well preserved, and I’ve not seen another quite like this. It is as if someone has built a large hillfort in a flat piece of land and put a round mound towards one end. There are also extensive earthworks leading off this.
The motte itself has been fenced off, presumably to stop the sheep and cattle from damaging it, although there is a gate in the south western part of the fence, with a very steep path leading up to the top of the motte.
We walked around the exterior twice, marvelling at the deep ditches and banks.
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56 |
2 |
| St Peter's Church (Bishopton) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
15th Oct 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Medieval Cross in St. Peter's Churchyard, Bishopton: Driving into Bishopton, I realised looking at the cottages and houses that this was a very old village, and had it not been for all the parked cars, it would have been very picturesque.
The church was locked so we couldn’t go in, but the remains of this cross was visible near the edge of the churchyard. It was easier to photograph it from the road, looking over the wall.
I didn’t phot...Medieval Cross in St. Peter's Churchyard, Bishopton: Driving into Bishopton, I realised looking at the cottages and houses that this was a very old village, and had it not been for all the parked cars, it would have been very picturesque.
The church was locked so we couldn’t go in, but the remains of this cross was visible near the edge of the churchyard. It was easier to photograph it from the road, looking over the wall.
I didn’t photograph the replacement village cross, in the very small village green, near the wall memorial, as I thought it was modern, and we didn’t stop after looking at the earthworks nearby.
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56 |
1 |
| Fasset Hill (Sourhope) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
8th Oct 2017 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Fasset Hill Scooped Settlement, Sourhope: It was probably a silly time of year to look at this settlement, as the bracken was very tall, and probably also too late in the evening, as dusk was falling. But, hey ho, we were nearby and decided to walk back down to Sourhope Farm, and follow the track up Fasset Hill.
From Sourhope hillfort we walked back down the track to the farmhouse near the junction of the Sourhope and Kaim Burns, turned north...Fasset Hill Scooped Settlement, Sourhope: It was probably a silly time of year to look at this settlement, as the bracken was very tall, and probably also too late in the evening, as dusk was falling. But, hey ho, we were nearby and decided to walk back down to Sourhope Farm, and follow the track up Fasset Hill.
From Sourhope hillfort we walked back down the track to the farmhouse near the junction of the Sourhope and Kaim Burns, turned north east and walked over the wooden bridge at NT 84588 20250. From there we followed the metalled road up past a dump/quarry area, where the metalled road turns left/west and a stony track continues east. The Fasset Hill settlement is around the sheepfold on the hill just to the north of the track just past the ‘dump’.
The photographs don’t really do this site justice, as it was easier to see with the naked eye rather than catch it on photographs – the area was well defined on the ground. The sheepfold now occupies just west of centre, and what look to be the foundations of buildings can be found in its south east corner. The site looks like a building platform scooped out of the hillside. Canmore says it was probably constructed in Romano British times, and later reoccupied in the medieval.
There were a couple of other settlements nearby, but it was getting so dark, it was getting silly. We decided to walk swiftly back to the car and head home.
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55 |
2 |
| Sourhope Hillfort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
8th Oct 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Sourhope Hillfort, Scottish Borders: Well, this morning was a surprise, as rain had been forecast, but we woke up to a blue and cloudy sky, with little wind, so we decided to make the most of the nice weather before the clocks go back at the end of the month.
We used an ‘unusual’ (twisty/windy) route to reach this site. We drove up using the A68 past Carter’s Bar, then taking the first turning right and following the minor roads up through Ho...Sourhope Hillfort, Scottish Borders: Well, this morning was a surprise, as rain had been forecast, but we woke up to a blue and cloudy sky, with little wind, so we decided to make the most of the nice weather before the clocks go back at the end of the month.
We used an ‘unusual’ (twisty/windy) route to reach this site. We drove up using the A68 past Carter’s Bar, then taking the first turning right and following the minor roads up through Hownam towards Yetholm, turning right and heading back down south at Primsidemill.
We followed the Bowmont Water Valley along to where the Sourhope Burn joins it, then headed north east up the dead end road to Sourhope Farm. Just past the cattle grid by the barns to the south west end of SouthopeFarm, there is room to park the car on the verge. We then headed up past the farm, turning right and going through two gates by a barn at NT 84596 20177, then following the path uphill towards Park Law Fort, then turning south west at NT 85047 19886 and following a quad bike up a relatively steep part of the hill, to approach the fort from its eastern side, entering at NT 84858 19793 on the south eastern side.
The outlines of the fort can be clearly seen on UK Grid Reference Finder. From below, we could see what looked like telegraph poles on top of the fort; getting closer, there are two television aerials on the western side of the fortifications!
There were great view from the top of this hillfort. We’d printed off the Canmore plan and description before we went, but even so, it was difficult to tie the words up with what we were trying to make out on the ground. The structures and hut circles on the eastern side of the fort were the easiest to interpret.
It was a nice walk, and exploring the hillfort was really thought-provoking, thinking what it would have been like for the occupants of this fort.
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55 |
1 |
| Craigmailing Boundary Marker (Torphichen) |
Marker Stone |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
30th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Craigmailing/Witchcraigs Boundary Stone: To find this stone, we parked near to the Little Criagmailling cross base found earlier this week and followed a little-used footpath through the woodland. This footpath joined another wider one, crossing a stile into a little tree-lined lane which followed a trickling stream to our left hand side.
This, very unexpectedly, opened up into an area of grass/heath with a viewpoint. As soon as you sight...Craigmailing/Witchcraigs Boundary Stone: To find this stone, we parked near to the Little Criagmailling cross base found earlier this week and followed a little-used footpath through the woodland. This footpath joined another wider one, crossing a stile into a little tree-lined lane which followed a trickling stream to our left hand side.
This, very unexpectedly, opened up into an area of grass/heath with a viewpoint. As soon as you sight the viewpoint with its dry stone wall and information boards, the refuge stone is to your right hand side. This is a really rather special place. And being named Witch Crag made it much more atmospheric!
The refuge stone is no longer in the wall, but has been sited at 90 degrees to it.
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54 |
5 |
| Torphichen Churchyard Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
30th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Torphichen Preceptory (next door to the church): Also known as Hospital Of Torphichen; Preceptory Of St John; War Memorials.
Finally, on our third attempt, just after 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, we managed to find the small visitor portacabin open and a guide present. Guide was Liam from Order of St. John. Charming, very helpful man, in looks reminiscent of the Knights Templar. Because he was giving individual tours to everyone who turned u...Torphichen Preceptory (next door to the church): Also known as Hospital Of Torphichen; Preceptory Of St John; War Memorials.
Finally, on our third attempt, just after 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, we managed to find the small visitor portacabin open and a guide present. Guide was Liam from Order of St. John. Charming, very helpful man, in looks reminiscent of the Knights Templar. Because he was giving individual tours to everyone who turned up, he was over-stretched, and didn’t really have time to spent with us, but answered my questions as best he could.
Liam pointed out some of the features in the Preceptory itself, including old architects drawings on the walls, and walked us up to the exhibition on first floor of tower – up 45 spiral stone steps – where he pointed out a grave marker used as a lintel.
When another family arrived, he left us to take them round. I found out, through reading the display, that there was an incised stone with cross in the Parish church; Liam said unfortunately he didn’t have the keys for the church, but to come back if we wanted to look.
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54 |
3 |
| Cairnpapple Hill |
Round Cairn |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
30th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cairnpapple (Chamber), West Lothian: We’d spent quite a lot of time around Cairnpapple and surrounding area, but on this trip had not visited. Andrew had not seen this site before, so we parked and joined the other families visiting in the wind and drizzle, and I managed to buy a guide book and as the other visitors drifted off, went back to talk to the guide. I saw the display showing the cup and cup & ring marked stones in the chamber.
...Cairnpapple (Chamber), West Lothian: We’d spent quite a lot of time around Cairnpapple and surrounding area, but on this trip had not visited. Andrew had not seen this site before, so we parked and joined the other families visiting in the wind and drizzle, and I managed to buy a guide book and as the other visitors drifted off, went back to talk to the guide. I saw the display showing the cup and cup & ring marked stones in the chamber.
The chamber into the concrete dome was open today, but the ladder was really steep, and even Andrew described it as difficult to get down. After he emerged from taking the first batch of photographs, I took him back into the hut to speak to the guide and he clambered back into the chamber and took some more photos. I confess the photograph in the hut made the cup and ring marks a lot more visible than in reality!
Then onto our last trip of our holiday, and one I was looking forward to – another of the Torphichen Refuge Stones.
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54 |
4 |
| North Couston Refuge Stone |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Couldn't find |
30th Sep 2017 |
-1 |
3 |
4 |
North Couston Refuge Stone, West Lothian: From the Westfield Farm Refuge Stone, we set off towards North Couston with only a very small scale book of maps and Trigpointing UK on our mobile phone to try and find this stone. From Westfield, we got back onto the A801 southbound, then turned left onto the A800, turning left again onto a minor road to a farm, parking in a largish concreted area next to the field entrance at NS 95279 70925. From the C...North Couston Refuge Stone, West Lothian: From the Westfield Farm Refuge Stone, we set off towards North Couston with only a very small scale book of maps and Trigpointing UK on our mobile phone to try and find this stone. From Westfield, we got back onto the A801 southbound, then turned left onto the A800, turning left again onto a minor road to a farm, parking in a largish concreted area next to the field entrance at NS 95279 70925. From the Canmore record, we didn’t have much hope, but given as we were not far away, wanted to check whether or not this Refuge Stone was still there.
We waded around the edges of the very wet entrance to the field (the gates into the neighbouring field were almost shoulder high – too high for me to attempt to climb over, although this route would have been dry). The field edges of this recently harvested field were then drier, so we walked along the eastern side, then headed south at the corner, along the old, grubbed out hedge line. We walked most of the length of the Followed the field edges, prodding the fence line as I went, but could find no evidence of any stone along the field boundary.
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54 |
2 |
| Westfield Farm Refuge Stone |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
30th Sep 2017 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Westfield Farm Refuge Stone (possibly prehistoric), West Lothian: Our last day for exploring before heading home, and this was a day we’d set aside during the week to try and find some of the refuge stones associated with Torphichen Preceptory. We didn’t have a detailed map for this area, and didn’t pass a place to buy one, so had to make do with mobile phones and Canmore records.
The Westfield Farm Refuge Stone is situated to the east of Wes...Westfield Farm Refuge Stone (possibly prehistoric), West Lothian: Our last day for exploring before heading home, and this was a day we’d set aside during the week to try and find some of the refuge stones associated with Torphichen Preceptory. We didn’t have a detailed map for this area, and didn’t pass a place to buy one, so had to make do with mobile phones and Canmore records.
The Westfield Farm Refuge Stone is situated to the east of Westfield Village, south of the B8047, near a ‘fish food factory’. Driving through Westfield village on the B8028, we turned right onto the B8047 and followed it round a couple of bends and found the factory. Just before the factory, located on a bend, I spotted a sign saying ‘Refuge Stone’, heading off south east through some wasteland.
We managed to park just by the sign, in a small layby which had been used for fly-tipping. Following the very vague footpath through the wooded area, this eventually disappeared and we were left surrounded by birch trees and weeds. Through the shrubbery there was a mound, and peering closer, there was a set of very overgrown steps that had been cut into the bank. Climbing up these, and hunting around some more, we finally spotted this much neglected stone virtually hidden in the weeds. I trod down some of the taller weeds to see the stone more clearly.
A treasure, but one hidden away in a tumble of brambles, nettles and detritus. It looked as if no-one had visited this stone in a long time. I was very pleased to have found it.
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1 |
| Craigneich Farm |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
11th Oct 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Craigneich Farm Standing Stone, south of Comrie: From the Lawers Standing Stone, we drove south back through Comrie on the B827, to the junction of a minor road at Coilcambus with a phone box on the corner. Turning right (travelling south), we followed the road along to where Machany Water ran close to the road, just before Craigneich Farm. There was a track leading up to the moors on the opposite side of the road, and on this single track road...Craigneich Farm Standing Stone, south of Comrie: From the Lawers Standing Stone, we drove south back through Comrie on the B827, to the junction of a minor road at Coilcambus with a phone box on the corner. Turning right (travelling south), we followed the road along to where Machany Water ran close to the road, just before Craigneich Farm. There was a track leading up to the moors on the opposite side of the road, and on this single track road, we needed to pull the car into this entrance for a few minutes while we looked for the stone. We had to climb over wall into field, but the stone wall was low and the wiring broken, so it was easy to access the field.
A somewhat neglected stone, separated from those on the moorland to the south by the road and hedges, it was oddly shaped. By now it was dusk, and I had to use the flash on the camera to get a decent photograph. Worth stopping to have a look.
There were other standing stones which we could see up on the moor to the south, but it was too late in the day to walk up to these and back as it would have been dark by the time we reached the first one.
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7 |
| St Fillan's Chapel (Comrie) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
28th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
St. Fillan's Chapel, west of Comrie: From Wester Tullybannocher Stone Circle, we carried on west along the A85, turning left into a road leading down to St. Fillan’s Golf Club and Western Dundurn Farm. Just before the farm buildings, the track splits. The eastern most track is gated off, and the road was very narrow, so we squeezed the car in by the gate intending to run back and move it if it got in the way. There was a herd of cattle in the ...St. Fillan's Chapel, west of Comrie: From Wester Tullybannocher Stone Circle, we carried on west along the A85, turning left into a road leading down to St. Fillan’s Golf Club and Western Dundurn Farm. Just before the farm buildings, the track splits. The eastern most track is gated off, and the road was very narrow, so we squeezed the car in by the gate intending to run back and move it if it got in the way. There was a herd of cattle in the field, although the churchyard has a dry stone wall around it.
Walking along the track, watched curiously by the golfers on the adjacent course, until I was level with the church ruins (very like Logie Old Kirk), then squidged my way through the wet turf to the far side, where the iron gate to the churchyard was locked, but there was a stone stile into the graveyard.
This is a very, very pretty spot. It is a very old site. Typically, there was no phone signal here so I couldn’t call up the Canmore record. I went round photographing lots of different things. I managed to miss the recumbent cross slab (most of them were overgrown with grass), although there were a couple of other interesting stones and features. Lovely site but disappointing not to have found the cross slab, even though I must have looked at it.
Also known as St Fillian's; Dundurn Burial-ground; Stewarts Of Ardvoirlich Burial-place.
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53 |
5 |
| Lawers |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Saw from a distance |
28th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Lawers Standing Stone, East of Comrie: From St Fillan’s Chapel, we headed back towards Comrie, this time continuing east along the A85 until we reached the gatehouse at the northern side of the road, just before Comrie Croft Caravan Park.
The landowner had padlocked all the gates, but being within site of the stone, we ended up scrambling over the low stone wall by the small stream running parallel with the eastern side of the field, and sepa...Lawers Standing Stone, East of Comrie: From St Fillan’s Chapel, we headed back towards Comrie, this time continuing east along the A85 until we reached the gatehouse at the northern side of the road, just before Comrie Croft Caravan Park.
The landowner had padlocked all the gates, but being within site of the stone, we ended up scrambling over the low stone wall by the small stream running parallel with the eastern side of the field, and separated from the field by a tree lined footpath/track.
On getting level with the stone, I tried (very hard) to photograph it, but was constantly head-butted by a very friendly ginger horse! He was to friendly to contemplate climbing the wooden fence into the field without a bag of apples or pony nuts, so I had to content myself with having my sleeves chewed whilst I tried to photograph the standing stone.
We walked back along the footpath and along the northern side of the field, but the stone was too far away to get a good image of, even with maximum zoom on the camera lens. Having reached the western side of the field, the gates were padlocked. Andrew could squeeze between the wooden rails of the fence, but I was a bit too plump, so clambered unceremoniously over the somewhat higher stone wall at this end of the field.
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53 |
6 |
| Tullybannocher |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
28th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Wester Tullybannocher Stone Circle, Comrie: From the Dalginross/Dunmoid Four Poster Stone Circle, we made our way north through Comrie, heading west on the A85, over Dalginross Bridge then turning left. The road goes through a zig-zag then a bend, passing a caravan park on the right hand side at Twenty Shilling Wood. Just after the road turns a right hand bend there is a farm track to your right hand side, with room for a car to pull in before ...Wester Tullybannocher Stone Circle, Comrie: From the Dalginross/Dunmoid Four Poster Stone Circle, we made our way north through Comrie, heading west on the A85, over Dalginross Bridge then turning left. The road goes through a zig-zag then a bend, passing a caravan park on the right hand side at Twenty Shilling Wood. Just after the road turns a right hand bend there is a farm track to your right hand side, with room for a car to pull in before the gate (on opening the gate there is a small area of hard-standing for a couple of cars). We parked just in front of the gate and walked along the farm track to the stones, which were peeping out of knee high grass in the un cultivated part of the field to our left hand side.
We couldn’t spot any cup marks on the western stone, despite walking round the stones several times. Sited on flat pastureland with low hills rising around, and lying just north of the River Earn, this is a lovely spot, although a little spoiled by the heavy traffic on the A85 just to the south of the stones.
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53 |
4 |
| Dalginross |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
28th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Dalginross Four Poster, Near Comrie: From the Roman Stone and its companions, we headed north towards Comrie. Where the B827 takes a sharp left hand turn through Dalginross and Comrie, take the South Crieff Road towards Easter Dalginross and Muirhead Cemetery, where there is ample parking.
From the layby by the cemetery, we walked back to the road junction with South Crieff Road and the trck to Dalginross Muir Farm; the stone circle is nestle...Dalginross Four Poster, Near Comrie: From the Roman Stone and its companions, we headed north towards Comrie. Where the B827 takes a sharp left hand turn through Dalginross and Comrie, take the South Crieff Road towards Easter Dalginross and Muirhead Cemetery, where there is ample parking.
From the layby by the cemetery, we walked back to the road junction with South Crieff Road and the trck to Dalginross Muir Farm; the stone circle is nestled under the trees, with moss covered tree stumps around it.
Quite an enigmatic little stone circle, but I confess that it seemed a little like it had been recently put in here, perhaps as a landscaping feature. I had a bit of a hard time convincing myself it was Bronze Age, but Canmore confirms it is indeed.
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53 |
3 |
| West Cowden |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
28th Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
The Roman Stone, Comrie: Approaching Comrie from the south along the B827, we’d passed these stones at the eastern side of the road before we’d realised it, so ended up stopping for lunch and visiting the motte first. We retraced our steps and managed to park in the entrance to another (gated) track opposite.
These stones are also known as the Dalginross; Penfillan and West Cowden Farm stones, although they are called the Roman Stones on th...The Roman Stone, Comrie: Approaching Comrie from the south along the B827, we’d passed these stones at the eastern side of the road before we’d realised it, so ended up stopping for lunch and visiting the motte first. We retraced our steps and managed to park in the entrance to another (gated) track opposite.
These stones are also known as the Dalginross; Penfillan and West Cowden Farm stones, although they are called the Roman Stones on the OS map. Not in the greatest location, but the track alongside the stones made it easy to walk round the stones and photograph them, although I got a few stares from passing drivers as I did so!
The cup marks were pretty easy to spot, once the sunlight changed a little, although I thought I saw these on the top of the Roman Stone itself; the 1911 entry talks about an 18 inch high stone with 22 cups. I photographed all three stones and the only cup marks we both thought we saw were five on the southern face of the Roman stone itself (the largest stone).
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52 |
2 |
| Coney Hill (Comrie) |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Perth and Kinross |
Visited |
28th Sep 2017 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Coney Hill, Comrie: Again, to escape the dreary weather in Armadale, we found ourselves heading a fair way north today, up to Comrie, where there promised to be quite a few sites – standing stones and stone circles in a relatively small area.
Comrie is a really lovely little village, and we stopped for tea and a sandwich at one of the café’s. The menu didn’t appeal to me, so I got a hot Scotch Pie from the next door bakers – one of the best I...Coney Hill, Comrie: Again, to escape the dreary weather in Armadale, we found ourselves heading a fair way north today, up to Comrie, where there promised to be quite a few sites – standing stones and stone circles in a relatively small area.
Comrie is a really lovely little village, and we stopped for tea and a sandwich at one of the café’s. The menu didn’t appeal to me, so I got a hot Scotch Pie from the next door bakers – one of the best I’d ever tasted.
We didn’t plan on going to this motte, but having walked up the high street and over the bridges, carried on onto the walks which were signposted. There was a large car park next to the golf course.. It had rained here heavily and the paths up to the motte were muddy and slipperty, with a steep drop down to the River Lednock below. The motte was so heavily surrounded by trees that it was difficult to make out by eye, and even more difficult to photograph.
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53 |
1 |
| The Chesters |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Chesters Hillfort, East Lothian: Most places we drove past today had signposts to The Chesters, so reluctant to go back to the house before dark, we decided to stop off and look at this hillfort, which I thought must have been visited by many other Portal users/members, but only uisdean has submitted photographs – I was very surprised.
There is a small car park near Dalvreck Farm House, with a signposted walk through (at this time of the e...The Chesters Hillfort, East Lothian: Most places we drove past today had signposts to The Chesters, so reluctant to go back to the house before dark, we decided to stop off and look at this hillfort, which I thought must have been visited by many other Portal users/members, but only uisdean has submitted photographs – I was very surprised.
There is a small car park near Dalvreck Farm House, with a signposted walk through (at this time of the evening) a dark wood. This opens out into a meadow, which has tall wire fences all around it, “to prevent rabbit damage”, and to my horror, a very tall stile leading over another fence into the fort itself.
Actually, this stile was one of the easiest I’ve ever used to get over, as it had supports at the top to let me stand upright and feel balanced and secure, before clambering down the other side.
This is certainly a complex site. I was fascinated by a large boulder to the east of the site, and there is also an unknown part of the meadow to the north.
We tramped around, enjoying the quiet and the complexity of the site, until dusk fell really heavily and we decided it was time to go back and have something to eat.
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52 |
8 |
| White Castle Fort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
White Castle Hillfort, East Lothian: This is in a wild and lonely spot. As we approached the hillfort, the mist started to roll in over the Thorter Burn Valley, the wind got up and whipped spots of rain across our faces.
I was amazed to be able to park right by the gate, where there were interpretation boards. Mind you, someone had left a pile of rubbish just inside the gate, which was horrible.
The ramparts to the south/west side of the...White Castle Hillfort, East Lothian: This is in a wild and lonely spot. As we approached the hillfort, the mist started to roll in over the Thorter Burn Valley, the wind got up and whipped spots of rain across our faces.
I was amazed to be able to park right by the gate, where there were interpretation boards. Mind you, someone had left a pile of rubbish just inside the gate, which was horrible.
The ramparts to the south/west side of the fort are so crisp and clear, they could have been dug yesterday. The views down Thorter Burn valley were great, and to some extent the fort was protected by the hillside to the south.
We did see some evidence of disturbance on the top of the hillfort, together with what looked like an not-very defined house/structure to the northern side of the oval top of the fort. After being almost blown off the top of the hill, we decided on one last stop before heading back to Armadale for the night.
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52 |
7 |
| Standingstone (East Lothian) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Standingstone Standing Stone, East Lothian: As we pulled up outside the Standingstone farm house, a lady and her black pug came out of the farmyard. I apologised for turning up out of the blue, but did she know about the standing stone, and she said ‘yes’, asked if I knew where it was, and walked us to it. It was in a little orchard, behind the adjacent cottage. There were glacial striations on the stone, now vertical as the stone had been sto...Standingstone Standing Stone, East Lothian: As we pulled up outside the Standingstone farm house, a lady and her black pug came out of the farmyard. I apologised for turning up out of the blue, but did she know about the standing stone, and she said ‘yes’, asked if I knew where it was, and walked us to it. It was in a little orchard, behind the adjacent cottage. There were glacial striations on the stone, now vertical as the stone had been stood upright.
When talking about the hillfort above us (Tarprain Law) she said “the chieftain was supposed to have thrown his daughter off the top, for falling in love with someone she shouldn’t have. She was supposed to have turned into a robin. The strange thing about here is that we have hundreds and hundreds of robins, and they are here all year. Weird.” She gave a shiver. She told me we were supposed to hug the standing stones.
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52 |
5 |
| Loth Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Loth Stone, west of Traprain Law hillfort: Just up the hill from Standingstone Farm, up a lovely grassy lane just to the west of Traprain Law hillfort. The stone has now been moved against a hedge. There is a small gate into the field, where the wheat had just been harvested, letting us walk right up to the stone and photograph it.
We did peer around the field hoping to see some sign of the cairn at NT 5781 7409, some 53 metres to the so...The Loth Stone, west of Traprain Law hillfort: Just up the hill from Standingstone Farm, up a lovely grassy lane just to the west of Traprain Law hillfort. The stone has now been moved against a hedge. There is a small gate into the field, where the wheat had just been harvested, letting us walk right up to the stone and photograph it.
We did peer around the field hoping to see some sign of the cairn at NT 5781 7409, some 53 metres to the south of its current location but could see nothing.
With Traprain Law hillfort rising up to the east, this was a quiet, pleasant and atmospheric spot, although the standing stone did seem a little abandoned. Next stop was to be a hill fort in an even more remote location.
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52 |
6 |
| Traprain Law |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Saw from a distance |
27th Sep 2017 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
Traprain Law Hillfort, East Lothian: We only saw this from afar. It would have taken too long to climb up and get back down and see the rest of the sites we wanted to see this afternoon. Brilliant view. The farmer’s wife from Standingstone Farm told us there were wild Exmoor ponies living on top (we could see them moving around on the top of the slopes), but their water was at the bottom of the hill. |
52 |
4 |
| Kirklandhill |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Saw from a distance |
27th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Kirklandhill Standing Stone, East Lothian: From Pencraig Hill Standing Stone, we drove 3.6 kilometres east along the A199 (which runs parallel to the A1) turning left (north) up the A198. The Kirklandhill Standing Stone is in the middle of the field immediately to the right hand side of the A198.
Whilst the Pencraig Hill Stone was in a field of mature cabbages, this field was planted in well established brussel sprout plants, with no room bet...Kirklandhill Standing Stone, East Lothian: From Pencraig Hill Standing Stone, we drove 3.6 kilometres east along the A199 (which runs parallel to the A1) turning left (north) up the A198. The Kirklandhill Standing Stone is in the middle of the field immediately to the right hand side of the A198.
Whilst the Pencraig Hill Stone was in a field of mature cabbages, this field was planted in well established brussel sprout plants, with no room between them, so we could only view it from the road. We tried looking for a gate into the field off the A198 and the A199, but the entrance must be near to the Kirklandhill Farm building.
I had to content myself with photographing this stone from the edge of the field next to the A198, which was very busy with traffic. Next stop on the list were some standing stones near Traprain Law hillfort.
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52 |
3 |
| Boar Stone (Drem) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
The Boar Stone, East of Drem Village: This stone is located to the north side of the B1377, in the garden of Prora Farm, some 1.4 km east of Drem station. It has been relocated from the edge of a field at NT 5280 7924, some 640 metres south south east of its current location.
The right to roam in Scotland does not cover people’s gardens, so I had to be content with walking up and down the width of the garden alongside the B1377, which was ver...The Boar Stone, East of Drem Village: This stone is located to the north side of the B1377, in the garden of Prora Farm, some 1.4 km east of Drem station. It has been relocated from the edge of a field at NT 5280 7924, some 640 metres south south east of its current location.
The right to roam in Scotland does not cover people’s gardens, so I had to be content with walking up and down the width of the garden alongside the B1377, which was very busy, and has the train line running immediately to the south, so not the best spot.
There is no real information on Canmore, apart from the describe it as a cross. There is a link through to the East Lothian Council records, which describes this as “a broken sandstone cross-shaft with chamfered edges, 5ft 11ins high, 1ft 2ins broad and 11 1/2ins thick at the lower end, but tapering to 7 1/4ins in thickness at the upper end”, which comes from the name book of 1853.
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52 |
1 |
| Pencraig Brae |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
East Lothian |
Visited |
27th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Pencraig Hill Standing Stone, East Lothian: Standing just north of the A199, Pencraig Brae Road. There was room to pull the car onto the grass verge next to the tumble-down gate into the field, which we managed to squeeze our way round the edge, as it hadn’t been opened in many a year.
The field was planted with mature cabbages, with the farmer and a small team harvesting a couple of hundred yards to the west. There was sufficient space be...Pencraig Hill Standing Stone, East Lothian: Standing just north of the A199, Pencraig Brae Road. There was room to pull the car onto the grass verge next to the tumble-down gate into the field, which we managed to squeeze our way round the edge, as it hadn’t been opened in many a year.
The field was planted with mature cabbages, with the farmer and a small team harvesting a couple of hundred yards to the west. There was sufficient space between the rows of cabbages to pick our way very carefully up to the stone and photograph it. The workers didn’t seem to mind us, as they could see us taking care in picking our route.
A tall, fine standing stone, and one I’m glad to have seen. Despite the cabbages, this was a lovely location and an atmospheric stone.
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52 |
2 |
| Logie Old Kirk (Stirling) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
26th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Hogbacks at Logie Old Kirk, Stirling: To reach the church from the University Halls of Residence, we had to walk through the gardener’s compound/offices. The top two gates around the churchyard were locked; the actual entrance was next to the small stone building to the south of the churchyard, near the stream, with an information board by a small car park, so there is access from the main road.
The churchyard is full of wonderful (morbid!)...Hogbacks at Logie Old Kirk, Stirling: To reach the church from the University Halls of Residence, we had to walk through the gardener’s compound/offices. The top two gates around the churchyard were locked; the actual entrance was next to the small stone building to the south of the churchyard, near the stream, with an information board by a small car park, so there is access from the main road.
The churchyard is full of wonderful (morbid!) tombstones. Could have spent the day photographing them. It was also a lovely location with a small stream trickling along the eastern side of the churchyard.
Found one hogback SE of the church, the second is just a lump at the end (by the church) of the 6th row of graves, counting from the stream at the east end of the churchyard. A wonderful location. Really could have spent hours here.
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51 |
2 |
| Pathfoot Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
26th Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Pathfoot Standing Stone, University of Stirling: Walking back across the campus from Logie Old Church, we got caught in a very heavy shower of rain and had to shelter by the student residences at the western side of the campus.
When I caught sight of this, I thought this was a sculpture, not a real standing stone at first. It is at the side of Armitage Road, just north of its’ (busy) junction with Grange Road at the north western side of th...Pathfoot Standing Stone, University of Stirling: Walking back across the campus from Logie Old Church, we got caught in a very heavy shower of rain and had to shelter by the student residences at the western side of the campus.
When I caught sight of this, I thought this was a sculpture, not a real standing stone at first. It is at the side of Armitage Road, just north of its’ (busy) junction with Grange Road at the north western side of the campus. We clambered up the wet, slippery slope to take some photos, stared at by the passing students.
By this time, my feet were aching, as we’d spent the best part of 2 hours walking round and round the campus. With Stirling Castle still to come, I welcomed getting back into the car.
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51 |
3 |
| Airthrey Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Stirling |
Visited |
26th Sep 2017 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Airthrey Castle Standing Stone, Stirling University: I have visited the University of Stirling on a number of occasions over the years, visiting an organisation at the Beta Innovation Park, but not known (until I saw them on the Portal) that there were standing stones within the grounds.
We parked at the Wallace Monument, thinking it would be quick half hour walk around Stirling University Campus. Wrong! From the car park, we walked east up ...Airthrey Castle Standing Stone, Stirling University: I have visited the University of Stirling on a number of occasions over the years, visiting an organisation at the Beta Innovation Park, but not known (until I saw them on the Portal) that there were standing stones within the grounds.
We parked at the Wallace Monument, thinking it would be quick half hour walk around Stirling University Campus. Wrong! From the car park, we walked east up Hillfoots Road (the B989) cutting into the Alpha Centre Innovation Park, then walking round the east side of the lake to the University Sports Ground.
As soon as we reached the fence into this area, this huge standing stone stood out. I found the stiles a little too high for my dodgy knees, so it was interesting getting over them!
The surrounding hills, and the view back to the Wallace Monument make this an interesting spot. There were lots of dog walkers and students around, but none seemed to take any notice of the stone – presumably they are all familiar with it. By the time we’d visited Logie Old Church and the Pathfoot Standing Stone, my feet were aching! But no time to relax – Stirling Castle called with a loud, clear voice!
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51 |
1 |
| St Colmac's Cross |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Couldn't find |
25th Sep 2017 |
|
|
|
St Colmac's Cross, Isle of Bute: I really, really wanted to find this standing stone with incised Latin Cross, but we couldn't work out a way to get behind the barn at East St. Colmac Farm to view it. The Canmore records show this intriguing stone in a wooden enclosure, which was built round it after it was damaged in recent times (the top was knocked off).
By the time we'd had several attempts to find this stone, we were seriously running ou...St Colmac's Cross, Isle of Bute: I really, really wanted to find this standing stone with incised Latin Cross, but we couldn't work out a way to get behind the barn at East St. Colmac Farm to view it. The Canmore records show this intriguing stone in a wooden enclosure, which was built round it after it was damaged in recent times (the top was knocked off).
By the time we'd had several attempts to find this stone, we were seriously running out of time to get back for our ferry back to Wemyss Bay. We needn't have worried, however, as the ferries were suspended because of the heavy fog. This necessitated a drive up to Rhubodach to get a shorter ferry ride across to Colintraive, then a very hairy mountain drive on a single track road with dense fog back to Dunoon. A not to be forgotten trip!
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50 |
8 |
| St Colmac Cottages Stone Circle |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Saw from a distance |
9th Oct 2017 |
|
2 |
4 |
St Colmac Cottages Stone Circle: Defeated by a pond between us and the stone circle, a large heap of cow dung by the gate, heavy mist, and running out of time before our ferry back, we stopped at the gate and photographed this from a distance.
We had tried to see the standing stone near Calmac Bridge, but the farmers were moving a large herd of cattle into the field, and we would have had to wait for ages. Rapidly running out of time before...St Colmac Cottages Stone Circle: Defeated by a pond between us and the stone circle, a large heap of cow dung by the gate, heavy mist, and running out of time before our ferry back, we stopped at the gate and photographed this from a distance.
We had tried to see the standing stone near Calmac Bridge, but the farmers were moving a large herd of cattle into the field, and we would have had to wait for ages. Rapidly running out of time before we needed to get back to Rounsay for the ferry, we pressed on to St. Colmac Cottages, where we parked at the entrance to the field with the stone circle. Here, the farmer has created a fenced walkway along the side of the road.
The walkway, however, was deep in wet slurry from the cows having just been moved down this path, and the field was sodden. Arriving at the gate into the field, the farmer had also dumped a whole load of cow manure just the other side of the gate, making it incredibly uninviting to walk to the stone circle, which we could just see through the mist in the field.
At this point, not having wellies, I realised I’d rather see the standing stone inscribed with a cross before we left the island, so we waded back to the car and set off just down the road to the ruined church at Calmac Bridge.
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50 |
7 |
| Acholter |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Visited |
25th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Acholter Standing Stone, Isle of Bute: From the Scalpsie Bronze Age Barrow, we headed north up the A844 towards Colmac and East Colmac to see the stone circle, a standing stone with incised cross and an earthwork. By this time, we were starting to run out of time as we needed to get back to Rounsay for the ferry.
There had just been an accident at the southern end of Ettrick Bay – a camper van and a car had gone head on into each other at low...Acholter Standing Stone, Isle of Bute: From the Scalpsie Bronze Age Barrow, we headed north up the A844 towards Colmac and East Colmac to see the stone circle, a standing stone with incised cross and an earthwork. By this time, we were starting to run out of time as we needed to get back to Rounsay for the ferry.
There had just been an accident at the southern end of Ettrick Bay – a camper van and a car had gone head on into each other at low speed. All the occupants of the vehicles were out on the roadside and others had stopped to help. I can imagine turning the corner of the A844 and coming onto this lovely stretch of sand and sea, not looking where you were going properly. We followed the line of cars past them. I spotted this standing stone on the map. We weren’t going to stop, but the stone was visible through the mist in the field, so we pulled up by the side of the road.
My goodness, the entrances to the fields were ankle deep in water, so we walked further south to another field gate and used an alternative route. The whole field was so very wet and absolutely covered in damp, smelly cow pats, that we could only get within about 10 metres of the stone. By this time, the mist really was so bad we could hardly see the stone.
Picking our way back to the road, me with very wet socks and shoes, I turned back to the field only to see a herd of large cows making their way towards us. Where had they come from? We didn’t see them in the field, and they made an eerie sight through the mist!
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50 |
6 |
| Scalpsie Barrow |
Round Cairn |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Visited |
25th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Scalpsie Barrow, Isle of Bute: We didn’t plan to stop here, but there was a car park and information board by the field alongside the A844 past Ambrismore on the way to Ardscalpsie, signposted to the beach, so we screeched to a halt to explore. The information board differentiated between the barrow and another cairn, also somewhere in the field, but the fog was so bad, we couldn’t see it, and it was very difficult to photograph the main barrow....Scalpsie Barrow, Isle of Bute: We didn’t plan to stop here, but there was a car park and information board by the field alongside the A844 past Ambrismore on the way to Ardscalpsie, signposted to the beach, so we screeched to a halt to explore. The information board differentiated between the barrow and another cairn, also somewhere in the field, but the fog was so bad, we couldn’t see it, and it was very difficult to photograph the main barrow.!
Worth stopping to see. The gate into the field was about 100 metres further west along the road from the small car park. Walking back to the barrow, my feet got completely drenched. A shame the fog was so bad, as I’d have loved to have found the second cairn.
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50 |
5 |
| Blackpark |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Visited |
25th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Blackpart Standing Stone, Isle of Bute: About 2.3 km north of St. Blane’s Chapel, still on Plan Road. There is a small car park just off the road, north of the stones, at NS 09160 55716. The ground was very boggy, with large pools of water both on the path to them and in between, so we had to pick our way very careful.
These three stones are some of the most mis-matched I’ve seen. The northern and southern most stones are made of a reddis...Blackpart Standing Stone, Isle of Bute: About 2.3 km north of St. Blane’s Chapel, still on Plan Road. There is a small car park just off the road, north of the stones, at NS 09160 55716. The ground was very boggy, with large pools of water both on the path to them and in between, so we had to pick our way very careful.
These three stones are some of the most mis-matched I’ve seen. The northern and southern most stones are made of a reddish conglomerate, a little like cement. The third stone looks like whinstone, which has split down the middle, and is the oddest of shapes, morphing what it looks like completely as you walk around it.
Thankfully the mist had thinned by the time we arrived here, and the sun was just starting to show throw the pine trees of the surrounding forest.
I was very intrigued by the southernmost stone, on a mound – is this a cairn? No mention of this on Canmore, although as I was walking around it I spotted graffiti, including what looked like a misshapen cross.
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50 |
4 |
| St Blane's Chapel (Isle of Bute) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Visited |
|
|
|
|
Cross base/socket stone, St. Blane's Chapel, Isle of Bute: Whilst I was wandering through the ruins of the chapel and photographing it, husband Andrew was in search of this sandstone socket in the lower churchyard. In the end, it was easy to find – head south out of the ruins, into the upper churchyard, down the steps, and it is virtually in front of you to your left hand side. I confess that without the Canmore record, I might have very well m...Cross base/socket stone, St. Blane's Chapel, Isle of Bute: Whilst I was wandering through the ruins of the chapel and photographing it, husband Andrew was in search of this sandstone socket in the lower churchyard. In the end, it was easy to find – head south out of the ruins, into the upper churchyard, down the steps, and it is virtually in front of you to your left hand side. I confess that without the Canmore record, I might have very well missed this, as I’m used to seeing socket stones that are sitting on the ground, not buried within it.
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51 |
3 |
| St Blane's Well |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Visited |
25th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St. Blane's Well, Isle of Bute: After St. Mary’s Chapel and Well, we made our way to the south end of the island, by which time the mist was starting to come in from the sea. There is a layby at NS 09299 53076 for around 6 cars at the start of the path uphill to the chapel. I was very disappointed to find quite a few other visitors there. They must have done what we did, and made their way straight to the south end of the island to work their ...St. Blane's Well, Isle of Bute: After St. Mary’s Chapel and Well, we made our way to the south end of the island, by which time the mist was starting to come in from the sea. There is a layby at NS 09299 53076 for around 6 cars at the start of the path uphill to the chapel. I was very disappointed to find quite a few other visitors there. They must have done what we did, and made their way straight to the south end of the island to work their way back. Should have timed it better.
At this site, as well as the chapel, there is a holy well, a hogback and a cross shaft. This whole place is very ancient and it was atmospheric in the mist.
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51 |
2 |
| St Mary's Well (Rothsay) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Isle of Bute |
Visited |
25th Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
St. Mary's Well, Rothsay: Almost immediately across the road from St Mary's Chapel, set into a dry stone wall and very sadly neglected. There is no outlet but the remains of a metal tethering ring for a cup or ladle is still embedded in the arch. Worth a walk across from the chapel to take a look. |
51 |
1 |
| Rhymer's Stone (Melrose) |
Marker Stone |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Eildontree Stone/Rhymer Stone, Melrose: After our failed attempt to find St. Dunstan’s Well in Melrose, we wanted to end the day on a positive note, so asked to come here, particularly because of the Steeleye Span song. The sign from the road said ‘Rhymer’s Stone’ ½ mile. It was more like a good mile, then a walk of about 300 metres from the layby by the gate closing the road. Loved the view up to Eildon Hillfort, but far too late in the day t...Eildontree Stone/Rhymer Stone, Melrose: After our failed attempt to find St. Dunstan’s Well in Melrose, we wanted to end the day on a positive note, so asked to come here, particularly because of the Steeleye Span song. The sign from the road said ‘Rhymer’s Stone’ ½ mile. It was more like a good mile, then a walk of about 300 metres from the layby by the gate closing the road. Loved the view up to Eildon Hillfort, but far too late in the day to go exploring.
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50 |
7 |
| Font Stone (Dryburgh) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
The Font Stone, Dyburgh (Cross Base): Sited on a corner of the B6356, it is a miracle that this cross base is still in one piece, being located so close to the road.
From Mertoun Kirk, we followed the B6356, turning right before reaching Dryburgh along a minor road signposted to Bemersyde, where the stone is located some 270 metres along the road on a slight right hand bend.
It is largely hidden by grass at the right hand side of the road...The Font Stone, Dyburgh (Cross Base): Sited on a corner of the B6356, it is a miracle that this cross base is still in one piece, being located so close to the road.
From Mertoun Kirk, we followed the B6356, turning right before reaching Dryburgh along a minor road signposted to Bemersyde, where the stone is located some 270 metres along the road on a slight right hand bend.
It is largely hidden by grass at the right hand side of the road as you head up to Bemersyde. There is a layby just before the stone, where we pulled in to photograph the stone. Note: this is a busy road, so be careful of traffic.
As we were very near the Scott’s View Geological Indicator and the Wallace Monument, whilst there was still light, we decided to go on and take a look.
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50 |
6 |
| Mertoun Kirk (St Boswells) |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Mertoun Kirk, incised stone: The church lies in the grounds of Mertoun House, which lies almost directly north, across a bend in the River Tweed, from Maxton with its Burgh Cross. To approach the church, we had to follow the signs up the single track road to the house; the church is just before you reach the house. There were other Roman fragments built into seats in the gardens just outside the house, but we needed to pay to get in the house, a...Mertoun Kirk, incised stone: The church lies in the grounds of Mertoun House, which lies almost directly north, across a bend in the River Tweed, from Maxton with its Burgh Cross. To approach the church, we had to follow the signs up the single track road to the house; the church is just before you reach the house. There were other Roman fragments built into seats in the gardens just outside the house, but we needed to pay to get in the house, and there was only half an hour before it shut for the evening. Fortunately, we were able to park outside the church, next to the mounting block, and walked around this very hidden, almost secretive church.
The church itself was locked, and we couldn’t get in. Whilst Canmore gives no date for the stone, the fragment looks older than the church which was built in 1658 and restored in 1820 and 1898.
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50 |
5 |
| St Boswell's Old Church |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
St Boswell's Old Church, Incised Cross Slab: I was expecting much more from this site, lying in a corner tucked between the River Tween to the east and Boswell Burn to the south. The ruins of the old church have been taken down to only a couple of courses, whilst the graveyard is still in use today.
Not very atmospheric. It turns out, pulling the Canmore record up on site, that there was only 1 tombstone with incised cross standing against t...St Boswell's Old Church, Incised Cross Slab: I was expecting much more from this site, lying in a corner tucked between the River Tween to the east and Boswell Burn to the south. The ruins of the old church have been taken down to only a couple of courses, whilst the graveyard is still in use today.
Not very atmospheric. It turns out, pulling the Canmore record up on site, that there was only 1 tombstone with incised cross standing against the south wall of the church, which is supposed to have: “A tombstone, measuring 5ft 8in in length and tapering in width from 1ft 7 1/2in to 1ft 2in, is attached to the S wall of the church. It bears a slightly incised, equal-limbed cross within a circle.” No date is given for this. The rest of the interesting old stones have been built into the modern church, which we didn’t bother to find, as it presumably would be locked, and we had a lot more sites we particularly wanted to see.
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50 |
4 |
| Maxton Burgh (St Boswells) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Maxton Burgh Cross, Scottish Borders: We stopped off at a garden centre café in Newton St. Boswell’s for refreshments, then carried on eastwards towards the small village of Maxton. We didn’t have precise grid references for this cross at the time, and with no mobile signal, we were a little lost as to where to find it. Eventually I managed to pull up the website for Maxton village, which described the location of the cross as being just off th...Maxton Burgh Cross, Scottish Borders: We stopped off at a garden centre café in Newton St. Boswell’s for refreshments, then carried on eastwards towards the small village of Maxton. We didn’t have precise grid references for this cross at the time, and with no mobile signal, we were a little lost as to where to find it. Eventually I managed to pull up the website for Maxton village, which described the location of the cross as being just off the main street, in front of what was the smiddy, “on what remains of the village green”. They state that “Parts of the cross are probably original 13th century, but the main part was replaced in 1881 by Sir William Ramsay Fairfax, Bart.”
We drove up and down the A699 through the village trying to find the old village green, even driving down St. Cuthbert’s Way to the church. Eventually, we decided to park on the main road and walk around. From here, the cross was easy to spot. The old village green is now someone’s private garden. The man who lived in the cottage immediately behind the cross said it was OK to go and look. Photographing the cross was somewhat hampered by the land rover parked immediately next to it. Fancy having the old village green for your private garden!
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50 |
3 |
| Purveshaugh |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Purveshaugh (Earlston) Standing Stone, Scottish Borders: Our second stop of the day. Although the B6105 is supposed to be a minor road, it is still very busy and traffic rushes along it at a pace of knots. We managed to pull into the ungated field entrance without causing too much chaos.
A few steps into the field, we realised it was planted with wheat. We managed to navigate the 10 metres or so from the field entrance to the stone by foll...Purveshaugh (Earlston) Standing Stone, Scottish Borders: Our second stop of the day. Although the B6105 is supposed to be a minor road, it is still very busy and traffic rushes along it at a pace of knots. We managed to pull into the ungated field entrance without causing too much chaos.
A few steps into the field, we realised it was planted with wheat. We managed to navigate the 10 metres or so from the field entrance to the stone by following the empty ground where the tractor wheels had run, so didn’t cause any damage.
I was really amused to see the stone had its own name sign ‘Standing Stone’. It really is the most oddly shaped stone, like a small chair. Canmore says it is unsculptured, and it looks as if it has been quarried before being located here. I was surprised to find Canmore had two other records for this site, within a few tens of metres of the stone – a post medieval farmstead (Canmore ID 343237) and a well (Canmore ID 343240), neither of which we saw evidence for on the day.
Not a great location in modern times, with power lines running almost overhead, and the busy road.
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50 |
2 |
| Dods Corse Stone (Boon) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Dods Corse Stone (Cross shaft and base): We pulled over in field entrance opposite wood the stone stands within, at NT 58395 46267. There was another huge bull with his ladies in this field, standing staring at us very menacingly, as if he was about the charge at us. As we were getting out of the car, we were overtaken by 3 army land rovers on exercise, the driver of the first vehicle waved.
The step on the stile into the wood was very tal...Dods Corse Stone (Cross shaft and base): We pulled over in field entrance opposite wood the stone stands within, at NT 58395 46267. There was another huge bull with his ladies in this field, standing staring at us very menacingly, as if he was about the charge at us. As we were getting out of the car, we were overtaken by 3 army land rovers on exercise, the driver of the first vehicle waved.
The step on the stile into the wood was very tall, so my knees needed a bit of help getting up on it. There was a very narrow path leading to the north of the small wood. There is a fence line running east-west and another small section of wood (a narrow section of field is shown on the map). Following this inner fenceline some 200 metres to the west, we eventually came across the cross and base almost buried under moss and debris from the surrounding trees.
The incised cross on the northern face could just be made out, but the cross in relief on the southern face remained buried under the moss. All under foot around the cross were other bright red sandstone stones, but with all the forestry work, and debris from it, made it difficult to tell what archaeology there might be around us.
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50 |
1 |
| Gormyre |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
22nd Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Gormyre Stone, Torphichen: Ever since I went to Torphichen on 13th May 2017, I’ve wanted to come back and not only look round the Preceptory, but also try to find the other refuge stones associated with the Sanctuary Stone in the churchyard.
Today, despite not feeling 100% I was glad to be in search of this stone, and delighted to be able to see it from the road. We parked at NS 98072 72853 (there was just enough room by the gate to pull off...Gormyre Stone, Torphichen: Ever since I went to Torphichen on 13th May 2017, I’ve wanted to come back and not only look round the Preceptory, but also try to find the other refuge stones associated with the Sanctuary Stone in the churchyard.
Today, despite not feeling 100% I was glad to be in search of this stone, and delighted to be able to see it from the road. We parked at NS 98072 72853 (there was just enough room by the gate to pull off the road), approximately 1.2 km east of Torphichen Preceptory.
The farmer had padlocked the gates into the field and the track which ran alongside it; these were really high and a little precarious to climb over (didn’t want to break them), so I ended up clambering gingerly over the wooden fence next to the gate. Following the grassy trackway north, just over 200 metres further on there was another gate, again padlocked, so we negotiated the wooden fence next to it. Thankfully, the huge bull and his ladies were in the adjoining field.
This stone sits on top of a natural mound. We couldn’t see the outline of the Maltese Cross on the north face of the stone, despite careful looking at a number of different angles and distances (although looking at one of the photographs, it does stand out a little). A really nice location, and a very friendly stone.
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49 |
4 |
| Lower Craigmailing (Torphichen) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
22nd Sep 2017 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
Lower Craigmailing Socketed Stone: This socketed stone was well hidden under shrubbery at the start of a footpath running from Cathlaw Lane to Witch Craig/Crag. I would have walked right by it, had husband, Andrew, not pushed his way through the shrubbery to find it.
What a sad fate for this socketed stone. Being located so close to Torphichen, I assume it had something to do with marking the way to/from the Abbey, possibly up to Cairnpapple...Lower Craigmailing Socketed Stone: This socketed stone was well hidden under shrubbery at the start of a footpath running from Cathlaw Lane to Witch Craig/Crag. I would have walked right by it, had husband, Andrew, not pushed his way through the shrubbery to find it.
What a sad fate for this socketed stone. Being located so close to Torphichen, I assume it had something to do with marking the way to/from the Abbey, possibly up to Cairnpapple Hill.
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49 |
2 |
| Galabraes |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
22nd Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Gala Braes Standing Stones, Bathgate: We drove up and down the road, but couldn’t see a gate into the field along either from the ‘main’ road (Drumcross Road) or the side road running north-south up to Cairnpapple Hill, so we ended up clambering over an almost demolished stone wall and squeezing through the wire fencing. There was a big (very unfriendly looking) bull in the field just below the western end of the ridge, who stood his ground and ...Gala Braes Standing Stones, Bathgate: We drove up and down the road, but couldn’t see a gate into the field along either from the ‘main’ road (Drumcross Road) or the side road running north-south up to Cairnpapple Hill, so we ended up clambering over an almost demolished stone wall and squeezing through the wire fencing. There was a big (very unfriendly looking) bull in the field just below the western end of the ridge, who stood his ground and kept looking at us, so we didn’t dare approach the other small knoll where the other stone (B) should have been located.
As we were leaving, I spotted some old boundary features to the south of the standing stone so was photographing these, when I heard some cawing behind me. Looking up, a large crow was sitting on the standing stone, bobbing up and down. Eerie!
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49 |
1 |
| Barmore Fort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Cowal |
Saw from a distance |
21st Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Barmore Hillfort, Ormidale, Argyll: We saw this hillfort from a distance only. The map indicated a footbridge across the River Ruel. We drove up and down several times but couldn’t find it. The ground was so wet after heavy rain, we would have needed wellies to navigate the fields, so elected to view this from a distance only. We did drive back along the A886 looking for a parking space on the south eastern side of the fort, but there were onl...Barmore Hillfort, Ormidale, Argyll: We saw this hillfort from a distance only. The map indicated a footbridge across the River Ruel. We drove up and down several times but couldn’t find it. The ground was so wet after heavy rain, we would have needed wellies to navigate the fields, so elected to view this from a distance only. We did drive back along the A886 looking for a parking space on the south eastern side of the fort, but there were only private driveways. A disappointing end to the day.
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48 |
5 |
| Meckan's Grave (Loch Riddon) |
Cist |
Scotland |
Cowal |
Visited |
5th Oct 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Meckan's Grave, Loch Ridon/Loch Ruel: There is only a signpost by natural crag but grid reference puts it on the mudflats at the head of Loch Riddon/Loch Ruel. There was a phone signal of sorts so I called up some images of Meckan’s Grave on the internet, only to find most people had photographed the crag, which had been blasted through to create the road.
It was virtually impossible for me to scramble down to the mudflats, so we ended up pee...Meckan's Grave, Loch Ridon/Loch Ruel: There is only a signpost by natural crag but grid reference puts it on the mudflats at the head of Loch Riddon/Loch Ruel. There was a phone signal of sorts so I called up some images of Meckan’s Grave on the internet, only to find most people had photographed the crag, which had been blasted through to create the road.
It was virtually impossible for me to scramble down to the mudflats, so we ended up peering through the trees and caught what I thought might be a cist burial, which was more obvious on the computer screen at home. We didn’t spot the plaque.
We drove down to Shellfield Farm and looked back up at the head of the Loch from the fence next to the loch – wonderful in the early evening light.
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48 |
4 |
| Ardachearanbeg Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Cowal |
Visited |
21st Sep 2017 |
-1 |
4 |
4 |
Ardachearanbeg Standing Stone, Argyll: Hunted all along the fence line, peering into the river and along the banks for around 100 metres each side of the grid reference and couldn’t find this stone. There was no phone signal, so wasn’t able to call up the Canmore record to double check. Later found out (see below) it has fallen into the river, although we had a pretty good check, looking through the trees and in the river itself, for about 100 ...Ardachearanbeg Standing Stone, Argyll: Hunted all along the fence line, peering into the river and along the banks for around 100 metres each side of the grid reference and couldn’t find this stone. There was no phone signal, so wasn’t able to call up the Canmore record to double check. Later found out (see below) it has fallen into the river, although we had a pretty good check, looking through the trees and in the river itself, for about 100 metres each way from the grid reference. The river was higher than normal due to all the rain in this part of the world.
Access into the field was from a gate along a small lane just west of the A886 leading to two farms/holiday cottages. There is a small layby at NS 00298 86038 at the junction to these lanes. The field slopes down to the River Ruel. Wellies are advised, as the field was pretty boggy at the time of our visit.
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48 |
3 |
| Glendaruel Churchyard |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Cowal |
Visited |
21st Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Kilmodan Stones, Glenaruel: Also known as Clacahn of Glendaruel and the Kilmodan Stones
Our second visit of the day, and another lovely spot by the River Ruel. We parked by the now deserted (almost derelict) hotel in Kilmodan village, and walked down towards the church, which is Georgian and very Church of Scotland inside.
The Lapidarium is situated to the south west of the churchyard, nearer to the river. The church guide leaflet says th...Kilmodan Stones, Glenaruel: Also known as Clacahn of Glendaruel and the Kilmodan Stones
Our second visit of the day, and another lovely spot by the River Ruel. We parked by the now deserted (almost derelict) hotel in Kilmodan village, and walked down towards the church, which is Georgian and very Church of Scotland inside.
The Lapidarium is situated to the south west of the churchyard, nearer to the river. The church guide leaflet says that the Lapidarium was formerly the mausoleum of the Campbells of Auchenbreck, roofed in as a Lapidarium. In 1970, the stones were moved from the graveyard into this building.
“The stones are 14th and 15th century and are of the Loch Awe school of carvers. The stone is schistose and the quality of the stone suggests if would have come from local quarries. In comparison to the other West Highland schools the workmanship is clumsy. In addition, the Loch Awe slabs were never inscribed. So we do not know the names of the patrons commemorated. There are 11 stones in the Lapidarium with number 6 being renowned as the finest example of the Loch Awe School. Stone 11 is the grave slab of Donald McCloy who was minister in Kilmodan from 1609 to 1636.
The bright light streaming into the Lapidarium made at this time of the afternoon made it difficult to photograph the stones properly, despite Andrew trying to block the light out, and me kneeling on the floor to avoid the direct sunlight.
There is a cup and ring marked rock mentioned on the map near to the hotel, although we were unable to find it.
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48 |
2 |
| Balliemore (Craigendive) |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Cowal |
Visited |
21st Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ballimore Standing Stones, West of Dunoon: To escape the rain in Armadale, we decided to take the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon. We stopped off in Dunoon for a cup of tea and a sandwich at The Tudor Coffee Shop above Thornton’s on the main high street, then we set off into the countryside, taking the B836 to Craigendive, past Loch Tarsan.
I spotted these on the map and as they were not very far off the beaten track, decided to stop off and find...Ballimore Standing Stones, West of Dunoon: To escape the rain in Armadale, we decided to take the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon. We stopped off in Dunoon for a cup of tea and a sandwich at The Tudor Coffee Shop above Thornton’s on the main high street, then we set off into the countryside, taking the B836 to Craigendive, past Loch Tarsan.
I spotted these on the map and as they were not very far off the beaten track, decided to stop off and find them. These two stones were in one of the loveliest places, just off the B836 (essentially a single-track road with passing places), to the north of Loch Striven. Surrounded by hills on three sides, on a lush, level grassy plain, with Loch Striven to the south, these standing stones lie immediately south of Balliemore Farm. We parked at NS 05511 84269, next to a pile of road gravel and stones, and walked up the track towards the farm.
There is one tall, narrow stone, and a shorter, triangular one, with a third slab lying at the base of the taller one. Packing stones can be seen in the grass.
The field was very, very wet, and we had to jump over the pools of water at the edge, particularly around the telegraph poles. A pair of wellies would have come in extremely handy!
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48 |
1 |
| Castle Hill (Ancrum) |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
20th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Castle Hill Hillfort, Ancrum, Scottish Borders: It was getting late in the evening, with dusk coming on, so sadly there wasn’t time to drive back into Ancrum and back round the other side to clamber up to this enticing hill fort, which is visible from Ancrum Old Church and can also be clearly seen on UK Grid Reference Finder. We did try walking across the pack horse bridge across Ale Water, letting ourselves out of the wrought iron gates at the ...Castle Hill Hillfort, Ancrum, Scottish Borders: It was getting late in the evening, with dusk coming on, so sadly there wasn’t time to drive back into Ancrum and back round the other side to clamber up to this enticing hill fort, which is visible from Ancrum Old Church and can also be clearly seen on UK Grid Reference Finder. We did try walking across the pack horse bridge across Ale Water, letting ourselves out of the wrought iron gates at the eastern side, but the cottage and adjacent barns we’d have needed to walk through were a building site and were cordoned off.
Decided to leave this for another day, and drove back past the market cross to photograph that before heading off to Armadale.
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47 |
4 |
| Ancrum Old Church |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
20th Sep 2017 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Ancrum Old Church, Scottish Borders: This is a very beautiful location, just to the west of Ale Water and north of the B6400, west of the village of Ancrum. There is parking for 3-4 cars at the south western end of the church yard. A gate and steps lead down into the church yard; the ruined church stands at the northern end of the graveyard.
We walked all around the church, at first unsure of where to look. In the end, by holding my mobile ...Ancrum Old Church, Scottish Borders: This is a very beautiful location, just to the west of Ale Water and north of the B6400, west of the village of Ancrum. There is parking for 3-4 cars at the south western end of the church yard. A gate and steps lead down into the church yard; the ruined church stands at the northern end of the graveyard.
We walked all around the church, at first unsure of where to look. In the end, by holding my mobile above my head, I managed to get the Canmore record up, so we knew exactly where to look.
Ancrum 1 and 2 are within the village, within private grounds. We did spot the two inscribed slabs, a hogback and a cross base. There was a young man flying a drone all around the church and churchyard, and his dog kept following us. I tried to engage him in conversation, but only got that he was making a film for ‘his own purposes’.
We wandered over the old pack horse bridge to the eastern side of Ale Water, but this was a building site. We could see the western end of Castle Hill hillfort. By this time, it was getting late and the climb looked steep, so we bottled out of the climb, stopping off to look at Ancrum Market Cross on the way to Armadale.
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| Haughhead Kip (Eckford) |
Sculptured Stone |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
20th Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Haughhead Kip Tumulus & Inscribed Stone, Scottish Borders: This is one of the strangest sites I’ve been to recently, although in a lovely location. Sited just to the east of the A698, north of the B6401 and south of Kale Water, to the north west of the little village of Eckford, we parked on a corner of this narrow road at NT 72558 26695, where there was just enough room to pull the car right off the road. The B6401 was a busy little road, and ...Haughhead Kip Tumulus & Inscribed Stone, Scottish Borders: This is one of the strangest sites I’ve been to recently, although in a lovely location. Sited just to the east of the A698, north of the B6401 and south of Kale Water, to the north west of the little village of Eckford, we parked on a corner of this narrow road at NT 72558 26695, where there was just enough room to pull the car right off the road. The B6401 was a busy little road, and we avoided cars walking west back to the field with the tumulus.
There is a gate into the field at NT 72289 26736, and it wasn’t until we were 20-30 metres into the field that we realised it had been planted with really tiny cabbage or turnip plants, drilled into wide rows. Being so close to the tumulus, we carefully picked our way across the rest of the field until we got to the gate to the tumulus at about NT 72184 26830. From there, it was a little climb up to what I can only describe as either an altar or a tumbledown box grave.
Certainly worth stopping to see. Canmore debates whether or not the mound was erected to contain the altar. Due to it’s location close to Kale Water, I think it was a tumulus used to locate the inscribed stone on top of it, to give it greater importance.
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47 |
2 |
| Moor Head (Brundean Laws) |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
20th Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Moor Head (Brundean Laws), Scottish Border: This was our first stop on our journey to Armadale, and a part of the world we’ve been to before on a walk up Dere Street, but not stopped at these stones before. We parked at Brundean Laws farm entrance at NT 71651 11987 and walked up the track past the first few houses, to where the track divides at NT 72183 11509 just before Brundean Laws Farm, taking the right hand fork as we faced the main farmhous...Moor Head (Brundean Laws), Scottish Border: This was our first stop on our journey to Armadale, and a part of the world we’ve been to before on a walk up Dere Street, but not stopped at these stones before. We parked at Brundean Laws farm entrance at NT 71651 11987 and walked up the track past the first few houses, to where the track divides at NT 72183 11509 just before Brundean Laws Farm, taking the right hand fork as we faced the main farmhouse. The area where the standing stones are has not been mowed, so stands out as a taller circle of grass around a telegraph pole at the south eastern end of the large field in which the stones stand.
We followed the track that heads of westwards until we were level with the stones, then headed the 30 metres or so to unmown area in which they stood. There is one main stone which is clearly a standing stone, with a second recumbent stone to its south east. A second, broken, stone pokes up out of a mound of smaller stones, which I thought was a quarried stone which had just been dumped, but checking with the Canmore record, this is the second standing stone. With the tall grass and thistles around the stones, it was difficult to tell if there were any more stones undergoot.
The stones do stand on a slight mound (although Canmore says they are 170 metres SSW of Moor Head summit) and if the Christmas tree forest hadn’t been to it’s north, west and south, would have had a commanding view over the surrounding hills which towered above this spot.
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| Tullie House Museum |
Museum |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
18th Sep 2017 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
The Cursing Stone, Carlisle: This stone is located in the strangely lit underpath that runs the dual carriageway near Tullie House Museum and Carlisle Castle, next to Tullie House museum. We came across this quite by chance, thinking it was located inside the museum. It is actually on the Tullie House side of the pedestrian underpass from the Castle to the Museum.
There is nothing on the walls of the underpass to tell you what this stone i...The Cursing Stone, Carlisle: This stone is located in the strangely lit underpath that runs the dual carriageway near Tullie House Museum and Carlisle Castle, next to Tullie House museum. We came across this quite by chance, thinking it was located inside the museum. It is actually on the Tullie House side of the pedestrian underpass from the Castle to the Museum.
There is nothing on the walls of the underpass to tell you what this stone is. I’d read about it on the Portal some time ago and recognised it. The wording of the curse is recorded below.
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1 |
| St Mary's Old Church (Brignall) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
9th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
9th century cross shaft, St. Mary's Old Church, Brignall: Deserted Medieval Village: After not being able to find the cross base in ‘New St. Mary’s Church’, we left the car parked in front of the church and took the footpath to ‘The Old Church’ between the south wall of the churchyard and the neighbouring house. This quickly took us down an overgrown lane, following a small stream in a deep gulley to our left hand side. As the crow flies, it’s ...9th century cross shaft, St. Mary's Old Church, Brignall: Deserted Medieval Village: After not being able to find the cross base in ‘New St. Mary’s Church’, we left the car parked in front of the church and took the footpath to ‘The Old Church’ between the south wall of the churchyard and the neighbouring house. This quickly took us down an overgrown lane, following a small stream in a deep gulley to our left hand side. As the crow flies, it’s only 500 metres from the ‘new church’ to the ‘old church’, although it felt a lot longer.
Where the trees started to clear, with fields to our right, the path turned back on itself, seeming to lead straight down the gully to our stream. There was no signpost to say where the old church was, so we took the path leading downwards (to our left), at one point walking between two streams, and came out into a meadow. In the distance was the ruins of a small buildings surrounded by a low stone wall. It looked more like a tumbled down small farm house, but as we got nearer, the grave stones appeared above the wall line.
The gate had been firmly locked with a bolt and nuts, so we used the stile over the wall, descending into brambles and nettles. Other people had obviously walked this way as there were traces of indistinct tracks leading in various directions across the churchyard.
Making our way over to the building, we couldn’t see the piece of cross shaft, so I called the image up on my phone, having to hold it high up above my head to get a better signal! Almost immediately, I spotted it – to the left hand side of the opening in the wall (north), a few layers up from the current ground level.
The Historic England entry also said that there were re-used cross slabs over the east window and the now re-filled smaller windows in the east wall. On closer inspection, these looked like re-used grave slabs.
It wasn’t until we left the grounds of the church and followed a line of boulders leading down to what we thought was a stream, that we found out the River Greta ran just to the east of the church. The rig and furrow ploughing across the field was really obvious and it may be the stones marked the line of a crossing through the river? The Historic England entry also says the site has been painted by Turner and others.
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| St. Mary's Church (Brignall) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
9th Sep 2017 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Cross base at St. Mary's New Church, Brignall (not found): After having visited the church in Barnard Castle and Barnard Castle, we set of to Brignall. According to Pastscape, there was a 13th century cross base sitting against the south-west corner of the tower of this church, together with a Roman altar and other stones. These used to be in the rectory gardens, but were re-sited in the churchyard.
No sign of the cross base or the altar exi...Cross base at St. Mary's New Church, Brignall (not found): After having visited the church in Barnard Castle and Barnard Castle, we set of to Brignall. According to Pastscape, there was a 13th century cross base sitting against the south-west corner of the tower of this church, together with a Roman altar and other stones. These used to be in the rectory gardens, but were re-sited in the churchyard.
No sign of the cross base or the altar existed, unless they are in this collection of stones, all of which are badly worn. These are located against the north west corner of the tower, behind the war memorial. There was nothing against the south west corner/south west wall of the church – I walked right round in case we’d missed anything, or they had been moved.
The church was locked at the time of our visit, so I couldn’t get inside to check if these artefacts had been moved inside for safety. As we parked up, a man in the house next to the church (to its right as photographed) was standing at the window looking at us, talking on the phone. He made no move to come out and talk to us, and made me feel like an intruder.
I will need to phone the Diocesan office to find out when the church is open and if the base and altar have been moved inside the church.
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3 |
| Christening Stone (Cotherstone) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
9th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
The Christening Stone, Cotherstone: This was our first stop of the day. Travelling south on the A68, the shortest route was cross-country through Hamsterley, driving along the B6278 Folly Bank into Eggleston, then turning onto the B6277 through Romaldkirk. The cross base is in a field to the right hand side of the road, 160 metres south of Doe Park caravan park, on Spout Bank.
The road is busy and narrow, but we managed to pull off into a do...The Christening Stone, Cotherstone: This was our first stop of the day. Travelling south on the A68, the shortest route was cross-country through Hamsterley, driving along the B6278 Folly Bank into Eggleston, then turning onto the B6277 through Romaldkirk. The cross base is in a field to the right hand side of the road, 160 metres south of Doe Park caravan park, on Spout Bank.
The road is busy and narrow, but we managed to pull off into a double gateway at the side of the road and cross over to peer at the cross base. A sheep was huddled up to it when I first saw the base. The sheep then stood up once it noticed me and stood by the cross base, as if it was showing it off.
The cross looks as if it was sitting by the side of a hollow way, although now on a slope where the land dips towards the road. It looks quite crisply carved still. Although there was no gateway into the field, the stone wall was really low in places, and Andrew hopped over the wall to take a quick photograph of the western side of the base.
Pastscape says the base is Grade II listed and is in its original position on the medieval route between Cotherstone and Romaldkirk. Called The Christening Stone, a calf was christened at this cross as part of the May Day celebrations.
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1 |
| Hethpool Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Hethpool Cairn, College Valley: By this time, it was getting reasonably late in the afternoon, and there was a definite chill in the air. After having been out a lot earlier than our normal setting off time, it seemed way past tea-time. Just as we were approaching Hethpool Stone circles, we both noticed a stony mound to the left hand side of the road, tucked between the road and a narrow band of forest that separates it from the stone circles.
...Hethpool Cairn, College Valley: By this time, it was getting reasonably late in the afternoon, and there was a definite chill in the air. After having been out a lot earlier than our normal setting off time, it seemed way past tea-time. Just as we were approaching Hethpool Stone circles, we both noticed a stony mound to the left hand side of the road, tucked between the road and a narrow band of forest that separates it from the stone circles.
OK, this could be just a dump of stones by the roadside, but I photographed it anyway, enjoying the view south down the valley before we set off for home. Opening up Pastscape later that evening, I was pleased to find this cairn recorded.
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7 |
| Southernknowe Farmstead (College Valley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Southernknowe Enclosed Farmstead, College Valley: This settlement sits high up the eastern slopes of Blackhaggs Riggs, almost opposite where Lambden Burn meets College Burn. Whilst we could see the stone walls/banks of this settlement from below, it was quite a hike up the steep slopes of the hill. Long and narrow, the inhabitants would have had a great view of any other people coming for miles. It is also very scenic, overlooking the meeting ...Southernknowe Enclosed Farmstead, College Valley: This settlement sits high up the eastern slopes of Blackhaggs Riggs, almost opposite where Lambden Burn meets College Burn. Whilst we could see the stone walls/banks of this settlement from below, it was quite a hike up the steep slopes of the hill. Long and narrow, the inhabitants would have had a great view of any other people coming for miles. It is also very scenic, overlooking the meeting of Lambden Burn and College Burn. The river terraces in the valley below can be seen and it’s intriguing how the rivers have moved over the years.
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45 |
5 |
| Mounthooly (College Valley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Mounthooly Enclosed Scooped Settlement, College Valley: We drove down the road as far as we could go, nearly at Mounthooly Farm and International Hostelry, and there was a big sign saying ‘no cars past this point’. There were two other cars parked on the grass verge, but no signs of other people.
The road had been gated at Fleehope farm, where they were taking out the whole of the forest by Fleehope Burn, to the west of the farmhouse, and the...Mounthooly Enclosed Scooped Settlement, College Valley: We drove down the road as far as we could go, nearly at Mounthooly Farm and International Hostelry, and there was a big sign saying ‘no cars past this point’. There were two other cars parked on the grass verge, but no signs of other people.
The road had been gated at Fleehope farm, where they were taking out the whole of the forest by Fleehope Burn, to the west of the farmhouse, and there were huge piles of logs and heavy machinery. Whoever had parked the Land Rover on about a 45 degree slope near the forest had to be congratulated for an epic display of 4 wheel driving!
We walked along the track past Mounthooly Farm and the Hostelry (which has a clean toilet block!), past the narrow strip of forest and found the footpath making its way through the sheep pens, through the field, by a hide. Immediately after coming through the sheep folds, the scoop of the settlement came into view.
Standing towards the western end of the settlement, the scoop is cut deep into the hillside and it seemed to loom around 5+ metres above me, although both Pastscape and Historic England say it’s only 3 metres.
The farmer has been using this area as a dump, and there were no end of empty plastic feed supplement bags and bottles.
There was a clear, wide ditch to the west and south of the settlement; it’s northern end had been cut by the forestry plantation and fence.
My eye was drawn across to the eastern side of College Burn, and a large light coloured boulder. When we got home, it turned out that there was another larger settlement, field systems and cairnfields to the east of the burn. There was also another settlement to the south east of the field, but there was a very large herd of bullocks gathered, so we opted out on this occasion.
What a fascinating area. Needs much more investigation.
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6 |
| Dunsdale (College Valley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Sep 2017 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
Dunsdale Settlement, College Valley: Wow. The screen slopes to the north of this path are daunting and impressive at the same time. If there was a landslip here, you might be cut off for some time.
The settlement here was difficult to make out because of the very tall grass and heather, but we could feel stone foundations under our feet and depressions in the ground.
It is a very beautiful spot, with the scree slopes of Dunsdale Crag to...Dunsdale Settlement, College Valley: Wow. The screen slopes to the north of this path are daunting and impressive at the same time. If there was a landslip here, you might be cut off for some time.
The settlement here was difficult to make out because of the very tall grass and heather, but we could feel stone foundations under our feet and depressions in the ground.
It is a very beautiful spot, with the scree slopes of Dunsdale Crag to the north and Bizzle Burn running to the west of this site.
Would really like to come back here in winter to see more of the site structure.
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45 |
4 |
| Coldburn (College Valley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Coldburn Settlement (College Valley): After visiting the Southernknowe Settlement, the road splits into two. We took the eastern road at this point, travelling over Sutherland Bridge. There is a sign which says to beware as the road is not in very good condition, which is right! It is very narrow and has great potholes in parts.
We managed to pull off the road where a small layby had been created with lots of broken tarmac and stones. From...Coldburn Settlement (College Valley): After visiting the Southernknowe Settlement, the road splits into two. We took the eastern road at this point, travelling over Sutherland Bridge. There is a sign which says to beware as the road is not in very good condition, which is right! It is very narrow and has great potholes in parts.
We managed to pull off the road where a small layby had been created with lots of broken tarmac and stones. From this point, to the west of the settlement, we clambered up the somewhat steep-ish hillside, to where the land levelled off. Heading east, the scoop of the settlement came into view.
There are no obvious internal features within this settlement, but there are certainly views in three directions, with the steep slope of Coldburn Hill on the fourth.
The scoop is deepest to the north of the oval, and there appears to be two terraces cut into the hillside above.
Once in the settlement, we discovered a track cut into the bank of the settlement leading down to Coldburn Farm, so there was a much easier way of accessing this site!
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45 |
3 |
| Southernknowe (College Valley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Sep 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Southernknowe RB Settlement, College Valley: Never having been down so far south in College Valley before, I was fascinated by how beautiful the scenery was, and how many people live here. We saw the sign posts for ‘Wedding This Way’ from Hethpool onwards, and came to the tiny, very white Cuddystone Hall, tucked just behind a small wooded area. Parking on the grassy area with a couple of other cars just north of the hall, we took up the invitat...Southernknowe RB Settlement, College Valley: Never having been down so far south in College Valley before, I was fascinated by how beautiful the scenery was, and how many people live here. We saw the sign posts for ‘Wedding This Way’ from Hethpool onwards, and came to the tiny, very white Cuddystone Hall, tucked just behind a small wooded area. Parking on the grassy area with a couple of other cars just north of the hall, we took up the invitation on the College Valley History web page to explore the earthwork remains of the settlement ‘dating from the Roman Iron Age times.’
Just before the road junction and the Airmen’s Memorial (Cheviot Memorial) there is a gate into the field. Letting ourselves in, we wandered round and through this scooped settlement nestled on the west bank of the College Burn, with its scooped hut circles and courtyards. The hut circles were more obvious in the northern (smaller) courtyard. The bank to the south eastern side was steep, dropping down to College Burn. Just past a large boulder on the south eastern bank, erosion left boulder clay clearly visible.
On the hillside to the south west there is another enclosure marked on the OS map, higher up the slopes of Blackhaggs Rigg. We planned to call back here later in the day.
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2 |
| Hethpool Stone Circles |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Sep 2017 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
Hethpool Stone Circles, College Valley: We needed to be up really early this morning, but completed what we needed to do by 9am. As there were high winds and rain forecast for this evening/tonight and for the next few days, husband suggested we make the most of the good weather and go up to College Valley. He organised a pass from Saville’s in Wooler (we were one of 8 cars today – usually there are only 1 or 2 the receptionist said).
The las...Hethpool Stone Circles, College Valley: We needed to be up really early this morning, but completed what we needed to do by 9am. As there were high winds and rain forecast for this evening/tonight and for the next few days, husband suggested we make the most of the good weather and go up to College Valley. He organised a pass from Saville’s in Wooler (we were one of 8 cars today – usually there are only 1 or 2 the receptionist said).
The last time we were here was over 15 years ago, in the days when I didn’t have a camera, and whilst we saw the stone circle and Little Heatha Fort, didn’t have any evidence of our trip.
Considering this is marked on the map as a (singular) stone circle, it immediately looked (to me) as if there two side-by-side circles – the stones weren’t in one simple circle and they were too widespread. We climbed up to the telegraph pole up the hill to try and get a better look at the circle, but it was still too spread out (and many of the stones too low to the ground) to photograph well.
Given that the small car park at the entrance to the valley was pretty full, and we saw long crocodiles of walkers, we seemed to be the only people interested in the stone circle, which was surprising.
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1 |
| The Butter Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
9th Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
The Butter Stone, Cotherstone: From the cross base, we continued along the B6277, turning onto the minor road from Cotherstone towards the Battle Hill Ranges. We hadn’t expected to turn from pasture and woodland almost straight onto a moorland road.
From the turning in Cotherstone to the Butter Stone is almost 1.7km. Just passing a farm entrance to the east of the road, the stone is almost immediately to the west, about 25 metres from the ...The Butter Stone, Cotherstone: From the cross base, we continued along the B6277, turning onto the minor road from Cotherstone towards the Battle Hill Ranges. We hadn’t expected to turn from pasture and woodland almost straight onto a moorland road.
From the turning in Cotherstone to the Butter Stone is almost 1.7km. Just passing a farm entrance to the east of the road, the stone is almost immediately to the west, about 25 metres from the side of the road. A narrow grassy footpath leads from the road to the stone, which appears to be a well eroded natural erratic. It just about shows above the tussocky grass around it.
A old penny had been glued into a hollow in the top of the stone, and in the other hollows around the outside of the stone there were 20 pence pieces slotted into them.
I was surprised to find this stone was used as an exchange/boundary point during the 17th century plague, and it is sited just below the brow of the hill.
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44 |
2 |
| Haining House (Lambley) |
Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
2nd Sep 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Haining House Cairn, Hartleyburn Common: It was difficult to park here, as the road was so narrow. In the end we managed to bump the car up a slight bank to the north east of the track to Haining House. The track to the farm house was well looked after, although to drive to it, you’d have had to opened (and shut) three gates.
The cairn was easily identify-able, and being on access land, we walked to the gate located in the stone wall just to...Haining House Cairn, Hartleyburn Common: It was difficult to park here, as the road was so narrow. In the end we managed to bump the car up a slight bank to the north east of the track to Haining House. The track to the farm house was well looked after, although to drive to it, you’d have had to opened (and shut) three gates.
The cairn was easily identify-able, and being on access land, we walked to the gate located in the stone wall just to the west of the cairn, and walked back. There are some curiously deeply cut valleys to the north west of this cairn, now in a u-shaped feature. There are some cup and ring marked rocks along this section of the burn, although we planned to walk further west to see some more settlements this afternoon.
However, leaving the cairn and letting ourselves into a field with a gate, the heads of some very curious, and large, cattle/bullocks appeared above a slight mound. We retreated and went to look at the map for some other sites to see.
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43 |
2 |
| Coanwood (Lambley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
2nd Sep 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Coanwood Settlement, Lambley: Driving from the Diamond Oak and the World War II prisoner of war camp to the north, this settlement lies immediately opposite the junction of the 68 Cycle Route and the A689 at Lambley. It lies very near the Roman route of Maiden Way, which in this part of the world goes over Hartleyburn Fell and Glendue Fell, and runs west of this settlement, following the route of the Pennine Way through Lambley Common.
We dec...Coanwood Settlement, Lambley: Driving from the Diamond Oak and the World War II prisoner of war camp to the north, this settlement lies immediately opposite the junction of the 68 Cycle Route and the A689 at Lambley. It lies very near the Roman route of Maiden Way, which in this part of the world goes over Hartleyburn Fell and Glendue Fell, and runs west of this settlement, following the route of the Pennine Way through Lambley Common.
We decided, on impulse, to stop and have a look, especially as there was a handy hard-cored parking space next to the green pumping station and were so interested, I did something I don’t usually do, and let myself into the field to walk along the track running parallel with the southern bank.
I could make out a rectangular structure in the south eastern corner, and possible hut circle mid-way across and one-third of the length south of the northern bank.
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1 |
| Housesteads Tumulus |
Artificial Mound |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
2nd Sep 2017 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Housesteads Tumulus, Northumberland: From photographing the remains of Triermain Castle and after having failed to see several sites today because of Boisterous Bullocks or lack of parking reasonably near the well, I wasn’t in the frame of mind to go straight home. As we were very near the B6318, I asked to go back that way to see ‘Solarmegaliths Mound’ opposite Housesteads. I hadn’t realised until I looked closely that this is marked on the O...Housesteads Tumulus, Northumberland: From photographing the remains of Triermain Castle and after having failed to see several sites today because of Boisterous Bullocks or lack of parking reasonably near the well, I wasn’t in the frame of mind to go straight home. As we were very near the B6318, I asked to go back that way to see ‘Solarmegaliths Mound’ opposite Housesteads. I hadn’t realised until I looked closely that this is marked on the OS Map.
By this time it was 7pm and the car park was empty apart from one car and a very large campervan. I confess that every time we’ve driven past this site, I thought how unsightly this ‘farmer’s dump’ was in the corner of the field. It was only when Cezary told me on one of the archaeological field days that he’d stopped off to see this site, that I promised myself one day I’d stop off and look for myself.
As a mound, it is a little non-descript, but having crossed the road from Housesteads car park, we let ourselves into the field (knot untying skills came in useful again) and walked round. The whole area around the base of the tumulus has been used as a dump and there is rubbish and fence posts around much of it.
Also marked on the OS map is a mound, further south and we walked further into the field (ducking from the farmer's trucks with trailers behind them, in case we got caught!).
Having walked back to the car park, we noticed a sign saying there had been an application made for number plate recognition for car park charging. We looked around for cameras, but couldn’t see any. If a parking charge notice comes through the door in the next few weeks, I will be cross.
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43 |
3 |
| Housesteads Mound |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
2nd Sep 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Housesteads Mound, near Housesteads Tumulus, Bardon Mill: This mound is marked on the OS map as a mound, and as we were in the field, walked to the change in slope where the ground dipped into a hollow. The mound was certainly popular with the sheep. Didn’t walk down to it, as it was a fair way across the field and it was getting late. I’d called it up on my mobile phone, and it didn’t seem hugely important. |
43 |
4 |
| Dead Friar's Stone (Stanhope) |
Marker Stone |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
28th Aug 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Dead Friar's Stone, Stanhope: From Old Man's Grave, just north of this stone, this was our second stop of the day - a curiously named stone next to Dead Friar’s quarry. Amusingly, husband thought a great slab of concrete lying next to the car park was the stone lying on its side! We looked again.
At a great viewpoint eastwards, although I thought this perhaps should have been a taller way marker rather than a boundary stone, given where it ...Dead Friar's Stone, Stanhope: From Old Man's Grave, just north of this stone, this was our second stop of the day - a curiously named stone next to Dead Friar’s quarry. Amusingly, husband thought a great slab of concrete lying next to the car park was the stone lying on its side! We looked again.
At a great viewpoint eastwards, although I thought this perhaps should have been a taller way marker rather than a boundary stone, given where it stands – at a bend of Meadows Edge (marked Dead Friar’s Road on the OS map), and where another smaller track heads off across the moorland westwards, then south, towards Rookhope.
The area around Rookhope always has ‘not very nice’ connotations for me, given my son-in-laws brother was killed in an accident green-laning on his trials bike just over 2 years ago, and I was glad to move on from this lonely spot.
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42 |
2 |
| Old Man's Grave (Edmunbyers) |
Marker Stone |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
28th Aug 2017 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
Old Man's Grave, Meadows Edge Road, Near Blanchland: We originally intended to go to Blanchland to look at a holy well marked on the OS map, not far from the town square, but the village show was on and it was impossible to park. We drove on across to the moors, intended to stop at a boundary stone on the way to Old Man’s grave, but the roads were too busy to stop.
I was expecting a cairn, but this is a small, relatively modern boundary marke...Old Man's Grave, Meadows Edge Road, Near Blanchland: We originally intended to go to Blanchland to look at a holy well marked on the OS map, not far from the town square, but the village show was on and it was impossible to park. We drove on across to the moors, intended to stop at a boundary stone on the way to Old Man’s grave, but the roads were too busy to stop.
I was expecting a cairn, but this is a small, relatively modern boundary marker, sited between two footpaths, and at the corner of a modern fence.
Not impressed, but stopped to photograph it anyway. Certainly stunning views, and I’m guessing at some time in the past this might have been a cairn with a way marker on top, or by, especially with it being located just up the hill from where Bale Hill turns into Meadows Edge, and where two different trackways led off the north east and south west off Meadows Edge across the moorland.
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42 |
1 |
| Edmundbyers Cross (Muggleswick) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th Aug 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Remains of Edmundbyers Cross, Muggleswick: Marked in italic, old fashioned script on the OS map, I guess I was expecting something a little more exciting, such as a cross base with part of a shaft, but no. Just a cross base. Good job I knew what I was looking for as alongside the road there were other pieces of rectangular rock almost as large.
Sitting almost at the junction of the B6278 to Edmundbyers with the minor road leading almost to S...Remains of Edmundbyers Cross, Muggleswick: Marked in italic, old fashioned script on the OS map, I guess I was expecting something a little more exciting, such as a cross base with part of a shaft, but no. Just a cross base. Good job I knew what I was looking for as alongside the road there were other pieces of rectangular rock almost as large.
Sitting almost at the junction of the B6278 to Edmundbyers with the minor road leading almost to Smiddy Shaw Reservoir (just to the north of this road), it would have acted as a way marker. The cross base is located just over 1km from the boundary stone above.
When we got home, I was interested to read this from the Historic England entry: “Edmundbyers Cross is one of only three wayside crosses still in its original position in County Durham and the only known example on the route between Stanhope and Edmundbyers.”
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42 |
6 |
| Feldon Plain (Muggleswick) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th Aug 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Marker Stone, junction of Meadows Edge & B6278: Despite quite an intensive search, I’ve not found any information on the internet (checked Pastscape, Historic England, National Geograph, etc).
Marked ‘BS’ on the OS map, this impressively large stone (in comparison to the others we saw on the way here) sits exactly on the Parish boundary between Muggleswick and Hunstanwick (if I’ve read the map correctly). Sitting right by the side of the B627...Marker Stone, junction of Meadows Edge & B6278: Despite quite an intensive search, I’ve not found any information on the internet (checked Pastscape, Historic England, National Geograph, etc).
Marked ‘BS’ on the OS map, this impressively large stone (in comparison to the others we saw on the way here) sits exactly on the Parish boundary between Muggleswick and Hunstanwick (if I’ve read the map correctly). Sitting right by the side of the B62787 to Edmundbyers, close to its junction with the Meadows Edge Road.
This is close to the remains of the Edmundbyers Cross Base, just to the north east, with Feldon Plain rising up gently behind it. It is a taller version of Hunstanworth North, again with the sloping top. It sits in a slight dip, as if the ground surface has built up around it, and there are a few packing stones visible at its base. Looks as if it has been here for a while.
Its shape echoes that of Hunstanworth Moor North, being long, thin & narrow with a sloping top.
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42 |
5 |
| Hunstanworth Moor north |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
28th Aug 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Hunstanworth Moor North, Townhead: Being the day of the Blanchland and Hunstanworth Show, this road was very busy, and it was difficult to stop as the road was narrow and there were no obvious lay-bys or pull-off points (there being a nice ditch at the western side of the road and a steep bank up to the field on the east).
Spotted this stone as we were passing by on the way to the stone approx. 575m south and retraced our steps to photograph i...Hunstanworth Moor North, Townhead: Being the day of the Blanchland and Hunstanworth Show, this road was very busy, and it was difficult to stop as the road was narrow and there were no obvious lay-bys or pull-off points (there being a nice ditch at the western side of the road and a steep bank up to the field on the east).
Spotted this stone as we were passing by on the way to the stone approx. 575m south and retraced our steps to photograph it.
Again, after having done searches on the internet, not been able to find out anything about it, like it’s ‘partner’ further up the hill.
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42 |
4 |
| Hunstanworth Moor south |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
28th Aug 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Hunstanworth Moor South, Near Townhead: This stone is marked on the OS Map as ‘stone’, and was easily found, although it seems like a tall boundary marker along the road from Townhead to Rookhope. As we drove along the road, we passed the northern boundary stone (see below), which isn’t marked on the map and was unexpected.
Haven’t been able to find out anything about these – not even a photograph on Geograph, as Andy Curtis has usually been ...Hunstanworth Moor South, Near Townhead: This stone is marked on the OS Map as ‘stone’, and was easily found, although it seems like a tall boundary marker along the road from Townhead to Rookhope. As we drove along the road, we passed the northern boundary stone (see below), which isn’t marked on the map and was unexpected.
Haven’t been able to find out anything about these – not even a photograph on Geograph, as Andy Curtis has usually been out and about photographing all these places before us.
We backtracked to photograph the northern boundary stone on our way back to see the remains of the Edmundbyers Cross. I was impressed by all the now disused lead mining buildings and spoil heaps around here. It must have really busy in the not so distant past.
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42 |
3 |
| Ad Gefrin |
Ancient Palace |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
Ad Gefrin, Northumberland (near Yeavering): Trying to dry out from the walk to the Stob Stones, we decided to go back via Wooler and the A687 rather than back down the A68, passing Yeavering Bell on our way. Driving north, I was surprised to find we re-entered England from Scotland, back into Northumberland National Park. As we drove through Kirknewton, this ‘stone bus shelter’ and unusual gate posts caught my eye and we screeched to a halt.
...Ad Gefrin, Northumberland (near Yeavering): Trying to dry out from the walk to the Stob Stones, we decided to go back via Wooler and the A687 rather than back down the A68, passing Yeavering Bell on our way. Driving north, I was surprised to find we re-entered England from Scotland, back into Northumberland National Park. As we drove through Kirknewton, this ‘stone bus shelter’ and unusual gate posts caught my eye and we screeched to a halt.
I was amazed that we’d never heard of this site at all, and I read the interpretation board, then walked into the field to look at the other board. In front of me there was nothing but tall, yellow grass, with a faint darker green line where a narrow track ran along the edge of the field.
There was nothing on the interpretation board to tell us where about on the site we were. Seeing that the site spread across the road, I crossed and peered into the field. This, of course, now being England, I couldn’t just let myself into the field and wander around.
There being an excellent 4G signal here, I pulled up the Gefrin website and was really surprised to find this site described as the most evocative archaeological sites in Northumberland and also one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.
If I hadn’t been so wet and tired after a long day out, I’d have walked round the fields. As it was, we decided to return home, do some investigation and return to the site another day (adding to our ever growing list of ‘want to see’ sites).
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37 |
9 |
| St. Gregory's The Great (Kirknewton) |
Sculptured Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Adoration of the Magi (in Roman tunics): St. Gregory's The Great, Kirknewton: I confess to not being ready to go back home as it was such a nice evening, and this church looked very welcoming, so we stopped off for a look.
The main entrance to the church yard leads over a small, nicely landscaped stream. Immediately facing you to the left hand side of the path are some Commonwealth War Graves, very nicely tended, and all of air force pilo...The Adoration of the Magi (in Roman tunics): St. Gregory's The Great, Kirknewton: I confess to not being ready to go back home as it was such a nice evening, and this church looked very welcoming, so we stopped off for a look.
The main entrance to the church yard leads over a small, nicely landscaped stream. Immediately facing you to the left hand side of the path are some Commonwealth War Graves, very nicely tended, and all of air force pilots from 1943, mostly in their early 20s; one man was from Brazil. Inside the church there is a lovely sculpture and stained glass dedicated to these men.
There was no church guide to take away, but there were notices all over the church with explanations. There was a stone carving -The Adoration of the Magi, sited in the wall to the north side of the chancel.. The interpretation board near it reads: “The carving is quite amazing as it appear to show the Magi in kilts (but probably Roman tunics). The ancient stone relief is a great treasure of the church, being at least 12th century and could be earlier. There is some evidence to suggest that the style of the Magi “caps” is similar to an example in the Roman catacombs, so there could be the influence of St. Paulinus, himself a Roman (who supposedly preached at Kirknewton) and would date the carving at several centuries earlier, pre-dating the church (where was it prior to that?).”
The chancel and sanctuary look as if they have been fortified and used for defensive purposes (barrel vaulted ceiling and thick walls). I enjoyed walking round this church. It had a very friendly feel and was very well looked after.
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41 |
7 |
| Elsdonburn Shank Shielings (Kilham) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Aug 2017 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
Elsdonburn Shank Shielings, Kilham: Husband had read somewhere that these might possibly have Saxon origins, although I’ve not been able to find the link.
Marked on the OS map as ‘old shielings’ we missed these on the walk up to Elsdonburn Shank as I was looking on the wrong side of the track. Actually, they were more visible on the way down, in the early evening light, with the very slight banks of the shielings a darker green and with lower ...Elsdonburn Shank Shielings, Kilham: Husband had read somewhere that these might possibly have Saxon origins, although I’ve not been able to find the link.
Marked on the OS map as ‘old shielings’ we missed these on the walk up to Elsdonburn Shank as I was looking on the wrong side of the track. Actually, they were more visible on the way down, in the early evening light, with the very slight banks of the shielings a darker green and with lower growing grass on their surface. If I hadn’t been out with the archaeology group surveying shieldings, I would have passed these by.
We spent about 10 minutes here wandering around, trying to work out the shape of the structures. Not a huge amount so see, but another Pastscape site in the vicinity of Ring Chesters marked off.
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41 |
6 |
| Elsdonburn Shank (Kilham) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Aug 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Elsdonburn Shank Villages, Kilham: Why are all the interesting sites up, up, up hill?? From Longknowe Settlement, we drove to Thompsons Walls and parked just behind their stack of sileage bales. The footpath continues here, and is metalled, but is a private road, so we decided not to drive any further.
It is a very pleasant walk along this road, with the hills looming around you on three sides. The ground looks very fertile here, and there ...Elsdonburn Shank Villages, Kilham: Why are all the interesting sites up, up, up hill?? From Longknowe Settlement, we drove to Thompsons Walls and parked just behind their stack of sileage bales. The footpath continues here, and is metalled, but is a private road, so we decided not to drive any further.
It is a very pleasant walk along this road, with the hills looming around you on three sides. The ground looks very fertile here, and there were many, many sheep and their lambs on the green pasture. The farmer passed me with his large mower and gave a great wave. We later saw him mowing the grass in a meadow on the other side of the valley.
The footpath splits at the point where a burn tumbles down from a wood and goes underneath the road. We took the left hand fork which runs up to Elsdonburn Shank Farm, the house now deserted but the land and barn still used.
Just before the barn, the footpath dives off diagonally south east across the field, leading down to a gate just before the stream. It looks at first glance as if this stream is going to be wide, because the valley is quite deep, but when you get down to it, it’s just a little trickle, with a few stones placed across to make it easy to cross. From here, the footpath disappeared, and we ended up tracked north east up the hill, led by a string of large boulders which seemed (to us) to mark the track. In fact higher up, the footpath has been mown of bracken and leads along the fence line up the hill.
Just as I was getting tired of clambering up the slope, Village A came into view and we sat on the western side of the bank to have a drink before exploring. Well worth coming up here. Enclosure A was easier to decipher than B, which had much more bracken growing within it, and a tumble of stones peeking out of the grass.
With the dark skies getting darker, we plodded up the hill towards Ring Chesters.
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41 |
4 |
| Longknowe (Kilham) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Aug 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Longknowe Settlement, Kilham: Our first scheduled stop of the day, having been diverted by two very interesting standing stones!
Driving down the single track road towards Longknowe Farm and Thompsons Walls, it was a bit tricky to track precisely where we were on the road because of all the little twists and turns it took. But when we first saw the settlement from a distance, cut by the road, it was obvious what it was.
This is a very prett...Longknowe Settlement, Kilham: Our first scheduled stop of the day, having been diverted by two very interesting standing stones!
Driving down the single track road towards Longknowe Farm and Thompsons Walls, it was a bit tricky to track precisely where we were on the road because of all the little twists and turns it took. But when we first saw the settlement from a distance, cut by the road, it was obvious what it was.
This is a very pretty little valley, if somewhat remote, surrounded by tall hills to the south, east and west, with a pretty (unnamed burn/syke) running alongside the eastern side of the settlement, back towards Kilham. Another small stream, but with a fast water flow, trickled to the west. The farmer had cut a drainage channel with led this to the burn to the east of the settlement.
The stony banks of the settlement were an obvious brighter green and with shorter grass, than the tall yellow grass in the landscape surrounding it. The settlement has been clearly cut by the road. There is a large round hollow area in the northern part of the settlement, with a few stones peeking out of the grass - the remains of the 7m hut circle?
Described as ‘much robbed’ and in poor condition, if the farmer decides to put hay bales or any farming equipment here, then this will probably destroy what remains of this settlement.
Onwards and upwards to park the car at Thompsons Walls and walk up to Ring Chesters, with the dark clouds gathering above us.
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41 |
3 |
| Ring Chesters |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Aug 2017 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Ring Chesters, Elsdonburn Shank: This was a relatively long walk. Having parked at Thompsons Wall Farm (NT 86817 30529), we took the tarmacked footpath up to Elsdonburn Shank farm (discussed farmhouse but the land is still farmed) and neatly kept.
Just before the barn at Elsdonburn Shank, we diverted down the footpath to (an un-named burn) where there is a gate leading to the small stream with stones placed to step across. From here, it is u...Ring Chesters, Elsdonburn Shank: This was a relatively long walk. Having parked at Thompsons Wall Farm (NT 86817 30529), we took the tarmacked footpath up to Elsdonburn Shank farm (discussed farmhouse but the land is still farmed) and neatly kept.
Just before the barn at Elsdonburn Shank, we diverted down the footpath to (an un-named burn) where there is a gate leading to the small stream with stones placed to step across. From here, it is uphill towards the north and south ‘villages’, with large boulders punctuating the path. Having left the villages, there is a reasonably steep climb 160 metres or so up to the start of Ring Chesters Hillfort.
The black clouds had been gathering all afternoon, and as soon as my foot touched the second ring of the hillfort, the wind began to howl and raindrops stung my face. A lot of my photographs have rain splatter across them, despite constantly wiping the lens. Although the wind was strong and it was raining, it was still warm and I was in my sleeveless blouse.
The views around this hillfort are impressive, with 360 degree views. You can see as far as the sea to the north east. I clambered up the norther rings, where a trackway through has been worn by the sheep. From the aerial photographs, the main route is in the north west, with another in the south east - although this was less obvious as it was staggered, and the wind was much stronger in this direction and I felt I was being blown back to the west!
A quad bike track has been worn in the south western section, and this leads onto a level platform which looks as if it might be for either crops or animals.
The top is covered in structures and archaeology, which in the wind and rain was impossible to appreciate fully. Several roundhouses were visible, one in particular which seemed to have a hearth.
As we walked back down the hill towards the ‘villages’ the rain and wind stopped. I confess it was a relief to get out of the wind. This time we followed the marked footpath, which is towards the fence which runs just to the north of the northern-most village enclosure, and followed this until it disappeared. We then picked up the line of stones running towards the burn, up and over it, and back up the hill towards Elsdonburn Shank farm.
From here, we went in search of the elusive shielings that we’d missing on the way up. Passing by the barn near the farmhouse, I somehow managed to disturb all the pigeons roosting, and they came flying out of the barn like bats emerging from the eaves of a house in the evening.
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41 |
5 |
| Battle Stone (Kirknewton) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Battle Stone, Kirknewton: This was our second unscheduled stop of the day, and one I was very pleased to have made.
Having turned off the A697 onto the B6351, just before the site of Ad Gefrin to the west, I spotted this stone on the OS map. Goodness knows how I’d missed it before, but then it’s a tiny little dot right on the edge of two maps we were using (OL16 and 339).
The stone is in a large field just under the shadow of Yeavering B...Battle Stone, Kirknewton: This was our second unscheduled stop of the day, and one I was very pleased to have made.
Having turned off the A697 onto the B6351, just before the site of Ad Gefrin to the west, I spotted this stone on the OS map. Goodness knows how I’d missed it before, but then it’s a tiny little dot right on the edge of two maps we were using (OL16 and 339).
The stone is in a large field just under the shadow of Yeavering Bell, which glowed purple with the heather. There is a largish entrance to the field, hard-cored over, but the field was covered in ripening wheat. We could see the stone from afar and managed to follow the tractor path to about 8 metres away.
The stone had very different shapes, depending on what angle we viewed it at. Looking at the Historic England notes when we got back home, discovered that there are the remains of Old Yeavering Henge, which is preserved as a cropmark and lies 150m to the WNW, so it would be interesting to go back next spring, when the crop has been harvested and the field might be under grass.
We continued along the B6351 towards Kilham and Ring Chesters.
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41 |
2 |
| Bendor Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Battle Stone, Bendor: The A697 was busy with holiday traffic today, and with a longish walk ahead of us, we stopped off in a very busy Wooler for refreshments, we headed off towards Kilham and Ring Chesters. As we whizzed along the A697 westwards, I spotted this stone standing in the middle of a field to the north of the road. Husband immediately turned right down the minor road leading to Bendor, a small hamlet just off the road. There wa...The Battle Stone, Bendor: The A697 was busy with holiday traffic today, and with a longish walk ahead of us, we stopped off in a very busy Wooler for refreshments, we headed off towards Kilham and Ring Chesters. As we whizzed along the A697 westwards, I spotted this stone standing in the middle of a field to the north of the road. Husband immediately turned right down the minor road leading to Bendor, a small hamlet just off the road. There was no parking here, just large private forecourts and it seemed the whole village was standing round talking, swinging round to look at us as we turned the car around.
Andrew had spotted a very narrow gateway which sloped down to the gate into the field at NT 96838 29400; this was litter-strewn and not suitable to take the car down. Pulling as far off the road as he could, I took the opportunity to clamber out and walk down to the gate. There was nothing in the field apart from a few curious sheep. Andrew said it was too dangerous to get out of the car, so I did something I wouldn’t normally do and let myself into the field and walked the 20 metres or so to the stone, telling myself if someone noticed me I’d ask permission.
Quickly taking photographs, particularly one with Yeavering Bell in the background (a bit difficult as the light was brightest in that direction and the camera was compensating), I headed back to the car and we turned around ready to resume our journey to Kilham.
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41 |
1 |
| St Mary's Motte (Beaumont) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St. Mary's Beaumont: Church built on a motte, on a milecastle on a possible Saxon camp: We came to try to see St. Ann’s Well, marked on the OS map as being just off the small triangular village green, but found it was in a private garden surrounded by either a tall hedge or other buildings, so there was no access and no-one around to ask. According to the Old Cumbria Gazetteer, the well is at NY35055942, which is nearer the River Eden, says the ...St. Mary's Beaumont: Church built on a motte, on a milecastle on a possible Saxon camp: We came to try to see St. Ann’s Well, marked on the OS map as being just off the small triangular village green, but found it was in a private garden surrounded by either a tall hedge or other buildings, so there was no access and no-one around to ask. According to the Old Cumbria Gazetteer, the well is at NY35055942, which is nearer the River Eden, says the well is at NY35055942 (which is different to the OS map) and: “This provided very cold water, useful for helping set the butter. By the time you’d got back up the bank your bucket was only half full.” Dated to 1867 to 1868.
There were lots of walkers trundling along Hadrian’s Wall Path at this point, with a large notice by the interpretation board saying there was a detour due to a large landslip. By this time, my attention had been grabbed by the interpretation board saying this church was built on the line of Hadrian’s Wall and that at one point, a turret (70A) would have stood on the site of the church. The church guide continues: “When the Normans arrived they constructed a motte and baillie as a vantage point to repel invasion from the Scots …. Stones from the wall provided ready building material.”
This is a very pleasant spot. There were so many tractors driving around at this time of the evening we felt out of place! There are farms all along the road through the village. I’d have liked to have seen across to the River Eden, but the farm buildings and houses along its western bank obscured the view. We decided on one final visit, to try and see St. Edward’s Monument (so wet we couldn’t get near last time).
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40 |
8 |
| Bride's Well (Stapleton) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
-1 |
|
4 |
Bride's Well, Stapleton: Now underneath a fallen tree? Having had to run away from this site to collect our cats from the vets after a very brief search for the well last Thursday, we went back armed with the GPS and OS map and found we’d been looking in the wrong direction.
I’d seen a set of stile leading down to the meadow from the eastern side of the church yard so we found these. They led down to the meadow and the burn running north-south...Bride's Well, Stapleton: Now underneath a fallen tree? Having had to run away from this site to collect our cats from the vets after a very brief search for the well last Thursday, we went back armed with the GPS and OS map and found we’d been looking in the wrong direction.
I’d seen a set of stile leading down to the meadow from the eastern side of the church yard so we found these. They led down to the meadow and the burn running north-south through the field, although they were completely overgrown by nettles. Whilst there were only two small steps on the church yard side, there were around 8 going down into the field below.
We walked round and round and the only feature we could see at the exact grid reference given by Pastscape was this fallen tree. Has the well been destroyed? We had a good look round all along the stream in this field.
I sent an email to the Rector when I got home, and received the reply below. She thinks the well might be in the field behind the rectory, which is above the church, and will check and send an update.
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40 |
5 |
| Irthington Mill |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Irthington Mill 'motte or not?': Having spotted two mottes and a holy well just off the road we were travelling on to Carlisle, I asked to take a detour to find these. Whilst this is marked as a motte on the OS map, and certainly looked like one, I got home to find there is some debate about whether this is a motte or a natural feature (it is not recorded on Historic England’s listings).
Situated between a farm with some very old buildings ...Irthington Mill 'motte or not?': Having spotted two mottes and a holy well just off the road we were travelling on to Carlisle, I asked to take a detour to find these. Whilst this is marked as a motte on the OS map, and certainly looked like one, I got home to find there is some debate about whether this is a motte or a natural feature (it is not recorded on Historic England’s listings).
Situated between a farm with some very old buildings and Irthington Mill house, with part of the Mill’s garden growing up its western slope, and not far from Irthington Bridge, it seemed to me that this motte was in a much more strategic defensible position near the modern day river crossing. Perhaps the course of the river moved over the years and the site of the motte was changed? This is me not wanting to belive its just a natural feature!
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40 |
4 |
| Irthington Motte |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Irthington Motte, Cumbria: We continued walking down the lane which leads to the River Irthing. At first, nothing appeared to stand out as a motte, then I realised that the mound behind the fence, sitting between the farm and the builder’s yard was actually the motte.
Walking down nearer to the entrance to the builder’s yard, the shrubbery was less intrusive and the oval shape of the motte became more apparent.
I would have liked to have g...Irthington Motte, Cumbria: We continued walking down the lane which leads to the River Irthing. At first, nothing appeared to stand out as a motte, then I realised that the mound behind the fence, sitting between the farm and the builder’s yard was actually the motte.
Walking down nearer to the entrance to the builder’s yard, the shrubbery was less intrusive and the oval shape of the motte became more apparent.
I would have liked to have gone into the builder’s yard but there was so much rubble, heavy equipment and a padlocked gate. No-one in the farm yard to ask, despite several cars being around.
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3 |
| Hall Well (Irthington) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Hall Well, Irthington: From Walton we made our way over to Irthington – not a planned visit, but because I saw the holy well and 2 mottes in close proximity in this village.
This small village (too large to be called a hamlet, but too small to be a good sized village) is obviously old. It’s not that far from Carlisle Airport and stands on the line of Stanegate and is also close to the line of Hadrian’s Wall.
Being armed with the OS map a...Hall Well, Irthington: From Walton we made our way over to Irthington – not a planned visit, but because I saw the holy well and 2 mottes in close proximity in this village.
This small village (too large to be called a hamlet, but too small to be a good sized village) is obviously old. It’s not that far from Carlisle Airport and stands on the line of Stanegate and is also close to the line of Hadrian’s Wall.
Being armed with the OS map and a GPS, we went in search of the holy well first (passing by the first motte as we’d look for somewhere to park on the way back). According to the OS map the well lies not far outside the south-eastern wall of the church yard. Walking through the churchyard, this area is covered in brambles, nettles and shrubs, but we found some steps leading through the wall and onto the grassy area beyond. At the grid reference above there are some reeds and shrubs sitting in a boggy area. Peering over the fence into the garden of the house sitting immediately to the south, a stream suddenly appears out of the ground and rushes through the garden and is piped under the road, presumably to the modern water pumping station opposite. Nothing exists of any well housing (that we could see) and I’ve emailed the vicar through the ‘A Church Near You’ website.
Just down the road is one of the mottes. Note: the grid reference given by Pastscape indicates the site of the well is around the steps from the churchyard.
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2 |
| King Edward's Monument |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
King Edward's Monument, Burgh-by-Sands: After having visited Beaumont, I was reluctant to go home without seeing something of the Solway, and looking across to Dumfries & Galloway, where we spent 12 years. When we last visited in February 2014 we were unable to get down the lane because it was so waterlogged (we got about one third of the way down and had to abandon the visit, having seen the monument only from afar). This time, the lane looked...King Edward's Monument, Burgh-by-Sands: After having visited Beaumont, I was reluctant to go home without seeing something of the Solway, and looking across to Dumfries & Galloway, where we spent 12 years. When we last visited in February 2014 we were unable to get down the lane because it was so waterlogged (we got about one third of the way down and had to abandon the visit, having seen the monument only from afar). This time, the lane looked dry, so we parked by the little triangle of grass and could see the monument on the marshland below.
Appearances were certainly deceptive – parts of the lane were ankle deep in mud, and we picked our way from the track to the marshy grass land next to it, to dry stones and boulders where we could. Eventually we came to the stile over a small stream at NY 32773 60897, which led immediately down to a small wooden bridge and onto another stile. The other side of this stile was deep in water, but thankfully previous walkers had moved ‘stepping stones’ into the water. Once onto Burgh Marshes, the mounds left by ridge and furrow ploughing kept our feet dry until we got to the monument. Parts by the brick wall/metal railings surrounding the monument looked as if it was surrounded by a small moat!
What a place to have waited to cross the Solway. I think I would have preferred to have seen the original cairn rather than this Victorian monstrosity. The chimneys of Chapelcross, the decommissioned nuclear power plant, could be seen across the estuary, together with the flattened hilltop of Burnwark hillfort.
At the time of our visit, the tide was out, but I could imagine the shimmering water of the Solway to the west. A fitting end to a nice afternoon out.
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7 |
| St Mary's Church (Walton) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
St. Mary's, Walton: Went to see a cross head, but found an 11th century market cross instead! This is a very pretty little village, and was on our way back to Stapleton to try to find the Bride’s Well (ran out of time last Thursday). We parked opposite the church on the side of the village green and walked across to the church, letting ourselves in through the rather rusty gate (it took us ages to work out how to open it). I excitedly followed...St. Mary's, Walton: Went to see a cross head, but found an 11th century market cross instead! This is a very pretty little village, and was on our way back to Stapleton to try to find the Bride’s Well (ran out of time last Thursday). We parked opposite the church on the side of the village green and walked across to the church, letting ourselves in through the rather rusty gate (it took us ages to work out how to open it). I excitedly followed my husband into the church but stopped dead as there was no sign of the cross head at all.
We hunted under pews, up and down the aisles, on window ledges, around the font, inside a chest, and all the places we could think of. The only sign of the cross was a photograph and a brief description on the display boards against the north western wall of the nave, which showed it displayed on top of the font cover. (I’ve since sent an email to the vicar to enquire where it might be located or moved to, but not had a reply yet).
We did however, see a paragraph on the display boards headed AD850 to 1066: “During the latter part of the 9th century to the middle of the 11th century, Walton, as a community, developed. The evidence for this is shown by the relics found in or around the present church. Between the years of 850 to 950, a preaching cross was erected and similarly between 1000 and 1050, a market cross was probably erected.” There is an image of the remains of the market cross in the churchyard. We then went to find this, disappointed not to have found the cross head, but pleased there was something of antiquity to have made this detour worthwhile.
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40 |
1 |
| St Andrew's Well (Kirkandrews-on-Eden) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
20th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Andrew's Well, Kirkandrews-on-Eden: From Stapleton, we headed to junction 44 of the M6 and stopped for refreshments at Houghton Park Garden Centre, then set off via the A689 (western part of the bypass round Carlisle, turning right at the roundabout where the A689 joins Burgh Road. Kirkandrews is almost 2.5 km to the north west of this point.
In the middle of Kirkandrews-on-Eden the road splits. The left hand fork goes directly to Monkhil...St Andrew's Well, Kirkandrews-on-Eden: From Stapleton, we headed to junction 44 of the M6 and stopped for refreshments at Houghton Park Garden Centre, then set off via the A689 (western part of the bypass round Carlisle, turning right at the roundabout where the A689 joins Burgh Road. Kirkandrews is almost 2.5 km to the north west of this point.
In the middle of Kirkandrews-on-Eden the road splits. The left hand fork goes directly to Monkhill, the right hand fork to Beaumont. The old churchyard is somewhat hidden behind bushes, but is approx. 120 metres from the fork in the road. We parked at the wide farm entrance a little further up the road and walked back to the footpath sign.
We followed the footpath for about 50 metres (the old grave stones peer out of the very high grass to your right hand side. As the path starts to descend, we could hear a steady trickle of water and found the well hidden behind weeds that were as tall as I was. Gently moving these aside, so we have a clear view (we thought the weeds might be poisonous) I took photographs. My husband announced this was a very spooky spot (overgrown trees next to a decidedly no longer used grave yard) although I found it strangely tranquil.
There was a channel running down the hillside taking rainwater down to the well pool. The main water came out of the bank to the side at a 90 degree angle to the sandstone basin, then trickled down into a second channel running down the hill.
The basin was much silted up with sandy soil but the flow was strong and clear. Although Pastscape says the well pool is 1.0 metre square, I thought it was rectangular, measuring 1.5 m long b about 80cm wide.
Don’t know what happened to the church, but then just discovered the small mention below – closed in the 1750s with no visible evidence remaining.
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6 |
| Carlatton Demesne |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
17th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Carlatton Demesne Standing Stone: Following the A69 to Carlisle, the only way we could turn left off the A69 to get to Carlatton was to drive north into Brampton and back out again, under the A69. We then followed the B6413 through Castle Carrock, turning off westwards along the minor road past Moor House and Black Dub. The entrance to Carlatton Demesne Farm is around 650 metres further south of the track to Black Dub farm and there is a small ...Carlatton Demesne Standing Stone: Following the A69 to Carlisle, the only way we could turn left off the A69 to get to Carlatton was to drive north into Brampton and back out again, under the A69. We then followed the B6413 through Castle Carrock, turning off westwards along the minor road past Moor House and Black Dub. The entrance to Carlatton Demesne Farm is around 650 metres further south of the track to Black Dub farm and there is a small hard-cored area just to the south of Carlatton Demesne Farm track, alongside the road.
At first, we walked back towards the small wood to the north-north-east to where we’d seen a gate. The gate was only held up by four pieces of wire and was very rickety, so we abandoned attempts to climb over and walked back up the farm track to where the footpath ran. I heard the farmer start his machinery up in the yard so walked along to have a word with him. It was actually a young farm worker who told me it was OK to walk through the field to look at the standing stone. He told me if we carried along the road towards Penrith, we’d get some pretty spectacular views. In the end, we retraced our steps and didn’t go down that way, but will bear that in mind for future visits.
The countryside is very pretty here, although gaining entry into the field was fun with its very muddy patch by the gate, and having stepped into the pasture, there were hidden, still soft cow pats hidden under the calf length grass. Our stone is number 4 in the list below. It appeared to be sited on top of a small, but pronounced mound with superb views around 360 degrees, with Carrock Fell to the east. It would have been a splendid setting for a stone circle.
Plotting out the points on UK Grid Reference Finder, the NGRs mentioned below form a loose alignment rather than a circle.
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39 |
1 |
| Rockcliffe (Cumbria) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
17th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Rockcliffe Wheel-headed Cross, Cumbria: From the centre of Carlisle, we followed the signs heading north on the A7, out to the large Asda by the M6. Just before junction 44, a road north west into the industrial estate, clearly signposted to Rockcliffe.
This road leads straight into the village, with the church being on the south western corner of the village where the minor road turns right. There is room to park by the main iron gates ...The Rockcliffe Wheel-headed Cross, Cumbria: From the centre of Carlisle, we followed the signs heading north on the A7, out to the large Asda by the M6. Just before junction 44, a road north west into the industrial estate, clearly signposted to Rockcliffe.
This road leads straight into the village, with the church being on the south western corner of the village where the minor road turns right. There is room to park by the main iron gates to the church, next to the mounting block, in a small triangular piece of road.
Immediately inside the gates, the cross is straight in front of you, just to the right of the path leading to the south porch. Nearby is a modern grave marker in a smaller, but similar shape.
The church sits on a promontory, and as you walk down to the south porch a bend of the River Eden comes into view. On the north side of the church the land drops sharply down to Rockcliffe Beck with some graves on the terrace below. Even I was intrigued enough to walk the narrow path along the northern side of the church because I wanted to see the layout of the churchyard.
Sadly the church was locked, as I’d loved to have seen inside.
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38 |
3 |
| Green Humbleton Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Green Humbleton Scooped Settlement, Yetholm: Now this was a settlement I could get excited about, and what views! If the first two enclosures on the way up here were somewhat dull, this more than made up for it! To the north and east the land dropped steeply away to Humbleton Syke and to the west Green Humbleton hillfort dominated the view.
By the time we got here, the wind was absolutely howling and we had to retreat to the walls of the scoo...Green Humbleton Scooped Settlement, Yetholm: Now this was a settlement I could get excited about, and what views! If the first two enclosures on the way up here were somewhat dull, this more than made up for it! To the north and east the land dropped steeply away to Humbleton Syke and to the west Green Humbleton hillfort dominated the view.
By the time we got here, the wind was absolutely howling and we had to retreat to the walls of the scoop to get some respite.
There is a very clear oval scoop with a D-shaped enclosure to its north. To the north east of the D-shape there were some stones that Andrew called me over to look at. I did want to be persuaded they formed a cist. What a place to be buried. It could be a well, but there is no mention of either in the Canmore records.
If it hadn’t been so windy, I would have loved to have spent more time here. With the dark clouds looming, we decided to go up to the Stob Stones rather than risk being blown off the top of Green Humbleton hillfort. If the weather was favourable, we’d try on our way back.
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37 |
5 |
| Shielknowe Burn Scooped Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Shielknowe Burn Scooped Settlement, Yetholm: This scooped settlement, lying on the northern side of Shielknowe Burn is much easier to see, and is visible from Shielknowe Enclosure, cut by the fence which also cuts the Enclosure. The muddy track from Shielknowe Enclosure runs downhill, crosses the burn, and leads up to join St. Cuthbert’s Way.
Two scooped out areas can be seen, although the farmer had very tightly knotted the twine securing ...Shielknowe Burn Scooped Settlement, Yetholm: This scooped settlement, lying on the northern side of Shielknowe Burn is much easier to see, and is visible from Shielknowe Enclosure, cut by the fence which also cuts the Enclosure. The muddy track from Shielknowe Enclosure runs downhill, crosses the burn, and leads up to join St. Cuthbert’s Way.
Two scooped out areas can be seen, although the farmer had very tightly knotted the twine securing the gate, so whilst Andrew (husband) hopped over the gate, I undid the ‘Gordion Knot’ to get into the settlement. The grass was very tussocky and wet, so walking along the banks of the western most scoop was interesting.
Much more exciting sites to come, so we didn’t spend an awful long time here.
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37 |
4 |
| Sheilknowe Burn Enclosure |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
Shielknowe Enclosure, Yetholm: From the Virtue Well we made our way to Kirk Yetholm, finding the small side road which is actually the Pennine Way, but which can be driven down to a small parking area beside where the Halter Burn and Shielknowe Burn meet. Here a footbridge leads over the Burn, the Pennine Way and St. Cuthbert’s Way meeting at this point.
We tried St. Cuthbert’s Way first of all, running parallel to Shielknowe Burn on it’s east...Shielknowe Enclosure, Yetholm: From the Virtue Well we made our way to Kirk Yetholm, finding the small side road which is actually the Pennine Way, but which can be driven down to a small parking area beside where the Halter Burn and Shielknowe Burn meet. Here a footbridge leads over the Burn, the Pennine Way and St. Cuthbert’s Way meeting at this point.
We tried St. Cuthbert’s Way first of all, running parallel to Shielknowe Burn on it’s eastern side, but after a few hundred yards, came across a rocky outcrop where I would have needed to turn into a mountain goat (OK for my husband, but not for me) so we retreated and walked almost back to the footbridge. There is another mown track which runs on the western side of the stream – boggier but much easier to follow and the sides of the small gorge not quite so precipitous.
It's a good job we had the GPS with us, together with a printed sheet of the Canmore details, otherwise we’d have walked across this settlement without knowing it was there. By finding it’s centre (the south western edge is almost at the corner of the fenced off field containing Shielknowe Burn Scooped Enclosure.
By carefully walking over the area, we could see very slight banks and changes in vegetation, but my goodness, had we not been out with NOWTAG, we would have missed this.
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3 |
| Green Humbleton Hillfort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
6th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Green Humbleton Hillfort: Having been virtually blown off the hillside at Green Humbleton Scooped Settlement on our way up the Pennine Way, we decided we’d visit the Stob Stones first and see if the wind died down on our way back. If the wind was bad on Stob Rig, then what would it be like on the top of this cone-shaped hill? It didn't, so reluctantly we decided to try on a warm, sunny day.
By the time we walked back down the Pennine Way/St...Green Humbleton Hillfort: Having been virtually blown off the hillside at Green Humbleton Scooped Settlement on our way up the Pennine Way, we decided we’d visit the Stob Stones first and see if the wind died down on our way back. If the wind was bad on Stob Rig, then what would it be like on the top of this cone-shaped hill? It didn't, so reluctantly we decided to try on a warm, sunny day.
By the time we walked back down the Pennine Way/St Cuthbert’s Way, we were absolutely soaking wet, but at least in the valley below the wind had died down. Rather than the 6-8 cars in the parking area by Bowmont Water, there was only one camper van and our car. A lovely spot for some ‘wild camping’.
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37 |
8 |
| Stob Stones |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Stob Stones, Scottish Borders: From the Green Humbleton Scooped Settlement, by the time we started climbing up towards the Stob Stones, not only was the wind was howling and I was leaning hard into it, but the rain drops were like small pins being driven into my cheeks. I confess to getting a bit fed up and wanting to turn around at this point, but a long-held desire to see these stones kept me going. It was worth it.
Walking over the Stob R...Stob Stones, Scottish Borders: From the Green Humbleton Scooped Settlement, by the time we started climbing up towards the Stob Stones, not only was the wind was howling and I was leaning hard into it, but the rain drops were like small pins being driven into my cheeks. I confess to getting a bit fed up and wanting to turn around at this point, but a long-held desire to see these stones kept me going. It was worth it.
Walking over the Stob Rig earthworks (I stopped to photograph these on the way down), the Stob Stones are two standing stones, one now broken and lying prone, sitting on a sort of promontory as the ground to the north and west drops steeply down. Canmore says these stones are at over 1,000 ft above sea level and are situated 230 yards west of the Border. They definitely sit on some kind of mound.
To the west lies the border between England and Scotland, and we walked a 100 metres or so further up the hill, just so we could see the stone wall which makes up the boundary. Tantalisingly, we could see cairns on the adjacent hillside, but being England, different rules for walking (and I was too wet to want to go on).
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37 |
6 |
| Stob Rig (Yetholm) |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Stob Rig Earthworks: On the way up to the Stob Stones from the Pennine Way, there were two really obvious earthworks running in parallel towards the stones and we walked between them to reach the stones. I was keen to try and get out of the wind and the rain (almost impossible in this high, exposed spot) so didn't stop to photograph them.
On the way back down to re-join the Pennine Way, the earthworks were slightly less obvious. With the ho...Stob Rig Earthworks: On the way up to the Stob Stones from the Pennine Way, there were two really obvious earthworks running in parallel towards the stones and we walked between them to reach the stones. I was keen to try and get out of the wind and the rain (almost impossible in this high, exposed spot) so didn't stop to photograph them.
On the way back down to re-join the Pennine Way, the earthworks were slightly less obvious. With the howling wind and the rain lashed sharply against my cheeks, I was tempted to put the camera safely in the rucksack, but having walked all this way up the hill, I wanted to document them.
In the end, I only managed to photograph the eastern most of the banks; the photos of the western-most had too many raindrops on the camera lens to be of any use.
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7 |
| Virtue Well (Yetholm) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Virtue Well, Yetholm: From Venchen Farm Cottages Standing Stone, by the time we drove back down to the west side of the road bridge over Bowmont Water at NT 82132 28576, and parked at a little layby just before the road junction, the rain had eased off a little.
There were two routes up to the well, the first at NT 82128 28603 led up a wet, slippery hill towards a wood, which was rather overgrown. We opted for the footpath proper, starting a...Virtue Well, Yetholm: From Venchen Farm Cottages Standing Stone, by the time we drove back down to the west side of the road bridge over Bowmont Water at NT 82132 28576, and parked at a little layby just before the road junction, the rain had eased off a little.
There were two routes up to the well, the first at NT 82128 28603 led up a wet, slippery hill towards a wood, which was rather overgrown. We opted for the footpath proper, starting at NT 82206 28645, with a proper track leading up to Braehouse Farm.
According to UK Grid Reference Finder, the path deviates through the woodland, past the well, but in real life, the track continues straight up to the farm, and we had to tramp through knee high grass through the wood.
Having found this poor little well, I couldn’t but help feel sorry for it. Such a tragedy. It reminded me of the well we’d seen in Middleham – broken up, dry and just part of an old garden wall. At least under the trees we were largely sheltered from the rain.
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2 |
| Venchen Farm Cottages (Town Yetholm) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
6th Aug 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Venchen Farm Cottages Standing Stone, Scottish Borders: Having left home to avoid days of damp, rainy weather, we went in search of sunshine and blue skies. The further we travelled up the A68, the more obvious it became that the grey skies got darker the more northerly we got. As we reached Town Yetholm, the heavy raindrops started to fall with the ferocity of hail.
Venchen Farm Cottages are easy enough to find, heading north about 1.6 km no...Venchen Farm Cottages Standing Stone, Scottish Borders: Having left home to avoid days of damp, rainy weather, we went in search of sunshine and blue skies. The further we travelled up the A68, the more obvious it became that the grey skies got darker the more northerly we got. As we reached Town Yetholm, the heavy raindrops started to fall with the ferocity of hail.
Venchen Farm Cottages are easy enough to find, heading north about 1.6 km north out of the village. This stone looms large out of the grassy verge; at first I thought it was just a village sign. We pulled into a small parking spot just past the stone, nearer to the cottages, by which time it was pelting down even harder and I had the camera covered with kitchen towel and handkerchiefs to keep it dry.
The Canmore notes, which we’d printed off before setting off, said that a hedge had been removed for the stone to be exposed. On UK Grid Reference Finder, the hedge can be seen with the stone tucked away behind it. The grass verge itself didn’t seem to show any signs of disturbance, considering the hedge was only removed in February this year, although the earth around the stone was visible, together with some packing stones and the vegetation along the verge was more weeds than grass.
Difficult to get photographs with the rain, but managed to keep wiping the lens.
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1 |
| Hawick Mote |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Hawick Motte/Mote, Scottish Borders: We arrived in Hawick, intending to buy a map, but the majority of the shops (apart from Dorothy Perkins, the bookmakers, charity shops and 1 café, were closed (looking at the opening times, they largely shut at 2pm on a Saturday. The town seemed deserted apart from a few tourists. We later found out that most local people had gathered near the community centre for the Riding of the Marches.
We couldn’t get...Hawick Motte/Mote, Scottish Borders: We arrived in Hawick, intending to buy a map, but the majority of the shops (apart from Dorothy Perkins, the bookmakers, charity shops and 1 café, were closed (looking at the opening times, they largely shut at 2pm on a Saturday. The town seemed deserted apart from a few tourists. We later found out that most local people had gathered near the community centre for the Riding of the Marches.
We couldn’t get a map, so relied on Andrew’s phone with TrigPoint on it. We were on our way to Lord’s Tree Cairn, driving down a street called Loan, when we spotted The Mote, so screeched to a halt by the side of the road and went round to take a photograph.
Quite extraordinary, The Mote is in the middle of a housing estate, with people’s washing hung up nearby. It rises steeply up out of the ground and there is a wooden staircase which takes you to the viewing point at the top. Andrew said it was only as large as our living room – no room for more than 12 people at most. Looking at this on UK Grid Reference Finder, it is located in Moat Park at the Southern end of the town. Plenty of dog walkers, all whom ignored me taking photographs.
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1 |
| The Dod |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
The Dod, near Bugh Hill Stone Circle and Hillfort: It was amazing what could be seen of this site from the slope just below Burgh Hill Stone Circle. Looking at the plan on Canmore, it is cut in two by the syke by the farm to it's south, but what remains, looking at the settlement from the road, are deep ditches and reasonably high banks.
The area is boggy, but the settlement can be reached by entering the field at its north-eastern end, wal...The Dod, near Bugh Hill Stone Circle and Hillfort: It was amazing what could be seen of this site from the slope just below Burgh Hill Stone Circle. Looking at the plan on Canmore, it is cut in two by the syke by the farm to it's south, but what remains, looking at the settlement from the road, are deep ditches and reasonably high banks.
The area is boggy, but the settlement can be reached by entering the field at its north-eastern end, walking westwards along the fence line next to the gate, then cutting across the field at the far end. For those not keen on boggy ground, a lot can be seen from the road.
Thankfully (after Burgh Hill Hillfort) The Dod was not windy! The sun was very strong at the time of our arrival here, and I struggled to avoid flare even using a polaroid and UV filters together. Was really pleased to have seen this site, but with so many other settlements and hill forts in the area, how to fit them all in? We decided to call it a day, calling in at Midshiels Standing Stone and Cairn on the way back home.
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29 |
6 |
| Burgh Hill Hillfort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2017 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Burgh Hill Hillfort, Scottish Borders: What is a 'bit more of a walk' for me is probably a 'short walk on a footpath' for others, but even so, this was a brilliant place to have visited.
With Burgh Hill Stone Circle (or possibly a cairn circle?) not far away, it was worth the additional short trek up to the south west summit of Burgh Hill. Goodness it was windy, although thankfully, as it was a nice warm spring/summer day, the wind was at lea...Burgh Hill Hillfort, Scottish Borders: What is a 'bit more of a walk' for me is probably a 'short walk on a footpath' for others, but even so, this was a brilliant place to have visited.
With Burgh Hill Stone Circle (or possibly a cairn circle?) not far away, it was worth the additional short trek up to the south west summit of Burgh Hill. Goodness it was windy, although thankfully, as it was a nice warm spring/summer day, the wind was at least warm.
On the western side of the hillfort, the ground (as at Woden Law) dropped away sharply, making me take a quick step backwards to admire the views over the Allan Water valley below.
There are clear internal boundaries/banks/walls and a couple of hut circles, although these didn't come out very clearly on the photographs I took. There was a solitary large (standing) stone which didn't seem to be associated with any internal features.
The double banks and ditches on the south, east and northern sides of the fort were really visible, made of stone and earth, with two clear entrances to the north-east and south-west.
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5 |
| Midshiels Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
3rd Jun 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Midshiels Cairn, Hawick: See visit report for Midshiels Standing Stone (the two are 90 metres apart), sites entered separately as Canmore lists them individually. Couldn't get really close to the cairn - would have loved to have walked up to it, but there was a really big bull and lots of over-friendly and very lively bullocks in the field. Must revisit at a different time of year!
There are plenty of other forts and settlements around her...Midshiels Cairn, Hawick: See visit report for Midshiels Standing Stone (the two are 90 metres apart), sites entered separately as Canmore lists them individually. Couldn't get really close to the cairn - would have loved to have walked up to it, but there was a really big bull and lots of over-friendly and very lively bullocks in the field. Must revisit at a different time of year!
There are plenty of other forts and settlements around here. The problem with another visit, is which sites to pick?
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8 |
| Burgh Hill Stone Circle |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2017 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Burgh Hill Stone Circle, Hawick: After visiting Lord's Tree and Ca Knowe Cairns, we headed off towards Teviothead and some wild, lonely countryside. There is a track leading up the hill towards the stone circle (and the hill fort beyond), at NT 47365 06725, with parking for 2-3 cars opposite.
Following the track up the (reasonably steep) hill, we took the left hand fork and followed the mowed grassy track towards the stone circle. The circle...Burgh Hill Stone Circle, Hawick: After visiting Lord's Tree and Ca Knowe Cairns, we headed off towards Teviothead and some wild, lonely countryside. There is a track leading up the hill towards the stone circle (and the hill fort beyond), at NT 47365 06725, with parking for 2-3 cars opposite.
Following the track up the (reasonably steep) hill, we took the left hand fork and followed the mowed grassy track towards the stone circle. The circle lies just past the first peak with rocks outcrops to your right, but not as far as the fort. We went past the stones at first, having climbed too high up the hill, but Andrew found a metal pole with a large aluminium star attached to it, presumably marking this as an archaeological site.
Looking at the site on UK Grid Reference Finder, the circle lies in between two small banks running in very shallow arcs. The stones of the circle seem to lie in a dip with a small bank around. It reminded me very much of a cairn circle rather than a stone circle, as none of the stones seemed to be worked in any way, and they were all comparatively small. I note the Canmore record for this site says it's been re-designated a Stone Setting rather than a stone circle.
Having stayed to enjoy the views, and also photograph the Dod settlement from above, we climbed up to the fort, where it was VERY windy (but thankfully the wind was warm).
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29 |
4 |
| Midshiels Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Midshiels Standing Stone, Hawick: We'd arrived (unknowingly) in Hawick on their Riding of the Marches day. The shops were shut and the town was almost deserted. Having visited some other sites on the southern side of Hawick, we decided to stop off to see this standing stone and cairn on the way back home. Following the curious one-way system though Hawick, we ended up on the Borders Abbey Way heading north-east out of the town. At Bucklands, ...Midshiels Standing Stone, Hawick: We'd arrived (unknowingly) in Hawick on their Riding of the Marches day. The shops were shut and the town was almost deserted. Having visited some other sites on the southern side of Hawick, we decided to stop off to see this standing stone and cairn on the way back home. Following the curious one-way system though Hawick, we ended up on the Borders Abbey Way heading north-east out of the town. At Bucklands, we found where the entire town was - at a community centre at the edge of the town. A marshall stopped us and told us we wouldn't be able to get any further up the road as the procession of horses was coming through. Doubling back through the industrial estate, we took the A698 out of town, turning left over the picturesque Hornshole Bridge, rejoining Borders Abbey Way a few hundred yards before the entrance to Midshiels Farm.
A couple of hundred yards further north-east along the road, there was a large passing place, so we hugged the car into the hedgerow and hopped out. About 50 metres further back, on the other side of the road, a gate let us into the field leading to the dismantled railway embankment to the west. Following the left hand hedge-line along, we came to another gate, just before a tall brick bridge leading under the railway line. This gate gave access to the field with the standing stone and cairn.
However, the field was full of gently grazing sheep and lots of lively, curious bullocks along with what looked like a very large bull. My hand went onto the gate and they were running towards us. I elected to use the zoom lens on the camera, and was really disappointed not to have seen this standing stone closer up. But there is lots to see in this area, so undoubtedly a return visit will be in the offing at some point in the not too distant future.
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7 |
| Ca Knowe (Hawick) |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Ca Knowe Cairn, Hawick (aka Hero's Grave): Simply marked as ‘cairn’ on Trigpointing UK's OS map, we could see this cairn from Lord’s Tree Cairn. There is a proper tarmacked footpath up to the modern standing stone with plaque on it. Closer to, it is much larger than it appears from the mark on the map, and has a proper tarmacked path up to it.
Unfortunately, both on our way to our next site, and our way back to Hawick, the monument was surr...Ca Knowe Cairn, Hawick (aka Hero's Grave): Simply marked as ‘cairn’ on Trigpointing UK's OS map, we could see this cairn from Lord’s Tree Cairn. There is a proper tarmacked footpath up to the modern standing stone with plaque on it. Closer to, it is much larger than it appears from the mark on the map, and has a proper tarmacked path up to it.
Unfortunately, both on our way to our next site, and our way back to Hawick, the monument was surrounded by a number of very large cows with their calves, so we decided not to risk upsetting them and drove on after having taken some photographs.
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| Lord's Tree (Hawick) |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
3rd Jun 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Lord's Tree Cairn, Hawick: We arrived in Hawick, intending to buy a map, but the majority of the shops (apart from the bookmakers, charity shops and 1 café, were closed (looking at the opening times, they largely shut at 2pm on a Saturday. The town seemed deserted apart from a few tourists. We later found out that most local people had gathered near the community centre for the Riding of the Marches.
Relying upon the Trigpointing UK maps (goo...Lord's Tree Cairn, Hawick: We arrived in Hawick, intending to buy a map, but the majority of the shops (apart from the bookmakers, charity shops and 1 café, were closed (looking at the opening times, they largely shut at 2pm on a Saturday. The town seemed deserted apart from a few tourists. We later found out that most local people had gathered near the community centre for the Riding of the Marches.
Relying upon the Trigpointing UK maps (good job there was a phone signal!), we navigated our way through the town (stopping off to look at The Mote on the way), past the golf course and out into the glorious open countryside with the hills beyond.
This cairn appears as a slight bump at the top of a small rise of a hill; it's unmistakably a large, low cairn, and the lush green grass and wild flowers invited a walk through the meadow towards it.
Completely circular, there is a low bank surrounding the cairn. Shame the old Lord's Tree wasn't there. Lovely view down to Ca Knowe Cairn further south.
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2 |
| Carey Burn (Harthope Valley) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jul 2017 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Carey Burn Votadinian settlement, Harthope Valley: After the beautiful Maiden/Pin Well, I got stuck on a 'precipice' above the Coldgate Burn trying to get to the Romano-British settlements to the west of North Middleton and bottled out (my dreaded fear of falling - I've subsequently found the map showed a low level, apparently straightforward footpath from North Middleton, although it was about a mile either way). After this experience, I need t...Carey Burn Votadinian settlement, Harthope Valley: After the beautiful Maiden/Pin Well, I got stuck on a 'precipice' above the Coldgate Burn trying to get to the Romano-British settlements to the west of North Middleton and bottled out (my dreaded fear of falling - I've subsequently found the map showed a low level, apparently straightforward footpath from North Middleton, although it was about a mile either way). After this experience, I need to try and regain my composure.
On the map, just across the road from the footpath we’d tried, and just west of Carey Burn Bridge, a track ran up the hill at NT 97513 24937, just above a currently empty barn. A settlement was shown here. An NNPA footpath ran up the hill, so we opened the gate and followed the path up.
We did find the settlement, but it looked as if a fence had recently been installed along the north western bank, crossing over part of it to the eastern side.
A long, low earth and stone bank about 1 metre tall and 2 metres wide ran parallel to the fence from NT 97353 24907 to NT 97301 24938 then curves around to the Carey Burn at NT 97337 25012. This bank can be seen on UK Grid Reference Finder.
On getting home, I discovered from Pastscape that the settlement we looked at was classed as Votadinian. There is a second settlement, which isn’t marked on the map at NT 97132488, which is further up the hill.
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36 |
4 |
| Maiden Well (Kettle Hill) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jul 2017 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Maiden Well and The King's Chair, Wooler: After having walked round the outer perimeter of the promontory of The Kettles, we’d actually stood just above the site of the Maiden Well (Pin Well), but would have needed a rope and harness to descend the vertical cliff down to it. We walked back to the car, drove back into Wooler, then back out again on the road to the tiny (and ancient) hamlet of Earle.
Where the road splits at NT 99100 26973, w...Maiden Well and The King's Chair, Wooler: After having walked round the outer perimeter of the promontory of The Kettles, we’d actually stood just above the site of the Maiden Well (Pin Well), but would have needed a rope and harness to descend the vertical cliff down to it. We walked back to the car, drove back into Wooler, then back out again on the road to the tiny (and ancient) hamlet of Earle.
Where the road splits at NT 99100 26973, we took the western fork (right hand if coming from Wooler) and take the track that runs from NT 98924 26750 to a small quarry. Note: the gate to this road is kept padlocked to prevent people taking vehicles up to the quarry, but there are gates for walkers. Husband Andrew hadn’t spotted the gate, so we ended up climbing the fence into the neighbouring field, then back out again!
Just before the main entrance to the quarry a small (overgrown) footpath leads to your left from NT 98808 26845. We followed this for some 300 metres, the nettles eventually giving way to open ground in a small valley/ravine. We first spotted the King's Chair protruding from the hill in front of you, although I was a bit dubious at first as the stone was hidden by lush, tall bracken growing round it from the rock face. Walking further forward the well is hidden under a hawthorn tree.
The well is in a lovely, enigmatic location. It looks as if someone has recently created this lovely circular ‘halo’ of stone around the clear water. A stone a metre of so to it’s north west has a hole at its base. Glimpsing down, I could see the water running into the well pool.
A small stream runs out of the well pool. The water course is marked by groups of stones leading back towards the entrance to the quarry, on either side of the small stream, which is also marked by lush grass and bracken growing on either side of it. I walked up a little way to look at various groups of stones, to find parts of the ground boggy and heavy with water.
With The Kettles rising up above you to the east, this is a really nice spot. I could have lingered longer, but 4-5 Romano-British settlements called. Time to move on.
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3 |
| The Kettles (Wooler) |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jul 2017 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
The Kettles Hillfort, Wooler: From Green Castle, we continued along the track leading first south west up the small hill, then turns south east along the top of the promontory. Our GPS told me there was just over 511 metres to walk from the small parking area to the grid reference given by Pastscape, but it seemed a lot less than this.
The paths are well kept, as on the Breamish Valley trails, with low, mown grass which is soft underfoot and ...The Kettles Hillfort, Wooler: From Green Castle, we continued along the track leading first south west up the small hill, then turns south east along the top of the promontory. Our GPS told me there was just over 511 metres to walk from the small parking area to the grid reference given by Pastscape, but it seemed a lot less than this.
The paths are well kept, as on the Breamish Valley trails, with low, mown grass which is soft underfoot and easy to walk. As we walked along the promontory, the northern section of ramparts came into view. As we got closer, it became obvious how large these were.
Paths lead up into round the exterior edges of the hillfort. There are bracken and scree covered valleys on either side. The first thing we came across were some strange concrete blocks and what looked like the tiled remains of an old toilet at approx. NT 98398 27352, but then there are the recorded remains of pillboxes in this area, so must have been used for military training during the last war.
As we walked along, we crossed three distinct banks which had been cut by the paths, which are the three ramparts (in places four) that cut the fort into two. Walking past the fourth rampart, it felt as it had on Little Hill in the Scottish Borders, as if I was on the prow of a ship looking down across the land below. Crossing to the eastern side of the fort, at this point, we were almost directly above Maiden Well and the King’s Chair. To reach these, we would have need climbing equipment to abseil down, so we walked back to the car and drove round to the path leading to The Pin Well.
Looking at the aerial images on UK Grid Reference Finder, the outline of the fort is clearly visible.
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2 |
| Green Castle Ringwork |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jul 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Green Castle Ringwork, Wooler: After having stopped off at the ‘usual café’ in Wooler for refreshments, we headed off towards Wooler Common, from the High Street taking Ramsey Lane which becomes Common Road.
At NT 98195 27735 there is a small parking area, where a footpath leads south westerly up and over the Common. From here, the Ringwork looks like part of a giant rubbish tip, with its south and western sides protruding up over the hedge...Green Castle Ringwork, Wooler: After having stopped off at the ‘usual café’ in Wooler for refreshments, we headed off towards Wooler Common, from the High Street taking Ramsey Lane which becomes Common Road.
At NT 98195 27735 there is a small parking area, where a footpath leads south westerly up and over the Common. From here, the Ringwork looks like part of a giant rubbish tip, with its south and western sides protruding up over the hedgerow like a giant green triangle. Given that to it’s south east there is a huge area for storing skips, it looks at first sight as if the mound is used for a rubbish dump, but it’s not.
There is no access into the field the ringwork sits in (gates are padlocked, and the only gate that opened (immediately opposite the parking area) led down to a wooded area and small ravine.
We actually got a good view of what looks like a ‘Refresher’ sweet by walking up the path towards The Kettles. From here, even the stones in the south western side, where the mound has been eroded, are visible, together with a short section of ditch.
I didn’t spot the telephone wire snaking across the photograph until I loaded it onto my computer.
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36 |
1 |
| Barntalloch (Langholm) |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Jul 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Barntalloch Motte, Staplegordon, Langholm: It was dull and very wet at our house, and fed up of the rain, we decided to head off to the Scottish Borders for some sunny, 25 deg C weather. Landing in Langholm by 2.30pm, we stopped off for coffee and cake before heading off into the wilds of Eskdale.
I spotted this site on the map, just west of Langholm, down a small road leading to a hamlet called Staplegordon. It caught my eye because it not ...Barntalloch Motte, Staplegordon, Langholm: It was dull and very wet at our house, and fed up of the rain, we decided to head off to the Scottish Borders for some sunny, 25 deg C weather. Landing in Langholm by 2.30pm, we stopped off for coffee and cake before heading off into the wilds of Eskdale.
I spotted this site on the map, just west of Langholm, down a small road leading to a hamlet called Staplegordon. It caught my eye because it not only had the motte but the remains of a chapel. I like looking around the gravestones.
We parked in what looked like a parking area for fishermen to the right of the far side of the bridge. There is actually another car park by the farm nearer to the motte. There are posts indicating the routes of different Langholm Walks.
Just past the farm to the left of the bridge, the track splits at NY 35445 87796. The northern section leads down to the old graveyard and a bungalow (looks like the chapel was converted into a dwelling). A track led through another farmyard to our left which curls to the south west, around the side of the motte.
The lady farmer roared up on her quad bike and stopped to say hello. She didn’t seem to mind us tramping through her farmyard, but wasn’t very forthcoming. When I got home and did some research on Canmore, I found out that the old chapel was supposed to have an inscribed stone. We didn’t walk down there as we couldn’t see a way of reaching the churchyard except through the main gate of the cottage.
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35 |
1 |
| Little Hill (Craig) |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Little Hill Hillfort, Craig, Scottish Borders: This might be a 'short walk on a footpath', but it was a steady climb! After visiting Barntalloch Castle, we could see no way of getting into the old churchyard nearby, as it looked as if the building had been converted into a house. Mistake not to try, as Canmore said there was an inscribed stone.
We drove onto Little Hill, stopping to take a photograph of Barntalloch from a layby on the B709. ...Little Hill Hillfort, Craig, Scottish Borders: This might be a 'short walk on a footpath', but it was a steady climb! After visiting Barntalloch Castle, we could see no way of getting into the old churchyard nearby, as it looked as if the building had been converted into a house. Mistake not to try, as Canmore said there was an inscribed stone.
We drove onto Little Hill, stopping to take a photograph of Barntalloch from a layby on the B709. The River Esk looks glorious sparkling in the sunshine with its loops and cobble banks.
There is a footpath/track leading up to Little Hill hillfort from just before the bend at Craig at NY 33656 88271, where there was room to tuck the car in at its junction with the road. There has been lots of activity with telegraph poles in this area, with lots of spare ones lying around; in fact climbing up the hill they got in the way of the view over to the west until we got above them. Craig Hill to the south of Little Hill looms large and dominates the scenery; there is also a settlement on its lower slopes south of Little Hill, although we didn’t spot this on the climb up.
We left the stony track up the hill and followed what seemed to be a hollow way up to the fort, approaching this from its north western side where I spotted the well at NY 33858 88237, next to a cattle feeder.
This is a lovely spot with its flower meadows and virtually 360 degree views. There don’t seem to be any features in the interior, or at least we didn’t see them as the grass was so lush. Andrew thought he saw a couple of roundhouses, due to the change in vegetation, but I thought it was a bit of a stretch, but there were two circular areas that were slightly scooped and had less wild flowers within them.
I walked down to the south western (stem end of the pear) end of the fort, which is slightly separated from the rest of the fort by a dip, effectively splitting the fort in two.
On the way back down we stopped to photograph the entrance at the northern end of the fort. From here we could see the racing tracks of the race horse training stables in the valley below. There was also a line of stones running from approx.. NY 33920 88223 to NY 33978 88200 near the road also seems to follow the line of a water course. If you plot the points of the well and these stones, they seem to follow a straight line. Some of the taller stones also hide springs.
A lovely walk and well worth stopping. The views on a sunny, warm day like today were lovely. As I keep repeating, our ancestors chose some very nice places to live.
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2 |
| Newhall Hill (Paddockhole) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Newhall Hill Settlements, near Paddockhill, Scottish Borders: From Little Hill, we thought we’d stop off at Balliehill Hillfort again, but driving up to it, it was covered in enormous cattle grazing contentedly within it. Taking one look, we decided to press onto Newhall Farm. Following the minor road that runs alongside the western bank of the Water of Milk, we enjoyed the views down the valley. Reaching Paddockhill, we turned right, then imm...Newhall Hill Settlements, near Paddockhill, Scottish Borders: From Little Hill, we thought we’d stop off at Balliehill Hillfort again, but driving up to it, it was covered in enormous cattle grazing contentedly within it. Taking one look, we decided to press onto Newhall Farm. Following the minor road that runs alongside the western bank of the Water of Milk, we enjoyed the views down the valley. Reaching Paddockhill, we turned right, then immediately right again, over Paddockhill Bridge and followed the road through Newhall Farm to a small bridge hidden between the trees. We couldn’t see the burn as it was being used as a dump for old industrial pipes and equipment, fencing and telegraph poles, but just before the bridge was a small area which had been hard-cored, so we parked there. The gate to the two tracks leading up Newhall Hill was just behind us. Taking the right hand track, we plodded up this steeper-than-it-looked hill. Would it never end??
Eventually the track ran out and we set off across the pasture to find the settlements. I heard the noise of a quad bike and the farmer appeared, with this two dogs, over the top of a hill, screeching to a halt in front of me. I thought he was going to hit me, so took a large backwards step, but he stopped in time. “Nearer to heaven here’ he said and pointed to all the wind farms surrounded the hill. “Don’t think they do any harm, do they?” he added. I put my hand out to stroke one of the dogs and the farmer barked at me: “Don’t! He’ll have your hand off.” He told us the settlements were just over the next small brow on the hill, said he lived at the small farm yonder rather than the big one down in the valley below that we could see, then hared off at great speed with both dogs balancing on the back of the quad bike.
Two hundred yards further on, a deep ditch and large bank of Settlement B came into view, complete with eyesore of a very large quarry beyond.
I walked all round the outer bank of the lower settlement, then went into the inside. Apart from a very boggy part, which looked like it might have been a well at some point, we couldn’t make out any features internally.
I would have liked to have walked up the hill to Settlement A but the heads and bodies of some very lively bullocks kept watching us. I didn’t fancy being surrounded by them, so we decided to walk back down to the car.
We would have ended up at the Severn Brethren stone circle, but as we neared it, realised we’d been here before, and it was very unremarkable.
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| Elvaplain |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Saw from a distance |
29th May 2016 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Elvaplain Stone Circle, Setmurthy, Cumbria: After having seen the tumulus and settlements at Aughertree Fell we set off for Elva Hill. With a stunning image on the Visit Cumbria website, which told us this although this stone circle was on private land, it could be approached by a footpath, we found Elva Plain farm and the footpath up to Elva Hill easily enough. With well kept sheep and their large lambs, we enjoyed the sunshine as we walked up...Elvaplain Stone Circle, Setmurthy, Cumbria: After having seen the tumulus and settlements at Aughertree Fell we set off for Elva Hill. With a stunning image on the Visit Cumbria website, which told us this although this stone circle was on private land, it could be approached by a footpath, we found Elva Plain farm and the footpath up to Elva Hill easily enough. With well kept sheep and their large lambs, we enjoyed the sunshine as we walked up the hill. But, and there was a big BUT - the farmer had tied the gates up so strongly with thick twine it was like trying to untie the Gordian knot. With four gates to get through, and some of them wired shut, we could only see this stone circle from afar. Frustrating. If the farmer had been around, I would have asked (nicely) for access to the field. Whilst the stones are largely flat and just visible above ground (between the sheep!), this stone circle is in a stunning location, looking out over Bassenthwaite Lake in the valley to the south west and the fells beyond. Elva Hill (now quarried) lies to the north.
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| Druids Temple (Cumbria) |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Druid's Temple Stone Circle, Cumbria: OK, so we got sidetracked by the splended Furness Abbey, but we then retraced our steps to Great Urswick, skirting round the north side of Urswick Tarn, up and out onto Birkrigg Common. Following the yellow ‘dotted’ road over the common, past Sunbrick Farm, we suddenly came upon the most tremendous views over Morecambe Bay. What a place!
Being a beautiful sunny evening, there were many people about. It ...Druid's Temple Stone Circle, Cumbria: OK, so we got sidetracked by the splended Furness Abbey, but we then retraced our steps to Great Urswick, skirting round the north side of Urswick Tarn, up and out onto Birkrigg Common. Following the yellow ‘dotted’ road over the common, past Sunbrick Farm, we suddenly came upon the most tremendous views over Morecambe Bay. What a place!
Being a beautiful sunny evening, there were many people about. It felt strange to be in such an ancient spot with a van nearby blasting out music from its radio, runners coming through almost the centre of the circle, and dog walkers continually passing.
Again, the stone circle sits within a landscape of limestone pavement, which confused my attempts to find out if the circle originally had an outer ring. We counted 12 stones in the inner ring, two only just poking out above the grass, with 10 visible upright stones, although I get the impression some of these might have been re-erected for effect. The circle itself certainly looked as if it had a shallow bank around it and a possible ditch between this and what might have been a very broken outer ring.
There is plenty of parking on the hard verges nearby, and stunning walks on grassy paths cut through the longer grass to make it easier for walkers and runners. A little disappointing there were so many others around, but worth the trip.
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| Beanley Moor Enclosure |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
18th Jul 2017 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Beanley Moor Iron Age Defended Settlement, Northumberland: We had an abortive attempt to find the Fawdon Cross Base at NU 0281 1591 (nowhere anywhere nearby to park) and Beanley Plantation Hillfort. The tracks to the latter were either waterlogged (husband said we needed diving equipment – a slight exaggeration, I think!), although we could have tried from the paths through the forest from the south (but didn’t). We then made our way to the Bea...Beanley Moor Iron Age Defended Settlement, Northumberland: We had an abortive attempt to find the Fawdon Cross Base at NU 0281 1591 (nowhere anywhere nearby to park) and Beanley Plantation Hillfort. The tracks to the latter were either waterlogged (husband said we needed diving equipment – a slight exaggeration, I think!), although we could have tried from the paths through the forest from the south (but didn’t). We then made our way to the Beanley Moor settlement/enclosure just to its north. This is a short hop up the field. There is a path leading up the slope (it’s all access land here) which brings you to the southern edge of the enclosure, although having spotted a slight bank popping up out of the grass, we made a more direct bee-line up the slope.
Curious how the landscape has changed in just a few miles. The area is completely sandy – like a beach, which it must have been at one point in the dim and distant path, although higher up the slope it becomes more of a loam.
Very, very little remains of this possible Iron Age settlement, although there was enough left of two parallel shallow ditches for us to follow their line round in a circle. Thought we spotted a possible entrance in the south west of the enclosure, a possible roundhouse partly built into the bank (although heavily disguised by tussocks and bracken in parts) and a hollow way leading north-west/south-east along the north eastern edge of the settlement, leading up to the Beanley Plantation Hillfort.
Brilliant views down to the River Breamish Valley, but that’s as much as can be said for this site. Glad we stopped off, though.
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4 |
| Haystack Hill (Ingram) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
18th Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Haystack Hill Settlement Complex, Ingram, Northumberland: Having stopped off at North Haystack Hill, it was getting hot by this point, although there was a pleasant breeze. The path was levelling out now and there was an electric fence to our left hand side. Where this had dropped down to the grass at one point, we made our way across to the gate at the north western part of the field. The ground here was very boggy, descending into deep puddl...Haystack Hill Settlement Complex, Ingram, Northumberland: Having stopped off at North Haystack Hill, it was getting hot by this point, although there was a pleasant breeze. The path was levelling out now and there was an electric fence to our left hand side. Where this had dropped down to the grass at one point, we made our way across to the gate at the north western part of the field. The ground here was very boggy, descending into deep puddles at various points, so we picked our way around. A sign on the gate said ‘end of access land’ although there is a permissive footpath around the edge of the field leading into the south western corner of this complex settlement.
This site is huge. I wish I’d printed off an aerial photograph to take with me, so I could have understood it better – a good excuse for a return visit.
We first explored the rectangular enclosure with its row of hut circles in, then made our way between the B2 (the southern most of the two B enclosures) and C.
Wow. Although deep in bracken, it was still possible to make out tall banks and circular features I felt very priviledged to have come here, as I did at Burdhope last week. A brilliant, brilliant site. With the other hillforts all around, it was very atmospheric.
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34 |
3 |
| North Haystack Hill |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
18th Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
North Haystack Hill, Ingram, Northumberland: After Ingram Hill Enclosure, we took the permissive footpath to its east, walking up between Turf Knowe to our east and Wether Hill to the west. From this point on, for the next quarter of a mile, we seemed to be constantly moving out of the way of a tractor and a small four-wheel drive van and trailer mowing bracken (they seemed to target us with every turn!), up until the division of footpaths just ...North Haystack Hill, Ingram, Northumberland: After Ingram Hill Enclosure, we took the permissive footpath to its east, walking up between Turf Knowe to our east and Wether Hill to the west. From this point on, for the next quarter of a mile, we seemed to be constantly moving out of the way of a tractor and a small four-wheel drive van and trailer mowing bracken (they seemed to target us with every turn!), up until the division of footpaths just before this earthwork, which appeared as a low stone and earth mound, about 1 metre wide and 80cm high, running to the left of the footpath. It ran for several hundred metres with the occasional bank peeping out of the bracken to the east. By this time, we were 800 metres from Ingram Hill Settlement, and a couple of hundred yards from the main Haystack Hill complex. We stepped over the low electric wire that was keeping the sheep in a particular area and went to investigate.
What a view to have from your front door, down the Middledean Burn valley to the west and the Breamish Valley and Ingram below.
Getting back home and opening up Pastcape, I was surprised to find this is a recorded Iron Age/Roman enclosed settlement. Although the long bank is medieval, the settlement is described as ‘much mutilated’ with a number of scooped hut circles. It can be seen on UK Grid Reference Finder aerial images, with ridge and furrow ploughing cutting over the top.
Making our way back to the path, which by now was levelling off, we continued up the slope towards the larger Haystack Hill settlement.
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34 |
2 |
| Ingram Hill |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
18th Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Ingram Hill Settlement, Breamish Valley: Making the most of a warm, sunny day we set off to the Ingram in the Beamish Valley, not to walk the Hillfort Trail this time, but to look at some settlements marked on the OS map. Taking supposedly ‘the shortest route’ the roads were so twisty and windy that it took forever, and I ended up feeling travel sick for most of the afternoon.
I had forgotten how beautiful and calm this little valley is. The...Ingram Hill Settlement, Breamish Valley: Making the most of a warm, sunny day we set off to the Ingram in the Beamish Valley, not to walk the Hillfort Trail this time, but to look at some settlements marked on the OS map. Taking supposedly ‘the shortest route’ the roads were so twisty and windy that it took forever, and I ended up feeling travel sick for most of the afternoon.
I had forgotten how beautiful and calm this little valley is. There were a dozen or so cars parked on the grass by the river, with people picnicking. Passing the car park just outside Ingram, there was only one car – in Northumberland I expect to see more sheep than people on a day out. Setting off west out of Ingram, we parked just outside the village on a wide grass verge that people had obviously used before us. Walking the 100 metres or so to where the stony footpath climbed gently up to Turf Knowe, we had the old field boundary and modern wire fence to our left. Where the footpath meets the access land at the south western corner of the field, another permission footpath/stone covered track branched off to the south east towards Wether Hill. Typically, we didn’t use the path but tramped through the knee high grass and bracken, surprising the sheep who’d sought shade.
The circular banks of this settlement rose gently out of the turf. Some of the sheep were grazing on top. I walked all the way round the bank, which is 160 feet in diameter. There is a clear two roomed rectangular house on the interior northern bank, looking down to the River Breamish below.
Another circular feature, which I thought was a small roundhouse, was to be found towards the middle of the settlement. Pastscape says this is the remains of some shielings.
After taking a short break to make the most of the sunshine, we took the permissive path and headed up towards Haystack Hill.
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34 |
1 |
| Cow and Calf Rocks |
Rock Outcrop |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
30th Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cow & Calf Rocks, Ilkley: We visited here on a very blustery day after having seen Maiden Castle hill fort. By now rain was threatening and the moorland bleak. Parking at the café down below, we walked up the footpath. The view from the Cow and Calf over to Ilkley was great, although there were lots of people around. Walking into the horseshoe shaped quarry next to these crags there were groups of climbers roped up to the rock face. |
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|
| Yatesfield (Otterburn) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2017 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Yatesfield Settlement, Otterburn Ranges: By this time, it was 6pm, and rather than face another long walk over rough ground to the Roman Tombs at Lamb Crag, we decided to save our feet and drive to this site up on the Otterburn Ranges. We spotted the two ‘archaeological area’ signs at the south and north ends of the site. It has obviously been split by the military tarmacked road. Standing at the western edge of the site, looking down over the...Yatesfield Settlement, Otterburn Ranges: By this time, it was 6pm, and rather than face another long walk over rough ground to the Roman Tombs at Lamb Crag, we decided to save our feet and drive to this site up on the Otterburn Ranges. We spotted the two ‘archaeological area’ signs at the south and north ends of the site. It has obviously been split by the military tarmacked road. Standing at the western edge of the site, looking down over the gentle south east slope, it took a few minutes to ‘get my eye in’ and start to see the possible hut circles and lumps and bumps of various structures. In the end, I walked to the northern end and walked across the site, photographing as I went.
Parts of the ground were very boggy and I disturbed a hare sunning itself against the back wall, partly sunk into the bank (part earth, part stone) of one of the round houses nearest the road.
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33 |
6 |
| Yatesfield Hill (Otterburn) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Yatesfield Hill Standing Stone, Otterburn Ranges: Driving up to Yatesfield Hill, I noticed this stone by the side of the road. There is no mention of it on Pastscape, English Heritage or the OS maps.
It might be a marker stone or a rubbing stone, as it is sited by the junction of Yatesfield Hill road and a trackway west, but looks as if it has been here for some time, as it is deeply embedded in the ground and has small stones and boulders ...Yatesfield Hill Standing Stone, Otterburn Ranges: Driving up to Yatesfield Hill, I noticed this stone by the side of the road. There is no mention of it on Pastscape, English Heritage or the OS maps.
It might be a marker stone or a rubbing stone, as it is sited by the junction of Yatesfield Hill road and a trackway west, but looks as if it has been here for some time, as it is deeply embedded in the ground and has small stones and boulders packed around its base.
There was a lovely military Port-a-loo nearby!
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33 |
7 |
| Burdhope (Rochester) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2017 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
Burdhope Hill Village, Rochester, Northumberland: After having stopped at the Camien Café for refreshments, we headed off into the hot sun again. This time it was only a few hundred metres up the road. There was a small layby at the side of the road opposite Woolaw Farm entrance. Crossing the road was fun as you could hear the roar of the motorbikes and cars coming from a fair distance, then they zoomed past, the rush of air lifting my hair. ...Burdhope Hill Village, Rochester, Northumberland: After having stopped at the Camien Café for refreshments, we headed off into the hot sun again. This time it was only a few hundred metres up the road. There was a small layby at the side of the road opposite Woolaw Farm entrance. Crossing the road was fun as you could hear the roar of the motorbikes and cars coming from a fair distance, then they zoomed past, the rush of air lifting my hair. A quick run across the road was safely achieved.
Andrew had found out from friends who visit Trig Points that the only footbridge across the river was at Woolaw Farm, so we walked down the track and joined the footpath just west of the farm house.
The grass is tussocky and some parts of the field are boggy, other parts cut by modern field drains, but it wasn’t too challenging a walk (for me).
The monument is on access land, although it has been fenced off to protect it. As the gate into the field was at the top of the hill, we took a short cut by climbing through the barbed wire fence. We must have spent an hour wandering around, trying to interpret the different bits. Fascinating!
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33 |
5 |
| Brownrigg (Rochester) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Brownrigg Ancient Cross Base, Rochester, Northumberland: Two cross bases in one day, although this one isn’t marked on the map. Husband, Andrew, found it by doing a location search on Pastscape before we set off (he gets to look at settlements and Roman forts he's interested in whilst I get the cross bases and tumuli!).
Again, just off a layby on the A68 just before it meets the A696, where a footpath goes north west towards Rattenraw. The l...Brownrigg Ancient Cross Base, Rochester, Northumberland: Two cross bases in one day, although this one isn’t marked on the map. Husband, Andrew, found it by doing a location search on Pastscape before we set off (he gets to look at settlements and Roman forts he's interested in whilst I get the cross bases and tumuli!).
Again, just off a layby on the A68 just before it meets the A696, where a footpath goes north west towards Rattenraw. The layby was being used by a solitary motorbiker who looked at us curiously as we drove up and parked up.
Letting ourselves in through the farmgate to the footpath, which is signposted Rattenraw and Bagraw, we first of all tried to follow the ditch and mound of the line of Dere Street, but this was very boggy and the GPS was telling me we were getting further away.
Wading back to the farm track, the metres on the GPS dropped rapidly, then we suddenly came across the cross base, sitting slightly to the north of the farm track, some 30 metres short of where the official gps reading says it should be. I made the grid reference NY 85668 94716. On UK grid reference finder, the line of Dere Street crossing the field can be clearly seen, as can one of the banks/ditches which matches the line on the OS map.
The cross base is well buried in the grass and sits in a slight dip, just east of some old mine workings. Nothing terribly remarkable about this except the socket hole seemed really small, measuring only 10 cms square.
Worth stopping off to look, as no-one else seems to have spotted this, but nothing hugely exciting about this site. The next stop was most certainly the best of the last few months!
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33 |
4 |
| Woodhouse (West Woodburn) |
Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Woodhouse Round Cairn and Roman Milestone, Northumberland: How many times have we driven up and down this road and never spotted anything? Today I saw the stone peering above the stone wall to the west of the A68, where the Sandstone Way crosses it.
There was a tumulus marked on the map, so I started to look out for it. “There’s a standing stone,” I observed as we approached the spot, and as there was somewhere to pull in, we did. I hopped o...Woodhouse Round Cairn and Roman Milestone, Northumberland: How many times have we driven up and down this road and never spotted anything? Today I saw the stone peering above the stone wall to the west of the A68, where the Sandstone Way crosses it.
There was a tumulus marked on the map, so I started to look out for it. “There’s a standing stone,” I observed as we approached the spot, and as there was somewhere to pull in, we did. I hopped out of the car with the camera, seeing two boys with go-carts just inside the gate. I asked them if they lived there and we talked at cross purposes for a couple of minutes until one of them said ‘this is a bridleway’ so I felt free to open the gate, go in and have a closer look at the tumulus.
There is a distinct mound, with brilliant views over the Rede Valley to the east. I thought the ‘standing stone’ was in fact a gatepost as I thought there was a metal bracket in the stone on its northern side. It wasn’t until we got home and looked it up that we realised it was a Roman milestone which has been erected in this spot by the (yes, again!) The Redesdale Society.
Well worth stopping to have a look. Can’t believe we haven’t spotted this before.
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33 |
3 |
| Woodburnhill (East Woodburn) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cross base near Woodburnhill Farm, Northumberland: Trying to find the footpath near Parkhead Farm to Robin of Risingham, I spotted the ‘cross (rems of)’ on the OS map just outside East Woodburn at Chairford Bridge.
As this wasn’t far away, we decided to explore. Parking at the northern side of the hamlet of Chairford Bridge, opposite the gate and track to Woodburnhill Farm, we let ourselves into the field and walked up towards the farm.
Th...Cross base near Woodburnhill Farm, Northumberland: Trying to find the footpath near Parkhead Farm to Robin of Risingham, I spotted the ‘cross (rems of)’ on the OS map just outside East Woodburn at Chairford Bridge.
As this wasn’t far away, we decided to explore. Parking at the northern side of the hamlet of Chairford Bridge, opposite the gate and track to Woodburnhill Farm, we let ourselves into the field and walked up towards the farm.
The cross base is sited on a small mound some 150 metres west of the farmhouse, not quite at the top of the hill. There are lovely views back to Chairford Bridge, south over the Lisles Burn valley and north to Darney Crag quarries and Hartside.
The cross base is roughly hewn but the socket is more substantial (larger) than others we’ve seen recently. The cross shaft would have been visible from a good way around.
Having found this spot, there are cairns and enclosures nearby which it would be nice to come back to.
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33 |
2 |
| Danby Rigg Marker Stone (Crossley Gate) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Danby Rigg Marker Stone (Crossley Gate), North Yorkshire: this isn't marked on the OS map, but it is scheduled and listed on Pastscape. It is in a beautiful spot looking east to Lower Fryup Dale and marks the junction of two paths - one which comes up from the valley to the east, the track that runs along the eastern side of the rigg, and the northern most track that leads across the rigg from Lower Fryup Dale to Danby Dale, leading past the rin...Danby Rigg Marker Stone (Crossley Gate), North Yorkshire: this isn't marked on the OS map, but it is scheduled and listed on Pastscape. It is in a beautiful spot looking east to Lower Fryup Dale and marks the junction of two paths - one which comes up from the valley to the east, the track that runs along the eastern side of the rigg, and the northern most track that leads across the rigg from Lower Fryup Dale to Danby Dale, leading past the ring cairn with standing stone.
The stone working markings on the stone make it look like a modern replica, although Pastscape says it's medieval. Being so close to the nearby cross-dyke and round cairn, it is very much like walking in the footsteps of the people who lived on the ridge all those many years ago.
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32 |
5 |
| Danby Rigg Marker Stones |
Marker Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Danby Rigg Marker Stones, North Yorkshire: I was really surprised to find these marker stones on top of the moor, running from the Standing Stone and trig point in line with Slate Hill to Danby Dale.
We didn't walk to all of them, as we wanted to get across to the cross dyke, round cairn and ring cairn on the northern side of the ridge.
As an olden-day traveller, particularly in winter months, I would have been grateful to have seen these...Danby Rigg Marker Stones, North Yorkshire: I was really surprised to find these marker stones on top of the moor, running from the Standing Stone and trig point in line with Slate Hill to Danby Dale.
We didn't walk to all of them, as we wanted to get across to the cross dyke, round cairn and ring cairn on the northern side of the ridge.
As an olden-day traveller, particularly in winter months, I would have been grateful to have seen these stones marking the way. Beautiful views.
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32 |
2 |
| Robin of Risingham (Woodburn) |
Carving |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Jul 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Robin of Risingham, West Woodburn: Our first stop of the day, just south of West Woodburn on the A68. The sun was shining, it was warm and there was barely a breeze apart when the many motorbikes whizzed past at high speed.
Conveniently, there is a layby next to the start of the footpath leading from the A68 to Parkhead Farm at NY 90466 85463. Letting ourselves in through the gate into the field, the view was picturesque with views across th...Robin of Risingham, West Woodburn: Our first stop of the day, just south of West Woodburn on the A68. The sun was shining, it was warm and there was barely a breeze apart when the many motorbikes whizzed past at high speed.
Conveniently, there is a layby next to the start of the footpath leading from the A68 to Parkhead Farm at NY 90466 85463. Letting ourselves in through the gate into the field, the view was picturesque with views across the River Rede Valley to the west and pretty sheep and their large lambs.
We were keen to see this as the Historic England entry says this is the only known Roman statue carved from rock in Northumberland.
Making our way to the southern edge of the farm, there was a track leading through the field just to its east, just above their driveway. Following this to the end of the field, there was no way out – no stile, no sign, nothing. We retraced our steps and tried to find a different way past the farm buildings and ended up in a barn with some wonderful horses. In the end, we let ourselves into the farmyard and walked down the driveway, hoping to come across someone so we could ask where the proper path was.
There are some 3 to 4 houses along your left hand side here. Walking past the last one, Robin can be found about 100 metres further along the driveway. Husband Andrew then headed up the short tree covered slope to the wall separating the farm drive from the quarries above and found the carving hidden amongst the trees.
The dappled sunlight coming through the trees made this tricky to photograph. All the literature we’ve read said only the legs remain. We hunted for ages to see if they were on the rock behind the modern replica, or on the surrounding stone walls.
The intention later was to find the Roman Tombs on Otterburn Ranges which weren’t being used for military training this weekend, but we spent so long on other sites that we left this for another day.
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33 |
1 |
| Hart Leap Stones |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Hart Leap, Glaisdale Rigg: From the Black Hill Cross/Standing Stone, despite having the grid references for this site, we drove past it twice and had to park up and get out and explore. Fortunately there was a moorland track heading eastwards across the moor with room to pull up in. In driving further north along the road, there is another trig point, TP3365 (Glaisdale Rigg).
Exploring first to the east of the road, we spotted two stones ly...Hart Leap, Glaisdale Rigg: From the Black Hill Cross/Standing Stone, despite having the grid references for this site, we drove past it twice and had to park up and get out and explore. Fortunately there was a moorland track heading eastwards across the moor with room to pull up in. In driving further north along the road, there is another trig point, TP3365 (Glaisdale Rigg).
Exploring first to the east of the road, we spotted two stones lying low in the grass. The earthwork is barely discernible on the eastern side of the road, but is much clearer on the west. We walked the bank on the western side. The Historic England entry mentions a third stone on the eastern side of the road, but we didn’t spot this.
I’m certainly pleased to have been ‘out and about’ with the archaeology group, as at least I could start to interpret what I was seeing on the ground. The site has superb views over Great Fryup Dale.
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32 |
9 |
| Glaisdale Rigg (Hill Top) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Glaisdale Rigg Standing Stone: From Hart Leap, we were making our way home. Spotting this, I got my husband to virtually do an emergency stop as I spotted this stone at the side of the road. There is nothing on Pastscape or Historic England about this stone, but it lies just under 700 metres north north east of Black Hill Cross/Standing Stone.
It stands proudly at the western side of Glaisdale Rigg, about a metre or so from the western side o...Glaisdale Rigg Standing Stone: From Hart Leap, we were making our way home. Spotting this, I got my husband to virtually do an emergency stop as I spotted this stone at the side of the road. There is nothing on Pastscape or Historic England about this stone, but it lies just under 700 metres north north east of Black Hill Cross/Standing Stone.
It stands proudly at the western side of Glaisdale Rigg, about a metre or so from the western side of the moorland road, virtually in line with Hill Top Farm in the valley below. It has great views over Great Fryup Dale, and looking south west to where Great and Little Fryup Dales meet.
It was a nice find to end the evening with.
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32 |
10 |
| Danby Rigg Cairn With Standing Stone |
Ring Cairn |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Danby Rigg Ring Cairn with Standing Stone, North Yorkshire: Of all the sites on Danby Rigg, this was the one I wanted to see most of all, especially after seeing the photos on the Portal, and I wasn't disappointed, although rather than a stone circle, I found a ring cairn with standing stone. The views to the west to Danby Dale and Little Fryup Dale were lovely on this cloudy, but warm, afternoon.
I was very aware of being in a very ancien...Danby Rigg Ring Cairn with Standing Stone, North Yorkshire: Of all the sites on Danby Rigg, this was the one I wanted to see most of all, especially after seeing the photos on the Portal, and I wasn't disappointed, although rather than a stone circle, I found a ring cairn with standing stone. The views to the west to Danby Dale and Little Fryup Dale were lovely on this cloudy, but warm, afternoon.
I was very aware of being in a very ancient landscape and there appeared to be many cairns popping out of the ground (where the heather had been burnt away) and vegetation covered low mounds everywhere.
The cairn is recorded on Pastscape (Monument ID 28809) and also Historic England, where the whole Danby Rigg landscape is recorded 'en masse'. The latter says: "The northernmost, which incorporates a standing stone, was excavated by Atkinson in 1863 and re-excavated in 1986-89. At the centre of the ring cairn there was a 1.7m by 1.1m pit containing two Bronze Age cremation urns and a large quantity of burnt bone. The stones of the ring bank were uncovered but not removed during the excavation and further archaeological remains are expected to survive underneath."
There was a further way marker along the track to the west towards Danby Dale.
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32 |
6 |
| Danby Rigg Cross Dyke (Crossley Side) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Danby Rigg Cross Dyke (Crossley Side), North Yorkshire: From the standing stone (marker stone) and trig point, we walked along the footpath leading approx. north east along the eastern side of the ridge towards the large round cairn. I confess to having walked past this at first, almost reaching the round cairn, but turned round and spotted the long, low hump rising out of the heather.
Walking along the earthwork, it is made of earth and ston...Danby Rigg Cross Dyke (Crossley Side), North Yorkshire: From the standing stone (marker stone) and trig point, we walked along the footpath leading approx. north east along the eastern side of the ridge towards the large round cairn. I confess to having walked past this at first, almost reaching the round cairn, but turned round and spotted the long, low hump rising out of the heather.
Walking along the earthwork, it is made of earth and stones and feels substantial under the feet. What a view down to Lower Fryup Dale and Crossley House Farm below.
I was keen to photograph this and the cairn and move onto the 'stone circle'. So much to see on this ridge - it's a very complex Bronze Age landscape. I had no idea how much was here until we started walking. A very beautiful part of the world.
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32 |
3 |
| Black Hill Cross (Glaisdale Rigg) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Black Hill Cross, Glaisdale Rigg: From Danby Rigg, we made our way to Glaisdale Rigg. I’ve been to some surprisingly beautiful parts of England before, but this was Pretty with a capital ‘P’. We needed the map to follow the surprisingly windy (and hilly) roads through Street village to Glaisdale Rigg.
Whilst described as a standing stone on the OS map this is clearly an old cross base with a more recent cross shaft wedged in. It must have...Black Hill Cross, Glaisdale Rigg: From Danby Rigg, we made our way to Glaisdale Rigg. I’ve been to some surprisingly beautiful parts of England before, but this was Pretty with a capital ‘P’. We needed the map to follow the surprisingly windy (and hilly) roads through Street village to Glaisdale Rigg.
Whilst described as a standing stone on the OS map this is clearly an old cross base with a more recent cross shaft wedged in. It must have been a very welcome sight to travellers, especially during winter months, in this very isolated piece of moorland. Well worth stopping to appreciate the views, especially as it was on our way to Hart Leap.
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32 |
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| Danby Rigg (Crossley Gate) |
Cairn |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Round cairn overlooking Crossley Gate, Danby Rigg, North Yorkshire: From the other marker stones along the track between Little Fryup Dale and Danby Dale, we walked back to the trig point, then took the footpath (mountain bike track) headed north east along the path that runs along the eastern edge of Danby Rigg. There are great views down to Lower Fryup Dale below. Even I managed this path. There was a steady breeze, which got stronger as the...Round cairn overlooking Crossley Gate, Danby Rigg, North Yorkshire: From the other marker stones along the track between Little Fryup Dale and Danby Dale, we walked back to the trig point, then took the footpath (mountain bike track) headed north east along the path that runs along the eastern edge of Danby Rigg. There are great views down to Lower Fryup Dale below. Even I managed this path. There was a steady breeze, which got stronger as the afternoon progressed, but it was warm and relatively easy walking until we headed off into the heather.
We first saw the long, low cross dyke just before the cairn. This mound was largely hidden in the tall heather, which had just started to flower, attracting the steady buzz of the worker bees. I could make out the stones in the mound.
This cairn is just to the north of this cross dyke and is prominent with its stoney mound surrounded by bright green growth which shows up the circular nature of the feature. On the horizon to the west it looks as if other low cairns pop up out of the heather.
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32 |
4 |
| Danby Rigg (Slate Hill) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Marker/Standing Stone & Trig Point, Danby Rigg, North Yorkshire: Not marked on the OS map, this stone sits within a couple of metres of Trig Point TP2728 (Danby Moor). It is sited almost on the eastern edge of Danby Rigg, where the ridge starts to slope sharply down to Little Fryup Dale. There is no information recorded about it on Pastscape, although their information for the area indicates a number of way markers, some scheduled, which mark the...Marker/Standing Stone & Trig Point, Danby Rigg, North Yorkshire: Not marked on the OS map, this stone sits within a couple of metres of Trig Point TP2728 (Danby Moor). It is sited almost on the eastern edge of Danby Rigg, where the ridge starts to slope sharply down to Little Fryup Dale. There is no information recorded about it on Pastscape, although their information for the area indicates a number of way markers, some scheduled, which mark the route of a medieval footpath which runs from Slate Head to Ainthorpe. Other way markers (such as this) mark out two separate footpaths from Little Fryup Dale in the east to Danby Dale at the western most side of the ridge. This sits at the side of the western most track, continuing the farm track east-west over the ridge.
The area has a long history and plays host to many features, including cairn cemeteries, cross dykes, cairn circles and round cairns, many dating to the Bronze Age and possibly Neolithic.
The easiest way to reach this stone and trig point is to walk from (or park at) the cross roads just to the south of Slate Hill House (where Castle Lane, New Way and Slate Hill meet). There is a farm track and a footpath starting almost from the same point up to the top of Danby Rigg. The footpath is somewhat overgrown and steep towards the top, so we followed the well used farm track which heads almost directly west then tracks north east up the slope. Almost as soon as the path levels out, you see the stone and the trig point. The views back towards where Little Fryup Dale meets Great Fryup Dale. The views across these valleys and northwards back towards Ainthorpe are stunning.
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32 |
1 |
| Glaisdale Rigg Tall Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
2nd Jul 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Glaisdale Rigg Dry Stone Cairn, North Yorkshire: I spotted this whilst we were walking along the road to find Hart Leap. It looks relatively modern (there are lots of grouse shooting butts in the area) but by this late in the evening and after having walked seemingly miles across knee deep heather, my feet and ankles declined to go any further on this uneven ground, so I admired it from a distance.
When I got home, I found out it featured on...Glaisdale Rigg Dry Stone Cairn, North Yorkshire: I spotted this whilst we were walking along the road to find Hart Leap. It looks relatively modern (there are lots of grouse shooting butts in the area) but by this late in the evening and after having walked seemingly miles across knee deep heather, my feet and ankles declined to go any further on this uneven ground, so I admired it from a distance.
When I got home, I found out it featured on the North Yorkshire Moors CAM web site from 2001, asking anyone who knew when and why this was built to contact them. I sent an email off to the author who replied virtually by return. He told me they never did find out any information, but he "did read that it was there in 1965."
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32 |
8 |
| Carby Hill |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
24th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
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. |
31 |
5 |
| Milnholm (Newcastleton) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Jun 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
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.
T...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.
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31 |
4 |
| Old Castleton (Newcastleton) |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
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 w...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.
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31 |
2 |
| Castleton (Newcastleton) |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Jun 2017 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
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 ...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.
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31 |
3 |
| Caddrounburn Calvert |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
24th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
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 interes...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.
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31 |
1 |
| Gibbie's Knowe (Kielder) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
17th Jun 2017 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
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 6525...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.
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31 |
3 |
| Rochester (Otterburn) |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
|
|
|
|
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 w...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.
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31 |
2 |
| Dour Hill (Rochester) |
Chambered Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
17th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
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 ...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.
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31 |
1 |
| Chatton 1a |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Chatton 1a, Rock Art, Northumberland: After our trip to the Farne Islands, as we were nearby and had an hour or so to spare, we decided to head off to Chatton to see if we could find the rock art and the rock shelter. Little did I realise that we’d be blown off the top of the hill – I found it almost impossible to stand and take photographs, despite it being a relatively calm, sunny day.
Andrew (husband) related that friends (Martin Green and...Chatton 1a, Rock Art, Northumberland: After our trip to the Farne Islands, as we were nearby and had an hour or so to spare, we decided to head off to Chatton to see if we could find the rock art and the rock shelter. Little did I realise that we’d be blown off the top of the hill – I found it almost impossible to stand and take photographs, despite it being a relatively calm, sunny day.
Andrew (husband) related that friends (Martin Green and Dot) who’d visited the trig point here had been unable to find any rock art. They also said that there was now a sign on the gate leading onto the track (at NU 07833 28678) leading up to the rock art site, but we didn't see any. However, the track was clear and easy to follow.
I confess to being really disappointed, as the marks were very worn and faint, and we had difficulty identifying them, even though we knew what we were looking for. We found three examples: Chatton 1a, Chatton 2 and Chatton 3.
Husband set off to the Ketley Crags rock shelter, but didn't take the camera with him, so a separate trip will be required (note: found an alternative route avoiding the stream).
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30 |
2 |
| Chatton 3 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Chatton 3, Rock Art, Northumberland: See visit report for Chatton 1a. |
30 |
2 |
| Chatton 2 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Chatton 2, Rock Art, Northumberland: See visit report for Chatton 1a. |
30 |
2 |
| St. Cuthbert's Well (Farne Islands) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Jun 2017 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
St. Cuthbert's Well (site of), Inner Farne: Requires boat trip and short walk from the jetty to see exterior of the building within which it is located. The sea was very calm today, but there were lots of people on the boat – there must have been around 3 to 4 space places. We had a trip around the islands, stopping to see the seals and various colonies of birds in their different nesting places.
Eventually arriving at Inner Farne, the islan...St. Cuthbert's Well (site of), Inner Farne: Requires boat trip and short walk from the jetty to see exterior of the building within which it is located. The sea was very calm today, but there were lots of people on the boat – there must have been around 3 to 4 space places. We had a trip around the islands, stopping to see the seals and various colonies of birds in their different nesting places.
Eventually arriving at Inner Farne, the island was full of people with big cameras and enormous lenses, and I felt the ‘poor relation’ with my small lens. The terns were in full flight, protecting their eggs and their chicks.
I took my list of sites with grid references and asked the National Trust Warden who was manning the information point. She said it was not possible to get into the lighthouse compound to look for the cross base, as it was owned by Trinity House and off-limits. She said there was a well in the basement (Pastscape says ground floor) of Prior Castell’s Tower, but as it was used by the wardens for accommodation, the public were not allowed in. She did confirm that there was a door/panel that could be opened, with a few steps leading down to a stone lined chamber containing water, which would be the well.
She also said that they believed what is now called “The Fisherman’s Hut” was the site of St. Cuthbert’s Cell and the place of his death. “There’s a small window where he would watch for people coming to the island, and if he didn’t want to talk to them, wouldn’t open the door.” Pastscape says there is considerable doubt about the position of the cell and there are various theories about its location.
I also had the location for a cross base, but as this was located inside the lighthouse grounds (or on the cliff edge!), this area was out of bounds to tourists.
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30 |
1 |
| Beckermet Ancient Crosses (St Bridget's) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Oct 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient crosses, St. Bridget’s Church, Beckermet: Despite having been given directions by the vicar of St. John’s, Beckermet, we had several attempts at finding St. Bridget’s, but got there in the end. We need to take a left hand turn off the main road through Beckermet opposite Crofhouse Farm into a small housing estate, then taking the right hand turn marked ‘St. Bridget’s Church’ a few hundred yards down this lane and following this narrow la...Ancient crosses, St. Bridget’s Church, Beckermet: Despite having been given directions by the vicar of St. John’s, Beckermet, we had several attempts at finding St. Bridget’s, but got there in the end. We need to take a left hand turn off the main road through Beckermet opposite Crofhouse Farm into a small housing estate, then taking the right hand turn marked ‘St. Bridget’s Church’ a few hundred yards down this lane and following this narrow lane down to the church. By this time, the wind had got up and whilst it wasn’t particularly cold, it wasn’t a day to linger.
There was some parking outside the church, which looked virtually derelict, although there were some recent burials in the churchyard, with fresh flowers and containers of water by the church door. The door to the church was open, shut only by a wooden latch which pivoted on a central nail.
Both cross shafts were to the south of the church, looking onto open countryside, with the towers of Seascale/Sellafield in the near distance.
The taller of the two cross shafts, Beckermet St. Bridget 02, dates from the tenth to eleventh century, and is made of St. Bees sandstone. According to the ASCorpus notes, the three encircling mouldings around the cylinder are rare.
I found the shorter of the two cross shafts fascinating, with the remnants of an inscription on its western face.
Apparently, there was a third fragment, part of a cross-head, which is now under plaster in the east wall of the chancel.
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| Langdale Axe Factory |
Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Aug 2015 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Mickleden Way, finding pointers to the Pike O'Stickle Axe Factory: I was lucky enough to win a copy of Gabriel Blamires book in a Portal photographic competition. It arrived just in time for our trip over to the Lakes on 10th/11th August. We followed Chapter 4: The Mickleden Way, having parked at the National Trust pay and display car park next to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, and headed up behind the pub onto the stoney footpath into the hills....Mickleden Way, finding pointers to the Pike O'Stickle Axe Factory: I was lucky enough to win a copy of Gabriel Blamires book in a Portal photographic competition. It arrived just in time for our trip over to the Lakes on 10th/11th August. We followed Chapter 4: The Mickleden Way, having parked at the National Trust pay and display car park next to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel, and headed up behind the pub onto the stoney footpath into the hills.
This is a beautiful and easy walk with Mickleden Beck in the valley to the left hand side and Langdale Fell with Pike O’Stickle to our right. We were passed by a number of small climbing parties coming back the other way.
We found boulders 4.1 to 4.7. We had intended finding more but dusk stopped us in our tracks and had us retracing our steps back to the Hiker's Bar at the hotel The Pike O’Stickle Pentagon was perhaps the most dominant and impressive stone. To be found at NY 2738 0640 it stands out proudly on the hillside and is one of the more convincing markers/pointers. There has been some recent activity around both sides of the stone, with gullies being made to channel water off the hillside around it, hence it’s a bit tricky to get up to. From the banks of one of these gullies I picked up a lump of shiny black stone (now dried it is a dull green-grey with light brown inclusions) which was incredibly sharp. We later identified it as a piece of stone used for the axes, so it now sits proudly on my window ledge.
As our walk continued there were so many stones and stony outcrops that we started to wonder how Gabriel Blamires had chosen the pointers he did, as there were others which equally stood out in the landscape. He has obviously done an immense amount of research to check everything out. I did get excited at boulder 4.4 as bending down to retrieve the lens cap for my camera, I noticed that the top profile of the boulder seemed to echo the pattern of the peaks above.
Following the book to the letter, and thankful for our GPS, we got to boulder 4.7 before spotting what looked like an area of cairns.
There are many more boulders detailed in Gabriel's book, along with some stunning walks/ways and I really look forward to finding out more.
I do agree with rich32 that you would have needed ropes and parachutes to attempt to get up to the axe factory!
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| Hurl Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Aug 2014 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
The Hurl Stone, Newtown, Northumberland. Second visit: Saturday, 30th August 2014. Armed with a letter from the landowner allowing us access, we set off back to the Hurl Stone before the weather turned.
The farmer was busy herding sheep down the road to the field next to the Newtown Mill standing stone. He was using an army style buggy and 4 sheep dogs, which was fascinating in itself. Having watched this, we drove the 100 yards further u...The Hurl Stone, Newtown, Northumberland. Second visit: Saturday, 30th August 2014. Armed with a letter from the landowner allowing us access, we set off back to the Hurl Stone before the weather turned.
The farmer was busy herding sheep down the road to the field next to the Newtown Mill standing stone. He was using an army style buggy and 4 sheep dogs, which was fascinating in itself. Having watched this, we drove the 100 yards further up to farm at Newtown and bumped up onto the grass verge next to the gate leading into the Hurl Stone field.
It was a longer walk than it looked, through lush ankle high grass to the top of the slight hill. The tall Hurl Stone commandeered the horizon, but I was only about 20 yards away when I realised it had been concreted in. It looked as if at some time it had toppled and been recently re-erected (but if they’d done this, why let the stone lean, unless it was to give the impression it had indeed been hurled? Sorry, this is me being sceptical). This took a little of the shine off seeing the Hurl Stone, but my goodness, what a 360 degree view, which I’ve tried to represent in the photographs submitted to the Portal.
The face of the stone facing the recently built tower (I’m told this is used as a conference centre, but haven’t been able to verify this yet) looks as if it has broken at some time in the past. The quartz crystals within the stone sparkled in the sunlight. There was some, but not much, graffiti carved into it.
The landowner, who resides nearby, opens his gardens under the National Garden Scheme, and according to an archived article in the Hexham Courant, our local paper, has a 14th century chapel, a crusader tomb and two grave slabs belonging to Knights Templar, so I’ll be looking out for dates to go and see these other treasures.
I’m going to write to thank the landowner for allowing us access.
First visit, August 17th 2014: Driving down the road southwards past the hamlet of Newton, we at first only saw the recently built tower in the field to our right. Driving a little further on, we stopped at the standing stone on the opposite side of the road, just below Ewe Hill, to take photographs. When we turned the car and drove back up the road, the Hurl Stone appeared like a sharp needle, just below the top of the hill.
It’s proximity to the modern tower seems suspicious (we immediately asked ourselves if the stone had been moved to provide a good view of it from Liliburn Tower, the landowner’s house, as from the maps, the modern tower and the stone seem to be in direct alignment?).
There were no public footpaths to the stone, so I stopped at the field gateway and took a photograph. I have since written to the landowner to ask for permission to walk to the stone across the field.
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| Harbottle |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2017 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Harbottle Modern Standing Stone/Castle: From Holystone, we passed through Harbottle to get back to the A68, so stopped to look at the castle. The site is lovely.
I spotted the modern standing stone to the west of the car park. The standing stone is inscribed with words:
The Sad Castle
Who Made me/Into a ruin/like an old city?
Was it the soldiers who rode out on horseback?
Was it my old enemy the Scots?
Or was it those Border Reivers...Harbottle Modern Standing Stone/Castle: From Holystone, we passed through Harbottle to get back to the A68, so stopped to look at the castle. The site is lovely.
I spotted the modern standing stone to the west of the car park. The standing stone is inscribed with words:
The Sad Castle
Who Made me/Into a ruin/like an old city?
Was it the soldiers who rode out on horseback?
Was it my old enemy the Scots?
Or was it those Border Reivers?
Perhaps it was just the centuries passing.
Felicity Lance
Apparently there are supposed to be 2 poems, the above by Felicity Lance, another by Robert Corley from Harbottle School, carved into the stone by local stonemason David Edwick. I walked all around the stone, even photographing the other faces to see if anything came up on the camera, but only saw the one poem.
The Pastscape record says there could have been a pre-Conquest fortress on the site. The motte is very steep, and a walk around the moat/outer ditch was charming. Walking into the ruins from the eastern side, there are lots of lumps and bumps of the remains of walls and buildings. Very enigmatic. Really pleased to have been here.
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7 |
| Outer Golden Pot (Otterburn) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Outer Golden Pot (Otterburn): What stunning views across to Upper Coquetdale from here. No wonder the site is marked as a view point on the Otterburn Ranges Access Map. The fencing surrounding this Golden Pot has been broken on three sides, so it’s possible to appreciate its form more fully than the Middle Golden Pot.
The base is smaller than the Shitlington Cross but is about the same size as many of the Anglo Saxon Cross Bases we’ve seen...Outer Golden Pot (Otterburn): What stunning views across to Upper Coquetdale from here. No wonder the site is marked as a view point on the Otterburn Ranges Access Map. The fencing surrounding this Golden Pot has been broken on three sides, so it’s possible to appreciate its form more fully than the Middle Golden Pot.
The base is smaller than the Shitlington Cross but is about the same size as many of the Anglo Saxon Cross Bases we’ve seen in and around churches in North Yorkshire.
As I stepped back towards the road to photograph the base, I saw what looked like a cart track running diagonally up the hillside, crossing under the road and carrying on in a north-east/south-west direction. Andrew pointed out that if I moved a bit further over, I could see the second ditch, so this was the old course of Dere Street, now metalled and called ‘Roman Road’.
After stopping to photograph this stone, we went in search of Ridlees Cairn and Bushman’s Crag, to the south east of these intriguing cross bases.
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4 |
| Inner Golden Pot (Otterburn) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2017 |
-1 |
4 |
5 |
Inner Golden Pot, Otterburn Ranges: No trace of this cross base can be found, but I couldn't resist having a look. There were some small sandstone pieces around the grid reference point, together with a funny green box - presumably some military equipment. A great viewpoint across to Upper Coquetdale. |
28 |
2 |
| Middle Golden Pot (Otterburn) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Middle Golden Pot (Otterburn): Fenced off behind a nice, neat fence with a label “Do not feed the cross base” – no seriously, “Archaeological Area”. This stone was mostly hidden under the marsh grass and I struggled to get decent photographs as the camera kept focusing on the grass rather than the stone. Whilst I snapped away, Andrew went off wandering along the top of Dere Street off to the east – very well defined with a visible ditch on eith...Middle Golden Pot (Otterburn): Fenced off behind a nice, neat fence with a label “Do not feed the cross base” – no seriously, “Archaeological Area”. This stone was mostly hidden under the marsh grass and I struggled to get decent photographs as the camera kept focusing on the grass rather than the stone. Whilst I snapped away, Andrew went off wandering along the top of Dere Street off to the east – very well defined with a visible ditch on either side. The modern metalled road (imaginatively called ‘Roman Road’ turns a left-handed right angle here, as the course of Dere Street changes. Being just below the brow of a hill, I wondered why the stone was placed here, but looking at the change of direction of the road, it made sense. Stepping behind the stone and looking north-west, Dere Street could be seen running up hill, joining with the section to the east of the stone.
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28 |
3 |
| Ridlees Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ridlees Cairn, Otterburn Ranges: This is one of the times I’ve actually made it up to a Trig Point (usually too steep a climb or too high a drop for my liking), but this was easy. Ridlees Cairn was actually 250 metres to the east north east of Bushman’s Crag, but I’m sure some people may visit the crag thinking it is the cairn. The views here are impressive. No wonder the military have a bunker hidden just up the road, and possibly hollowed ou...Ridlees Cairn, Otterburn Ranges: This is one of the times I’ve actually made it up to a Trig Point (usually too steep a climb or too high a drop for my liking), but this was easy. Ridlees Cairn was actually 250 metres to the east north east of Bushman’s Crag, but I’m sure some people may visit the crag thinking it is the cairn. The views here are impressive. No wonder the military have a bunker hidden just up the road, and possibly hollowed out the centre of the cairn for use as a machine gun nest (apologies if this is not the case, this is just husband guessing).
Parking at the cairn (the metalled roads had deteriorated from this point and were very narrow), we walked to the east of the cairn and pushed through the heather to reach it.
It is substantial, with a flattened stone kerb around it, partly hidden by heather, partly by tumbled stones.
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5 |
| St Mungo's Well (Northumberland) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2017 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
St. Mungo's Well, Holystone, Northumberland: We’d already visited the lovely Lady Well on 8th September 2013, but stopped to look at this one, which is at the side of the Coquet River. Sitting by the right hand side of the road just before entering the village from the Otterburn Ranges, just before the corner of the road leading up to Holystone Priory Farm and the footpath up to Lady’s Well.
The grass and weeds had grown right up to the wel...St. Mungo's Well, Holystone, Northumberland: We’d already visited the lovely Lady Well on 8th September 2013, but stopped to look at this one, which is at the side of the Coquet River. Sitting by the right hand side of the road just before entering the village from the Otterburn Ranges, just before the corner of the road leading up to Holystone Priory Farm and the footpath up to Lady’s Well.
The grass and weeds had grown right up to the well, although there was a small track to the well basin, showing a few other people had visited.
I did taste the water, which was clear, but didn’t taste of any particular mineral. The flow of water was strong (but not as strong as St. Cuthbert’s Well in Bellingham), indicating it might be artesian after a long spell of very dry weather in this part of the world.
I hadn’t done any research on this well before visiting, just passing by on the spur of the moment. Pastscape is dubious about this being a holy well. The shrubbery around the well hid the overflow pipe at the burn side of the structure, and I wished I had looked for the conduit at the village green. Another trip to this beautiful part of the county is called for.
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6 |
| Bellshiel Law |
Chambered Cairn |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2017 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
Bellshiel Law, Otterburn Ranges: It felt very strange driving onto the Otterburn Ranges with no red flags flying and no military around – I felt like I was trespassing. The ranges are absolutely huge – the Access map and Guide says they cover 90 square miles. We saw 3 other cars all day, 2 of those from a long distance, and 3 cyclists.
Bellshiel Law can be reached by a military road approx. 2 km on the western side of Rochester. The start t...Bellshiel Law, Otterburn Ranges: It felt very strange driving onto the Otterburn Ranges with no red flags flying and no military around – I felt like I was trespassing. The ranges are absolutely huge – the Access map and Guide says they cover 90 square miles. We saw 3 other cars all day, 2 of those from a long distance, and 3 cyclists.
Bellshiel Law can be reached by a military road approx. 2 km on the western side of Rochester. The start to this road system is quite complex, but we headed left and left again taking us up over Bellshiel Road. AT NT 81079 01161 the road forks. At this point take the right hand fork. The cairn comes into view on the right hand side of the road. There is a small parking area underneath a natural crag at NT 81267 01260. My first reaction was “Wow, this is huge”.
Narrow trackways through the grass lead you to the cairn, which is fenced off and labelled “Archaeological Area” and “Out of bounds to Troops”. A gate (difficult to open with all the marren grass around it, but managed to squeeze through) lets you into the cairn. It is large – Pastscape recording it as 367 feet long and 52 feet wide at its eastern end, with a maximum height of 6ft (1932 measurements), which translates to 109m long, varying in width from 8.8m at the west end to 15m at the broader east end, maximum height of 1.6m (1994 English Heritage Scheduling).
Someone has built a sheep pen on the southern side, presumably using stones from the cairn. Walking along the stones at the side of the cairn, largely turf covered, I spotted a number of circular ‘rooms’ inside the cairn, with one oblong shape. Called a long cairn by Pastscape, they record “the cairn on the whole, was found to contain no structural remains of an earlier period (ie cists, chambers, revetments internal structures ….. and cannot be dated any earlier than Early Bronze Age and possibly later.”
Great views to the south to the River North Tyne Valley and beyond.
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1 |
| St. Mungo's Well (Simonburn) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th May 2017 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
St. Mungo's (Mugger's) Well, Simonburn: Our first stop on this hot, sunny day. Parking at Simonburn tea-rooms, we asked if it was OK to leave the car there whilst we walked round the village, and were told it was alright (there is another car park in between the south wall of the churchyard and the forest). I would thoroughly recommend sitting out in the tea-room gardens with a cup of tea and iced water, as they have very comfortable garden fur...St. Mungo's (Mugger's) Well, Simonburn: Our first stop on this hot, sunny day. Parking at Simonburn tea-rooms, we asked if it was OK to leave the car there whilst we walked round the village, and were told it was alright (there is another car park in between the south wall of the churchyard and the forest). I would thoroughly recommend sitting out in the tea-room gardens with a cup of tea and iced water, as they have very comfortable garden furniture and it’s a very quiet spot.
It was a relief to get into the cool of the forest leading down to the Crook Burn, which hardly had any water in it at all after so little rain for weeks and weeks. It was possible to walk on the stream bed.
Following the tracks through the forest to the burn, there is little or no sign of the well. There appears to be an flattened area which might represent an old path, running along the ledge at the top of the burn on its north side, but this has been long out of use. It’s also a three foot plus drop onto the bed of the burn at this point.
Lacking the confidence to walk along the large slippery blocks of stone along the stream bed, I handed the camera to my husband and went exploring the forest tracks. Andrew came back having seen the remains of a structure, long disused, at the grid point indicated for the well, so we are not entirely convinced this is it.
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1 |
| Shitlington |
Marker Stone |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Shitlington Cross, near Bridge House (south of Bellingham): We stopped here because we were passing on the way to the Bridge House/Hetherington Farm homestead and it was marked on the OS map as a ‘cross’. It looks like an old standing stone on a sandstone cross base, similar to the Hurl Stone near Ewe Hill/Lilburn Grange (http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=35235but with a genuinely older base (not just reset in concrete).
Someone had...Shitlington Cross, near Bridge House (south of Bellingham): We stopped here because we were passing on the way to the Bridge House/Hetherington Farm homestead and it was marked on the OS map as a ‘cross’. It looks like an old standing stone on a sandstone cross base, similar to the Hurl Stone near Ewe Hill/Lilburn Grange (http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=35235but with a genuinely older base (not just reset in concrete).
Someone had made a stile over the wall into the field. As this was just pasture, we kept to the edge of the field to have a closer look. Very enigmatic, just sitting in the middle of the field with nothing around it.
Checked the top – there was no socket on top, just weathered. It was worth stopping to look because of the wonderful views over Watergate Moor, Wark Common and Broughy’s Hill. Could have sat here all day in the sunshine.
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27 |
4 |
| St Cuthbert's Well (Bellingham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Cuddy's Well (St. Cuthbert's Well, Bellingham): Parking in a small layby at NY 83833 83303, just opposite Manchester Square side road, we headed off to the church. The church was open, so we popped in to have a look. It looked relatively modern, but a plan hooked on the wall told us the sanctuary and chancel dated from the 13th century. Research this afternoon on British Listed Buildings said the church was extensively remodelled in 1609 and b...Cuddy's Well (St. Cuthbert's Well, Bellingham): Parking in a small layby at NY 83833 83303, just opposite Manchester Square side road, we headed off to the church. The church was open, so we popped in to have a look. It looked relatively modern, but a plan hooked on the wall told us the sanctuary and chancel dated from the 13th century. Research this afternoon on British Listed Buildings said the church was extensively remodelled in 1609 and bell cote added in 1865. The stone barrelled roof was certainly interesting.
There was a marked grave ‘the lang pack’ in the churchyard, which the ‘A Church Near You’ website says is “the 'Long Pack' grave of a would be house-breaker who was killed by the butler of the house he was trying to rob.”
The well was mentioned briefly on the wooden plaque containing points of interest. To find this, we needed to go out of the church, walk south by the Black Bull, then turn right along the Pennine Way, following the eastern external wall of the churchyard. The path narrowed between two stone walls, but turning round a corner we encountered shallow steps leading down a bank, and there was the well at the bottom. We could hear water gushing from half way down the steps. The water rushed through the grill into the pool below, foaming up with the pressure. I did taste the water; it was fresh, but had no specific taste of any mineral.
On the eastern side of the current well structure there was another hole in the stone, and looked as if at some point either another spout came through, or the current spout had been moved.
Walking back up to the car, we noticed signs for the well and riverside walks from the main square (Manchester Square) in the town, which could be used for disabled access. I didn’t realise until I looked at UK Grid Reference Finder how close we had been to the North Tyne River, as the view was blocked by a very overgrown part of the cemetery.
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2 |
| East Steel Farm |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th May 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
East Steel Modern Stone Circle, Near Beltingham, Northumberland: From Beltingham, the further we drove out into the fells, we kept seeing bright yellow ‘Art Gallery Open’ signs. Long way to go for an art gallery, but a lovely drive. Note for future visitors – follow these signs!
As we pulled up to the lane leading down to East Steel House, marked by the signpost (see below), Dennis Kilgallon’s van was coming up to the road junction, signalli...East Steel Modern Stone Circle, Near Beltingham, Northumberland: From Beltingham, the further we drove out into the fells, we kept seeing bright yellow ‘Art Gallery Open’ signs. Long way to go for an art gallery, but a lovely drive. Note for future visitors – follow these signs!
As we pulled up to the lane leading down to East Steel House, marked by the signpost (see below), Dennis Kilgallon’s van was coming up to the road junction, signalling to turn right along the minor road. We indicated to go left and we passed each other. Parking by the circle, I hopped out with the camera, not realising Dennis had parked up and came across to speak to us. “Just taking a look?” he asked, “It’s a folly – built 10 years ago”. I thanked him kindly as he got back into his van and drove off. What a lovely place for an art gallery.
I counted 14 stones in the circle, most looking like reused gateposts, some of them leaning, largely built inside an old boundary, now just an arc of raised earth and stone in the ground topped in places by old, crooked, atmospheric hawthorn trees. Two of the stones were placed nearer to the track, outside the boundary - the circle wasn’t circular.
There was one really huge stone, presumably meant to be the heel stone. I wondered how it got there. My husband grunted and said “truck and crane probably.” At this point, a man in black was pelting up the track towards us, and I thought this was the farmer coming to warn us off, but no, it was a runner, who bid us good evening on his way past.
After 10 minutes or so appreciating the calls of the curlews on the surrounding fells, we headed off back to Beltingham and home.
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27 |
1 |
| Walwick Fell |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st May 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Walwick Fell Farmstead, near Hexham: This settlement is not far from Tower Tye, where the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group used to meet before the surveys. Turning south on the un-named road towards Whinney Hill, we parked in a small layby at the edge of the wood on the east side of the road, opposite the gate into the field containing the settlement. The footpath runs diagonally north west across the field, with the settlement to t...Walwick Fell Farmstead, near Hexham: This settlement is not far from Tower Tye, where the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group used to meet before the surveys. Turning south on the un-named road towards Whinney Hill, we parked in a small layby at the edge of the wood on the east side of the road, opposite the gate into the field containing the settlement. The footpath runs diagonally north west across the field, with the settlement to the right hand side towards the top of the hill, but with bullocks grazing in the field, looking very interested in coming over to us, we gave them a wide berth and approached the settlement from the east.
The settlement appears as a series of defined banks on the slope of the hill, with gorse bushes to its south-western side.
In the wood behind the stone wall to the north of this settlement lies the remains of a Roman camp, but it has been so disturbed by forestry works it is not really possible to see anything.
There are the clear remains of two hut circles, with their foundations built into the back of the slope. The banks are all turf covered and easy to make out. The site has wonderful views to the west, south and east (south to the South Tyne Valley), although it is in a sheltered spot just below the brow of the hill.
Looking on UK Grid Finder when I got home, it is impressive how much of the site can be made out on the aerial image.
There is a well marked on the OS map in the lower part of the field, although it was not evident when we made our way back to the gate.
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26 |
1 |
| Cross Well (Linlithgow) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
18th May 2017 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
Cross Well, Linlithgow: From the Knock Modern Stone Circle, we set off towards the Gogar Stone. Passing through Linlithgow (we plan on going to see the Palace and nearby Hopetoun House) another day.
There was no market today, so I persuaded my friend to quickly stop which I got a proper photograph of the well! (Note the friend's car hiding behind the structure!)
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25 |
3 |
| Physic Well (Corstorphine) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
18th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
The Physic Well, Corstophine, Edinburgh: Pulling up on the northern section of Dunsmuir Court from Ladywell Road, I thought we’d spotted the well head under the trees between the houses and the main road, but this turned out to be a milestone!
Thankfully having the image of the well from the Portal, we followed the Court round to the garden at the back, and found the well behind a black metal railing which looked as if it had been painted rece...The Physic Well, Corstophine, Edinburgh: Pulling up on the northern section of Dunsmuir Court from Ladywell Road, I thought we’d spotted the well head under the trees between the houses and the main road, but this turned out to be a milestone!
Thankfully having the image of the well from the Portal, we followed the Court round to the garden at the back, and found the well behind a black metal railing which looked as if it had been painted recently.
The area between the houses has been turned into a modern garden, with tall stones looking like standing stones between the plants.
A lovely little spot, a little oasis away from the busy Edinburgh roads not far away. The blocks of flats here are being renovated and the area has a bright, airy feel. Shame there was no water in the well, though, especially as it used to be such a tourist attraction in the past.
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5 |
| Gogar Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Saw from a distance |
18th May 2017 |
|
3 |
4 |
The Gogar Stone, West Lothian: This stone was conveniently located on our way back into Edinburgh, although we were only able to see it from a distance. Sited towards southern edge of a huge field, about 300 metres south east of East Norton Farm, access to the field can be gained from Freelands Road through the large gaps in the hedge which runs to the northern side of the road.
At the time of our visit, a crop of wheat was almost knee high...The Gogar Stone, West Lothian: This stone was conveniently located on our way back into Edinburgh, although we were only able to see it from a distance. Sited towards southern edge of a huge field, about 300 metres south east of East Norton Farm, access to the field can be gained from Freelands Road through the large gaps in the hedge which runs to the northern side of the road.
At the time of our visit, a crop of wheat was almost knee high in the field. We walked along the crop-free area of the field running alongside Freelands Road side, seeking a tractor track we could walk along to reach the stone. Not finding this, we turned and walked north, following the edge of the field along Gogarstone Road. Again, no track. I started trying to place my feet carefully between the densely planted rows of wheat without damaging them, but even my feet were too large to fit sideways inside the rows; it took me five minutes to get some 20 rows in, and only 1/10th way there!
I could have kept walking round this enormous field, but time was running short. We decided to come back once the crop had been harvested, and moved on to the Physic Well in Corstophine.
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25 |
4 |
| Knock Stone Circle |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
18th May 2017 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Knock Modern Stone Circle, West Lothian: Having passed this stone circle on the way to Cairnpapple, it looked impressive and I couldn’t wait to get back for a closer look. “Is this what a real stone circle looks like?” my friend (who is a relatively novice Megalith-hunter) asked. I chuckled as I read out the description from the Portal page which I’d printed off before I left home
It certainly looks as if it’s been here longer than 20 years!...Knock Modern Stone Circle, West Lothian: Having passed this stone circle on the way to Cairnpapple, it looked impressive and I couldn’t wait to get back for a closer look. “Is this what a real stone circle looks like?” my friend (who is a relatively novice Megalith-hunter) asked. I chuckled as I read out the description from the Portal page which I’d printed off before I left home
It certainly looks as if it’s been here longer than 20 years!
The field was full of enormous sheep. The farmer has kindly built a small stile into the fence by the gate, which allowed us access into the field. We wandered round taking photographs. I really liked the little stone ‘seat’ in the inner ring, which the sheep gathered round.
I walked over to the outlier, which sits on a mound to the north-east of the circle.
On our way out, a car pulled out, parking half an inch from the bumper of our car. Out popped a photographer with a really big lens on his camera. He wandered up and down the road by the fence, taking photographs. We told him he could get into the field, either through the gate or over the stile. He said ‘thanks, but I’m waiting to get photos without the sheep’. As there were around 50 or so sheep in the field, I’m guessing he might have had some time to wait.
We headed off to Torphinchen for a snack and to visit the Preceptory (which was closed, even though the sign said it should have been open).
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| Cairnpapple Hill |
Round Cairn |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
18th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Cairnpapple Hill, West Lothian: Our first stop of the day, and I was really excited to visit this site after what I’ve read about it. We pulled up in the layby at NS 98968 71832 and made our way up the steps to the grassy field in which the cairn sits. My first reaction was ‘wow, look at those views – what a place to be buried’. The friend I was with told me we could see for 17-20 miles north and east.
At first, the mast in the farm nearb...Cairnpapple Hill, West Lothian: Our first stop of the day, and I was really excited to visit this site after what I’ve read about it. We pulled up in the layby at NS 98968 71832 and made our way up the steps to the grassy field in which the cairn sits. My first reaction was ‘wow, look at those views – what a place to be buried’. The friend I was with told me we could see for 17-20 miles north and east.
At first, the mast in the farm nearby seemed to encroach upon the whole of the site, but as our visit progressed, I completely forgot it was there. The door to the Nissen hut was open, so I walked in clutching my ‘English Heritage’ cards to pay and buy a guide book from the gentleman inside. But, he told us he was an electrician, just there to carry out some tests; if the keys he had let us into the burial chamber proper, he would let us in. We followed him up the steps to the top of the mound, but sadly his keys wouldn’t open the black metal doors. What a shame!
We did, however, spent about an hour walking about the cairn (I was really disappointed to find out the dome was a modern construction, built to protect the burials), trying to understand it’s layout and the various stages of construction.
The interpretation boards said that the timber circle holes were filled with gravel, although there were others filled with grey/light brown gravel that were much bigger. I joked with my friend that the larger holes were big enough for crouch burials, so in fun, he demonstrated, with his mobile phone and glasses as his grave goods.
We could see the modern Knock Stone Circle in the distance. We said we’d go back with my friend and his wife when the visitor centre was open (Friday to Monday during summer months); she was brought up in the vicinity and knows the site well.
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| Torwood Broch |
Broch or Nuraghe |
Scotland |
Falkirk |
Visited |
13th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Tappoch/Torwood Broch, West Lothian: I’d wanted to go in search of the 2 boundary stones near Torphinchen, but was over-ruled in favour of the broch at Tappoch. By the time we’d left Torphinchen, the rain really started to come down, but being equipped with waterproofs, and supposedly sheltered by the tall forest trees, we set off anyway.
Parking on Glen Road, close to the footpath, we set off up the public right of way to Denoven (the car ...Tappoch/Torwood Broch, West Lothian: I’d wanted to go in search of the 2 boundary stones near Torphinchen, but was over-ruled in favour of the broch at Tappoch. By the time we’d left Torphinchen, the rain really started to come down, but being equipped with waterproofs, and supposedly sheltered by the tall forest trees, we set off anyway.
Parking on Glen Road, close to the footpath, we set off up the public right of way to Denoven (the car park that is mentioned in the main page is now a new house), then took the path which headed off right and up hill into the forest. It was lovely, soft spongy ground to walk on, with all the pine needles forming a soft covering over the prolific bedrock slabs.
Continuing up the hillside, the rain got heavier, but as we reached the broch, the rain stopped for a short period (just long enough for us to explore the broch).
The easiest way to access the interior of the broch is to take the path to your left, walking round the exterior wall of the broch. An internal staircase comes into view, and it’s easy walking down these few steps. Going straight up the hill was definitely for mountain goats! The interior feels roomy and solid, with sturdy, dry stone walls.
The foresters (or others) have clearly been using this structure, as there were the remains of a stone fire pit and recently burnt wood.
Looking closer at the lumps and bumps around the broch, I think there are other structures attached to this site. There was a very steep drop on the broch’s southern side, clearly excellent for defences.
Well worth a visit, even if it took several hours to dry out afterwards!
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| Cross Well (Linlithgow) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
13th May 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Cross Well, Linlithgow: This was our last stop on this rainy day, and we arrived to find a small market around the well, along with an event happening at the Burgh Halls immediately behind it. Couldn’t really get close to the well itself until later in the afternoon, as there were lots of stallholders, children and dogs. Truly a centre point for the town. No water in the well today – the spout and basin were completely dry. I confess I was di...Cross Well, Linlithgow: This was our last stop on this rainy day, and we arrived to find a small market around the well, along with an event happening at the Burgh Halls immediately behind it. Couldn’t really get close to the well itself until later in the afternoon, as there were lots of stallholders, children and dogs. Truly a centre point for the town. No water in the well today – the spout and basin were completely dry. I confess I was disappointed to find such a modern structure - I'd expected something a lot older and less ornate.
We tried to find the Dogwell, walking up Dog Well Wynd as far as the railway line, but nothing.
After photographing the well as best I could, we wandered around the loch, then back round via St. Michael’s church, with its internal walls marked by musket balls and sword sharpening marks from Cromwell’s soldiers.
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3 |
| St Thomas (Brompton) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
11th May 2017 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Hogbacks and Crosses, Brompton, North Yorkshire: This is a visit I’d arranged some time ago, arranging to meet the church warden at 2pm on 11th May (details on the 'A Church Near You' website). The church is kept locked, as we found out when we’d tried to visit a couple of years ago, and I was much looking forward to this return visit.
We were a little late, having stopped to photograph the remains of the motte at Pickill, and having hit a l...Hogbacks and Crosses, Brompton, North Yorkshire: This is a visit I’d arranged some time ago, arranging to meet the church warden at 2pm on 11th May (details on the 'A Church Near You' website). The church is kept locked, as we found out when we’d tried to visit a couple of years ago, and I was much looking forward to this return visit.
We were a little late, having stopped to photograph the remains of the motte at Pickill, and having hit a little traffic in Northallerton, but we found the church wardens sweeping up cherry blossom from the porch of the church. We were certainly made very welcome.
There are three complete hogbacks, the carving of which is very crisp, almost as if they had been done yesterday – preserved after having been buried in the ground for so long.
A further two fragments sit, almost hidden, against the north eastern corner of the nave, wedged between an altar, some heating pipes and the wall.
Sitting to the south of these, against the boundary between the nave and the chancel, was a wheel head cross. Another cross sat on the south wall of the chancel, with a further 3 sitting on the southern window ledge of the western wall.
The Cock Shaft sits almost hidden at the back of the pews, in the south west corner of the church, and is named so because there are three cocks on the southern face.
To my surprise, Doreen said there were three further fragments in the external south and east walls of the church, so we hunted for these whilst she spoke to the man repairing the churchyard wall. There are also the remains of a grave marker, now broken in two, placed in separate parts high up on the eastern wall.
We were given the ‘Village Trail’ and also told much interesting history about the linen factories in the village, and started off on the walk to see the village green, Cockpit Hill and the water splash. A great day out.
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23 |
4 |
| Money Hill (Pickhill) |
Artificial Mound |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
11th May 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Money Hill Motte, Pickhill: Leaving All Saints, going back down Money Hill to Street Lane, we stopped to look at the remains of the motte. I confess that without the grid reference and the OS map, I would have mistaken this for just another earthwork.
This is in fact a scheduled ancient monument, which was cut be the old railway line and the building of a bungalow. It is unusual in that it is square in shape.
Didn’t stop to wander rou...Money Hill Motte, Pickhill: Leaving All Saints, going back down Money Hill to Street Lane, we stopped to look at the remains of the motte. I confess that without the grid reference and the OS map, I would have mistaken this for just another earthwork.
This is in fact a scheduled ancient monument, which was cut be the old railway line and the building of a bungalow. It is unusual in that it is square in shape.
Didn’t stop to wander round, as we were late for our appointment at St. Thomas’s, Brompton.
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23 |
3 |
| All Saints (Pickhill) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
11th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Hogback and Cross Fragments, Pickhill, North Yorkshire: This church was recommended by ‘Rev Robbo’ (Reverend Ian Robinson) of St. Gregory’s, Bedale, who told us that there was a collection of fragments in the base of the tower. I’d sent an email to the vicar but received no reply, so phoned the number on ‘A Church Near You’ website. The church is open during the day.
The church really is in a lovely location. Going through the lych gate, I ...Hogback and Cross Fragments, Pickhill, North Yorkshire: This church was recommended by ‘Rev Robbo’ (Reverend Ian Robinson) of St. Gregory’s, Bedale, who told us that there was a collection of fragments in the base of the tower. I’d sent an email to the vicar but received no reply, so phoned the number on ‘A Church Near You’ website. The church is open during the day.
The church really is in a lovely location. Going through the lych gate, I was greeted by a mounting block with what looked like an old cross shaft on top, but which was a sundial. On the south wall of the tower there is a very interesting carved beam from the 15th century depicting a hunting scene and a green man.
In the churchyard there are some interesting grave markers. Mentioned in the church guide are 3 markers mentioning the children of the White family, who all died tragically young. The guide also mentions to look out for the mound on which the Norman castle was built.
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23 |
2 |
| Torphichen Churchyard Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
West Lothian |
Visited |
13th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Torphichen Sanctuary Stone, West Lothian: After an exciting day at the filming of Robot Wars yesterday we stayed overnight at daughter and son-in-law's nearby. Torphichen is a lovely little village (Cairnpapple is also signposted further on from here), larger than I expected. The parish church incorporates/is next to the Preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, which dates from the late 12th century.
The ...Torphichen Sanctuary Stone, West Lothian: After an exciting day at the filming of Robot Wars yesterday we stayed overnight at daughter and son-in-law's nearby. Torphichen is a lovely little village (Cairnpapple is also signposted further on from here), larger than I expected. The parish church incorporates/is next to the Preceptory of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, which dates from the late 12th century.
The sanctuary stone is in the front of the churchyard (to the left of the gate as you enter, sheltering under a yew tree). There are other boundary stone markers around the area, and I really wanted to go and find these (the Canmore record says that they ‘once sat t a mile radius on each point of the compass. Of which the Gormyre Stone to the east-north-east and the Westfield stone survive’) but we had other priorities for the day. Another visit, probably in September/October.
There were some really interesting tombstones, particularly at the east end of the church – little people/heads/bones. Had some fun photographing these.
The Preceptory wasn’t open until 1pm on the day of our visit, so we missed it. Peering through a grill into the structure, it looked absolutely fascinating. Andrew discovered what looked like a well (similar to the Galilee Well at Durham Cathedral) against the east wall of the church, although I haven’t found any mention of it on any of the historical records (yet) although Canmore says there are 2 wells in the village, one of which supplied the Preceptory.
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24 |
1 |
| St Gregory's Church (Bedale) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
11th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo-Danish stones, St. Gregory's, Bedale: We’d been to St. Gregory’s a long time ago, but the stone fragments had just been moved into the crypt at the advice of North Yorkshire Police because one stone had been stolen.
So as not to be disappointed this time, I’d been corresponding with ‘Rev Robb’ (Rev. Ian Robinson) to make an appointment to get into the crypt. At the time I’d last contacted him, it was just before Easter. He offered the...Anglo-Danish stones, St. Gregory's, Bedale: We’d been to St. Gregory’s a long time ago, but the stone fragments had just been moved into the crypt at the advice of North Yorkshire Police because one stone had been stolen.
So as not to be disappointed this time, I’d been corresponding with ‘Rev Robb’ (Rev. Ian Robinson) to make an appointment to get into the crypt. At the time I’d last contacted him, it was just before Easter. He offered the date of 27th May, when a group was also visiting. I elected to leave it until he returned from holiday, and arranged 11th May, with us attending Holy Communion at 10am, staying on to look round the church and be shown the stones.
The parishioners made us very welcome indeed. After the service, Rev. Robinson came and introduced us and took us round to the crypt (which is on the outside of the church – I’d had visions of climbing down dusty, steep steps!), with a step down into the crypt, which is built under the altar in the sanctuary (note: later exploring the church, climbing up the steps to this altar, you are at least 6 to 8 feet above the congregation; it would not be good if you missed one of the steps!).
I gave Rev. Robinson a printout of the Portal page with the drawings. First of all he told me that since he’d been vicar here (for 6 years) there had only been the two stones – one had ‘gone missing’ and weren’t sure of it’s location (possibly Durham Cathedral?). He helped me identify the half torso. Because of the story associated with this stone, he was torn between keeping the stone because of it’s non-Christian origins vs being part of the church’s history.
The church guide says “A Viking myth tells of a man called Weland (pronounced Wayland), a highly skilled smith. He is captured by a king, who has his hamstrings cut to prevent him from escaping; but he escapes on a flying machine he has made. The caring on the stone …. Shows part of Welland on his machine. You can make out the fan shaped tail and one of the wings as well as his feet, legs and body bound together by Celtic knots. On the ned of the tombstone are the remains of a nativity scene ….. this is part of a hogback tombstone dating from the 10th century. In 2003 it was rediscovered in the crypt and has been identified as the Weland stone of which there are only three known examples in this country. The others are in Leeds Parish church and Sherburn Church, near Filey.”
The other stone “was part of a column or pillar, (and) is a good example of Anglian knotwork.”
Also in the crypt is a curious staircase which leads up to the side of the altar. We were told this was for the Chantry monks to go straight up to the main body of the church. There was also a small ‘arms column’ locked with three enormous, hand-made padlocks. In the vestry, there were numerous examples of chests locked with three keys (each needing a different key). There are five effigies; four at the west end of the nave, one in the vestry. The staircase to the bell tower had a portcullis (you can still see where it used to be raised up), and looking up into the tower there is a hatch; above this, the Reverend told us there was a room with a guard-robe and a fireplace.
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23 |
1 |
| Jingling Gate |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th May 2017 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Jingling Gate Homestead, near Dotland, Hexhamshire: OK, probably this should have been called Edge House Homestead, but the name Jingling Gate sounds so much nicer! What a spot this is. Farmland here is so lush and green and the views are tremendous. Locals still hold onto much of their Hexhamshire identity rather than claim Northumberland citizenship.
This homestead is clearly visible on UK Grid Finder, but a little harder to make out on t...Jingling Gate Homestead, near Dotland, Hexhamshire: OK, probably this should have been called Edge House Homestead, but the name Jingling Gate sounds so much nicer! What a spot this is. Farmland here is so lush and green and the views are tremendous. Locals still hold onto much of their Hexhamshire identity rather than claim Northumberland citizenship.
This homestead is clearly visible on UK Grid Finder, but a little harder to make out on the ground. There was no gate into the field - there was a very long, continuous stone wall (must form the boundary of a farm), so we ended up peering over the stone wall.
The double banks on the northern side of the homestead were very clear, as was the southern corner, where it executes a tidy turn.
The middle has been quarried across, which makes the western side of the homestead a little difficult to make out. We didn't know there were hut circles inside until we got home and looked at the Pastscape record.
On the opposite side of the road, just north of the homestead, there is a long, low earth and stone boundary feature. No mention of a field system around the homestead. This is probably medieval, but interesting nevertheless.
It is so peaceful and quiet here. No one but the sheep and the occasional tractor. Bliss. On from here to find wells that were named on the OS Map - Midge Well, Jack's Well and Holly Well.
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22 |
1 |
| Lively Well (Witton-le-Wear) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
4th May 2017 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Lively Well, Witton-le-Wear, County Durham: Andrew saw this well on the “Ancient, Healing and Holy Wells of County Durham” listing by Laurence Hunt, which formed the basis for today’s ‘well hunt’.
He says “On the banks of the river Wear below the level crossing at Witton le Wear. A footpath leads down from the level crossing. Whether of any great age or repute I was unable to determine, but this named well, consisting of a spring at the head o...Lively Well, Witton-le-Wear, County Durham: Andrew saw this well on the “Ancient, Healing and Holy Wells of County Durham” listing by Laurence Hunt, which formed the basis for today’s ‘well hunt’.
He says “On the banks of the river Wear below the level crossing at Witton le Wear. A footpath leads down from the level crossing. Whether of any great age or repute I was unable to determine, but this named well, consisting of a spring at the head of a small overgrown channel leading to the river Wear, is attractively sited and worth a visit. Its water is far from 'lively', however, being muddy and stagnant”
This is a really beautiful little village. We’ve whizzed up and down the A68 many, many times, but never turned left down to Witton-le-Wear. Well worth a detour! Would like to come again for a wander round. There is even a cross shaft in the church, although this is supposed to be 12th century.
We parked in the layby by the small station, just past the level crossing (as travelling from the A68 through Witton). There was a footpath with a sign to the cricket club immediately opposite, so we walked down this tarmacked path to the cricket pavilion (with its beehives and even a swarm of bees in a basket next to the path). We followed the path down to the gushing, rushing, pebbly River Wear, but decided we’d gone too far.
Spotting another path climbing up a steep bank on the other side of the railway crossing, we headed back across the cricket field, and where this footpath levels off, there is a small bridge over a channel of water at NZ 15059 31172 which seemed to rise out of nowhere. This disappeared under the footpath, not to reappear again (must be channelled into the river at some point). Following this small channel to the west for around 100 metres, there is a fenced off area of reeds and tall grasses, and I think this is where the spring rises (NZ 15023 31152)
Dropping small leaves into the water, we couldn’t determine a flow of water, or even which direction it flowed in – the leaves just sat sedately on the surface of the water.
Getting home, and trying to do some more research on this well, on the OS map of 1857 the well is not marked but the area is called Lively Bank Plantation. There is a small note on Keys to the Past, but the village dates back to Saxon times. I have emailed County Durham HER to find out more, if possible.
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21 |
3 |
| Holy Well (Wolsingham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
4th May 2017 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Holy Well, Wolsingham, County Durham: This was our last stop of the day and to find this, I loaded the map from the Portal page. To the north of the main village, the well is sited just to the west of Holy Well Farm on Holywood Lane.
At first sight, it looks like a very small barn, but looking closer, the golden names of the saints on the metal grill door shine out. The well chamber itself is very dark and gloomy (no light seems to penetrate...Holy Well, Wolsingham, County Durham: This was our last stop of the day and to find this, I loaded the map from the Portal page. To the north of the main village, the well is sited just to the west of Holy Well Farm on Holywood Lane.
At first sight, it looks like a very small barn, but looking closer, the golden names of the saints on the metal grill door shine out. The well chamber itself is very dark and gloomy (no light seems to penetrate) and I struggled to photograph it, even with my most powerful flash gun – it was easier to see the stone ledges, the flowers on those ledges and the well pool itself with the naked eye. The well pool was full of water, but the rest of the chamber was dry.
Curious to find out where the spring was that fed the chamber (as the well house is conveniently close to the road), I both leant over the stone wall and walked up the footpath just to the west of the well house. There is a dried up hollow immediately behind, although we’ve not had any rain in this part of the world for weeks, so it’s not surprising it was dry.
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21 |
4 |
| Ceoppa's Barrow |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
4th May 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ceoppa's Barrow, Tyne & Wear: From Bucks Nook/North View, we headed off eastwards along Bradley Fell Road, taking the second right ((Kyo Lane), then dog-legging right/left along the Lead Road then down Horsegate Bank to Claython Terrace Road. Pulling in in the small layby next to the forestry track just before Heavygate Farm at NZ 12710 59129 we walked down the farmtrack running immediately to the west of Heavygate Farm.
Walking by the farmya...Ceoppa's Barrow, Tyne & Wear: From Bucks Nook/North View, we headed off eastwards along Bradley Fell Road, taking the second right ((Kyo Lane), then dog-legging right/left along the Lead Road then down Horsegate Bank to Claython Terrace Road. Pulling in in the small layby next to the forestry track just before Heavygate Farm at NZ 12710 59129 we walked down the farmtrack running immediately to the west of Heavygate Farm.
Walking by the farmyard was an education in old farm equipment – old tractors, dumper trucks, old cars, pumps. The official grid reference for this barrow is NZ12605890, although I found it to be NZ12605890. Surprisingly, this barrow doesn’t seem to be scheduled.
The barrow is located not quite at the top of the hill, which seems to be at Broomfield Farm, but has brilliant views down to the Derwent Valley to the south.
The gates to the fields were wired shut, but we managed to get photographs from opposite the main entrance to the farm and the gates into the field at NZ 12775 58928. There was definite evidence of a surrounding ditch.
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21 |
2 |
| North View enclosure |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
4th May 2017 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
North View/Bucks Nook Enclosure, Gateshead: Whilst this site is literally within sight of the eastern end of Prudhoe, to drive to it, we needed to go through Greenside and take the Rockwood Hill/Bradley Fell road until we reached the point where the road divided,travelling south/wout-west towards Guard’s Farm, and north to join Kyo Bog Lane.
We parked at the fork in the road, just west of North View Farm at NZ 11320 61603. The footpath going ...North View/Bucks Nook Enclosure, Gateshead: Whilst this site is literally within sight of the eastern end of Prudhoe, to drive to it, we needed to go through Greenside and take the Rockwood Hill/Bradley Fell road until we reached the point where the road divided,travelling south/wout-west towards Guard’s Farm, and north to join Kyo Bog Lane.
We parked at the fork in the road, just west of North View Farm at NZ 11320 61603. The footpath going to this site running south east through a wooded area from NZ 11320 61597 (the stile into the wood is barely visible from the road), where it runs to the west of North Farm to open pasture. The trees bordering the farm were strewn with ‘Dogs run free/keep out signs’, which were quite off-putting. Nevertheless, there was a clear path running up through the wood to a second and third stiles at NZ 11412 61533 and NZ 11418 61531.
Just before this second stile, there is a corner and definite change of slope which runs at an angle to the footpath (which now runs in a narrow between a fence to the north and an old stone wall/hedge line to the south) and, in the field immediately behind the garden of North View Farm (field contains a stable). At the time of our visit, this boundaryfeature was quite clear, due to the difference in the colour of the grass. From here, it was a little difficult to know where the boundary ran. Where it appeared to cross the footpath, there was a clear ‘hump’ in the ground. Where it disappeared into the field, it was difficult to tell where it ran.
Continuing along the footpath several hundred metres, there is a 6ft fence at NZ 11557 61447, with a stile over it, and more ‘dogs run free/keep out’ signs. It is possible to squeeze between the trees at this point and have a closer look at any possible earthworks. There was a difference in colour in the pasture about 10 metres before the hedge-line at the south-eastern corner, but without a definite plan, it was impossible to tell.
I found the Sitelines Tyne & Wear HER 172 record, but despite it saying the monument is scheduled, I’ve been unable to find anything (having done searches on the various names, grid references, postcodes, farm names). I have emailed T&W archives to see if it’s possible to get some more information. The feature is not visible on UK Grid Finder, although it is possible to pick out the northern corner (photographed).
This place has lovely views over the Tyne Valley to the north. It was worth coming here just to see the views back over Prudhoe and Crawcrook.
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21 |
1 |
| Collingham Crosses |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
27th Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Collingham Crosses, West Yorkshire: What are the chances of meeting someone whose grandparents built the house you live in now and has recollections of visiting, together with photographs of what the house used to look like? The grandparents of Rev. Sylvia Earle who is vicar of Collingham did in fact build our house, and she was able to tell us what it was like when she was younger, and provided us with a photograph of what our (then) bungalow ...Collingham Crosses, West Yorkshire: What are the chances of meeting someone whose grandparents built the house you live in now and has recollections of visiting, together with photographs of what the house used to look like? The grandparents of Rev. Sylvia Earle who is vicar of Collingham did in fact build our house, and she was able to tell us what it was like when she was younger, and provided us with a photograph of what our (then) bungalow was like when it was first built.
The church has to be kept locked these days as Rev Earle told us someone had stolen a fragment from the west end, and someone tried to set a fire against the wood panelling at the east end of the north aisle. Shame.
We were left with the keys to return once we’d finished, so spent a good 40 minutes wandering around the church, photographing the crosses and fragments, including the cross fragment built into the north wall of the vestry. The Victorian builders built the nave and chancel at an angle. The Runic and Apostle crosses were lovely, together with the unusual round creset.
Most of the furniture within the building looked new and well cared for, with pristine kneelers. Much enjoyed this visit: we were made very welcome and this is a pleasant sanctuary inside, although the noise from the A58 invaded the privacy of the churchyard.
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19 |
5 |
| All Hallows (Bardsey) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
27th Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon crosses, Bardsey, West Yorkshire: This is a very lovely spot, not far from the main A58 travelling south into Leeds. Considering how close it is to the main road, this is a peaceful, tranquil spot. Having checked with the parish office beforehand, the church is open all day until 5pm.
First impressions of the building were lovely. Approaching from the west wall, there is evidence on the external wall of many different roof lin...Anglo Saxon crosses, Bardsey, West Yorkshire: This is a very lovely spot, not far from the main A58 travelling south into Leeds. Considering how close it is to the main road, this is a peaceful, tranquil spot. Having checked with the parish office beforehand, the church is open all day until 5pm.
First impressions of the building were lovely. Approaching from the west wall, there is evidence on the external wall of many different roof lines, inserted windows and additions. Inside the building it is fascinating to see the tower, complete with windows, now completely absorbed into the interior.
Whilst there, a group of four people came in and started asking us questions about the building, of which I could only answer a couple. We gave them the church guide leaflets.
I found the collection of ancient stones on both sides of the door into the Maleverer Chantry. I most liked the 12th century font bowl, which Andrew found in two pieces at the base of the steps, tucked into a dark corner, the cross head fragment and the 11th century grave marker inscribed with a crude Latin cross.
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19 |
3 |
| St Cuthbert's Well (County Durham) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
30th Apr 2017 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
St. Cuthbert's Well, Durham: We had difficulty in locating this well from the 6 digit grid reference, so I've updated it with the official 10 digit reference from Pastscape.
From the Galilee Well, we took the steps/sloping path down to the riverside, then walked up and down, down and up, past the Old Fulling Mill to Prebend Bridge and back. Mystified by the grid reference, I stood with my phone looking up notes on the internet, trying to ge...St. Cuthbert's Well, Durham: We had difficulty in locating this well from the 6 digit grid reference, so I've updated it with the official 10 digit reference from Pastscape.
From the Galilee Well, we took the steps/sloping path down to the riverside, then walked up and down, down and up, past the Old Fulling Mill to Prebend Bridge and back. Mystified by the grid reference, I stood with my phone looking up notes on the internet, trying to get a better grid reference. We knew it was near some steep steps, thanks to the entry by kiwiBetsy, but had difficulty locating the exact site. We must have looked so lost that two passing students heading to the Boat House asked us where we were looking for, but couldn't help, shrugged and walked off!
In the end, husband Andrew ran back up the footpath towards the city and spotted this structure half way up the hillside. There are two sets of steps to it – one almost from the path running next to the river (although these are now so overgrown that the path has disappeared in places); the second set of steps runs from the well structure back up to the cathedral.
There was a flow of water, but a trickle. Against the side of the footpath there was a second well structure, perhaps tapping the water so people who couldn’t make it up the steps could get water.
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20 |
2 |
| St Helen's Church (Bilton-in-Ainsty) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
|
|
|
|
Anglo Saxon Crosses, St. Helen's Church, Bilton-in-Ainsty: We’d tried to visit this church before, but because there was no vicar in post, the church was kept locked. Emails to the York Diocese weren’t helpful.
Knowing we were coming down to Ingelby Arncliffe again, I checked on A Church Near You, and have been corresponding with the vicar, the Reverend Richard Battersby. In the last communication I had with him, he said he had set up a mothe...Anglo Saxon Crosses, St. Helen's Church, Bilton-in-Ainsty: We’d tried to visit this church before, but because there was no vicar in post, the church was kept locked. Emails to the York Diocese weren’t helpful.
Knowing we were coming down to Ingelby Arncliffe again, I checked on A Church Near You, and have been corresponding with the vicar, the Reverend Richard Battersby. In the last communication I had with him, he said he had set up a mother and toddler group on a Thursday morning, which met between 10 am and 11.30am. An email to enquire if it was OK to call in after this (so as not to clash with the M&T group) and drop the key off after had no reply, so I phoned and spoke to his mother, who told me the Bishop had sent him to an event so he wasn’t around.
There were three crosses in the small chapel at the south-east end of the church, next to a very interesting set of mass dial/scratch clocks and old graffiti. There was the lovely effigy of a woman in the sanctuary.
I waited until the M&T group had finished before taking photos of the wheelhead cross at the west end of the church. Even though it was a dull day, this proved difficult to get a good image of because the light streamed in above it. In the end, I had to use the flash to compensate. I was unable to get to the notes as the group was closing up and moving everything out of the church, so I grabbed a guide book, thanked them for letting me ‘barge in’ and quietly left.
The Rev. Battersby also recommended visiting Healaugh Church, although we didn’t have time today. Next stop was Bardsey near Leeds.
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19 |
2 |
| St Mary's Well, Durham City |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
30th Apr 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St. Mary's Well, Durham: From St. Cuthbert’s Well we walked past the Old Fulling Mill and the Boat House, across Prebend’s Bridge, were we heard shrieks from the river below. Peering over the bridge, we saw the lady rowers trying to avoid going into the bank!
St. Mary’s Well is easy to find. Immediately to the western end of Prebend’s Bridge there is a footpath running off to your right. St. Mary’s Well is about 20 yards to the north up the...St. Mary's Well, Durham: From St. Cuthbert’s Well we walked past the Old Fulling Mill and the Boat House, across Prebend’s Bridge, were we heard shrieks from the river below. Peering over the bridge, we saw the lady rowers trying to avoid going into the bank!
St. Mary’s Well is easy to find. Immediately to the western end of Prebend’s Bridge there is a footpath running off to your right. St. Mary’s Well is about 20 yards to the north up the footpath, on the western side.
Couldn’t find any entry on this in Pastscape, although again Laurence Hunt's Ancient, Healing and Holy Wells gave us some information, along with SolarMegalith's entry on the Portal.
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20 |
4 |
| Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology |
Museum |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
30th Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Old Fulling Mill, Durham: Now closed to the public. All exhibits have been transferred to the University of Durham Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green.
We walked up and down, then down and up, this lovely riverside path, directly underneath Durham Cathedral and the Castle, looking for St. Cuthbert's well. It is in a really lovely spot, although very close to the river, but as the signboard said, must have been prone to flooding.
Havin...Old Fulling Mill, Durham: Now closed to the public. All exhibits have been transferred to the University of Durham Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green.
We walked up and down, then down and up, this lovely riverside path, directly underneath Durham Cathedral and the Castle, looking for St. Cuthbert's well. It is in a really lovely spot, although very close to the river, but as the signboard said, must have been prone to flooding.
Having read in the Portal entry that this museum contained examples of rock art, I was keen to visit, but the sign firmly said the museum was now closed. The University of Durham now have an on-line resource, but would love to go and pay a visit. At this time on a Sunday afternoon, it would have been closed, so a repeat visit will be necessary, but as it's such a beautiful location, and not far from home, this will not be too much of a hardship!
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3 |
| St. Oswald's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Couldn't find |
30th Apr 2017 |
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St. Oswald's Well, Durham: From St. Mary’s Well, we headed off along the footpath by the side of the river, on the outer bank of the river Wear as it curves south and east around the cathedral. It is a very pretty path, although with quite a steep drop on the river side at times. We were amused by the ladies rowing on the river who went into the bank once or twice!
Reaching the outer walls of Hatfield College, we climbed some steps onto a pa...St. Oswald's Well, Durham: From St. Mary’s Well, we headed off along the footpath by the side of the river, on the outer bank of the river Wear as it curves south and east around the cathedral. It is a very pretty path, although with quite a steep drop on the river side at times. We were amused by the ladies rowing on the river who went into the bank once or twice!
Reaching the outer walls of Hatfield College, we climbed some steps onto a path leading us onto Anchorage Terrace and followed the road north towards St. Oswald’s Church. The grid reference as given showed the well to be in the vicinity of the school. After much walking around St. Oswald’s churchyard, I eventually pulled up the description from the Ancient, Healing and Holy Wells of County Durham by Laurence Hunt, which told us that the well was “Situated just below the footpath leading from St Oswald's churchyard to Prebend's Bridge. Reached down a narrow, steep footpath about 20 yards after entering the trees below the church tower.”
Following our steps back to the tower, there is indeed about 20 metres through some trees back to the footpath. Just to our left there was a small, very overgrown track leading down what (to me) looked like a death-defying drop down the cliff to the river below.
Husband Andrew, being intrepid and with absolutely no fear of heights, swung himself onto the footpath, clung onto a tree and leaned over. He said he could see the well. I closed my eyes.
After a few minutes he reported that about 3 metres of the footpath appeared to have slipped down the slope and was missing, and he could reach the well but would like a rope!
We aborted the visit, sadly.
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5 |
| Galilee Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
30th Apr 2017 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Galilee Well, Durham Cathedral: We arrived at the Cathedral only to find large marquees on the lawn outside, lots and lots of heavy duty cable laid neatly across the lawn. The west walls had been cordoned off with iron railing with filming equipment piled behind.
We decided to go to the café for tea and a sandwich then asked the guides at the desk where the well was and if we could access it. The lady who replied told us “there’s a really bi...Galilee Well, Durham Cathedral: We arrived at the Cathedral only to find large marquees on the lawn outside, lots and lots of heavy duty cable laid neatly across the lawn. The west walls had been cordoned off with iron railing with filming equipment piled behind.
We decided to go to the café for tea and a sandwich then asked the guides at the desk where the well was and if we could access it. The lady who replied told us “there’s a really big event on at the cathedral; it’s only just been put on the web site. Even we aren’t allowed to go down there.” Helpful.
I remembered years ago walking up to the cathedral from the bridge on Silver Street, an old entrance tucked between two buildings, labelled the old Pilgrims Way up to the cathedral. We walked down into the town, found the entrance and followed the steps up the hill only to find out the path has been blocked off part way through. Retracing our steps, we found the riverside footpath which runs between Café Rouge and Geek Squad/9 altars café on the southern side of the river, at NZ 27282 42419. This path, high above the river, leads directly to the bottom of the west walls and the Galilee Well.
There is no information on this well on Pastscape, or in the cathedral notes for the Gaililee Chapel which must be immediately the other side of these enormous walls.
As the footpath is relatively narrow and has a steep drop down to the river Wear below, it was interesting to get a full face on photograph. The drop from the well into the water below is at least a couple of metres. There was no water flow at the time of our visit. Whilst standing on the path, I noticed a shelf of flat stones poking out of the bank very slightly. Whilst looking back up at the well from St. Cuthbert’s Well below, I noticed what looked like a cast iron bowl poking out of the sheer cliff. Is this associated with the Galilee Well? A pretty inaccessible place!
There is some information on the wells in Durham on the 'Ancient, Healing and Holy Wells of County Durham' by Laurence Hunt which we found useful in giving directions and information.
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1 |
| All Saints (Ingleby Arncliffe) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
27th Apr 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Cross fragments (not found), Ingleby Arncliffe, North Yorkshire: We last visited here on 28th July 2015, but the church was locked and I’d arranged for the church warden, to unlock the church for us, although when I’d mentioned the Anglo Saxon fragments to the vicar, he’d replied “this doesn’t sound much like our church.” The stone cross is still located in the porch, shut behind a metal railing door to keep it safe.
Inside, the church is v...Cross fragments (not found), Ingleby Arncliffe, North Yorkshire: We last visited here on 28th July 2015, but the church was locked and I’d arranged for the church warden, to unlock the church for us, although when I’d mentioned the Anglo Saxon fragments to the vicar, he’d replied “this doesn’t sound much like our church.” The stone cross is still located in the porch, shut behind a metal railing door to keep it safe.
Inside, the church is very simple and plain, furnished with box pews, now painted a dusky, dark rose pink. The effigies placed either side of the altar are interesting, together with some stained glass in the east window, which the Yorkshire Moors Gazeteer says represents the Fauconberg and St Quintin families. One of the effigies is of Sir William Colvill, the other of his brother, Robert. These effigies are both in armour with ailettes, and hold hearts in their hands. The British Listed Buildings entry for Ingleby Arncliffe says the ailettes (the origin of modern epaulettes) is a 'very rare feature'.
The vestry was locked, so we couldn’t get in. We also hunted high and low around the tower for possible cross fragments. I took photographs and have since enlarged them using Photoshop, but these only show weathered sandstone.
A disappointing visit, but we tried to find these cross fragments.
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19 |
1 |
| All Saints (Ingleby Arncliffe) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
28th Jul 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Ancient Cross, All Saints Ingleby Arncliffe, North Yorkshire: All Saints at Ingleby Arncliffe is very close to the A19 so we thought we’d stop off on the way back home, but finding this church was quite interesting – we had three unsuccessful attempts, driving down different roads from the centre of the village of Ingleby Cross. In the end, I got the GPS out and found the church straight away. The church is located about a quarter of a mile to ...Ancient Cross, All Saints Ingleby Arncliffe, North Yorkshire: All Saints at Ingleby Arncliffe is very close to the A19 so we thought we’d stop off on the way back home, but finding this church was quite interesting – we had three unsuccessful attempts, driving down different roads from the centre of the village of Ingleby Cross. In the end, I got the GPS out and found the church straight away. The church is located about a quarter of a mile to the south-east of Ingleby Cross village, having to cross the A172 to reach it. From the cross roads the church is approx. 200 yards to the right hand side with a small parking area by the main gate to the churchyard.
The church many now be really distant from the village, but is right next to the manor house which dominates the view of the churchyard. The church itself was (not surprisingly for the early evening) locked, but we could gain access to the porch which is in the lower part of the tower. There was a cross (very similar to the one at Wath) leaning up against the north wall. We walked right around the building twice but could see no other crosses/old stone fragments built into the fabric of the building. There are supposed to be two more stones built into the tower along with another in the vestry according to the Yorkshire Moors Gazetter. The entry for Ingleby Arncliffe on the British History site says “A hog-back stone found about fifty years ago in a hedge bank and a later coped gravestone are now in the Cathedral Library.”
We peered through the windows of the church, and it appears to be all original box pews with a three-tier pulpit. I have sent an email to the vicar, through the ‘A Church Near You’ web site, asking if it’s possible to pick up a key next week to get inside the church and also see if we can find the stones in the tower.
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| St Mary and St Alkelda |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
27th Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Anglo Saxon Cross Fragment, Middleham: On the way to the holy well, we stopped off to look at the porch of St. Mary’s & St. Alkeld, but evensong was one, so we couldn't go inside but carried on westwards through the churchyard into the fields beyond to find St. Alkelda’s Well.
At home (29th April) reading through the entry from British Listed Buildings, I noted there was mention of a cross shaft fragment built into the floor of the nave. I l...Anglo Saxon Cross Fragment, Middleham: On the way to the holy well, we stopped off to look at the porch of St. Mary’s & St. Alkeld, but evensong was one, so we couldn't go inside but carried on westwards through the churchyard into the fields beyond to find St. Alkelda’s Well.
At home (29th April) reading through the entry from British Listed Buildings, I noted there was mention of a cross shaft fragment built into the floor of the nave. I looked up my photographs from 19th August 2013, when we’d had a holiday cottage not far away, at a time when we weren’t looking for Anglo Saxon cross fragments, and there was one photograph.
After a brief look around the exterior of the church, we carried on through the churchyard to find the site of St. Alkelda's Well.
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19 |
5 |
| St Alkelda's Holy Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
27th Apr 2017 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
St. Alkelda's Well, Middleham: How tragic – a now dried up well, completely uncared for.
From St. Mary’s and St. Alkeld’s church, I was determined to find St. Alkeld’s Well. Armed only with the mobile phone, OS maps and the grid reference from Pastscape, we set off westwards across the fields, through the gate in the churchyard across a grassy field with a play area at the far end, through a gate leading into where St. Alkeld’s Road and The S...St. Alkelda's Well, Middleham: How tragic – a now dried up well, completely uncared for.
From St. Mary’s and St. Alkeld’s church, I was determined to find St. Alkeld’s Well. Armed only with the mobile phone, OS maps and the grid reference from Pastscape, we set off westwards across the fields, through the gate in the churchyard across a grassy field with a play area at the far end, through a gate leading into where St. Alkeld’s Road and The Springs meet, then through a stile into a grassy field. Measuring the distance between the church porch and the well, the distance is just under 250 metres.
We walked past the well without realising it, thinking it was only a pile of stones and rubble that someone had tossed over their garden wall. On checking the grid reference, we walked back to it.
Having seen the image of the trough by the roadside on both the Portal and Yorkshire Holy Wells, we searched in vain, eventually walking back to The Springs and looking down the driveways. The well is sited at the bottom of the gardens of the two small houses, one called ‘Well Cottage’. Having taken some photographs, we followed the footpaths back into the town centre, ending up at a medieval cross at SE 12607 87679 (see on a previous visit).
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19 |
6 |
| Newbeggin Stone Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
25th Mar 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Newbiggin Stone Row, Near Penrith: Following our first visit to try and find the standing stones mentioned on the village website, but drawn a blank, we did find 2 of the 4 wells, and recorded these in photographs. An email to the Parish Council, who'd featured one of these stones on their website, resulted in us being put in touch with Dr. Alan J Rich, the local historian. He was enormously helpful and emailed me across a map of 5 of the stone...Newbiggin Stone Row, Near Penrith: Following our first visit to try and find the standing stones mentioned on the village website, but drawn a blank, we did find 2 of the 4 wells, and recorded these in photographs. An email to the Parish Council, who'd featured one of these stones on their website, resulted in us being put in touch with Dr. Alan J Rich, the local historian. He was enormously helpful and emailed me across a map of 5 of the stones to be found around the immediate bounds of the village.
Also intrigued by The document “The Prehistoric Remains on Moordivock, near Ullswater” by M. Waistell Taylor MD, FSA, dated 1885 on page 342 and 343 talks about “remnants of former alignments of megaliths may still be made out elsewhere, in various localities in the district around Penrith, a few appearing as Standing Stones, and some partially sunk, or walled into the breast of fences. For instance in the direction from the S end of the village of Newton Reigny, by Mossthorn, on over Pallet Hill to Newbiggin; also from Sewborrens over the Riggs Farm to Newbiggin some few exist, and I have seen old people who remembered the removal of many of these stones at the beginning of the century. These lines may have been in connection with the barrows and stone circles, of which the dilapidated remains and half buried relics are frequent over this locality.”
Taking advantage of the sunny, spring weather, and armed with Dr. Rich's maps and book, we headed back to Newbiggin for a wander around the lanes and pathways in and around this long, linear village. In total we saw a total of 10 possible standing stones, and I've emailed details to the County Historical Officer to see if these can be verified as such, as they are not mentioned on the OS map. Curiously, plotting the grid references on UK Grid Finder, apart from the stone near Bell Mount, there is an alignment running north-east from Newbiggin towards Newton Reigny.
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14 |
2 |
| Horsley Hill Homestead |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Horsley Hill Homestead, Northumberland: Well, this site got the adrenalin racing, if only for the crossing of the footpath across the A69 dual carriageway, at a very fast spot! We parked in Horsley Village on the B6528, outside the Hearth café, and walked up Lead Lane, which runs just to the west of the Hearth, and to the side of the (now) antiques shop. Running past some houses, the tarmacked road quickly becomes a glorious grassy lane. It wa...Horsley Hill Homestead, Northumberland: Well, this site got the adrenalin racing, if only for the crossing of the footpath across the A69 dual carriageway, at a very fast spot! We parked in Horsley Village on the B6528, outside the Hearth café, and walked up Lead Lane, which runs just to the west of the Hearth, and to the side of the (now) antiques shop. Running past some houses, the tarmacked road quickly becomes a glorious grassy lane. It was very tranquil here, but for the wooden fence and footpath sign at it’s northern end, with the A69 just ahead.
I have to say I’d been worrying about going to this site for some days. We’d tried walking the long way round, from the north of the site, but it was a very long way round. In all fairness, there is a pedestrian sign on both sides of the A69, a tarmacked pavement and gap in the central barrier does aid a crossing. But, with traffic whizzing past a very high speed and heart in mouth, we waited until there was a sufficient gap in the traffic and RAN to the central reservation. It was very odd standing in the middle of such high speed cars and vans on a Sunday evening.
Eventually making it to the other side, the footpath takes a tranquil stroll up to a grassy meadow complete with mobile phone mast with all its electrics. Great views to the north, west and east from here. No wonder our ancestors built a homestead here.
The top of the hill is a large, long oval shape, aligned north-south with slopes down to the surrounding land on the north and eastern side, and signs of ridge and furrow ploughing to the north-east, although Pastscape tells us that this homestead was only 60 metres in length and 47 metres wide.
I’m glad I’d been out with the archaeology group, looking at different banks and features in other areas, as it was a little tricky to make out the low banks which defined this settlement, combined with the more modern trackways from the field gate to the east up to the mobile mast mounds. There are what appear to be very old boundary walls, together with many large stones in an old wall system just to the east of where the northern part of the footpath meets the field, but we concluded this just might be part of the old field system before it was cut by the A69.
The banks were easier to see with the naked eye rather than with the camera. Andrew thought he detected the low, round shape of a roundhouse, but I wasn’t convinced.
A second dash back across the A69 meant I could finally relax. Onto Croft’s Well in the centre of Horsley.
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| St. Mary's Well (Jesmond) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2017 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
St. Mary's Well, Jesmond: From the elusive (non-existent!) Axwell Park Tumulus, we headed off down the Coast Road to Jesmond to find this well. It was a delight – an oasis in the midst of the city.
Parking on Jesmond Dene Road where it meet Grosvenor Avenue, we headed west up The Grove – a shady footpath that runs between The Grove and Red Park Road, in between the back gardens of the houses.
We found the gate to this well to our right han...St. Mary's Well, Jesmond: From the elusive (non-existent!) Axwell Park Tumulus, we headed off down the Coast Road to Jesmond to find this well. It was a delight – an oasis in the midst of the city.
Parking on Jesmond Dene Road where it meet Grosvenor Avenue, we headed west up The Grove – a shady footpath that runs between The Grove and Red Park Road, in between the back gardens of the houses.
We found the gate to this well to our right hand side, several hundred metres up the path, highlighted by the blue signpost.
Descending into this shady nook, down the stone steps, the first view of the well was of the small statues, tea-lights and mementos left on top of the well covering. As my eyes adapted to the shade, the pool of the well came into view.
The well was full of water, with a steady flow over the cobbles towards the pool. There was a cute copper jug left attached to the side of the well, which I took off and dunked into the water. Andrew and I both tasted the water, and it was completely tasteless, which was a surprise.
After enjoying the peace and calm, we headed off to find St. Mary’s Chapel, now ruined, just down the road. Really enjoyed this visit.
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18 |
4 |
| Axwell Park Barrow |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Couldn't find |
23rd Apr 2017 |
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2 |
5 |
Axwell Park Tumulus, Gateshead: OK, even with the grid reference, we couldn't find any trace of this - not surprising, since checking the Pastscape records this morning (24th April), they say no trace of the mound exists! There were lots and lots of humps and hollows on the slope to the left of the path as you walk up the hill. The area seems to be part of an estate and has been heavily modified, with an artificial waterfall and stone-lined cha...Axwell Park Tumulus, Gateshead: OK, even with the grid reference, we couldn't find any trace of this - not surprising, since checking the Pastscape records this morning (24th April), they say no trace of the mound exists! There were lots and lots of humps and hollows on the slope to the left of the path as you walk up the hill. The area seems to be part of an estate and has been heavily modified, with an artificial waterfall and stone-lined channels for water visible in the undergrowth.
This area today is on the edge of a modern housing estate, which is still being constructed. The only thing I can say about this is that it is an easy walk up through the park on tarmacked road.
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3 |
| Holy Well, Greenside |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2017 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Holy Well, Greenside: From Ryton Motte, we headed off south towards Greenside through the back lanes. Considering how close were are to Winlanton, Blaydon, Gateshead and Newcastle, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the depths of the countryside at this site. Disappearing down a small road leading from Greenside to Barlow (Barlow Lane on UK Grid Finder) we parked where the lane met a tarmacked path leading to Reeley Mires Farm. It ...Holy Well, Greenside: From Ryton Motte, we headed off south towards Greenside through the back lanes. Considering how close were are to Winlanton, Blaydon, Gateshead and Newcastle, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the depths of the countryside at this site. Disappearing down a small road leading from Greenside to Barlow (Barlow Lane on UK Grid Finder) we parked where the lane met a tarmacked path leading to Reeley Mires Farm. It was then a question of walking a couple of hundred yards south-east down Barlow Lane, where the well is located at the base of the Drumlin.
To your right hand side, as you walk down the lane, there is a red metal gate into the field, although this is heavily overgrown by hawthorn and brambles, and is impossible to open. The central pool of the well can be seen at near the base of a telegraph pole, although the whole feature forms an attractive long ‘s-shape’ in the pasture.
It is a really pretty spot here. I was impressed there was so much water here, as it has been little rain here for weeks.
Have as yet been unable to find any notes/further information about this well. Thanks to durhamnature for his original entry.
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18 |
2 |
| Ryton Motte or Tumulus |
Artificial Mound |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Ryton Motte, Gateshead: Parking on the main road opposite The Old Cross pub and Holy Cross church on Barnmoor Lane, as there was an event on at the church, the first surprise was to see the old cross located on the village green.
Pastscape reveals this is relatively modern, having been erected in 1765, but the base looks much, much older. Historic England say in list entry 1018642 that there was evidence of an earlier cross on this site.
A...Ryton Motte, Gateshead: Parking on the main road opposite The Old Cross pub and Holy Cross church on Barnmoor Lane, as there was an event on at the church, the first surprise was to see the old cross located on the village green.
Pastscape reveals this is relatively modern, having been erected in 1765, but the base looks much, much older. Historic England say in list entry 1018642 that there was evidence of an earlier cross on this site.
A stream of very well dressed people were exiting the church yard, indicating a service had just finished. I spent a few minutes photographing the cross, then we sauntered in the churchyard. The name board on the gate to the churchyard says that the church was founded in 1220, and whilst there appears to be old stones in the fabric of the church, popping our head into the church itself, it looks very Victorian. There were people inside, so we didn’t linger.
Walking round the tower at the west end of the church, and round to the north wall, we came across a man digging up brambles and dock plants around the graves. He told us he wasn’t’ associated with the church, but had got fed up of the graveyard looking as it did. He also said he’d just removed shrubbery and brambles off the motte, which looked bare and brown in the warm sunlight. He also told us to look out for the grave of a woman to the north-west of the motte, which had inscribed on the headstone about the grave also containing her husband, who’d lost his arm at Trafalgar.
The motte is certainly a significant structure (I thought it was only small, but it’s not, measuring 3.30 metres with a diameter of 30 metres, according to Pastscape. The mound certainly appears much higher when viewed from the river side, where it looms high above you.
These days, the river is largely hidden by trees, but glimpses of silver water appear as you follow the path round the motte and back up to the east side of the church. It would have had a very commanding spot above the river when it was built.
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1 |
| Exhibition Park Circle |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2017 |
4 |
1 |
4 |
As we’d failed to find the Axwell Park Tumulus, we sat in Café Nero in Fenwicks and I was looked up details of sites we were going to on the mobile version of the Portal. I came across an entry for ‘Leazes Park Circle’ which mentioned a modern stone circle. This took me by surprise, as we’ve been parking our car by Leazes Park when we come into Newcastle, at least once a week, and not come across any mention of this before. Bringing the map up...As we’d failed to find the Axwell Park Tumulus, we sat in Café Nero in Fenwicks and I was looked up details of sites we were going to on the mobile version of the Portal. I came across an entry for ‘Leazes Park Circle’ which mentioned a modern stone circle. This took me by surprise, as we’ve been parking our car by Leazes Park when we come into Newcastle, at least once a week, and not come across any mention of this before. Bringing the map up on my phone, we sat puzzling where this was, and decided to head off and look for it.
'Modern Stone Circle', Newcastle: In actual fact, it is in Exhibition Park, not Leazes Park, although I’ve spent a while trying to find more about this on the web. Not finding anything, I’ve emailed the Parks and Countryside Department at Newcastle City Council, simply out of curiosity.
Having stumbled upon the ‘circle’ (the grid reference on the Portal was also a bit off), I’m convinced it’s part of the children’s play park. However, I might yet be proved wrong. When we arrived, a student was walking over the tree trunk to the mound and generally walking around the ditch surrounding this tiny ‘monument’. Disappointing, but pleased to have found it and been able to contribute a photograph to the Portal.
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5 |
| St Peter's Minster (Conisbrough) |
Sculptured Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (South) |
Visited |
15th Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Carvings, Conisbrough: Having seen this on the Portal, with only a sepia image of the stones, I had been keen to visit this church for some time as it was only a short detour from my step-father's house; the nearby castle had been my very first ever school trip, over half a century ago (gulp). We managed to park in the (small) free car park outside the community centre, right next to the church.
We arrived just as the children’s E...Anglo Saxon Carvings, Conisbrough: Having seen this on the Portal, with only a sepia image of the stones, I had been keen to visit this church for some time as it was only a short detour from my step-father's house; the nearby castle had been my very first ever school trip, over half a century ago (gulp). We managed to park in the (small) free car park outside the community centre, right next to the church.
We arrived just as the children’s Easter Egg hunt/service had ended, and children and parents streamed out of the church. With 2 year old grand-daughter in tow, desperate to join in, one lady coming out of the church saw us waiting and asked if we were visiting. When I said we were, she said we were very welcome, waited until the crowds had lessened, then took us in. Another gentleman took us round to see the grave stones and made sure we had the free history leaflet of the church. Grand-daughter and husband made a great game of finding all the Mouseman mice on the pews.
The church, whilst it looks Victorian from the outside, clearly has some very old parts, evident in the blocked up windows in the arches in the nave, and the tower. The church guide tell us that this is the "oldest building in South Yorkshire and is one of the ten oldest churches in England, with parts dating back to at least 750AD." The church warden was telling us that the church came many years before the castle, and so is sited on the highest part of the town; the castle therefore had to take the second highest spot.
As well as the grave stones, there is the very worn shaft of a cross outside, which the church guide leaflet says dates from the very earliest times of this church, around 750 AD. Lovely welcome and well worth the detour. Carried on to look at the castle before heading off into Doncaster.
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1 |
| Castle Hill (Whittonstall) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Apr 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Castle Hill, between New Ridley and Whittonstall, Northumberland: This is only a couple of miles from our house, and being a lovely sunny evening, decided to try and find some of the earthworks on the OS map.
This site has the advantage of being close to Wheelbirks Farm with its café, unpasteurised milk and wonderful ice cream. Parking in the layby almost at the junction of the B6309 and the Lead Road, we walked along the busy main road for a...Castle Hill, between New Ridley and Whittonstall, Northumberland: This is only a couple of miles from our house, and being a lovely sunny evening, decided to try and find some of the earthworks on the OS map.
This site has the advantage of being close to Wheelbirks Farm with its café, unpasteurised milk and wonderful ice cream. Parking in the layby almost at the junction of the B6309 and the Lead Road, we walked along the busy main road for a couple of hundred yards until we reached the far end of the Castle Hill plantation. Here, the stone wall falls back from the road, and you can walk through to the brambles to the wall. An old gate (?) has been placed so the bars act as a ladder to climb over either into the plantation or the pastureland.
Standing at the stone wall, its possible to see the hump of the settlement with one accompanying outer ditch in front of you. Clambering over into the grassy field (didn't see anyone to ask - sorry), a quick walk along this corner of the field brought the whole of the settlement platform into view. It was much easier to see with the naked eye, rather than try and capture with the camera. Logging onto Pastscape when I got home, I was fascinated to read the history and interpretation of this very ordinary site. Obviously a lot more interesting in the past!
We did go on to Whittonstall to try to find the manorial earthworks not far from The Anchor pub, but these have all been ploughed out. We did carry on to Ebchester, near Newlands, where the line of Dere Street can be seen in the fields to the north east of the B6309. From the gate in the field near the layby almost opposite the junction with the road to Newlands, you can see a cross-section of the road. Interesting.
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16 |
1 |
| Three Howes Rigg (East) |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
9th Apr 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Three Howes Rigg (East), Smeathorns Road, North Yorkshire: Having stopped at White Cross and Three Howes Rigg (West) first, and having 'got our eye in', these barrows rise from the surrounding ground on access land. On the eastern side of Smeathorns Road, and clearly visible on UK Grid Finder, tramping across the heather moorland was easy on the feet.
Now largely used to feed the grouse (full feeding dishes on the tops of these barrows), they ...Three Howes Rigg (East), Smeathorns Road, North Yorkshire: Having stopped at White Cross and Three Howes Rigg (West) first, and having 'got our eye in', these barrows rise from the surrounding ground on access land. On the eastern side of Smeathorns Road, and clearly visible on UK Grid Finder, tramping across the heather moorland was easy on the feet.
Now largely used to feed the grouse (full feeding dishes on the tops of these barrows), they diminish in height from the north to the south. There is a fourth mound to the east of the middle barrow, but this looks more like a farmer's spoil heap rather than a barrow, and I couldn't find any reference to it on Pastscape or Historic England.
Looking at the map, there are so many barrows, crosses and other features around here, I'd like to spend more time in this area.
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15 |
2 |
| Three Howes Rigg (West) |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
9th Apr 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Three Howes Rigg (West), Smeathorns Road, North Yorkshire: Despite being called ‘Three Howes’, there are actual 5 barrows in total! It would be easy to whizz by these barrows, as they appear as slight mounds at the top of the ridge. With cars speeding by at a good 60mph or so, it’s difficult to slow down and park, but there is a space between the two barrows on the western side of the road, flanked by large boulders to protect the fourth and fift...Three Howes Rigg (West), Smeathorns Road, North Yorkshire: Despite being called ‘Three Howes’, there are actual 5 barrows in total! It would be easy to whizz by these barrows, as they appear as slight mounds at the top of the ridge. With cars speeding by at a good 60mph or so, it’s difficult to slow down and park, but there is a space between the two barrows on the western side of the road, flanked by large boulders to protect the fourth and fifth barrows.
Once identified, they are obvious in the landscape. Having first stopped at White Cross some 500 metres to the north, being on access land, we tramped over the heather and moorland to take a closer look.
We started with the two barrows to the west of the road and worked our way northwards. The northern-most has been cut slightly by the road to its eastern side; the southern-most was heavily covered in calf-high bracken. We missed the inscribed stone in the middle of this one, but the carving seems to be relatively modern, looking at the Historic England entry.
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15 |
2 |
| Millennium Stone Danby High Moor |
Modern Stone Circle etc |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
9th Apr 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
The Millennium Stone, Danby High Moor, North Yorkshire: Driving at a sedate pace along the moorland road from Wolf Pit Tumulus (which I realised as we got a phone signal back, that we’d picked up the wrong monument), I was really surprised to see what looked like a large standing stone at the junction of Knott Road. Immediately to our left was a small car park with an interpretation board (which didn’t mention this stone), and I spent a good ha...The Millennium Stone, Danby High Moor, North Yorkshire: Driving at a sedate pace along the moorland road from Wolf Pit Tumulus (which I realised as we got a phone signal back, that we’d picked up the wrong monument), I was really surprised to see what looked like a large standing stone at the junction of Knott Road. Immediately to our left was a small car park with an interpretation board (which didn’t mention this stone), and I spent a good half hour on the internet at home trying to find anything at all about it, which was a brief mention on the Hidden Teesside web site.
Getting out of the car to look more closely at this stone, my fleece and camera were almost blown away by the wind. The temperature had dropped from high teens to single figures in a very short while. I was glad to get back into the car, but pleased to have 'discovered' a stone not (yet) on the map! Next stop was the second 'White Cross' of the day - later discovered to be called 'Fat Betty'.
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15 |
3 |
| Young Ralph Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
9th Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Young Ralph Cross, Ledging Hill, North Yorkshire: Just down the road from Fat Betty Cross/White Cross, Young Ralph’s Cross sits almost opposite the road junction of the minor road (Knott Road) to Rosedale and the road northwards across Castleton Rigg to Castleton.
Turning right at the road junction, we parked on the minor road leading north west towards Westerdale. This road was very busy, and traffic moved very fast. Whilst standing at Fat ...Young Ralph Cross, Ledging Hill, North Yorkshire: Just down the road from Fat Betty Cross/White Cross, Young Ralph’s Cross sits almost opposite the road junction of the minor road (Knott Road) to Rosedale and the road northwards across Castleton Rigg to Castleton.
Turning right at the road junction, we parked on the minor road leading north west towards Westerdale. This road was very busy, and traffic moved very fast. Whilst standing at Fat Betty, I heard several cars sounding their horns at each other.
From a distance, this cross looks as if it is made out of concerete, but the Historic England entry says this wayside cross possibly dates from the 11th century. The cross base looks much, much older than the shaft and head.
The Historic England entry talks about much weathered interlace ornament and cable moulded border. I couldn’t see any of this, perhaps put off a closer look by the biting wind and cold.
I was keen to try and find the Old Ralph Cross, but by this time it was late, we were cold and it was time to head off home. There is so much to see in this area, it would be well worth a repeat visit.
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15 |
5 |
| White Cross (Three Howes Rigg) |
Marker Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
9th Apr 2017 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
White Cross, Three Howes Rigg, North Yorkshire: Approaching the Three Howes Tumuli on Smeathorns Road, we spotted this "White Cross" marked on the map at the road junction with Commondale Village. Stopping and running across the road in between the fast moving traffic, I took some photographs. This cross is listed by Historic England as entry 1250385, and is described as an "early to mid-C19 boundary stone on medieval base of wayside cross." T...White Cross, Three Howes Rigg, North Yorkshire: Approaching the Three Howes Tumuli on Smeathorns Road, we spotted this "White Cross" marked on the map at the road junction with Commondale Village. Stopping and running across the road in between the fast moving traffic, I took some photographs. This cross is listed by Historic England as entry 1250385, and is described as an "early to mid-C19 boundary stone on medieval base of wayside cross." The views across the National Park to the west would have been spectacular but for mist.
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15 |
1 |
| Fat Betty |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
9th Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Fat Betty's Cross, Danby High Moor, North Yorkshire: From Wolf Pit Tumulus, carrying on down the road (New Way) over Danby High Moor, past the curiously named Lower Fryup Dale to the east, then over Seavey Hill, passing by the modern standing stone (Millennium Stone) at NZ 69699 01296, we turned west towards Rosedale Head. Where the Esk Valley Way crosses this road, there is a small, squat White Cross located to the north. Just a few metres up ...Fat Betty's Cross, Danby High Moor, North Yorkshire: From Wolf Pit Tumulus, carrying on down the road (New Way) over Danby High Moor, past the curiously named Lower Fryup Dale to the east, then over Seavey Hill, passing by the modern standing stone (Millennium Stone) at NZ 69699 01296, we turned west towards Rosedale Head. Where the Esk Valley Way crosses this road, there is a small, squat White Cross located to the north. Just a few metres up the Esk Valley Way footpath, stepping over a muddy ditch, we got the full force of the wind sweeping across this moorland. From a leisurely, warm lunch in Castleton an hour earlier, the temperature had dropped considerably, and I wished I’d brought a warmer coat!
The head of the cross bears four small circles on both sides, reminiscent of Anglo Saxon cross heads. There is considerable graffiti on the stone, together with offerings (see image of money at bottom of cross head).
Just over the road is Young Ralph’s Cross.
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15 |
4 |
| Bell Mount |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
25th Mar 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Bell Mount Erratic (or standing stone?): Saw this very briefly on our first visit to Newbeggin, but whizzed by in the car and didn't stop. This time, we parked by the open gate to the field. There being no stock, we took the chance to walk up the grassy slope to see this stone. Whilst it's not marked on the OS map (neither is the Sewborwens stone not far away), it showed distinct striations on one of the surfaces indicating it had lain prone a...Bell Mount Erratic (or standing stone?): Saw this very briefly on our first visit to Newbeggin, but whizzed by in the car and didn't stop. This time, we parked by the open gate to the field. There being no stock, we took the chance to walk up the grassy slope to see this stone. Whilst it's not marked on the OS map (neither is the Sewborwens stone not far away), it showed distinct striations on one of the surfaces indicating it had lain prone at some point and been stood up. My geology isn't good enough to tell it the marks were as a result of glaciation or the plough, although the stone seemed to be set into a slight depression which was even all round, and didn't look like stock had been rubbing around it. Note to self: need to check geology of the area.
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14 |
1 |
| Four Stones Hill Standing Stones |
Standing Stones |
England |
Cumbria |
Couldn't find |
2nd Apr 2017 |
|
|
3 |
Four Stones Hill, Haweswater: Ashamed to say I was defeated by the large stiles with big drops and missing steps. Was so looking forward to going to see this site and from Google Earth, it seemed possible for me to walk this route. Did look for gates in the fields to avoid the stiles, but up by Lower Drybarrows, couldn't find any entry/exits; the one there was said very clearly "no public right of way". Perhaps I should have ignored those and ...Four Stones Hill, Haweswater: Ashamed to say I was defeated by the large stiles with big drops and missing steps. Was so looking forward to going to see this site and from Google Earth, it seemed possible for me to walk this route. Did look for gates in the fields to avoid the stiles, but up by Lower Drybarrows, couldn't find any entry/exits; the one there was said very clearly "no public right of way". Perhaps I should have ignored those and tramped through the fields anyway, but it would have left me feeling guilty. Will try again. Note to self: parking was very difficult up by Winder Hill. Needed to wedge the car in besides a stone wall to leave ready access to the fields.
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15 |
3 |
| The Galloway Stone |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
2nd Apr 2017 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
The Galloway Stone, near Orton, Cumbria: Spotted this named stone on the map as we drove towards Orton to find refreshments. There were many other large (but not quite as large as this) stones in the vicinity. With the M6 Northbound carriageway almost immediately behind, and above, this stone, I could have been forgiven for thinking this was left over from building the motorway.
In close up, the stone is clearly pink Shap granite, and had ...The Galloway Stone, near Orton, Cumbria: Spotted this named stone on the map as we drove towards Orton to find refreshments. There were many other large (but not quite as large as this) stones in the vicinity. With the M6 Northbound carriageway almost immediately behind, and above, this stone, I could have been forgiven for thinking this was left over from building the motorway.
In close up, the stone is clearly pink Shap granite, and had a red tint in the sunlight. A big surprise was find the bench mark with its large rivet on top of the stone.
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15 |
2 |
| Shapbeck Plantation |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
2nd Apr 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Shapbeck Plantation Stone Circle: Our first stop of the day, whizzing off the M6 southbound at Eamont Bridge and travelling on the A6 through Clifton & Hackthorpe to Shapbeck Gate. There, a side road leads to a bridge across the River Leith, but there was no parking to be had. We turned back northwards up the A6 and parked in a layby some ¼ mile north of the footpath leading up to Shapbeck Plantation. We took our lives in our hands walking bac...Shapbeck Plantation Stone Circle: Our first stop of the day, whizzing off the M6 southbound at Eamont Bridge and travelling on the A6 through Clifton & Hackthorpe to Shapbeck Gate. There, a side road leads to a bridge across the River Leith, but there was no parking to be had. We turned back northwards up the A6 and parked in a layby some ¼ mile north of the footpath leading up to Shapbeck Plantation. We took our lives in our hands walking back to the footpath, with cars and motorbikes travelling fast along the road, and the verge was lumpy and bumpy and difficult to walk along.
Finally reaching the footpath, almost opposite the road leading to Southfield and Stonygill Bridge, we turned west over the fields towards Shapbeck Plantation, I was glad I had worn my wellies, as the gates into the fields were deep in muddy water. Careful of the stock in the first field, we crossed through the gate into a second field, where the footpath vanished – it had been ploughed out. Following the dry stone wall line up the hill towards the plantation, it was only when we had almost reached the top of the field that a fenced off area to the northern side of the field came into view.
Walking towards this, it was clear the farmer had been using this area as a dump for old metal items and other stones, although an inner and outer circle were clearly visible. It looked as if the circle had been built on a slight mound, with a ditch around the outside. At this time of year, there wasn't much vegetation, so it was possible to see lots of the stones.
Without the plantation, there would have been views 360 degrees around the site. Even today, this area was busy, busy, busy, with the A6, M6 and West Coast railway all intersecting and intermingling in the valley below. Walking across the fields, many of the smaller stones poking out of the earth had a very distinctly green tinge.
Definitely worth braving the traffic to visit this site.
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15 |
1 |
| Winderwath Stone Circle |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
25th Mar 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Winderwath Stone Circle, Penrith: After our 'stone hunt' around Newbeggin and Newton Reigny, by this time it was gone 5pm and there was no hope of getting to Haweswater to look at the standing stones on Four Stones Hill before dark, so we set off to Winderwath. The Visit Cumbria website says in its entry for Winderwath Gardens: "There used to be a stone circle in the field adjacent to the lane that leads down to Winderwath, which was destroyed. ...Winderwath Stone Circle, Penrith: After our 'stone hunt' around Newbeggin and Newton Reigny, by this time it was gone 5pm and there was no hope of getting to Haweswater to look at the standing stones on Four Stones Hill before dark, so we set off to Winderwath. The Visit Cumbria website says in its entry for Winderwath Gardens: "There used to be a stone circle in the field adjacent to the lane that leads down to Winderwath, which was destroyed. Its stones were thrown into the River Eden nearby, except two – one stone remains standing by the lane, and a further stone lies behind the hedge, at the edge of the field." Note: this site is not included on the list of stone circles @ Photographer’s Resource and I could find no other reference to it on the web.
Sited on the minor road to Winderwath Gardens, it was interesting to find this tiny little turn off the A66 east. From Penrith, go passed the entrance to Centre Parks on the opposite side of the road and take the first road to your left, signposted to Culgaith. Following this little road which takes you past Woodside, Low Woodside and Winderwath Farm before taking a left to Winderwath Gardens, we’ve never seen so many rabbits scuttling about across the road and in the fields.
These stones are on the right hand side of the road as you drive down towards the gardens, about half way down the drive. This is again in a lovely valley, but being in an estate, it looks as if the ground has been heavily improved and levelled.
After having found the first stone, which seemed to have a couple of worn single cup marks in 2 of the faces (quite distinctive from the weathering patterns on the top of the stone), we peered over the hedge to find the second stone. It appears the tree in the fenceline is sitting on top of a few other smaller stones. The second, larger stone can hardly be seen from the driveway, so we found a gate in the top end of the field and quickly ran down to take a look. If someone had been around, we would have asked nicely.
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13 |
4 |
| Alnham |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
5th Mar 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Alnham, Northumberland. Ancient cross bases: From the A697, we turned left through the pretty little village of Whittingham. The road to the west of the village runs by the meandering course of the (at this point small) River Aln. Just past the village, we turned right onto the minor road leading through Eslington Park and Unthank, the road meandering through minor, muddy single track lanes to Alnham village. Taking the right hand fork (signpo...Alnham, Northumberland. Ancient cross bases: From the A697, we turned left through the pretty little village of Whittingham. The road to the west of the village runs by the meandering course of the (at this point small) River Aln. Just past the village, we turned right onto the minor road leading through Eslington Park and Unthank, the road meandering through minor, muddy single track lanes to Alnham village. Taking the right hand fork (signposted as a dead end road, which it is – eventually), we drove up to the pretty little church.
This is a very remote spot indeed. Opposite the church, you can see the lumps and bumps of the deserted medieval village and the hump of what used to be Alnham Castle. Next to the church is a pele house/tower house, which is lived in. To the far side (from the church) is a footpath which runs up the side of the tower house; this is unusual in that the footpath runs through a small ford.
We had missed the monthly service, which had taken place that morning, but there were signs that other cars had parked on the grass verge outside the church. The lych gate leans into the tall trees either side of it, and the church has a long-deserted air, although candles were still burning on the window ledges inside.
Walking round the churchyard (with its electrified fence to keep any sheep from rubbing against the stone walls) we searched for the cross bases, but found none until we turned to go out of the church, and there they were – one on either side of the lych gate, with a third to the west by the wall.
This church is Grade 1 listed. There were many leaflets about the local countryside and walks, but no church guide. The British Listed Buildings and Wikipedia mention that the church was built on the site of a Roman fortlet, and originally dates from 1135, although because of the ancient cross bases, they think an earlier church existed on this site. Within the porch there is a carved fragment of a rectangular cross shaft, but the carving looks modern.
From the church, we headed further up the hillside to Castlehill Fort and Settlement.
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12 |
1 |
| Castle Hill (Northumberland) |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
5th Mar 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Castle Hill Fort & Settlement, near Alnham, Northumberland: From St Michael & All Saints (Alnham) and its location next to the trickling River Aln, we headed further up the winding (almost harepin at a couple of points) narrow, single track road climbing up the hill to Castle Hill Fort and Settlement. At the top of the hill, there is a cottage located just below the lea of the hill. Just past this is a cattle grid and a footpath sign leading to...Castle Hill Fort & Settlement, near Alnham, Northumberland: From St Michael & All Saints (Alnham) and its location next to the trickling River Aln, we headed further up the winding (almost harepin at a couple of points) narrow, single track road climbing up the hill to Castle Hill Fort and Settlement. At the top of the hill, there is a cottage located just below the lea of the hill. Just past this is a cattle grid and a footpath sign leading to the west and the fort. There is room for one car to park just before the cattle grid, where the ground is relatively firm.
Nothing can be seen of the fort at this point, but going through the gate and climbing up the gentle hill, following the line of what seems to be an old stone wall, the low lines of grass covered banks (the boundary lines of old enclosures?) comes into view. The ground then climbs a little more steeply, as you walk onto the first outer bank. Then the outlines of banks and ditches comes into view, together with the ghost of a round house immediately in front of you. There’s nobody here, not even sheep.
The early spring sun was low in the sky, making the contrast between the height of the outer defensive bank with its protruding line of stones, looking steeply down to the north west and Spartley Burn, its waters sparkling in the sunlight. To the east is Hazeltonrig Burn.
We walked all round the outer bank. Two banks and ditches to the north and east, becoming three to the west. Well worth a visit. I just wish I’d brought the notes with me to help interpret what I was seeing.
From Castle Hill, we set off towards Biddlestone, making our way back into Alnham, driving back down through Scrainwood, through Biddlestone Town Foot to Biddlestone. This road is gated, and very muddy. The road twists and turns, and a couple of times we almost went off down farm tracks rather than the road. Very remote. Very lovely.
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12 |
2 |
| Biddlestone |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
5th Mar 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Biddle Stones, Northumberland: From Castle Hill, Alnham, we returned to Alnham Village and took the minor road towards Biddlestone. Also a cycle route, the road was gated and very muddy. Being twisty and with numerous side roads joining, it was sometimes a little difficult to keep to the main road!. Nevertheless, we ended up at the entrance to Biddlestone Chapel, where the gate up the track was shut. We parked by the entrance and walked u...The Biddle Stones, Northumberland: From Castle Hill, Alnham, we returned to Alnham Village and took the minor road towards Biddlestone. Also a cycle route, the road was gated and very muddy. Being twisty and with numerous side roads joining, it was sometimes a little difficult to keep to the main road!. Nevertheless, we ended up at the entrance to Biddlestone Chapel, where the gate up the track was shut. We parked by the entrance and walked up the hill. The chapel was closed, but a list of keyholders is given on the noticeboard at the entrance to the track.
Having no real clue as to where the Biddle Stones were, we came upon them half way up the track to the chapel on the left hand side of the track. One is definitely a socket for a cross; the other has been paired with it.
We walked up to the chapel. The chapel is strange, being in a defensive position, with a ravine to its north, with a drop of some 60 to 70 feet down to the stream below. To the south looks like a building platform of some kind The numerous mole hills had brought up lots of small pieces of brick, so something had been demolished.
There was a lovely view over to the Netherton Burn valley below, with a farmer and his three dogs herding a flock of beautifully cream, fat sheep. No sign of the stone circle by the burn from here.
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12 |
3 |
| The Portsburgh Stone |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
20th Feb 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Portsburgh Stone, Natural Erratic, Edinburgh: Intrigued by the 'no photograph' of this site in the heart of Edinburgh, I determined to find it, although we did mis-interpret the location published in the Portal text and walked in a couple of decreasing circles! The actual grid reference is NT 25283 73276, the West Port Garden (or Geddes Garden).
A notice on the padlocked gate to the garden told us that the garden was only open on Sundays, so...Portsburgh Stone, Natural Erratic, Edinburgh: Intrigued by the 'no photograph' of this site in the heart of Edinburgh, I determined to find it, although we did mis-interpret the location published in the Portal text and walked in a couple of decreasing circles! The actual grid reference is NT 25283 73276, the West Port Garden (or Geddes Garden).
A notice on the padlocked gate to the garden told us that the garden was only open on Sundays, so I had to stand looking over the iron railings to try and get the best photographs I could of the stone.
Couldn’t spot any other erratics in the adjacent walls. Located the old Salvation Army building, and also walked around the nearby Art School buildings, but didn’t see anything. The Vennel, with its many steps, was very interesting to walk up.
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11 |
1 |
| St Anthony's Well (Edinburgh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
20th Feb 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St Anthony's Well, Holyrood, Edinburgh: Located some 400 metres east south east from St. Margaret’s Well, the paths lead up the hill away from Arthur’s Seat, up to St. Anthony’s Chapel. Where the paths going up the hill divide (the left hand fork leading to the cave and chapel, the right continuing up the hill), there appears to be a large boulder about 100 yards up the right hand path. This is actually the well. From the base of the boulder a...St Anthony's Well, Holyrood, Edinburgh: Located some 400 metres east south east from St. Margaret’s Well, the paths lead up the hill away from Arthur’s Seat, up to St. Anthony’s Chapel. Where the paths going up the hill divide (the left hand fork leading to the cave and chapel, the right continuing up the hill), there appears to be a large boulder about 100 yards up the right hand path. This is actually the well. From the base of the boulder a lead pipe protrudes into a stone basin. There was no water flowing. Again heavily graffitied and littered; the friend I was with described it as a 'Neolithic toilet'!
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11 |
5 |
| St Margaret's Well (Edinburgh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
20th Feb 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
St Margaret's Well, Holyrood, Edinburgh: Located just off Queen’s Drive in Holyrood, near Dynamic Earth, and 400 metres from St. Anthony’s Well, this well house can be seen from the road.
I had to photo-shop out the pile of rubbish that had gathered at the base of the well (disgusting!). There was a good flow of water out of the pipe inside the well house, although it was impossible to get a photograph of this there was a black heavy metal g...St Margaret's Well, Holyrood, Edinburgh: Located just off Queen’s Drive in Holyrood, near Dynamic Earth, and 400 metres from St. Anthony’s Well, this well house can be seen from the road.
I had to photo-shop out the pile of rubbish that had gathered at the base of the well (disgusting!). There was a good flow of water out of the pipe inside the well house, although it was impossible to get a photograph of this there was a black heavy metal grill covering it.
I came across a reference on Pixyledpublications telling me “the spring itself is a holy well, called The Well of the Holy Rood or St. David’s Well and dates from 1198, the well head was re-erected from St. Margaret’s Well at Restalrig ….. legend has it that King David after mass decided to go hunting in the area and was thrown from his horse by a giant stag which then carried the king, stopping at the spring. In thanks for his deliverance, he built the Abbey of Holyrood there …. (the well house) has an internal width of six feet by five feet in height with a central pier with a carved head which is provided with a spout.”
The well house bears a plaque which reads: “This unique Well House dates from the late 15th Century. It originally stood at Restalrig, close to the Church, and its design is a miniature copy of St. Triduana’s Aisle there. In 1860 it was removed from its first site, which was then encroached upon by a railway depot, and was reconstructed in its present position near a natural spring.”
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11 |
4 |
| Ravenswood Avenue |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
20th Feb 2017 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
Ravenswood Avenue Standing Stone, Edinburgh: Our third stop of the day, and another ‘not impressive’ one. Definitely not in situ, at the end of a heavily parked-up cul-de-sac, outside a small block of flat, protected by a tall circular iron railing.
I was glad to escape from this site – it felt very depressing and I surprised not to see any graffiti on the stone. One source I’d seen said there were a couple of cup marks, but I could only see ...Ravenswood Avenue Standing Stone, Edinburgh: Our third stop of the day, and another ‘not impressive’ one. Definitely not in situ, at the end of a heavily parked-up cul-de-sac, outside a small block of flat, protected by a tall circular iron railing.
I was glad to escape from this site – it felt very depressing and I surprised not to see any graffiti on the stone. One source I’d seen said there were a couple of cup marks, but I could only see any, only natural weathering and what looked like a heavily worn quarry mark.
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11 |
3 |
| Cat Stane (Inch) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
20th Feb 2017 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Cat Stane (Inch), Standing Stone, Edinburgh: Also known as the Liberton Road / Gilmerton Road Standing Stone, this stone has obviously been relocated next to what appears to be the rear entrance of Inch View nursing home, off Gilmerton Road, next to Inch Park. Driving into the complex from Gilmerton Road, there is a circular car park in front of you. Immediately to 12 o’clock of this circle is a small access road to (the rear?) of Inch View Car...Cat Stane (Inch), Standing Stone, Edinburgh: Also known as the Liberton Road / Gilmerton Road Standing Stone, this stone has obviously been relocated next to what appears to be the rear entrance of Inch View nursing home, off Gilmerton Road, next to Inch Park. Driving into the complex from Gilmerton Road, there is a circular car park in front of you. Immediately to 12 o’clock of this circle is a small access road to (the rear?) of Inch View Care Home for the Elderly. Just before a small wooden hut, the stone is located in a small rectangle of grass, surrounded by a knee high metal railing.
This area appeared to be a garden, so I started to take some quick photos, only to be challenged (quite rightly!) by one of the nurses who shot out to talk to us. She explained for security reasons, they needed to be vigilant for visitors. Having explained what we were doing, she told us some of the history of the surrounding area, particularly relevant to fans of Sir Walter Scott and Mary Queen of Scots.
Not in an impressive location, this stone could easily be mistaken for a large garden ornament, but worth seeing whilst in the area. I spotted some quarry marks in the face facing the building.
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11 |
2 |
| Stanwick Hillfort |
Hillfort |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
19th Feb 2017 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications:(note: whilst the main entrance of this enclosure can be driven to, getting onto the monument could be difficult because of the short climb to the top of the bank). We'd been in this area before, but to the churches of Stanwick St John and Forcett, to see the Anglo Saxon crosses. It was almost dark at the last visit, so I was glad to be able to see the site properly, although it is so large, it's only possible to...Stanwick Iron Age Fortifications:(note: whilst the main entrance of this enclosure can be driven to, getting onto the monument could be difficult because of the short climb to the top of the bank). We'd been in this area before, but to the churches of Stanwick St John and Forcett, to see the Anglo Saxon crosses. It was almost dark at the last visit, so I was glad to be able to see the site properly, although it is so large, it's only possible to glimpse parts. We managed to park opposite the main English Heritage entrance (with signpost), avoiding the myriads of walkers and horse riders who passed the site without seeming to take notice.
There are some quite steep wooden steps up to the top of the bank (the soil around has been eroded, so these (what look like) railway sleepers have been put in to aid walkers). These lead onto the top of the bank which is heavily overgrown with trees and shrubs, with ditches on both sides. About 100 metres into the walk northwards along this embankment, it opens out with a very steep ditch down into what looks like a quarried area. The Pastscape notes say the ditch was built into bedrock, but this looks like a modern quarry.
The bank carries on for quite a way, and from the road, you can trace its line curving round to a farmhouse in the distance, but the tree roots make it quite difficult to walk. On the opposite side of the road, the bank can be seen extending into the far distance, towards Forcett.
We drove slightly further up the road, and at the road junction for Aldbro and Stanwick, you could see more fortifications heading off into the distance. As usual, it was getting to be dusk by this point and we wanted to find the Roman bridge at Piercebridge, so headed off. Shame most of this Iron Age monument was on private land. It really would have been great to wander along/next to these defences. What a huge area it covers!
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10 |
3 |
| Scots Dyke (Olliver) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
19th Feb 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Scots Dyke (Olliver): From Scots Dyke at Easby, heading back into Richmond, we took the B6274 to Gilling West, turning off to the right to Olliver Cottages. Here, opposite Olliver Cottages, is a small (appears to be public) car park. Walking up the track towards Olliver itself (a large farm and prestigious office premises), after 400 metres, the track turns slightly to the right and goes up a shallow hill, transecting the dyke.
Facing up hi...Scots Dyke (Olliver): From Scots Dyke at Easby, heading back into Richmond, we took the B6274 to Gilling West, turning off to the right to Olliver Cottages. Here, opposite Olliver Cottages, is a small (appears to be public) car park. Walking up the track towards Olliver itself (a large farm and prestigious office premises), after 400 metres, the track turns slightly to the right and goes up a shallow hill, transecting the dyke.
Facing up hill, the dyke the left-hand side dives down a steep hill and is transected by a farm house. Beyond the farm, looking northwards, a smaller section of the dyke can be seen at the field edge. To the right-hand side, the dyke continues for several hundred metres. The ditch is very steep at some points (Pastscape says 7 metres at the northern end). Standing on top of the dyke, looking eastwards, there are great views back to the A1 and beyond.
Looking more closely at the banks, they are made up of medium and large size stones, packed with earth. Under one tree was a small marker and stone - a treasured pet's burial place?
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10 |
2 |
| Scots Dyke (Easby) |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
19th Feb 2017 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Scots Dyke (Easby): Having purchased our map (one of the few we don’t already possess), we headed off eastwards from Richmond, down the minor road passing through Anchorage Hill towards Brompton-on-Swale. Just past St. Nicholas, there is a right hand turn towards Easby. Turning down this road, there is a layby within 20 metres of the junction. With a lovely view south to the River Swale and Easby Abbey, our first sight of the dyke was within a...Scots Dyke (Easby): Having purchased our map (one of the few we don’t already possess), we headed off eastwards from Richmond, down the minor road passing through Anchorage Hill towards Brompton-on-Swale. Just past St. Nicholas, there is a right hand turn towards Easby. Turning down this road, there is a layby within 20 metres of the junction. With a lovely view south to the River Swale and Easby Abbey, our first sight of the dyke was within a few metres west of this layby – an earthwork bounded by relatively young trees.
Having photographed this small section as best I could (the gate was padlocked), I clambered round a tree, avoiding the deep rabbit holes.
There is a second section of the dike across the road, which Pastscape tells us runs for 360 metres south of the Darlington Road to Sandford House (monument 1034723), east of Whitefields Farm. From the layby on the lane leading down to Easby, on the opposite side of the road, a footpath leads to the left of Sandford House, and runs over the top of the dyke for some way. Heading northwards, the bank with its ditch to the east, there is a new build housing site to the west. Not a great ambience. We wondered how many of the new residents would know they were living next to an ancient monument.
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10 |
1 |
| Lowhouse |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Feb 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Lowhouse/Holme Head/Kitchenhill Standing Stone, Penrith, Cumbria: From Newbeggin, heading back up the M6, leaving at junction 41, turning right onto the B5305 and taking the first exit off the roundabout, we headed up the minor road signposted to Calthwaite. Where the road divides at Kitchenhill Farm, we turned right, heading over the railway line, then immediately over the small bridge over the River Petterill. At grid reference NY 49802 34135...Lowhouse/Holme Head/Kitchenhill Standing Stone, Penrith, Cumbria: From Newbeggin, heading back up the M6, leaving at junction 41, turning right onto the B5305 and taking the first exit off the roundabout, we headed up the minor road signposted to Calthwaite. Where the road divides at Kitchenhill Farm, we turned right, heading over the railway line, then immediately over the small bridge over the River Petterill. At grid reference NY 49802 34135 there is a left hand turn on the bend, leading down to a small area of land by the river, used by the farmer for storing hay. There is room here for one car to park at the entrance. We walked back the short distance over the bridge over the river and went to look over the gate into the field. At first, in the gathering dusk, we couldn’t see anything, but then at the far end of the field, sheltered by a large tree, we spotted this huge grey stone.
The field is guarded by a barbed wire topped gate. I don’t like trespassing, but there was nothing in the field, so we let ourselves gingerly in and followed the tractor trail over the grass to the stone. It is huge. I spotted what seemed like other smaller (grey) stones in the base of the red sandstone wall to the right-hand side of the field. Getting closer to the stone, it sits on (what was) a lovely spot (pre railway line), overlooking the gently meandering river below.
Andrew was keen to try and get sight of two other stones in the area (and another I’d spotted travelling south on the M6 on the way down), so we drove to Plumpton, slightly further north, stopping near Plumpton Wall Farm to peer over the fields, but could see nothing. We retraced our route and headed off towards Calthwaite, stopping at the entrance to Hallrigg to peer eastwards over the fields. With the sleet hammering in our faces, Andrew got the binoculars out and spotted a stone next to Calgarth Plantation at grid reference NY 48253 37527. Looking on UK Grid Reference Finder, I couldn’t see any sign of it, although this is an old map on the Modern Antiquarian web site which would be worth investigating.
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9 |
6 |
| Newbeggin Stone Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited (still working on) |
12th Feb 2017 |
|
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Newbiggin Stone Row, near Penrith: See comment on main page. Tried to find. Seen an image of a stone in an enclosure wall but unable to locate. Working on finding exact location and will return! |
9 |
4 |
| Newbeggin Wells |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Feb 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Newbeggin Wells, near Sewborwens Standing Stone: We went originally to try and trace the standing stones, one of which stood in the wall of Rosemary House (we found Rosemary Cottage but not the house) and another which stood in the field behind.
Parking at the side of the road near Rosemary Cottage, opposite Sunbeam Well, we braved the sleet. It was getting to be dusk and cold, and light conditions were really weird. We walked the hundred or so...Newbeggin Wells, near Sewborwens Standing Stone: We went originally to try and trace the standing stones, one of which stood in the wall of Rosemary House (we found Rosemary Cottage but not the house) and another which stood in the field behind.
Parking at the side of the road near Rosemary Cottage, opposite Sunbeam Well, we braved the sleet. It was getting to be dusk and cold, and light conditions were really weird. We walked the hundred or so yards between the two wells, then set off in seach of Holme Head standing stone, before it got dark.
I have since emailed the clerk of Dacre Parish Council to try to find out the location of the above stone, and to seek the landowners’ name, so we can visit.
Wikipedia, and Dacre Parish Council, record that Newbeggin is an ancient village, built on the Putnam Fault, which provides a line of springs running through the village. Neolithic burials have been found on nearby Flusco Pike and there are a number of barrows and cairns and other standing stones in close proximity.
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9 |
5 |
| St. Helen's Well (Newbiggin-on-Lune) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Sep 2016 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
St Helen's Well, Newbeggin-on-Lune, Cumbria: After seeing the Loki Stone at Kirby Steven, we followed the A685 south and west to Newbeggin-on-lune. St Helen’s Well is about 50 metres to the north of the A685 (called Fell Lane at this point). It sits almost at the junction where Chapel Butt Lane splits into two. There is parking for about three cars at this junction.
We initially took the left hand fork, walking down to where a footpath sign...St Helen's Well, Newbeggin-on-Lune, Cumbria: After seeing the Loki Stone at Kirby Steven, we followed the A685 south and west to Newbeggin-on-lune. St Helen’s Well is about 50 metres to the north of the A685 (called Fell Lane at this point). It sits almost at the junction where Chapel Butt Lane splits into two. There is parking for about three cars at this junction.
We initially took the left hand fork, walking down to where a footpath sign pointed right over the field containing the well, just before a field gate. Climbing the small stile, walking over the footbridge, we were confused as to where the well was. We understood this well was supposed to be the source of the River Lune, but there are small streams which run to the north/north east which carried a strong flow of water (there must have been a large amount of rain here recently, as the ground was incredibly boggy with large puddles across the paths, as opposed to being dry where we live). Wading through the puddles through the field gate, there was a large boggy area (complete with bull) which appeared to be the lowest point in the area, and the source of the water flow.
Retracing our steps, we asked a local lady who was walking her dog. Despite having visited this area for 34 years, she hadn’t heard of this well. Walking down the right hand lane, the well can be found by walking down the right hand side of Chapel Butt Lane (heading towards Friar Bottom Lane), with the pool becoming visible just after the first bend.
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6 |
2 |
| Sewborrans Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Feb 2017 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Sewborwens Standing Stone (and outliers), Penrith, Cumbria: From the Skirsgill Standing Stone, we made our way back on the A66, heading westwards (you can only turn left onto this dual carriageway). Turning round at the next roundabout, heading back to Penrith, we took the first left hand turn down the mnor road leading past the golf driving range and Greystoke Pillar (18th century monument to the 11th Duke of Norfolk). About 1.5 kms down this r...Sewborwens Standing Stone (and outliers), Penrith, Cumbria: From the Skirsgill Standing Stone, we made our way back on the A66, heading westwards (you can only turn left onto this dual carriageway). Turning round at the next roundabout, heading back to Penrith, we took the first left hand turn down the mnor road leading past the golf driving range and Greystoke Pillar (18th century monument to the 11th Duke of Norfolk). About 1.5 kms down this road from the A66, there is a barn on the right hand side of the road with a small (muddy) layby next to it. There is a gate into the main field to the east of the barn and the standing stone is visible next to the first fence line to the east.
There was nothing in the field, so we kept to its edge to look at the stone. Before reaching the stone, I spotted two more smaller stones in the hedge line, which looked like part of a row or avenue leading to the stone.
Having photographed the stone, I spotted more large stones against the wire fence. This modern fence has been put on top of what looked like an old (medieval?) stone wall line. There were at least three large boulders, two looking like they had been shaped and with flat bottoms, which had been moved against the old wall to clear the field.
An email to Cumbria County Council provided the information: "there are 2 smaller stones which may be related to the larger stone, beside the hedgerow bordering the B5288 and about 120 metres bearing 280 degrees from the major stone. The southernmost stone is c1.08 metres and the northermost stone is c0.75 metres.” They also added that notes from 1973 tell us: “Thompson records the ‘remnants of a stone sepulchural ring at Sewborrans”, but he doesn’t know what the original source was.
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9 |
2 |
| Skirsgill Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Feb 2017 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Skirsgill Standing Stone, Penrith: Situated in Skirsgill Business Park, just to the west of the southern part of Penrith, we’ve tried visiting this stone before, but never found it.
From Penrith, heading west across the M6 on the A66 towards Ullswater, take the very first turn into the Skirsgill Industrial Estate (easy to drive past, as it has a very short feeder lane into it). Follow the one way system into the industrial estate (note the in...Skirsgill Standing Stone, Penrith: Situated in Skirsgill Business Park, just to the west of the southern part of Penrith, we’ve tried visiting this stone before, but never found it.
From Penrith, heading west across the M6 on the A66 towards Ullswater, take the very first turn into the Skirsgill Industrial Estate (easy to drive past, as it has a very short feeder lane into it). Follow the one way system into the industrial estate (note the intriguing thatched building to your left) and continue straight ahead between the two sets of industrial units. After several hundred metres, you will see a dead end with a gate leading into the field, an CrossFit Cumbria to your left. Parking can be difficult during the week, but plenty of spaces during the weekend. Walk along the dead end road towards the field, with the CrossFit building to your left. The standing stone can be found immediately at the end of this building. Was the building built to accommodate the stone, or has the stone been relocated to form part of its garden?
The face of the stone nearest to the building appears to have been quarried in more recent times, as the face is ‘squared off’. There is some modern grafitti on it.
Not the best of locations, but certainly intriguing! Could only find the Historic England listing – nothing in Pastscape.
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9 |
1 |
| Mossthorn Long Cairn 2 |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
12th Feb 2017 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Long Cairns near Mossthorn Farm, near Sewborwens Standing Stones: From Sewborwens Standing Stone(s), we drove westwards along this minor road, through the roadworks currently there, and parked in the layby outside The Wreay. The first long cairn is visible in the field immediately opposite.
Crossing the road to photograph this site, the wind chill must have been -5 degrees C, with the occasional flake of sleet. The roadworks had churned up...Long Cairns near Mossthorn Farm, near Sewborwens Standing Stones: From Sewborwens Standing Stone(s), we drove westwards along this minor road, through the roadworks currently there, and parked in the layby outside The Wreay. The first long cairn is visible in the field immediately opposite.
Crossing the road to photograph this site, the wind chill must have been -5 degrees C, with the occasional flake of sleet. The roadworks had churned up the grass, so I waded through almost ankle deep mud to the stone wall and got a closer photograph.
We didn’t realise there was a second cairn at grid reference NY 48258 30606 until I checked on the Historic England site.
Given we want to come back and track the standing stones in Newbeggin Village at some point, I’m going to write to the farm to ask permission to walk the fields to see both long cairns at closer quarters.
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9 |
3 |
| West Lordenshaw Main Rock |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jan 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
West Lordenshaw Main Rock, Northumberland: From Channel Rock, we walked back through the hill fort, stopping to admire a possible cairn field and three roundhouses next to the path. Main Rock generally had other visitors around it, but by this time it was starting to get really quite dark and we could spot heavy rain heading to us from across the valley in Rothsbury. I wanted to see both Main Rock and Horseshoe Rock before heading home, but tim...West Lordenshaw Main Rock, Northumberland: From Channel Rock, we walked back through the hill fort, stopping to admire a possible cairn field and three roundhouses next to the path. Main Rock generally had other visitors around it, but by this time it was starting to get really quite dark and we could spot heavy rain heading to us from across the valley in Rothsbury. I wanted to see both Main Rock and Horseshoe Rock before heading home, but time was too short and we only made it to Main Rock before torches would have been needed to see our way back to the car.
Having also visited the Portal site and seen how many other pieces of rock art there are here, I was regretting loss of our GPS last year on a Level 3 survey with the archaeology group – definitely need to replace it!
Needed to use the flash to get any photographs at this point. Some impressive motifs. Would have liked longer (and warmer weather) to sit and study this rock. A repeat visit (with GPS) to Lordenshaw is on my 'must' list!
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| East Lordenshaw Channel Rock |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jan 2017 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Channel Rock, Lordenshaw, Northumberland: At the main Lordenshaw car park, there is a display board with a QR reference which I scanned to get me through to the Newcastle University Rock Art Mobile site. This is the first time I’ve been able to use this, as I had a good mobile signal, and found it great.
Their directions to Channel Rock are: “From the top of the hillfort, facing towards Rothbury down the valley, continue through the hillfort ...Channel Rock, Lordenshaw, Northumberland: At the main Lordenshaw car park, there is a display board with a QR reference which I scanned to get me through to the Newcastle University Rock Art Mobile site. This is the first time I’ve been able to use this, as I had a good mobile signal, and found it great.
Their directions to Channel Rock are: “From the top of the hillfort, facing towards Rothbury down the valley, continue through the hillfort to your right. At the waymarked hillfort exit (65m) follow the left hand path. When you reach another waymarker (135m) turn off the path to the right, down the slope. You should see an expanse of white rocks straight ahead (70m).”
We carried on northwards through the hillfort, dropping down the slope to the north, past a waymarker, then headed right. At first difficult to find, as the light grey/whiteish Channel Rock sits within a rocky landscape, once spotted, its easy to identify and sits right on the edge of the hill; the cup marks and channel can be clearly seen.
Nearby is an impressive undercut rock, rounded by water. Brilliant site, sitting well below the crest of the hill/hillfort.
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8 |
2 |
| Lordenshaw Hillfort |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jan 2017 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Lordenshaw Hillfort, Northumberland: after an abortive trip to the Five Kings stone row, via Tosson Tower Bastle/Tower House, we parked at the main Lordenshaw's car park and headed northwards up the hill towards the hillfort. It was almost 3pm on new year's day and dusk was starting to fall, together with a biting wind and sleet flurries. We've been here before with our daughter and son-in-law on a glorious (but still windy) autumn afternoon, b...Lordenshaw Hillfort, Northumberland: after an abortive trip to the Five Kings stone row, via Tosson Tower Bastle/Tower House, we parked at the main Lordenshaw's car park and headed northwards up the hill towards the hillfort. It was almost 3pm on new year's day and dusk was starting to fall, together with a biting wind and sleet flurries. We've been here before with our daughter and son-in-law on a glorious (but still windy) autumn afternoon, but didn't take any photographs at the time. Wanting to see Channel Rock and other rock art before darkness fell, we didn't linger too long in the hillfort. The defensive banks and ditches are still remarkably clear and the views, particularly down to Rothsbury were great. On the way back from Channel Rock, to the north west of the hillfort, I spotted what looked like cairns. There was an old boundary feature and in the interior of the hillfort, following the pathway to Main Rock, we spotted the stone ring bases of three round houses. Would love to go back on a warm summer's evening!
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8 |
1 |
| Five Kings |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Northumberland |
Couldn't find |
1st Jan 2017 |
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3 |
Five Kings, near Grasslees, Northumberland: The easiest access looked as if it was from the footpath near Ovenstone Plantation off the B6341, just past Grasslees. Parking off the road at the entrance to the footpath, we headed off up the track - easy walking at this stage. 100 metres up the track there was a gate/stile with two display boards. Neither bore any similarity to each other, or to the OS map. We had intended walking up the footpath...Five Kings, near Grasslees, Northumberland: The easiest access looked as if it was from the footpath near Ovenstone Plantation off the B6341, just past Grasslees. Parking off the road at the entrance to the footpath, we headed off up the track - easy walking at this stage. 100 metres up the track there was a gate/stile with two display boards. Neither bore any similarity to each other, or to the OS map. We had intended walking up the footpath to its fork, 100 metres further up, then take the right hand fork following the stone wall up past The Long Chirn and Woodhouses to the Five Kings. Sadly (presumably being military land) this part of the footpath no longer exists and the walking was difficult (very tussocky, marshy ground). When the heavens opened (despite the weather forecast saying it would be fine!), we contemplated finding a second footpath through Dueshill Farm but it would be dark by the time we reached the stone row, so we decided to go somewhere else and headed back to the car and try another route on a better day. I was so disappointed, as this was a stone row I'd loved to have seen, but the Tosson Tower and Lordenshaw had to suffice for this afternoon.
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| Hollin Stump Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Sep 2016 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Hollin Stump Cairn, Gaythorp Plain, Cumbria: From St Helen's Well at Great Asby, we headed south south west, following the single track road to ASby Winderwath Common, were the metalled carriageway turned west across Gaythorne Plain. We parked by the cattle grid on opposite Linglow Hill, where a dog walker had taken up much of the dry parking area and was waiting for his 2 lively terriers to wear themselves out tearing across the grass.
We hadn...Hollin Stump Cairn, Gaythorp Plain, Cumbria: From St Helen's Well at Great Asby, we headed south south west, following the single track road to ASby Winderwath Common, were the metalled carriageway turned west across Gaythorne Plain. We parked by the cattle grid on opposite Linglow Hill, where a dog walker had taken up much of the dry parking area and was waiting for his 2 lively terriers to wear themselves out tearing across the grass.
We hadn’t spotted a gateway into the field containing Hollin Stump Cairn from the road, so followed the bridlepath south. There was a gate into the field about a quarter mile from the road, but there was a herd of large cows (and a bull) surrounding the cairn, so we only go to view this from a distance.
We carried along the bridlwway to find the Gaythorn Plain Ring Cairn/Stone Row (not sure we found it, need to process the photos). The latter was visit 7/5 (not yet logged).
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6 |
4 |
| St Hilda (Ellerburn) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
1st Oct 2016 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross parts at St. Hilda's Church, Ellerburn, North Yorkshire: From Black Howe, with the light rapidly fading, we decided to go to St Hilda’s in Ellerburn. The Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture has added York and East Yorkshire to their catalogue, and I was able to pull all up the Ellerburn pages on my phone prior to visiting. Sadly, there was no signal in the village so it wasn't possible to view them whilst at the location.
...Anglo Saxon Cross parts at St. Hilda's Church, Ellerburn, North Yorkshire: From Black Howe, with the light rapidly fading, we decided to go to St Hilda’s in Ellerburn. The Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture has added York and East Yorkshire to their catalogue, and I was able to pull all up the Ellerburn pages on my phone prior to visiting. Sadly, there was no signal in the village so it wasn't possible to view them whilst at the location.
Ellerburn is a very pretty hamlet and the church of St Hilda’s looks like an old manor house that has been converted into a church. Pulling into the layby by the church, there were signs asking for a £3 parking fee (but free if visiting the church).
Entering the churchyard through a lych gate, three sheep were cropping the grass. A stile led from near the path into the churchyard (the gate was padlocked) – to be used at your own risk, the sign said. Sadly, the church was already locked up when we arrived (well it was 6pm) so we missed the stones inside. However, we were able to wander round and pick out the cross parts built into the walls.
The Corpus lists nine stones, 9a and 9b of which are the edges of two hog-back tombs. We wandered up the pretty little stream running opposite the church. A noisy campsite at the farm opposite spoiled the peace of the hamlet, but it was still very pretty and worth visiting.
Wandering around the graveyard, I spotted the grave of Isaac Newton and his wife Mary (no, not the famous one, but still made me smile).
Note: the church site says the church is only open between 10am and 4pm each day.
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7 |
5 |
| St Helen's Well (Great Asby) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Sep 2016 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Helen's Well, Great Asby, Cumbria: This was our third stop of the day. From (confusingly) St Helen’s Well at Newbeggin-on-Lune, we took a right hand turn back onto the A685 then the next turn right taking the minor road between Crosby Garrett Fell and Ravenstone Moor. Turning right at the T-junction at Middle Bank, we followed the road through Little Asby to Great Asby. We parked next to the little alms cottage about 20 metres to the north w...St Helen's Well, Great Asby, Cumbria: This was our third stop of the day. From (confusingly) St Helen’s Well at Newbeggin-on-Lune, we took a right hand turn back onto the A685 then the next turn right taking the minor road between Crosby Garrett Fell and Ravenstone Moor. Turning right at the T-junction at Middle Bank, we followed the road through Little Asby to Great Asby. We parked next to the little alms cottage about 20 metres to the north west of this well. At first, all I could see was a modern stone wall with some horribly concrete shapes on it’s top, with the Asby Beck beyond. Walking towards the modern stone wall, a huge rush of water could be seen running into the beck, coming from no apart source—just straight out of the ground.
The well itself has a square pool into which water emerges. As we watched, the flow of water was sufficient to move the sand forming the base. Most intriguing.
With a village this old, we decided to investigate the local church, St. Peter’s. The modern building is of no great age, although the ‘short account’ of the church says that the site may have been used from the 7th century onwards (as Peter was a common dedication from this time on).
The Pastscape record for this well says this well "was formerly seated round and of great repute for the medicinal properties of its waters. Consists of a deep pool, approximately 4.0m square, contained by a stone wall, with a drain-off channel at its eastern corner. It is not apparent whether the pool is fed by a natural spring or a piped supply, as the point of issue is below water level. A modern wall partially surrounds the well. "
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6 |
3 |
| Black Howe (Rawcliffe) |
Cairn |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
1st Oct 2016 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Black Howe round barrow, west of Newton-on-Rawcliffe, North Yorkshire: Just 800 metres from Rawcliffe Howe, travelling east along Rawcliffe Road, Black Howe round barrow can be found.
There is a small layby (which says no parking) but was large enough for several cars, so we parked and hopped out to look.
The barrow was visible as a mound through the bracken, but the farmer had blocked the entrance to the field with harvesting machinery, so it...Black Howe round barrow, west of Newton-on-Rawcliffe, North Yorkshire: Just 800 metres from Rawcliffe Howe, travelling east along Rawcliffe Road, Black Howe round barrow can be found.
There is a small layby (which says no parking) but was large enough for several cars, so we parked and hopped out to look.
The barrow was visible as a mound through the bracken, but the farmer had blocked the entrance to the field with harvesting machinery, so it was not possible to access the site to see the barrow from the other side (sadly). There were great views across the Pickering valley.
The only information I can (currently) find out about this barrow is from the Ancient Monuments website, which says: "Traces of an earthwork were noted in the field west of Black Howe in 1949. Field investigation in 1974 found no trace of the feature, the field under pasture", although there is a clear, bracken covered mound at the edge of the field.
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7 |
4 |
| Rawcliffe Howe |
Cairn |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
1st Oct 2016 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
Rawcliffe Howe, south of Stape Village, North Yorkshire: No entry exists for Rawcliffe Howe on the ADS, but does on Historic England. From Old Wives’ Well, driving southwards back down through the Village of Stape, we came to a four way cross-roads. Parking in a small layby just as we turned into Low Moor Road, where on the opposite side of the road a footpath runs through the wood leading to Rawcliffe Banks. I used the photographs from the mob...Rawcliffe Howe, south of Stape Village, North Yorkshire: No entry exists for Rawcliffe Howe on the ADS, but does on Historic England. From Old Wives’ Well, driving southwards back down through the Village of Stape, we came to a four way cross-roads. Parking in a small layby just as we turned into Low Moor Road, where on the opposite side of the road a footpath runs through the wood leading to Rawcliffe Banks. I used the photographs from the mobile Portal site to help locate this.
This round barrow sits right on the edge of the road opposite the entrance to Low Moor Road and has clearly been cut through by the road. Trying to photograph it was very tricky as the rally cars were coming in groups thick and fast, and at one point I jumped further onto the verge to avoid a car that nearly missed the turning!
We managed to get photographs from various angles, although if I hadn’t known this was a site from the Portal would have missed it entirely.
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7 |
3 |
| Old Wives' Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
1st Oct 2016 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Old Wives' Well, just south of Mauley Cross, near Stape, North Yorkshire: With this well only 223 metres south of the Mauley Cross, we decided to walk down the narrow metalled road ((Keys Beck Road) to the well. Again, Chrispy’s directions were spot on. This time, the rally cars were back, appearing every minute or so and we had to ensure we were visible to the drivers at all times (sometimes difficult with the bracken at the sides of the road ...Old Wives' Well, just south of Mauley Cross, near Stape, North Yorkshire: With this well only 223 metres south of the Mauley Cross, we decided to walk down the narrow metalled road ((Keys Beck Road) to the well. Again, Chrispy’s directions were spot on. This time, the rally cars were back, appearing every minute or so and we had to ensure we were visible to the drivers at all times (sometimes difficult with the bracken at the sides of the road being so high). Walking southwards back down towards Stape Village, reaching the first passing place on the left hand side of the road, a small track leads through the grass. About 20-30 metres into the wood we glimpsed a wooden rail which partially surrounds the well, then the well itself came into site.
With a simple stone built ‘hood’ over it, into which there is writing carved into the lintel, this is a very enigmatic spot. The well basin was full of water and a small tickle cut its way through the peat floor of the wood, heading south west down hill towards the road.
There were plenty of old ribbons and scarves (even a sock!) tied to the trees around the well.
According to the Pastscape Record for this monument, number 60532, the lettering on the lintel reads: "Nattie Fonten L M Natalis" (Roman governor of 3 provinces 120AD).
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7 |
2 |
| Mauley Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
1st Oct 2016 |
|
|
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Mauley Cross, north of Stape, North Yorkshire: Chrispy's directions were spot on - thanks! Trust us to arrive on the day of a rally, with all the cars coming in the opposite direction. Being off-stage, they needed to stick to the speed limit and we found ourselves constantly pulling in to passing places. It was fun to see the different cars.
Arriving at the junction of the metalled road (Keys Beck Road) which runs north through Stape then up o...Mauley Cross, north of Stape, North Yorkshire: Chrispy's directions were spot on - thanks! Trust us to arrive on the day of a rally, with all the cars coming in the opposite direction. Being off-stage, they needed to stick to the speed limit and we found ourselves constantly pulling in to passing places. It was fun to see the different cars.
Arriving at the junction of the metalled road (Keys Beck Road) which runs north through Stape then up over the moors and the forest track (Brown Howe Road) we came across ‘road closed 1st October 2016 due to the Trackrod Rally). There were some marshalls sitting at the wide entrance to this forest track, so we parked between their cars and wandered 50 metres or so up the track to find this cross, making sure to avoid the rally cars which zoomed down every minute or so. After a few minutes a doctor's car zoomed up the track past us and we took advantage of a lull in the stream of cars (there must have been an accident - hope everyone was OK).
Sitting a couple of metres off the forest track, the grass around the cross has been cleared and a couple of tributes sit at its base.
There are two Mauley Crosses listed on the ADS database, the second being just east of Saltergate (this is a similar cross, made out of one piece of sandstone, forming a boundary marker between the parishes of Allerston and Lockton at grid reference SE86679493.
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7 |
1 |
| Thunder Stone (Shap) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Jul 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Return visit 5th July 2014: We recently obtained the farmer's permission to walk across the fields to look at any of the Shap Row Stones on his land. Having woken up after a night of heavy, heavy rain to grey skies, we hopped in the car and went over to the Lake District, where the forecast was much better, having spent half an hour researching the exact position of the stones near Shap Village from a map the Shap Local History Society website ...Return visit 5th July 2014: We recently obtained the farmer's permission to walk across the fields to look at any of the Shap Row Stones on his land. Having woken up after a night of heavy, heavy rain to grey skies, we hopped in the car and went over to the Lake District, where the forecast was much better, having spent half an hour researching the exact position of the stones near Shap Village from a map the Shap Local History Society website (well worth a visit to get further information).
The Thunder Stone field was commanded (literally!) by a young bull who was very protective of his cows and calves, and made a move for us the minute we opened the gate, so we backed off (the farmer did warn us he had a bull in the field, but some bulls can be quite placid if kept at a distance). Having come all this way, I didn't want to go away without a picture, so walked up the farm track in front of High Buildings Farm House and round the back of the barns, to get a photograph from the gate to the field.
There is a smaller stone within this same field, so when we go back to Shap in the autumn, once the undergrowth has died back more), we'll visit again to get some more photographs.
First visit 28th June 2014: We went to have a look at some of the stones in Shap Stone Row, but found it almost impossible to park on the very narrow lanes around Keld. I was curious to see The Thunder Stone, and we managed to squeeze our car into the road junction leading down to Shap Abbey and walked back to look at the stone. It lies within a private field, and a clear view was difficult. I have since written to the landowner to ask for permission to get into the field to take photographs, so I'll see what comes back. There is a footpath along the far edge of the field the stone is in, but this leads away from the stone, so this was the closest we could get for now.
The stone is a little difficult to make out in the photograph I've submitted, as there was a lot of farming 'clutter' around the stone.
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| Dreva Craig |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
10th Aug 2016 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Dreva Craig, hillfort and settlements, Scottish borders: OK, so it rained last year on my birthday. This year, the rain was equally as torrential, so we hopped from site to site. This was our last stop of the day, after (trying to visit) Tinnis Castle/Hillfort and Altarstone. There is a parking space for one or two cars next to the gate to the field, and a stile over the fence, although it proved easier to open the gate. Tramping through the ...Dreva Craig, hillfort and settlements, Scottish borders: OK, so it rained last year on my birthday. This year, the rain was equally as torrential, so we hopped from site to site. This was our last stop of the day, after (trying to visit) Tinnis Castle/Hillfort and Altarstone. There is a parking space for one or two cars next to the gate to the field, and a stile over the fence, although it proved easier to open the gate. Tramping through the knee high undergrowth, it was easy to reach the rocky outcrop on the ridge leading to the fort itself, but the surface of the rock was so wet it was quite treacherous. Husband would have been happy to continue, but I wimped out when I spotted the huge bull 50 yards away, opting to take a few photographs and retreat to the warmth (and safety) of the car. We plan to come back to this area when the weather is drier. This really looks like a fascinating site, with lumps and bumps on both sides of this minor road. The Canmore record tells me that there is a fort (photographed), defended by two stone walls, alongside three settlements. Had the sun been out, there would have been really fantastic views down to the River Tweed to the south.
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5 |
5 |
| Altar Stone, Stobo |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
10th Aug 2016 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Altar Stone, near Stobo, Scottish Borders: This stone is clearly marked on the map and features on the Portal, but I can find out nothing about it on Canmore or other web sites.
From Tinnis Castle, driving up the B712 through Drumelzier and Drumelzier Haugh, just past Dawyck Botanic Garden, a small road turns sharp left up through a hamlet called ‘Altarstone’. Opposite the farmhouse, hidden beneath tree branches at the edge of the road is the...Altar Stone, near Stobo, Scottish Borders: This stone is clearly marked on the map and features on the Portal, but I can find out nothing about it on Canmore or other web sites.
From Tinnis Castle, driving up the B712 through Drumelzier and Drumelzier Haugh, just past Dawyck Botanic Garden, a small road turns sharp left up through a hamlet called ‘Altarstone’. Opposite the farmhouse, hidden beneath tree branches at the edge of the road is the altar stone Intriguing Need to find out more about this.
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5 |
4 |
| Menzion |
Standing Stones |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
10th Aug 2016 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Menzion Stones, Tweedsmuir: I confess to being really confused about this site (not too difficult, really!). Whilst the map showed three standing stones in close proximity at the sides of the road (2 at the western side, 1 on the eastern side) we could only find 2, one on either side of the road. Of the photos on the Portal, we couldn’t find the square topped one. Somehow we’d managed to misplace our GPS, so I felt a bit helpless and frustrate...Menzion Stones, Tweedsmuir: I confess to being really confused about this site (not too difficult, really!). Whilst the map showed three standing stones in close proximity at the sides of the road (2 at the western side, 1 on the eastern side) we could only find 2, one on either side of the road. Of the photos on the Portal, we couldn’t find the square topped one. Somehow we’d managed to misplace our GPS, so I felt a bit helpless and frustrated at having driven all this way and missed some of what we’d come to see.
According to the Canmore site, the grid references are NT 0952 2397, NT 0949 2398, NT 0953 2399. Getting out of the car into the ‘Scotch Mist’, I walked up and down the grass verges, peering into the tall undergrowth, for a couple of hundred yards trying to find the location of the third stone. We saw the stones at NT 0952 2397 and NT 0949 2398. The latter was almost hidden by a long, low conifer branch.
Had the sun been out, there would have been great views down to the River Tween to the north-west.
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5 |
2 |
| Dyke Row |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
10th Aug 2016 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
Dyke Row or Three Stanes, Moffat: I have driven this road many times before, but never noticed these three stones at the side of the road. Having come off the A74(M) onto the A701 travelling towards Moffat, travelling at the speed limit of 60 mph, they are difficult to see. The traffic was too heavy and fast to park at the road side, so finding a space for one car at the road junction to Dyke Farm (grid reference NT 08311 03653) we pulled on ou...Dyke Row or Three Stanes, Moffat: I have driven this road many times before, but never noticed these three stones at the side of the road. Having come off the A74(M) onto the A701 travelling towards Moffat, travelling at the speed limit of 60 mph, they are difficult to see. The traffic was too heavy and fast to park at the road side, so finding a space for one car at the road junction to Dyke Farm (grid reference NT 08311 03653) we pulled on our anoraks and headed northwards up the A701. Whilst I’ve been to see many standing stones, this is the first time I felt my life was in danger whilst trying to view them. Timber lorries hurtled along the road in the heavy rain in quick succession. To avoid the spray and protect my camera, I had to turn my back to the road and step onto the grass verge as far away from the road as I could go. A quick run across the road to the stones meant taking my life in my hands to avoid the constant stream of cars, lorries and trucks.
The smallest, northern-most stone was completely hidden by the undergrowth, but we gently bent this out of the way to photograph it, then replaced the shrubbery and nettles back over the stones.
According to the Canmore record: "These standing stones are on a straight alignment NNE - SSW. The southernmost measures 1.0m x 0.8m x 1.2m high, is oriented ENE - WSW, and has an O S bench mark cut on its W face. The next measures 0.8m x 0.6m x 1.0m high, and is oriented NNE - SSW. The most northerly measures 0.8m x 0.4m x 0.7m high and is oriented ENE - WSW. The construction of the nearby roads would have destroyed any possible related structures."
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5 |
1 |
| Whiteholme Rig |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
31st Jul 2016 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
Seven Brethren Stone Circle, near Lockerbie: I was surprised to find this was so near where we used to live at Corrie. But when we lived here, with three young children, we didn't have the same interests as we do now, so (although the kids say we traumatised them by taking them to so many monuments) we never visited. We parked by the gate to the disused quarry near Standburn farm, hopped over the gate and followed the track up to Whiteholm Rigg....Seven Brethren Stone Circle, near Lockerbie: I was surprised to find this was so near where we used to live at Corrie. But when we lived here, with three young children, we didn't have the same interests as we do now, so (although the kids say we traumatised them by taking them to so many monuments) we never visited. We parked by the gate to the disused quarry near Standburn farm, hopped over the gate and followed the track up to Whiteholm Rigg. At present, along the top of this low ridge, a row of trees follows the trackway. Right at the end, motorway barriers have been erected to form a large, robust enclosure, gated at both ends, which looks as if it's used as a stock enclosure. Beyond the gate at the eastern end, cows and their calves grazed in the lush grass on the hillside below. Walking along the edge of the field, small toppled stones could be seen in the grass, which had been left to grow long and untended around the stones, but mown in the area beyond. Walking around the tussocks we spotted the remains of 6 stones, but how unimpressive this site is. If we hadn't have known that this was a stone circle, we would have thought these were just a few outcrops in the grass. Such a shame.
A funny (now) moment occurred at the end of our visit. Going back to clamber over the gates into the enclosure, the bulls in the field (of which there were several, excitable!) came to investigate. One stood pawing the ground with its front hoof. Husband climbed the 8 ft tall motorway barrier, which left me stuck in the stone circle field. However, husband managed to distract the cattle whilst I climbed over two gates to get back to safety!
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4 |
3 |
| Burnswark Hill Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
31st Jul 2016 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Cairn at Burnswark Hill, near Ecclefechan: After walking around the hill fort, we spotted this cairn on the next hill top to the north east and followed the tracks over. There were great views down to the Roman fortifications on the north western side of the fort. Whilst Romans usually leave me cold, the juxtaposition between the hillfort, the fortifications and the cairn, together with the views of the Solway Firth, Criffel and Helvelyn in the...Cairn at Burnswark Hill, near Ecclefechan: After walking around the hill fort, we spotted this cairn on the next hill top to the north east and followed the tracks over. There were great views down to the Roman fortifications on the north western side of the fort. Whilst Romans usually leave me cold, the juxtaposition between the hillfort, the fortifications and the cairn, together with the views of the Solway Firth, Criffel and Helvelyn in the Lake District beyond, were stunning. A great afternoon, and well worth the visit.
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4 |
2 |
| Burnswark Hillfort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
31st Jul 2016 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Burnswark Hill Fort, Dumfries & Galloway: A week of being stuck in the house contemplating on, and preparing for, the building work to come I was glad to escape the house for a walk in open countryside with few people around. Considering we’ve lived in this area for 10 years, we never visited this impressive and enigmatic hill fort. It was as good as (if not better than) Edlingham Castle, and in my view, more interesting. There was such a lot t...Burnswark Hill Fort, Dumfries & Galloway: A week of being stuck in the house contemplating on, and preparing for, the building work to come I was glad to escape the house for a walk in open countryside with few people around. Considering we’ve lived in this area for 10 years, we never visited this impressive and enigmatic hill fort. It was as good as (if not better than) Edlingham Castle, and in my view, more interesting. There was such a lot to see. Exiting the A74(M) at Ecclefechan, we headed off up the narrow one track rock up past farms called ‘Paulsland’ and ‘Relief’. There is a small parking area just before the gate to Burnwark Farm at grid reference NY 18788 78332. We then plunged into the darkness through a track through the forest, to emerge onto a grassy hillside filled with large sheep. It was strange and nice to make the transition from English ‘stick to the footpaths’ to the Scottish ‘responsible right to roam’; different rules for only a few miles apart.
From the forest track, a trackway follows the hillside upwards to the hillfort. The first things to come into views were ‘the three bretheren’, which we took to be burial mounds surrounded by ditches, although the Canmore record below describes them as possible Roman artillery positions for attacking the fort.
On top of the plateau, there were huge views around 360 degrees, including the sun shining off the Solway Firth. Neither Andrew or I have ever been at a point where it’s been possible to see both Criffel and the Lake District (Helvelyn was the tallest peak) at the same time. There are also the grassed over remains of structures, although I found it impossible to interpret what they were.
Having walked over to the north-western side of the fort to see the Roman fortifications below, we made our way over to the nearby cairn on the next hilltop.
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4 |
1 |
| Edlingham Anglo Saxon Cross Bases |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
23rd Jul 2016 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Edlingham Anglo Saxon Cross Bases, Northumberland: We went to visit Edlingham Castle/Fortified Manor House nearby, not expecting to find this charming (but very squat) 11th century church (St John The Baptist). As we approached, I spotted the Anglo Saxon cross bases by the south porch, although nothing is said about these in the church guide. According to the Northumberland HER record, there is also supposed to be the remains of an 8th century c...Edlingham Anglo Saxon Cross Bases, Northumberland: We went to visit Edlingham Castle/Fortified Manor House nearby, not expecting to find this charming (but very squat) 11th century church (St John The Baptist). As we approached, I spotted the Anglo Saxon cross bases by the south porch, although nothing is said about these in the church guide. According to the Northumberland HER record, there is also supposed to be the remains of an 8th century cross shaft in the north east corner of the nave, although we didn't spot this during our visit (but is recorded on the AS Corpus).
The location of this church is charming. Within a couple of hundred yards there is the ruined castle, with a wonderful example of a trilobe joggled lintel above the fireplace in the Solar Tower. Beyond is a viaduct from the now dismantled railway. Within easy walking distance is the cup and ring/rune marked rock at Lemmington Wood and the rock shelter at Corby Crags.
Following our visit to the church and castle, we walked to Noah's Well at the eastern end of the village, just outside Demesne.
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| Clifton Stones |
Standing Stones |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
3rd Jul 2016 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Clifton Stones, near Penrith, Cumbria: These standing stones are only a short distance from Trainford Brow Long Barrow. There is a side road opposite Mount Clifton farm which allows for parking of one car on the grass verge. It was interesting crossing the A6 as cars sped along in both directions; however, sight lines were good. We followed the footpath through Mount Clifton farm (heavily mired with fresh cow dung). This path was gated, as th...Clifton Stones, near Penrith, Cumbria: These standing stones are only a short distance from Trainford Brow Long Barrow. There is a side road opposite Mount Clifton farm which allows for parking of one car on the grass verge. It was interesting crossing the A6 as cars sped along in both directions; however, sight lines were good. We followed the footpath through Mount Clifton farm (heavily mired with fresh cow dung). This path was gated, as they had a huge (but placid) bull in the barn yard with his ladies. The mire gave onto a tarmacked pathway leading to Tinkler’s Lane Bridge over the M6. It was then easy walking down to the field containing these two standing stones.
With a brilliant view of the North Pennines to the east and the Lake District (complete with notch in the hills) to the west, these stones sit next to the very busy M6 with a view of Penrith to the north. Because of the acoustics on the day, the traffic noise was a distant buzz in the background.
I was a little disappointed as the smaller stone had obviously fallen over in the past and been cemented into the ground.
After enjoying the ambience for a while, we tried to see the Cairn Circle at Leacet Plantation. The first forest track we tried had a Lowther Forestry working locking the gate. We then tried at Chatburn Kennels and Cattery, but the fields were cropped and walking through them heavy going. Being late in the day we decided to retreat to go and see the Countess Pillar then home. We got beeped at by the owners of the kennels who had come down to dump their rubbish exactly where we had parked the car.
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3 |
2 |
| Mare and Foal |
Standing Stones |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
18th Jun 2016 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Mare & Foal (2nd visit). We had been up at nearby Edges Green for a geology field day (afternoon) as part of the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group and had the pleasure of taking one of the members of the group (well known to the Portal, but I don't want to give his name here as I've not asked his permission) up to this small but brilliantly placed stone circle. Parking by the side of the minor road off the Military Road, we went throu...Mare & Foal (2nd visit). We had been up at nearby Edges Green for a geology field day (afternoon) as part of the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group and had the pleasure of taking one of the members of the group (well known to the Portal, but I don't want to give his name here as I've not asked his permission) up to this small but brilliantly placed stone circle. Parking by the side of the minor road off the Military Road, we went through the gate in the field this time (as opposed to clambering over the wooden fence by the road). The ground was really tussocky and walking was difficult for the first 100 yards or so, having to balance on each one to take a step. Andrew and our guest marched off as if it was level ground, and I felt envious! Whilst there isn't a footpath up to this site, it looked as if other people had also recently walked this way.
Coming up to the Mare and Foal from the north-west the stones clearly sat on a raised bank. In the early evening light, it looked very inviting. Closer up, we could see the area around it had been heavily quarried in a number of areas and it looked as if the stones might have been re-erected judging by the packing around them. Standing just south of the smaller stone, looking north up to Cawfields Gap and the Hadrian's Wall ridge, there is a third, smaller stone buried deep in the grass.
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| Midstead 1 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th May 2016 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
After visiting Jenny's Lantern Hill fort and settlement and Midstead 2 and 3 to the west, we walked eastwards along the top of the crag to find the rock art we'd failed to find on our first trip in 2014. Thank goodness for GPS otherwise we never would have found these. The ground in this rocky field had obviously been very wet at some time in the recent past and been home to some large cattle. Not having rained for some time the ground had har...After visiting Jenny's Lantern Hill fort and settlement and Midstead 2 and 3 to the west, we walked eastwards along the top of the crag to find the rock art we'd failed to find on our first trip in 2014. Thank goodness for GPS otherwise we never would have found these. The ground in this rocky field had obviously been very wet at some time in the recent past and been home to some large cattle. Not having rained for some time the ground had hardened, making walking over the tussocks difficult. This stone is the most impressive on the hillside with numerous motifs. Well worth seeing. I'm glad we returned. About 3 metres to the south west of this stone we found another with a cup mark at grid reference NU 12424 15448. Having been sent the HER records for Jenny's Lantern, the Historic England map for this entry (1008839) shows a homestead just above the site of this stone - not marked on the OS maps and not clear on the ground (although not being aware it was there we didn't hunt around).
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1 |
5 |
| Midstead 3 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th May 2016 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Midstead 3, Rock Art near Edlingham, Northumberland: Also see visit report for Jenny's Lantern Hill Fort and Settlement, Midstead 1 and Midstead 2. This stone is about 3 metres to the west of Midstead 2, although the cups are more difficult to spot. Beautiful views over the Aln Valley and to the listening/radar station at Cloudy Crags across the valley. |
1 |
4 |
| Midstead 2 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th May 2016 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Midstead 2, Rock Art near Edlingham, Northumberland: Having visited Jenny's Lantern Hill Fort and Settlement, we headed back east with the GPS to find the rock art stones we'd failed to find on our visit back in 2014 (our first trip out to find rock art, without a GPS). This rock sits right on the edge of the crag with great views over the Aln Valley below. The cup marks are a little difficult to spot until your eyes adjust to the lumps and bum...Midstead 2, Rock Art near Edlingham, Northumberland: Having visited Jenny's Lantern Hill Fort and Settlement, we headed back east with the GPS to find the rock art stones we'd failed to find on our visit back in 2014 (our first trip out to find rock art, without a GPS). This rock sits right on the edge of the crag with great views over the Aln Valley below. The cup marks are a little difficult to spot until your eyes adjust to the lumps and bumps on the rock. The cups are inter-disbursed with natural hollows. There are some cup marks on the vertical face of the rock although it was difficult to get too close because of the 'killer' brambles. Note to self: take garden shears/machete on next visit!
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| Jenny's Lantern |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th May 2016 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
From the Lemmington Wood rock art/rune stone, we carried along on the minor roads headings towards the tiny village of Bolton, having gone through the somewhat exciting ford over the River Aln between Abberwick and Bolton Mills, then carried on past Jenny's Lantern Hill to Jenny's Lantern. Despite not having rained for a while, this ford was a lot deeper than it looked!
This site was one of the first we visited at the time we (I) signed up for...From the Lemmington Wood rock art/rune stone, we carried along on the minor roads headings towards the tiny village of Bolton, having gone through the somewhat exciting ford over the River Aln between Abberwick and Bolton Mills, then carried on past Jenny's Lantern Hill to Jenny's Lantern. Despite not having rained for a while, this ford was a lot deeper than it looked!
This site was one of the first we visited at the time we (I) signed up for the Portal. Having tried to find the Midstead Rock Art stones without a GPS, but with many stony outcrops on the hill, we failed, meaning to go back but haven’t until now.
Just east of this hillfort is also a Romano-British settlement, which also includes the remains of an Iron Age defended settlement, with a number of visible hut circles, recorded as HER 4379. The whole site is complex and even with the HER and Historic England records, it is quite difficult to unpick on the ground.
The outer banks and ditches are well preserved. From the road, it’s not easy to see the oval fort at all. There is room for a small car in the gateway to a field to the south, at grid reference NU 12433 15229, overlooking the observatory/listening station at Cloudy Crags to the south east. From the gate in the field opposite, follow the track up the hill then head west almost the field, boundary. On the way to the hillfort you will cross the low banks and ditches of a separate Romano-British settlement. Crossing a stone bank, you will see the eastern outer banks and ditches of the hillfort rising up against the skyline.
The actual Jenny’ Lantern, recorded as HER record 20729 (probably an 18th century’ eye-catcher’ folly) stands north east at the brow of the hill.
The hill fort and settlement sit below the brow of the hill, but there are superb views across to the Aln Valley to the south and west. I'd feel safe living here if I lived in days gone by.
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| Lemmington Wood |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th May 2016 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Lemmington Wood Rock Art/Rune Stone, Northumberland: We'd been told about this rock by a member of the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group who is renowned for visiting many and various rock art sites in Northumberland.
From the A1 North, we turned up on the A697 and drove the almost 16 miles to Edlingham (not to be confused with the nearby village of Eglingham to the north). We arrived in this quiet spot to the sound of a cuckoo in th...Lemmington Wood Rock Art/Rune Stone, Northumberland: We'd been told about this rock by a member of the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group who is renowned for visiting many and various rock art sites in Northumberland.
From the A1 North, we turned up on the A697 and drove the almost 16 miles to Edlingham (not to be confused with the nearby village of Eglingham to the north). We arrived in this quiet spot to the sound of a cuckoo in the fields nearby – a sound rarely heard up here these days. Just north of Corby’s Crags, an impressive settlement and rock shelter to the right hand side of the road, there is a turn to the left leading to Lemmington Hall. Just as this side road turns off, there is a small parking area and a memorial bench which looks out over to Edlingham Burn and the Aln Valley.
Whilst these are marked as private woods, there are three trails leading from the entrance gate to the wood. Various signposts say “No Bikes” but doesn’t discourage walkers. The ERA record (see below) says there is open access to this stone. These woods have obviously been decimated by the storms over Christmas and New Year and there are fallen trunks and branches everywhere. The trunks blocking the pathways have largely been chain-sawed to allow access.
A GPS is really needed to find this rock, which sits on the top of a slope, which, if the trees hadn’t been there, would have given great views over the valley beyond. The rock is really hidden in a dip and surrounded by conifers so is difficult to spot.
Someone had been there recently and scrapped off the moss in order to see the rock art and runes more clearly. This was good for us, but not so great for the preservation of these features.
According to the HER records (HER 4471), the runes were only found in 1991 by Ian and Irene Hewitt as they prepared the rock for wax rubbing and photography. The runes and rock art are on the edge and upper face of a 6ft outcrop. Described on the England’s Rock Art site ERA 579.
There is clear evidence on the stone of attempts to quarry it, so what else might have been on a more complete rock?
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1 |
| Brecken Hills |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
10th Apr 2016 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Revisit to Blue Crags (Brecken Hills) Hillfort: The last time we visited this site we had to stop at the gate to the field on the Colwell Village side of the site, admiring the outcrop/settlement from a distance. My memory sees at least 3 enormous bulls, feet planted wide, staring at us, daring us to come nearer. Needless to say, we didn't.
This time we approached the site from its northern side, using the public bridleway/access road to Swinb...Revisit to Blue Crags (Brecken Hills) Hillfort: The last time we visited this site we had to stop at the gate to the field on the Colwell Village side of the site, admiring the outcrop/settlement from a distance. My memory sees at least 3 enormous bulls, feet planted wide, staring at us, daring us to come nearer. Needless to say, we didn't.
This time we approached the site from its northern side, using the public bridleway/access road to Swinburne Quarry from the A68. The HER records (site number N9202) tell me this site covers about an acre and forms a wedge with the whinstone forming natural defensive northern edge and ramparts at the side, the highest part of the site being 600 feet above ground level (although it didn't see that high).
Walking up into the site is easiest from the far edge (near the gate to the footpath to Colwell village), where the site drops virtually to ground level. Walking up the slope to the entrance, a well-preserved hut circle sits to the left hand side of the path. Within the site there are more hut circles - we've never seen such well preserved ones in Northumberland and it was easy to imagine how our ancestors lived and used this space.
The north eastern side of the whin sill has been quarried away, but does not impact upon the site itself.
Well worth a visit.
On the opposite side of the track, to the north, lies the not so well preserved Dunn Crags settlement and enclosure.
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| St Cuthbert's Holy Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Feb 2016 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St. Cuthbert's Well, Wetheral, Cumbria: I'd tried the (very pretty) walk along the recently flooded River Eden to St. Constantine's Cells, but failed as the path overhangs the river by some 5-6 metres. As a consequence, I was determined to go to this well. Just as you arrive into Wetheral village from the A69, there is a footpath sign leading off to the left, indicating St. Cuthbert’s Well.
There is parking outside the small railway station ...St. Cuthbert's Well, Wetheral, Cumbria: I'd tried the (very pretty) walk along the recently flooded River Eden to St. Constantine's Cells, but failed as the path overhangs the river by some 5-6 metres. As a consequence, I was determined to go to this well. Just as you arrive into Wetheral village from the A69, there is a footpath sign leading off to the left, indicating St. Cuthbert’s Well.
There is parking outside the small railway station (there are just a couple of platforms here) and it’s about quarter of a mile down the slope towards the river to the well. A small sign sits to the right of the track as you head towards the river detailing a short history of the well. “According to legend, St Cuthbert’s Well was built long before Norman times when Wetheral Priory was founded. The exact date is not known, but St Cuthbert is thought to have visited Carlisle in 683 and 687.”
From the sign, the well can be seen topped by a concrete slab which has an inscription which reads: “The Holy Well/Called in the 12th century/Fons Sancti Cuthbert/Repaired 1897 and 2001.” A short flight of stone steps leads down to the well itself.
When visiting the village, the Wetheral Priory Gatehouse at the far side of the village is small but worth a visit.
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| Anglo Saxon Cross Base, Wetheral Parish Church |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Feb 2016 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross Base, Wetheral, Cumbria: A notice in the guard house at the Priory Gatehouse mentioned boundary crosses, so I thought it might be worth investigating whether or not there were any fragments inside the church. As we walked up from the Eden River up Ferry Hill, with the churchyard to my right, there was a fragment of cross shaft with what looked to be an original cross base.
The church itself was locked, although there appeare...Anglo Saxon Cross Base, Wetheral, Cumbria: A notice in the guard house at the Priory Gatehouse mentioned boundary crosses, so I thought it might be worth investigating whether or not there were any fragments inside the church. As we walked up from the Eden River up Ferry Hill, with the churchyard to my right, there was a fragment of cross shaft with what looked to be an original cross base.
The church itself was locked, although there appeared to be a light on inside, but only in the vestry. A check on the Anglo Saxon Corpus site tells me that only one fragment of cross arm is recorded for Wetheral, and this is now in the possession of H M Calvin of St John’s College, Oxford (see Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture Record Cumbria 169). The cross base isn't recorded on the AS Corpus site, and I'll email for their opinion, but it looks so similar to others that we concluded it must be. I'll update the record when I hear.
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| Prudhoe Castle |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
26th Mar 2016 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Rock Art @ Prudhoe Castle, Northumberland: I only found out about this stone because I'd been doing some research for the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group and spotted a record for Prudhoe Castle on the ERA web site (also another one in the Monastic Workshop in Hexham Abbey, which I’ve emailed them about). We’ve lived here for almost 14 years and never been to the castle. I confess to it being prettier than I’d imagined.
Coming up f...Rock Art @ Prudhoe Castle, Northumberland: I only found out about this stone because I'd been doing some research for the Tynedale North of the Wall Archaeology Group and spotted a record for Prudhoe Castle on the ERA web site (also another one in the Monastic Workshop in Hexham Abbey, which I’ve emailed them about). We’ve lived here for almost 14 years and never been to the castle. I confess to it being prettier than I’d imagined.
Coming up from the Badger Roundabout in Low Prudhoe (junction of the A695 with Station Road), the access road seems pretty tight, although it is wider than it appears. The car park is about 100 yards from the main entrance of the castle. There is a pond to the left of the gate, fed from a stream which is piped under the road from the hillside behind. There are some really nice yew block hedges which really make the entrance. If the trees were out in leaf, you wouldn’t be able to see the castle from the road.
The path climbs gently up the slope, through the gatehouse and under the gatehouse with chapel over. This leads into the outer bailey and immediately in front of you the block with rock art stands against the sloping north wall of the castle, with the ticket office to the left hand side. The sign next to it reads “prehistoric cup and ring marked stone found reused in the footings of a late medieval building on this site.” England’s Rock Art record (ERA-750) tell us that “this stone is very close to the north wall of the castle building (about 0.32m), by a small window. The carved surface faces south to the castle gateway and is in a fairly sheltered position and gets the sun. It was found during excavations of a 14th century hall within the castle. Motifs consist of two, possibly three single cups and two larger cups with multiple rings, the lower cup has three rings and the higher has two, both the outer rings overlap. The rings could be pennannulars, but they’re extremely faint and difficult to make out. Short radial grooves run from the central cups.”
The outer bailey is quite fascinating. When there were no trees (and no toilet roll factory) there would have been brilliant views across the Tyne towards Ovingham.
A footpath runs around the castle in a ditch and we walked round, seeing the foundations of a round tower that once stood. There are the remains of a mill to the left hand side as you leave the gatehouse, with an old mill stone dated 1786 propped by the wall. The old mill leat runs along a paved bed of stones and runs down to the Tyne below.
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| Mare and Foal |
Standing Stones |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
24th Jan 2016 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Mare & Foal Stone Circle, just west of Twice Brewed, Hadrian's Wall: After many months of not being able to get 'out and about', even though the day dawned dull, damp and dreary, it was great to be able to get out into the open countryside again. Strangely, we've driven past this little stone circle on many occasions as we've driven up and down the Military Road (the B6318), but I thought it was just north of Hadrian's Wall. How wrong can you b...Mare & Foal Stone Circle, just west of Twice Brewed, Hadrian's Wall: After many months of not being able to get 'out and about', even though the day dawned dull, damp and dreary, it was great to be able to get out into the open countryside again. Strangely, we've driven past this little stone circle on many occasions as we've driven up and down the Military Road (the B6318), but I thought it was just north of Hadrian's Wall. How wrong can you be?
We'd been up into the Edges Green area to try and locate the course of the Roman Aqueduct which wends its way around the contours around here, but it's very difficult to pick out. Anyway, Roman's never did float my boat.
I've wanted to visit this stone circle for ages. We parked at the side of the road leading up toward Shield On The Wall farm. There is no actual footpath here, but it's possible to hop over the wooden fencing where the stone wall adjacent to the B6318 meets the wire fencing which runs northwards up the slope. There were no animals in the field, and the farmer was herding his sheep in the field opposite. I waved and he showed no signs of warning us off.
From the road looking west, it looks as if the stones sit on a low curved mound. The larger stone had a 'bruise' on one side, which in the photographs looked like a cup and ring, but actually seems to be where part of the stone has been broken away.
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| St Bernard's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
17th Dec 2015 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
St Bernard's Well, Edinburgh: This was by far the most attractive of the three wells we saw in Edinburgh today, although again I wouldn’t have known it was a well but for the plaque next to it telling us it had been refurbished in Victorian times. It sits at the base of a steep hill with housing and private gardens above, with the Water of Leith running below. It is apparently possible to get inside the structure during ‘Doors Open’ day, althou...St Bernard's Well, Edinburgh: This was by far the most attractive of the three wells we saw in Edinburgh today, although again I wouldn’t have known it was a well but for the plaque next to it telling us it had been refurbished in Victorian times. It sits at the base of a steep hill with housing and private gardens above, with the Water of Leith running below. It is apparently possible to get inside the structure during ‘Doors Open’ day, although the gate and door were very well padlocked, and the number of vodka bottles and cans inside the temple indicates its well used by drinkers who hop over the gate. We did intend going up to Arthur's seat to see 2 other wells and the hill fort but the wet and windy weather drove us indoors to get warm.
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| St Margaret's Well (Edinburgh Castle) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
17th Dec 2015 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
St. Margaret's Well, Edinburgh Castle: I arrived in Edinburgh on an early train but even at 08:45 it was wet and windy and too dark to see much. By 09:30, fortified by a cup of coffee, having met my old University friend, we set off towards the castle. The well sits on far side of the railway track, immediately under the castle and next to the footpath. The area is heavily littered, and without the image from the Portal I wouldn't have known t...St. Margaret's Well, Edinburgh Castle: I arrived in Edinburgh on an early train but even at 08:45 it was wet and windy and too dark to see much. By 09:30, fortified by a cup of coffee, having met my old University friend, we set off towards the castle. The well sits on far side of the railway track, immediately under the castle and next to the footpath. The area is heavily littered, and without the image from the Portal I wouldn't have known this was a well. We braved the puddles to look inside the domed structure behind the plaque, but this was full of rubble and rubbish. Disappointing, but another well crossed off my 'to visit' list.
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| St George's Well (Edinburgh) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Midlothian |
Visited |
17th Dec 2015 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
St George's Well, Edinburgh: An easy walk along the Water of Leith walkway. I wouldn't have recognised this as a well without the Portal. It looks like a very run down stone gardener's house, complete with chimney, sitting between the walkway and the river, which was running very high at the time of my visit. The iron gate was unbolted but the door to the well house was locked. The area surrounding this little building was heavily littered, n...St George's Well, Edinburgh: An easy walk along the Water of Leith walkway. I wouldn't have recognised this as a well without the Portal. It looks like a very run down stone gardener's house, complete with chimney, sitting between the walkway and the river, which was running very high at the time of my visit. The iron gate was unbolted but the door to the well house was locked. The area surrounding this little building was heavily littered, not only with general rubbish but lots of empty cans and bottles - in dire need of a clean up.
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| Lindisfarne Priory |
Museum |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
18th Oct 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Anglo Saxon and Viking Stones on Lindisfarne, Northumberland. Sunday dawned dull and drizzly; looking up the weather forecast and the tide times for Lindisfarne strangely we were able to cross over (there and back) in the afternoon just when we wanted to.
In haste, I turned on my computer and printed off the AS Corpus sheets for Lindisfarne – there were over 50 stones listed, although some are now lost. We managed to see less than half of th...Anglo Saxon and Viking Stones on Lindisfarne, Northumberland. Sunday dawned dull and drizzly; looking up the weather forecast and the tide times for Lindisfarne strangely we were able to cross over (there and back) in the afternoon just when we wanted to.
In haste, I turned on my computer and printed off the AS Corpus sheets for Lindisfarne – there were over 50 stones listed, although some are now lost. We managed to see less than half of them.
I’ve never been to Lindisfarne at the weekend, so was amazed at the hoards of people wandering around. As parking is restricted on the island, we needed to park in the visitors car park and walk the rest of the way, but this was enjoyable in the sunshine. Fortunately we had our English Heritage membership cards to get free access to the priory and the museum. We only had to show our passes; we weren’t given tickets to count visitor numbers – just waved through.
We started off at the market place, only to find the old market cross had been replaced by a hideous concrete version; the original is now in the museum. In the museum, there were hoards and hoards of people all reading the descriptions of objects very carefully, and I got frustrated trying to photograph things without shadows and the strong museum lights in the way, so we went to the church to try and find a grave marker but couldn’t find it. We then went to the priory where we were the only people around for the first 20 minutes of so. Armed with the sheets, the guide was really interested in what we were trying to find, although we only found the cross base and what might have been the grave cover (AS Corpus Lindisfarne 48).
Going back to the museum half an hour before closing we were the only ones in besides the staff. I tried to get good photos of the marker stones but the lights were really strong and they were giving me a headache. I asked the lady at the desk if, as they were closing, I might be permitted to turn off the lights, but was given short shrift and told that someone else had managed. Then a staff member came and asked to turn off the light in the shop, and that was done, so I felt a bit put out!
Anyway, it was an enjoyable afternoon out, although its going to take me a while to process and label all the photographs.
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| Southwell Minster |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Nottinghamshire |
Visited |
20th Sep 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
10th/11th century tympanum, Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire: On our way back from Grantham we took a short detour to Southwell. What a stunning little town, with a huge Minster. At the time of our visit there were two services running almost back to back, so we didn't get to see some of the early carved capitals. The tympanum on the western wall of the north transept more than made up for it, with its 11th century carving of St. Michael and...10th/11th century tympanum, Southwell Minster, Nottinghamshire: On our way back from Grantham we took a short detour to Southwell. What a stunning little town, with a huge Minster. At the time of our visit there were two services running almost back to back, so we didn't get to see some of the early carved capitals. The tympanum on the western wall of the north transept more than made up for it, with its 11th century carving of St. Michael and the dragon facing us, then underneath (on the narrower face) was the remains of a 10th century Saxon grave cover. The light streamed through the window above, making it difficult to photograph well. I was astonished to find a photograph licence was £5! However, the greeter said as the verger was in the service, unless I was very obvious with my camera, we wouldn't be charged unless the verger spotted us! It was very late on Sunday afternoon at the time of our visit so the museum/café area wasn't open. It would be nice to go back at a time when services aren't on so we could see the quire, chancel and sanctuary and have a wander round at our leisure, but it's unlikely that we'll get back to Nottinghamshire any time soon.
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| St Oswald's Well (Kirkoswald) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
10th Oct 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon stones and a holy well, Kirkoswald, Cumbria: This church is in a very pretty location, opposite "the college" and boasts not only an Anglo Saxon cross arm fragment and holy well but a separate bell tower on top of what looks like a motte. It is a little difficult to park, as there are narrow roads and high brick walls restricting vehicle access, and on the day we went lots of farmers towing trailers were travelling at relatively high...Anglo Saxon stones and a holy well, Kirkoswald, Cumbria: This church is in a very pretty location, opposite "the college" and boasts not only an Anglo Saxon cross arm fragment and holy well but a separate bell tower on top of what looks like a motte. It is a little difficult to park, as there are narrow roads and high brick walls restricting vehicle access, and on the day we went lots of farmers towing trailers were travelling at relatively high speeds round the bends in the village. This church is in a very pretty location and boasts not only an Anglo Saxon cross arm fragment and well but a separate bell tower on top of what looks like a motte.
The approach to the church is pleasant, along the tree-lined Priest’s walk from the college opposite. The church itself sits at the foot of a steep hill and the wooden porch of 1523 is dark but welcoming. To the left of the porch on the exterior north wall sit a number of stone grave markers; the second from the right has ribs and is described in the church guide as being Saxon.
The church guide is really good, illustrating the development of the church from the 7th century (“when local people were discovered worshipping a God of the spring which issued out of the Bell Tower Hill”), through to the present day.
Inside the church the area immediately inside the door is cramped compared to the rest of the church. The sanctuary and east window, because it nestles at the foot of the hill, is comparatively dark. To your right, immediately to the right of the door is the font. The bowl is very old (described as being from the original Norman building) but the plinth appears modern. On the window ledge to the west, which the church guide says is Tudor, is mounted part of a Saxon cross arm, AS Corpus reference Kirkoswald (no number, as there is just one).
Apart from the well worn and partly destroyed stone effigy of Lady Dacre tucked between pews at the west end of the church, there is no much else to see inside. To the west end of the church outside is the enigmatic St. Oswald’s well. At first glance, it looks like an outside toilet, but on closer examination there is a metal cup on a long chain, a metal cap with handle and remnants of an old roof line over the well. Lifting off the metal lid, the water is free flowing and clear about 8 to 10 feet down. The cup reaches the water and I did draw a little and taste it – nothing exciting. I later read in the church guide that the water is still used for baptism, but drinking it isn’t recommended. At the southern side of the well are some steps with a red door which opens onto the water channel, presumably for clearing. I was surprised to find the water flows under the nave! The church guide says the source of the spring is unknown, but it must come from under Bell Tower Hill.
We missed a consecration cross in the retaining wall at the east end alongside an old sundial.
Walking round the southern end of the church a very narrow stile leads through the stone boundary wall of the churchyard and a path leads up into the Bell Tower Field. Climbing up this steep hill, the Bell Tower is particularly inaccessible as the slope up to the Bell Tower needs clambering up, then there is a sturdy fence with well padlocked gates. I was convinced this hill was an old motte.
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| Giants Grave, Penrith |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
10th Oct 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Norse Crosses and hogback tombstones (Giant's Grave), St Andrew's Church, Penrith: On our way to Kirkoswald, we stopped off in Penrith for a coffee and a cake. I remembered from some dim and distant memory that there were some Viking Hogbacks and Anglo Saxon crosses in Penrith but couldn’t remember which church they were in, and there was no mobile signal, so as we were opposite the church we walked into the churchyard anyway. And there was the ...Norse Crosses and hogback tombstones (Giant's Grave), St Andrew's Church, Penrith: On our way to Kirkoswald, we stopped off in Penrith for a coffee and a cake. I remembered from some dim and distant memory that there were some Viking Hogbacks and Anglo Saxon crosses in Penrith but couldn’t remember which church they were in, and there was no mobile signal, so as we were opposite the church we walked into the churchyard anyway. And there was the small collection of 2 Norse crosses and 4 Viking hogback tombstones – very worn.
Inside the northern door of the church, to the right of the western-most ‘Giant’s Thumb’ cross there are some line drawings of the patterns on the crosses and the hogbacks. There is also a church guide, the back page of which has a short description of the Giant’s Grave.
Towards the north western end of the churchyard another cross stands on its own. Closer inspection highlights the inscription at its base, showing this is a reconstruction.
Looking at the Anglo Saxon Corpus just now (22nd October) we missed a couple of other stones – 1 built 4 metres up into the north wall of the tower (very worn) and another upside down near the south west corner of the church. As Penrith is a place we pass reasonably frequently, a repeat visit will definitely be in order!
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| St Mary the Virgin (Wirksworth) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Derbyshire |
Visited |
17th Sep 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Stones at St. Mary The Virgin, Wirksworth, Derbyshire: My husband's father had died unexpectedly last week and we were down sorting out the funeral and his house. It all got a bit too much, and I asked to 'run away' for the afternoon to do something different. Funny, we'd nearly bought a house here in the early 1980's, on the hills just outside the town, but never really explored this pretty little market town with its boutique shop...Anglo Saxon Stones at St. Mary The Virgin, Wirksworth, Derbyshire: My husband's father had died unexpectedly last week and we were down sorting out the funeral and his house. It all got a bit too much, and I asked to 'run away' for the afternoon to do something different. Funny, we'd nearly bought a house here in the early 1980's, on the hills just outside the town, but never really explored this pretty little market town with its boutique shops.
We found the church behind the shops opposite the market square in a pretty oval shaped churchyard. It was much bigger than expected, feeling light and airy - more like a mini-cathedral - and with what Anglo Saxon treasures.
There were groups of stones built into the walls - by the north door, the walls of the south transept and the south western part of the nave.
The church offered a good guide book, but most useful was the 'treasure trail' for children along with the laminated guide sheet which showed the locations of the stones with a short description.
As I only had the camera on my phone we decided to go back with the camera proper, but time has run away with us and we never did get to go back. Thanks to modern technology the phone on my camera is better than the mini digital camera I usually carry with me.
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| Bewcastle Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Oct 2014 |
3 |
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5 |
Bewcastle Cross. Fourth visit, 22nd August 2015. We first came here back in 1992/1993 not long after we'd moved to Dumfries. Funny, as from dim and distant memory both my husband and I remembered this (falsely) as being the Ruthwell Cross. After having taken a photo of our 3 children gathered round the foot of the cross in the mist and drizzle, for the last couple of years I'd wanted to recreate this photograph, so for my **th birthday, the fam...Bewcastle Cross. Fourth visit, 22nd August 2015. We first came here back in 1992/1993 not long after we'd moved to Dumfries. Funny, as from dim and distant memory both my husband and I remembered this (falsely) as being the Ruthwell Cross. After having taken a photo of our 3 children gathered round the foot of the cross in the mist and drizzle, for the last couple of years I'd wanted to recreate this photograph, so for my **th birthday, the family (complete with next generation) gathered. The skies were still murky and grey although the cross doesn't appear to have changed one bit.
After taking a photo of the children as they are now, we gathered to whole family, complete with next generation, taking photos with the remote shutter control.
The museum display has improved a lot since our visit in 2014, and I came prepared with printed sheets from the Anglo Saxon Corpus but didn't find any of the Saxon grave covers in their inventory, although there was one on display, very simply carved, which was labelled as being from the 8th to 11th century.
11th October 2014: Third visit. We last came here on 15th August 2013, but I was really quite ill (a bug, not a hangover!) and had to find a quiet corner of the churchyard, so I don’t remember very much of the visit to the church. I do remember walking around the castle with the farmer and his wife gardening nearby so I felt like a trespasser.
Today, as we reached St. Cuthbert’s church, the sun came out and highlighted the cross and many of the carvings showed clearly, especially the worn and weathered runes on the eastern face.
The exhibition has been improved since our visit, with displays about the runes and their meanings and a new painting of what the cross might have looked like when it was first erected.
There were less fragments in the exhibition outbuilding than I remembered.
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| Robin Hood's Well ( Yorkshire) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
5th Sep 2015 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
Robin Hood's Well at Fountain's Abbey, North Yorkshire: After our visit to Ripon Cathedral to see the Anglo Saxon/Pre-Norman stones, we took our small grand-daughter over to Fountains Abbey to enjoy the sunshine in a beautiful location. Walking past the Abbey to Studley Royal Water Gardens, we retraced our steps on the opposite side of the River Skell to the Abbey ruins. I'd spotted this structure on the walk down and said "that looks like a we...Robin Hood's Well at Fountain's Abbey, North Yorkshire: After our visit to Ripon Cathedral to see the Anglo Saxon/Pre-Norman stones, we took our small grand-daughter over to Fountains Abbey to enjoy the sunshine in a beautiful location. Walking past the Abbey to Studley Royal Water Gardens, we retraced our steps on the opposite side of the River Skell to the Abbey ruins. I'd spotted this structure on the walk down and said "that looks like a well". When we went past it on the return leg of our walk, it was indeed a well, although dry. It wasn't until I got back and checked on the Portal that I found out it was "Robin Hood's Well."
The stones on the left hand side, as you face the well, look as if they are being undermined by the wear on the track that leads up past it to the woods, but comparing the photographs submitted in 2010, it hasn't changed much.
Peering inside the well, there is a stone channel on the left hand side at the top/back of the well which routes water (if there is any) into the basin at the bottom.
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| Stanwick Crosses |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
5th Oct 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Stanwick Crosses, North Yorkshire (St John The Baptist): 8th August 2015, return visit in daylight. As we were passing close by on the way back from Richmond, we decided to pop in to try and see the rest of the stones in relative daylight (there is no electricity in the church - should have thought to take torches). We saw most of the ones in the outer south wall and some of the ones in the south west corner, although I'm still trying to marry ...Stanwick Crosses, North Yorkshire (St John The Baptist): 8th August 2015, return visit in daylight. As we were passing close by on the way back from Richmond, we decided to pop in to try and see the rest of the stones in relative daylight (there is no electricity in the church - should have thought to take torches). We saw most of the ones in the outer south wall and some of the ones in the south west corner, although I'm still trying to marry up the text and images in the Stanwick Stones book inside the church with the actual stones I photographed. Despite being a glorious summer evening we needed to use the torch app on my husband's phone to try and photograph the Viking Ring Cross in all its glory, and somewhat failed. Hoping for a repeat visit in early September with the flash gun I can slave to the camera.
Original visit: 5th October 2014: We meant to go to St. Cuthbert’s in Forcett, but as I spotted a signpost saying ‘historic church’, husband wrenched the wheel of the car hard left and we drove the 200 yards down the road to end up at St. John the Baptist Church in Stanwick (so much for my map-reading skills!). This was definitely worth coming to – lots of Saxon and Viking remains, but as there were no lights in the church (there were light switches but they didn't function) and it was very definitely dusk. Definitely needs a repeat visit!
The name Stanwick comes from old Norse (‘stein veggr’ meaning stone walls or building). Settlement at Stanwick dates back to the Iron Age, with the original site of habitation at Tofts, the hill just to the south of the church.
In this small hamlet, the present church of St John The Baptist dates from the 13th century, although there is plenty of evidence for earlier Christian presence on this site. Inside the church, under the tower, is a Viking Ring Cross and built into the walls of the porch are two hog-back fragments. The churchyard is roughly circular which suggests a Saxon burial ground and the shaft of a 9th century Anglo Saxon cross sits at the south east corner of the church. The tower, main doorway, part of the chancel and the eastern window in the south aisle are all 13th century.
The church was declared redundant in 1990 and is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, although there appear to be occasional services here and there are some recent burials in the churchyard. As well as the Viking and Anglo Saxon crosses, there is an unusual tomb-chest in the south aisle and a hand-pumped organ.
There were no lights within the church, so a daytime visit seems to be essential to see everything this beautiful church has to offer.
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| Ripon Cathedral |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
5th Sep 2015 |
3 |
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5 |
Anglo Saxon Stones, Ripon Cathedral: Visit by arrangement with the Head Verger, 5th September 2015. I'd made enquiries about the Anglo Saxon stones and received the following reply: "There is in fact little at Ripon by way of sculptured remains from the Anglo Saxon period. Clearly the Crypt itself is entirely Anglo Saxon, but there are no carvings here and some at least of the stones are Roman in origin. What remains otherwise are two stones b...Anglo Saxon Stones, Ripon Cathedral: Visit by arrangement with the Head Verger, 5th September 2015.
I'd made enquiries about the Anglo Saxon stones and received the following reply: "There is in fact little at Ripon by way of sculptured remains from the Anglo Saxon period. Clearly the Crypt itself is entirely Anglo Saxon, but there are no carvings here and some at least of the stones are Roman in origin. What remains otherwise are two stones built into the outer wall of the North Transept which are said to have come from Wilfrid’s 7th Century church. They have distinctive Celtic interlaced patterns. Also, in the Chapel of the Resurrection below the Chapter House there is a substantial drumstone which was one of two discovered in the 1990s under the tower. They are thought to be column bases from Wilfrid’s church. They are shaped with three stepped bands, but otherwise not decorated. One remains where it was found, the other now serves as an altar stone in the Chapel. (I wonder if these are the ‘imposts’ you have heard about?) The Chapel is not normally accessible, but it might be possible to arrange with a verger to see it.
The other early piece of stonework is the Sigurd Stone which is part of a stone cross which bears the image of the legend of Sigurd who was a Norse hero who sucked his thumb after a burning encounter with a dragon - though there are various interpretations of the story. The representation of this story on a Christian cross is of course remarkable, but this may not be of so much interest as it probably comes from a slightly later period. The stone fragment itself is currently in store."
In fact the Sigurd stone was largely obscured by staging, which hadn't been removed, so the verger on duty had to bring a torch to illuminate the three fragments, and I had to move fire extinguishers and clamber on top of staging to be able to see it at all. What a shame - this is a fantastic example of Anglo-Scandinavian carving. The verger also took me down to the Resurrection Chapel to see the large drumstone which now forms the altar; then we dived across into the north aisle to another small chapel to see another drumstone, worked into a font in the distant past but now topped with a modern circular mirror. We then went outside to see the stones in the external wall of the north transept (west end), then to the south nave where we'd spotted what looked like the remains of an ancient preaching cross (which I've also enquired about - yet to see a reply).
The cathedral was exceptionally busy, with the Great North Art Show being on, and the Northern Philharmonic Orchestra rehearsing for a concert that evening. Well worth going! Many thanks to the vergers for their time and patience.
First visit, 28th August 2015: Anglo Saxon Stones at Ripon Cathedral: I was intrigued by this page on the Portal, as I've been to several events here and not noticed any Anglo Saxon cross fragments , so when passing through decided to stop and have a look.
We were greeted by a guide and asked him if he knew of the whereabouts of any Anglo Saxon stones or sculptures and were told they were probably down in the Anglo Saxon Crypt. I also had to pay £3 in order to take photographs within the Cathedral.
The crypt has been white-washed since I last saw it (which is probably how it would have been in Anglo Saxon times) and this somewhat spoiled the ambience for me. There was a piece of wall left in its original condition, and you could see the remains of well worn scratches (possible runes and a small dedication cross?). I wasn't convinced this is what I was looking for.
Since coming home, I've researched what this stone(s) might be and found reference to a 'roman-looking' carved pillar and some imposts on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture web site. We certainly didn't find these, although we had a good scout round. I have since sent off an email to one of the senior admin team at the Cathedral, and will report back when I get a reply.
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| Copt Howe |
Rock Art |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
11th Aug 2015 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Copt Howe (The Langdale Boulders): When we drove past here on the way to Mickleden further down the Great Langdale valley, we spotted the signpost to Copt Howe but the road was so narrow and busy there was no room to stop. On the way back it was now after 6pm and the roads were quiet apart from one or two cars and cyclists. We parked behind another car in what seemed to be a narrow lay-by almost opposite the gate into the field containing these...Copt Howe (The Langdale Boulders): When we drove past here on the way to Mickleden further down the Great Langdale valley, we spotted the signpost to Copt Howe but the road was so narrow and busy there was no room to stop. On the way back it was now after 6pm and the roads were quiet apart from one or two cars and cyclists. We parked behind another car in what seemed to be a narrow lay-by almost opposite the gate into the field containing these boulders.
If I thought the Mickleden walk scenery was beautiful (if stark with its tall peaks scree slopes) then this view down the Great Langdale valley was spectacular – green, lush and with rolling hills in the distance. What a location.
The rock art was on the largest boulder which was lowest in the field, sitting below the outcrop in which a tree now grows in the middle of. A very rickety stile climbed the stone wall to the other side, although when I touched this it came away from the wall, so I opted to walk down to the gate lower down in the field.
The early evening light was conducive in helping the motifs spring out of the rock. A few of the ‘cups’ were similar to the double cups on the Twelve Apostles in Dumfries, these being formed through natural erosion rather than pecking. I compared the designs I could see to the interpretation board but couldn’t quite reconcile the two.
In walking back up to the car I went round the left hand side of the tree (facing the road) and spotted a large single cup mark in the centre of the face.
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| Hexham Abbey |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Hexham Abbey, Northumberland: St Acca and Spital Cross Shafts.
23rd August 2015: Took my daughter and her husband to the new visitor centre after a lovely lunch in the Refectory (much recommended). We had great fun dressing up as Queen Ethelreda, Bishop Wilfrid and Augustinian monks). There was brass rubbing and computerised caligraphy to try. As well as interactive displays for the young at heart, there is also a serious section with a displ...Hexham Abbey, Northumberland: St Acca and Spital Cross Shafts.
23rd August 2015: Took my daughter and her husband to the new visitor centre after a lovely lunch in the Refectory (much recommended). We had great fun dressing up as Queen Ethelreda, Bishop Wilfrid and Augustinian monks). There was brass rubbing and computerised caligraphy to try. As well as interactive displays for the young at heart, there is also a serious section with a display of Anglo Saxon and Viking stones, a model of, and press-screen history of the abbey. A great time was had by all and I found not only the Spital Cross but a number of other stones I'd been searching for in the Anglo Saxon Corpus of Stone Sculpture and not found in my previous visit. Well worth coming.
3rd September 2014: Acca succeeded St. Wilfrid as the Bishop of Hexham in AD709, withdrawing (or also said to have been deposed) from office in AD732 and dying in AD740. The two crosses purported to mark the head and foot of his grave stand in the south transept of Hexham Abbey (on the right hand side as you enter the main church from the porch), next to St. Etheldreda’s Chapel. However, there is some confusion as to whether or not these two cross shafts are St. Acca’s grave markers, or whether the larger may just be a preaching cross set up in the first years of Christianity. However, Hexham Abbey proudly displays them as St. Acca’s.
The two cross shafts stand side by side. The larger cross shaft is called ‘St. Acca’s Cross’. The second, smaller cross-shaft, is known as the ‘Spital Cross’.
I approached a steward to ask if was OK to take some photographs, and he told me it was, providing I didn’t use flash. He knew a fair bit about the crosses, very kindly photocoping a leaflet on Acca and Acca’s Cross for me to take away. He told me that St. Acca’s cross had been broken up in antiquity and the pieces scattered, being put back together in the 19th century – there is a plain piece of modern stone where the cross arms would have been. Interestingly, he told me that the lower portion of St. Acca’s cross was found at nearby Dilston, where it had been used as a lintel in a farmhouse door.
St. Acca’s Cross is most gloriously decorated with vine scrolls which interleave and entwine.
The Spital Cross, as described in his leaflet: “was found at Spital which is 1.3 km west of Hexham, and stood near a house on the site of the medieval Hospital ofSt. Giles.” This cross shaft has very interesting vine scrolls on three sides and a crucifixion scene on its front face.
The area within the Abbey immediately around the crosses is used by the Stewards who greet people who come to look at the Abbey and to display information for visitors and worshippers – which strangely echoes their possible past uses as preaching crosses. When I was there, most people actually walked by without noticing them, although because I was taking photographs, a couple of people came up to ask more.
Opposite both cross shafts, and at the bottom of the Abbey night stair, is a Roman tombstone which dates from the first century.
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| All Saints (Kirby Hill) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
28th Jul 2015 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Crosses, Kirby on the Moor (Kirby Hill), North Yorkshire: All Saints sits on a green just outside the village of Kirby on the Moor, between Church Lane and Millings Lane. There was a notice near the entrance gate saying the church was open on Sundays between 2pm and 4.30pm and ‘all welcome’. However there was a car parked by the church gate and we could hear someone playing the organ. Entering cautiously, I asked if it was OK if we...Anglo Saxon Crosses, Kirby on the Moor (Kirby Hill), North Yorkshire: All Saints sits on a green just outside the village of Kirby on the Moor, between Church Lane and Millings Lane. There was a notice near the entrance gate saying the church was open on Sundays between 2pm and 4.30pm and ‘all welcome’. However there was a car parked by the church gate and we could hear someone playing the organ. Entering cautiously, I asked if it was OK if we could look around, and the gentleman nodded. He was clearly practicing a piece over and over and I felt we were distracting him somewhat. He had lit the area around the organ, but no lights were on in the church, so it became a bit difficult see the crosses into the interior church walls as I kept having to fire the flash to see. We thanked him and escaped.
The majority of the crosses are displayed in the north wall of the tower, next to the font, so it’s a bit difficult to get great photos as the space is so small. There was a leaflet about the Anglo Saxon stone sculptures that was really helpful.
I’ve just found their web site, All Saints Kirby Hill, which is great. The church is grade 1 listed, the nave being part late Saxon/early Norman, built with large irregular stones including carved slabs and cross shafts of Saxon origin. The web site tells me that the site is one mile north of Boroughbridge, the church is also known as Kirby Hill, and is at the highest point of the village, in line with Aldborough (the Roman civil capital Isurium Brigantum) and other probable sites of the Roman crossings of the River Ure.and is probably on the site of much earlier shrines dating back to Roman or even Celtic times.
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| All Saints (Northallerton) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
28th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Danish cross fragments, All Saints Church, Northallerton, North Yorkshire: I found the exterior of All Saints in Northallerton, which sits at the northern end of the High Street on the A167, very forbidding with its blackened stones. However, the inside was nice enough, although very Victorian, and we were made very welcome by a parishioner who had popped in to collect the church magazine. I had to chuckle as the “A Brief Guide to All Sai...Anglo Danish cross fragments, All Saints Church, Northallerton, North Yorkshire: I found the exterior of All Saints in Northallerton, which sits at the northern end of the High Street on the A167, very forbidding with its blackened stones. However, the inside was nice enough, although very Victorian, and we were made very welcome by a parishioner who had popped in to collect the church magazine. I had to chuckle as the “A Brief Guide to All Saints Parish Church” which says the oldest thing in the church is the Norman grave cover (to be found at the northern eastern corner of the nave). They have ignored the Anglo Saxon (or they correctly call it in this part of the world, Anglo Danish) stones on the window ledges.
The guide book says that there was supposed to be a church of stone built here in the early 7th century by St. Paulinus. “Fragments of stone crosses, possibly of this period, still exist, some built into the walls at various places, while a very fine cross head and separate shaft are on permanent loan to Bede’s World ..... although there is no visual evidence to suggest a significant stone building before the 11th century.” For the picture of the Northallerton Cross at Bede’s world, follow the link http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=a312&file=index&do=showpic&pid=133724.
All the crosses, apart from one, which is at the south eastern corner of the choir, sit on window-ledges, most along the north wall and north transept, but some in the small kitchen area at the west end of the north transept. Most remarkable is the fragment with what looks like a sheep.
I’ve had difficulty in finding out more about these stone fragments, although the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture web site says the North Yorkshire collection will be on-line soon.
Funnily enough, the church guide prides itself on the Robert Mouseman mice on the wooden furniture, and there is a special “Mouse Guide To All Saints Parish Church Northallerton.”
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| St Wilfrid's Holy Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
23rd Jul 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
St. Wilfrid's Holy Well, Skellgate Road, Ripon: Armed with only a 6 digit grid reference and a GPS device that was rapidly running out of battery, this well took some finding, but in the end we did. St. Wilfrid’s Well is located at the north side of the B6265, some 700 metres west of the city centre, where Skellbank Road becomes Mallorie Park Drive. A few yards east of the well are some steps leading up to Ripon Spa Gardens. The 8 digit grid r...St. Wilfrid's Holy Well, Skellgate Road, Ripon: Armed with only a 6 digit grid reference and a GPS device that was rapidly running out of battery, this well took some finding, but in the end we did. St. Wilfrid’s Well is located at the north side of the B6265, some 700 metres west of the city centre, where Skellbank Road becomes Mallorie Park Drive. A few yards east of the well are some steps leading up to Ripon Spa Gardens. The 8 digit grid reference is SE 3085 7102.
The well is located within a stone wall, almost overhung by bushes from the bank above. At the time of our visit there was no water trickling into the well at all. Someone seems to care for it, for there was no litter in or around it.
St Wilfrid is the patron saint of Ripon (the crypt at Ripon Cathedral is purported to be part of his early church, although I’ve yet to verify this). The St Wilfrid’s Day parade takes place on the Saturday before the first Monday of August each year (this year it happens to be 1st August (2015)) in which an actor takes the part of St. Wilfrid. The procession now centres around the Market Square, starting at Studley Road, then Westgate, Market Place West, North Street, North Road, Magdalens Road, Stonebridgegate, Allhallowgate, Market Place East, Kirkgate, Bedern Bank, Bondgate, Southgate, Barefoot Street, Harrogate Road, High Skellgate, Westgate, Blossomgate, Marshall Way, North Street, Market Place East, Kirkgate, ending at Ripon Cathedral.
Worth stopping to look if you are passing by this well.
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| St Mary (Masham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
23rd Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Four Anglo Saxon Crosses in the church of St. Mary The Virgin, Masham, North Yorkshire: After seeing the Anglo-Danish and Anglo-Saxon crosses at both East Hauxley and Wath, we went into Masham to get some lunch. Having visited here twice before, we’d never ventured into the church here (either having been with some disinterested visitors or at the end of an already long day), although I vaguely knew there were some Anglo Saxon crosses here.
...Four Anglo Saxon Crosses in the church of St. Mary The Virgin, Masham, North Yorkshire: After seeing the Anglo-Danish and Anglo-Saxon crosses at both East Hauxley and Wath, we went into Masham to get some lunch. Having visited here twice before, we’d never ventured into the church here (either having been with some disinterested visitors or at the end of an already long day), although I vaguely knew there were some Anglo Saxon crosses here.
The base of the large sandstone cross shaft cannot be missed and stands in the churchyard near the porch and dates from the early ninth century. The church guide states that "recent research has linked it stylistically with a broken cross shaft of similar date now at Cundall and Aldborough.” The panels on this cross shaft are very worn, and the top is capped with an ugly lead cap, presumably to stop further weathering. The text in the church and the church guide book told us that the incomplete top panels almost certainly represent Christ and his Apostles; the second and third panels contain scenes from the Old Testament.
Inside the church are three other cross shafts, two hidden conveniently in an alcove in the wall in the south aisle, behind the votive candle table, which we moved to take photographs, and carefully placed back. Exploring some medieval grave markers next to these, we came across another fragment of cross shaft with a notice next to it telling us it was from the late 8th/early 9th century. This fragment was very plain with only edge moulding visible on one edge.
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| St Mary (Wath) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
23rd Jul 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross, St. Mary's Church, Wath: Situated on a bend in Main Street, Wath, this church is in a pretty little village. We parked outside the main gate of the church (there is just room for one car to sit here, as someone else’s gates are immediately adjacent). We eventually found the cross in the exterior of the church wall, in line with the porch in the south wall of the church. There are only narrow pavements running alongside; the s...Anglo Saxon Cross, St. Mary's Church, Wath: Situated on a bend in Main Street, Wath, this church is in a pretty little village. We parked outside the main gate of the church (there is just room for one car to sit here, as someone else’s gates are immediately adjacent). We eventually found the cross in the exterior of the church wall, in line with the porch in the south wall of the church. There are only narrow pavements running alongside; the size of the lorries that rumble through making taking photographs of this cross precarious, to say the least. Andrew watched both sides of the bend to ensure I wasn’t going to get run over when I took a photograph from the middle of the road.
I found a document by Harrogate Council which told me a little more about the church and village: Wath is the Old Norse term meaning ‘ford’ and is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. There are parts of the church that are very old indeed, and the above booklet mentions “The only built fabric from around this time are the remains of Saxon sculptures in the organ chamber of the present St Mary’s Church and the stone cross embedded into the church boundary wall.” The church was locked at the time of our visit (which was after 6pm) so we couldn’t get into see these. There was an old sundial in the churchyard, just south of the porch. The booklet goes onto say that Wath was essentially the estate village to Norton Conyers, and “St Mary’s Church is the oldest building in the village. It dates primarily from the thirteenth century with additions and enlargement in the fifteenth century and a tower of 1812. It might have originally been a manorial chapel which was rebuilt as a parish church in the twelfth or thirteenth century. The next oldest building in the village is the Rectory, which dates from the sixteenth century and was probably built on the site of its predecessor.”
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| St Mary (Thornton Watlass) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
23rd Jul 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross Heads, St Mary The Virgin (Thornton Watlass), North Yorkshire: St Mary The Virgin is 3 miles from Bedale and 11 miles from Ripon. It is grade II listed (English Heritage Building ID: 333615), dating largely from the 15th century.
There are two Anglo Saxon cross heads on display in the porch, one on the east wall and one on the west. The church was firmly locked at the time of our visit although the door to the porch was le...Anglo Saxon Cross Heads, St Mary The Virgin (Thornton Watlass), North Yorkshire: St Mary The Virgin is 3 miles from Bedale and 11 miles from Ripon. It is grade II listed (English Heritage Building ID: 333615), dating largely from the 15th century.
There are two Anglo Saxon cross heads on display in the porch, one on the east wall and one on the west. The church was firmly locked at the time of our visit although the door to the porch was left open. We parked on the small triangle of land at the cross-roads opposite. It was tricky to cross the road as the church lies in the crook of a sharp bend and traffic cannot be seen until the last minute, so cross quickly!
According to the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture by James Lang (Google books) "The cross head built into the interior east wall of the porch was first noted in 1908 by E. Bogg as being in its present position. Its height is 44.2 cms by 32.8 cms wide and 17 cms deep. Made of fine to medium-grained millstone grit, the right arm of the cross is lost and only one face is visible, and is part of a wheel-head cross with wedge-shaped arms and a ring recessed from the face. Date: first half of 10th century; The cross head in the west wall is 29.5 cms high, 48 cms wide (no depth recorded as it is built into the wall). The upper limb of the cross is lost; only one face is visible. Part of a plate-headed wheel cross, the rim raised and recessed from the face. A plain edge moulding follows the perimeter of the cross ... the lower limb of the cross has a curved incision which creates the impression at the sides of heavily stylised legs for a Crucifixion; conversely it could be the arris of a plain panel. The lateral arms are filled by hands with a wrist band and three huge fingers. In the centre of the cross is a large boss. Date: first half of the tenth century."
I admit to not being able to see the crucifixion scene described by James Lang in the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture (Google books) until I rotated my photograph by 90 degrees!
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| Fallowlees Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fallowlees Settlement, just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: Close to Fontburn a(vi), a(vii) and a(viii). See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. From a distance, coming up the quad bike track from Fallowlees Burn, there appear to be standing stones on the slope, but as we got closer, it became apparent these were the foundations of three hut circles, with another disappearing into the plantation to the north. What...Fallowlees Settlement, just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: Close to Fontburn a(vi), a(vii) and a(viii). See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. From a distance, coming up the quad bike track from Fallowlees Burn, there appear to be standing stones on the slope, but as we got closer, it became apparent these were the foundations of three hut circles, with another disappearing into the plantation to the north. What a lovely site to live in - a sheltered spot with water close by and fertile ground for farming. No wonder our ancestors chose to live here. The boulders with rock art on are just to the south, and appear to be part of cairns. Well worth the walk to see this.
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| Fontburn a(viii) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn a(viii), just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. |
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| Fontburn a(vii) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn a(vii), just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. |
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| Fontburn a(vi) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Aug 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn a(vi), just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. |
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| Fontburn a(iii) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jan 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn a(iii), just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. |
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| Fontburn a(ii) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn a(ii), just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. |
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| Fontburn a(i) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn a(i), just off the National Trust Greenleighton Walk, Northumberland: See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. |
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| West Shank Enclosure |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jul 2015 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
West Shank Enclosure, near Fontburn Reservoir, Northumberland: See visit report for Hollinghill Enclosure. |
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| Hollinghill Enclosure |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jul 2015 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
Hollinghill Enclosure, near Fontburn Reservoir, Northumberland: Before setting off on this walk, we'd identified a number of sites (2 enclosures and several rock art boulders) close to tracks/marked pathways on the Ordnance Survey map. Parking at the car park to the east of Fontburn Reservoir (near the fishing hut and as far south as we could get), we followed the Waterside Walk along the south side of the reservoir. This was slow as we got cau...Hollinghill Enclosure, near Fontburn Reservoir, Northumberland: Before setting off on this walk, we'd identified a number of sites (2 enclosures and several rock art boulders) close to tracks/marked pathways on the Ordnance Survey map. Parking at the car park to the east of Fontburn Reservoir (near the fishing hut and as far south as we could get), we followed the Waterside Walk along the south side of the reservoir. This was slow as we got caught up with a large walking group who hogged the boardwalks, but we finally managed to overtake them. At the sign for the Nature Reserve, we clambered up the small slope onto the track across the access land leading to the west of the reservoir. I confess to finding walking across this access land challenging due to the heavily tussocked grass, no clear pathways, the number of drainage channels, small streams and boggy areas to cross (but seasoned walkers will have no difficulty!). Passing the large cup marked boulder (Fontburn B) on route, we made our way onto the ridge running east-west south of Fallowlees Burn, and onto the National Trust Greenleighton walk with its grassy, mown trackways clearly visible.
It is relatively easy to spot this settlement as the path cuts right through it and there is a lone, low hawthorn tree at its western side. From here, you can see across the Burn to Fontburn Four Poster (it looks, from a distance) as if someone has cut down the hawthorn trees near the stones making up this little circle).
Stopping for a drink and to take photos, we carried on westwards until we got to West Shank enclosure, which is much more visible in the landscape in the then took the modern farm track down the slope to Fallowlees Burn, then across the wooden bridge. On the north side of the bridge two sets of quad bike tracks lead off to the left and right. To the right, the land slopes upwards. Fontburn a(i), a(ii) and a(iii) sit on this land, no more than 100 metres from the footpath, but at this time of year a(i) and a(ii) are hidden by tall bracken. Fontburn a(iii) gleams at you from across the valley.
Having taken these three boulders in, we retraced our steps to the footbridge and took the quad bike tracks to the left hand side, picking our way over two small streams which join Fallowlees Burn close to the the footbridge. From here, it is easy walking up the slope, about 200 yards to Fontburn a(vi), a(vii) and a(viii) and Fallowlees Settlement.
All in all, this 4 and a half mile walk took us 6 hours because of the heavy terrain and exploring the archaeology, but well worth it.
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| Corbridge Rock Art Panel |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
12th Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Corbridge Rock Art Panel at Corbridge Roman Fort, Northumberland: OK, we've lived in this area for 13 years now, and the nearest we've been to this site is to take my daughter for driving lessons as it was good to practice reversing around corners in the quiet cul-de-sacs around here. Having said that, the Romans generally leave me 'cold' as they as so organised, everything is on a huge, grand scale, and having seen one or two forts, you can gen...Corbridge Rock Art Panel at Corbridge Roman Fort, Northumberland: OK, we've lived in this area for 13 years now, and the nearest we've been to this site is to take my daughter for driving lessons as it was good to practice reversing around corners in the quiet cul-de-sacs around here. Having said that, the Romans generally leave me 'cold' as they as so organised, everything is on a huge, grand scale, and having seen one or two forts, you can generally predict the layout of another. Sceptical? Probably.
However, the purpose of today's visit was to try to find the rock art panel which appears to just have been 'dumped' within the site; no-one seems sure where it comes from, apart from nearby somewhere.
The fort sits on level ground on top of a slope on the north side of the River Tyne, and as there is an old Roman bridge down by the river, this must have been a good place to cross in times gone by.
The staff at the kiosk knew nothing about the stone, until I called up an entry on the Modern Antiquarian (sorry, Portal) to show them, then the lady told me it was mentioned in the guided walks, and told me it was on the north side of the roman road (Stanegate) running through the site. After this, it was easy to find, almost at the far side of the site.
In the distance, across the fields, the church of St. Andrew's in Corbridge, with its anglo-saxon fragments, can be clearly seen.
I did find the strong room, with its set of narrow steps leading down into it, quite fascinating.
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| Wallington Hall Standing Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jul 2015 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Wallington Hall Standing Stone, Northumberland: Having been treated to National Trust membership for my birthday, we then sat and wondered how best to make use of this. We'd heard that there was a standing stone at Wallington Hall, but had never found it before. Having tracked down the location (around the China Pond (used to be called the Chinese Pond)), and absolutely loving their walled garden, which is absolutely breathtaking at this time of...Wallington Hall Standing Stone, Northumberland: Having been treated to National Trust membership for my birthday, we then sat and wondered how best to make use of this. We'd heard that there was a standing stone at Wallington Hall, but had never found it before. Having tracked down the location (around the China Pond (used to be called the Chinese Pond)), and absolutely loving their walled garden, which is absolutely breathtaking at this time of year, we set up on a Menhir Hunt.
Note to new visitors to Wallington: whereas you could park in the car park near the house then go to the hut to pay admittance, staff are on the entrance to the car park to take entrance money on the way in. I had my cards in the boot of the car, which didn't make me popular with the queue behind, but the less said about that, the better).
This stone, which is said to be the pair to the stone at the Poind and His Man, sits at the far side of the China Pond having been moved here by the famous Mr. Blackett who has built many structures and follys in and around Northumberland. Walking from the house and crossing the busy road to the forest walks, the China Pond is signposted, and it is less than a five minute walk. It certainly sits in a beautiful spot, although I was a little saddened to see it sitting on a concrete/stone base, having been propped up by bits of slates and other stones.
Whilst taking photographs, a couple stopped to watch, saying to each other "they're taking photographs for that Countryfile competition". We assured them we weren't. They were on the look-out for red squirrels, and listened politely when I explained about the standing stone.
Carrying on to the walled garden, I was stunned at the amount of work which goes into keeping this place immaculate. Whilst sipping hot tea at the cafe in the walled garden, the skies got very dark and we were treated to some some spectacular lightening on the way back. Shame the trees blocked the view of the lightening from the standing stone - that would have made a good photo.
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| Glebe Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Glebe Stone, Yarrow, Scottish Borders: parked at NT 35172 27575
Driving back westwards from Warrior’s Rest standing stone, we immediately spotted the Glebe Stone in a field to the north of the road – how had we missed it the first time? With granddaughter’s pushchair in tow, we didn’t dare walk down this narrow, busy, country road, so we parked in the gateway to a barn at grid reference NT 35172 27575. Just as husband got out of the car ...The Glebe Stone, Yarrow, Scottish Borders: parked at NT 35172 27575
Driving back westwards from Warrior’s Rest standing stone, we immediately spotted the Glebe Stone in a field to the north of the road – how had we missed it the first time? With granddaughter’s pushchair in tow, we didn’t dare walk down this narrow, busy, country road, so we parked in the gateway to a barn at grid reference NT 35172 27575. Just as husband got out of the car to see how to access the field, a girl and her dog drove past the car to the barn behind on a quad bike, so I hopped out to explain what we were doing. “No, you’re very welcome to look. There’s a gate a 100 yards or so down the field”, she told me.
This stone, the Canmore Site no. 53061 notes tell me, sits 530 yards ENE of the Yarrow Stone and sits 40 yards north of the main road. These notes say “the stone has been fenced in (although the fence is not now in place) and measures 4ft 6ins in height, from 2ft 7 ins to 3ft 10ins in width and 1ft 4ins in thickness. The broader sides face WNW and ESE. On the latter side, near the base, there are two doubtful cup marks, one measuring 3ins in diameter and ½ inch deep, another 4ins by 5ins and 2 and ½ ins deep. Around the stone there was formerly a large cairn covering a quantity of decomposed bones.”
It was an easy walk up a shallow grassy slope to the stone, and I went all around taking photographs. There is a pleasant view over to Yarrow Water (this stone sits closest of the three stones close together – this stone, the Yarrow Stone & Warrior’s Rest stones) just the other side of the road.
I definitely saw some cup marks on the eastern face of the stone – photographs here to see what others think.
From here, it was back into Selkirk and onto Melrose to see the Abbey before going onto the Kelpies at Falkirk. A great day out!
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| Warrior's Rest |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Warrior Stone, Yarrow, Scottish Borders: The Canmore Site (no. 53054) notes say that this stone is “at the south east corner of the cottage known as Warrior’s Rest, 300 yards west of Yarrow Church, there is a standing stone measuring 5ft 3ins in height, 5ft 9ins round the base and 4ft around the shoulder. The top is pointed.”
As the crow flies, it is just over 700 metres east of the Yarrow Stone, back towards Yarrow village. We spotted the sm...Warrior Stone, Yarrow, Scottish Borders: The Canmore Site (no. 53054) notes say that this stone is “at the south east corner of the cottage known as Warrior’s Rest, 300 yards west of Yarrow Church, there is a standing stone measuring 5ft 3ins in height, 5ft 9ins round the base and 4ft around the shoulder. The top is pointed.”
As the crow flies, it is just over 700 metres east of the Yarrow Stone, back towards Yarrow village. We spotted the small white signpost to Warrior’s Rest cottage at the left hand side of the road and stopped at the entrance. We couldn’t see any standing stone in the vicinity at all, even climbing the steps to the nearby war memorial just to the west of the cottage to see if we could spot anything. In the end, I walked up the track towards the cottage and spotted what appeared to be the top of a small standing stone peeking out above one of the two cars parked on the driveway.
Having come all this way, I was disappointed not to be able to see the stone, so decided to walk up and knock on the door. The curtains were drawn and the door to the garage was open, but despite knocking and calling out, I got no response, so decided to be cheeky and take a couple of photographs (and if anyone came, I’d explain). The stone literally stand a couple of feet away from the front bedroom window – whether its still in its original place and the cottage was built next to it, or the stone has been relocated next to the cottage was difficult to tell.
The Canmore notes also say there are two, previously unreported, cup marks on the eastern side of the stone, although I did quickly examine the stone for any cup marks, but didn’t see any. Usually my camera can pick up on things the eye finds difficult to differentiate at the time, but examining the photos this morning, I couldn’t see anything. I wonder now, at the time of writing, if this has been confused with the Glebe Stone, as I did see two cup marks on the eastern face of this stone.
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| The Yarrow Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
27th Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The Yarrow Stone, Yarrow, Scottish Borders: From Selkirk, we took the A708 towards St Mary’s Loch and Moffat. There was a diversion coming out of Selkirk, due to roadworks, so we had to double back to get onto the A708. Passing through the hamlet of Yarrowford, the road runs by Yarrow Water to the left hand side – a very pleasant, fertile valley. Reaching Yarrow, the kirk was signposted to the right hand side of the road, and a small grass-cre...The Yarrow Stone, Yarrow, Scottish Borders: From Selkirk, we took the A708 towards St Mary’s Loch and Moffat. There was a diversion coming out of Selkirk, due to roadworks, so we had to double back to get onto the A708. Passing through the hamlet of Yarrowford, the road runs by Yarrow Water to the left hand side – a very pleasant, fertile valley. Reaching Yarrow, the kirk was signposted to the right hand side of the road, and a small grass-crete area in the centre of a triangle of roads made it possible to stop and get our bearings. Continuing westwards along the A708, we kept our eyes peeled for standing stones which, according to the Canmore notes, were visible from the road, but didn’t see anything. We reached the hamlet of Yarrow Feus before turning back and retracing our steps towards Yarrow.
We found the signpost for Whitefield (a farm) easily enough on the left hand side of the road, and there was a small layby big enough for two cars to park by the side of the A708. From here, a track led up to a gate into a field, where the Yarrow Stone was visible surrounded by a wooden fence to protect it from stock (there were none in the field at the time of our visit). The grid reference was spot on (thank you!) and it was an easy, short walk up the stony track.
There is a small plaque which reads: “The Yarrow Stone. This inscribed stone records the grave of two Christian British princes who lived during the 5th or 6th century AD. It was uncovered around 1803, when up to twenty large stone cairns were removed from a former moor, known as Annan Street, to create arable fields. The inscription is in Latin and can be read as: (+) HIC MEMORIA PE(RP)ETV(A) {I}N LOCO INSIGNISIMI PRINCI PES NVDI DVMNOGENI HIC IACENT IN TVMVLO DVO FILI LIBARALI{S} which translated means “this is the everlasting memorial. In this place lie the most famous princes Nudoss and Dumnogenos. In this tomb lie the two sons of Liberalis.” After the end of Roman Britain, in the 5th century AD, much of the Southern Uplands became part of the British Kingdom of Strathclyde. St. Ninian was the force behind Christian Missionary work in the region, which sought to convert the population through its leaders. This site may already have been a place of ceremonial importance in prehistoric times, but the Yarrow Stone and other burials in stone lined graves (cists) suggest that it was also valued by early Christians.”
From here it was a short hop to find the Warrior’s Rest standing stone.
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| Great Urswick Burial Chamber |
Burial Chamber or Dolmen |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2015 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Great Urswick Burial Chamber, Cumbria: There is not much on the web about this site, and nothing (apart from a finger post in the vicinity) on ADS, apart from the fact this site is ‘ruined’ and ‘possibly Bronze age’. Parking on these narrow lanes was dreadful and were also very busy with traffic, so going round a bend you were likely to come bumper to bumper with a vehicle going the other way. When we finally found a grass verge with room for o...Great Urswick Burial Chamber, Cumbria: There is not much on the web about this site, and nothing (apart from a finger post in the vicinity) on ADS, apart from the fact this site is ‘ruined’ and ‘possibly Bronze age’. Parking on these narrow lanes was dreadful and were also very busy with traffic, so going round a bend you were likely to come bumper to bumper with a vehicle going the other way. When we finally found a grass verge with room for one car there was a large truck and a horse and rider stopped to natter to each other, so we drove around again – it would have been easier to walk from the village (also avoiding the bull in the field - see later).
The first part of the footpath across the meadows from Middle Barrow Lane was easy enough. There was a tumble-down stile, built up by a mound of stones on the far side (at grid reference SD 26018 7483). We then lost the footpath and ended up going through various fields towards the village.
We found a lone gate post sitting in a dip between two small hills. I thought at first it was a standing stone, but it had the remains of a hook embedded in it. Carrying on towards Great Urswick, there is a hill rising to the left hand side with limestone pavement on top. Walking up the slope the chamber comes into view, although I wasn’t convinced at first. The chamber lies within the context of surrounding limestone pavement, on a slope and largely consists of a few larger stones piled on top of each other with a gap between smaller stones lower down the slope. The whole chamber is mostly covered by large hawthorn bushes. I had to call up the photograph on the Portal to make sure we were looking at the right thing!
Walking back to the car, the footpath was clearly visible from this side, walking north westwards along the top of the hill. However, we were stopped dead in our tracks by a very large tan and white bull which splayed its front legs and stared us out. We turned quietly round and went back down into the shallow valley to follow the way we’d come. We found the footpath signs easily on the way back. There was an iron kissing gate in the hedge to our left hand side, followed by a short but steep climb into the field with the bull. Thereafter an easy walk to the burial chamber.
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| Great Urswick Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
23rd Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Great Urswick/The Tunwini Cross, Great Urswick, Cumbria: Turning right off the A590 just south of Ulverston/Swarthmoor, along a road signposted only to ‘Urswick’, we headed off on narrow little lanes, just as the sun broke through the clouds. The village of Great Urswick is built round two sides of Urswick Tarn. The church can be found on the left/western side of the tarn, almost at the southern end of the village. A small car park allows visi...Great Urswick/The Tunwini Cross, Great Urswick, Cumbria: Turning right off the A590 just south of Ulverston/Swarthmoor, along a road signposted only to ‘Urswick’, we headed off on narrow little lanes, just as the sun broke through the clouds. The village of Great Urswick is built round two sides of Urswick Tarn. The church can be found on the left/western side of the tarn, almost at the southern end of the village. A small car park allows visitors to draw up to the gate, where a footpath and stile runs off through the churchyard around the southern side of the tarn. Whilst the church itself is surrounded by trees, walking past the church to the southern boundary of the churchyard gives superb views over to Birkrigg Common.
Inside the church was pretty spooky, as the darkness seemed to suck all the light out. We found the light switches but none worked (must have been on a timer or master switch), so we were left to look around by the light of the few lamps that had been left on at the west end of the church.
Entering the church through the south porch, the Great Urswick/Tunwini Cross is on the first window sill on the south aisle, and is impressive in size. The church guide makes reference to two crosses; we were unable to find another fragment, although there was a drawing of another Viking cross with a knot design on the wall behind the font. The Furness Blog Spot, which I found this morning, tells me that this fragment is not on display in the church, but then doesn’t say where it is housed.
Going through the door to the belfry, we were immediately struck by the thickness of the walls, which was apparently a pele tower used to protect inhabitants and animals in time of war/marauders. In the chancel there are also some fantastic choir stall end carvings, all with cherubs playing different musical instruments.
At the entrance to the south porch there are clear marks on the eastern side where arrows have been sharpened, together with the remains of an old cow chain (the vicar used to apparently have grazing rights in the churchyard, although sheep are kept there now) and the barely visible remains of a mass hour dial on the western side of the porch.
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| Jarrow |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
10th Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Fragments, St Paul's Church and St Bede's Monastery, Jarrow: We parked at Bede’s World (a couple of hundred yards away from the church and the monastery) and having decided to start off at St Paul’s Church, we followed (or tried to follow) the signs, which took us across the busy main road to another car park. All the paths seemed to lead into the middle of no-where. After 10 minutes wandering around in circles with granddaughter in...Anglo Saxon Fragments, St Paul's Church and St Bede's Monastery, Jarrow: We parked at Bede’s World (a couple of hundred yards away from the church and the monastery) and having decided to start off at St Paul’s Church, we followed (or tried to follow) the signs, which took us across the busy main road to another car park. All the paths seemed to lead into the middle of no-where. After 10 minutes wandering around in circles with granddaughter in pushchair, I finally went inside to ask. The girls at the Bede’s World reception had to go and ask. “It’s straight through the park”, they told me. All the posters up in the reception area said the church was open until 15:30 so we thought we had plenty of time.
Not being able to get the pushchair down the ramp into the park (too overgrown) we followed the pavement along the main road down to the church, where we had to manoeuvre round tree cutters to follow the path up to the west porch. We were greeted by the ruins of St Bede’s Monastery on our right hand side – such an ancient building incongruously topped by modern pylons rising up behind.
It turned out the church was only open until 3pm so we only had 10 minutes to go in, wander round, take photographs and try and appreciate the history of what we were seeing. A volunteer came up to us and I waved the Corpus of Anglo Saxon stone sculpture pages that I’d printed off and explained I was on a ‘treasure hunt for Anglo Saxon cross pieces’. Instead, we got drawn into the old monastery chapel for a guided tour. The rest of the church seems, and feels, pretty ordinary, but this old chapel, dating from AD681 with its dedication plaque above the entry arch, was very moody and special. The lady pointed out the two pieces of original Anglo-Saxon glass in the south windows.
It also turns out that the fragments are now in display cases, rather than being displayed in the porches, which made them incredibly difficult to photograph, as the light coming through the church windows reflected in the glass, as did the flash when I tried to use it. By this point, they were turning the lights off in the church to go home, although they very kindly let us stay an extra 10 minutes so I could photograph some of the artefacts. Definitely a second trip needed when there’s more time to wander round the old church and the ruins of the monastery outside.
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| St Wilfrid (Melling) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Lancashire |
Visited |
6th Jun 2015 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Anglo Saxon Cross, St. Wilfrid's Church, Melling: From seeing the reconstructed cross at Halton, we set off back to Melling, to work our way back towards Levens Park/Sizergh Fell to end the day. Following the A683 back through Hornby, we drove through the village of Melling, with very narrow roads, and with cars and huge trucks trying to pass each other, it was a bit precarious to say the least. The church is on a very narrow section of Main Str...Anglo Saxon Cross, St. Wilfrid's Church, Melling: From seeing the reconstructed cross at Halton, we set off back to Melling, to work our way back towards Levens Park/Sizergh Fell to end the day. Following the A683 back through Hornby, we drove through the village of Melling, with very narrow roads, and with cars and huge trucks trying to pass each other, it was a bit precarious to say the least. The church is on a very narrow section of Main Street, so we ended up parking in Gillison Close, having to turn right just past the church into a road that eventually turns into Lodge Lane. There was no footpath for 200 yards down this small road, which, given the amount of traffic on it, was exciting for pedestrians [note: there are steps up to the church, so disabled access is going to be difficult].
Formerly called St. Peter’s (but I haven’t been able to find out when the dedication changed), this pretty church is Grade 1 listed. The British History Online notes state that the church “stands on the west slope of an elevated plateau, the top of which forms an ancient earthwork known as Castle Mount”. This church looks ancient from outside but deceptively modern inside, apart from the tower. The ADS website was down at the time of writing this, but both Wikipedia and the “A Church Near You” website states that “the earliest fabric in the church dates from around 1300 or earlier ... it is possible that a church has been on the site since the 10th century.”
We found a fragment of Anglo Saxon cross tucked away on a window sill on the west interior wall, alongside a modern ceramic bowl and a piece of medieval grave marker. This short piece of cross shaft has basket-work interlacing which British History Online says was taken out of the churchyard wall a few years ago. Curiously, the on-line records of the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture has only a one line mention of this stone, saying there are similarities with cross shafts found at Aspatria and Lancaster.
There is apparently a piece of Norman chevron ornament, found below the tower floor, which is now built into the vestry wall, but this was not accessible during our visit.
In the porch there are a couple of medieval grave markers displayed against the east wall. Outside, near the south wall, there is a very tall sundial, which must have been meant to have been read from horseback. It still has it’s (now green) brass plate on the top, but no gnomon. Wikipedia says it probably dates from the 18th century and is Grade II listed.
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| Sizergh Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
4th Jun 2015 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Sizergh Settlement and Cairns, Levens, Cumbria: I’ve spent more time trying to find out more about this intriguing site than all the others we visited today (4th June) as there seems to be so little about it, apart from on the Portal. I’ve tried to visit durhamnature’s ‘archive.org’ to retrieve the “Transactions of the Cumberland Arch Soc” but it’s given me no results (will try again when I’ve got a little more time to spend on this).
Gettin...Sizergh Settlement and Cairns, Levens, Cumbria: I’ve spent more time trying to find out more about this intriguing site than all the others we visited today (4th June) as there seems to be so little about it, apart from on the Portal. I’ve tried to visit durhamnature’s ‘archive.org’ to retrieve the “Transactions of the Cumberland Arch Soc” but it’s given me no results (will try again when I’ve got a little more time to spend on this).
Getting here was another challenge for my map-reading skills. It should have been simple enough to reverse directions from Archer’s Hill, returning to the A591 and cutting west towards Levens, but were halted by a ‘no access’ sign. There were plenty of cars coming in the other direction and the road was even two-way, so we took a chance. How wrong could we have been? Almost reaching the end it became apparent that it led onto the dual carriageway heading in the other direction, so a hasty three point turn was made and we ended up following the minor road back past Leven’s Park, through Hincaster and heading back to the A6 to travel north for a short distance before turning off for Levens and heading back east towards Heaves Farm, just north east of Levens.
There was room to park the car by the footpath sign leading up past the western side of Middle Plantation, and we headed up the pleasant grassy track up the hill. To the right hand side there were a couple of gates and footpath signs leading up to the cairns and the circular structure we’d seen on the map. The sign on the first gate told us that the lumps in the grass weren’t grass covering stones as we’d first thought, but ant-hills that were formed on pastures that weren’t mowed. Interesting – never seen these before.
As we walked further up hill, there was a very intriguing (favourite word of the day) circular mound covered in trees (the rest of the fields had no trees at all). As we passed this to our left hand side, the larger of the two cairns rose up at the top of the hillside. There were glorious views over the fells to the north. Heading off to the west, there was a small quarry face with lots of stone chippings. Having photographed this, together with the sheep curled up on the warm limestone, we headed off into the wooded mound. Largely covered in hawthorn trees, it was interesting to navigate the low branches. There was some bedrock peeking through the grass, but also circular structures and also two sides of what had been a rectangular stone building.
Having arranged to meet some friends in Penrith on the way back, we made our way back down the mound to see if we could spot the smaller of the two cairns. Yes, it was there, but rising only 10 to 15 cms above the ground. Our eyes could make out the circular structure but it was difficult to photograph, with no shadows to bring out the mound.
Certainly a lovely spot, and I’m keen to find out more. Getting home and hitting the internet, I ended up getting very confused between this site and a Romano-British Settlement excavated by Oxford Archaeology, but checking the grid references confirmed they were different sites in close proximity. In the end, husband Andrew managed to find the extract below from a free Google book and I found a reference on the British History Online records:Discovering Prehistoric England: A gazetter of prehistoric sites by James Dyer, A Shire Book
Take minor road NE from Levens. The sites are to the N of the road on Sizergh Fell. The site consists of an oval embankment enclosure covering 0.2 hectare, with secondary enclosures to the south. Interior hollows may indicate the sites of hut circles. On the hilltop there is a small round cairn, 7.5 metres across, which contained a collared urn. To the east a further cairn, 9 metres across and 0.9 metres high, covered 5 skeletons."
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| Leven's Park ringcairn |
Ring Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
4th Jun 2015 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Leven's Park/Archer's Hill Ringcairn, Cumbria: This cairn is close to the roundabout where the A590 meets the A591 and A6 just south of Sizergh Castle. My map reading failed, as the junctions were complicated – no proper roundabouts, just adjoining roads with ‘give way’ signs to transfer from one carriageway to the other, which was fun at 5pm with traffic whizzing everywhere as everyone escaped from work to home. After a few wrong turns, eventu...Leven's Park/Archer's Hill Ringcairn, Cumbria: This cairn is close to the roundabout where the A590 meets the A591 and A6 just south of Sizergh Castle. My map reading failed, as the junctions were complicated – no proper roundabouts, just adjoining roads with ‘give way’ signs to transfer from one carriageway to the other, which was fun at 5pm with traffic whizzing everywhere as everyone escaped from work to home. After a few wrong turns, eventually we made it onto the minor (brown) road which runs between Sedgwick and Hincaster, stopping at a small car park (enough room for 3-4 cars) outside a stile over a stone wall leading into Leven’s Park. By the stile, a small stream joining the River Kent tumbled over stones downhill and the trees provided welcome shade.
Walking along the dirt track for a couple of hundred yards, the cairn is to your right hand side, not in view from the path, but in a very pleasant spot, next to the River Kent. Between the dirt track and the actual cairn there is a series of four smaller mounds – possibly either cairns in their own right? -but I could find no mention of these anywhere on Pastcape or any other source. We did look for the mentioned field system around the ring cairn, but could find no evidence of it.
Walking round this ring cairn, there are clearly two different rings, which originally intersected, but give the appearance of now being joined into one larger cairn. Trying to capture the two different rings, we headed up the hill to the south west.
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| Red Well, Barnard Castle |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
2nd Jun 2015 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Red Well, Barnard Castle: Before leaving home late this afternoon, I'd done a quick trawl of what information could be found on the Red Well on the internet, and come across a curious document entitled: “Archaeo-Environment Ltd: South West Durham Heritage Corridor, Volume II Journeys Part 2” in which page 170 (actually page 3 of the document) talked about “Dr. Edwards’ Health Restoring Walk: a route walking from the rail path into the centre of B...Red Well, Barnard Castle: Before leaving home late this afternoon, I'd done a quick trawl of what information could be found on the Red Well on the internet, and come across a curious document entitled: “Archaeo-Environment Ltd: South West Durham Heritage Corridor, Volume II Journeys Part 2” in which page 170 (actually page 3 of the document) talked about “Dr. Edwards’ Health Restoring Walk: a route walking from the rail path into the centre of Barnard Castle viewing Dr. Edwards’ natural springs and former railway building”. It then talks about “this circular route leaves the main railway line behind Glaxo and uses existing rights of way (not bridleways) to visit Barnard Castle via the Red Well. Red Well is an attractive 19th century spring located within its own enclosure. It was popularised by Dr. George Edwards who encouraged the residents of Barnard Castle to make use of its health-giving properties ‘Its valuable laxative qualities has, I know, been ascertained. The Red Well was named from the colour of the stain left on the stone over which the mineral spring flowed (Wilkinson 1998, 46). It no longer stains the stone and is not recommended for drinking .... Access to the enclosure today is by an old metal kissing gate which contributes towards local historic character. Inside the enclosure a stone shelter with seat provides views towards Glaxo buildings, but would had originally viewed the railway line. Overgrown with wildflowers rendering the path virtually invisible, the Town Council are only able to mow it once a year. A path was constructed originally in a horseshoe shape around the edge of the enclosure linking the well with the seating area.”
Leaving Barnard Castle along Galgate (the A688 towards Darlington), then peeling off along Harmire Road (the B6278) we drove past the Glaxo buildings. We had difficulty in spotting the footpath signs, as they were either very tiny rectangular shaped or just below the level of the stone walls/shrubs along the sides of the road. In the end we parked along the road into Montalbo Industrial Estate and walked back, crossing (the now busy road, as it was factory closing time), and easily found the footpath which followed the small stream through the grassy meadows on the opposite side of the road.
By this time, the wind was howling and heads down, we started through the field that had a “Bull In Field” notice on the kissing gate (there wasn’t this time, we checked thoroughly before crossing). In the second field we were mugged by the sheep who came baaing and running at us, probably thinking we’d brought them sheep nuts or some other treat. They were disappointed, and when we crossed back, they pointedly ignored us.
A metal kissing gate leads into the enclosure with the Red Well in it. The well/spring certainly has a good output, water streaming from the outlet pipe. The sign inside the stone shelter is curious – there was obviously a ‘battle’ of some kind over the well in the past. Need to find out more, but most of the internet enquiries come up with ‘Red Well Inns/Hotels/Pubs – will find time to look further soon.
Not the best of locations for the well now, with its views over Glaxo Smith Kline buildings and the wind turbines, but on the edge of town and surrounded by meadows and sheep.
We had to really battle the wind going across the meadows back to the car, and were glad of its shelter once we’d arrived. Shame, because whilst it was sunny, the wind meant we didn’t linger at this spot. It was now early evening, so back home, via Staindrop to find the Anglo Saxon Cross fragment.
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| St John the Baptist (Tunstall) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Lancashire |
Visited |
4th Jun 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Votive Stone, St. John The Baptist, Tunstall: Driving from St. Wilfrid’s, Melling, we continued north along the A683. Just mile or so along the road, the A683 becomes a ‘minor road’ splitting off to the left, whilst the main carriageway continues as the A687. Following the A683 into Tunstall village, Church Lane is the last turn to the right hand side, almost at the end of the village. This road disappears into green fields with a few large ho...Votive Stone, St. John The Baptist, Tunstall: Driving from St. Wilfrid’s, Melling, we continued north along the A683. Just mile or so along the road, the A683 becomes a ‘minor road’ splitting off to the left, whilst the main carriageway continues as the A687. Following the A683 into Tunstall village, Church Lane is the last turn to the right hand side, almost at the end of the village. This road disappears into green fields with a few large houses along the way. After about 600 metres, the church appears to your left hand side, with parking places outside the entry stile. This is a glorious country setting with a beautifully looked after churchyard.
The ADS web site was down at the time of writing, but the British History Online notes are really helpful, telling me that this church, now named St. John The Baptist, used to be dedicated to St. Michael, and is largely of “15th century date .... there are some remains, however, of a 13th century structure, fragments of which have been used in the rebuilding”.
The church guide was £5, so we didn’t buy it, but quickly looked through it to find it mentioned a Roman altar as well as the votive stone, but no clues as to the whereabouts of either - I had to use my phone to find out where the votive stone was; we found no suggestion of the Roman altar, although there was a display of architectural pieces and medieval grave markers by the west door which included what looked like a very worn Anglo Saxon cross head.
To assist future visitors, the votive stone is on the eastern-most of the three windows (nearest to the organ), on the left hand side of the window surround. Curiously, it has been placed on its side.
At the east end of the south aisle there is a small chapel which contains a much broken effigy, said to be of Sir Thomas Tunstall. There is also an ancient chest just outside the south chapel and outside a sundial shaft which stands on three octagonal steps.
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| Halton St Wilfrid's Churchyard |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Lancashire |
Visited |
4th Jun 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Ancient Cross, St. Wilfrid's, Halton: From St. Margaret’s in Horby, we followed the busy A683, turning off onto the road to Halton just south of Caton. Although only a side road, this road seemed busier than the main road.
This must be one of the most dangerous sites I’ve visited. The church is located on a bend on this busy, busy road and the gate into the church is less than a foot from the edge of the road with no pavement, and it’s qui...Ancient Cross, St. Wilfrid's, Halton: From St. Margaret’s in Horby, we followed the busy A683, turning off onto the road to Halton just south of Caton. Although only a side road, this road seemed busier than the main road.
This must be one of the most dangerous sites I’ve visited. The church is located on a bend on this busy, busy road and the gate into the church is less than a foot from the edge of the road with no pavement, and it’s quite stiff to open – nearly got run over trying to get into the church and had to be very careful exiting, as you couldn’t see what was coming round the bend to the right.
The church looks more like a house with a stone tower, and unfortunately was locked, which was a shame, because the Pastscape record tells us there are pieces of 5 Anglo Saxon stones built into the interior of the tower.
According to the Pastscape record 41153, the pre-Norman cross (restored in 1890) tells the story of the Sigurd legend (which I’ll need to find out about), although to my eye not all the pieces matched and must be several crosses amalgamated together. A bit of a disappointment really.
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| St Margaret (Hornby) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Lancashire |
Visited |
4th Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross Fragments, St. Margaret's Church, Hornby: From Gressingham, we continued east along the twisty-turny Back Lane, over the narrow bridge over the River Lune, to its junction with the A683. Turning right, we were almost immediately in Hornby. St. Margaret’s sits on the left hand side of the road, before the main road takes a right hand turn. There is ample parking on the right hand side of the road opposite the church which is d...Anglo Saxon Cross Fragments, St. Margaret's Church, Hornby: From Gressingham, we continued east along the twisty-turny Back Lane, over the narrow bridge over the River Lune, to its junction with the A683. Turning right, we were almost immediately in Hornby. St. Margaret’s sits on the left hand side of the road, before the main road takes a right hand turn. There is ample parking on the right hand side of the road opposite the church which is distinctive with its octagonal tower.
Opening the gate from Main Street, you fall into the porch of the church, which is very dark. Inside, the church appears very modern and (to me) without personality, although there is evidence of much older structures such as the traces of old roof lines in the interior west wall; Pastscape records it as having building having started in 1514, with the nave being rebuilt in 1817 with clerestorey being added in 1889.
There was no church guide, just one board with an A4 sheet of notes. This told us that: “Under the tower are two fragments of 9th century crosses, one showing the five loaves and two fishes; this is unique in England, though there are two in Ireland. They both came from the Priory ...”, although the Pastscape record says they are 8th to 9th century and that both fragments had been reused in a 19th century barn wall at Priory Farm before coming to the St. Margaret’s. The church notes continued: “The churchyard contains a huge cross base, which may be pre-Conquest or Norman. The original cross could have been twelve feet high. Its presence is something of a mystery.”
The Anglo Saxon Cross Fragment with the carving of the five loaves and two fishes was impressive, and definitely worth stopping to see. Alongside it, to the right, was a much smaller fragment with chevrons.
The churchyard is beautifully kept, with well mown grass and shrubs being clipped into amazing shapes and kept low to the ground. The cross base is huge in comparison to others that I’ve seen – I had to climb on top of a stone to photograph the top, which has a slot for a cross to go into on top.
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| St John the Evangelist (Gressingham) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Lancashire |
Visited |
4th Jun 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
9th Century Anglo Saxon Cross Fragments, St John The Evangelist, Gressingham: Having decided upon a day out in Lancashire/Cumbria on an Anglo Saxon Cross hunt, this was our stop of the day. We approached from junction 35 of the M6, taking the B6254 through Over Kellet and taking a right hand turn, named Fall Kirk, down to Gressingham. This is a pretty little village with the church on the junction of Fall Kirk and Back Lane, sited on a hill nex...9th Century Anglo Saxon Cross Fragments, St John The Evangelist, Gressingham: Having decided upon a day out in Lancashire/Cumbria on an Anglo Saxon Cross hunt, this was our stop of the day. We approached from junction 35 of the M6, taking the B6254 through Over Kellet and taking a right hand turn, named Fall Kirk, down to Gressingham. This is a pretty little village with the church on the junction of Fall Kirk and Back Lane, sited on a hill next to a small stream which joins the River Lune to the south. Not having phoned through before visiting, we were delighted to find the church open, with a lovely Norman arch over the entrance door on the south wall. But whilst it was warm and sunny outside, this Grade 1 listed church was cold inside.
Whilst the Pastscape and Wikipedia notes talk about more than one fragment of 9th cross inside the church, we could only spot one, despite a thorough hunt by both of us. This was strapped into the north-east corner of the nave, just before a large tomb for George Marton, so I was unable to turn it round to photograph the reverse side. The 9th cross shaft built into the external south-west corner of the nave was easy to spot, with the sunlight picking out the decoration nicely [note: having reviewed the Pastscape notes, another fragment might be inside the vestry, which we didn't check].
There was a pulpit of dark wood dated 1714 on the south side of the church, and retained some of the original box pews. There was also a tapestry on hessian against the south wall, opposite the chest tomb and the stone fragment which caught my imagination – someone has put a lot of hard work into this.
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| Preston Cleugh Fort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
30th May 2015 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Preston Cleugh Fort, Scottish Borders: On our way to Edin’s Hall Hill Fort & Broch, having stopped in Duns for a late lunch, this fort was right next to the road on our way, so we decided to stop and take a closer look. Taking the A6112 through Preston, just after where the B6438 forks off the A6112 on the right hand side, there is a forestry track leading into Preston Plantation, where it’s possible to park against the verge along the edge of t...Preston Cleugh Fort, Scottish Borders: On our way to Edin’s Hall Hill Fort & Broch, having stopped in Duns for a late lunch, this fort was right next to the road on our way, so we decided to stop and take a closer look. Taking the A6112 through Preston, just after where the B6438 forks off the A6112 on the right hand side, there is a forestry track leading into Preston Plantation, where it’s possible to park against the verge along the edge of the track, close to where it meets the main road. There were signs all along this track saying ‘Entry Prohibited’, ‘Forestry Operations’, ‘Do Not Climb On the Timber Stacks’, but only a short way up this forestry track was a sign saying the ancient monument was 127 metres away. Stepping over a small bank and wading through growing ferns and weeds (which will be knee high in a few weeks), the double bank of the fort rose out of the ground before us. These defensive banks and ditches continue along the west and south sides, the north and east being formed by natural slopes.
There is a clear entrance-way to the north western side. To the north east, Cockburn Law Hill Fort rises high above this fort.
The Canmore site notes (site 58616) say that this fort measures 77m by 57 metres internally, having been built in two phases: the first phase being a double earthern rampart and ditch with its entrance on the western side; the second included the construction of a stone rampart on the line of the inner rampart, continuing along the entire perimeter of the fort, with a new entrance being cut on the eastern side.
A peaceful spot, worth stopping off to visit, particuarly with a print of the plan from the Portal 'Drakemuir Forts' to understand what we were seeing. Thanks, Portal, another good place to visit.
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| The Sleepy Sheep, Deepdale |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
2nd Jun 2015 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
The Sleepy Sheep Stone, Natural Erratic near Barnard Castle: Having decided to go to see Egglestone Abbey, I did a quick trawl on the Portal to see what else was nearby around Barnard Castle. The Red Well and this stone looked intriguing so I printed off the pages, and off we set. [Thanks to Durham Nature for this entry – I’ve since looked up his web site and will dip into this again.]
On the way back from Egglestone Abbey, instead of turn...The Sleepy Sheep Stone, Natural Erratic near Barnard Castle: Having decided to go to see Egglestone Abbey, I did a quick trawl on the Portal to see what else was nearby around Barnard Castle. The Red Well and this stone looked intriguing so I printed off the pages, and off we set. [Thanks to Durham Nature for this entry – I’ve since looked up his web site and will dip into this again.]
On the way back from Egglestone Abbey, instead of turning right along The Sills to go over the road bridge over the Tees into Barnard Castle by the castle, we went straight on along Lartington Lane. Whilst it’s a relatively minor road, it is wide but busy along its first part, with Hensall Way peeling off and leading up to HM Young Offenders Institute Deerbolt. Not sure which side of the river the stone was on, we parked on a wider section of the road near Deepdale Cottage, just along from the junction with Henshall Way. We walked back along the narrow pavement to Deepdale footbridge over the river to its northern banks, but drew a blank. From the image from the Portal, the stone was most likely to be on the southern side of the river, so we trekked back over the footbridge (distressingly the wooden sheets across the bridge were all rotten and cracking, and plastic reinforcement had been laid across some parts).
Finding the entrance to the park on the southern banks of the Tees between two cottages, we opened (and closed) the gate and followed the metalled road along the grassy meadow. In a couple of hundred yards I said to Andrew, “either that’s a sheep that’s keeping very still, or it’s the stone.” It was the stone.
The shape of this natural erratic is indeed like a sleeping sheep. Made definitely of red Shap granite, it was so cute! We wondered how on earth it had got there. The Durham Nature web site tells us that there are a number of these erratic in the area, pushed over the Pennines by a glacier during the last ice age. I definitely want to go and find the others at Deepdale and The Mortham Stones.
The location is also very pretty, sleeping between the small road and the river with lush, green grass blowing in the breeze and sheep with their photogenic lambs standing watching what we were doing.
The winds were definitely getting stronger by this time (pity my friends walking from John O’Groats to Lands End who are up around Shap today!) so set off to find The Red Well, then onto Staindrop to find the Anglo Saxon Stone Fragment on the way back.
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| Edin's Hall |
Broch or Nuraghe |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
30th May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Edin's Hall Fort & Broch, Scottish Borders: Having stopped at Duns for refreshments, there is a small car park, large enough for 3 to 4 cars just off the A6112 at grid reference NT 78933 60957 which gives access to a forest/river walk. At the car park, there is a signpost for the Broch, saying ‘2 ¼’ but two and a quarter what? Miles, kilometres? This contradicted our map which indicated the walk was just over a mile.
Walking through woodland, ...Edin's Hall Fort & Broch, Scottish Borders: Having stopped at Duns for refreshments, there is a small car park, large enough for 3 to 4 cars just off the A6112 at grid reference NT 78933 60957 which gives access to a forest/river walk. At the car park, there is a signpost for the Broch, saying ‘2 ¼’ but two and a quarter what? Miles, kilometres? This contradicted our map which indicated the walk was just over a mile.
Walking through woodland, along an easy forest track, there is a sign saying: ‘Free range children and animals’ so whoever owns this land has a sense of humour (also try and spot the tree with personality by the car park - it has been given eyes, ears and a nose!).
Down the path, we approach the Whiteadder Water (yes, there is also a Blackadder) we come across the Elba foot suspension bridge, with a sign saying ‘only two people to cross at any one time. No jumping on the bridge’. It indeed moves up and down as you walk over. There are stunning views of vertical bedding planes forming the banks of Whiteadder Water at this point, with water tumbling over the rocks.
Continuing past the house, through its orchard, past the barking dogs and geese and hens, onto the flood plain with a bank to our left hand side which keeps the curious cattle at bay, we followed the river. Climbing up the bank towards the pylons running overhead led onto two stiles (stone steps) over the stone walls. This was somewhat of a challenge for me on the way there, having to sit on top of the wall and swing my legs over, but on the way back, I’d got bored of being frightened and actually managed to walk across them like a normal walker.
A pleasant walk up to the hill fort and broch, with a herd of cattle looking lazily down on us from the top of the hill in the first field and a flock of sheep and their now large lambs in the second. Rather than scramble across a third stile there is a gate in the wall higher up the slope which we used to gain entry to the field with the fort. The Duns History Society describe this walk as ‘slightly strenuous’ but I’d disagree. It’s pleasant enough, although the hillside immediately up to the fort is a little steeper in practice than it looks on the ground.
Following the track into the fort, there are some obvious defensive banks and ditches which rise gently up the hillside as you follow the trackway, with clear hut circles, large and small. There also appears to be the remains of some square stone structures which (according to the interpretation board) indicate later (more recent use of the site). The views down to the river valley were great, as was Cockburn Law Hill Fort rising still high above us – we drove past this on the way back to Abbey St. Bathans and will come back to explore this on another visit [note to self, use the A1 to Berwick then cut across country to Preston rather than use the A697 road from Morpeth – this was very slow].
The broch itself is impressive as you first approach – the entire lower few courses of stone are still in place round the entirety of the circular structure; there is only one entrance into the broch on its eastern side.
It is fascinating to walk around, as there are all sorts of internal chambers, and even the beginnings of a small set of stairs in an internal chamber on the south-western side of the broch. On the north-western side, where the ground starts to slope away towards Whiteadder Water, the walls are particularly thick; we guessed this was either because the walls needed reinforcing at some point to stop them sliding down hill, or it’s an internal chamber that’s been filled in.
The late afternoon/early evening sunshine brought out the contrast between the defensive banks and ditches and I could have spent a lot longer walking around here. If there had been time, we might have followed the footpath through the west-south-western entrance to the fort all the way up to Cockburn Law Hill Fort. The site appears to be really well cared for, with all the bracken being cut back.
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| Dodlaw Burn |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
23rd May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Dodlaw Burn Standing Stones and Cairns, Scottish Borders (alternative name = Chatto Hill Standing Stone): I guess we’ve become more than a little bit fascinated by this part of the Scottish Borders, probably because it’s easy to get to (about an hour from our house), there are very, very few people around (apart from the odd farmer and cyclist) and there are so many features/sites marked on the map.
Husband Andrew spotted an area marked on the...Dodlaw Burn Standing Stones and Cairns, Scottish Borders (alternative name = Chatto Hill Standing Stone): I guess we’ve become more than a little bit fascinated by this part of the Scottish Borders, probably because it’s easy to get to (about an hour from our house), there are very, very few people around (apart from the odd farmer and cyclist) and there are so many features/sites marked on the map.
Husband Andrew spotted an area marked on the map as having ‘standing stones and cairns’ relatively near to Woden Law hillfort, which we both wanted to see. So, on a sunny Saturday, we set off north.
Taking a different route from Jedburgh through Oxnam, we ended up back at the Pennymuir Roman Camps, continuing past them up towards Chatto Craig and Tronshaw Hill. The minor road passes over a cattle grid near Chatto/Upper Chatto, and immediately over the grid there is a sheep-fold with room for several cars to park without blocking access to the field.
A gate gives access onto the field from here and the track climbs up and off to the left hand side of the field, up past a small wood to the left hand side then levels off in the area between Dod Law hill to the right and Little Heuch Law to the left. Almost immediately, we were struck by what appeared to be cairns on the eastern flank of Dod Law and in the flat area to the left hand side of the track, what could possibly be a large hut circle and a cairn or two. Because of the depth of the tussocked grass, we could walk the bank of the ‘hut’ but couldn’t really capture it in a photograph. More research to done on the RCAHMS site in this area, me-thinks (there are lots of ‘dots’ on Canmore mapping here, but you can’t click on a dot and bring up the information, so it’s going to take some time). We did take grid references, and I’ll look at these when there is more time (and less gardening) to do. (Note: a subsequent look at the Canmore site reveals this circular feature is a most probably a sheepfold).
Continuing up the gently slope between the hills and crossing over the small ford over the Dod Law Burn, the standing stone appears on the brow of the hill just above you. Following the path, it becomes clear on reaching the top that there are three stones; two sit close together as a sort of entrance. The third sits low and flat to the ground to the east.
There are in fact three cairns to the north of the third stone, at grid references NT 77795 16810 (measures 5.6 metres in diameter, 0.4 metres high), NT 77800 16814 (immediately to the north east, 4 metres in diameter and 0.4 metres in height), and NT 77799 16820 (to the north, 4.6 metres in diameter and 1.5 metres in width). I’m glad we had the GPS device. None of the cairns could easily be photographed, but we could definitely see them with the naked eye. Whilst the 1999 record says they stand 0.4 metres above the land surface, I reckoned they were about 20 cms higher, probably because of the tussocks of grass around them. Thank goodness for having taken part in the Davy’s Lee Level 1 and Level 3 surveys recently, as I began to get my eye in to look at lumps and bumps and identify changes in grass height and colour, which gave clues as to the banks surrounding the cairns.
Above us to the east rose a cairn on Little Heuch Law.
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| Woden Law |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
23rd May 2015 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Woden Law Hillfort, Scottish Borders: Firstly, congratulations are due to husband, Andrew, for getting me up onto this high, remote and very beautiful spot. The climb was certainly very worth it!
Driving back down from Dod Law/Chatto Hill, we arrived back at Pennymuir Roman Camps, turning left down the minor road passing Towford Outdoor Education Centre. Splashing through the ford through the wonderfully meandering Kale Water, we parked just b...Woden Law Hillfort, Scottish Borders: Firstly, congratulations are due to husband, Andrew, for getting me up onto this high, remote and very beautiful spot. The climb was certainly very worth it!
Driving back down from Dod Law/Chatto Hill, we arrived back at Pennymuir Roman Camps, turning left down the minor road passing Towford Outdoor Education Centre. Splashing through the ford through the wonderfully meandering Kale Water, we parked just before the t-junction a couple of hundred yards further on (there is room for 2 cars). Dere Street ran in both directions to our right hand side, doing a dog-leg past the camps and back up towards Trestle Cairn to the north-west, and running east-south-east, heading up into the gap between the hills of Hangingshaw Hill/Langside Law to the left with the impressive Woden Law to the right. Those Romans certainly knew a trick or two, as the road followed the lowest angle up the slope.
Setting off, I could hear a dog barking and eventually spotted two people descending the steep western slope of Woden Law with their three dogs. We kept to Dere Street.
At the top of the gap between the hills a small building was visible to the left of Dere Street, and heading towards this it was a slow, steady climb up easy grassy paths with the ditches of the road visible in parts. Just before reaching the building, at this point, it wasn’t clear if we could get through the newly built wire/barbed wire fence across the fields at this point(we've had problems of long stretches of fence lines with no gates before) so rather than go through the gate and follow the path, we trudged straight up the side of Woden Law which was rather steeper than it initially looked. I almost lost my nerve on this slope, having to step between tussocked lumps with holes in between. We soon reached the first bank and ditch of the Roman siege works on the lower slopes of the eastern side of the hill fort – but still about fifty feet below the summit. It became clear we should have kept to the path which was wide, grassy and easy walking!
Passing through a further set of fortifications, we reached the top of the hill. There was clearly a lot going on here – lumps and bumps and banks and ditches everywhere. Since coming home, we found the 1950 Excavation Report by the late Sir Ian Richmond and Professor St. Joseph, which has a plan of the fort in it. It would have been useful to have had this during our visit as we could have interpreted more of what we were seeing at the time, but has helped when cataloguing my photos. We started at the northern-most edge of the fort and worked our way over to the southern edge, taking note of the ramparts and structures on our way. At one point we noticed the rabbits had burrowed into the outer bank of the outer annexe and saw the high built up of turf on top of the stones used to create the wall.
The wind was persistent, and I was too much of wimp to go to the very edge of the fort, so Andrew took a few photographs perched on the outer bank.
Most definitely worth well the climb. Andrew wished he'd had his hang-glider.
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| Jedburgh Ancient Christian Stones |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
4th May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Jedburgh Early Christian Stones: We've driven past Jedburgh, with the Abbey looming high on the hill to our left, on many an occasion but never stopped to take a closer look.
Turning left into Jedburgh, we were surprised to find that not only was the parking free, but there was free Wi-Fi throughout the town (although the password to connect varies as to the cafe/facility you are using at the time).
Paying the fee to get into the Abbey, we ente...Jedburgh Early Christian Stones: We've driven past Jedburgh, with the Abbey looming high on the hill to our left, on many an occasion but never stopped to take a closer look.
Turning left into Jedburgh, we were surprised to find that not only was the parking free, but there was free Wi-Fi throughout the town (although the password to connect varies as to the cafe/facility you are using at the time).
Paying the fee to get into the Abbey, we entered the Visitor Centre, and was astonished (and pleased) to find Anglo-Saxon cross fragments displayed on the walls of the stairwell and also on the first floor. These hadn't been mentioned on their website, and were definitely a nice bonus.
Having photographed the early Christian stones (including the wonderful 8th century shrine fragments) we made our way into the Abbey. I love looking at old monasteries and churches and really enjoyed our time here. It was sunny and warm, and we amused ourselves for a little while by trying to re-create a couple of the photographs in the guide book (almost, but not quite - I'm not that talented!).
No refreshments in the Abbey/Visitor Centre but a string of nice cafes opposite.
I would like to come back when the various museums are open. There is a lot to see in and around the town.
We cut the visit reasonably short as we wanted to head out into the hills to look at Standing Stones not too far away.
Would definitely recommend a visit.
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| Horseshoe Wood Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
4th May 2015 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Horseshoe Wood Settlement, Hownam, Scottish Borders: After having parked in the sleepy little hamlet of Hownam, a footpath called The Street sets off near the village/community hall, leading off to the left of the main road up into the hills.
Just starting up The Street, there is a field to the right hand side of the road which holds what looks like another standing stone, so we stopped to investigate.
Continuing, we then passed a couple of ...Horseshoe Wood Settlement, Hownam, Scottish Borders: After having parked in the sleepy little hamlet of Hownam, a footpath called The Street sets off near the village/community hall, leading off to the left of the main road up into the hills.
Just starting up The Street, there is a field to the right hand side of the road which holds what looks like another standing stone, so we stopped to investigate.
Continuing, we then passed a couple of houses on a gravelled roadway the footpath enters farmland which rises reasonably gently up towards Horseshoe Wood. At the time of our visit, the footpath was covered in manure (obviously had a herd of cattle on it recently). The lambs were very curious as to who these strangers were who were walking through their land, only moving from the warm soil of the path at the very last minute.
Horseshoe Wood runs to the left of the footpath, contained within a stone wall. Towards the higher end of the wood the wall has been demolished in two places and through this the mound of the settlement rises distinctly behind it.
Exploring, we found it to be an elongated mound, made even clearer by the fact it has no trees growing on it, with two circular scoops taken out of the left hand side; the first has a small tree growing out of it.
Curious, as this mound is relatively near the Standing Stone (only a couple of hundred metres), we took photographs and tried to find out more after our visit, but couldn't - but the description sounded identical to the RCAHMS/Canmore record of a scooped settlement nearby.
We thought perhaps this mound had been missed because it has been hidden by the wall and the trees within the wood.
If anyone can shed any further light on this mound, I'd be delighted to hear more.
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| Horseshoe Wood (Hownam) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
4th May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone, Hownam, Scottish Borders: Note, when parking in the village and starting up The Street, in the field immediately to the right hand side of The Street, there appears to be what might be another standing stone or stones at grid reference NT 77991 19158. I coudn't find out anything about this apart from a brief mention on (dare I mention it! the Modern Antiquarian site).
From our parking spot in Hownam Village, The...Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone, Hownam, Scottish Borders: Note, when parking in the village and starting up The Street, in the field immediately to the right hand side of The Street, there appears to be what might be another standing stone or stones at grid reference NT 77991 19158. I coudn't find out anything about this apart from a brief mention on (dare I mention it! the Modern Antiquarian site).
From our parking spot in Hownam Village, The Street climbs slowly, steadily (and for the unfit, steeply!) up into the hills, although taken steadily it’s easy walking along a farm track. The views of the surrounding hills are impressive. Passing Horseshoe Wood with its possible settlement/mound, you turn the corner and see the standing stone sticking up out of a pair of banks to your right hand side.
There has obviously been modern quarrying nearby – the scars are visible with stones scattered around the area between the end of the wood and the standing stone. Ignoring these, this spot is beautiful with stunning views to the south.
The standing stone sits easily in the landscape on top of an elongated oval mound that we found has been scooped out at the far end – a quarry, or naturally shaped? My conclusion was that it was quarried in modern times, not very sympathetically.
The Canmore/RCAHMS notes say that in 1968 and 1979 this stone was leaning at an angle of 55 degrees. It is upright now, so has been re-seated at some time.
The Street continues up in between the Headshaw Law and Windy Law to your right and Hownam Rings to the left. Towards the top of the hill there is a signpost, and a left hand turn takes you towards The Shearers. Half way up the hill, to the right hand side of the track at grid reference NT 79015 19018 there is a reasonably sized boulder which sits on its own. For some reason I glanced at this rock and noticed an indentation. Looking more closely, I’m convinced this is a cup mark with a possible ring around it.
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| The Ponteland Boulder |
Rock Art |
England |
Tyne and Wear |
Visited |
17th May 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
The Ponteland Boulder, The Great North Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne: We'd been told about this boulder in March by one of guys at the Archaeological Group who is a very keen tracker of any new rock art found in the region. Then, strangely, it came up in Rock Articles which was emailled to me by Dr. Kate Sharpe at the University of Durham. Having been asked to look after our very young granddaughter for the day, plans for a long day out walking w...The Ponteland Boulder, The Great North Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne: We'd been told about this boulder in March by one of guys at the Archaeological Group who is a very keen tracker of any new rock art found in the region. Then, strangely, it came up in Rock Articles which was emailled to me by Dr. Kate Sharpe at the University of Durham. Having been asked to look after our very young granddaughter for the day, plans for a long day out walking were truncated so we decided to head off into Newcastle and go searching for this boulder.
Walking through the University of Newcastle campus, we crossed Claremont Road and walked almost right round the museum and back again without spotting this stone. I was just about to head off into the museum to ask when my husband dived off into a small garden area fronting onto the main road, towards the bins. He came rushing back to tell me he'd found it.
Sited almost opposite the bank of big blue wheelie bins on the access road to the rear/delivery entrance to the museum wasn't maybe the best spot for this boulder, but here it was never-the-less.
There is obvious plough damage to the edges of the stone and it has been quarried at some point, making it originally much larger than it currently is.
The cup and ring motifs, particularly those at the edges of the boulder, had peck marks (like at Fowberry Park) next to them.
Definitely worth a visit if passing by. Note to those of you with families: at the far side of the museum, next to the car park, there is a large stone rhinoceros which is interesting to be photographed next to (but definitely not megalithic!).
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| Jedburgh Rock Art |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited (still working on) |
23rd May 2015 |
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Jedburgh Rock Art: We spotted this site page after our last visit to Jedburgh earlier this month, and having missed this piece of rock art first time round, we decided to stop when we next passed through to see if we could find it. Armed with SolarMegalith's grid reference, we went scouting, but were unable to find any rock or boulders in the vicinity.
I called up this page on my mobile phone and went into the visitor centre to ask if they kn...Jedburgh Rock Art: We spotted this site page after our last visit to Jedburgh earlier this month, and having missed this piece of rock art first time round, we decided to stop when we next passed through to see if we could find it. Armed with SolarMegalith's grid reference, we went scouting, but were unable to find any rock or boulders in the vicinity.
I called up this page on my mobile phone and went into the visitor centre to ask if they knew anything about it. Neither of the guides knew anything about this at all, taking my phone to consult each other, and even double-checking the guide book to find out where the courtyard referred to in the earlier reference might be.
In the end, we all had to admit defeat on this occasion, but I'd be interested to find out if this piece of rock art has been moved to a local museum. Curious! I'd now love to found this stone and post a photograph.
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| Ireby Old Church |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
1st May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Anglo Saxon Cross, Old Chancel, Ireby: Travelling from Bridekirk back towards Carlisle, we took the minor road through Torpenhow (couldn’t spot the pub marked on the map, which would have been a welcome stop at this time of day). Just leaving the village a sign told us the road wasn’t suitable for HGV’s – it was very narrow in parts but not that bad. Funny that the church, although in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, wasn’t signpost...Anglo Saxon Cross, Old Chancel, Ireby: Travelling from Bridekirk back towards Carlisle, we took the minor road through Torpenhow (couldn’t spot the pub marked on the map, which would have been a welcome stop at this time of day). Just leaving the village a sign told us the road wasn’t suitable for HGV’s – it was very narrow in parts but not that bad. Funny that the church, although in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, wasn’t signposted, although it was easily visible across the field to our right hand side. We ended up turning right down the track to New Park farm and parked about 100 yards down on the right hand side at by a gate just past the stream called ‘Church Strand’.
With 5 month old granddaughter in arms (no chance of taking her pushchair) we opened the gate rather than climb over the stile, and walked across the little wooden footbridge over the stream and the 100 yards or so across the picturesque field to the church. Also funny that we had to navigate the paved drain to the south side of the church to enter at the west door as there wasn’t a footpath!
It was cold and damp inside the church, although the internal features more than made up for this. Just made up of the one room, rows of narrow wooden trestles (how uncomfortable to sit on during long sermons) lined either side of the aisle. A narrow table served as the altar. Windows in the south side of the church had been blocked up, although there was no sign of these in the external wall of the church. The pillars which had been relocated in the churchyard were odd and interesting, as was the incised tynpanum over the west door.
We searched for the various bits in the church. There was no church guide to bring away – we took photographs of the CCT sheet left for visitors to use.
As usual, I poked around the overgrown graveyard for unusual grave stones. We didn’t find the two cross bases mentioned in the Portal notes.
A very unusual little church, well worth the visit. I'm keen to revisit without infants and in the autumn when the grass and nettles will have died back so we might be able to find those cross bases.
At the time of writing the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture website appears to be down so I haven’t been able to check any details of the crosses - I'm keen to find out more. [Note: I've since found this church is not included on their web-site].
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| St Bridget's Church (Bridekirk) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
1st May 2015 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Scandinavian Cross Arm Piece, St Bridget's Church (Bridekirk): We arrived here just after 4pm. I’m not sure what I expected, but the old church was an enigmatic ruin at the eastern end of the churchyard – no more than a few ivy covered walls left of the chancel with graves contained within.
This church is usually open from morning until dusk. We went into the church and admired the ancient font. We found the remains of the Anglo Scand...Anglo Scandinavian Cross Arm Piece, St Bridget's Church (Bridekirk): We arrived here just after 4pm. I’m not sure what I expected, but the old church was an enigmatic ruin at the eastern end of the churchyard – no more than a few ivy covered walls left of the chancel with graves contained within.
This church is usually open from morning until dusk. We went into the church and admired the ancient font. We found the remains of the Anglo Scandanavian cross head on the window sill on the north wall and I photographed it, turned it round and photographed the other side. [The Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture web site was off-offline when we visited, but their reference for this stone is Bridekirk 01. The smaller fragment of cable roll moulding to the right hand side of this piece is ref. Bridekirk 02.]
There was also a carved stone piece on a window ledge opposite, on the south wall. The guide describes this as “Opinions differ about the origins of the stone on the opposite windowsill (which was found in the churchyard in 1911) between being part of a Romanesque carved panel, or a genuine piece of Roman sculpture. Those who have claimed it to be Roman consider it to be a dedication to the Romano-British water goddess Coventina”.
As we were walking into the chancel, the door opened and a voice said ‘hello, do you want some lights on?’. The church warden had come down to lock up. Our visit was a little curtailed as she kindly chatted to us throughout, telling us about the old church and that there was thought to be the remains of an older wooden structure underneath.
Because we were now being accompanied, we missed quite a few features we’d really rather have stayed to see. I didn’t really get to appreciate the door into the south transept, which was relocated from the original old church; the arch over the organ in the north transept is also from the old church. There is also in the porch an ancient piece of red sandstone which dates from the 11th or 13th centuries depicting the head of Christ.
Next to the ruined Norman chancel, there is also a modern version of an Anglo-Saxon cross used as a grave marker which dates from 1892. Worth a re-visit when we're next passing.
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| The Shearers |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
4th May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
The Shearers Stone Row, near Hownam, Scottish Borders: Continuing on from the Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone, continuing up the hill, towards the top of the hill, but not quite, the pathway divides. To the left runs a path to Belford, with The Street leading to Alwinton.
Turning left towards The Shearers and Hownam Rings Hill Fort, we needed to go through two gates and track across the field rather than follow the signposted path. We noticed ...The Shearers Stone Row, near Hownam, Scottish Borders: Continuing on from the Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone, continuing up the hill, towards the top of the hill, but not quite, the pathway divides. To the left runs a path to Belford, with The Street leading to Alwinton.
Turning left towards The Shearers and Hownam Rings Hill Fort, we needed to go through two gates and track across the field rather than follow the signposted path. We noticed (more on the return journey due to the evening light) an earthwork. It was particularly evident near the two gateways by the signpost. According to the Canmore/RCAHMS record (341447) it is an earthwork of uncertain date, but very like the medieval estate boundaries we’ve been looking with the local archaeology group at Davy’s Lee in Northumberland.
There is no formal track across the tussocky grass, so the walking was a little trickier, but not impossible - there are plenty of sheep tracks to avoid turning your ankles. I saw at least three pairs of boulders in the grass leading from the Street to the Shearers – could these possibly be signposts to this monument, such as at the Loupin’ Stanes and the Girdle Stanes?
Standing in the middle of The Shearers it felt like being in the middle of a shallow bowl with a view only to the west. Following the row to its western end, it appeared to end in a boggy area – was this deliberate?
Hownam Rings Hill Fort was only 100 metres to the north and clearly visible above the Shearers.
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| Sewingshields Crags |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Sewingshields Crags Possible Stone Row, now known to be a boundary feature: I'm putting this on for completeness, as Andy B has added this as a site in it's own right; for my originalvisit report with more details, see Simonburn (Davy's Lee) Stone Circle visit report, 20th July 2014.
Having spotted a group of features on the map that looked interesting: Davy's Lee Settlement, Davy's Lee Stone Circle and various tumuli, we decided to take advant...Sewingshields Crags Possible Stone Row, now known to be a boundary feature: I'm putting this on for completeness, as Andy B has added this as a site in it's own right; for my originalvisit report with more details, see Simonburn (Davy's Lee) Stone Circle visit report, 20th July 2014.
Having spotted a group of features on the map that looked interesting: Davy's Lee Settlement, Davy's Lee Stone Circle and various tumuli, we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and walk to this area. The previous weekend, we'd visited Standingstone Rigg, near Great Lonbrough Farm. If we had continued south along the footpath for a couple of kilometres from Standingstone Rigg, we would have reached Davy’s Lee from the north. Instead, we took the opposite approach, from the south, from the old military road (B6318). My husband parked the car by the Old Repeater Station (parking on the Old Military Road being sparse and difficult, with soft verges, lay-by's virtually non-existent and fast-flying cars driving up and down) having dropped me off at the farmhouse 100 yards west from this road junction, on the opposite side of the road, by the footpath up to Sewingshields and Sewingshields Crags. We’ve done this walk before, to see the Roman fishing loughs, but with this walk, we needed to follow the path nortwards past the farmhouses, round the back of Sewingshields Crags to the bottom of the hill, then turn off a track to the left hand side (approx. Grid reference: NY 80653 70820). The track disappears for a while, so we headed left up a bank with what looked like quarried stone at the top, running in a double row running approximately east to west (approx. Grid ref: NY 80393 70793).
Note: at the time of writing, I am going along to this area next week to help survey a group of stack-stands and/or sheilings (12th to 15th) so will have another look at this feature then.
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| St Kentigern (Aspatria) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
1st May 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Norse Crosses and a Viking Hogback, St Kentigern's Church, Aspatria: Following the A596, signposted to Aspatria, the church is on the right hand side as you drive into the village, set above the road and separated from it from a stone wall.
Parking in a one hour disk parking spot just outside the church, we noticed straight away a tall cross standing at the exterior east end of the church and went straight round to photograph it [accord...Anglo Norse Crosses and a Viking Hogback, St Kentigern's Church, Aspatria: Following the A596, signposted to Aspatria, the church is on the right hand side as you drive into the village, set above the road and separated from it from a stone wall.
Parking in a one hour disk parking spot just outside the church, we noticed straight away a tall cross standing at the exterior east end of the church and went straight round to photograph it [according to Wikepedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gosforth_Cross “In 1887, the Rev. William Slater Calverley commissioned a replica life-sized copy of this cross and erected it in the churchyard at Aspatria, Cumbria.“ There was also a collection of artefacts with what looked like parts of two Anglo Saxon Cross heads built into the wall.
There was a church festival, with flowers, fairy lights and candles, lots of regular church-goers helping out and many other visitors popping in, so with my camera and flashgun, I felt a bit as if we were intruding.
Enterging the church from the west doorway through the porch, we literally had to walk round another cross at the west end of the church. I asked if it was OK to take photographs using the flash it is was in relative darkness on its western side; the surrounding displays made it a little challenging to take photographs although one of the gentlemen helpers offered to move the flower stand they were using to hold leaflets for visitors, which made it easier.
There was another table with all sorts of reading material displayed on it, including a browning newspaper article saying the cross outside was a copy of the Gosforth Cross [whilst the shape was similar, I questioned whether or not the carving was the same – I’ll need to compare the photographs].
The guide then pointed us in the direction of the unusual and lovely 13th century font and told us there was part of a Viking Hogback displayed. The carvings were intricate. The church guide told me this stone was “found amongst the building material of the Norman church”.
A quick walk around the rest of the flower displays followed, especially as we ended up blocking the aisles with our small granddaughter’s pushchair and no-one could get past! As a result, we missed some of the other crosses within the building, particularly those in the vestry, but we’ll go back again when the festival isn’t on and we can wander around more freely. According to the Pastscape record there is another cross (sans top) 40 yards south of the church.
With directions from one of the guides in the church, we walked to the north side of the church yard to find St. Patrick’s Well.
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| St Patrick's Well (Aspatria) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
1st May 2015 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
St Patrick's Well, Aspatria. This well can be found in the churchyard of St. Kentigern's Church at Aspatria. Driving into Aspatria along the A596 from Carlisle, the church is on the right hand side of the road with disk parking on both sides of the road. There are steps up from the gate into the churchyard.
We arrived during the annual church flower festival (1st to 4th May). Before going into St. Kentigern’s Church to see the Anglo Saxon...St Patrick's Well, Aspatria. This well can be found in the churchyard of St. Kentigern's Church at Aspatria. Driving into Aspatria along the A596 from Carlisle, the church is on the right hand side of the road with disk parking on both sides of the road. There are steps up from the gate into the churchyard.
We arrived during the annual church flower festival (1st to 4th May). Before going into St. Kentigern’s Church to see the Anglo Saxon Cross and Viking Hogback Tombstone, we’d had a quick scout around the churchyard to see if we could see the well, but no. Asking directions from one of the guides at the church, he told us to “go out of the west door, turn right and it’s 50 yards down – you can’t miss it. Following his directions, where the path around the church turned along the northern corner, all we could see were gravestones and a fenced off area containing shrubs. The path stopped at this point and we had to make our way over the grass, avoiding the humps and bumps of grass-covered graves. Once at the fenced off area and having turned the corner, we saw immediately where the well was, contained within a neat, modern-looking stone walls with a path leading up to it.
The well was dry at the time of our visit, and looked as it if had been for some time. It wasn’t obvious where the water went to – it must have formed a small pool within the confines of the paved area, any overspill running onto the grass beyond. Whilst the well was said to have been used by St. Kentigern for baptisms, I didn’t find it had any atmosphere at all. The Pastcape record (id=9583) says that “The feature consists of a short path, steps, and the rectangular enclosure of a spring, all of Victorian construction. The vicar confirmed the name as St. Patrick's Well but there are no records of a pre-19thc structure, only of a natural spring."
There was a good view of the Anglo Saxon cross at the east end of the church from here, together with the dovecot – the most original and complete of its kind in Cumbria.
Note: St. Kentigern was also known as St. Mungo (meaning ‘dear one’). According tothe church guide booklet, he was “rescued with his mother from a drifting coracle on the Firth of Forth .... was taken into the monastery at Culross in Fife .... The people of Strathclyde revered him for his holiness of life and chose him as a bishop, but in a time of political disorder, he fled south, possibly to Wales. It is believed that on his travels he found the area which is now northern Cumbria to be unevangelised, and the dozen or so churches dedicted to Kentigern or Mungo are thought to have been founded as the result of his preaching.” Kentigern or Mungo is the Patron Saint of Glasgow.
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| Dere Street Cairn |
Round Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2015 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
Black Knowe Cairn (Dere Street Cairn), Scottish Borders:
From Trestle Cairn we followed the other side of the stone wall from Dere Street back downhill (this being Scotland I can’t get wholly used to the ‘right to roam’ even though we lived here for over 10 years. I wish we had this in England, too) with some interesting ‘lumps and bumps’ in the landscape on our right hand side – old quarries for Dere Street, old buildings or just marshy patch...Black Knowe Cairn (Dere Street Cairn), Scottish Borders:
From Trestle Cairn we followed the other side of the stone wall from Dere Street back downhill (this being Scotland I can’t get wholly used to the ‘right to roam’ even though we lived here for over 10 years. I wish we had this in England, too) with some interesting ‘lumps and bumps’ in the landscape on our right hand side – old quarries for Dere Street, old buildings or just marshy patches that have collapsed over the years?
Further down hill towards Black Knowe Cairn we spotted a green mown path cutting through the heavily tussocked grass that we were walking on by the stone wall, so switched onto this and it was easy walking down to the cairn.
What a site to end up at at the end of the day – it was very atmospheric and we spent ages wandering around the stones, looking at what might possibly be alignments between them, spotting two outliers to the north west and west, and just generally soaking up the magic of the place.
At the large stone in the field to the west I thought I saw a cup mark – it was definitely very smooth but worn, but I never know if my imagination is getting carried away. My husband certainly found no mention of rock art in this area before the visit.
Hubby walked over to the stone wall to see if there was possibly an alignment with the Black Knowe Standing Stone at the other side, but it was difficult to tell (I’d love to see an aerial photograph of these features).
Standing on the outlier at the north eastern edge of the cairn looking back, five of the stones seem to form an alignment running south west down the hill.
From the cairn the grassy path continues southwards down the hill. The only gate from the field is right in the middle of the lower side, then we had to track diagonally left to get back to the gate leading back onto Dere Street near the Scout Hut and parking area by Pennymuir Roman Camp A.
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| Trestle Cairn |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Trestle Cairn, off Dere Street, Scottish Borders: Continuing north up Dere Street from the Black Knowe standing stone, the stone wall is continuous uphill. To get back to Black Knowe Cairn we either had to carry on to Trestle Cairn then double back to Black Knowe Cairn or walk back down the hill to a gate lower down the field at the lower field boundary and walk back uphill to Black Knowe Cairn. We chose the former.
Continuing uphill, there ...Trestle Cairn, off Dere Street, Scottish Borders: Continuing north up Dere Street from the Black Knowe standing stone, the stone wall is continuous uphill. To get back to Black Knowe Cairn we either had to carry on to Trestle Cairn then double back to Black Knowe Cairn or walk back down the hill to a gate lower down the field at the lower field boundary and walk back uphill to Black Knowe Cairn. We chose the former.
Continuing uphill, there is a gate in the next field boundary. At the time of our visit there was stock in the field and an electric fence which we had to duck under. A few yards to the left hand side there was a gate into the field immediately below Trestle Cairn. 50 yards along the stone wall to the left there was a gate into the Trestle Cairn field giving easy access to the cairn.
The Canmore/RCAHMS records for this site (Canmore ID 57949 Site Number NT71NE 34) record in 1947 that this is a ‘Druidical Circle .... consists of 17 stones distributed within the circumference of a demolished cairn which originally measured 55’ in diameter’. There were clearly 2 ovals/circles of irregularly placed stones with banks and ditches around them. My impression was that this was a cairn, with some similarities to the Loupin’ Stanes which we’d seen near Eskdalemuir a few weeks before. The views to the west and south were stunning at this time of early evening, with the distant hills bleeding into the grey of the dusk.
From here we could see the Five Stones Stone Circles down in the valley to the right of Dere Street, which we’d hoped to make it to that day. The walking had been slower than we anticipated so we stayed to photograph and appreciate the location of this cairn and made our way downhill to Black Knowe Cairn. There is so much to see in this area that we’re going to make another trip, with the Five Stones Stone Circles top of the list.
Note for future visitors: returning to the gate in the field within Plea Shank, don’t go back to the gate onto Dere Street. Continuing down the field you will come to some smoothly mown pathways within the heavily tussocked grass. These lead back to Trestle Cairn and is easier walking than in the long grass.
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| Black Knowe (Borders) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Visited |
23rd Apr 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Black Knowe Standing Stone, Scottish Borders: Continuing on northwards from the Falla Knowe Cairn the path becomes more of a grassy footpath with evidence of ditches at either side in parts, so we knew we were following the old Roman road of Dere Street (funny, as this Roman road continues south down through Corbridge just a few miles from where we live). Climbing the gentle slope, to the left hand side the Black Knowe Cairn comes creeping into ...Black Knowe Standing Stone, Scottish Borders: Continuing on northwards from the Falla Knowe Cairn the path becomes more of a grassy footpath with evidence of ditches at either side in parts, so we knew we were following the old Roman road of Dere Street (funny, as this Roman road continues south down through Corbridge just a few miles from where we live). Climbing the gentle slope, to the left hand side the Black Knowe Cairn comes creeping into view. On the right hand side of Dere Street are what might be other archaeological features (look like a mixture of rectangular remains of old walls and sunken waterlogged patches with reeds).
Suddenly the land flattens out slightly and there is what looks like a free-standing boulder sitting almost next to the path. Interestingly the RCAHMS records “contradicts” itself – for Site NT71NE 44/Canmore ID 57960 the 1973 visit records it as a natural erratic boulder; the 1979 visit report says “its size and shape suggest that it may be a companion to the outlying stones of the adjacent cairn”. We’ve come across these solitary standing stones next to Roman Roads before, as if they were used as markers/waypoints or to pass and respect sites that were ancient when these roads were built.
Looking more closely there are actually three boulders, one just to the south and another just to the north. My opinion is that it is either a small cairn in its own right or is associated with Black Knowe Cairn, but the stone wall/dyke in between the two features makes it difficult to ascertain. Even though my husband went up to the stone wall to line himself up with the larger cairn behind to see if we could make any connections between the two monuments it was difficult to tell. Oh to have an octo-copter with camera!.
The views from here are spectacular, particularly as we were just under the edge of a weather front, with big dark rain clouds coming down from the north and the sunlight hills all around the other compass points.
As there were no gates in the long, long stone wall (I never know what to call these – when we lived in Dumfries the locals referred to them as dykes; where I was brought up in Yorkshire, dykes were ditches!), we continued up the hill to Trestle Cairn.
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| Falla Knowe Cairn |
Cairn |
Scotland |
Scottish Borders |
Saw from a distance |
23rd Apr 2015 |
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4 |
Falla Knowe Cairn, Scottish Borders: Not quite the actual Falla Knowe robbed out cairn, but one nearby.
Travelling up Dere Street, having parked next to Pennymuir Roman Camp A just across the road from this section of the Roman Road, we made our way north up this deeply rutted section of the footpath towards Black Knowe and Trestle Cairns (wellies will be needed after wet weather - it was bad enough after a dry spell). Whilst there were a num...Falla Knowe Cairn, Scottish Borders: Not quite the actual Falla Knowe robbed out cairn, but one nearby.
Travelling up Dere Street, having parked next to Pennymuir Roman Camp A just across the road from this section of the Roman Road, we made our way north up this deeply rutted section of the footpath towards Black Knowe and Trestle Cairns (wellies will be needed after wet weather - it was bad enough after a dry spell). Whilst there were a number of cairns, settlements and earthworks marked on the map in the field to our left, it was difficult to make out any features amongst the tussocks of grass and heather. The forest marked on the map immediately after the road has now been cut down, leaving large stumps sticking up out of the ground like ancient teeth.
We did notice that the corner of the stone wall/dyke and wooden fence post was placed almost dead centre of a circular raised mound. Whilst this cairn is marked on the Canmore Mapping for RCAHMS site 58154 no details are given. Grid reference for this cairn is NT 75204 14973.
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| Barmishaw Stone |
Rock Art |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Couldn't find |
17th Apr 2015 |
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Barmishaw Stone, Ilkley: we planned to find this piece of rock art after visiting the Comet Stone as it's not far away. From the small car park on the Keighley Road near the Comet Stone grid reference, there is no direct footpath but a track through the moorland grass could be made out. My husband was bold enough to try, but his route was blocked by a rock face. An approach from a different direction will be needed on our next visit.
We aband...Barmishaw Stone, Ilkley: we planned to find this piece of rock art after visiting the Comet Stone as it's not far away. From the small car park on the Keighley Road near the Comet Stone grid reference, there is no direct footpath but a track through the moorland grass could be made out. My husband was bold enough to try, but his route was blocked by a rock face. An approach from a different direction will be needed on our next visit.
We abandoned finding this stone to get to the Wulfhere Cross at Addingham before the church closed for the evening.
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| All Saints (Ilkley) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
17th Apr 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Three Anglo Saxon Crosses, All Saints, Ilkley: On the way I telephoned All Saints in Ilkley to find out if they were open as some churches we've visited recently have been kept locked because of vandalism. A very nice lady in the Parish Office answered and told me the church was open until dusk and that we’d be very welcome to visit.
We found the church easily enough, being just out of the town centre. We parked in a nearby car park, just off ...Three Anglo Saxon Crosses, All Saints, Ilkley: On the way I telephoned All Saints in Ilkley to find out if they were open as some churches we've visited recently have been kept locked because of vandalism. A very nice lady in the Parish Office answered and told me the church was open until dusk and that we’d be very welcome to visit.
We found the church easily enough, being just out of the town centre. We parked in a nearby car park, just off West Street (grid reference: SE 11593 47690) which is central for the shops as well, and walked round to the church.
The three Anglo Saxon crosses are kept under the 15th century tower in the west end of the church. They are impressive, although cluttered up with other things being used by the church and such bright spot lights I had to use flash to counter-balance the light. The light also streamed in from the window in the west end making photography (for me) a little difficult. There are some good interpretation boards, and also three Roman altar stones displayed against the west wall.
The tallest cross is impressive, although the cross shaft and cross head are an amalgamation of two pieces; the cross-piece on top came from the River Wharfe where it was found in 1884. The top panel on the front of the cross (as it is displayed) “depicts Jesus seated in glory with a palm branch or pastoral staff in one hand and the other hand raised in blessing.” I confess to thinking at first that the palm branch was a set of ribs and I was looking at a skeleton! I was rapidly corrected.
The second tallest has the most beautiful carving; even though worn and damaged (it has in the past been used as a churchyard gatepost). It has cable edging and rounded scroll stems.
The smallest cross (to the left of the tallest cross as you face the west window) probably dates from the late eighth century.
The interpretation boards say that these crosses were probably grave markers although other sources say they are preaching crosses.
There were some other lovely features in the church – a box pew dating from Elizabethan times (dated 1633) and a font cover with an impressive counterweight.
After this we ended up at Betty’s for a much welcome pot of tea and toasted tea-cake with strawberry preserve - much recommended.
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| Panorama Stone |
Rock Art |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
17th Apr 2015 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Panorama Stones, Ilkley (Rock Art): Climbing up out of the town centre, we found St. Margaret’s Church on Queen’s Road easily and parked outside it. Just across the road there is indeed a small wood and the enclosure around the Panorama Rocks can be clearly seen.
I have to say it felt like a “Do not feed the rock art” notice should have been placed on the railing around the enclosure (sorry, just my sad sense of humour), and although worn the...Panorama Stones, Ilkley (Rock Art): Climbing up out of the town centre, we found St. Margaret’s Church on Queen’s Road easily and parked outside it. Just across the road there is indeed a small wood and the enclosure around the Panorama Rocks can be clearly seen.
I have to say it felt like a “Do not feed the rock art” notice should have been placed on the railing around the enclosure (sorry, just my sad sense of humour), and although worn the rock art was good to see although very worn and it was easy to understand the railing was to stop people clambering all over the rocks and wearing them away further.
Of the three stones, the rock art on the largest stone (broken into four pieces and reassembled) was easiest to see. I could just about make out some cup marks on the two smaller stones.
Whilst we were there another couple came along, studied the board and said “Oh, rock art” then wandered away again - clearly impressed.
Worth a visit if you're passing.
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| Westwood Drive 01 |
Rock Art |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited (still working on) |
17th Apr 2015 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
The Comet Stone, Ilkely: (we found the grid reference but queried if this was the stone): From the Panorama Stones, driving the 700 metres up towards the moor we parked by the footpath sign just west of the junction of Moorlands and Westwood Drive and headed up the steep path (with steps) onto the moor (to get nearer, Keighley Road travels up onto the moor and there is a small car park near to the grid reference given).
The grid reference led us...The Comet Stone, Ilkely: (we found the grid reference but queried if this was the stone): From the Panorama Stones, driving the 700 metres up towards the moor we parked by the footpath sign just west of the junction of Moorlands and Westwood Drive and headed up the steep path (with steps) onto the moor (to get nearer, Keighley Road travels up onto the moor and there is a small car park near to the grid reference given).
The grid reference led us to the back stone wall of a house. The grass had been badly overgrown and someone had put weed-killer down on this patch of ground, but nettles were springing up in between the dead undergrowth.
Walking up and down the wall and identifying several possible stones, the grid reference led us back again and again to the same stone over which the stone boundary wall between a garden and the moorland was built. Cheekily peering over the wall of the house, found the stone extended some way into the garden. It had shrubs growing over the sides and was covered by moss and twigs so it wasn’t possible to make out any of the rock art by eye.
Shame, as I thought I’d be the first to submit a photograph of this stone, but it will take a knock on the door of the house when someone is in to get permission to go round and look!
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| Wulfhere's Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
17th Apr 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Wulfhere's Cross, Addingham, West Yorkshire: After a busy day with an early start and a disappointment getting to rock art sites on Ilkley Moor, this was a great end to a long day.
St. Paul’s is in the prettiest little spot in the small village of Addingham down by the River Wharfe and is in a historically interesting spot. Driving over a small bridge, the lane to the church leads across a field which clearly holds the remains of two fish ponds...Wulfhere's Cross, Addingham, West Yorkshire: After a busy day with an early start and a disappointment getting to rock art sites on Ilkley Moor, this was a great end to a long day.
St. Paul’s is in the prettiest little spot in the small village of Addingham down by the River Wharfe and is in a historically interesting spot. Driving over a small bridge, the lane to the church leads across a field which clearly holds the remains of two fish ponds belonging to the old manor house which used to sit on this site.
We parked near the gate to the church yard in the car park by the church hall. Being 17:40 we weren’t sure if we could get into the church, but the door was open (note: on leaving the church, the door locked behind us and we were unable to get back in – the door must be on an electronic timer which triggers about 18:00 or at dusk). The porch was very dark (the lights didn’t seem to operate in this part of the church) and I cautiously made sure we were able to get back out again!
This building is clearly very ancient – the roof timbers are very old, the church information sheet saying they date from the 1520s or 1530s.
The Anglo Saxon cross sits at the entrance to a side chapel on the south eastern side of the church. Nothing in the church records refer to it as “Wulfhere’s Cross” although it’s named after the Archbishop of York, Wulfhere, who had a residence here at the time the Vikings raided York in AD867. Next to the cross there is a notice on the wall: “Fragment of an Anglo-Saxon Cross: This fragment of the shaft of an Anglo-Saxon cross was uncovered in the churchyard in 1947 during the digging of a trench. The fragment has been examined by experts in Anglo-Saxon sculpture who have dated it to the 10th century and almost certainly prior to 972. The scene on the front is, according to the experts, a representation of the apocalypse. Both sides have scroll carvings. The back is very worn but it is possible to make out carvings which could be vine scrolls. In the churchyard is a cross base dating from the same period.”
Standing by the cross and turning to face the southern wall, I was immediately hit by the size of the internal wall – huge. There was also the fragment of an Anglo-Saxon bone ornament (a comb?) kept in a glass topped case in the book case at the north-west corner of the church. This was almost impossible to photograph because of the light and reflections in the glass (or at least by me at the time!).
The old door to the bell tower in the western wall of the porch was really old and interesting.
Going back to the car I noticed some modern day carving in the wall of the church hall, together with a modern cross shaft.
We didn't look for the cross base in the church yard as it was deep in grass and daffodils and I didn't want to tread these flowers down in my search.
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| All Saints Church (Weston) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
31st Mar 2015 |
|
5 |
5 |
The Weston Cross - repeat visit with key to church! We picked up the key to the church from The Cock Pit Farm Tea Rooms, which is open from 11am until 4pm (summer hours – very popular with cyclists and great tea-cakes and tea). We were very kindly told that if we were back after 4pm (which we were) to drop the key back through their letter box at the rear of the cafe.
We went to find the remains of the Anglo Saxon cross in the north side of th...The Weston Cross - repeat visit with key to church! We picked up the key to the church from The Cock Pit Farm Tea Rooms, which is open from 11am until 4pm (summer hours – very popular with cyclists and great tea-cakes and tea). We were very kindly told that if we were back after 4pm (which we were) to drop the key back through their letter box at the rear of the cafe.
We went to find the remains of the Anglo Saxon cross in the north side of the chancel but found this to be a most unusual and interesting church, well worth the visit. Now Grade 1 listed, the present building dates from the 11th century. Locally called “the little church in the fields” it houses a three tier pulpit, the original box pews, a squire’s parlour and a fragment of 14th century glass. There is also an 18th century sundial (minus its brass top).
On the external north wall of the chancellor remains of a scroll can be seen below the window. Behind the mortar, the stone with this carving looks to be contiguous with the one above which seems to have some very weathered patterns on it. Higher up and to the left of this window are two stones which have squares incised into them.
My next mission will be to visit the Yorkshire Museum to see The Weston Man.
The Weston Cross, All Saints Church, Weston, This higgledy-piggledy, pretty little church, almost a patchwork of stonework from different times and styles, is situated in some impressively pretty countryside. Although I understood the church key was readily available from a cottage nearby, no-one was in, so I've had to email for the contact numbers to telephone when we return to the area in a couple of weeks. Parish Administration tell me there's also a key kept at Cock Pit Farm tea rooms on the
main road (opposite the turning to Weston Church), which is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm during summer. There is a small parking area opposite the gates to the stable yard within a few metres of the church gate, which the owner told us was OK to use whilst looking at the church. I'm really looking forward to going back.
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| Bogle Walls |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
6th Apr 2015 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Bogle Walls Earthwork/Fort, Eskdalemuir: We spotted this earthwork as we drove back to Bentpath and Langholm on the way back from Bessie's Hill and stopped to take a closer look and take a few photographs. Sitting at the foot of Enzieholm Hill to its 'back' and a bend of the River Esk to its 'front' it is an emminently defensible position. Would have liked to take a closer look and walk up to the top of the bank but daylight was fading and we'd...Bogle Walls Earthwork/Fort, Eskdalemuir: We spotted this earthwork as we drove back to Bentpath and Langholm on the way back from Bessie's Hill and stopped to take a closer look and take a few photographs. Sitting at the foot of Enzieholm Hill to its 'back' and a bend of the River Esk to its 'front' it is an emminently defensible position. Would have liked to take a closer look and walk up to the top of the bank but daylight was fading and we'd seen a lot of other sights that day and my brain was a little tired and overloaded by this stage! Next time - which I hope won't be too long.
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| Girdle Stanes |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
6th Apr 2015 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Girdle Stanes, Stone Circle near Eskdalemuir: Even though we lived only 10 ½ miles from Eskdalemuir for 4 years in the laste 1990's, we’d never explored this area, apart from taking our (then very young) kids to a local river to paddle and visit a few of the Roman forts nearby, which in hindsight was a shame, but we’re rectifying that now.
Driving along the B709, about 2 km before Eskdalemuir, we spotted the signpost to Girdle Stanes on the ...Girdle Stanes, Stone Circle near Eskdalemuir: Even though we lived only 10 ½ miles from Eskdalemuir for 4 years in the laste 1990's, we’d never explored this area, apart from taking our (then very young) kids to a local river to paddle and visit a few of the Roman forts nearby, which in hindsight was a shame, but we’re rectifying that now.
Driving along the B709, about 2 km before Eskdalemuir, we spotted the signpost to Girdle Stanes on the right hand side of the road and pulled into the field gateway, making sure we weren’t blocking access. There was a splendid view of the Girdle Stanes and the White Esk in the valley below. As the road is about 100 feet above the stones, it was easy to see how part of the circle had been eroded by the river.
It was a glorious, warm day with no breeze. The footpath was an easy downhill stroll. The stones felt welcoming and the sun glinted off the river. The stones appear to be built within a bank which is still visible. Someone had left a bunch of flowers underneath the stone which sat underneath the largest hawthorn tree, and we wondered if it had been the monks from Samye Ling (the Buddhist monks in this area of Northumberland also celebrate standing stones and stone circles here).
Looking across the valley to a where the map showed earthworks, we saw these clearly, but contained within these earthworks was a cemetery. We decided to explore this feature later in the day. I've just found (10th April) out that this site is a moated homestead, RCAHMS site ID 67233.
Just to the north of the stones, a footpath sign pointed us in the direction to the Loupin’ Stanes, following the fields along the edge of the river.
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| St Oswald (Guiseley) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
10th Apr 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Cross, St. Oswald's Church, Guiseley: I had tried on several occasions to phone the vicar, the parish office and some of the church wardens to find out if the church was open during the day, even leaving messages on voice mails which weren’t returned. A couple of hours before our visit I did manage to get through to one of the churchwardens who said it was no trouble to meet us at the church at 1pm. “We always aim to please,” he tol...Anglo Saxon Cross, St. Oswald's Church, Guiseley: I had tried on several occasions to phone the vicar, the parish office and some of the church wardens to find out if the church was open during the day, even leaving messages on voice mails which weren’t returned. A couple of hours before our visit I did manage to get through to one of the churchwardens who said it was no trouble to meet us at the church at 1pm. “We always aim to please,” he told me. The church is apparently now kept locked as they caught some intruders levering brass plaques off the church wall but they always try and accommodate visitors.
I’d explained in advance that we wanted to see the Anglo Saxon cross, and expected to keep him only 10-15 minutes. But on arriving at the church he told us he was going to give us the “full church tour” – 1 hour and 40 minutes later I felt very rude when I had to make excuses as we were expected over at All Saints in Weston and had to cut the tour a little short. Make no mistake, St. Oswald’s church itself is very interesting and this gentleman knew his history; he spoke with knowledge and enthusiasm - the time flew by.
On the left hand side of the main entrance there can be seen the vague outline of one of seven original consecration crosses (now the only one remaining); the church unusually has two sanctuaries, it is also where the parents of the Brontes were married and the Patrons of the church include Trinity College Cambridge.
Entering through the porch with its now interior original Norman archway into the church, the Guiseley cross is immediately on your left hand side at the north entrance to the baptistery. Dating from the 9th century, it is very obviously an original cross shaft, mounted on a stone block with one part of a cross arm bolted/cemented on top to make it look like a full cross. The whole is blackened by soot and the churchwarden told us it had stood for many years outside in Town Gate nearby. He told us the church had considered having the cross cleaned but been advised to keep it in its current state. I found it difficult to photograph due to the bright spotlights shining down on it (had we been on our own we would have turned the lights off) and the proximity of the rear of the cross due to the stone column behind.
The churchwarden led us to what we were told was the original Saxon part of the church (now the Lady Chapel? I haven’t been able to find a floor plan of the church to double check this). He told us as a small boy he attended worship with his class from school to find two gentlemen had lifted up a slab in the floor of this part of the church; he could see a staircase leading downwards and was told there was a charnel house with many bones it in. It’s not accessible to the public and he hasn’t been down there since he saw it as a youngster.
The southern aisle is unmistakeable Norman with the original columns (although the churchwarden said there was some debate about whether or not this had been moved to accommodate a further extension at some time). There are some very notable stained glass windows in the church and one of the original box pews.
My one regret was that having to rush away to All Saints in Weston as we were very late, I wasn’t able to get any photographs of the exterior of the building. I had little time to also look at the cross. We had an invitation to phone up and arrange another visit sometime soon, and we will do that as there wasn’t enough time to take everything
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| Tree of Life Stone |
Rock Art |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
10th Apr 2015 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Tree of Life Rock Art Stone, near Otley: From seeing the remains of the Anglo Saxon cross shaft at All Saints in Weston, we re-joined Moor Lane, turning left to the village of Askwith. This appears to be a ‘rat run’ from Ilkey to Otley, and there are a lot of cars along this very narrow lane, so approach bends with caution! Once in Askwith, we turned right onto Askwith Lane which turns into Moor Road. Continue straight on at the cross roads wi...Tree of Life Rock Art Stone, near Otley: From seeing the remains of the Anglo Saxon cross shaft at All Saints in Weston, we re-joined Moor Lane, turning left to the village of Askwith. This appears to be a ‘rat run’ from Ilkey to Otley, and there are a lot of cars along this very narrow lane, so approach bends with caution! Once in Askwith, we turned right onto Askwith Lane which turns into Moor Road. Continue straight on at the cross roads with Weston Moor Road. We managed to park one field passed the gate to the access land, just passed the entrance to Carr Farm (there is room for one car on the grass verge).
Walking up the hill towards the Tree of Life stone, we admired the outcrops of crop to our right hand side. At the top of the field there is a gate through into the moorland behind it. The Tree of Life stone is about 50 feet west from the corner of the stone wall to your right hand side as you come through this gate. Its full grid reference, taken from our GPS device is SE 17981 51166.
There are splendid views across the Washburn Valley and to the Swinsty Reservoir to the north east, but as we stood the murk from the polluted continental air moving across the UK rolled across slowly and even the mast at Norwood Edge disappeared into this mist.
Continuing along Snowden Carr Road, this lane eventually joins onto Askwith Moor Road with in turn joins with the main A59 towards Harrogate.
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| Over Rig |
Misc. Earthwork |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
6th Apr 2015 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Over Rigg Enclosure/Settlement, Eskdalemuir (south of Bessie's Hill but before reaching Castle O'er): We saw this natural amphitheatre to the right hand side as we drove down towards Castle O’er, seeing what looked like man-made banks and ditches on its slopes with the meandering White Esk glinting in the evening sunlight below. Rounding the corner, we came upon an information board and screeched to a halt, to the annoyance of two cars which had...Over Rigg Enclosure/Settlement, Eskdalemuir (south of Bessie's Hill but before reaching Castle O'er): We saw this natural amphitheatre to the right hand side as we drove down towards Castle O’er, seeing what looked like man-made banks and ditches on its slopes with the meandering White Esk glinting in the evening sunlight below. Rounding the corner, we came upon an information board and screeched to a halt, to the annoyance of two cars which had suddenly appeared behind us (not having passed much traffic all day); fortunately there was room to park on the verge near the board.
There was an information sheet in a wooden box below the board which visitors were free to take with them on a walk around the site and replace when they’d finished with it. This told us “Over Rig now consists of three well-defined banks and ditches, forming a deliberately designed concentric system which is surrounded by a further (and later) rectangular ditch .... this is one of the few Prehistoric Trail sites to have been excavated recently (note: in the 1980s) .... revealed that a platform had been constructed of clay material that had sealed off sections of the site. Beneath this, on the eroded river side of the site, were discovered the partial imprints of two circular constructions identified as houses.”
The RCAHMS records (site 67422) state that this “enclosure was presumably originally circular, but has been eroded away by the White Esk, almost to a semi-circle, which a chord of 200 ft and a radius of 85 ft. It is surrounded by an inner ditch 3 to 4 fet deep and 13 feet wide, a concentric rampart 5 ft high and 18 ft broad and an outer ditch 3 ft deep and 15 feet wide.”
We debated the use of this site; whilst a lovely place to be located, the lower part of the site must be a flood plain for the river. Whilst the information sheet/board indicate it might be for habitation or industrial uses, other sources I’ve looked at since our visit suggest it could be a funerary or religious monument, an enclosure for animals or an unfinished settlement.
If you are passing, it is well worth stopping to look. Apparently the acoustics, should you wander down to the river, are amazing. There is a good view of another settlement on top of a hill across the valley.
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| Bessie's Hill Fort |
Hillfort |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
6th Apr 2015 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Bessie’s Hill Hill Fort, Eskdalemuir: Travelling on from the enigmatic earthworks and cemetery at the foot of Holm Craig (which I haven’t been able to find anything out about – yet), by the time we arrived here it was gone 5pm and the forest was deserted, apart from one other car in the visitors car park (no sign of its occupants anywhere). It was a very pleasant walk in the early evening sunlight up a soft, springy mossy path through the forest...Bessie’s Hill Hill Fort, Eskdalemuir: Travelling on from the enigmatic earthworks and cemetery at the foot of Holm Craig (which I haven’t been able to find anything out about – yet), by the time we arrived here it was gone 5pm and the forest was deserted, apart from one other car in the visitors car park (no sign of its occupants anywhere). It was a very pleasant walk in the early evening sunlight up a soft, springy mossy path through the forest up to the fort, if a little steep in one place where there were steps to aid visitors. Once onto the top of this first hill, another trail led into the fort itself.
Unusually, we could hear the sound of rabbits thumping in their burrows as well as the call of the curlews as we followed this trail, at one point squelching over an area of grass and reeds (a spring? the water source for the fort?) just before the first double ditch/bank. The construction of this fort reminded me so much of Maiden Castle in North Yorkshire (but without the heather in bloom). I drew my breath in at the steepness of the drop on the south eastern side, where the land drops steeply down to the White Esk valley, although we were unable to see much of the river because of the tall pine trees in between.
We walked to the far end of the fort where the interpretation board was, but this was in very bad repair.
As the light was going and my husband was keen to see Castle O’Er before dark we didn’t venture further up the hill to the settlement, but will come back another time. There really is so much to see in this part of the world.
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| Loupin' Stanes SE |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
6th Apr 2015 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
The Loupin' Stanes Stone Row, Eskdalemuir: The walk between the Girdle Stanes and the Loupin’ Stanes along the side of the river was boggy and wet and we kept having to step over modern field drainage ditches so we deviated onto higher ground towards the road. In doing so, we came across a number of boulders sitting on the hillside in isolation. After seeing a couple, we began to wonder if we were walking along an avenue between the stones, alt...The Loupin' Stanes Stone Row, Eskdalemuir: The walk between the Girdle Stanes and the Loupin’ Stanes along the side of the river was boggy and wet and we kept having to step over modern field drainage ditches so we deviated onto higher ground towards the road. In doing so, we came across a number of boulders sitting on the hillside in isolation. After seeing a couple, we began to wonder if we were walking along an avenue between the stones, although without taking the grid references and plotting them on a map, we weren’t sure if there was any alignment between these stones. One seemed to be more of a small cairn.
The Ancient Scotland web site (site 106) makes reference to this line of stones, as does the ‘Langholm Walks (Loupin)’ brochure, saying they either link the stone circles or act as pointers. The latter asks us to make our own mind up as to whether it's a stone row or not. We were undecided and stood scratching our heads - there was obviously some purpose to these boulders being placed - they didn't seem like natural bedrock.
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| Loupin' Stanes NW |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
6th Apr 2015 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
The Loupin' Stanes, Stone Circle near Eskdalemuir: From the Girdle Stanes, the footpath pointed along the field boundary above the river, so we attempted to follow this line, although there were lots of boggy areas and field drains to step/jump across. A tall, but well built stile helped us over the first fence nearest to the Girdle Stanes, which even I managed! Although it hadn’t rained in a while, there was plenty of surface water, presumably...The Loupin' Stanes, Stone Circle near Eskdalemuir: From the Girdle Stanes, the footpath pointed along the field boundary above the river, so we attempted to follow this line, although there were lots of boggy areas and field drains to step/jump across. A tall, but well built stile helped us over the first fence nearest to the Girdle Stanes, which even I managed! Although it hadn’t rained in a while, there was plenty of surface water, presumably from springs in the field so we had to deviate onto higher ground. This had the benefit of us being able to spot several larger (presumably fallen) stones along the route between the two stone circles. As the circles are ‘hidden’ from each other by a small hill in-between, we were curious as to whether this was a deliberately marked route.
The Loupin’ Stanes formed a smaller circle than the Girdle Stanes and seemed to sit on a platform of earth. The two larger stones form an entrance towards the west. As at the Girdle Stanes, someone had placed a small bunch of flowers against the thinner of the two tallest stones, which also had a mask sculpture placed upon it.
We were curious as to the stones between this stone circle and the road – is this the third (now destroyed) stone circle that is referred to in some of the literature? We walked round them, but couldn’t make out a definitive pattern.
On the way back, we walked back to the road rather than retrace our steps back to the Girdle Stanes. Because the field gate had been shut with barbed wire, needed to climb the high stile. We’d walked further than we thought; it was a good ten minutes walk back to the car. From this site, I wanted to try and explore the Stone Rings/remains of a settlement just north east of Rennaldburn. Although we were unable to get into the forest (blocked by a substantial fence) we did get an excellent view of the Loupin’ Stanes site from the forest track on the way back to the car at grid reference NY 25936 97021.
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| All Saints (Otley) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (West) |
Visited |
25th Mar 2015 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Crosses, All Saints, Otley: Having been to Leeds in the morning, we decided to make the rest of the day one of exploration (the first one for a long time!), so made our way back to the north-east via Otley, Weston and Weston Moor. Coming down into Otley from the A660 from Leeds, All Saints is clearly visible in the town centre. We managed to park right outside the church on Burras Lane. Whilst the crosses are well worth seeing, the...Anglo Saxon Crosses, All Saints, Otley: Having been to Leeds in the morning, we decided to make the rest of the day one of exploration (the first one for a long time!), so made our way back to the north-east via Otley, Weston and Weston Moor. Coming down into Otley from the A660 from Leeds, All Saints is clearly visible in the town centre. We managed to park right outside the church on Burras Lane. Whilst the crosses are well worth seeing, the display of crosses in the church is a little disappointing - on the day we visited they were surrounded by stacked chairs, music stands, speakers and other things, making them seem unimportant.
Right next to the impressive tomb, there are good display boards describing what you are looking at (although no guide book that we could find).
In the churchyard, we found what looked like part of another Anglo Saxon cross shaft in the north-west corner, piled with other architectural pieces. There is an amazing old yew tree with branches touching the ground in places. Nice coffee shops in the vicinity.
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| Thornborough High Barns |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
8th Mar 2015 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Thorborough High Barns Rock Art (single displaced stone): We first went to visit this site on 25th May 2014. Even though we were armed with a six figure grid reference number and detailed map, we were unable to locate this stone due to the high grass and deep brambles on both sides of the hedge. However, on this visit, the stone was clearly visible on the opposite side of the hedgerow/fence line from the footpath/bridleway. Close to the locati...Thorborough High Barns Rock Art (single displaced stone): We first went to visit this site on 25th May 2014. Even though we were armed with a six figure grid reference number and detailed map, we were unable to locate this stone due to the high grass and deep brambles on both sides of the hedge. However, on this visit, the stone was clearly visible on the opposite side of the hedgerow/fence line from the footpath/bridleway. Close to the location of the stone there was a broken fence and a clear trackway which other walkers had used, so we nipped through very quickly to photograph this stone. Note to future visitors to this site: the hedge row has recently been planted, so access in future years will be difficult. I'm not sure who the landowner is, but will try and find out, and add a comment to this page. Further down the footpath, where it reaches a wood and stream, there is a gateway through to the field containing the stone, and it looks possible to walk back to the stone.
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| Addingham Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
30th Nov 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Addingham Crosses, Cumbria: This red sandstone church sits on a site which has had a church on it from the 13th century; previously the village of Addingham (home of Adda's people), including its church and churchyard, was washed away by a major flood of the River Eden in the 12th century.
The present church holds fragments of 6 different artefacts dating from between the sixth to ninth centuries. These include the unusual churchyard cross, pl...Addingham Crosses, Cumbria: This red sandstone church sits on a site which has had a church on it from the 13th century; previously the village of Addingham (home of Adda's people), including its church and churchyard, was washed away by a major flood of the River Eden in the 12th century.
The present church holds fragments of 6 different artefacts dating from between the sixth to ninth centuries. These include the unusual churchyard cross, plus a cross shaft in two pieces dating from the second part of the ninth century, a sixth to eighth century cross-incised slab, a seventh to tenth century cross base a Viking hogback tombstone and part of a cross socket.
The cross socket inside the church, next to the choir stalls, is incised with lines and holes which make it look as if it had been adapted to play the 9-mens Morris game.
It is hard to spot the cross in the churchyard at first, as it is lined up in a row of gravestones just south of the church. It's ringed hammerhead with lateral arms are unusual and I've not seen another cross like this in my travels so far.
Combined with a visit to Little Meg Stone Circle and St Nicholas's Church in Lazonby to see the cross shaft there, this was a pleasant late autumn afternoon, made even more special by hot warming soup with speciality breads at the Watermill Tea Rooms at Little Salkeld (no, they've not paid me to advertise!).
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| Lazonby Ancient Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
30th Nov 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Lazonby Cross, Cumbria: At first glance this seems the most unlikely church to have the shaft of a cross, thought to be preaching cross dating from the 8th century, as at first glance it appears to be thoroughly Victorian in origin.
From Kirkoswald, travelling on the B6413 over the Eden Bridge into Lazonby, the church looms on a steep hill on the right hand side of the road and looks very Victorian (the church guide says the foundation stone was...Lazonby Cross, Cumbria: At first glance this seems the most unlikely church to have the shaft of a cross, thought to be preaching cross dating from the 8th century, as at first glance it appears to be thoroughly Victorian in origin.
From Kirkoswald, travelling on the B6413 over the Eden Bridge into Lazonby, the church looms on a steep hill on the right hand side of the road and looks very Victorian (the church guide says the foundation stone was laid in 1864, and that "three places of Christian worship have been on this site. Before the Normans came to Cumbria a preaching-cross faced across the River Eden towards the Pennines").
It was hard to spot the cross shaft at first at it lies in the shadow of a tall tree and is the same red colour as the sandstone of the south wall of the church against which it sits near.
There are no discernable markings or carvings on it. The views over the River Eden and the Pennines beyond are impressive.
If you are passing by and are interested in Anglo Saxon crosses, it is worth stopping off for a few minutes to appreciate this ancient spot.
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| Little Meg |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
30th Nov 2014 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
Little Meg, Little Salkeld, Cumbria: After visiting the Addingham Cross, which is within walking distance, we went in search of Little Meg. Strange, as we've visited Long Meg and Her Daughters on a number of occasions, but somehow managed to overlook this little gem.
Located just to the west of the minor road from Little Salkeld to Glassonby, just north of Tarn House, there is actually no footpath to the stone circle, which can be seen from the...Little Meg, Little Salkeld, Cumbria: After visiting the Addingham Cross, which is within walking distance, we went in search of Little Meg. Strange, as we've visited Long Meg and Her Daughters on a number of occasions, but somehow managed to overlook this little gem.
Located just to the west of the minor road from Little Salkeld to Glassonby, just north of Tarn House, there is actually no footpath to the stone circle, which can be seen from the gate to the field. There was a local family who were walking along the edge of the field to the stone circle, so we followed them. Their children enjoyed climbing onto the stones and jumping off, and we wondered how many other children in times gone by had done the same!
A few of the stones might be in their original positions, but it looks as if the farmer has re-located the majority to the field edge so he can plough the field, which is a huge shame. However, the stones are welcoming and still worth a visit. One stone has impressive spiral marks on it (I understand there is a second stone with rock art but we couldn't find it).
There is a footpath running from the minor road towards Maughandy Moo, and just inside the car there are some more large stones which look as if they might have been part of this ancient monument at some point.
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| Queen's Crags Cup Marked Boulders |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Nov 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Queen's Crags Cup Marked Boulders, Northumberland: We last visited this area, immediately to the north of Sewingshields Crags/Hadrians' Wall in July this year, and I was fascinated and intrigued by what I thought might have been another possible stone row and stone circle/enclosure on the way to Simonburn Stone Circle. We'd met the farmer on this visit and he'd told us the archaeologists had marked out an area for a survey and were due to come b...Queen's Crags Cup Marked Boulders, Northumberland: We last visited this area, immediately to the north of Sewingshields Crags/Hadrians' Wall in July this year, and I was fascinated and intrigued by what I thought might have been another possible stone row and stone circle/enclosure on the way to Simonburn Stone Circle. We'd met the farmer on this visit and he'd told us the archaeologists had marked out an area for a survey and were due to come back shortly. I then found a short piece in the local Hexham Courant newspaper, and thought I identified SolarMegalith in the photo, so contacted him to find out. Then a subsequent message to him, to try and find out what rock art stones at Goatstones were the best to find, had alerted me to another rock art boulder near Queen's Crags, which put this spot firmly on my 'to re-visit' list. We then spotted an initial report on the area on the Tynedale Archaeological Group web site, so after 2 weeks stuck in the house, both decorating and my husband and his bad back, it was a relief to get on my walking boots and do this gentle walk, mostly along a cobbled track and grassy paths. It was also an exercise in getting used to using our (basic but good) GPS system.
I just wish I had more experience to understand what I was seeing, as this seems to be much larger landscape of monuments, stone circles, cairns and settlements.
Whilst it is well over a kilometre from the road to this spot, through often boggy places, it is well worth a visit just to soak in the atmosphere of this place, with Sewingshields Crags standing guard over the area to the south, and Broomlee Lough shining in the low autumn sunlight to the south west.
Walking up to the top of Queen's Crags, we came upon the cliffs very suddenly - a long drop down to the valley below and my fear of falling took over and I had to retreat down to the cairns lower down the hill.
Since our visit, I've emailled Tynedale Archaeological Group to find out if it will be OK to include a link from the page I've created to submit my photographs, as it is their work that has highlighted these features, and they deserve all the credit - I just took these few photographs. I'm still waiting to hear and will update the page when I do (Update: 17th November at 17:19 - TAG have kindly agreed to a link between the relevant pages on the Portal and their web site, and also invited me along to their AGM tomorrow night to find out more).
Congratulations to SolarMegalith for finding the boulder with 5 cups - I can't imagine how exciting it must be to make a discovery like this. Well done, SolarMegalith!
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| Beckermet Ancient Crosses (St John's Church) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Oct 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient crosses: St John’s Church, Beckermet, Cumbria: As we arrived, I could hear the buzz of voices coming from inside the church and thought there might be a service on. Sort of. Children kept coming out of the church, and out, and out. It turned out the whole local school had come for a Harvest Festival service so we waited whilst they filed out.
The vicar and another lady were standing in the church porch. I said “I think we’ve arriv...Ancient crosses: St John’s Church, Beckermet, Cumbria: As we arrived, I could hear the buzz of voices coming from inside the church and thought there might be a service on. Sort of. Children kept coming out of the church, and out, and out. It turned out the whole local school had come for a Harvest Festival service so we waited whilst they filed out.
The vicar and another lady were standing in the church porch. I said “I think we’ve arrived at the right time (or the wrong time!). We’ve come to see the Anglo Saxon cross remains” and waved my pages from the ASCorpus at them. The vicar told us the church was left open all day so we weren’t disturbing everyone. He then asked us if we were going to the ‘low church’ and gave vague directions. The lady also mentioned Gosforth. After having cleared up in the vestry, they disappeared and left us to it.
We had to move (carefully) all the flowers from the stones to photograph them, and carefully replaced them. There were also three old fonts in the church yard. I managed to photograph 2 of them; the third was less ornate red sandstone, very near the west door to the church.
All the Anglo Saxon cross shaft fragments were on the window ledges in the north aisle; grave covers on the window ledges in the south aisle.
One additional fragment, not listed on ASCorpus. Could this be fragment 09 returned to the church?
The notes in the church read: “There is evidence of at least 4 churches having been built on this site. The earliest is thought to have been built by Irish monks. We know that in 1262 Sir John le Fleming gave the church to Calder Abbey and tithes were paid to the Abbey. We know of the existence of a 13th century church. Fragments of a crocketed canopy and cross can be found outside the porch doorway. This was ‘a small church with square headed windows and a South Porch approached by steps beginning near the bridge and a little belfry between the chancel and nave’ (The Gosforth District by Dr. C.A. Parker). This was the position of the Sanctus Bell by means of a rope hanging down intot he church at the raising of the host during Mass. This church had an earthen floor with seats being oak forms. It had no door, but there was a hurdle to keep out animals. It also had no ceiling. In January 1811 a faculty was granted to pul down this building which had served as a church for over 600 years. All parishioners had to pay a Compulsory Church Rate and they wished to keep the rate as low as possible. But this church had no foundations!!! They were seen as an unnecessary expense. The walls were whitewashed and the ivy climbing up the outer walls was said to have covered up the cracks and supported the building. It had to be demolished and was rebuilt in 1878. The present church is built of St. Bees sandstone from Bigrigg Quarry and has a roof of Coniston slate. It holds 250. The pews and all other woodwork are made of pitch pine. This church cost £2,406 mainly raised by subscription .... inside the porch are 2 remnants of white freestone crosses thought to be Anglo-Saxon, 700 to 1100 AD. There is also a large graveslab which probably marked the tomb of a le Fleming (Norman) ..... along the south window ledges are the remains of ancient grave slabs dating from 1230 AD.”
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| Gosforth Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Oct 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
The Gosforth Cross and Hogbacks, Gosforth, Cumbria: This was a busy, busy little village. By this time, it was 3pm and I was more than ready for a cup of tea, but the cafe above the village store was closing. Away from the main car park for the village, we struggled to park, but in the end managed to get a spot outside the eastern end of the churchyard, where a delivery van had just pulled away.
What a delightful little church, where we were...The Gosforth Cross and Hogbacks, Gosforth, Cumbria: This was a busy, busy little village. By this time, it was 3pm and I was more than ready for a cup of tea, but the cafe above the village store was closing. Away from the main car park for the village, we struggled to park, but in the end managed to get a spot outside the eastern end of the churchyard, where a delivery van had just pulled away.
What a delightful little church, where we were given a very warm welcome.
Rather than walk up to the lych gate, I opened the lower gate into the churchyard, where we were almost immediately greeted by some iron railings round a very unusual tree. We walked over the grass to the Gosforth Cross, and as I was taking photographs, we were greeted by a very jolly gentleman who told us he’d seen us come in through the bottom of the churchyard, and asked if we’d spotted the railings. “As far as we know, this is the most northerly growing cork tree.” He then proceeded to take us into the church and showed us where the Fishing Stone was, together with the light switches to see the other stones and hogback tombstones.
There was a very busy group of ladies who were cleaning the church from top to bottom, using the space between the hogback tombstones to hide their handbags (I gingerly moved them and replaced them to get my photographs.
I picked up a leaflet in the church about the grave covers and was taking (yet more) photographs in the porch. A gentleman with a sweeping brush came out to clear the leaves away and told us about the Grade 1 listed building at north east corner of church yard built out of grave stones, so we went to look. Fascinating! I’m glad I didn’t miss this feature.
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| St Michaels Church, Muncaster Castle |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Oct 2014 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Ancient cross shaft, head and base at St Michael and All Angels, Muncaster, Cumbria: After Irton, our next stop was Muncaster, further down the A595, where I was intrigued to find what the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculptures catalogue refer to as ‘Irton 02’ being cemented to a plinth at the base of Muncaster 01.
We had a slightly eventful journey to get here. A crane had got stuck on the hill going into Muncaster so we had to carefully ove...Ancient cross shaft, head and base at St Michael and All Angels, Muncaster, Cumbria: After Irton, our next stop was Muncaster, further down the A595, where I was intrigued to find what the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculptures catalogue refer to as ‘Irton 02’ being cemented to a plinth at the base of Muncaster 01.
We had a slightly eventful journey to get here. A crane had got stuck on the hill going into Muncaster so we had to carefully overtake him on a steep bend, so missing the turn to St. Michael and All Angels, which is at the entrance to Muncaster Castle (as an amusing aside, whilst we were at Muncaster, then Waberthwaite, the crane managed to reverse and turn around in the car park just before Muncaster Castle, so we ended up following him for miles and miles, crawling up hills then speeding up on the ‘flat bits’). There is parking for three or four cars immediately outside the churchyard, so we avoided going into the main castle car park.
We found the cross shaft and cross base easily enough, with ‘Irton 02’ sandwiched between them. The cross shaft (Muncaster 01) dates from the tenth to eleventh centuries. The cross base is believed to be of Saxon-Norman origin, although no precise date is given.
I found these fragments a little sad, with little or no ambience, so we didn’t linger. Stopping to take a few quick photographs, dusk was falling rapidly, so we shot off to Waberthwaite.
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| Irton Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Oct 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient cross shaft, head and base, St Paul’s, Irto, Cumbria: This cross, apart from the Gosforth Cross, is perhaps the most complete of all those we saw during our day in this part of Cumbria. From the Ordnance Survey map, we weren’t sure if we could drive most of the way, or if we needed to walk some distance along a footpath, but with a school and a church marked in close proximity, we decided to drive as far as we could. From Gosforth, we d...Ancient cross shaft, head and base, St Paul’s, Irto, Cumbria: This cross, apart from the Gosforth Cross, is perhaps the most complete of all those we saw during our day in this part of Cumbria. From the Ordnance Survey map, we weren’t sure if we could drive most of the way, or if we needed to walk some distance along a footpath, but with a school and a church marked in close proximity, we decided to drive as far as we could. From Gosforth, we drove down the A595 through Holmrook, then took a left hand turn onto a minor road, past Gubbergill. A left hand turn is signposted towards ‘church’ and we drove down a single lane road past what had been a school, then through the narrow stone gates to the church, where after a couple of hundred yards, the lane widens out into a reasonably large car park. As we came closer to the church, there were surprisingly spectacular views over Lake District, which loomed impressively gray and large in the near distance.
St. Paul’s church is surprisingly large for its remote location, and obviously well used.
We found this complete cross shaft, head and base in the churchyard south of the church rising high above us. Dating from the first half of the 9th century, the head is edged by fine double roll mouldings. I was fascinated by the head of the cross, which on its west face has a cabled circle enclosing five pellets arranged in a cruciform pattern.
The cross shaft, head and base are referenced as Irton 01. The ASCorpus notes told me that Irton 02, a 10th century cross head, is actually at Muncaster in the churchyard of St. Michael’s and All Angels, cemented onto a plinth in front of Muncaster 01.
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| St Bee's Priory Crosses |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Oct 2014 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Ancient Crosses, St. Bees Priory (notes: 1. all the leaflets and books refer to this as ‘St Bees Priory Church’ but the name, according to information plates in the church is ‘St Mary and St. Bega. 2. I record this visit as 'ordinary' as the church was having its complete heating system replaced and was like a building site. Once this is complete, it will be 'good').
This was our first stop on an 'ancient cross hunt' day. Following the A595...Ancient Crosses, St. Bees Priory (notes: 1. all the leaflets and books refer to this as ‘St Bees Priory Church’ but the name, according to information plates in the church is ‘St Mary and St. Bega. 2. I record this visit as 'ordinary' as the church was having its complete heating system replaced and was like a building site. Once this is complete, it will be 'good').
This was our first stop on an 'ancient cross hunt' day. Following the A595 from Whitehaven, we turned towards the sea down Mirehouse Road towards St. Bees. We drove past the church at first, as it looked too modern from the road, but on closer inspection, it really is old! Sited near the station, there is car parking for 4-5 cars at the south east corner of the church, with a level pathway to follow to the west door.
Entering the churchyard, we saw St Bees 01, the 10th century cross shaft, in the middle of the churchyard by a large, round bush. The ASCorpus notes say it also has part of the cross head at the top of the shaft, although this wasn’t immediately obvious, although I can now see this in the photographs. According to the little leaflet I bought from the church, this cross stands in the graveyard to symbolise all those who are buried here, rather than there being individual grave markers. This then gives a different meaning to the other similar crosses we saw in other churches, being described as preaching crosses. I wonder who is right? In a history of St. Bees (see source below) this cross is described as being ‘Hiberno-Norse’; ASCorpus dates it to the 10th century.
Many of the grave stones have been cleared away, making the grass easier to cut, and there is a drop between the edge of the churchyard and the church itself, with plenty of bright yellow ‘danger’ notices. Near the lych gate, there is a sundial which dates to 1649, although the top has been broken off.
Having travelled over 90 miles to get here, we arrived at the west door to find a notice to say the church was closed Mondays to Thursdays as they were having the heating pipes replaced. As it was a Friday and someone else had just come out we went in; we were stopped by one of the plumberswho said the church was closed, and I said we’d driven a long way to come here, he said ‘be careful’. The church was covered in plastic lining and plumbing pieces everywhere, including dustpans and brushes placed in the ‘history area’ at the south east end of the church.
This visit was slightly disappointing, as we didn’t find St Bees 06, part of a round shaft or pillar which was supposed to be at the east end of the south aisle of the church, inside. We explored all the other areas, including the ‘new history area’ and poked my head into the rooms being used by the heating engineers, but nothing. Three other pieces (St Bees 03, 04 and 05) were buried under the south aisle of the church, so couldn’t be seen, and St. Bees 07 was in someone else’s possession. St Bees 08 is difficult to find, being placed in the south west arch way, almost buried by ferns. I had to compare it to the photograph on the ASCorpus records very carefully to make sure I’d understood what I’d seen.
Outside the fascinating west door, underneath this same archway, there was another sandstone cross sited underneath an arch. It’s not described in the church guide, but in a frame in the church, it is described as “a cross which stood at the breast of the hill on the main road to Whitehaven. It is variously thought to be a ‘sanctuary cross’, marking the boundary of the parish, or a resting cross on a coffin road. The ‘coffin roads’ date from medieval times when many West Cumbrian parishes did not have the licence to bury, and bodies were brought to St. Bees. These crosses served as symbolic resting places on route.” The archway lintel comprises a “pre-Conquest carved Beowulf Stone, on a lintel between the Church and the Vicarage, showing St Michael killing a dragon.”
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| Waberthwaite Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
24th Oct 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Ancient crosses, St John the Baptist Church, Waberthwaite: This was our last planned stop of the day and dusk was drawing in. I confess to being a little tired of getting in and out of the car by this time, but a drive down a narrow country lane to reach a cluster of farm houses by the estuary of the River Esk was worth it. Outside the church of St John the Baptist looks derelict and unloved, with the door being guarded by a simple wire frame ...Ancient crosses, St John the Baptist Church, Waberthwaite: This was our last planned stop of the day and dusk was drawing in. I confess to being a little tired of getting in and out of the car by this time, but a drive down a narrow country lane to reach a cluster of farm houses by the estuary of the River Esk was worth it. Outside the church of St John the Baptist looks derelict and unloved, with the door being guarded by a simple wire frame held shut by a wire closure.
Finding ‘Waberthwaite 02’ cross shaft and basewas easy, as it sat immediately to the east of a tall sundial. ‘Waberthwaite 01’ was a bit more of a challenge until I realised it had been laid flat on the plinth of the sundial (verified by the notes inside the church).
Simple manipulation of the wire frame in the church porch allowed entry, and the door to the church had been left unlocked - inside it is small but cosy, like stepping back into the 18th century. There are box pews put in by the Victorians and the bells are rung from the outside.
Notes in the church read: “The churchyard contains a sandstone sundial, possibly 18th century. Its height is explained by the fact that it was designed to be read by someone on horseback. Behind it is the shaft of an ancient preaching cross. For many years this was part of the lintel of the church porch. The cross head has been lost. It is very worn, but the carving includes interlaced foliage and, on the east face, pictures of a horse and two figures facing one another. Lying on the base of the sundial is another broken cross shaft rescued from the threshold of the porch in the 1800s. Again the cross head is lost. For many years the larger cross was thought to be 9th century or later, but recent archaeological discoveries put it earlier, in the 8th century. This makes the Waberthwaite Cross one of the earliest in West Cumbria. The existence of the crosses is evidence of a very early Christian settlement on this site.”
It wasn’t difficult to imagine early Christians stopping off at the site to worship by the cross.
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| Auckland St Andrew Ancient Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
17th Oct 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Auckland St Andrew Ancient Cross: This church is open during the day between May and the end of September, so I’d had to arrange a special appointment with the Church Warden to visit at 10am. In the event, the ladies were in arranging flowers in the church, so it would have been possible to gain entry today. The warden's wife told me that they hadn’t had the numbers of volunteers this year to open the church on more days this year.
The cro...Auckland St Andrew Ancient Cross: This church is open during the day between May and the end of September, so I’d had to arrange a special appointment with the Church Warden to visit at 10am. In the event, the ladies were in arranging flowers in the church, so it would have been possible to gain entry today. The warden's wife told me that they hadn’t had the numbers of volunteers this year to open the church on more days this year.
The cross is almost hidden from view when you go in, lost amongst the grandeur of the rest of the church, and nestled underneath the eastern arch. It struck me that if it had been located a few feet further forward, it would have welcomed visitors into the church.
I could only find The AS Corpus artefacts labelled Auckland St. Andrew 1, 3 and 4. No. 2, which measured 9.5 ins by 7.8 ins by 3.9 ins appeared to be missing, despite being allowed to clamber over the barrier to look behind the tomb stones and with 2 of us looking. As this is the piece with a foot on, this was a shame.
There was no guide book at the church but was given a great verbal history. The Warden was very proud of the almost complete list of rectors and deans since the church was first established in 1085, kept in the south transept. He also told me the reason the door in the south west corner of the church was so tall; apparently the lord of the manor used to ride his horse into church, tether it near where the font is now, then take his place in his private pew. Some years ago, some masonry fell internally near the font. The Warden came in and found the rubble - had a service been taking place a the time there would have been injuries.
I was made to feel very welcome here, and invited to come back, if I telephoned in advance to arrange a date and time.
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| Conyer's Chapel Crosses |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
17th Oct 2014 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
Conyer's Chapel, near Darlington: Hogbacks and Anglo Saxon Crosses: In reading about the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculptures material for Northumberland, I’ve become more and more excited about trying to visit Sockburn Hall. In order to find out who to contact, I went through English Heritage, who have a web page about Sockburn, who put me in touch with both the Sockburn Hall Project and the owner of Sockburn Hall. He also told me that the n...Conyer's Chapel, near Darlington: Hogbacks and Anglo Saxon Crosses: In reading about the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculptures material for Northumberland, I’ve become more and more excited about trying to visit Sockburn Hall. In order to find out who to contact, I went through English Heritage, who have a web page about Sockburn, who put me in touch with both the Sockburn Hall Project and the owner of Sockburn Hall. He also told me that the neighbours at Sockburn Farm taking their privacy very seriously and there are signs to deter visitors, although there are rights of access to Sockburn Hall and the Chapel. I have to say I was made to feel exceptionally welcome once I'd arrived at the Hall.
Conyer’s Chapel is a small, private museum containing the remains of 13 Anglo-Saxon crosses and 9 hogback tombstones plus a small, but impressive (and nationally signficant) stone with runes which was found in the last year.
The chapel is the roofed section, and apart from the arches, the only remaining part of the now ruined church of All Saints. It sits less than 100 yards from the more recent (19th century) property of Sockburn Hall. Built into a loop of the River Tees, Sockburn sits on almost an island, making it an enigmatic and ancient place, suspended between County Durham and North Yorkshire.
The English Heritage records tell us the history of the area begins in AD780 to 796 when a church at Soccabyrig or Sochasburg) hosted the consecration of a bishop of Lindisfarne and the ordination of an Archbishop of York, meaning it would have been a monastic community. Sockburn then disappeared from the written record following Viking raids in the 9th and 10th centuries, and this history explains the fusion of pagan and Christian imagery on the surviving artefacts.
Most impressive was the hogback stone with the two riders carved on it, the rune stone and the large hogback with the ridge missing. I was shocked by the damp and slime within the chapel – in moving the fragments an inch or two to photograph them, I was covered in green slime, cobwebs and insects and this site must surely be at risk.
Sockburn Hall sits on the site of the Conyer’s family former mansion (whose distance ancestor was supposed to have fought the famous ‘worm, dragon or fiery flying serpent’) and is privately owned (see ‘The Grey Stone’ entry on the Portal). It is not open to the public, but the Chapel is owned by the Diocese of Durham and the resident of Sockburn Hall is a keyholder for the chapel. Because the chapel contains so many important artefacts, and the Hall and its surrounding lands have so much history, English Heritage have worked with the Diocese of Durham to survey the earthworks and look at the wider archaeological setting.
The Hall is about to be sold privately as it needs a lot of money to repair and conserve it.
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| All Saints (Crathorne) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
17th Oct 2014 |
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3 |
5 |
All Saints (Crathorne): Anglo Saxon Cross Shafts and Hogback Fragments: This church was on the way home, being very close to the A19, so I stopped off hoping it would be open so I could see the Saxon fragments incorporated into the fabric of the nave; according to the Pastscape record for this church, these include two 10th century cross shafts and six 10th century hogback fragments.
I arrived a little late in the afternoon, and as I pulled ...All Saints (Crathorne): Anglo Saxon Cross Shafts and Hogback Fragments: This church was on the way home, being very close to the A19, so I stopped off hoping it would be open so I could see the Saxon fragments incorporated into the fabric of the nave; according to the Pastscape record for this church, these include two 10th century cross shafts and six 10th century hogback fragments.
I arrived a little late in the afternoon, and as I pulled up to the lych gate, someone came from the church, got in their car and drove off. As the church was closed, I assume they had been to lock up. I’ve sent an email via the 'achurchnearyou' web site to find out when the church is open outside service times. In the meantime, I saw the cross shaft plinth by the south west corner of the church, reproducing the image submitted by majick123 in June 2013.
Hopefully I'll be able to return soon to see the cross shafts and hogback fragments. A disappointing end to a wonderful day.
21st October 2014: I've had response from the vicar, the Reverend Pam Sanders with details of a weekday service (Wednesday at 8am - unfortunately I'd need to leave home before 6am to attend and stay on to see the crosses) and the telephone number of the keyholder (see private notes).
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| St Cuthbert (Forcett) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
17th Oct 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Cuthbert (Forcett): Anglo Saxon Cross Shafts and Cross Arms in Porch: From Piercebridge, it is only 4 and half miles south west to Forcett, via the B6275 and Greystone Lane (although the road in Piercebridge was closed so I had to detour - thankfully I had my son’s SatNav to help, otherwise complete panic would have set in!).
I found the church easily enough, on the edge of the village, but there didn’t seem to be anywhere to park. In th...St Cuthbert (Forcett): Anglo Saxon Cross Shafts and Cross Arms in Porch: From Piercebridge, it is only 4 and half miles south west to Forcett, via the B6275 and Greystone Lane (although the road in Piercebridge was closed so I had to detour - thankfully I had my son’s SatNav to help, otherwise complete panic would have set in!).
I found the church easily enough, on the edge of the village, but there didn’t seem to be anywhere to park. In the end, I bumped up on the pavement by the cottages opposite. One of the resident’s came out and asked me if I knew the church; when I replied ‘no’ and asked if there was a proper parking area, he told me I’d be OK where I was for a short while (note: whilst it is possible to stop by the gate to the church, there are steps up the slope to the church).
The inside of the church is very Victorian and unremarkable, but the porch is something special. I had to gain entry to the porch first by untangling a piece of wire which held the wire gates shut, but once inside the more I looked, the more I saw, and was very impressed.
Different sources say there are between 5 and 8 Anglo Saxon cross fragments, varying in date between the 8th and 10th century. I certainly saw at least 6, and took photographs of all the fragments and grave covers that I saw so I can sit and unpick what I saw at a more leisurely pace in the next few days.
Apparently there is another fragment on the outside of the porch, but whilst I walked slowly around the whole exterior of the church I didn’t find this one.
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| The Ruthwell Cross |
Ancient Cross |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
12th Oct 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
The Ruthwell Cross, Ruthwell: I’ve visited the Savings Bank Museum in Ruthwell to have meetings with the curator on more than one occasion and thought I had visited the Ruthwell Cross before (both my husband and I have vivid memories of taking the children to see an ancient sandstone cross in a churchyard when we first moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 1992, and while we both thought it was this one, it’s not – a mystery!).
There is a large ...The Ruthwell Cross, Ruthwell: I’ve visited the Savings Bank Museum in Ruthwell to have meetings with the curator on more than one occasion and thought I had visited the Ruthwell Cross before (both my husband and I have vivid memories of taking the children to see an ancient sandstone cross in a churchyard when we first moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 1992, and while we both thought it was this one, it’s not – a mystery!).
There is a large visitors’ car park to the west end of the church. A key is available from the manse cottage, in a little stand outside with a blue label saying ‘church key’ and a small box with a lift up lid.
I was surprised by the sheer size of the cross, which absolutely dominates the church. Andrew clambered down into the pit and took some photographs looking up the whole of the cross, which was quite difficult to photograph given the sky lights overhead – we needed a dull day to avoid the light spilling in.
This is the second cross with runes on we’ve seen in three days (the other at Bewcastle), although the Ruthwell guide goes to great lengths to point out they are a true preaching cross, not a memorial!
Some of the elements at the top of the cross don’t quite seem to fit – they are much darker sandstone than the rest, but have probably not been weathered so much.
I was staggered by the price of a guide book (£5). There was a constant stream of visitors, coming in ones and twos – one family leaving as we arrived and another we handed the key to as we left.
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| Middleton Crosses |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
10th Oct 2014 |
3 |
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5 |
Middleton Crosses, St. Andrew’s Church, Church Lane, Middleton, North Yorkshire: From St. Gregory’s Minster, the A170 took us right through Middleton, and it was easy to spot the church on the left hand side of the road. I’d tried to phone beforehand to check if the church was open during the day, but the number published on the ‘achurchnearyou’ website was for a private house; I sent an email to Reverend Stephen Gamble but didn’t receive a rep...Middleton Crosses, St. Andrew’s Church, Church Lane, Middleton, North Yorkshire: From St. Gregory’s Minster, the A170 took us right through Middleton, and it was easy to spot the church on the left hand side of the road. I’d tried to phone beforehand to check if the church was open during the day, but the number published on the ‘achurchnearyou’ website was for a private house; I sent an email to Reverend Stephen Gamble but didn’t receive a reply until we were actually inside the church, saying the church is usually left open during the day.
Turning into Church Lane, it is long and narrow. There was just room to bump the car up onto the kerb opposite a gateway to a farm. At first glance, this church looks modern and not particularly interesting, but the more we looked, the more ancient and interesting the building became.
Apart from the crosses (crosses A and B kept against the base of the tower on the west wall, C, D and E kept in the north transept). It’s a shame that the area that C, D and E are kept in is used for general storage (we had to clamber over stacked chairs and other items) as it did spoil the ambience a little. Crosses A and B had clearly been whitewashed at some point in their lives, which made them look somewhat ‘unreal’.
The south entrance door has a wonderful 13th century trefoil and the door itself is from the 15th century (much repaired internally). The north aisle and tower date from the 12th and 13th centuries, although the base of the tower is Saxon. In the west wall, there is a blocked up doorway from the 11th century with an 8th century cross head and part of a shaft above it (we didn’t find the one in the south wall of the nave, as described on the visitor boards inside the church).
There is a sundial above the entrance to the porch, and an interesting ‘vow cross’, similar to the one at Escomb on a pillar in the north aisle.
Notes from the hand-held boards in the church:
The Crosses: The crosses and fragments in the North Aisle have been dated to the 10th century, perhaps related to the Viking kingdom of York c 876 to 954 AD. Cross A and Cross B are described as Jellinge crosses, after the cross of a similar type at Jellinge in Denmark. The stone types are all of a kind found on the North Yorkshire moors.
Cross A:A ring-head cross, typical of the area, depicts a hunter with spear, sword, shield and scramasax (a short sword), two dogs and a stag. On the reverse is a ‘Jellinge’ animal. The crossed has formerly been built into the tower, and was first recorded in 1911 and was removed in 1948.
Cross B: Depicts a warrior with a pointed helmet, spear, swod, shield, axe and scramasax. Again, on the reverse can be seen a ‘Jellinge’ animal. This cross also was discovered in the tower wall and ‘liberated’ in 1948. Celtic influences are mixed with Anglo-Scandinavian work, and it is supposed, by reason of the local stone (some is exposed 2km north of the church) and inferior workmanship, to be local in origin.
Cross C: First recorded at the east end of this aisle, in 1907, and is interesting in that it seems to combine both pagan, animal heads and a degenerate form of Christian vine scroll. It is unlike the others here, and has some Irish influences on an Anglian design, possibly representing an Anglian ‘Revival’.
Cross D:A fragment showing a warrior’s helmeted head, together with forked beard. A similar beard appears on the Kirkdale crucifix, although the example here is much cruder. A knife is slung from his belt, and a scramasax is to the right of his legs. This is very similar to Cross B, and it is thought that the same template was used. The contoured plait is unusual for this area.
Cross E:Formed of two fragments. The top part is a part of a ring-head cross. The bottom part has the head and shoulders of a man with a pointed helmet. The two fragments may have belonged together originally, but it is not possible to be sure.
There is another cross-head and shaft still built into the tower on the south wall against the nave wall. One arm of the cross has been dressed off, in order to use the monument as a quoin, but it seems that the full length survives."
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| Kirkdale Sundial |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
10th Oct 2014 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
Anglo Saxon Crosses, St. Gregory’s Minster, Kirkdale, North Yorkshire (Kirkdale Sundial): Because the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Sculpture catalogue for Yorkshire cost £145, and my budget won’t currently run to buying it (!) I typed in ‘Anglo Saxon Sculptures’ into the internet and the search came up with both St. Gregory’s Minster and St. Andrew’s at Middleton. Good choice, Google! Thank you.
We arrived just after 11 o’clock to find two other ca...Anglo Saxon Crosses, St. Gregory’s Minster, Kirkdale, North Yorkshire (Kirkdale Sundial): Because the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Sculpture catalogue for Yorkshire cost £145, and my budget won’t currently run to buying it (!) I typed in ‘Anglo Saxon Sculptures’ into the internet and the search came up with both St. Gregory’s Minster and St. Andrew’s at Middleton. Good choice, Google! Thank you.
We arrived just after 11 o’clock to find two other cars in the car park. It turned out that one belonged to a florist setting up flowers for a wedding in the church that afternoon (she also said there was another wedding tomorrow, but they didn’t want to share the flowers) and one belonging to an elderly gentleman who, as we watched, hung his jacket on the church gate and picked up a brush and rake. He greeted us and asked us if we were going into the church and if we’d been before. On answering ‘no’, he told us to be careful of the step down into the church.
St. Gregory’s Minster is in a beautiful location, and is an even more beautiful building. It is clearly ancient and sits easily within the landscape.
The sundial above the main door into the church is breathtaking in its completeness. There are “Early Medieval carved stones built into the church include two early 9th century crosses; an early 10th century shaft/ slab fragment and a worn piece of late 9th century interlacing. Two grave slabs, early 8th century and 11th century two cross heads and a 10th-11th century shaft fragment are kept inside the church”.
Because there were so many flowers around the church, it was difficult to get a good photo of the cross heads inside the church. But outside it was spectacular and I was surprised to find only one other family wandering around looking at the fabric of the church, but not the cross-shafts.
By the time we’d finished wandering around the outside, there were many people coming in and out of the church and wandering around the churchyard. The car park was completely full, so we were glad we’d arrived earlier. The gentleman who’d greeted us on arrival caught us in the churchyard as we were going out. He told us that there had been ‘ladies’ who’d been round and told them they weren’t allowed to mow the back part of the churchyard, as there were over 80 (he spelled out ‘eight-oh’ to emphasise his point) species of wild flower. Walking back up the path with us, he asked if we’d enjoyed our visit, and I replied ‘very much so’. He said that people saying that made keeping the church tidy and clean worth while.
I felt very welcome at this hugely historic church and would go again to spend time and sit when it’s not so busy.
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| The Dragon Stone |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
10th Oct 2014 |
3 |
|
5 |
The Dragon Stone, St John The Baptist, Levisham: The last time I was in Levisham was on a sunny but extremely cold January morning, when our department went on a ‘team building exercise’ – 7½ miles on a circular walk followed by lunch at The Horseshoe Inn. We stopped half way round the walk for a break and our guide told us we were sitting next to some ancient land boundaries but wasn’t knowledgeable to tell us what to look for, and no-one at th...The Dragon Stone, St John The Baptist, Levisham: The last time I was in Levisham was on a sunny but extremely cold January morning, when our department went on a ‘team building exercise’ – 7½ miles on a circular walk followed by lunch at The Horseshoe Inn. We stopped half way round the walk for a break and our guide told us we were sitting next to some ancient land boundaries but wasn’t knowledgeable to tell us what to look for, and no-one at the time was sufficiently interested to ask, as we had an hour to race back to The Horseshoe Inn for our pre-booked lunch. Shame.
Having stopped of in Kirkdale and Middleton on our way over to Levisham we had planned to stop off in Pickering for lunch, but arrived at the start of a ‘war re-enactment weekend’; almost everyone was in 1940s clothing or uniform – hundreds and hundreds of people. We felt out of place, and there was certainly no-where to park so we went into Malton.
Driving back to Levisham through Lockton, I recognised the scenery, but had no memory of the steep climb up to the village. Levisham is such a tiny village, built along both sides of a wide street. On my last visit, I hadn’t even noticed the tiny chapel tucked away at the road junction near the pub. This time, the whole of the street was lined with ‘no parking’ cones and large notices saying ‘no parking for the war time event’ (even though Levisham station was a good mile and a half away).
St John The Baptist is left open during the day (it has a 'church open' notice next to the door). It looked and felt very much like a Methodist church. The Dragon Stone is tucked right up against the north wall of the church, wedged between the pulpit and a storage heater at its east end and a pew at the west end. During our visit, there was a large stand of flowers over the stone, which we carefully had to slide out of shot (but only just as it was so heavy) and replace before we left.
There is a laminated sheet with a description of the stone on the window-ledge above it: “The Levisham Dragon Stone: This grave slab is decorated in the Viking Age style known as Mammen, which suggests a dating of the late 10th or early 11th century. The writhing beast carved onit is clearly derived from Norse pagan legends. But is it a dragon or a serpent – possibly Migarösorms (The World Serpent) – or something idiosyncratic? One theory is that it is a dedication to someone called Ormr, signifying ‘worm’ or ‘serpent’, a common name among the Vikings or their descendents. If so, Ormr, almost certainly a Christian convert, is represented here. The modern surname Hornsby, a derivation of Ormabyr, meaning Orm’s farm or settlement can be traced to this area.
The Dragon Stone was found in the vicinity of the old Levisham parish church of St. Mary, where it must have been lying for over a thousand years. It has been known to archaeologists since at least 1927, when it figures in a book by W.G. Collingwood. At some point it was brought up to the village to be housed in the present church. Information supplied by the University of Hull, 2009.”
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| All Saints (Helmsley) |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
10th Oct 2014 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
All Saints (Helmsley) (Hogback Tomb Remanant): We last visited Helmsley on 19th August 2010 (was it really so long ago?) as we’d heard a lot about this attractive little town but never been. There was an event on at the castle and the place was totally overrun with tourists. After a cup of tea and a visit to the church, we escaped gratefully.
This time, it was very different. It was half past four and the town was quiet. The church is open...All Saints (Helmsley) (Hogback Tomb Remanant): We last visited Helmsley on 19th August 2010 (was it really so long ago?) as we’d heard a lot about this attractive little town but never been. There was an event on at the castle and the place was totally overrun with tourists. After a cup of tea and a visit to the church, we escaped gratefully.
This time, it was very different. It was half past four and the town was quiet. The church is open until 5pm, so we went in search of the hogback fragment in the porch.
It sits on its own on the east wall of the porch, tucked away as an almost forgotten remnant behind the gates to the porch. At first, it’s almost not recognisable as a hogback, particularly as the simple rectangular interlaced pattern was so reminiscent of the Anglo Saxon cross shaft we’d seen built into the wall at St. Gregory’s Minster earlier today. The stone looks as if it has been completely hacked about and is now a ragged rectangular shape. I had to come back and read my ‘Grammar of Anglo-Saxon Ornament’ by Rosemary Cramp to see what shape it might have been to start with.
For anyone planning to visit the church, the wall paintings, whilst modern, are impressive. It has a lovely atmosphere and there are various stations around the church were candles are burning in remembrance.
There was no guide book, but I have an address to send away for one, and there is quite a bit of history about the church on the Helmsley Parish web site.
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| Low Dinsdale Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
5th Oct 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
I found details of this beautiful little church on the Darlington Borough Council Website, under their Scheduled Monuments list.
Low Dinsdale is situated in a bend of the River Tees south east of Darlington. The church was originally built of pink sandstone, with modern work in red sandstone, which gives it a warm, welcoming appearance. The history sheet published by the church says that “Dinsdale Church was built in the year AD 638 ... th...I found details of this beautiful little church on the Darlington Borough Council Website, under their Scheduled Monuments list.
Low Dinsdale is situated in a bend of the River Tees south east of Darlington. The church was originally built of pink sandstone, with modern work in red sandstone, which gives it a warm, welcoming appearance. The history sheet published by the church says that “Dinsdale Church was built in the year AD 638 ... the building consisted of a sanctuary, chancel and one long aisle.”
The church of St. John the Baptist sits on an ancient site and houses fragments of pre-Conquest sculptured stones, including two cross-heads, the lower part of a cross-shaft, and half of a hog-back stone. The lower part of the cross-shaft sits in the churchyard, near an impressively large pre-conquest stone coffin.
At the time of our visit, the eastern wall of the porch which houses the Anglo Saxon cross fragments had been taken down in preparation for the building of a toilet. The fragments currently sit on pews inside the church, which is kept locked. The church warden lives locally and an appointment to view can be arranged by telephoning in advance.
In conversation with the church warden, he told me that attendance at services runs to 8 or 9 people.
The church warden helped me to turn the stones around to see the carvings. On one fragment, two horsemen on side that had previously been mortared into the porch wall.
They had found some bones and had an archaeologist (who had been to Bosnia for war grave forensic identification) come and examine the bones and tell them what illnesses these people had. He thought they were from Newcastle University.
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| St John's Well (Osmotherley) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Couldn't find |
5th Oct 2014 |
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St John's Well (Osmotherlery): This being a glorious late afternoon, and having not only precise instructions on how to reach St John’s Well from the Mount Grace Priory staff but the GPS co-ordinates and a map I’d printed off with the exact location of the well, we set off to try and reach it. Not as easy as it first appeared! The first path, following what we both thought were the directions given to us, went too far up hill, then path just stop...St John's Well (Osmotherlery): This being a glorious late afternoon, and having not only precise instructions on how to reach St John’s Well from the Mount Grace Priory staff but the GPS co-ordinates and a map I’d printed off with the exact location of the well, we set off to try and reach it. Not as easy as it first appeared! The first path, following what we both thought were the directions given to us, went too far up hill, then path just stopped at the top of the hill. Retracing our steps and turning on the GPS device, we followed the watercourse wending its way south away from the priory, between the edge of the forest and the adjoining meadow and found the track we should have followed. Whilst we could see the path leading up the hill towards the well, I let my husband take the lead, but it became just too difficult – waist high bracken, broken branches and large, boggy holes to fall into – it would have been too easy to twist and ankle or fall over. As it was getting late, we decided to come back in the winter, when the undergrowth has died back. We knew that this well was one of three which supplied the Priory, the first being in the north east corner, just outside the Great Cloister. A second is to the south of this, supplying the Lesser Cloister, and the third (not managed by English Heritage) is St. John’s Well. We did manage to get a photograph of Well House one. Despite there having been a lengthy dry spell, there was still a good flow of water from this spring, and the water was beautifully clear. There is a great similarity between the well house we saw and the image of St John's Well submitted by Sunny100.
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| St. Mary's Well (Gainford) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
5th Oct 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
St. Mary's Well, Gainford, North Yorkshire: OK, it was fairly dark by the time we arrived here. But when you’ve had a great day out, I’m always reluctant to call an end to it. From Stanwick with it's Viking and Saxon cross fragments, we had to pass through Gainford to get home anyway, but having read how picturesque it was and having seen photographs on the internet, I was surprised to see the main road cutting through it. However, turning right ...St. Mary's Well, Gainford, North Yorkshire: OK, it was fairly dark by the time we arrived here. But when you’ve had a great day out, I’m always reluctant to call an end to it. From Stanwick with it's Viking and Saxon cross fragments, we had to pass through Gainford to get home anyway, but having read how picturesque it was and having seen photographs on the internet, I was surprised to see the main road cutting through it. However, turning right off the main road towards the picturesque village green, the images changed into a pretty, pretty village, and St Mary’s church came into view. It was dusk, and I had the camera on ‘sunset’ settings. Even so, the photograph of the church came out very ‘blue’ tinted. There were still plenty of dog walkers around, coming back from the river side walk. Coming out of the river side of the church yard, there was a path leading down to a little dell at the right hand side. There was St. Mary’s Well – a very pretty spot. In the depths of the trees overhanging the well, it was very dark indeed, and I turned on the flash on the camera. All of a sudden, a voice cut through the gloom: “The fairies are there in the morning you know!” Laughing, I nearly fell into the outflow from the well to find a lady dog walker staring down at us. “I know, we’re just a bit late”, I replied. At this point, it was too dark for even the camera to focus, so we beat a hasty retreat back home. As we’re planning on coming back to Forcett (St. Cuthbert’s) in a few weeks, we might call again to see this well in the daylight, and to take in the other (sulphurous well) elsewhere in the village.
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| Birtley Iona Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
2nd Oct 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Iona Cross, Birtley (St. Giles, Birtley): From St. Giles in Chollerton, this church is easy to find, being only 6 miles away. To reach it, drive down the small road to the left hand side of the church and continue on down through Barrasford, turning right just before reaching the village of Wark (signpost says Birtley is 2 miles). The church is then on your right hand side as you enter the village. It sits with it’s narrowest (west side) next ...Iona Cross, Birtley (St. Giles, Birtley): From St. Giles in Chollerton, this church is easy to find, being only 6 miles away. To reach it, drive down the small road to the left hand side of the church and continue on down through Barrasford, turning right just before reaching the village of Wark (signpost says Birtley is 2 miles). The church is then on your right hand side as you enter the village. It sits with it’s narrowest (west side) next to the road and is hidden under trees, so it’s only when I saw the grave yard that I realised I’d arrived. I drove up into the village to turn around (been here for a walk years ago and parked at the top end of the village) and bumped up onto the pavement to park by the gate to the church.
The present church was rebuilt in the 18th century and renovated in the 19th century, and has a wonderful feel the minute you step through the door.
Opening the porch, there are grave covers built into the wall, and glorious flower arrangements left to welcome visitors as you enter.
Rev. Slade had told me about the Iona cross before my visit, so I left this until last to find. Three of the fragments are built into the north wall (two of them together, these near the font). The Iona cross is in the chancel. The fourth was high up on a ledge in the porch (I would have missed this had I not looked a third time to find it – didn’t think to look up).
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| Chollerton Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
2nd Oct 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Chollerton Cross (St. Giles, Saxon Crosses, Chollerton): It being the most beautiful sunny day with blue skies (but a frosty start), it was a perfect autumn afternoon. Last night I looked through the Anglo Saxon Corpus database and picked out some places within easy reach of my house.
My husband and I have been to St. Giles before, on 30th August 2007, but to look at the Roman features incorporated into the church and I had the tiniest little...Chollerton Cross (St. Giles, Saxon Crosses, Chollerton): It being the most beautiful sunny day with blue skies (but a frosty start), it was a perfect autumn afternoon. Last night I looked through the Anglo Saxon Corpus database and picked out some places within easy reach of my house.
My husband and I have been to St. Giles before, on 30th August 2007, but to look at the Roman features incorporated into the church and I had the tiniest little camera which took appalling photographs!
The tower was completely scaffolded and three or four men were working at the top of it in the sunshine. Parking by the old mortuary building, as I was changing lenses on my camera an elderly lady came across the road. She said she was waiting for the bus to come down and told me how she and her brothers and sisters used to come and clean the church when they were young; her father had changed the altar cloths and put everything ready for communion. She also told me how lucky they were to have someone as nice as Rev. Slade.
I found the Anglo-Saxon crosses on the north wall of the nave easily enough. On opening the door to the porch, there was part of another Saxon cross built into the wall above the door to the church.
The sun was so strong it was difficult to get a shot of the church without overexposing the shot, even at 1/4000th of a second.
In the guide book, a pretty child’s grave cover is described as sitting next to an 18th century sundial. I found the sundial, but next to it was a bucket of stone fragments. Despite walking twice round the church, I was unable to find this grave cover, so assume it’s either been broken or moved. I was touched by a pair of slippers kept by the font!
The guide book says that the church is Grade 1 listed, sited at the southern most end of Chollerton parish, was consecrated in 1097 and is the “mother church” of the parish. The name Chollerton derives from Anglo Saxon (Cholverton, Cholreton, Cholveriton).
The guide goes onto say the original church was probably wooden, with the stone church built around 1260 by William de Swinburne a Scottish knight (presumably there are links between his family and Swinburn Castle, with its standing stone) not far away. Part of the 12th century remains in the west walls between the nave and the tower tower and Roman piers have been used to create the south arcade.
There is a Roman font inside, dedicated to Jupiter, which has been inverted and modified for use today, although a more modern (13th century!) font with a Jacobean lid is in use today.
There is parking for two cars next to the old stable and hearse house with its mounting block, and it is possible to get a wheelchair up to the church (although not around to the north wall of the chancel to see the Saxon stones).
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| The Anker's House |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
25th Sep 2014 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
The Anker House (Anglo Saxon Cross Shafts and Cross Arms): The purpose of my visit was to see the Anglo Saxon cross fragments, but the impact of this visit is still with me today - the tiny little Anker House and what it meant to commit yourself to the rest of your life in this tiny village was quite a spiritual awakening for me.
I am very nervous about driving to places I've never been to before, and I was a bit of a quiver thinking about how t...The Anker House (Anglo Saxon Cross Shafts and Cross Arms): The purpose of my visit was to see the Anglo Saxon cross fragments, but the impact of this visit is still with me today - the tiny little Anker House and what it meant to commit yourself to the rest of your life in this tiny village was quite a spiritual awakening for me.
I am very nervous about driving to places I've never been to before, and I was a bit of a quiver thinking about how to drive to Chester-le-Street and find the church. From Bywell, rather than drive the longer way down the A695/A1, I went down the B6309/A693, which was easy enough, as it was signposted Beamish Museum then Chester le Street.
Chester le Street was actually bigger and busier than I remembered from a visit to Langley Castle for a conference many years ago, but the spire of the church stood proud behind the shops on the left hand side of the main shopping street, so at the roundabout at the edge of the shops, I turned left and found two car parks straight away. Parking was only 80p for 3 hours (the machine wasn’t accepting certain coins so I was committed to paying 80p or £1) and the Ankers House was signposted from the car park. It was only round the corner.
Wow. I am so pleased I took the time to come here.
When I first arrived, the ladies couldn’t find the key so I had to wait for someone to come back to the church from the Parish Office (which wasn’t long really) and the ladies kept me engaged in conversation, pointing out the squint from the built in Anchorite House and the slot where food was pushed through into the house.
The house was quaint and minute and ancient. It has been extended in modern times, but it was easy enough to get an idea of what it would have been like. The stewards told me that before the Anchorite was walled up in the house a funeral service was held in the church for them so they could say ‘goodbye’ to the real world.
Whilst the atmosphere in the museum was quiet and gentle it was also somewhat spooky and it was very odd to be shut in there alone. I sort of hurried to get through taking my photos, especially as the door to the outside world kept banging in the breeze. Some of the items were apparently on loan to a Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition (the lady said I should speak to ‘Mike’ but no further details).
They had a copy of the Lindisfarne Gospels in the church – apparently they were translated from Anglo-Saxon to Latin on this site. Kept in a glass case and covered with a red cloth, the ladies lifted the cloth to give me a sight of this impressive (modern) copy. A superb afternoon. Shame the museum is not open again until next spring.
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| St Andrew's Church (Bywell) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Bywell Anglo Saxon Cross (St. Andrew's Church): This is a very pretty spot, nestled in a bend of the River Tyne, surrounded by neatly kept estate lands. The two neighbouring churches on this site are less than 2 miles from my house, but although I've been here on more than one occasion, can't say I've noticed the Anglo Saxon cross in St. Andrew's.
The grid reference on the Anglo-Saxon Corpus Stone Sculpture web site indicated that the cross sh...Bywell Anglo Saxon Cross (St. Andrew's Church): This is a very pretty spot, nestled in a bend of the River Tyne, surrounded by neatly kept estate lands. The two neighbouring churches on this site are less than 2 miles from my house, but although I've been here on more than one occasion, can't say I've noticed the Anglo Saxon cross in St. Andrew's.
The grid reference on the Anglo-Saxon Corpus Stone Sculpture web site indicated that the cross shaft was located at St. Peter's rather than in St. Andrew’s, the Churches Conservation Trust church, but instinct told me otherwise. However, I went to check anyway. This is the first time I’ve been able to get into the St. Peter's during the day to look around (outside carol services). I was investigating when I heard the west door rattle, which gave me the creeps. There was another gentleman who was walking from Ovingham and wanted to come and look, so we exchanged a few courtesies as we walked around.
What I hadn’t realised was that there were some interesting grave covers with crosses built into the porch of the church.
I couldn’t find the cross shaft, so set off to St. Andrew’s where I saw the stone as soon as I walked through the door.
St Andrews, Bywell Grid reference: NZ 04837 61485
The prettiness of the church, with its unique Saxon tower, never fails to hit me every time I come here. I always remember a good friend's reaction to this when we stopped off here on the way to our presentation at Aykley Heads ("makes me want to get my walking boots on").
The cross shaft is located to the north side of chancel, between the choir stalls and the altar.
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| St Peter (Osmotherly) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
26th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Peter’s Church, Osmotherley. Saxon cross fragments: Note, whilst there is parking on School Lane immediately by the church, there are steps to negotiate from the road up to the church.
Having failed to get to Mount Grace Priory and St. John’s Well from the northern carriageway of the A19 (there is only access from the southbound carriageway), we went into Osmotherley as I’d seen St. Peter’s and their Saxon cross fragments on the Portal.
...St Peter’s Church, Osmotherley. Saxon cross fragments: Note, whilst there is parking on School Lane immediately by the church, there are steps to negotiate from the road up to the church.
Having failed to get to Mount Grace Priory and St. John’s Well from the northern carriageway of the A19 (there is only access from the southbound carriageway), we went into Osmotherley as I’d seen St. Peter’s and their Saxon cross fragments on the Portal.
St. Peter’s really was ‘the disappearing church’ – coming down North End, it towered over the houses but as we turned to go up West End and got closer to it, it disappeared and we lost our bearings. After two attempts of driving up and down, we turned down School Lane (not Church Lane, as we might have expected!), which, whilst narrow there is parking.
The cross shaft fragments are in the porch of the church, which is open to the weather, so available to visit anytime.
As I was making my way up the steps towards the church porch, there were some ladies coming slowly down the steps towards us. The first lady told us they had just had a choir practice for Harvest Festival, and if I was quick, I could look round the inside of the church.
This church has a lovely atmosphere, and I’d like to go back and have a more leisurely look. The ladies told me that the south nave is Victorian, so the Norman porch must have been moved when this was built.
I saw the cross fragments and photographed them, with the kind ladies surrounding me – all lovely and really interested. They told me about other crosses at Sockburn and St Wilfrid’s Parish Church in South Kilvington to add to my list of places of ‘must see’ sites.
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| Pudding Pie Hill |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
26th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Pudding Pie Hill, Sowerby near Thirsk: From St Mary The Virgin at Leake, we headed south to Thirsk, leaving the A19 at its junction with the A168 to get as close as we could to Pudding Pie Hill.
It wasn’t possible to get to the round barrow from this direction, as there are all private roads leading to houses and small holdings, so we tried driving back into Thirsk and back round to Sowerby.
I always like coming to Thirsk, but never been to...Pudding Pie Hill, Sowerby near Thirsk: From St Mary The Virgin at Leake, we headed south to Thirsk, leaving the A19 at its junction with the A168 to get as close as we could to Pudding Pie Hill.
It wasn’t possible to get to the round barrow from this direction, as there are all private roads leading to houses and small holdings, so we tried driving back into Thirsk and back round to Sowerby.
I always like coming to Thirsk, but never been to Sowerby, and it’s a really quaint little village. Blakey Bridge was closed to traffic so we walked across, through the field with Cod Beck to our right hand side.
The barrow rises up out of what appears to be the flood plain for the Cod Beck. If it weren’t for the very busy A168 roaring past on the eastern side, this barrow would be in a lovely spot indeed.
There is an information board by the footpath leading up to the barrow which explains something of the history and has old photographs of children on the barrow.
We walked up to the top of the mound, and there is indeed a hollow where they excavated it in the nineteenth century.
The ditch around the mound can be seen to its eastern and southern sides. Definitely worth coming to visit briefly.
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| Howe Hill (Felixkirk) |
Round Barrow(s) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
26th Sep 2014 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Howe Hill Round Barrow, Felixkirk: After having been to Pudding Pie Hill Round Barrow in Sowerby, we drove to the village of Felixkirk from the A170, up the first minor road leading north east. There is no doubt that Howe Hill is something ancient – but what? My initial impression, driving up the hill into the village was that it was a motte, but then it’s too small for a castle.
Howe Hill is immediately opposite the Carpenter’s Arms public...Howe Hill Round Barrow, Felixkirk: After having been to Pudding Pie Hill Round Barrow in Sowerby, we drove to the village of Felixkirk from the A170, up the first minor road leading north east. There is no doubt that Howe Hill is something ancient – but what? My initial impression, driving up the hill into the village was that it was a motte, but then it’s too small for a castle.
Howe Hill is immediately opposite the Carpenter’s Arms public house, which has a large car park, and the Howe Hill mound rises up above you. As it is topped by a very large tree, the mound seems to dominate everything around it (in a nice sort of way).
It is possible to sit outside the pub to have a meal and a drink and admire Howe Hill. It being now early evening and getting chilly, we sat inside and had a drink, looking out onto the mound, waiting for the angle of the sun to dip below the mound so I could get some photographs.
However – the monument has sort of been developed around in a somewhat insensitive manner - someone’s driveway (the Old Vicarage? Now up for sale) up its left hand side (facing from the pub), also someone has used the southern side of the mound to burn old tree trunks, which has left a mess. There’s also a road junction with numerous signposts to the northern end of the barrow and the right hand side been landscaped into edge of someone’s drive, but it is still recognisable as an ancient site.
The English Heritage record (not to be confused with How Hill, west of Richmond, North Yorkshire) says that this is a bowl barrow, dating from the Late Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age.
St Felix Church is only a short distance away (different web sites vary between 130 and 200 yards!). Apart from the sheep keeping the grass short in the church yard (this did keep the graveyard looking very neat) and the remains of the Norman windows in the chancel, this church had been extensively modernised, and I was disappointed.
In my opinion, Howe Hill is only worth stopping to look at if you are passing by. Sorry!
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| St Mary (Leake) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
26th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St Mary’s Church, Leake: Saxon Cross and Sundial: I hate the A19 as I think it’s a fast, dangerous road, and avoid it whenever I can. However, driving up and down to York in a previous life, I’ve seen this church which is right by the A19 a couple of times before – driving past at 70 mph there is barely time to acknowledge that ‘that church looks interesting’ before you’ve past it.
Not wanting to turn up and find the church closed, I’d check...St Mary’s Church, Leake: Saxon Cross and Sundial: I hate the A19 as I think it’s a fast, dangerous road, and avoid it whenever I can. However, driving up and down to York in a previous life, I’ve seen this church which is right by the A19 a couple of times before – driving past at 70 mph there is barely time to acknowledge that ‘that church looks interesting’ before you’ve past it.
Not wanting to turn up and find the church closed, I’d checked with the vicar’s wife before setting off (the church is usually left open during the day - “just push the bird screen and close it behind you”).
Having picked husband Andrew up from Northallerton station, we took the road westwards through Bullamoor and Kirkby Sigston back to the A19. Taking our life in our hands, we eventually crossed the road. Looking very carefully for the turnoff to Leake Hall (owned by major farmer G.E. Peacock), the side road was easier to find than we thought, and we pulled up outside the church. There is surprisingly a large car park for the congregation, which is wonderfully well cared for – this church has a very friendly atmosphere.
The skies were brilliant blue, which made taking photographs interesting – lots of light and dark shadows.
The first amazing thing about this church was the door, which is obviously very old with a smaller door set inside it (and internally, its lock).
It is easy to spot the Saxon cross on the west wall of the tower. The church guide says that this may well have been the original churchyard cross.
It was a little harder to make out the sundial, which is on the south wall of the nave, just east of the porch, as I was expecting a ‘scratch cross’. It can be found next to a medieval roundel, and is just a plain base with the remnants of an iron post in the centre. The medieval roundel is splendid, with a carved beast prominent.
Internally, the building has some really interesting features – the Norman pillars with their carved capitals; the bend in the arch above the west door, and also the carvings on the bench-ends from the 1500s (which came from Bridlington Priory following the Dissolution).
The farm (Leake Hall) next door is really old, and it would have been nice to have been able to wander round this, too.
Definitely worth a stop if passing by.
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| Goatstones O |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones O, Simonburn, Northumberland: See visit report for Goatstones A (14 rock art stones/boulders within a couple of hundred metres). |
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| Goatstones N |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones N, Simonburn, Northumberland: See visit report for Goatstones A (14 rock art boulders all within a couple of hundred metres) |
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| Goatstones J |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Goatstones J, Simonburn, Northumberland: This was a real treat - a marker stone on top of an apparently undisturbed cairn. For rest of visit report, see Goatstones A (14 rock art boulders within a couple of hundred metres). |
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| Goatstones F. |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones F, Simonburn, Northumberland: See visit report for Goatstones A (14 rock art stones with a couple of hundred yards of each other). |
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| Goatstones G |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones G, Simonburn, Northumberland: See visit report for Goatstones A (14 rock art boulders within a couple of hundred metres) |
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| Goatstones E |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones E, Simonburn, Northumberland: See visit report for Goatstones A (14 rock art stones within a couple of hundred yards). |
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| Goatstones H |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones H, Simonburn, Northumberland: see visit report for Goatstones A (14 rock art boulders within a couple hundred metre area) |
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| Goatstones A |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones A to P, Simonburn, Northumberland (excepting K, L and P): Having previously wasted time hunting for rock art we couldn't find, my husband splashed out on a cheap, but cheerful GPS device in Carlisle yesterday. We decided to put it to use today by going to find the rock art near Goatstones Four Poster, which I've longed to see. This might have been a mistake, as not even having read the manual, we set off with the grid references of t...Goatstones A to P, Simonburn, Northumberland (excepting K, L and P): Having previously wasted time hunting for rock art we couldn't find, my husband splashed out on a cheap, but cheerful GPS device in Carlisle yesterday. We decided to put it to use today by going to find the rock art near Goatstones Four Poster, which I've longed to see. This might have been a mistake, as not even having read the manual, we set off with the grid references of the stones SolarMegalith had posted, and off we went.
Actually, the trip was a success! Without a GPS system, we would have had no hope in finding these stones, buried as most of them were in deep marsh grass.
Apart from stones K, L and P, which we decided to save for another visit, as there were some extremely LARGE (and magnificent) cattle in that area - even husband, Andrew, who was brought up with livestock and is used to them, was keen to avoid them.
I have to confess that compared to some rock art we’ve seen recently, this was only a 3 out of 10, but even so, it was a fascinating journey through the landscape of our ancestors. I usually try and put myself into their mindset and try and identify why they put rock art in certain places. Given that Goatstones Four Poster Stone Circle is to the west of this rock art, and further south west is the wonderful Standingstone Rigg double stone row, this place must have been part of a thriving Neolithic/Bronze Age landscape.
The Goatstones rock art stones seem to form three separate groups within the same general area, but apart from F, which was perched on the brow of a hill, and stone J which was on a cairn (but portable - it would have been so tempting to pick it up and take it home, but NO!), I couldn’t make out any obvious reason for placing the art where it was. A mystery I will continue to ponder on.
It is still in a beautiful and peaceful spot, and I enjoyed this warm, but misty afternoon.
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| Goatstones B |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones B, Simonburn, Northumberland: see visit report for Goatstones A (14 rock art stones in near to each other). |
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| Goatstones D |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones D, Simonburn, Northumberland: see visit report for Goatstones A (14 stones near to each other). |
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| Goatstones C |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
21st Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
Goatstones C: see visit report for Goatstones A (group of 14 stones in same area). |
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| Anwoth |
Class I Pictish Symbol Stone |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Couldn't find |
19th Sep 2014 |
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Anwoth, Rock Art: Couldn't find as too much gorse and bracken. It was very difficult to orientate ourselves and tried several of the hills, just in case. We have since invested in a cheap and cheerful GPS system, which we've since tested out on Goatstones Rock Art in Northumberland. We did walk onto Rutherford's Monument, the Trig Point and the Millennium Monument and enjoyed the views in the gathering dusk. Will try and visit this site again...Anwoth, Rock Art: Couldn't find as too much gorse and bracken. It was very difficult to orientate ourselves and tried several of the hills, just in case. We have since invested in a cheap and cheerful GPS system, which we've since tested out on Goatstones Rock Art in Northumberland. We did walk onto Rutherford's Monument, the Trig Point and the Millennium Monument and enjoyed the views in the gathering dusk. Will try and visit this site again.
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| Cairnholy 2 |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
19th Sep 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Cairn Holy 2, Dumfries and Galloway: From Cairn Holy 1, there is a gate in the stone wall leading up to this monument. In the field to the left of this footpath there is the remains of another possible cairn.
I found Cairn Holy 2 more atmospheric that Cairn Holy 1, but the ambience was spoiled by the close proximity of a bungalow and farm buildings (but what a view to have outside your lounge window!).
A smaller, only slightly less spect...Cairn Holy 2, Dumfries and Galloway: From Cairn Holy 1, there is a gate in the stone wall leading up to this monument. In the field to the left of this footpath there is the remains of another possible cairn.
I found Cairn Holy 2 more atmospheric that Cairn Holy 1, but the ambience was spoiled by the close proximity of a bungalow and farm buildings (but what a view to have outside your lounge window!).
A smaller, only slightly less spectacular than Pentre Ifan, it is on steeper ground than Cairn Holy 2. The cap stone has two modern holes drilled in, presumably to lift it back into place.
With it now being late afternoon and a hint of dusk starting to fall, we wanted to go onto Anwoth to find the Holy Well and visit Trusty’s Hill.
In the hour we spent at Cairn Holy 1 and 2 we only saw one other couple walking a dog. Almost as quiet and empty as Northumberland!
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| Cairnholy 1 |
Chambered Cairn |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
19th Sep 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Cairn Holy 1: Having lived in Dumfries and Galloway for 10 years in the 1990s, we’ve driven by the signs to Cairn Holy on many an occasion, but never detoured to look. Now having seen the images, my husband described both these cairns as ‘like Pentre Ifan, but without the people’ (not quite, but almost!).
Easy enough to find, these cairns can be reached by turning right off the A75 to Stranraer, up the signposted track.
It was quiet, peace...Cairn Holy 1: Having lived in Dumfries and Galloway for 10 years in the 1990s, we’ve driven by the signs to Cairn Holy on many an occasion, but never detoured to look. Now having seen the images, my husband described both these cairns as ‘like Pentre Ifan, but without the people’ (not quite, but almost!).
Easy enough to find, these cairns can be reached by turning right off the A75 to Stranraer, up the signposted track.
It was quiet, peaceful and atmospheric, with great views over the Fleet Bay and Wigtown Bay to the south.
Our first glimpse of the stones at the first cairn gave the impression of tall, ragged teeth, challenging us to pass them. The rabbits had certainly had fun digging burrows in and around the mound, and I’m sure they must be making good use of any chambers/gaps underneath the turf.
I loved this spot. I would love to see any excavation notes to see how similar or different this cairn is to the chambered cairns in Orkney that we saw.
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| High Banks Farm |
Rock Art |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Couldn't find |
19th Sep 2014 |
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High Banks Farm Rock Art: Found the track to High Banks Farm easily enough, but husband wouldn't risk our car on the farm track, saying that we'd need a four wheel drive to attempt it. Our tight schedule of sites to visit for the rest of the afternoon didn't allow time to walk up to this rock art site, so sadly we've had to leave this until another day - a future treat! |
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| Twelve Apostles (Dumfries) |
Stone Circle |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
19th Sep 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
The Twelve Apostles, Dumfries: Shortly after we moved to Irongray in 1992 and my husband was touring the county to get to know it for his work with Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise, he came home one lunchtime and said we needed to go and see a stone circle. Being then only 6 miles from our house, we went off to look. I can still remember this visit really clearly. “It’s just in a farmer’s field, with a hedge running through it.” And it was.
...The Twelve Apostles, Dumfries: Shortly after we moved to Irongray in 1992 and my husband was touring the county to get to know it for his work with Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise, he came home one lunchtime and said we needed to go and see a stone circle. Being then only 6 miles from our house, we went off to look. I can still remember this visit really clearly. “It’s just in a farmer’s field, with a hedge running through it.” And it was.
The hedge has now been grubbed up, but the scar of where it was still remains in the field. My memory must be playing me slightly false, as we both remember the stones being smaller and the circle more compact, but this might be the result of part of the circle being cut by the hedge.
Following the A75 westwards around Dumfries, turn right at the Lochside roundabout onto the A76 (Glasgow Road). (Did anyone else spot the rhino on the right hand side next to the housing estate? This used to be on top of the bus shelter, but has been moved onto a plinth of its own now). Just past a garage on the left hand side, there is a left hand turn onto Irongray Road, and follow this until you go over a quaint little bridge over Cluden Water. Then take the next right hand turn. The stone circle is on your right, and there is now a stile over the fence, although I’m guessing that most people park further up at the road junction with the B729 and use the gate into the field (which is the next turn left along the A76 if you miss the first).
Sited in a gentle bowl, we wondered if the circle had been built where Cluden Water and the larger River Nith meet - the course of the rivers may have changed since the circle was built - this feels like a special place. We counted only 11 stones, but then one stone looked as if there were two next to each other. The stones are also not of the local Locharbriggs sandstone, being largely whinstone and course granite, and where they were brought from, I’ve not yet been able to identify. The RCAHMS notes say the circle is 260 feet in diameter, more in keeping with the size of a henge.
One of the stones had what I took to be cup marks in an odd pattern, but the RCAHMS notes say they are caused by natural weathering.
In walking up to the gate to take a few pictures to try and make into a panorama, I spotted another boulder by the roadside, next to the gate (grid reference: NX 94533 79488 – it can be seen on aerial photographs) and wondered if at one point this had been associated with the circle, and moved by the farmer in the past.
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| Powburn Rock Art |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
22nd Sep 2013 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Stopped at the Visitor Centre during our Breamish Valley Hill Fort Trail walk, to visit St. Michael's Church at Ingram.
Beautiful setting next to the river. Came across this stone quite by chance outside the Visitor Centre (now closed and The Muddy Boots Cafe). |
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| Rutherford's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Scotland |
Dumfries and Galloway |
Visited |
19th Sep 2014 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
Rutherford's Well, Anwoth, Dumfries and Galloway: Having just visited Cairn Holy 1 and 2, husband, Andrew, had identified some Pictish motifs, a holy well and some rock art at Trusty’s Hill which seemed worth visiting on our way back home. Anwoth seemed the ideal location for a base for this short walk. Whilst the Old Kirk was marked on the OS map, we didn’t expect this to be so eerie or atmospheric, and we spent a good half an hour wandering a...Rutherford's Well, Anwoth, Dumfries and Galloway: Having just visited Cairn Holy 1 and 2, husband, Andrew, had identified some Pictish motifs, a holy well and some rock art at Trusty’s Hill which seemed worth visiting on our way back home. Anwoth seemed the ideal location for a base for this short walk. Whilst the Old Kirk was marked on the OS map, we didn’t expect this to be so eerie or atmospheric, and we spent a good half an hour wandering around the church – it even has tombstones and memorials inside the old walls of red sandstone - before setting off to find the well.
Parking the car next to the footpath which runs down the right hand side of the church (coming from the A75 and driving north into Anwoth), we set off in search of this Holy Well. I have to say it was difficult to find! We eventually spotted it to the left hand side of the footpath, just before the first metal gate leading uphill to Rutherford’s Monument, hidden behind a wire fence, and tucked between this fence and a tumbled down old stone wall (dyke in this part of the world) behind. The well is only around 190 metres from the rear of the Old Kirk which can be clearly seen across the boggy field between the Kirk and the well.
People obviously still visit regularly, as there were t-lights inside and around. The Scottish Churches website reports that the water from the well is still used for baptisms today. As with other wells we’ve visited, there is a modern brick-built structure over the well itself. The Stewartry Kirks web site tells me that the well is really a shallow pool fed by a spring which comes from the base of the slope behind. The well is named after Samuel Rutherford, minister of Anwoth between 1627 to 1639. Rutherford must have been an amazing man, if the church was dedicated to him, the well named after him, and a huge (but ugly – sorry! Just my opinion) monument built to him on the hills nearby.
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| St Andrew's Church (Aycliffe) |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
18th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
St. Andrew’s Church, Aycliffe Village, County Durham: A treasure-house of Anglo-Saxon cross-shafts.
OK - it’s only just over 9 miles between Escomb Saxon Church and Aycliffe Village, but I drove more than twice that distance as I managed to get hopelessly lost trying to follow the directions the bar maid at the Saxon Inn in Escomb had given me (I must have misunderstood). However, backtracking to the safety of the A68/A1 and heading north to ...St. Andrew’s Church, Aycliffe Village, County Durham: A treasure-house of Anglo-Saxon cross-shafts.
OK - it’s only just over 9 miles between Escomb Saxon Church and Aycliffe Village, but I drove more than twice that distance as I managed to get hopelessly lost trying to follow the directions the bar maid at the Saxon Inn in Escomb had given me (I must have misunderstood). However, backtracking to the safety of the A68/A1 and heading north to junction 59, the church is really easy to find. Driving north up the A167, you pass ‘St Andrew’s Way’ (which leads to an industrial estate to your left), then just as you enter Aycliffe Village there is a left hand turn (officially called Church Lane, but I didn’t spot a street sign).
I confess to a certain degree of trepidation as I turned down the lane – it got narrower and narrower and I was scared I wouldn’t be able to turn the car around, but then the lane suddenly widened out into a very generous parking area. Two cars were already there – the Church Warden and her friend. I wasn’t expecting such a large church which appeared to rise up out of the surrounding flatness of the fields like a mini-cathedral.
As this church is only open for two hours on a Thursday afternoon between 1st May and 30th September each year, I phoned in advance to say I was going, to ensure I could gain entry. Thank goodness I had. The Church Warden was really, really friendly and gave me both a wonderful history of the church, pointing out features such as the Blacksmith’s Grave Cover and helping me find the Anglo Saxon cross shafts not in the display area, along with some of the features externally, but also leaving me space to wander and take photographs and understand and enjoy what I was looking at.
I had to chuckle (but only to myself) about the ancient and wonderful Anglo Saxon cross stored in the south west corner with a huge modern ladder propped up on the wall against it.
The wardens have laid out a small ‘museum’ area at the back of the church. My one disappointment was a lack of a church guide (when I was handed a leaflet I asked if there was a proper guide, only to be told ‘that’s it!’ My cheeks reddened). However, the church warden went back to her house and came back with a book on the church – a bargain at only £5.
Over a cup of tea, I was given ‘chapter and verse’ on the adventures they had had putting heating, new lighting and a sound system into this Grade 1 listed building. Apparently officers from Durham Council had been out to sit on the choir stalls to ensure their feet weren’t too close to the new heating pipes for health and safety reasons! What fun.
The Church Warden ended my visit by saying if I wanted to go back ‘out of season’ I had her phone number, to call her, and we’d ‘come to some arrangement’.
On reading the guide book at home, I realised this was the church that had been mentioned when I worked at Northumbria University. One of the alumni had emailed in describing how he shared a room with two students from Teesside who had raided a churchyard for bones – and this was the cemetery they had come from. The guide book included Photostats of some of the newspaper articles from the time.
This church is a real treat for Anglo-Saxon cross enthusiasts.
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| Escomb Cross |
Ancient Cross |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
18th Sep 2014 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Escomb Saxon Church, Saxon Green, Escomb, Northumberland: This church is well worth a visit as it is a showcase for simple, understated architecture with an enormous ambience of history and worship. Peaceful, cool and reflective, Escomb is said to be ‘the most complete Anglo-Saxon Church in England’ and I’d agree with this. The site is said to date from between 650 to 690 AD and is sited at the heart of this tiny village 2km west of Bishop Auckl...Escomb Saxon Church, Saxon Green, Escomb, Northumberland: This church is well worth a visit as it is a showcase for simple, understated architecture with an enormous ambience of history and worship. Peaceful, cool and reflective, Escomb is said to be ‘the most complete Anglo-Saxon Church in England’ and I’d agree with this. The site is said to date from between 650 to 690 AD and is sited at the heart of this tiny village 2km west of Bishop Auckland. The church is kept locked, but the key is kept on a hook outside the door of a property immediately behind the church and is readily accessible.
I’ve been here twice before in 2007; once just to say I’d been here; the second time to meet a colleague at The Saxon Inn across the road for a pre-meeting on the way to a conference in Durham, and popped in. But until today, I’ve never really stopped to look, sit and take in the atmosphere and the simplicity and beauty that goes back to Saxon times (and perhaps beyond?).
Having found a brilliant resource on the internet (The Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture on Durham University’s web site), today’s visit was particularly to look at the Anglo-Saxon cross shafts in the porch and re-visit the rest of the Anglo-Saxon artefacts I’d seen, but not really appreciated on previous visits - the inscribed Saxon cross on the wall between the nave and the sanctuary (just behind the pulpit), the Saxon grave marker behind the altar, the Roman inscriptions and the Saxon architecture and the sundial on the exterior south wall.
Having spent well over an hour here, I drove over to St Andrew’s Church in Aycliffe village for another ‘feast’ of Anglo-Saxon artefacts.
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| Coventina's Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Sep 2014 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Coventina's Well, near Carrawbrough Roman Fort, Northumberland: Having visited Robin Hood’s Holy Well in Colwell a short time ago, I was interesting in seeing Coventina’s Well and the adjacent Brocolitia, aTemple of Mithras. Having tried to visit 10 days ago, intending to park in the car park for Carrawbrough Roman Fort for half an hour, I was surprised (and disappointed) to find I had to pay £4 for all day parking – I couldn’t just pay for an h...Coventina's Well, near Carrawbrough Roman Fort, Northumberland: Having visited Robin Hood’s Holy Well in Colwell a short time ago, I was interesting in seeing Coventina’s Well and the adjacent Brocolitia, aTemple of Mithras. Having tried to visit 10 days ago, intending to park in the car park for Carrawbrough Roman Fort for half an hour, I was surprised (and disappointed) to find I had to pay £4 for all day parking – I couldn’t just pay for an hour (I understand from one of the other visitors I was talking to that the ticket is valid for all four of the National Trust car parks along the wall for the day, but this didn’t help me). However, my husband is better at finding parking spots than me, and on the way to Ridley Common Stone Circle, spotted a possible parking spot next to the Hadrian’s Wall footpath where we could leave the car for a very short time, so we stopped on the way back.
I’m glad I checked the images and grid reference of Coventina’s Well before we left home, so I knew exactly where to go.
Having parked in the small spot available where the Hadrian’s Wall Footpath meets the footpath to Slaterfield Farm to the north and the footpath to the Mithraeum to the south, we took our life in our hands and crossed the busy, extremely fast, B6318 (known locally as the Military Road). There is a stile across the dry stone wall into the field with Coventina’s Well, with the footpath continuing in a south easterly arc across the field towards the Temple of Mithras and Carrawbrough Roman Fort (an easier way is probably to park in the proper car park and walk across the Fort towards the Temple, despite the parking fee).
The ground in the field was very boggy, even after a prolonged period of dry weather, but thankfully someone had laid a path of stone slabs leading across the field. Looking for the Well, the ground on both sides of the path was high in weeds and marsh grass so it was difficult to make it out. Having crossed a small trickling stream almost at a second stile to cross over to Brocolitia, the Temple of Mithras, we were then able to trace the source of the water back to a heavily weeded, fenced off area. A patch of bright green water weed stood out amongst the grass about 20 yards in front of us, and we took this to be the well, not being able to get closer because of the boggy ground. Checking the grid reference confirmed this was indeed the site of Coventina’s Well. In other images I saw last night, there is also a standing stone which marks the site of the well, but this was well hidden in the foliage.
It was a shame this site had been neglected, as it appears to have a fascinating history. The Pastscape Record for this well records a spring contained in a rectangular basin, found in an 1876 excavation. The contents of the well apparently included at least 13, 487 coins and I'd like to find out where these are located.
I'm wondering whether a visit in winter with either wellies or waders would let me see more of the well. There wasn't even a visitor's board with any details about the well that I could find.
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| Ridley Common |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
Ridley Common Stone Circle and Enclosure, Northumberland: All the web sites we’d looked at quickly before visiting this stone circle said that it was sited on private land, and access was difficult. According to our 2007 Ordnance Survey Map, this land is now marked as Access Land, so we decided to explore. This stone circle is almost 2km along the Pennine Way from the B6318 (Military Road), then turning off down a private road on access land to...Ridley Common Stone Circle and Enclosure, Northumberland: All the web sites we’d looked at quickly before visiting this stone circle said that it was sited on private land, and access was difficult. According to our 2007 Ordnance Survey Map, this land is now marked as Access Land, so we decided to explore. This stone circle is almost 2km along the Pennine Way from the B6318 (Military Road), then turning off down a private road on access land to reach the circle. The footpaths we took passed an old lime kiln, up and over a gap in Hadrian’s Wall (with a splendid view of Cuddy’s Crags immediately north of the Wall) onto the Pennine Way and over Ridley Common towards Cragend.
We parked at grid reference NY 78147 67858, down a small side road which runs south off the B6318 towards West Crindledykes and the ‘back entrance’ to Vindolanda. There is a small layby which will take two cars just before the junction with the main road. The footpath is then 50 yards right across the fast and busy B6318 (the most difficult and dangerous part of the whole ‘expedition’).
It was cloudy but warm. At first there was a lot to see and the crags behind Hadrian’s Wall were brilliant. There were many walkers along both Hadrian’s Wall Path and the Pennine Way to the east and west, but as soon as we crossed to the north of Hadrian’s Wall, we only met two people coming in the opposite direction all day.
I confess that Ridley Common isn’t the most fascinating of walks, being largely scrub and rough heathland, but you can see for miles, along to Sewingshields Crags, Gwenhyfhar’s Chair, Queen’s Crags, King’s Crags and Broomlee Lough to the east.
I would seriously recommend taking wellington boots for a walk after a period of wet weather – the peaty ground was bad enough after a prolonged dry spell up here, even on higher ground. Previous walkers have put stepping stones into particularly bad parts, but even so, detours are necessary around some particularly boggy parts of the path.
Continue along the Pennine Way until it crosses Jenkins Burn then comes to a kissing gate where the Pennine Way continues northwards with a grassy track crossing it from south-west to north-east. At this point, there is a proliferation of old gate posts and an old sheep pen. To the left, there is an old ‘private, no public access’ sign, low in the grass (but nothing like the many notices recorded on other web sites at previous visits recorded by others in 2002 and 2006). Having checked the map again and being sure we were on access land, we continued westwards down the track towards the stone circle.
A couple of hundred yards along, the track appeared to cut through what could have been another stone circle or feature, and I took a photograph to look at later when we got home.
At first, we were unable to make it out any stone circle, then some low lying white stones became clear in the grass to the left of the track, with the fence-line diverting around its left hand side.
We were amazed at its size – husband Andrew paced out the diameter – 16 metres from south to north, with 14 stones around the perimeter (some only just visible through the grass). There were two outliers towards the south-east corner and another in the hillside rising to the north on the other side of the track (further investigation of this hillside led to discovering what seemed to be pairs of stones buried in the grass towards the top of the hill).
The tallest stone, to the west hand side, rises 1.1 metres above the current ground level, and its western side is stained red where all the sheep have rubbed against it.
There appeared to be one cup mark on one of the taller stones to the south-eastern side of the circle.
In walking round the circle, I could feel other stones under the grass inside the outer circle, some with their points just showing above the turf. I got the impression (and would have like to have been able to prove) that there was an inner circle or cairn within the main circle.
On the map there were hut circles and an enclosure marked on the hillside to the north of the circle, so after sitting amongst the stones of the circle to take in the ambience, we explored this.
Thinking about the whole of the context of the site whilst I was there – the position of the enclosure is perfect – being defensible with water and farmland. But I couldn’t understand the placement of the circle, being in a low-lying bowl with no clear lines of sight, unless to Gwenhyfar’s Chair, Queen’s Crags and King’s Crags to the north west (where of course there are other settlements and stone circles).
In trying to find out more about this stone circle and the surrounding monuments, we weren’t able to find out very much, except that there is a number of monuments which have been scheduled together (English Heritage Monument Number 1017961), including this stone circle, a defended Iron Age Settlement, an Iron Age/Romano-British farmstead a Roman camp and 15 shielings of medieval date. Fascinating, and still so much to understand about this part of the world.
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| St John Lee Church (Oakwood Stone) |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
14th Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
St John Lee Rock Art, near Hexham. Also known as The Oakwood Stone: We’ve been to St John Lee Church near Acomb a few years ago, as it is only 6 miles from our house, when our interests lay in finding Roman remains reused within local churches. At the time I only had a small camera and wasn’t taking many photographs.
St. John Lee can be reached from the roundabout at the junction with the A69 and the A6079 turnoff to Hexham. Turning north f...St John Lee Rock Art, near Hexham. Also known as The Oakwood Stone: We’ve been to St John Lee Church near Acomb a few years ago, as it is only 6 miles from our house, when our interests lay in finding Roman remains reused within local churches. At the time I only had a small camera and wasn’t taking many photographs.
St. John Lee can be reached from the roundabout at the junction with the A69 and the A6079 turnoff to Hexham. Turning north from the roundabout opposite the A6079, drive along a small side road signposted to St John Lee. The road climbs uphill but levels out after about half a mile and just as the houses come into view there is a sharp left hand turn down a small single track road to the church.
The church is on the left hand side of the road, with the graveyard divided between both sides of this small road. There is room to park one car on the verge by the lych gate.
The Church itself is relatively modern: The Church of England web site tells me St John Lee was built in 1884, but it certainly contains some old relics, including this portable rock art stone, according to ADS “found approx. 1,000 metres east of the church, although this was still unlikely to be its original position.”
The stone is located in the porch of the church, which is sited at the west end, furthest away from the lych gate (although the path is smooth and disabled access is possible). We were a little taken aback that someone had very recently chain-sawed down two or three of the yew trees at either side of the path, and the church felt somewhat denuded as a result, although we had a clear view of the east end of the church as a result.
The stone itself is situated immediately to the right hand side of the door as you walk into the porch. The rock art motifs are striking, but someone has outlined the patterns using what looks like brown watercolour, which has sunk into the stone. Using my finger, I traced round the faint lines and found the marks to be accurate to the faint depressions in the rock.
There is no church guide book, which is a shame, but there is a framed description of the stone on the wall above the stone (there is a page of visitor notes in the porch which describes the painted memorial plaques, but nothing else that we could find).
Also within the porch, to the left hand side, is a Roman altar stone, the top of which has been chiselled out to house an old sundial.
On the wall facing you as you enter the porch, there are also some old grave covers and the remains of old carvings displayed. On the window sills there are also small stone fragments, but no explanation as to what they are.
Worth stopping by if you are passing.
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| Iron Hill South |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Iron Hill South Cairn/Stone Circle, near Oddendale, Cumbria: Just 50 metres south of Iron Hill North Cairn/Stone Circle there is another monument, not far from a limestone scar (small modern quarry or crag?). It can be easily seen from Iron Hill North.
Whilst we were looking at this monument, we could hear a party of walkers were coming down the hill towards us. With loud voices, one of the men was proclaiming ‘there’s a stone circle just ov...Iron Hill South Cairn/Stone Circle, near Oddendale, Cumbria: Just 50 metres south of Iron Hill North Cairn/Stone Circle there is another monument, not far from a limestone scar (small modern quarry or crag?). It can be easily seen from Iron Hill North.
Whilst we were looking at this monument, we could hear a party of walkers were coming down the hill towards us. With loud voices, one of the men was proclaiming ‘there’s a stone circle just over here’. Waving his GPS device as he approached us, we were quizzed about which was the cairn and which was the stone circle (both are marked as a cairn and a cairn circle on our OS map), then the walkers left without really taking a look. This amused me greatly, although I wished I had his GPS device.
I couldn’t make up my mind as to whether this was a cairn or another stone circle; instinct said ‘cairn circle’ as there was a grouping of stones in the centre.
After soaking in the atmosphere of this place, we left to go onto Oddendale hamlet, further south along the single track road, and effectively a dead end, to see Seal Howe cairn and the cairn circle nearby.
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| Iron Hill North |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Iron Hill North Cairn/Stone Circle: From Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle, we drove down the single track road towards Hardendale Quarry, with Castlehouse Scar wood on our left hand side. Where the wood ends, the road turns a sharp left and right. Just where the road turns right, there is a marked footpath, walled on both sides, running uphill towards Harberwain Rigg. It is an easy walk despite the path being a little overgrown.
There is a cair...Iron Hill North Cairn/Stone Circle: From Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle, we drove down the single track road towards Hardendale Quarry, with Castlehouse Scar wood on our left hand side. Where the wood ends, the road turns a sharp left and right. Just where the road turns right, there is a marked footpath, walled on both sides, running uphill towards Harberwain Rigg. It is an easy walk despite the path being a little overgrown.
There is a cairn and a cairn circle marked on the Ordnance Survey map. At first all we could see was a limestone scar running to our right, then the first of the stones poked their heads above the grass in front of us, forming a semi-circle around slight mound against a stone wall above us. The stones shone pink in the bright sunlight. If I’m allowed to use the word, this was another ‘cute’ circle and I felt privileged to see it. In the background, the bright water of the lake at the bottom of Hardendale Quarry with its muddy gray ramps and walls contrasted sharply, horribly and incongruously with this wonderful little monument.
Out of interest, we walked a little way up the footpath to where it dissects another running northwards and peered over the gate to see the other side of the circle. I saw one stone peeping (just) above the grass, but couldn’t be sure it was part of the circle.
With a party of walkers making their way down hill towards us, we ventured south to find the other stone circle or cairn at Iron Hill South.
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| Oddendale |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
Oddendales Stone Circle, Oddendale, Cumbria: From Seal Howe, heading directly north west across the pasture to the ‘cairn circle’ was interesting walking, as the ground was lumpy and bumpy with hidden stones underneath. I was not prepared for what we found – a beautiful stone circle of some 34 stones (if I counted correctly) with an inner circle that looked like it had been a cairn or inner mound.
I wish I had a wide-angled lens to capture th...Oddendales Stone Circle, Oddendale, Cumbria: From Seal Howe, heading directly north west across the pasture to the ‘cairn circle’ was interesting walking, as the ground was lumpy and bumpy with hidden stones underneath. I was not prepared for what we found – a beautiful stone circle of some 34 stones (if I counted correctly) with an inner circle that looked like it had been a cairn or inner mound.
I wish I had a wide-angled lens to capture the beauty of this stone circle in the landscape (if you can successfully ignore the scar of Hardendale Quarry in the background, which we did). Even with my husband perched on top of a nearby stone to get a higher angle, we couldn’t achieve the shot we wanted.
Nearby are also other large red granite stones that we thought might have formed an avenue (but we are quite imaginative people, and would love to have the skills to interpret the prehistoric landscape).
Walking back to the car by the hamlet of Oddendale (according to the Visit Cumbria website, not simply just a farm), the limestone pavement is impressive.
Driving onto Gamelands Stone Circle, it hit me how large the prehistoric landscape is around Shap, and how important an area it must have been in the past.
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| Seal Howe |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Seal Howe Cairn, Oddendale, Cumbria: Having passed Kalmott Cairn Circle by the stone wall next to Oddendale, we made our way to the Bield and Cairn Circle marked on the map.
All around, the limestone pavement/bedrock pushed its way above the grass; it was particularly spectacular on the right hand side of the path. My husband and I were both transfixed and amazed at the number of red Shap Granite stones in the landscape and wished we had a GP...Seal Howe Cairn, Oddendale, Cumbria: Having passed Kalmott Cairn Circle by the stone wall next to Oddendale, we made our way to the Bield and Cairn Circle marked on the map.
All around, the limestone pavement/bedrock pushed its way above the grass; it was particularly spectacular on the right hand side of the path. My husband and I were both transfixed and amazed at the number of red Shap Granite stones in the landscape and wished we had a GPS device to map the locations of some of the stones, as there seems to be a much larger prehistoric landscape here. These red granite stones must have been transported up to the site from where they were quarried (which a quick check on the geology of the Lake District indicates just south of Shap).
The modern cairn built on top of Seal Howe wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but the views over to Yorkshire to the east were spectacular. To the north-north-west, the scar of Hardendale Quarry was easily visible.
From Seal Howe, we made our way over the west side of the track to where the map promised us a ‘cairn circle’. This was a treat I wasn’t expecting – the Oddendale Stone Circle.
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| Kalmott cairn circle |
Ring Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Kalmott Cairn Circle, Oddendales, Cumbria: Arriving at Oddendales to see the cairns marked on the OS map, just past the footpath sign pointing us to the Coast-to-Coast/Crosby Ravensworth, we were surprised to come across what appeared to be a small cairn with a ring of stones with a central cluster. It’s not marked on the Ordnance Survey maps.
Sitting between the stone wall of Oddendales Farm on the left and the modern trackway we were walk...Kalmott Cairn Circle, Oddendales, Cumbria: Arriving at Oddendales to see the cairns marked on the OS map, just past the footpath sign pointing us to the Coast-to-Coast/Crosby Ravensworth, we were surprised to come across what appeared to be a small cairn with a ring of stones with a central cluster. It’s not marked on the Ordnance Survey maps.
Sitting between the stone wall of Oddendales Farm on the left and the modern trackway we were walking on, it seemed surprising that this cairn had survived intact. Not been able to find out any more about it, which has been frustrating. I record a photograph here to show what we saw. I’ve now only just found a photograph and brief description about this on Hedge Druid's web site; Hedge Druid says he then submitted it to the Portal for inclusion.
Having taken a couple of photos, we then made our way up to Seal Howe Cairn.
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| Raise Howe Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
Raise Howe Cairn, Cumbria: From Gamelands Stone Circle, 1 km east of the village of Orton, we drove back into the village and found the B6260 which heads over the moors towards Crosby Ravensworth and Appleby-in-Westmorland. The road climbs steeply from Orton, leading up onto Orton Scar, Beacon Hill and Gaythorpe Plain. We stopped quickly to see if we could see Gamelands within the context of the landscape, but it seemed to be hidden within a di...Raise Howe Cairn, Cumbria: From Gamelands Stone Circle, 1 km east of the village of Orton, we drove back into the village and found the B6260 which heads over the moors towards Crosby Ravensworth and Appleby-in-Westmorland. The road climbs steeply from Orton, leading up onto Orton Scar, Beacon Hill and Gaythorpe Plain. We stopped quickly to see if we could see Gamelands within the context of the landscape, but it seemed to be hidden within a dip beneath Knott Hill in the distance.
The B6260 is a very fast road and once on moorland we needed to be careful of the sheep meandering at the side (and sometimes across) the road. At first glance, you might be forgiven for thinking that Raise Howe Cairn is just a spoil heap next to a quarry, but parking on the verge opposite and walking up to the cairn, its shape and function become apparent. Limestone rubble appears under the soil and turf, and at the top of the mound, there are humps and bumps which make it appear as if the mound has been excavated (although the English Heritage Pastscape records say it has not been).
Our first reaction was “what a spot to be buried in” – there are 360 degree views all around and the landscape as a whole seems too large to take in. The Scale Beck valley lies to the east, the Lyvennet Beck valley to the west and the river Lune in the distance to the south.
Having checked the English Heritage records on my return home, they tell me this is a turf covered, slightly mutilated oval mound of earth and limestone rubble up to 1.2 high, maximum dimensions 23m x 18m and dates from the Bronze Age.
This seems to be a popular picnic spot as there was a lot of rubbish lying around, and a sign next to the quarry says ‘no motor vehicles’ as if someone might drive over the edge of the quarry face.
Not particularly a place to travel to just to see the cairn, but well worth stopping to appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the burial practices of our ancestors.
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| Thunder Stone (Castlehowe Scar) |
Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Thunder Stone (Castlehowe Scar), near Shap, Cumbria: When my husband suggested going back to Shap, I groaned inwardly - another day of walking round searching for stones within the village? But I was in for a great surprise. Andrew had identified stone circles and cairns within a few miles of each other, and we had a great afternoon.
On our way to Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle, I spotted two thunder stones marked on the map near Castlehowe S...Thunder Stone (Castlehowe Scar), near Shap, Cumbria: When my husband suggested going back to Shap, I groaned inwardly - another day of walking round searching for stones within the village? But I was in for a great surprise. Andrew had identified stone circles and cairns within a few miles of each other, and we had a great afternoon.
On our way to Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle, I spotted two thunder stones marked on the map near Castlehowe Scar Farm on the way to the circle.
From Junction 39, Shap Interchange on the M6, turning right to drive through Shap Village, we took the right hand turn leading to Crosby Ravensworthjust after the Fire Station on the left, and immediately before the chip shop. This road looks as if it is leading into a housing estate, but it does go onto other villages.
Just after passing over the cemetery on the right hand then, then going over the two bridges over the M6 carriageways, I spotted the first of the Thunder Stones, and we stopped on the road for me to take a few photographs. There seem to be so many other erratics in this area, that by the end of the afternoon, I became a little immune to them! This one stood out at the right hand side of the road, perched on the edge of a small quarry. A footpath leading to Hardendale gives access onto the field and it’s possible to go and walk round three sides of the stone (four if you don’t mind heights). It looks as if it is made of Shap granite and in the strong sunlight the red of the Shap Granite stood out beautifully.
[But since the visit, I'm left wondering if this stone is an erratic, as the quarry seemed to be limestone, and the Thunder Stone red Shap granite. Was this stone deliberately brought up the valley to form part of a row to the stone circle? The complexity of the monuments around Shap is quite mind-blowing, especially after our day wandering around some of the gems around Shap.]
Having taken my photographs, we went onto the Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle which is less than one kilometre east of this stone.
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| Gamelands |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Gamelands Stone Circle, near Orton, Cumbria: By now, it was late afternoon, with the evening rapidly approaching, and almost time to head off home. From the Oddendale Cairns and Stone Circle we headed off in search of something to eat and drink before finding Gamelands. In Orton, we found the Chocolate Factory still open and busy, so stopped off for very welcome refreshments.
I found navigating to this stone circle tricky, as it’s on the edg...Gamelands Stone Circle, near Orton, Cumbria: By now, it was late afternoon, with the evening rapidly approaching, and almost time to head off home. From the Oddendale Cairns and Stone Circle we headed off in search of something to eat and drink before finding Gamelands. In Orton, we found the Chocolate Factory still open and busy, so stopped off for very welcome refreshments.
I found navigating to this stone circle tricky, as it’s on the edge of two map sheets, so we took the wrong road out of Orton before identifying the right minor road, signposted to Raisbeck. Following the B6261 past a minor crossroads just out of Orton village (the left hand side being Street Lane), the B road shortly afterwards turns to the right; the minor road needed to get to Gamelands Stone Circle carrying straight on to Knott Lane, signposted as ‘Public Byway leading over Knott Green to Public Bridleway’. Knott Lane is about 1 mile east of Orton. When we visited, there was a large pile of stones, being used to repair the bridleway blocking part of the entrance, but the minor road was wide enough (just) to bump up onto the grass verge and leave the car to walk up Knott Lane.
As we walked up the bridleway, we didn’t see the stone circle until we were almost upon it. The farmer has put in what looks like a relatively new wooden kissing gate to let people access the field, which was refreshingly nice. Thank you, Mr. Farmer! This is one of the largest stone circles we’ve seen in this area; the Visit Cumbria website tells me that this circle is some 100 yards in circumference.
All the stones have fallen, and it must have been impressive when they stood upright. This stone circle (oval) is certainly in a lovely location and very tranquil. It is situated on a plateau immediately below the impressive Knott Scar which rises up to the North, with spectacular views over the Eden Valley and the North Pennines.
I got to see at close hand how the Shap Red Granite is made up – with large ‘tabular’ feldspar crystals glinting out from the whole. My husband has seen this type of granite polished and used in construction projects/buildings, and if our ancestors did polish these stones, then this circle must have been fantastic when it was created.
After spending some time here, just soaking in the atmosphere, we left to go home, with one final stop, at Raise Howe Tumulus, which was on our way home. A glorious afternoon, very well spent.
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| Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
7th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle, near Shap, Cumbria: Having previously stopped at the Thunder Stone 200 metres to the west of Castlehowe Scar Farm, we drove almost 1 kilometre up to this little stone circle. All the land from the Thunder Stone up to Castlehouse Scar Wood on the right hand side of the road is labelled as access land on the Ordnance Survey maps. Immediately before the wood there is a single track metalled road, which turns right tow...Castlehowe Scar Stone Circle, near Shap, Cumbria: Having previously stopped at the Thunder Stone 200 metres to the west of Castlehowe Scar Farm, we drove almost 1 kilometre up to this little stone circle. All the land from the Thunder Stone up to Castlehouse Scar Wood on the right hand side of the road is labelled as access land on the Ordnance Survey maps. Immediately before the wood there is a single track metalled road, which turns right towards Hardendale Quarry, with room for 2-3 cars to park on the verge next to the field containing the stone circle.
Whilst the land is labelled access land, there was a padlock on the gate to the field, so we explored from the field next door, where there seemed to be a few red granite stones poking up through the grass in the field. ‘A stone row’, my husband pronounced.
Having driven over 60 miles to get here, and having checked that the field really was access land, in frustration we ended up climbing over the gate to walk quickly round this small stone circle (this is in complete contrast to the farmer at the Gamelands Stone Circle, near Orton, who had very kindly put in a kissing gate to allow entry). There was a water container left close to the stones by the farmer, and I was sorely tempted to try and move this out of the way to avoid it spoiling the photographs, but didn’t dare (and I suspect I would have needed a tractor to attempt it).
All the stones were red Shap granite – we wondered after if they had been polished at some stage in the past to make them shine. The red of the granite certainly stood out amongst the white/grey of the natural limestone bedrock nearby. Checking on the geology of the area when we got home, these red granite stones seem to only came from a very small area, so any of these red stones would have needed to have been quarried and moved up to their current locations.
Strangely, to me, the size of the stones seemed large in comparison to the diameter of the circle, as they did what remained of Kemp Howe at the edge of Shap Village.
Whilst we were parked at Castlehowe Stone Circle, there were many cars coming and going – dog walkers, people doing outdoor activities (we thought they might be cavers) and the owner of the wood next door. Curious that so many people were around, but no-one took any notice of the stone circle, apart from us – perhaps they are all too familiar with it.
We next drove on to Iron Hill, further down the minor road running alongside Castlehouse Scar Wood to Hardendale Quarry to continue our Stone Circle and Cairn adventure.
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| Fontburn B |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
5th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn B (Rock Art), near Rothbury, Northumberland: Fontburn Reservoir is just over 12 km north of Wallington and 9 km south-south-west of Rothbury. Despite it not being very far from where I live I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it this reservoir, yet it’s clearly very popular with fishermen and has a cafe that’s open at weekends. On the map, there were no clear roads up to the reservoir yet two car parks clearly marked, so this was a little b...Fontburn B (Rock Art), near Rothbury, Northumberland: Fontburn Reservoir is just over 12 km north of Wallington and 9 km south-south-west of Rothbury. Despite it not being very far from where I live I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it this reservoir, yet it’s clearly very popular with fishermen and has a cafe that’s open at weekends. On the map, there were no clear roads up to the reservoir yet two car parks clearly marked, so this was a little bit of a voyage of discovery. And there it was - a single track road with passing places that wound its way up past Roughlees Farm and the Goats On The Roof cafe to the dam.
Parking at the southern-most end of the car park, as far as we could get past the fishing shack, we walked clockwise around the lake. From the car park, heading southwards, a barrier blocks entry to cars, but the footpath turns and continues westwards along a grassy track, wending through the trees with the reservoir to the right hand side. There are good, solid boardwalks in the boggiest areas and wooden guard rails at some of the edges of the lake (but not always in the steepest places); being someone who hates sheer drops, the height down to the lake wasn’t too bad, and it was an easy path to walk on. About a third of the way around the southern side of the reservoir, the path divides. The small track which follows the edge of the reservoir enters a nature reserve and disappears amongst the trees; the footpath signs turn you left, leading up a slight hill to a gate (with a very heavy spring) which took you onto Access Land (avoiding the nature reserve) where the terrain was much rougher and more difficult to walk with humps and bumps and small streams to cross.
We missed the first stone, Fontburn N02, at grid reference: NZ0395993186, as in the trees along the riverside walk it was difficult to gauge how far we had gone. By the time we came to the access land and orientated ourselves using the fence boundaries and the sheepfolds, we had to walk a fair way back to see NO2, and decided to go back to it on the return journey. But an hour later, the skies were heavy and grey and it felt like thunder, so we returned to the car along the easier footpath to the north of the reservoir.
As an aside, we came upon an unknown Rock (Grid reference: NZ0310993518) just to the left hand side of the path. Just into the access land, we came upon what looked like the remains of a cairn, but couldn’t be sure as field drains had been dug into the field around it, but there was a clear oval shape in the grass, topped by stones. Just after this, we found the said stone sitting alongside the left hand side of the footpath, although it wasn’t clear if there was rock art on it. There was also a smaller stone located alongside with other marks on it. Looking this up on the ERA database and the Portal, there are no references to this rock at all, so the marks are just weathering or perhaps where ploughs have hit it [note: we missed Fontburn N01, which is located between the two halves of the car parks at the eastern end of the reservoir! grid reference: NZ 04897 93466].
Continuing along the footpath, and rounding the right hand turn it takes, Fontburn B came clearly into view to the left of the footpath. It looks like an erratic dropped at the side of the path above the (now) reservoir. It’s impressive in size, although it looks as if the northern edge has been quarried away as there is a sheer, rather than a rounded face on this side.
A few cup marks were visible from the ground, and many more visible by climbing a few metres up the hill to the south. Even better was just to carefully hop up the side of the rock and sit on top of it, just like our ancestors must have done all those thousands of years ago. In the sunshine, it was a remarkable spot, although dominated by the ground rising to the south. In the past, there would have been clear views down to the river below.
We then carried on following the footpath to where it loops back round to the reservoir, and goes back onto the Northumberland Water Board Water Trail and onto Fontburn Four-Poster.
Doing some research on the web since getting home, I’ve discovered that Fontburn B is a published landmark/site to see on the National Trust Greenleighton Moor Walk around the Wallington area.
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| Fontburn Four-Poster |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
5th Sep 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Fontburn Four Poster, near Rothbury, Northumberland: This was a continuation of our very pleasant meander around Fontburn Reservoir from Fontburn B.
Crossing over Fallowlees Burn and just starting to head back along the northern edge of the reservoir the Stone Circle comes into view on the horizon at the top of the hill.
My first impression is that this is a cairn, as there are many more stones around than the four uprights, but then why...Fontburn Four Poster, near Rothbury, Northumberland: This was a continuation of our very pleasant meander around Fontburn Reservoir from Fontburn B.
Crossing over Fallowlees Burn and just starting to head back along the northern edge of the reservoir the Stone Circle comes into view on the horizon at the top of the hill.
My first impression is that this is a cairn, as there are many more stones around than the four uprights, but then why would two of the stones have cups on the top surfaces if they were meant to be covered up? Perhaps the site was used in antiquity? This site is likened to Goatstones Four Poster, but I’m not sure I saw much similarity (I'll need to sit and compare images).
Sitting on this small plateau with Dod Knowe hill rising up behind, and with the burn trickling pleasantly down below, this small stone circle is in a peaceful and lovely spot. It’s also very atmospheric, with the very old (hawthorn?) tree lying in broken pieces at the feet of the circle. There appear to be clear cup marks on two of the stones.
It was a very misty day, so we couldn’t make out any of the distant landmarks, so after lingering for a while to absorb the atmosphere, we made our way back to the marked path and walked back round to Fontburn Dam.
The place to seek permission to visit Fontburn Stone Circle is Newbiggin Farm, north of the reservoir, although there are references to finding the stone circle on the notice boards by the reservoir.
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| Robin Hood's Well (Chollerton) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
3rd Sep 2014 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Robin Hood's Well, Colwell, Northumberland: I last visited Colwell on 13th June 2014, when we went in search of the old chapel (located in someone’s back garden, so not accessible without permission), the two wells in the centre of the village – Coley’s Well and Pricky’s Well – and Blue Crags Hill Fort (also known as Brecken Hills Fort).
Both Coley’s Well and Pricky’s Well are at the eastern edge of the village at the cross-roads where the nor...Robin Hood's Well, Colwell, Northumberland: I last visited Colwell on 13th June 2014, when we went in search of the old chapel (located in someone’s back garden, so not accessible without permission), the two wells in the centre of the village – Coley’s Well and Pricky’s Well – and Blue Crags Hill Fort (also known as Brecken Hills Fort).
Both Coley’s Well and Pricky’s Well are at the eastern edge of the village at the cross-roads where the northern most side-road from the A68 leads eastwards to meet the B6342. Whilst part of the area’s rich history, neither well is pleasing to the eye (very similar to Meg’s Well in Aydon). They sit alongside a small stream, the Coal Burn.
About 200 yards south of the village is a third well, Robin Hood’s Well. As this is recorded as a holy spring, I was keen to see this, so stopped off whilst I was passing by.
There is parking in a layby by the road junction mentioned above, near to Pricky’s Well. From here, it is a 200 yard walk south down the B6342 to the footpath which leads eastwards towards Well House (grid reference: NY 96641 74198. This is a very busy little road, with no footpaths, so I had to keep stepping up onto the grass verges to avoid the traffic.
Robin Hood’s Well is almost on the field boundary next to the road. To reach it, on opening the gate to the field by the footpath sign, you need to turn right immediately and walk 50 yards or so to the south (towards the woodland). The first view is of a post sticking up from marsh grass, which looks like a fence post. As you get closer, you will see a stone lying next to the post. A closer look shows a pool of water around the post and stone, and boggy ground surrounding it – a shame it is so unremarkable for such a historic well.
There is a further spring which appears 100 yards further south down the field, which has a clearer water course marked by stones on either side, but was dry (although the ground was very boggy) on the day of my visit.
At (or near) Well House Farm (according to the Hexham Courant and Visitor UK web sites) there is also a fourth sulphurous well, The Bore Well, reputed to improve fertility and which is well cared for with a proper housing.
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| Chesters Roman Site b |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th Aug 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
Chesters Roman Bridge Rock Art, Chollerford, Northumberland: Parking at the George Hotel at Chollerford on the north side of the river Tyne, we walked back over the bridge and found the small gate to the west side of the bridge to the footpath leading to the Roman Bridge. This is a really easy walk along a long straight footpath defined by wired fences on both sides (it feels like being a sheep being herded to a pen!). After a short kilometre, ...Chesters Roman Bridge Rock Art, Chollerford, Northumberland: Parking at the George Hotel at Chollerford on the north side of the river Tyne, we walked back over the bridge and found the small gate to the west side of the bridge to the footpath leading to the Roman Bridge. This is a really easy walk along a long straight footpath defined by wired fences on both sides (it feels like being a sheep being herded to a pen!). After a short kilometre, the path bears right down to the river, and a further gate lead to remains of two old Roman bridges on the same site. The ruins are impressive.
There seems to be some confusion about what rock art is at this site, and what isn’t. What is certain is that we found a stone block with three clear cup marks on in the location described by the England’s Rock Art record 769. Thank goodness we had the images of the location of this stone downloaded onto my phone, otherwise we would have spent hours searching the bridge piers.
This is a lovely location, right next to the Tyne, surrounded by old Roman remains. It would have been nice to have been able to see the other two stones purportedly found here, too.
There are also substantial remains of the bridges and other structures on the northern bank of the Tyne, which we'll go back and explore at some time in the future.
Our find was 'rewarded' with a drink at the hotel afterwards - this was a very pleasant early evening in late August.
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| Wall Crags Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
25th Aug 2014 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Wall Crags Settlement, Northumberland: It was 4pm on Bank Holiday Monday and we wanted to go somewhere, but didn’t have time to go far. Husband Andrew had spent the afternoonon the internet looking at rock art on the old Roman Bridges at Chollerford, and spotted the settlement to the east of Wall village as somewhere else to go on route. We drive through Wall on a regular basis, and neither of us had been aware of a settlement here until we loo...Wall Crags Settlement, Northumberland: It was 4pm on Bank Holiday Monday and we wanted to go somewhere, but didn’t have time to go far. Husband Andrew had spent the afternoonon the internet looking at rock art on the old Roman Bridges at Chollerford, and spotted the settlement to the east of Wall village as somewhere else to go on route. We drive through Wall on a regular basis, and neither of us had been aware of a settlement here until we looked closer at the map.
We parked on a side street just above the chapel in Wall at approx. grid reference NY 91744 69094, and walked down to the chapel, turning left towards the park. There were some very old cottages to our left hand side (on the walk back, I’m sure the one nearest the start of the footpath was dated 1642). The footpath took us across the southern end of the park, with a gate leading to some stone steps leading up the hill.
We climbed quickly up the steep slope, then the steps stopped, and open grassland began. The slope must have been about 40 degrees, and was slippery enough in the dry, and would have been lethal in the wet. I’m afraid I bottled out at this point - getting up would have been OK, but getting down (for me) would have been a nightmare, so I sat on the grass and handed the camera to Andrew, so he's to thank for the images on the Portal.
He was gone about 20 minutes, coming back to say it was fairly difficult to identify the features up on top of the hill, as whilst the top was level, there were trees, large stones and the ground looked as if it had been heavily trampled by cattle and was difficult to walk on. The ramparts were visible, as were the possible foundations of a couple of roundhouses.
I haven’t been able to find out much about this settlement at all, except for a brief mention on Keys To The Past (page reference N13760) which is a shame, but I’ll keep my eyes open for any information.
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| Doddington Moor |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Couldn't find |
30th Aug 2014 |
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Doddington Stone Circle, Northumberland (second failed attempt!). Having visited Weetwood Moor, as we were so near, and it was still only relatively early (5pm), we decided to drive a couple of miles further up the road to Weetwood Hall and try the footpath I’d identified as a possible easier route to Doddington Stone Circle.
We parked the car park where the footpath splits off northwards from the road just after Weetwood Hall (there is jus...Doddington Stone Circle, Northumberland (second failed attempt!). Having visited Weetwood Moor, as we were so near, and it was still only relatively early (5pm), we decided to drive a couple of miles further up the road to Weetwood Hall and try the footpath I’d identified as a possible easier route to Doddington Stone Circle.
We parked the car park where the footpath splits off northwards from the road just after Weetwood Hall (there is just room for one car opposite the field entrance at the corner of the junction). There is a metalled road which goes past the two or more houses to the left hand side, then it become a grassy path between two hedges, with tractor ruts in either side. After about half a mile, just past a wood to the right hand side, there is a gate with a footpath sign on, and the track becomes quad bike marks in the grass, and we followed these up the hill. There is a new stile (narrow, but new) , then the track more or less disappears, and is marked by a series of Scots Pines, standing alone, but growing more or less in a line north-north-west up the hill.
Passing an outcrop of rock to our left hand side, we climbed to the brow of the hill, but just where the land started to go downhill again, we were met by boggy land, covered completely with a heavy coverage of low growing thistles and gorse, which went on as far as the eye could see. Andrew decided this was impossible, so we turned back and went to find the cup and ring marked rocks marked on the map on the way back down the hill.
We'd previously tried to visit on 17th August 2014, but the quarry next to Wooler Golf Club had been extended and the footpaths had disappeared (or we couldn't find them).
There is a third possible footpath to try, from West Horton, so this will go on the 'want to do' list.
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| Weetwood Moor 3a |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
31st Aug 2014 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Weetwood Moor 3a (Bicycle Rock), Northumberland: My husband had seen photographs of the rock art at Weetwood Moor, which was very near the Fowberry Mains/Fowberry Park site we'd seen on 17th August 2014). Parking at the road junction next to where the metalled track runs alongside North Plantation, we walked down to find the footpath, which is located to the right hand side of the road, just passed the cattle grid. My goodness, was this overgrow...Weetwood Moor 3a (Bicycle Rock), Northumberland: My husband had seen photographs of the rock art at Weetwood Moor, which was very near the Fowberry Mains/Fowberry Park site we'd seen on 17th August 2014). Parking at the road junction next to where the metalled track runs alongside North Plantation, we walked down to find the footpath, which is located to the right hand side of the road, just passed the cattle grid. My goodness, was this overgrown for the first 20 to 30 metres – I stepped through head high bushes and gorse, eventually emerging into a rocky moorland.
After a 100 yards or so, the footpath bears left. There is a clear sign straight ahead, declaring ‘not access land’, but there was clear evidence of small footpaths carrying along across the heather. We went up a little way to try and see what was there, when a lady walking her dog sailed past us, waving and shouting ‘hello’ cheerfully as she went, so we assumed it was alright to carry on (we’ve since found a published Rock Art walk which takes us past the rocks we wanted to see).
Andrew found the Bicycle rock first of all – this was amazing - and I took photographs. To the east of this rock, someone had built a small cairn in a cup shape, this cup containing what looked like a Wiccan altar with sea shells, a bone and some berries.
Walking to the quarry face immediately to the east of Bicycle Rock, I noticed (for the first time) evidence of fluting on the edge of the rock, similar to the weathering on other standing stones in the area (ones that immediately spring to mind are Matfen and the Newtown Mill standing stone).
We found other rocks with cup marks, and I’ll need to sit down and compare my images to the other pages for Weetwood Moor on the Portal, to make sure I’m recording them against the right pages.
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| Tremaenhir Standing Stones |
Standing Stones |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
22nd Aug 2014 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
Standing Stone by Tremaenhir, Pembrokeshire: After an amazing day at St. David’s Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, followed by St. Non’s Well, Chapel and standing stones, we were reluctant to call an end to the day, so we decided to drive along the A487, heading north to Tremaenhir Farm, where the map told us there were ‘Standing Stones’.
Just opposite the farm, there was a solitary tall standing stone, with only its top half poking above the und...Standing Stone by Tremaenhir, Pembrokeshire: After an amazing day at St. David’s Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, followed by St. Non’s Well, Chapel and standing stones, we were reluctant to call an end to the day, so we decided to drive along the A487, heading north to Tremaenhir Farm, where the map told us there were ‘Standing Stones’.
Just opposite the farm, there was a solitary tall standing stone, with only its top half poking above the undergrowth. We looked around for more, and couldn’t find any - although I did spot a tall shape in the bank opposite, which looked like it could have been a standing stone heavily covered by ivy.
It would be fun to go back in winter, when all the grass and weeds have died down, armed with the information and grid locations recorded here on the Portal.
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| St Non's Chapel |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
22nd Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Non's Chapel, Pembrokeshire: A gate leading from between St Non’s Well (to our left) and the vault with her statue in (to our right), led into the field containing the chapel. It was a short walk to the ruined building, which is enclosed by a fence to protect it from the cattle in the field.
This chapel is very small, with an entrance to the west side. It is on a very steep site, and the walls to its southern side are composed of some imp...St Non's Chapel, Pembrokeshire: A gate leading from between St Non’s Well (to our left) and the vault with her statue in (to our right), led into the field containing the chapel. It was a short walk to the ruined building, which is enclosed by a fence to protect it from the cattle in the field.
This chapel is very small, with an entrance to the west side. It is on a very steep site, and the walls to its southern side are composed of some impressively large stones.
Inside the chapel is a small white-painted cross, in the left hand corner as you face the sea. At its base are many offerings – tokens, tea-lights, a small memorial plaque and pebbles painted with people’s names.
Whilst we explored the stones in the field around the chapel, a Welsh family came and spent quite some time by the cross, and I wondered if they were laying their own offerings. This is certainly a superb spot to mediate and pray on a sunny day.
As we entered the field, it was apparent that there were some standing stones within the field, although I’d not seen these referred to until I logged onto the Portal when we got home. I’ve submitted some images of these along with the chapel.
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| St Non's Well (Pembrokeshire) |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
22nd Aug 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
St Non's Well, Pembrokeshire: It was interesting trying to find the small road leading down to St. Non’s Chapel and Well; it turned out to be a side road off a side road, with a very, very narrow section coming out of St. David’s.
This road led down to St. Non’s Retreat Centre, with views over the sea. Just before the road reached the Retreat Centre, there was a small car park on the right hand side, with plenty of room for visitors, with onl...St Non's Well, Pembrokeshire: It was interesting trying to find the small road leading down to St. Non’s Chapel and Well; it turned out to be a side road off a side road, with a very, very narrow section coming out of St. David’s.
This road led down to St. Non’s Retreat Centre, with views over the sea. Just before the road reached the Retreat Centre, there was a small car park on the right hand side, with plenty of room for visitors, with only a short walk down to the well and chapel.
Approaching the well, my first view was a stone vault to the right hand side, with a white statue of a woman with her arms outstretched, and at first I thought this was St. Non’s Well. The actual well is a few steps further on to the left hand side. As we stepped down to see the source of the water, there was a continuous noise, like the well was connected to a blow hole at the bottom of the cliffs with the noise of the waves lapping at the entrance coming back up where we stood. We stood in silence, listening. “The well’s breathing!” I exclaimed. After a few more minutes, I realised that the noise came from the bullocks drinking from the small stream of water that emerged from the well into the adjacent field. Not a holy miracle after all, but it got the heart racing none-the-less.
We went onto explore St. Non’s Chapel and the standing stones in the same field, hopping onto the Coast Path (well my husband did – I couldn’t get over the stone stile in the south-western corner of the field, because of the proximity of the path to the drops down to the sea below). We watched a school of kayakers in the bay below, with blue sky and spectacular geology. I would have loved to have taken a flask of tea and just sat for a while taking this all in.
Whilst we were exploring the standing stones around the chapel, I noticed a family collecting water from the well.
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| Nevern Churchyard |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
23rd Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Nevern Churchyard, Pembrokeshire: After having felt ‘thwarted’ by the farmer’s notice to seek permission before accessing the Trafael Rock Art capstone (but with no details of who to contact) we cut our losses and drove back towards Newport to have a cup of tea and a piece of cake. We came across the pretty little village of Nevern. There was a crowd of people gathered around the bench and a large mounting block opposite the village hall river, ...Nevern Churchyard, Pembrokeshire: After having felt ‘thwarted’ by the farmer’s notice to seek permission before accessing the Trafael Rock Art capstone (but with no details of who to contact) we cut our losses and drove back towards Newport to have a cup of tea and a piece of cake. We came across the pretty little village of Nevern. There was a crowd of people gathered around the bench and a large mounting block opposite the village hall river, so stopped to look. What a treat. A stream ran by the western end of the church, with a narrow well laid footpath above the stream, against the bottom of the church yard wall, so you could walk up to the little weir further upstream. According to the church guide book, the mounting block is only one of two left in Pembrokeshire.
The notice board by the bench told us that there was the remains of a castle, a church with two notable crosses, an old Pilgrim’s cross and other things to see. For today, we focused on the church where we found two ancient stone crosses, plus a stone with both Ogham and Latin inscriptions and an incised stone on the external wall of the church.
The church was atmospheric to start with, with its dark yew avenue. A lady was sitting on a tombstone under a yew tree immediately to the left of the gate, sketching, whilst her friend was recording and deciphering writing on tombstones nearby.
At first I couldn’t see the Great Cross, which was right next to the church wall, and partly hidden by the branches of the yew trees next to it. All four sides are heavily decorated with ribbons and interlacing symbols. The guide says the cross is 13 feet high, with the cross being 24.5 inches in diameter. Looking up to the top of the cross, the top seemed ‘too large’ for the shaft, as it protruded by at least an inch on each of the longer sides, and I wondered if these had been a ‘marriage’ but the styles of decoration matched perfectly.
Immediately to the east of the porch before entering the church is the Vitalianus Stone, which the guide book tells us may date from the 5th century, and also has Ogham and Latin inscriptions. On the church wall above the Vitalianus stone, there is an interesting weathered corbel of a male face.
On the north exterior wall of the church, at the left hand corner of the second window in the chancel, there is a lettered stone with a Latin inscription, which has apparently been recut.
Inside the church, as you look towards the east end from the nave, the nave seems to bend towards the south. The guide book says this is only a 1 degree angle, but actually seems a lot more.
There are a couple of very interesting and amusing memorials to members of the Warren family – one next to the Maglocunus Stone and the other in the west corner of the quire. The Maglocunus Stone is built into a window sill on the south side of the nave, and contains another example of Ogham and Latin inscriptions next to each other.
There was also a ‘weeping yew’ (second tree to the right as you entered the churchyard). The ‘bleeding’ limb was round the back of the tree (to the east), and really did weep a reddish liquid.
A couple of hours well spent, satisfying my interest for both church architecture and ancient monuments.
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| Garn Turne |
Chambered Tomb |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Saw from a distance |
23rd Aug 2014 |
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1 |
Burial chamber at Garn Turne Rocks, Pembrokeshire: (couldn't find anywhere to access this site): The final sites we wanted to see before hitting the motorway home to Northumberland were the burial chambers at Garn Turne. Having successfully located the field and the footpath nearest to the largest burial chamber, we parked in an extended passing place near the footpath. We met a couple of local ladies with their families picking blackberries in...Burial chamber at Garn Turne Rocks, Pembrokeshire: (couldn't find anywhere to access this site): The final sites we wanted to see before hitting the motorway home to Northumberland were the burial chambers at Garn Turne. Having successfully located the field and the footpath nearest to the largest burial chamber, we parked in an extended passing place near the footpath. We met a couple of local ladies with their families picking blackberries in the hedgerows and chatted briefly, telling them where we were going; they didn’t seem to think there would be a problem with access.
Walking to 50 metres or so up the footpath to a gate in the field, we could see no access into the Garn Turne Enclosure. My husband hopped across the gate whilst I took photographs of the very curious cows in the adjacent field who’d come to see what we were up to!
From this footpath, the chamber appeared to be inaccessible – there seemed to be no gates whatsoever. When we looked at the Portal later in the day, there were lots of other photographs of this site, and we are left wondering how they accessed it. Other web sites mention squeezing through hedges, and I don’t like to do this without permission from the farmer. I had to be content with a photograph from a distance.
By way of compensation, we went to see Ogham and Latin inscribed stone at St. Dogwell’s Church (just marked as ‘Stone’ on the map, next to Sealyham Bridge).
However, there was a second chamber on the map, at approximate grid reference SM 98269 26566 (the UK Grid Finder’s images are shrouded in cloud, so can’t get a precise fix). We found the very overgrown footpath that took us closest to the chamber, only to be met by a very aggressive combine harvester driver, who forced us to reverse at least a quarter of a mile, pull over for him, then block our way. At this point we gave up and decided to head for home, only to catch up with said combine harvester and had to follow him at about 15 miles an hour for the next four or five miles (he refused to let us by at any available passing place).
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| Gors Fawr Outliers |
Standing Stones |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
23rd Aug 2014 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Gors Fawr Outliers, Pembrokeshire: It was an easy walk of about 150 metres or so north-northeast across the moorland to the Gors Fawr Standing Stones/Outliers, which were visible from the stone circle.
Standing at the Outliers looking towards the circle, they do appear to be an entrance. We spotted other shaped stones lying in the grass, which looked like they may have formed part of a stone avenue at some point in the distant past.
One of...Gors Fawr Outliers, Pembrokeshire: It was an easy walk of about 150 metres or so north-northeast across the moorland to the Gors Fawr Standing Stones/Outliers, which were visible from the stone circle.
Standing at the Outliers looking towards the circle, they do appear to be an entrance. We spotted other shaped stones lying in the grass, which looked like they may have formed part of a stone avenue at some point in the distant past.
One of the Outlier stones was shaped, as if it could be used to sit on. I understand from reading the Ancient Wisdom of Wales web site that this is called ‘the dreaming stone’ and has magnetic qualities.
With the Presili mountains in the background, I certainly had the sense of an ancient landscape with huge meaning for our ancestors, and wished I could tap into their thinking today.
I am interested in finding out about possible alignments between these Outliers, the circle and the Solstice – once I’ve processed all the photographs and notes I’ve taken from this trip!
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| Gors Fawr Stone Circle |
Stone Circle |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
23rd Aug 2014 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
Gors Fawr Stone Circle, Pembrokeshire: After stopping off at St. Brynach’s church in Nevern to see the stone crosses, we started on our long journey home to Northumberland. We’d identified a number of ancient sites we wanted to see on our way back, including the Gors Fawr Stone Circle. My husband had hoped to see the site in the Presili Hills where they’d quarried the stones for Stonehenge, but time (and my horror of precipices and steep drops)...Gors Fawr Stone Circle, Pembrokeshire: After stopping off at St. Brynach’s church in Nevern to see the stone crosses, we started on our long journey home to Northumberland. We’d identified a number of ancient sites we wanted to see on our way back, including the Gors Fawr Stone Circle. My husband had hoped to see the site in the Presili Hills where they’d quarried the stones for Stonehenge, but time (and my horror of precipices and steep drops) wouldn’t allow – on our next trip, we’ll need to allow another month at least to see all the things we want to in the area!
Following the A478 and turning off towards Mynacholog-ddu at the village of Crymych, it was easy to find the little gem of Gors Fawr. Again, I hadn’t realised what a tourist attraction this was. There was a small lay-by across from the house ‘Pen-rhos’, and an easy walk across the field to the circle.
It was much smaller than I imagined from the photographs I’d seen on the Portal, but if I’m allowed to, I'd use the word ‘cute’ as the most accurate description that comes to mind. One of the first things I saw almost in the middle of the circle was a small Wiccan altar, made of small rounded blue pebbles, with its apex pointing towards the Gors Fawr Outliers.
Walking just outside the perimeter of the circle, we became aware of smaller stones buried in the grass at regular intervals about 3-4 metres outside the main circle, and wondered if there was an outer circle (but then there were so many other stones in the field that we let our imaginations run a little riot with ideas of stone avenues and tumuli). Since I've been home, I've read on the Ancient Wisdom of Wales web site that a survey had been done, and nothing found.
But what a place to build a circle – on a wide, flat plateau of moorland, with the Presili hills rising to the north. This stone circle seeming to lie in the centre of the graceful bowl formed by the hills, which rose up blue and misty in the distance. The circle somehow seemed to me to capture the essence and magnificence of the landscape.
There was a small, constant stream of other visitors. I got into conversation with a family who said they’d had trouble finding the circle, and had stopped by the Outliers and walked back. The man told us about the apparent alignments between the Outliers and the Circle at Solstice, so I’ll need to check this out. I didn't have the courage to ask him if he was another Portal user (but next time I won't be so shy!).
I would have loved to have stayed until sunset.
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| Tre-llwyn Fawr |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Trellwyn-Fawr Standing Stone, Pembrokeshire: [We found more than one standing stone at this site, one of them not marked on the map, so I hope I am reporting them correctly – if I’ve confused them, please let me know so I can correct my entries (thank you!)].
On the way back to the road from the Trellwyn-Fach Standing Stone, we stopped off to look at this stone, which we'd first seen on the walk down. This stone stands alone in the middle of ...Trellwyn-Fawr Standing Stone, Pembrokeshire: [We found more than one standing stone at this site, one of them not marked on the map, so I hope I am reporting them correctly – if I’ve confused them, please let me know so I can correct my entries (thank you!)].
On the way back to the road from the Trellwyn-Fach Standing Stone, we stopped off to look at this stone, which we'd first seen on the walk down. This stone stands alone in the middle of the field, with great views over the Cwm Gwaun valley below. It seems to fit the description on the Dyfed Archaeological Site, which describes this stone as 1.4 metres high by 1 metre wide at its base, leaning slightly to the north-north-west. Just to the west, there was another smaller stone poking through the grass.
The views to the north, east and west were blocked by hedges and trees, so it wasn’t really possible to appreciate the location this stone was set in.
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| Trellwyn-fach |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Trellwyn-Fach Standing Stone, Pembrokeshire: [We found more than one standing stone at this site, one of them not marked on the map, so I hope I haven't confused them – if I’ve got it wrong, please let me know so I can correct my entries (thank you!)].
From the Trewllyn-Fach Stone Pair, we walked along the footpath at the other side of the un-named farm (about 100 yards south west of the house called Trellwyn). This is essentially a farm-trac...Trellwyn-Fach Standing Stone, Pembrokeshire: [We found more than one standing stone at this site, one of them not marked on the map, so I hope I haven't confused them – if I’ve got it wrong, please let me know so I can correct my entries (thank you!)].
From the Trewllyn-Fach Stone Pair, we walked along the footpath at the other side of the un-named farm (about 100 yards south west of the house called Trellwyn). This is essentially a farm-track and easy walking, past old farm properties which are being renovated. As the track turned a left hand corner just past the farm buildings, I spotted a standing stone in the middle of the field, but this wasn’t marked on the map, so intrigued, we continued onto Trellwyn-Fach.
The footpath went passed the standing stone towards the derelict Trellwyn-fach farmhouse, but there was a well-worn track across to the stone, so we crossed the bank forming the field boundary and followed the track to take a closer look at the stone. On the way, there was also another erratic stone in the field to the left hand side (I’ve not been able to get the grid reference as the images from UK Grid Finder are those of clouds, so I’m unable to make out the ground). The whole area is littered with large stones, possible cairns and what appear to be large erratic stones.
I wasn’t sure if the stone had broken and the broken piece been taken away, or if the rock had been deliberately quarried. This stone does indeed look like a pointing finger and there are good views over the Cwm Gwaun valley.
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| Trellwyn-fach Stone Pair |
Standing Stones |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Trewynfach (Tre-llwyn Fawr) Stone Pair, Pembrokeshire: About 400 yards up the road from the Parc-y-meirw stones, just before reaching a house called Trellwyn, is an un-named farm to the south side of the road. On the map there are two standing stones marked, which stand very slightly to the west of the farm. Neither of the stones can be seen from the road. No-one appeared to be at the farm, and as the field gate was open, we walked along the f...Trewynfach (Tre-llwyn Fawr) Stone Pair, Pembrokeshire: About 400 yards up the road from the Parc-y-meirw stones, just before reaching a house called Trellwyn, is an un-named farm to the south side of the road. On the map there are two standing stones marked, which stand very slightly to the west of the farm. Neither of the stones can be seen from the road. No-one appeared to be at the farm, and as the field gate was open, we walked along the field boundary for about 50 yards to see if we could spot them.
One of the stones has been used as a gatepost, in the field boundary between the farm and the first field to its west; the other is situated in the middle of the farmyard. Presumably the gatepost stone, which stands 1.4 metres high, has been relocated from its original site. The second stone is on private land, but looks taller than the stone being used as the gatepost.
I confess that after the Parc-y-Meirw stones and these, we looked at the gateposts of all the farms as we drove along, wondering if they were ‘recycled’ standing stones.
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| Parc y Meirw |
Stone Row / Alignment |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Parc-y-meiry standing stones, Pembrokeshire: After having visited the Llanllawer Holy Well, we set off eastwards up the road towards Trellwyn farm, where there were two sets of standing stones marked on the southern side of the road.
Driving slowly up this single track lane, trying to look over the tall banks and fences rising above us on either side of the road to spot the stones, a tall standing stone by a field gate suddenly appeared, loomi...Parc-y-meiry standing stones, Pembrokeshire: After having visited the Llanllawer Holy Well, we set off eastwards up the road towards Trellwyn farm, where there were two sets of standing stones marked on the southern side of the road.
Driving slowly up this single track lane, trying to look over the tall banks and fences rising above us on either side of the road to spot the stones, a tall standing stone by a field gate suddenly appeared, looming above us from the grass verge – impressive!
We stopped the car in the gate entrance and hopped out to take a look. Only the large stone There was nothing in the field, so we unlatched the field gate to take a closer look.
Unusually, I haven’t been able to find out much about these stones, apart from a short entry on the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments For Wales, where the stones are referenced as SAM PE126.
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| Hogtivis Stone |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
23rd Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Intrigued by just the word ‘Stone’ on the map, we drove from Garnturne burial chamber towards Sealyham Bridge, looking for the church next to ‘The Stone’. There are just a few farms and an outdoor centre here; it is a very pretty little spot. Just before the bridge over the river Afon Anghof, there was a small cark park (surrounded by overhanging trees on three sides) on the right hand side of the road. The church was invisible, being hidden b...Intrigued by just the word ‘Stone’ on the map, we drove from Garnturne burial chamber towards Sealyham Bridge, looking for the church next to ‘The Stone’. There are just a few farms and an outdoor centre here; it is a very pretty little spot. Just before the bridge over the river Afon Anghof, there was a small cark park (surrounded by overhanging trees on three sides) on the right hand side of the road. The church was invisible, being hidden by these trees, so we ended up driving past, turning round and going back. Turning into the car park, the top of the church and the gateway into the church yard immediately became visible.
This was one of the smallest churches I’ve come across. The wrought iron gate to the church spelled out the year 1870, and the church did indeed look relatively modern; but looking closer, there appeared to be a tiny chapel embedded in the larger building which looked much, much older. The church was locked, so sadly we couldn’t get in, as I would have loved to look round the interior of the building, and there was no contact telephone number to call to arrange a visit. Doing some research on arriving home, I found out that the nave and south aisle were separated by Norman arches, which I would love to have seen.
The churchyard was also tiny, largely dominated by wrought iron railings surrounding a large family plot immediately to the south of the church, by the porch. The two bells were rung by ropes coming down the exterior west end of the building.
In the corner of the churchyard, lodged snuggly against the bank between the church yard and the car park, and tucked between two graves, was The Stone. It had obviously been used as a gatepost at some time, with several holes, some still containing metal pins (my immediate reaction was ‘poor thing’). There were obvious signs of carving on the right hand side of the front face of The Stone which looked like Ogham, plus some other possible carving to the left, which the records tell me is a Latin inscription. Funnily enough, the camera was able to pick out the Latin inscription better than my eye, as recorded in the image submitted here.
The Archaeological Data Service record states that the stone is 5th or 6th century, and “was found in 1897 'a few hundred yards' from Little Treffgarne farmhouse. If it was in situ, then it may have been associated with the monastic site of Little Treffgarne”.
This site is only a couple of kilometres from the A40, east of the village of Wolf’s Castle, and 9 miles north of Haverfordwest. The Genuki website saying this parish is traditionally known and the birthplace and burial place of Owain Glyndwr who “is said to have been born at Little Trefgarn and to have been interred at the small village of Wolf’s Castle’.
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| Glyn Gath Barrow |
Round Barrow(s) |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
Glyn Garth Ring Cairn, Pembrokeshire: After visiting a series of standing stones on the northern side of the Afon Gwaun river, we headed eastwards back towards the hotel at Gellifawr. We passed directly by the Glyn Garth ring cairn, so stopped to take a look.
Even with a detailed map, without the marker stone, we wouldn’t have been able to easily identify this cairn, but walking into the heather and gorse we could make out the perimeter banks...Glyn Garth Ring Cairn, Pembrokeshire: After visiting a series of standing stones on the northern side of the Afon Gwaun river, we headed eastwards back towards the hotel at Gellifawr. We passed directly by the Glyn Garth ring cairn, so stopped to take a look.
Even with a detailed map, without the marker stone, we wouldn’t have been able to easily identify this cairn, but walking into the heather and gorse we could make out the perimeter banks (easier to do this with the eye than demonstrate with the camera – I’ve yet to learn the technique to do this well).
It was an impressive location; With Myndd Dinas behind and Newport Bay to the north, this was a fantastic place to be buried.
On the drive southwards from Glyn Garth to Pontfaen, we were doing double-takes at most field entrances, as the gateposts all seemed (to our novice eyes) to be standing stones which had been perhaps been relocated and recycled.
Also of notes to future visitors, it is well worth popping into the Dyffryn Arms at Pontfaen. It is like walking back into time; the main bar is like small sitting room from the 1930s and the landlady serves ale from jugs from a serving hatch – brilliant!
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| St Gwyndaf Stones |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
22nd Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
St Gwyndaf’s Church, Llanwnda with stone crosses: Husband, Andrew, and I were both intrigued by Vicky’s description of the St. Gwyndaf Stones on the Portal, so after a busy day exploring the St David’s area, we decided to stop off in Fishguard for dinner, taking a detour to Llanwnda on the way.
Despite having a detailed map, we got lost twice, taking the wrong lane and ending up back on the main road, then taking the left hand turn inside of t...St Gwyndaf’s Church, Llanwnda with stone crosses: Husband, Andrew, and I were both intrigued by Vicky’s description of the St. Gwyndaf Stones on the Portal, so after a busy day exploring the St David’s area, we decided to stop off in Fishguard for dinner, taking a detour to Llanwnda on the way.
Despite having a detailed map, we got lost twice, taking the wrong lane and ending up back on the main road, then taking the left hand turn inside of the right where the road splits within Llanwnda village, and ending up at someone’s house and having to reverse down a particularly narrow, windy single track lane, being watched by a curious local lady who came out to watch.
After that, we found the church easily enough. There were even a few parking spaces just by the path leading down to the church. A very pretty spot, although feeling incredibly remote, overlooking the sea.
The whole of this site has a huge sense of age and heritage. The inside of the church is simple, but impressive. There was no church guide available to look at, but there was a copy of the ‘Saints and Stones’ book telling us something about the church. Page 7 of this books tells us: “on the window-sill near the font is a fragment of a medieval stone showing a bishop administering a blessing and holding a staff; it may have been part of an ancient churchyard and cross. Another stone fragment of the same date can be seen on the first window-sill in the south wall. In the chancel is a case containing a copy of the Welsh ‘Parry’ Bible (1620) [although this is well-used and falling apart – impressive non-the-less] .... No fewer than six 7th-9th century Christian marked stones were also discovered in 1881; five of them are set into the exterior walls of the church. Once part of the larger structures, they were carved by stonemasons working under monastic patronage. The most fascinating of these is set into the east end of the south transept. It shows a rudely incised face surrounded by four parallel lines beneath the cross of St. Andrew; the face may be that of a female, a monk or Christ-as-Procrator. High in the south wall is a stone marked with a double-outline cross and another in the east wall of the chancel is decorated with a Latin cross. A fourth stone in the north wall displays a double Latin cross enclosed by a rounded outline, and low in the south wall to the west of the porch is a stone of later date (probably 10th century) with a moulded cross. The base of a decorated cross lies on the north-west side of the churchyard.”
We spotted the five stones set in the wall and the two on the window-sills, but failed to see the cross in the churchyard.
I’d recommend anyone in the area to take an hour to find this church and the stones – a true sense of history and occasion contained within this tiny building and surrounding church yard.
On the next visit, must ensure to take in the Garnwnda Burial Chamber and nearby standing stone.
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| Trefael |
Rock Art |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Saw from a distance |
23rd Aug 2014 |
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Trafael Rock Art, Pembrokshire: We were looking forward to seeing this rare example of rock art in Wales, but despite driving up and down the B4582 road twice, we couldn’t find any of the marked footpaths. We could identify from the field pattern from our detailed map exactly where the stone was located. I suggested going to Bayvil church, further down the footpath, and walking back from there. On our second drive-past, we saw a very clear, off...Trafael Rock Art, Pembrokshire: We were looking forward to seeing this rare example of rock art in Wales, but despite driving up and down the B4582 road twice, we couldn’t find any of the marked footpaths. We could identify from the field pattern from our detailed map exactly where the stone was located. I suggested going to Bayvil church, further down the footpath, and walking back from there. On our second drive-past, we saw a very clear, official notice on the gate to the field saying ‘access to the capstone only with the permission of the landowner’. As we will have to research who the landowner is, we’ll need to save a visit to this rock art for another time.
However, we were well compensated by stumbling upon Nevern church with its stone crosses a few minutes later.
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| Pentre Ifan |
Portal Tomb |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
23rd Aug 2014 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire: I was particularly excited to go to the site, as I’d seen many photographs and paintings of Pentre Ifan during our brief visit to Pembrokeshire, together with photographs on the Portal. I was unprepared for the sheer number of visitors who came to see this spectacular burial chamber. However, everyone seemed to respect others need to take photographs and kept out of each other’s way, which was nice. We also got into...Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire: I was particularly excited to go to the site, as I’d seen many photographs and paintings of Pentre Ifan during our brief visit to Pembrokeshire, together with photographs on the Portal. I was unprepared for the sheer number of visitors who came to see this spectacular burial chamber. However, everyone seemed to respect others need to take photographs and kept out of each other’s way, which was nice. We also got into conversation with a Japanese lady about how they had raised the cap stone.
I was truly amazed at how the cap stone balances on the pointed tips of just three uprights. All around are larger stones which may have been part of the structure in the past.
The views over to Newport sands and the sea are wonderful. I would like to go back to the site at a quieter time and just sit and absorb it.
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| The Pillar Stones |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Pillar Stones, Cwm Gwaun. These stones were the second of the ancient monuments we saw during our visit to Pembrokeshire, and a great start to our trip.
The five pillar stones were visible from the road, in the grounds of a small chapel, so we parked in the driveway to get off the single track road. It was only when we tried to go into the chapel that we realised it had been converted to a private house and the pillar stones were in the garde...Pillar Stones, Cwm Gwaun. These stones were the second of the ancient monuments we saw during our visit to Pembrokeshire, and a great start to our trip.
The five pillar stones were visible from the road, in the grounds of a small chapel, so we parked in the driveway to get off the single track road. It was only when we tried to go into the chapel that we realised it had been converted to a private house and the pillar stones were in the garden.
We were able to make our crosses on three of the stones (inscribed on the sides facing away from the chapel, looking east). I wasn’t sure if there was any particular alignment to the stones; they didn’t particularly appear to have been arranged in rows.
There is also an old font under the bell tower of the church.
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| Trefach |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Trefach, Pembrokeshire. This stone was literally just round the corner from Gellifawr, where we were staying. We parked at the entrance to the field on the corner of the road and walked up to the footpath which leads up to Waun Mawn. There was actually a couple of parking spaces at the bottom of the footpath so we could have driven closer, but after a long car journey, it was nice to put feet to tarmac and grass again.
The footpath rises up ...Trefach, Pembrokeshire. This stone was literally just round the corner from Gellifawr, where we were staying. We parked at the entrance to the field on the corner of the road and walked up to the footpath which leads up to Waun Mawn. There was actually a couple of parking spaces at the bottom of the footpath so we could have driven closer, but after a long car journey, it was nice to put feet to tarmac and grass again.
The footpath rises up a gentle hill, and after a few paces, there was what appeared to be a cairn to the left hand side. Looking up the hill, Trefach became visible on the horizon. There was a clear track leading up to the stone, so we followed this. The stone is surrounded by a low wire fence, presumably to protect it from the stock (in this case a small herd of Welsh ponies, who curiously came to see what we were doing and what food we might have brought!).
The views over the Afon Gwaun Valley to the east were lovely. (as Paul M says in his description of the site: ‘commanding’). To the north west, there were views over crags at what I think is Carn Ingli.
Near the main Trefach stone, there was a fallen stone, which looked as if it might have stood upright. The field was also littered with groups of stones which looked like possible cairns.
This was the start of a couple of hours exploring some pretty interesting sites within the Cwm Gwaun valley.
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| Llanllawer Church |
Early Christian Sculptured Stone |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
The only access to the church is through a gate and a 100 yard walk through the field to the church gate.
This church is not used, and is falling into ruin. It is boarded up and there are slates coming loose from the roof.
It was not possible to get inside, as the door was locked and some of the windows boarded up.
There is a clear view from the edge of the church yard down to the Llanllawer Holy Well. |
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| Llanllawer Holy Well |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
21st Aug 2014 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Having visited the Pillar Stones, we drove the additional 2km through the village of Llanychaer to the Llanllawer Parish Church and Holy Well. There was a small lay-by opposite the gate to the field leading up to the church, so it was easy to park.
The church, which stands on top of the hill, is very obviously redundant, boarded up, and with loose slates. The only access to the church is through the field from the road.
The well is acce...Having visited the Pillar Stones, we drove the additional 2km through the village of Llanychaer to the Llanllawer Parish Church and Holy Well. There was a small lay-by opposite the gate to the field leading up to the church, so it was easy to park.
The church, which stands on top of the hill, is very obviously redundant, boarded up, and with loose slates. The only access to the church is through the field from the road.
The well is accessed by walking 50 yards further up the road, turning a left hand corner, where a stile/gate gives access to the Llanllawer Holy (Sainted) Well.
The well was dry when we saw it, but there is a clear channel to take water down hill. The ground was still boggy, although large stones made it easy to cross the channel to look inside the well.
Inside the well there were lots of tea-lights and tokens, and tokens had been hung from the gate to the well. It is clearly a place that is well revered, even today.
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| Bedd Morris |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
Wales |
Pembrokeshire |
Visited |
23rd Aug 2014 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
I spotted this standing stone by the right hand side of the road as we were driving over the Ffordd Bedd Morris road from the A487 towards Cwm Gwaun, where we were staying for a few days. After an eight hour journey, and with the rain coming down in huge droplets, we drove past and returned on the way back home to take a closer look.
Bedd Morris is very easy to find, being opposite the main car park for walkers at the top of the hill. Whilst...I spotted this standing stone by the right hand side of the road as we were driving over the Ffordd Bedd Morris road from the A487 towards Cwm Gwaun, where we were staying for a few days. After an eight hour journey, and with the rain coming down in huge droplets, we drove past and returned on the way back home to take a closer look.
Bedd Morris is very easy to find, being opposite the main car park for walkers at the top of the hill. Whilst impressive, it’s hard to believe this stone is still in its original location. There are professionally carved inscriptions on the stone, leading us to believe it is now being utilised as a boundary marker. Looking this up on the return home, the Bedd Morris record on the Archaeological Data Service web site confirms this stone is used as a marker between the parishes of Llanychlwyddog and Newport.
Their site also goes onto say that the stone fell over and broke, probably after being hit by a vehicle (hence the protective stones either side) and was repaired and re-erected in 2012.
There is also a trig point carved into the front of the stone, next to some graffiti.
We were on our way home, with an 8 hour journey in front of us, and other places we wanted to see, otherwise it would have been really nice to have done some walking in this area – the location just screamed at me to get my walking boots on.
Driving northwards towards Newport, there are splendid views of Dinas Head and Newport Sands from the viewpoint further along the road.
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| Salters Nick Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
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Following our visit to The Poind And His Man, there was a settlement marked on the map at Salter's Nick, and I was keen to try and see this as it was nearby.
We continued westwards along the footpath from the Poind and His Man, the pebbly surface giving way to concrete slabs leading onto access land. The kindly farmer (presumably the one living in East Shaftoe Hall?) has provided a small car parking space for walkers, complete with signs abo...Following our visit to The Poind And His Man, there was a settlement marked on the map at Salter's Nick, and I was keen to try and see this as it was nearby.
We continued westwards along the footpath from the Poind and His Man, the pebbly surface giving way to concrete slabs leading onto access land. The kindly farmer (presumably the one living in East Shaftoe Hall?) has provided a small car parking space for walkers, complete with signs about where to park, so next time we visit, we’ll drive down rather than walk from Craig Hall. There were other cars already parked there, although we walked for well over a kilometre before seeing other people on Shaftoe Crags to our left.
From the above mentioned car park, there is a gravelled track heading off left towards East Shaftoe Hall, but the actual footpath is over grass and carries on westwards, past a wood on the right; where this ends there is another small wood to the left. Walking slightly up hill, there is a well-built stone wall to the right hand side, and a limestone pavement which drops down a few feet to a small brook on the left, giving the impression of an old road. There were a large number of cows and calves in the field, complete with bull, but they appeared very docile and only mildly curious. Looking at the internet later, we found out that this track used to be an old Drover’s Road.
The settlement is just on top of the hill, just where the footpath takes a slight turn to the right. Walking into this area, the settlement isn’t immediately obvious given the covering of heather and bracken at this time of year, but a bank where the bracken stands taller than the rest defines its eastern boundary. It’s easy to step up this small bank and into the main settlement area; across what appears to be a valley to the south, large limestone blocks and outcrops can be seen. Walking a little further on into the settlement to where the western bank appears to rise up, we were suddenly taken aback by the appearance of steep drops to the south and west – we were suddenly on the edge of an amazing limestone outcrop, looking down on other walkers below, and across to others climbing on Shaftoe Crags.
A natural entrance, formed by a crack in the crags, became apparent as we walked across the settlement area to the north. I could immediately identify with our ancestors and why they had chosen to settle here – it was easily defensible from the west and south, with 360 degree views (hidden a little in modern days by the woods to the east) all around, and what looked like superb farmland to the west and east.
I wanted to see the natural entrance from below, so we walked back to the footpath and carried on westwards. There were clear signs of how the old drover’s road had been cut through the settlement (there were pick marks on the sandstone rocks), and an easy walk that takes you below the crags at the western end of Salter’s Nick.
We did try and find the heavily weathered rock art mentioned on the Northumbria County Council leaflet for this site (which I downloaded on my phone whilst we were there, so we could understand what we were looking at), but they didn’t identify exactly where these where, so we’ll need to research Stan Beckensall’s records to find out where they are. The same leaflet (Exploring Bolam, walk number 3, Bolam Lake to Shaftoe Crags), tells us: “This trackway was probably used for smuggling illicit salt into Scotland on pack horses during the time of the Salt Tax. The return cargo was often illegally distilled whisky. There is also a settlement split by the trackway. The southern end of the fort consists of a series of defensive walls and works, and two pairs of semi-detached stone foundation round-houses. Attached to the north side is an Iron Age field system, of native or Romano-British origin.”
Looking at the map, the Middleton Standing Stone is only about half a kilometre away, if you carry along the footpath after Salter’s Nick; we’d done the walk to Middleton the other way round, from South Middleton Medieval Village on 27th May 2014. This is a much easier (and prettier) walk than the walk we'd previously done, and we'd use this route again.
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| The Poind And His Man |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
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I didn’t expect this site to be as atmospheric as it was. We parked on the road that runs just south of Bolam Lake, in a small layby about 100 yards to the south west of Craig Hall, approx. grid reference: NZ 07126 82266 (only a couple of kilometres from the busy A696). We walked down the gravelled footpath past which turns left from this road through Bolam West Houses; in the second field to our left hand side past the houses, the tumulus came...I didn’t expect this site to be as atmospheric as it was. We parked on the road that runs just south of Bolam Lake, in a small layby about 100 yards to the south west of Craig Hall, approx. grid reference: NZ 07126 82266 (only a couple of kilometres from the busy A696). We walked down the gravelled footpath past which turns left from this road through Bolam West Houses; in the second field to our left hand side past the houses, the tumulus came into view on the horizon. Whilst it is marked on the map as being just a tumulus, it is actually a tumulus with standing stone on its southern side.
Being on a slight hill, the tumulus stood out well against the surrounding terrain. There was no sign of the standing stone from this point, although some stones were poking up from the grass at the left hand (eastern) side of the tumulus.
We found out afterwards that there was actually no public access to this tumulus and standing stone, so I felt guilty about walking up to it, although it was a short distance from the main footpath. The field was full of the most beautiful sheep, all kinds of different breeds. As we approached the tumulus, the standing stone is on its southern side appeared - much larger than I anticipated.
I got the tape measure out, and husband Andrew helped me take the approximate dimensions of the standing stone: 2 metres from the current ground height, width on widest faces: 1.50 and 1.54m, and on the narrowest faces 0.6 metres each.
There were stunning views across the fields to the hills in the far distance to the east, south and west. The views to the north were blocked by the trees of the North Plantation. The sun was also very strong, and I didn’t manage to take photographs of the most spectacular views across to the south west and west.
There appeared to be another small circular mound slightly to the south west of the tumulus, and we wondered if this might be another tumulus.
Similar to the standing stone at Newtown Mill (which we saw on 17th August), the Devil’s Causeway Roman Road, which runs within a few yards to the east of Newtown Mill standing stone, runs immediately to the west of this tumulus, although this is no sign of the road in the landscape that we could spot.
There is a Northumberland County Council leaflet (Exploring Bolam, walk number 3, Bolam Lake to Shaftoe Crags) describing the tumulus: (this) “barrow or burial mound is in a prominent position and is 28m in circumference and 1.5m high. It was excavated in 1718 by Warburton, an Excise Officer with a keen interest in antiquities. Writing to a friend Warburton described that he - “found a stone coffin about 3ft in length and 2ft in breadth and 2ft deep which was black inside with smoke, and in it several lumps of glutinous matter….pieces of the dead heroes flesh” It is likely that that the main burial may be intact as Warburton did not dig deep enough. Such mounds were frequently re-used and may have many burials of different ages. The mound was important in Medieval times when Watches were set to warn of Scottish raids. In 1552 Wharton, Warden of the English East March stipulated that Watches should be set at “the two stones the Poind and his Man with two men nightly the inhibitors of Bolam”. The second stone is at Wallington Hall and was probably moved there by William Blackett. The Devil’s Causeway runs just to the west of the mound.”
In the same field, about 100 yards to the east of the Poind and His Man, there was an outcrop of rock, similar to the formation at West Agra, and we wandered over. The strong sunlight brought out what might be cup marks; in particular, there was a line of deep cup marks against a ledge in a crack in the middle of the rock, and what appeared to be a grouping of heavily weathered cup marks to the eastern edge. We need to research if Stan Beckensall has listed any marks on the ERA site.
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| Fowberry Park B |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
17th Aug 2014 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
Having been disappointed at not being able to reach the Doddington Stone Cricle from the footpaths across the golf course (they seem to have vanished with an extension to the quarry) we were determined not to head home without having seen something. We spotted a number of other cup and ring marked rocks on the map around Fowberry Park, and headed for the easiest to find – opposite Fowberry Mains Farm.
There was sufficient room to park on the ...Having been disappointed at not being able to reach the Doddington Stone Cricle from the footpaths across the golf course (they seem to have vanished with an extension to the quarry) we were determined not to head home without having seen something. We spotted a number of other cup and ring marked rocks on the map around Fowberry Park, and headed for the easiest to find – opposite Fowberry Mains Farm.
There was sufficient room to park on the grass verge at the entrance to the footpath, and it was an easy walk up a slight hill, following a stone wall to the left. When we’d almost reached a field boundary to our right, there was a field gateway to the left giving access to outcrops of rock.
We thought we’d have to walk backwards to find our way around a spring, but the farmer has built a path over the small stream and the boggy part of the field, leading to a rocky outcrop immediately to the left on the far side of the stream. This outcrop did not appear to have any rock art.
Following the footpath up the slope to our right, we immediately came upon another, larger, outcrop, and the rock art sprang into view. I’d rate this as highly as the rock art stone at Roughting Linn.
The outcrop has been heavily quarried, but what is left is wonderful. The first set of cup marks we came across appear to have been painted in red ochre, although there seemed to be this red pigment on other parts of the rock, too.
Most astonishing was the long, almost grave-cover shaped rock covered in miniature marks in a row; on closer observation, the marks turned around the end of the rock, forming a tall, narrow U shape. I’ve not seen this formation of marks before.
There were other smaller rocks, buried in the turf, complete with rock art markings, too. The English Rock Art site records 8 different panels, and I’ve since printed off the images of each, together with the grid references (oh, for a GPS system to help!). I’m looking forward to going back to explore more.
Continuing up the hill towards Fowberry Moor, there is a homestead and a settlement. As it was blowing a gale, with gusts of 50 mph and possibly above, we didn’t linger too long. The map shows many other cup and ring marked rocks in the surrounding area, and
Most very definitely worth a second, third and possibly more trips to discover the richness of artefacts in this area.
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| Newtown Mill |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
17th Aug 2014 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
Driving southwards from Fowberry Park rock art site, through the small hamlet of Newtown, this standing stone appeared on the map to be very near the road, so we drove past hoping to see it. And there it was – about 50 yards inside the field to our left hand side, easily accessible by a metal gate. There were no footpaths to the stone, but having been disappointed at not seeing the Wade Stone South on 15th August, I was somewhat reckless, and e...Driving southwards from Fowberry Park rock art site, through the small hamlet of Newtown, this standing stone appeared on the map to be very near the road, so we drove past hoping to see it. And there it was – about 50 yards inside the field to our left hand side, easily accessible by a metal gate. There were no footpaths to the stone, but having been disappointed at not seeing the Wade Stone South on 15th August, I was somewhat reckless, and entered the field to take some photographs, sincerely hoping the farmer wouldn’t object and I would explain if I saw him/her.
Astonishingly, the Devil’s Causeway (Roman road) runs almost immediately to the eastern side of this stone, although there was no sign of this road whatsoever (we’ve usually seen some signs of old Roman roads in the form of traces of the ditches at each side, but in this instance, all evidence seemed to have disappeared. We looked for further signs of this road at the modern road junction leading up to Newtown, but there were no traces here, either).
The rounded form of 80m high Ewe Hill seemed to loom above this standing stone, although the stone sits in the valley, well sheltered from the wind, and appears to be in its original position. We thought we spotted some cup marks on the stone, but these could be the results of weathering, as the stone has deep vertical fluting (like many of the standing stones in the area).
The road next to the standing stone is single track, with few passing places, although it is possible to park on the grass verge next to the gate next to the standing stone.
Once I'd taken photographs, we turned the car around and headed back up the hill towards Newtown, to locate the Hurl Stone.
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| Ros Castle hillfort |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Saw from a distance |
17th Aug 2014 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
Driving back across Hepburn Moor towards the A1, the purple heather spreading in front of us was truly impressive. Although early evening with looming black clouds, we were going to stop off and look at this really impressive ancient monument, but when I opened the car door, it was torn from my hand by the wind and the map I'd been using was whipped across the dashboard to the far side of the car. We'd also had difficulty standing upright in th...Driving back across Hepburn Moor towards the A1, the purple heather spreading in front of us was truly impressive. Although early evening with looming black clouds, we were going to stop off and look at this really impressive ancient monument, but when I opened the car door, it was torn from my hand by the wind and the map I'd been using was whipped across the dashboard to the far side of the car. We'd also had difficulty standing upright in the wind at Fowberry Moor only an hour before, so despite seeing an intrepid family with backpacks and young children in tow make their way across the moor, we decided to leave walking to the top of this Iron Age Hill Fort until another day.
I wasn’t aware that there was any rock art in this area, but thanks to SolarMegalith’s photographs, we’ll look forward to seeing this on our next visit.
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| Wades Stone (North) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
15th Aug 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
From Robin Hood’s Bay, sadly Old Wife’s Neck was the wrong direction (at this time of day and for this trip) so needs to wait for another day; wanting somewhere to go on the way home, we hit upon Wade’s Stones near Goldsborough and East Barnby. Avoiding Whitby, we headed west on the A174, and turned off north onto Goldsborough Lane towards the northern stone. Goldsborough Lane is a single track road and at this time of night (about 6pm) was busy...From Robin Hood’s Bay, sadly Old Wife’s Neck was the wrong direction (at this time of day and for this trip) so needs to wait for another day; wanting somewhere to go on the way home, we hit upon Wade’s Stones near Goldsborough and East Barnby. Avoiding Whitby, we headed west on the A174, and turned off north onto Goldsborough Lane towards the northern stone. Goldsborough Lane is a single track road and at this time of night (about 6pm) was busy with traffic going home. After just over 1km, we passed a wood on the left hand side, and almost immediately found the footpath/track heading westwards towards Brockrigg Farm. The only available parking space visible at this point was at a field entrance on the opposite side of the road, so thinking we could run back if the tractor in the field needed to get out, we squeezed into the field entrance and headed up the footpath opposite.
At first, we saw nothing but stacks of hay bales, then after 100 yards, the track took a shallow left hand bend, and the stone came into sight - about another 100 yards up the track and about yards left across the field.
There was a combine harvester in the field, and a car had just bombed up the track as we were walking up, but we couldn’t find anyone to ask if we could walk up to the stone. The crop had only just been harvested, so we didn’t think the farmer would mind up walking over the stubble to take some photographs.
The sun was quite low in the sky at this point, and the quartz crystals on the stone sparkled in the light. I had to admire the skills of the farmer and his combine harvester – judging by the wheat stalks left around the stone, he managed to get incredibly close to the stone, without touching it (We wondered to ourselves if he had ever knocked it down in the past, but there were no signs of damage from machinery!)
I just started to talk photographs when there was a loud rustling from the wood to the south. There was a short silence, then something burst out of the trees and headed towards us – I thought at first it was a couple of large dogs, but then realised they were two deer. They chased across the field we were in, into the next field (I got photographs of their ears and heads peeping above the wheat), then they appeared back in ‘our’ field, just seeming to chase each other for the sheer pleasure of running around. Only having seen deer once or twice in the daylight, this felt very special, although they were too fast to get many photographs of. The deer disappeared back into the woods, and we continued to take photographs of the stone.
Had the modern hedges not been in the way, you would have been able to see clear views of Whitby to the east and Runswick Bay to the west, and I checked this out when we crossed the road back to the car, and peered over the gate to the coast.
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| Wades Stone (South) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
15th Aug 2014 |
3 |
3 |
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From Wade’s Stone North, we drove back down Goldsborough Lane to the junction with the A174 and crossed straight over to East Barnby. Immediately over the road junction, there is a view of Wade’s Stone South from the first field gate (about 50 yards south of the junction), to the right hand side of the road.
There are no public footpaths leading to the stone, so we contemplated asking the Outdoor Centre next door if we could walk to the back...From Wade’s Stone North, we drove back down Goldsborough Lane to the junction with the A174 and crossed straight over to East Barnby. Immediately over the road junction, there is a view of Wade’s Stone South from the first field gate (about 50 yards south of the junction), to the right hand side of the road.
There are no public footpaths leading to the stone, so we contemplated asking the Outdoor Centre next door if we could walk to the back of their site and hop over the hedge to take a photograph. However, this place was very forbidding, with many notices requesting ‘visitors to report to reception’ and a strong, metal barrier across the entrance gate, it had more of a feeling of a strict army camp rather than an outdoor activity centre. There was no-one wandering around, so we bottled out.
Bumping up onto the verge opposite the Centre, we walked back to the field gate by the road junction and looked over. There was a clear track used by a tractor from the field gate diagonally across the field to the Wade’s Stone South field. I later regretted not being brave enough to walk across the field to get a closer photograph, but the part of me that obeys the code/rules baulked at trespassing. We used my 300 mm lens to take a photograph of this stone; however, as this lens doesn’t have any vibration correction, the shots were fuzzy.
I’m going to try and track down the farmer/landowner, and next time we head back (hopefully to see the Old Wife’s Neck), we can include this in our list of sites to visit.
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| Ramsdale |
Standing Stones |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
15th Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Having escaped the rain and wind in our part of Northumberland, we headed for the east coast, where it was sunny and warm (although windy). However, it was a real relief to escape the sheer numbers of people in Whitby and head for the relative peace of the moors. Heading out of town on the A171, we followed the directions on the Portal site for the Ramsdale Stone Circle, which were spot on, thanks! Driving down the A171, we spotted the footpat...Having escaped the rain and wind in our part of Northumberland, we headed for the east coast, where it was sunny and warm (although windy). However, it was a real relief to escape the sheer numbers of people in Whitby and head for the relative peace of the moors. Heading out of town on the A171, we followed the directions on the Portal site for the Ramsdale Stone Circle, which were spot on, thanks! Driving down the A171, we spotted the footpath we needed about 400 yards north of the junction of the A171 with the B1416, so turned round at the B1416 junction and parked on the grass verge at the edge of the entrance gateway to the track/footpath leading to Ramsdale House/Ramsdale Holiday Cottages.
We then followed the metalled track down towards Robin Hoods’ Bay; once over the brow of the hill, the views across to Robin Hood’s Bay were spectacular - we could see the waves breaking on the shore of the bay below.
Avoiding being mowed down by the four-wheel drive vehicles which came up and down the track at regular intervals, we missed the track off to the right mentioned in the directions on the Portal (but spotted it on the way back, as it dog-leg’s across the metalled track, rather than going straight across), and ended up following another track down to the gate in the next field boundary. It was then easy to turn and follow the sheep tracks back up the small hill to where the stones where located. The Ramsdale Stones appeared quietly, but suddenly, out of the heather. What a place to build a monument.
It was odd that there were only three stones, and we wondered (like many others) if there had been a fourth. We wandered around looking for stones under the grass, but only found a number of small, loose stones.
There were clear cup marks on the western most stone, and some possible ones on the northern stone.
The A171, which wasn’t far away, was very busy with Friday afternoon traffic, which spoiled the ambience a little, but the site itself is a lovely place to be. It is only a short walk from the main road, and worth stopping to visit, should you be passing.
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| The Castles (County Durham) |
Stone Fort or Dun |
England |
County Durham |
Visited |
3rd Aug 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
We’d come across mention of this site from Time Team Series 15 episode 11 (“5000 tons of stone”) in 2007, and noted it because it was a site relatively local to us. Being late on a windy, but sunny, Sunday afternoon, and wanting to go out somewhere without going far, we decided to head off to Hamsterley to see if we could find this site.
Following the signs for Hamsterley village from the A68, we went through the village along Saunders Avenue...We’d come across mention of this site from Time Team Series 15 episode 11 (“5000 tons of stone”) in 2007, and noted it because it was a site relatively local to us. Being late on a windy, but sunny, Sunday afternoon, and wanting to go out somewhere without going far, we decided to head off to Hamsterley to see if we could find this site.
Following the signs for Hamsterley village from the A68, we went through the village along Saunders Avenue, turning first right up Bedburn Road when almost through the village, then first right again along Howlea Lane. I didn’t measure the distance from Hamsterley village, but it is at least several kilometres along this lane. West Shipley Farm doesn’t have a sign outside, but having spotted a sign for Shipley Moss Farm, we knew we were close.
West Shipley Farm is the next farmhouse on the left hand side of the road, and has a wide entrance to the farm track, so we bumped up on one side. The track goes past the farmhouse, then a stile crosses a stone wall (broken right hand post on the far side, so be careful – having fallen heavily during a walk the weekend before, I ended up going back to the gate to the field and walking around), and down hill to what I believe is the Harthorpe Beck valley below.
To the left hand side of the track, there is a modern curving stone wall with a wooded area behind. Between the trees, we could see tantalising glimpses of hefty stone walls. Following the modern stone wall, there is a gate towards the southern end of the field, at approximately grid reference NZ 10269 33059, which took us straight into the un-farmed field containing The Castles.
This is certainly an intriguing site. We gained access by walking across the ditch (not deep in the south west corner) and clambering up a fallen section of wall in the same area – following tracks where other people have done this).
Once inside the Castles, you are immediately within a large stone-built enclosure, away from the wind and very, very quiet and peaceful. There are vast dry stone walls, largely tumbled, but with the lower courses very much in tact. Having walked around the inside of the walls, there appears to be only one entrance, to the east of the site, and this contains a ‘guard room’, or small room, built within the wall itself. A ditch runs around the whole exterior of The Castles, although there is enough flat land between the exterior stone walls and the ditch to walk around the circumference of the walled area (avoiding trees occasionally). The eastern entrance leads down to a stream, which helps to form the eastern boundary.
The site itself is on a slope, half way down the hillside, somewhat similar to Maiden Castle in North Yorkshire, but rather than having a levelled interior like Maiden Castle, the site itself slopes downhill to the stream below, which would make no sense if the site had been occupied. However, the site was wooded and overgrown, so it was very difficult (virtually impossible) to make out any internal ground features.
I went onto the Wessex Archaeology web site when I returned home, and downloaded their archaeological evaluation and assessment for the site. They note that the site is likely to be iron age, although they had very few (virtually no!) finds, and is of rhomboidal, describing an area some 81.26m (west)/85.6m (east) by 65.83m (north)/79.5 m (south), with the wall in the east being thickest – 7m wide at the base.
Certainly enigmatic!
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| Maiden Castle (N Yorks) |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
30th Jul 2014 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
We ran out of time to see this site on 11th July, when we visited Thorborough Henges and West Agra (we got thoroughly distracted by the tremendous rock art at the latter), so took advantage of a trip down to Nottingham to detour via North Yorkshire and Swaledale to visit Maiden Castle.
Signs of the recent Tour de France were everywhere in this area (lots of yellow bunting and yellow bicycles, and spray-painted signs of encouragement to the r...We ran out of time to see this site on 11th July, when we visited Thorborough Henges and West Agra (we got thoroughly distracted by the tremendous rock art at the latter), so took advantage of a trip down to Nottingham to detour via North Yorkshire and Swaledale to visit Maiden Castle.
Signs of the recent Tour de France were everywhere in this area (lots of yellow bunting and yellow bicycles, and spray-painted signs of encouragement to the riders on the roads). We stopped off in picturesque Reeth for lunch, then headed off southwards through the village of Grinton, turning west down a small narrow road with views of the river Swale to the north. This single track road runs for about 2km past ‘Bleak House’ and Harkerside Place. There are a number of footpaths and bridleways which run past Maiden Castle, but we picked the westernmost one, just past the fort, where there is a small parking area, sufficient for 4 or 5 cars.
From the car park, there is clearly marked path which runs (quite steeply) up past the western edge of the fort. As we were putting on our walking boots, two walkers were coming down and commented that the fort was ‘very well preserved; well worth seeing’.
I don’t like steep slopes or drops, but the path was relatively easy, and I needed a helping hand in only one or two rocky parts.
The fort was virtually invisible from the path, and is strangely situated part-way up the hillside. About 200 metres up the slope, the wsestern ditches of the fort suddenly come into view, then a few more paces open up a vista across the whole of the fort area. Turning to look back down the path, there are stunning views across the Swale valley and to the villages of Healaugh and Reeth across the valley.
There is a clear ditch and bank surrounding the fort; from the footpath to the west of the fort, it’s relatively easy to negotiate the ditch and bank easily (husband like a mountain goat, me picking my way gingerly), and ended up in a quiet, gentle spot, out of the wind and spotting rain. The brush underfoot wasn’t like other sites I’ve visited – the interior of the fort had what appeared to be low growing box plants with ferns, and we used sheep tracks to navigate from one point to the next within the fort area to avoid prickled ankles. At the southern end of the fort, where the slope drops steeply into the valley, there are quite a few tumbled stones, as if the fort had an outer wall at some point.
Before we visited, I had come across, and downloaded, the Durham University Archaeological Services report on Maiden Castle and West Hagg (geophysical surveys, report 2631, May 2011), which is available on the web when typing in ‘Maiden Castle Yorkshire’ on my web browser, so were able to largely identify the features they found within the fort, which was a real help in understanding what we were looking at.
Where their report had indicated a probable roundhouse, we found a circular area with very different vegetation, with low lying stones popping up through the grass to indicate where the foundation walls had been.
The walled approaches on the eastern side of the fort were impressive, giving the fort a ‘banjo’ shape. There is also a cairn/round barrow immediately adjacent to the northern end of the northern wall approach road to the fort.
Whilst exploring the fort, we saw other walkers pass by on the footpaths above and below, but very few people actually came into the fort, which was surprising. Definitely worth a visit.
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| Paines Bridge, Wallington C |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
29th Jul 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Full visit report under 'Wallington A', as there are three boulders with rock art within 2 metres of each other in the same location. Worth a visit if you pass over Paine's Bridge or are visiting Wallington House. |
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| Paines Bridge, Wallington B |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
29th Jul 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Visit report logged under 'Wallington A', as there are three stones within 2 metres of each other. Worth looking for if you are passing by Paine's Bridge/Wallington House. |
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| Paines Bridge, Wallington A |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
29th Jul 2014 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
“Just for some fun, how about going to Wallington to try and spot the three rock art portable stones that Stan Beckensall says are near the bridge?” my husband said. “The web site says they are set into concrete, so they should be easy to find.” It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, so I said “why not”. Wallington isn’t far from our house, and we managed to park at the small lay-by off the B6342, just 20 metres south east of Paine’s Bridge, wher...“Just for some fun, how about going to Wallington to try and spot the three rock art portable stones that Stan Beckensall says are near the bridge?” my husband said. “The web site says they are set into concrete, so they should be easy to find.” It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, so I said “why not”. Wallington isn’t far from our house, and we managed to park at the small lay-by off the B6342, just 20 metres south east of Paine’s Bridge, where the road turns sharp left hand to go over the River Wansbeck.
Immediately across the road from the lay-by was the gate and footpath leading down to the river and the bridge, then carries on further eastwards to the stepping stones which form part of the walks around the Wallington Estate. Following the path under the bridge, there is a stile (with a doggy gate) at the far side. Climbing over this, we turned immediately round to the bridge parapet and walked onto the bridge pier. The river was only a trickle after all the dry weather we’ve been having, and Wallington A was easily identifiable at the far end of the bridge pier.
The bridge being so narrow, I then took my life in my hands (particularly when a large lorry with large wing mirrors went by) and leaned over the western side of the bridge to look down at Wallington A from a different angle.
We struggled to identify the other two stones mentioned in the Beckensall Archive, and I wished we’d brought photographs. After hunting for some time, and exploring the parapets at the northern side of the river and beyond, we were at a loss. There being no service on my mobile to access the Portal, we drove to the cafe in Belsay, and over tea and cake looked again at the images on both the Portal and the Northumberland Rock Art web site, before setting off again back to the bridge.
This time, it was easy to spot Wallington B – we knew it was 80 cm east of Wallington C. The light had also changed, as it was early evening, and we wondered how we could have missed the markings the first time.
Wallington C, 95 cm east of Wallington B, was trickier, and I photographed several more of the stones, and we ended up comparing them to the Beckensall archive images once we’d arrived back home. If I hadn’t had these images to compare, and the photo with the stones marked by SolarMegalith, I never would have known this was a piece of rock art.
I would have loved to have seen these portable rocks in their original locations. If the river is high, and covers the bridge piers, it will be impossible to see these pieces of rock art.
[As an aside: We found it amusing that there are large signs either side of the bridge saying to “sound your horn” (before crossing); hence the peace of the countryside was endlessly shattered by the cars having to cross Paine’s bridge in single file. My husband commented that we were lucky not to have seen two cars meet in the middle!]
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| Dod Law Main Rock A |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
27th Jul 2014 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Access to Dod Law Main Rock is exactly as DrewAndrews describes. It is a relatively easy walk up hill, following the path up hill, southwards, through Wooler Golf Course (one of the golfers told us it was alright to leave our car parked in their car park).
Immediately opposite the fenced boundary of the upper end of the golf course, there is Newcastle University Rock Art poster, indicating where the main rock is, although as DrewAndrews says,...Access to Dod Law Main Rock is exactly as DrewAndrews describes. It is a relatively easy walk up hill, following the path up hill, southwards, through Wooler Golf Course (one of the golfers told us it was alright to leave our car parked in their car park).
Immediately opposite the fenced boundary of the upper end of the golf course, there is Newcastle University Rock Art poster, indicating where the main rock is, although as DrewAndrews says, it is out of scale. We missed the rock on the way up, being hidden by bracken, and ended up walking up to the Trig Point. Had it not been raining so hard, the views from the settlements and enclosures above Shepherd's House would have been spectacular; indeed, when the rain stopped about 20 minutes later, and the sun came out, the almost 360 degree views (complete with rainbow) were wonderful.
We spotted the main rock on the way back down the path (it's actually only about 4 metres east of the footpath, which turns left up to the trig point, just above the top end of the Golf Course), and were rewarded by these wonderful rock art motifs.
Someone had been there not long before us, and literally ripped and torn the turf and moss away from the rock surface, to be able to view the whole of the motifs.
The rain made the markings stand out beautifully.
By the time we'd taken photographs, we realised how wet we were, having been caught in heavy rain for some time, and made our way back to the car.
My next trip to this area will be to see the remains of the stone circle, but I think we'll plan a longer circular walk, parking near Weetwood Hall, to take in more cup and ring marked rocks shown on the Ordnance Survey Map, with the furthest point being The Ringses Hill Fort.
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| Ketley Crag Rock Shelter 1 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Couldn't find |
27th Jul 2014 |
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1 |
We went to seek this magnificent example of rock art, well armed with map, compass and camera, and parked outside South Lyham farm. At the adjacent cottages, one of the residents came out to speak to us, and pointed out the way to the permissive footpath across to Ketley Crag and Chattonpark Hill, telling us how to find the Ketley Stone. It had rained heavily the night before, and following the footpath across the first field from the farm, we ...We went to seek this magnificent example of rock art, well armed with map, compass and camera, and parked outside South Lyham farm. At the adjacent cottages, one of the residents came out to speak to us, and pointed out the way to the permissive footpath across to Ketley Crag and Chattonpark Hill, telling us how to find the Ketley Stone. It had rained heavily the night before, and following the footpath across the first field from the farm, we remained undeterred by boggy ground and wet feet in the dip where the permissive path splits off right from the farm track. After a search, we found the wooden footbridge across the stream and the permissive footpath sign.
The bracken was shoulder high, and 50 feet further up the path, we were confronted by a high wall of bracken, which proved impossible to get through. So sadly we retraced our steps. Apparently we missed a sheep track through the bracken, which the resident, talking to us on our way back, told us had been there a month before.
We then tried again from the access track from the B6349, at grid reference NU 06362 30614. This was easy walking for the first kilometre or so, but just past the ford, the trackway became very overgrown, with deep ruts and it was very hard work to make progress through the weeds, and despite waterproofs, we were soggy. We did try walking along the edges of the fields rather than on the trackway, but there were no gates between fields, so sadly we had to give up.
I had been really looking forward to seeing this rocky crag; there is a third option, which is from this same trackway, but from Chatton Park Farm, which takes us up over the top of Chattonpark Hill, so we'll try this another day.
We then went in search of some rock art at Doddington, to see if this was more accessible
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| Simonburn |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Jul 2014 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
We know this stone circle as either: Davy's Lee Stone Circle, King's Crag Stone Circle or Haughton Common Stone Circle, rather than Simonburn Stone Circle, although the Grid Reference is the same.
Having spotted a group of features that looked interesting: Davy's Lee Settlement, Davy's Lee Stone Circle and various tumuli, we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and walk to this area.
The previous weekend, we'd visited Standingstone Rigg, n...We know this stone circle as either: Davy's Lee Stone Circle, King's Crag Stone Circle or Haughton Common Stone Circle, rather than Simonburn Stone Circle, although the Grid Reference is the same.
Having spotted a group of features that looked interesting: Davy's Lee Settlement, Davy's Lee Stone Circle and various tumuli, we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and walk to this area.
The previous weekend, we'd visited Standingstone Rigg, near Great Lonbrough Farm. If we had continued south along the footpath for a couple of kilometres from Standingstone Rigg, we would have reached Davy’s Lee from the north. Instead, we took the opposite approach, from the south, from the old military road (B6318).
My husband parked the car by the Old Repeater Station (parking on the Old Military Road being sparse and difficult, with soft verges, lay-by's virtually non-existent and fast-flying cars driving up and down) having dropped me off at the farmhouse 100 yards west from this road junction, on the opposite side of the road, by the footpath up to Sewingshields and Sewingshields Crags. We’ve done this walk before, to see the Roman fishing loughs, but with this walk, we needed to follow the path nortwards past the farmhouses, round the back of Sewingshields Crags to the bottom of the hill, then turn off a track to the left hand side (approx. Grid reference: NY 80653 70820). The track disappears for a while, so we headed left up a bank with what looked like quarried stone at the top, running in a double row running approximately east to west (approx. Grid ref: NY 80393 70793), plus what looked like a low lying stone circle with a blue ‘x’ in the middle of it. We wondered whether or not this was just the results of quarrying, but then spotted blue crosses sprayed onto the grass and a blue painted peg in the middle of what I thought might be the low lying stone circle.
Just after this, I got sight of a huge bull about 100 yards away; walking further along, we realised there was no fence between the marked field boundaries, and I suddenly got worried the bull was going to charge as we were walking between him and 'his ladies'. We were at the edge of a boggy area, and had just started picking a way through. At this point, the farmer appeared on his quad bike to look at his ‘beasts’, and he stopped to talk to us. I said we were heading up to the Stone Circle and asked if this was OK. He told me the bull was alright, and confirmed that the archaeologists had indeed just been up to do a survey of the rocks/stones we’d just seen. He asked us if we knew where the stone circle was, and pointed out the direction of the tree in the distance to head for; we’d then see the stones poking up out of the grass.
He then said he’d give us a lift part of the way, and we hopped on the side of the quad bike, and went about quarter of a mile. Neat! A very powerful machine – not sure I’d make a good motorcycle pillion rider, though. He dropped us off at the top of a ridge of rocks, and we made our way over, stumbling into what looked like an open cairn. I took some photographs, and we headed down the slope to another wide area of boggy ground with a small stream bubbling along the bottom. I wouldn’t have liked to have done this walk after a period of wet weather – wellies would have been required – me being me, I still managed to get wet feet!
We stumbled first upon the Davy’s Lee settlement – perched on the end of King’s Crags, which dropped steeply into the valley below. What a view. Wandering eastwards, we came upon two small standing stones (or one with a forked top, buried in the grass), then the stone circle poked it’s head up to the right hand side of the track, towards Folly Lake.
There were some clear cup marks on two of the stones within the circle. The grass and marsh grass was so tall, it hid most of the stones, and it was quite difficult to photograph, but the circle was clearly there – about 9 metres in diameter. I thought at one point that there might be an outer circle, but the grass was too overgrown to really tell (a winter visit will be needed!).
The main stone in the circle was a funny ‘chair’ shape with cups in the top. Someone had been there recently and left a tea-light in one of the cups.
The views south and east to Sewingshields Crags was magnificent; looking south-west towards Greenlee Lough, we could see a large erratic rock, Gwenhyfar's Chair, standing proud of Queen’s Crags. This stone is connected with Arthurian legends, although I’ve yet to explore this. We decided it was too far away to walk to this today, so headed back to the footpath. I could hear voices, and Andrew identified they were from climbers on the crags immediately opposite Gwenhyfar’s Chair.
Leaving the stone circle, we headed off eastwards, but lost the footpath. Some of the land here is not access land, although the boundary isn’t de-lineated. Heading down the slope, we came across a large, apparently shaped rock, just lying on the ground at grid reference: NY 80670 71319, so I've recorded my visit and submitted images to the separate page on the Portal (Davy's Lee Rock Art). I would put this rock on a par with the rocks in the fields at West Agra Farm.
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| Davy's Lee 1 |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Jul 2014 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
Having visited Davy's Lee Settlement and Davy's Lee Stone Circle, rather than walk directly southwards across the boggy ground and the stream, we headed eastwards back to the main footpath between Halleypike Lough/Folly Lake. We lost the footpath, but continued as best we could, trying to keep on the access land (there was no delineation between access land and non-access land) and stumbled across this stone lying in the grass.
It definitely lo...Having visited Davy's Lee Settlement and Davy's Lee Stone Circle, rather than walk directly southwards across the boggy ground and the stream, we headed eastwards back to the main footpath between Halleypike Lough/Folly Lake. We lost the footpath, but continued as best we could, trying to keep on the access land (there was no delineation between access land and non-access land) and stumbled across this stone lying in the grass.
It definitely looked as if it had been shaped, so we stopped to look some more, and as our eyes adjusted, clusters of cup marks appeared. We weren't sure if the grooves had been deliberately made, or if they had been carved in antiquity (rival sites say they are natural grooves which determine the position of the cup marks).
We thought this stone rivalled the stones in the group of rocks in West Agra Farm Fields (although not the West Agra Plantation).
Not being aware this stone existed before our visit, this came as a real treat, especially with the lovely landscape around - it was a very special afternoon for us, in glorious sunshine.
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| Davy's Lee Enclosure |
Misc. Earthwork |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th Jul 2014 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
Continuing south on the footpaths from Standingstone Rigg at Great Lonbrough would have brought us to Davy's Lee Settlement and Davy's Lee Stone Circle and tumuli, but on this walk we elected to park at the Old Repeater Station, just off the B6318 (old military road), and follow the footpath to Sewingshields Crags, on the opposite side of the road.
We've done this walk before, but only to see the Roman Loughs (fishing ponds) in 2011, and couldn'...Continuing south on the footpaths from Standingstone Rigg at Great Lonbrough would have brought us to Davy's Lee Settlement and Davy's Lee Stone Circle and tumuli, but on this walk we elected to park at the Old Repeater Station, just off the B6318 (old military road), and follow the footpath to Sewingshields Crags, on the opposite side of the road.
We've done this walk before, but only to see the Roman Loughs (fishing ponds) in 2011, and couldn't do this bit of the walk due to the boggy ground. Note: I wouldn't like to follow this footpath after a period of wet weather - too wet, wellies would be needed!
We followed the footpath through Hadrian's Wall Vallum, up the hill past Sewingshields Farm, then turned round the back to the northern side of Sewingsheilds Crags. At the bottom of the hill, just past the cattle grid, there is a track that leads off to the left hand side which leads to both Davy's Lee Settlement and Davy's Lee Stone Circle.
At the top of the first ridge we came to, there were what appeared to be a row of standing stones, and possibly another small stone circle, but my inexperienced eyes thought I might be confusing these with quarried rocks left lying on the ground. However, we came across some blue posts hammered into the ground and some blue spray-painted crosses; the farmer we met shortly afterwards confirmed that archaeologists had been to do an initial survey of this area.
The footpath disappears for a while, but can be picked up at the western end of this first ridge. After walking up and down another ridge (with another rocky outcrop with a possible empty cairn at the top), it was necessary to cross another boggy piece of land, with a small, bubbling stream at the bottom, then it was an easy walk up to the settlement.
The entrance and the outer banks of the settlement are easily identifiable, and is in a fantastic landscape.
Davy's Lee Stone Circle is about 50 yards to the east of the entrance to the settlement, with other tumuli further to the east.
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| Standingstone Rigg |
Stone Row / Alignment |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
13th Jul 2014 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
Having first visited Goatstones Four Poster stone circle on 30th June, the farmer from Great Lonbrough Farm further up the track (whom we met on the track as he was coming down from the farm in his Landrover) had mentioned some other standing stones, but was mysterious about the location – we thought it was because they were on his land. I was intrigued.
The quickest route up to Standingstone Rigg is from Ward Lane, using the Bridleway at NY ...Having first visited Goatstones Four Poster stone circle on 30th June, the farmer from Great Lonbrough Farm further up the track (whom we met on the track as he was coming down from the farm in his Landrover) had mentioned some other standing stones, but was mysterious about the location – we thought it was because they were on his land. I was intrigued.
The quickest route up to Standingstone Rigg is from Ward Lane, using the Bridleway at NY 81632 75077, but the verges had very deep furrows so no parking here, and also the crop had just been harvested, so there was grassy stubble which would have made walking up the hill a little heavy. We decided to turn back to the Manor House, opposite Ravensheugh Crags and use the small layby next to the footpath which led past Goatstones Four Poster stone circle. This meant a slightly longer, but easier, walk past Goatstones and up past Great Lonbrough Farm – a walk of around 7km in all, but easy on a gated farm track. You would have needed a four-wheel drive or a quad bike to drive up this lane, but the walk was across very pleasant countryside, with views of the Cheviots in the far distance, and when we got past the farmhouse, to Hadrian’s Wall country and beyond.
We first came across what looked like a large barrow at the first sheepfold past the farmhouse, about 1km from the farmhouse, at grid reference NY 81783 73355, having had to cross some very boggy ground to reach the tumbled stones. We walked up the ‘barrow’ and turned left, seeing other stones lying the other side of Standingstone Rigg (Ridge), on Harvest Green. This also looked like another barrow, with very definite shaped stones lying around, although these were largely covered by turf and marsh grass.
I confess we struggled to find the stone row, and I was disappointed. We tried to orientate ourselves with a map I’d found on my phone from the Tynedale Archaeology Group, who had carried out a volunteer survey on the site in 2013. We spotted what looked like two gate posts on top of the ridge, so Andrew ploughed his way through the boggy dip and came running back: “Those are the stones, and there a long row, they just go on and on”. There were absolutely beautiful views over towards Hadrian’s Wall, with Halleypike Lough shining in the distance, so we sat back and had a snack and a drink in the sunshine and the warm wind before exploring further.
Once we’d navigated the marshy bits and climbed halfway back up Standingstone Rigg hill, the first stones became apparent. There was a very clear double row of stones climbing up to the ridge, just poking their tops above the turf. Once we’d walked up to the top, the stones just carried on going, down the scarp and turning right round what looks like it might have been a spring or a pond, and back towards what the first ‘barrow’. They looked at first glance to be a single row leading back down the hill.
We probably walked this monument backwards – working from the Harvest Green up to Standingstone Rigg, back towards Great Lonbrough Farm. I felt very much like I’d been on a journey – from death at the first barrow (if it was indeed), up to the ridge, to see over the amazing countryside for miles and miles to look over the Moors and what became Hadrian’s Wall country.
The first double stones we first saw were only about 1 metre apart, so if it was meant to be walked as an avenue, it would have to be done in single file.
On the way back, we stopped at the first ‘barrow’ and looked at the rocks more closely. Some had very definite cup marks in them, and I’ve recorded them in the photographs submitted to the Portal.
The Tynedale Archaeology website states that the stone row has a north-north-east to south-south-west double alignment, which runs for 134 metres north-south up over the scarp of Standingstone Rigg. They also record a cairn on the top of the ridge, which we also saw, but which I didn’t photograph.
On the way back, I managed to turn my ankle by falling between two stones hidden in the grass, and had to hobble 3km back to the car. But I am still amazed by this little known spot, and feel privileged to have been there.
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| West Agra |
Rock Art |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
11th Jul 2014 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
Google maps showed it was only just over 10 miles between Thornborough Henges, which we had just visited, and West Agra. Stopping off in Masham for a cup of tea, we need to take a minor road passing through the small villages of Fearby and Healey. We took a wrong turn which lead us down over the River Burn and to a reservoir, so we had to turn back and take the higher road past High Barn and Gollinglith Foot. Just after the road had done a shar...Google maps showed it was only just over 10 miles between Thornborough Henges, which we had just visited, and West Agra. Stopping off in Masham for a cup of tea, we need to take a minor road passing through the small villages of Fearby and Healey. We took a wrong turn which lead us down over the River Burn and to a reservoir, so we had to turn back and take the higher road past High Barn and Gollinglith Foot. Just after the road had done a sharp right/left about 1km past Gollinglith Foot, the entrance track to West Agra Farm appeared on the right hand side; there is room for 2 or 3 cars to park at the bottom. We then walked along the road for about half a kilometre to where the footpath heads off right up the hill (note coming back there is another footpath which is not marked on the map but passes about 100 yards in front of the farmhouse and leads back to the road). The footpath appears steep, but it’s on a soft, well kept grassy path, and is easy to climb. After the second gate, the area becomes a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with many different types of bird nesting in the area around.
We followed the trackway up to the junction of the drystone wall with the plantation, to our right hand side. Just before the end of the wall there is a gate into the field, then another gate to the north which leads into the plantation. We did go into the fields and the plantation, only later finding out we should have asked permission from Swinton Estates to walk across their land and through the plantation.
The West Agra site has at least 9 prehistoric carved rocks in 7 different areas on the southern side of West Agra Plantation and in the fields around West Agra Farm. They are significant because of the number of different carvings in the same area. 6 of the carvings are on individual rocks; the seventh is in a group of closely spaced rocks on the westerly side of the field system around the farm, which show heavily weathered cup marks. During the summer, the rocks within the plantation are covered by heavy bracken and mossy growth; it would be interesting to return in the winter months to find the rest of the stones.
We walked past the group of rocks in the field immediately to the east of the footpath, but couldn’t see any rock art; on our way back down to the car, we looked again, and because the light had changed, cup marks became very apparent and we wondered why we’d missed them in the first place.
Easiest to spot was the rock lying underneath the drystone wall – there is a great hump in the wall where it travels over the stone, which appears to be bedrock. The ground round the stone is very marshy, particularly on the eastern side of the stone on the other side of the wall, which also has a cup mark. The cup and groove marks on this stone were quite remarkable; the grooves appear to surround groups of cup marks . On the southern side of the stone there were other cup and worn groove marks which looked vaguely like a man, but it was difficult to tell. English Heritage say there are over 40 cup marks with grooved lines on this stone.
Since coming home, we’ve found the map showing the seven different areas, and we’ll definitely go back to see this site again nearer to Christmas.
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| Thornborough N |
Henge |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
14th Jul 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
After visiting Thorborough Central (and having tried to see where Thornborough South was), we went back to the Northern Henge. Having driven past the first time and failed to find somewhere to park, this time we spotted where other people had parked, complete with a gap in the trees to nip through.
The henge is completely covered in trees, although the outer banks, berm and inner ditch are visible, although not conducive to good photography. T...After visiting Thorborough Central (and having tried to see where Thornborough South was), we went back to the Northern Henge. Having driven past the first time and failed to find somewhere to park, this time we spotted where other people had parked, complete with a gap in the trees to nip through.
The henge is completely covered in trees, although the outer banks, berm and inner ditch are visible, although not conducive to good photography. There is a footpath which leads all the way round the berm.
We managed to get to the southern entrance of the henge and looked out to central henge. I've submitted a photograph of the view from one henge to another on the 'Thornborough Central' page.
With the sun coming through the trees and no-one else around, this was a very atmospheric spot.
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| Thornborough Central |
Henge |
England |
Yorkshire (North) |
Visited |
11th Jul 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
I was completely taken back by the sheer scale of Thornborough Henges. Wow. My husband had managed to get the afternoon off, so I picked him up at Thirsk, and we followed the A61 then the B6267 through Ainderby Quernhow, under the A1, until we got to Nosterfield - a distance of just over 9 miles. It didn't help that Thornborough Henges are one third on one Ordnance Survey map (302) and two thirds on another, which I didn't have with me. Howev...I was completely taken back by the sheer scale of Thornborough Henges. Wow. My husband had managed to get the afternoon off, so I picked him up at Thirsk, and we followed the A61 then the B6267 through Ainderby Quernhow, under the A1, until we got to Nosterfield - a distance of just over 9 miles. It didn't help that Thornborough Henges are one third on one Ordnance Survey map (302) and two thirds on another, which I didn't have with me. However .... Turning left at Nosterfield, we drove past the Northern Henge, but there was nowhere to park, so we decided to carry onto West Tanfield, where we turned left at the mini roundabout, then the next left, towards Thorborough. Back Lane, as I think this is called, goes right past the quarries and immediately to the southern end of Thornborough Central. We bumped up onto the grass verge about 100 yards away and walked back to the Henge. Up and over the very rickety style (one leg was at 45 degrees to vertical) and over into the field.
The scale of this henge was too big to take in - certainly almost too big for the camera. The outer banks of the henge are largely still in place, although it looks as though people have been digging on top of them, although with the rough grass in the middle of the banks, it wasn't possible to see any of the internal ditches.
After having walked all around the banks, we tried to walk down the side of the farm to the northern edge of the henge, which we thought was a bridlepath coming down from Moor Road, close to the Northern Henge, but the field was full of lively cattle, so we gave up and walked back to Back Lane.
There was a bridlepath heading off left about 50 yards up the road towards West Tanfield, so we decided to walk to the southern henge.
After the first 200 yards, the bridlepath went through a field of very ripe oil seed rape plants, and it was hard going getting through this.
We were almost at the place where we thought the southern henge was located when someone starting shooting very close to the bridlepath; they were shooting at birds, and one came down very near me. Whoever it was didn't respond to our (loud) voices asking if it was safe to continue, so sadly, we had to retreat.
We went back to the car and drove round to Thorborough North, where we found a place to bump up onto the side of the road, where we weren't blocking traffic down this relatively narrow lane.
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| St Mungo's Church |
Ancient Cross |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
9th Jul 2014 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
I'd read about the hog's-back tombstone located in this church, and as Simonburn is only 20 miles away from our house, took advantage of the sunshine to go and explore. By absolute chance, I happened to arrive at the same time as a small coach party who had booked an organised tour with the vicar, so took myself off to the Old Post Office nearby (the only tea shop in this small hamlet) to have lunch.
Whilst the site of the church is very old, th...I'd read about the hog's-back tombstone located in this church, and as Simonburn is only 20 miles away from our house, took advantage of the sunshine to go and explore. By absolute chance, I happened to arrive at the same time as a small coach party who had booked an organised tour with the vicar, so took myself off to the Old Post Office nearby (the only tea shop in this small hamlet) to have lunch.
Whilst the site of the church is very old, there are only a few small parts of the stone 13th century structure visible; the rest is 18th and 19th century, although if you look hard enough (and use the visitor notes available in the church) it's possible to spot some old gems of tombstones and other features built into the current fabric of the building.
The remains of the hogs-back tomb is built into the east wall of the porch, placed vertically in the centre of a display of other interesting artefacts, including (quoting from the visitor notes here!): parts of a medieval table-tomb with shears on; parts of two 13th and 14th century tomb covers; in the left and right hand corners examples of Anglian or Roman champfered impost moulding; a piece of double roll moulding with rosettes; part of the original sundial; part of a coat of arms from a medieval tomb and what is purported to be the central boss of the stone cross on the opposite west wall (Note that when you turn round to look at this said stone cross shaft, it has been clearly cut in half at some point).
Above this group there is also the remains of a stone cross.
Even though only a small portion of the hog's back tombstone remains, it is impressive, which miniature roof tiles clearly visible on both sides. The visitor notes say that the tombstone was reused in medieval times, having shears and three rosettes carved on the roof-ridge.
On a previous visit to Simonside recently, we went in search of the old castle (not much remains, and it's apparently a folly anyway), plus an old well near the river (which we couldn't find).
There is parking at the tea shop, or off the road to the left hand side of the church as you enter the village.
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| Shap Avenue |
Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Jul 2014 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
Armed with information from the Portal and a map of the locations of the stones they've mapped in the stone row so far from Shap Local History Society, we started off at Kemp Howe stone circle, and walked round the village looking for stones. We met a couple of the more senior locals as we went round, and they were keen to help and point out where the stones were, and tell us of others. There are so many stones around and near to the village, ...Armed with information from the Portal and a map of the locations of the stones they've mapped in the stone row so far from Shap Local History Society, we started off at Kemp Howe stone circle, and walked round the village looking for stones. We met a couple of the more senior locals as we went round, and they were keen to help and point out where the stones were, and tell us of others. There are so many stones around and near to the village, most of them clearly on the same alignment that we became quite overwhelmed with the scale and sense of what our ancestors achieved and what it all represented.
We ended up at Skellaw Hill and the Thunder Stone, then had to call it a day, as we wanted to travel over to Swinside Stone Circle before heading off home.
The Shap Stone Row is certainly intriguing, and I came back with around 100 photos of possible stones and locations - I've picked two to submit that aren't already recorded on this page.
Well worth exploring, and whilst visiting, I'd also recommend hopping down to Shap Abbey and Keld Chapel nearby, too. Both are free to get into, and are in picturesque locations, with a lot of history attached.
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| Kemp Howe |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Jul 2014 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
Having been kept awake most of the night by heavy, heavy rain, then being greeted by leaden skies with a distinctly autumn feel, the weather in Cumbria, according to the weather forecast, seemed a lot more appealing.
Armed with information from the Portal and a map with the locations of stones in the Stone Row from the Shap Local History Society, we hopped in the car and drove west.
We parked at the entrance to the field with Kemp Howe in it (t...Having been kept awake most of the night by heavy, heavy rain, then being greeted by leaden skies with a distinctly autumn feel, the weather in Cumbria, according to the weather forecast, seemed a lot more appealing.
Armed with information from the Portal and a map with the locations of stones in the Stone Row from the Shap Local History Society, we hopped in the car and drove west.
We parked at the entrance to the field with Kemp Howe in it (the gate to the field was left wide open, and there was a short trackway up to the stones, although the road was horrendously busy), and walked the 100 feet or so up to the stones. Whilst the grass in the field had recently been cut, the undergrowth round the stones had been left uncut.
I confess to being horrified at the damage done to these stones by the Victorians - what a travesty. We got to admire several trains passing by at very close quarters, and could almost have waved to the quarry men the other side of the railway line. The views of the fells to the west (across the road) and beyond was appreciated and were in stark contrast with what was behind us.
This marked the start of an afternoon well spent exploring the Stone Row in glorious sunshine, with a nice lunch stop at the Shap Coffee Shop in the village, then taking in the stones at the west of Shap Village, finishing with the Tumulus at Skellow Hill and the Thunder Stone.
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| Swinside |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
5th Jul 2014 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
After an afternoon spent visiting the Shap Stone Row, my husband was particularly keen to see Swinside Stone Circle, so we took an additional hour to travel to this site. I have to say it was well worth the visit, and I would very definitely go again.
We parked in a small layby just down from Cragg Hall and walked up the marked public bridleway to Swinside (Sunkenkirk) Stone Circle. The first part of the track was steep, but concreted and thank...After an afternoon spent visiting the Shap Stone Row, my husband was particularly keen to see Swinside Stone Circle, so we took an additional hour to travel to this site. I have to say it was well worth the visit, and I would very definitely go again.
We parked in a small layby just down from Cragg Hall and walked up the marked public bridleway to Swinside (Sunkenkirk) Stone Circle. The first part of the track was steep, but concreted and thankfully short; the rest of the walk was relatively level and had magnificent views. Visibility during our visit was amazing, and we estimated we could see a good 30 miles to the eastern lakes in the far distance. The tide was out, but we had a good view of (what I am assuming from my limited map reading skills!) Duddon Sands in the estuary below until the land levelled out and we could see the circle in the far distance ahead of us.
Surprisingly, we were passed by two separate cars heading up to the farmhouses further up the track - what a remote, but very lovely place to live.
The circle surpassed my expectations. It had a wonderful atmosphere, and I would happily have stayed there until sunset, which, being summer, was a good 5 or 6 hours away, and sadly we had to get home the same evening.
My photographs aren't as good as some of the ones already on the Portal website, so in the images I've submitted, I've tried to pick out some of the features which stood out for me, which include the portal stones at the entrance to the circle.
On reflection, I think we should have climbed up Swinside Fell to get a distant shot of the circle, which would have completed my album for the circle. Next time.
Just to note that in the fields to either side of the bridlepath (particularly the right hand side) leading up to the circle, there were a large number of what appeared to be shaped stones, and we wondered if at one time there had been an avenue leading up to the circle. I've submitted a picture of one stone which has a striking resemblance to the stone in the circle with the quartz banding across it.
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| Brecken Hills |
Hillfort |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
13th Jun 2014 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
We know this site as 'Blue Crags Hillfort', rather than 'Brecken Hills', so both names are in use. The English Heritage Schedule describes Blue Crags Hillfort as a 'defended settlement of Iron Age/Romano-British date'. It makes excellent use of an existing outcrop of rock (whinstone, from the official records) as part of the defences, and there are very clear ramparts/defensive earthworks on the east, west and south sides of the site, with the ...We know this site as 'Blue Crags Hillfort', rather than 'Brecken Hills', so both names are in use. The English Heritage Schedule describes Blue Crags Hillfort as a 'defended settlement of Iron Age/Romano-British date'. It makes excellent use of an existing outcrop of rock (whinstone, from the official records) as part of the defences, and there are very clear ramparts/defensive earthworks on the east, west and south sides of the site, with the main entrance appearing to be to the south west.
We originally went to look at the wells in Colwell (Pricky's well and Coley's Well), but spotted the extensive earthworks of the hillfort marked on the Ordnance Survey map just north west of Colwell, and went to take a look. Blue Crags is situated to the east of the course of Dere Street, with the A68 running between the hillfort and Dere Street.
There is a marked footpath running up to the fort from the west of Colwell, although the visible route vanishes when it reaches the field immediately south of the site, so we followed a vague track through the grass to a large barn which sits at the southern most edge of the hillfort.
The hillfort itself is impressively large and imposing as you walk up to it, as it sits on a hill above you. There is a further footpath that runs north west towards woodland, which would give a superb view of the fort and the outcrop on which it sits, but there were several large bulls, together with cows and their calves in this field, so we trod gingerly trying to get the best photographs from the area around the field entrance to illustrate the site.
On returning home, I logged onto the UK Grid Finder website. The aerial views show about 12 very clear hut circles on the platform of the fort. I will certainly go back in the autumn/early winter to have a closer look.
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| Houghton Camp, Heddon on the Hill |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
1st Jul 2014 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Return visit on 1st July 2014: I obtained permission from Close House Golf Club to walk across the golf course to look at the settlement from the side furthest from the road. They told me that they are unable to do anything with this parcel of land 'because of the antiquities, but there isn't much to see' and were sure that the farmer they lease the land from would be happy for me to visit, having asked permission.
Parking was a problem again; ...Return visit on 1st July 2014: I obtained permission from Close House Golf Club to walk across the golf course to look at the settlement from the side furthest from the road. They told me that they are unable to do anything with this parcel of land 'because of the antiquities, but there isn't much to see' and were sure that the farmer they lease the land from would be happy for me to visit, having asked permission.
Parking was a problem again; I tried the field gates next to the road, but they were tied very firmly shut and the next gate to the field with the camp in hadn't been opened in a very long time, so to avoid climbing over, I parked at the Golfing Range and walked back towards the road over the golf course to the settlement - all slightly uphill, but very pleasant in the warm sunshine, and what views back over the Tyne Valley.
I confess to having been disappointed, as the banks and ditches weren't as clear from this side of the site as from the road. Having walked up to the eastern end of the camp, and to the highest point in this landscape adjacent to the field boundary, the yellow (parched) grasses gave a vague indication of where the banks were.
The aerial photographs of the camp show a very clear blunt-ended oval shape, and having driven along this road for many years to and from work, I am determined to have another look in the winter months to see if any structures become clearer.
A local lady told me the nearby farms are historic and are well worth a visit, having medieval features.
First visit on 18th June 2014: I was visiting Heddon-on-the-Wall today, to see the section of Hadrian's Wall at the east edge of the village, plus the ancient church of St Andrew's in the village centre, and spotted this settlement on the Portal.
I had to drive past several times and eventually managed to park in a field entrance. I did try driving down the entrance to Close House Golf Course/Hotel, to see if I could walk across the grounds to see the site from the south, but there was nowhere to stop at all.
The photograph on the Portal was very helpful in identifying the part of the field the settlement was in, as I struggled to separate the ditches/boundaries of the settlement from the works that had been done for the pylon on the east side, and the golf course on the west. Away from the field entrance, the hedges were too high (for me) to see over.
I have applied to the landowner for permission to walk across the fields to get closer to the settlement, to take photographs from a better angle, so will report back if I manage to get agreement, and re-visit this site (which is only a few miles from my house).
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| The Cockpit |
Stone Circle |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
Almost at the course of High Street Roman Road, there is a view of Ullswater from the footpath just below the Cock Pit Stone Circle.
As the circle is on a good footpath, most of the people stopped at the circle. It's always nice to see people appreciate ancient sites, but I had to wait quite a while to get take photographs without anyone else in it! We found a couple of the outlying stones, and identified a couple of cairns nearby, but couldn'...Almost at the course of High Street Roman Road, there is a view of Ullswater from the footpath just below the Cock Pit Stone Circle.
As the circle is on a good footpath, most of the people stopped at the circle. It's always nice to see people appreciate ancient sites, but I had to wait quite a while to get take photographs without anyone else in it! We found a couple of the outlying stones, and identified a couple of cairns nearby, but couldn't get good enough photographs to make these out properly.
By standing just below the circle, on the main footpath, it's possible to make out the bank.
Well worth a visit, and the view of Ullswater and Pooley Bridge below was worth the easy walk.
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| White Raise Cairn |
Cairn |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
From the footpath leading from the Cop Stone to The Cockpit Stone Circle, this cairn lies after the Cairn Circle, on the right hand side of the footpath.
It initially appears unremarkable as a large mound with stones marking the extent of the cairn, but walking up the slope I came across the excavated burial chamber, which was a great surprise.
It's clearly a favourite with sheep, as the stones retain the heat from the sun, and they were unmovi...From the footpath leading from the Cop Stone to The Cockpit Stone Circle, this cairn lies after the Cairn Circle, on the right hand side of the footpath.
It initially appears unremarkable as a large mound with stones marking the extent of the cairn, but walking up the slope I came across the excavated burial chamber, which was a great surprise.
It's clearly a favourite with sheep, as the stones retain the heat from the sun, and they were unmoving as we wandering around.
There are great views across the valley towards Ullswater, although it's not quite possible to see the lake from the cairn.
Well worth a visit.
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| Aspers Field |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Jun 2014 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
This stone is within sight of the Googleby Stone, although a little more difficult to access. The gate to access the field is in Keld Lane, but it's difficult to park here, and we were wary about walking in private fields. There were some dog walkers from the nearby caravan park walking in the fields, so we took advantage of a tumbled stone wall to get a photograph of the cup and ring mark.
Having come home and found out the extent of the st...This stone is within sight of the Googleby Stone, although a little more difficult to access. The gate to access the field is in Keld Lane, but it's difficult to park here, and we were wary about walking in private fields. There were some dog walkers from the nearby caravan park walking in the fields, so we took advantage of a tumbled stone wall to get a photograph of the cup and ring mark.
Having come home and found out the extent of the stone row at Shap, we'll be going back to see more.
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| Goggleby Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
After failing to park along the narrow lanes around Keld, to see various stones in Shap Row, we finally parked outside the Fire Station on the A6 running through Shap, and followed the footpaths westward to the Googleby Stone and the partially toppled stone in Asper's Field.
This is a short walk, with a couple of stiles to cross, but easy enough.
I was impressed by the size of this stone, although we could discern no cup or ring marks anywhere ...After failing to park along the narrow lanes around Keld, to see various stones in Shap Row, we finally parked outside the Fire Station on the A6 running through Shap, and followed the footpaths westward to the Googleby Stone and the partially toppled stone in Asper's Field.
This is a short walk, with a couple of stiles to cross, but easy enough.
I was impressed by the size of this stone, although we could discern no cup or ring marks anywhere on it.
I was a bit disappointed to see this stone had been concreted into place to keep it upright!
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| Cop Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
28th Jun 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
For a long time we've wanted to walk along High Street, the Roman Road, but the scramble up from Ullswater side was too difficult for me. My husband managed to identify another route, via the B road through Askham and Helton, then following the track past Outgang Farm and Heltonhead. There were other cars parked on the grass at the side of the road, so we joined them, and walked the 100 yards up to Cop Stone.
This was just the start of our jou...For a long time we've wanted to walk along High Street, the Roman Road, but the scramble up from Ullswater side was too difficult for me. My husband managed to identify another route, via the B road through Askham and Helton, then following the track past Outgang Farm and Heltonhead. There were other cars parked on the grass at the side of the road, so we joined them, and walked the 100 yards up to Cop Stone.
This was just the start of our journey through this fascinating landscape; whilst there are obvious quarried area and shake holes, there are a wide variety of cairns and tumuli, with the footpath leading up past The Cockpit Stone Circle and High Street.
The more we looked, the more there was to see. Well worth a visit, and easy walking.
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| Goatstones Four-Poster |
Stone Circle |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
30th Jun 2014 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
There are a couple of parking spaces next to 'Manor House' on Ward Lane, just below Ravensheugh Crags, and followed the footpath up to the crags, turning right up to the stone circle.
It is an easy walk, with spectacular views - the visibility was around 30 miles - we could see the Cheviot Hills in the distance.
The stones of this unusual four poster stone circle are low to the ground (with other outlying stones buried in the grass around?) b...There are a couple of parking spaces next to 'Manor House' on Ward Lane, just below Ravensheugh Crags, and followed the footpath up to the crags, turning right up to the stone circle.
It is an easy walk, with spectacular views - the visibility was around 30 miles - we could see the Cheviot Hills in the distance.
The stones of this unusual four poster stone circle are low to the ground (with other outlying stones buried in the grass around?) but very atmospheric. It feels very remote, with very little noise apart from birdsong, although there is a steady (but small) stream of traffic along Ward Lane.
There are very definite cup marks on the eastern most stone, and other possible cups on the southern most stone (now partly toppled and hidden by marsh grass).
We met the farmer from Great Lonbrough, at the very end of the footpath, and he told us more about the hut circles and cairns in the fields below. We checked the Portal when we got home and were inspired by the photographs of the rock art at Goatstones, so we intend to go back and look again in the next few weeks and look at these, plus also walk along to Standingstone Rigg.
Will most definitely visit again.
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| Bygate Hill |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
22nd Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
Having previously visited the site the weekend previously, we were put off from going in by alarms coming from within the plantation and a notice 'not to enter without the necessary authority' on the gate, so I sought the landowner's permission to enter. Bygate Hill Plantation houses a telecommunications mast (which apparently requires a permit to go near) and the landowner told me there are also regular paintballing activities carried out withi...Having previously visited the site the weekend previously, we were put off from going in by alarms coming from within the plantation and a notice 'not to enter without the necessary authority' on the gate, so I sought the landowner's permission to enter. Bygate Hill Plantation houses a telecommunications mast (which apparently requires a permit to go near) and the landowner told me there are also regular paintballing activities carried out within the plantation.
There is a grassy track from the gate to the mast, with a small track running off to the right (just before the mast) through the trees which leads to the stone which stands in a small clearing.
The standing stone itself is impressive, and very atmospheric amidst the trees with the sunshine breaking through.
The land surface has clearly built up with all the leaf debris built up around the base of the stone, which also appears to have been propped up on one side by two smaller stones, to stop it leaning further.
There also appears to be a smaller buried (heel?) stone within a few yards of the main stone.
Had it not been for the trees, the site would command superb views of the surrounding land. We later walked up to West Bitchfield Peel Tower (grid reference: NZ 09081 77126) and looked back towards the plantation. The views were magnificent.
The landowner told me that Buddhist Monks from nearby Harnham Monastery regularly visit the stone and hang bells, and indeed there are charms and wind chimes on the trees surrounding the stone, and offerings placed on top of the stone.
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| Roughting Linn Rock Art |
Rock Art |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
20th May 2014 |
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| Middleton Standing Stone (Northumberland) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
27th May 2014 |
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| Meg's Well, Aydon |
Holy Well or Sacred Spring |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2014 |
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| Bow Bridge Homestead |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
28th May 2014 |
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| Grasmere Cup-Marked Rocks |
Rock Art |
England |
Cumbria |
Visited |
2nd Jun 2014 |
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| Sidwood Iron Age Settlement |
Ancient Village or Settlement |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
11th Jun 2014 |
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| Warrior Stone (Ingoe) |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
We've visited Inghoe before, but to look at the remains of the medieval village and also the hut circles just beyond Sandyway Heads Farm.
Having just visited the Matfen Standing Stone, and having tried to visit the Bygate Hill site (which is a private plantation with a telecommunications mast and permission is needed to access the site), it was only a few more miles to the Warrior Stone. We parked just past the 'village green' (with a bus stop)...We've visited Inghoe before, but to look at the remains of the medieval village and also the hut circles just beyond Sandyway Heads Farm.
Having just visited the Matfen Standing Stone, and having tried to visit the Bygate Hill site (which is a private plantation with a telecommunications mast and permission is needed to access the site), it was only a few more miles to the Warrior Stone. We parked just past the 'village green' (with a bus stop) and walked along the farm track. We were last here about 5 years ago, and the friendly farmer came out to tell us about the homestead in the field beyond the farm, showed us the cup and ring stone and quern stone by the gate to his cottage, and gave us permission to visit the Warrior Stone, which stands alone in a field just before the farm cottage. There was no-one around this time to ask permission, so I felt guilty about walking into his field.
There are beautiful views across the valley towards Matfen and Stamfordham, even though it was drizzly and misty.
A couple of web sites by local antiquarians describe cup marks on the stone, but I wasn't sure if we'd identified the right marks.
Will go back again when we've got blue skies to appreciate the site in all it's glory.
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| Matfen |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
15th Jun 2014 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
This standing stone, near Matfen Hall Hotel/Golf Course, stands on the edge of a road in a hamlet called 'Standing Stone'. It is easy to find, being on a right hand turn just before the main entrance to Matfen Hall Golf Course, and opposite Standing Stone House, about 100 yards from the road junction.
It is difficult to park adjacent to the stone, unless you park in the entrance to the farm/farm buildings, but just opposite the road junction to...This standing stone, near Matfen Hall Hotel/Golf Course, stands on the edge of a road in a hamlet called 'Standing Stone'. It is easy to find, being on a right hand turn just before the main entrance to Matfen Hall Golf Course, and opposite Standing Stone House, about 100 yards from the road junction.
It is difficult to park adjacent to the stone, unless you park in the entrance to the farm/farm buildings, but just opposite the road junction to Standing Stone hamlet, there is another left hand turn with room for a few cars to park at the side of the junction.
The short walk back to the stone was a little difficult, due to the stream of traffic and bicycles moving quickly along the road, but as long as you are careful, it's fine.
There are some impressive cup marks at the base of the north face of the stone, and some more at the top.
Worth seeing, and on the way to The Warrior Stone at Inghoe and Bygate Hill.
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| Swinburne Stone |
Standing Stone (Menhir) |
England |
Northumberland |
Visited |
13th Jun 2014 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
We sought the landowner's permission prior to visiting the stone. We parked outside the Roman Catholic Church at Ox Hills, and walked back to the footpath leading firstly to Swinburne Castle, then splitting off to the left at a large tree to tumuli and the standing stone.
The footpath is easy walking. Almost immediately to the left are some impressive earthworks (possibly related to the original castle?) and some large terraces - much bigger ...We sought the landowner's permission prior to visiting the stone. We parked outside the Roman Catholic Church at Ox Hills, and walked back to the footpath leading firstly to Swinburne Castle, then splitting off to the left at a large tree to tumuli and the standing stone.
The footpath is easy walking. Almost immediately to the left are some impressive earthworks (possibly related to the original castle?) and some large terraces - much bigger than normal ridge and furrow ploughing. Websites from local historians say these may be medieval strip lynchets.
We first visited the tumuli just before a gate/field boundary crosses the path, before doubling back to the gate which allowed access to the field with the stone (there being sunken stone walls between the footpath and the field boundary, presumably allowing views of the stone from the upper floors of the castle (now private house).
The stone isn't visible from the footpath, but as soon as you top the brow of a small hill, the stone stands below you in the middle of the field.
The stone is impressive, being around 12 feet tall, and if the compass on my phone is correct (it switched 180 degrees several times during my visit) the wider faces are orientated north-north-west/south-south-east.
The southern face of the stone has some easily identifiable cup marks; generally there are quite a few initials carved into the stone.
There are also a couple of other tumuli, which are in private fields, but this is beautiful and peaceful part of the countryside, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon exploring.
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