Showing 1-50 of 448 posts. Most recent first | Next 50         
|
[visited 29/1/12] What a glorious little stone with an equally glorious view. Its a similar profile to the near-by Whaley Bridge stone and sits in a similarish position, this one having a wider view. Its on a little knoll next to the footpath, so you may have to do a quick ninja run to get right next to it.
It's yet another shouldered head of valley stone as well, this one made me seriously think there could be something in the stone representing an ancestor idea. Give it a biodegradable head and you've got a symbol that can look over your land, that can be seen from a fair way away.
Access should be easy, there are no stiles from the road, but there is a shut gate into the field then a short steepish climb. There is a space for a car to park just up the road from the farm, I however headed over from kettleshulme via the footpaths. Again this should be straight forward, just aim for the one that comes out nearest the farm, not the one the other side as this takes you through a swamp.
|
 
|
[visited 8/1/12] Without a GPS and with blanket mist, I found this by educated luck, basically heading downhill in the right direction from the main barrow. Its a fairly small enclosure, presumably designed to keep cattle penned in as the high land immediately next to it would have made defensive use very difficult. The banks that are left look to be in good condition, though I didn't walk the whole thing as I was getting rushed for time by this point.
Access is the same as the rest of Eldon Hill.
|
   
|
[visited 8/1/12] I came up here in blanket mist, with visibility down to 40-50 metres, but I still found both definate barrows on top of the hill.
First the small "later" barrow to the East, clearly defined and reminiscent of some in the cairn fields in the more southern and eastern moors of the peaks. In the mist watch out for mine workings and just head to the high bit at the East end of the hill. Not worth the trip on its own I have to say, but worth seeing if you are up here.
Secondly I headed for the bigger barrow, keeping in mind it was on the only high point to the West, I tried to keep on the highest points and headed off into the gloom. Via an accidental detour halfway down the slope towards Eldon hole, I found the bigger barrow. This is another good sized barrow in the Northern peaks, of a similar size to Cow low, Lord's seat et al. The obligatory massive hole in the middle didn't disapoint, but the much more recent cairn on top was a sad sight for me. I presume because of the hole and maybe the quarry, walkers felt marking this point in the mist is necessary. To be fair to them, it certainly helps find it!
Via Eldon Hill enclosure I made the obligatory trip to Eldon Hole. A scary open wound into the centre of the earth, no wonder this hill was once called Elvedon Hill. This is definately an entranceway into the nether realm.
Access is across a few fields. I parked near the top of Winnets Pass which is a 40 minute trip to the top of the hill. You could probably park near Perryfoot and come at it from that direction. Stiles abound from either way, but its pretty firm under foot.
|
    
|
 
|
    
|
[visited 27/11/2011] Relatively high effort to reward ratio this one, but worth it in my opinion. The stone is located within 5 paces off the bridleway and easy to spot. It is quite small and most of the cups are easy to work out despite being small themselves. Some would probably be classified as microcups if such a classifiaction were made.
It seems in a weird location, with nothing else within a mile or so apart from the Picking rods, though who knows what else is hidden on this high and barren place. Certainly there are walls which look very old up here (SK007907 ish for example), so I wouldn't be surprised if this plateau was farmed in the Bronze Age. The high grounds containing nearby barrows (Ludworth Intakes & Cown Edge) are visible, though I couldn't make out the barrows.
Access was ok, but very muddy and required me to cross 2 stiles. I parked near Pistol farm and headed along the tracks via Far Slack farm to the Bridle path which the stone is just off. A word of warning, I annoyed two "fierce" labradors at Far Slack farm who decided to chase me off their territory. As there was no owner in sight, I legged it to the stile at the bridle path. I'm sure they wouldn't have attacked, but caution seemed prudent. On the way back to the car I took the more direct footpath which was more uneven but quicker.
|
[visited 27/11/2011] Mangled and abused but still standing defiant in the corner of a field (or 3). Someone, presumably the combination of treasure hunters and excavators in the 18th century, have removed the centre of the cairn, but you can still get a sense of quite how large this beast was. The views to the North are worth the effort even if you didn't fancy seeing a cairn. Nice to know this lies on a boundary even now. Chisworth is probably visible if you had someone stood near it to pick it out.
Access is on a footpath from the nearest road to the South past Brown low and is over a stile or two. You'll also need to navigate a field of long horned cattle.
|
[visited 27/11/2011] I had conflicted thoughts about this one. On the one hand its a sad site, unvisitable as it's enclosed in a walled copse of trees, on the other, its well protected from the modern world and is unlike to suffer damage at any point except for tree roots. I walked as much of the wall as I was legally able, but there was no obvious way in for a sneak and I couldn't work out which house / farm I should approach to ask permission to visit. Maybe I'll be back for a closer look one day.
Access is from the other side of a barbed wire fence and wall and via a stile from the nearest road.
|
The HER says
"A large barrow at Ludworth Intakes was destroyed by 'treasure- hunters' when it became known it was to be excavated. According to information volunteered, ashes, bones, etc. were found and also a cinerary urn which was broken and its contents lost. The barrow was alleged to have been divided into three paralled circles one within the other, the centre one containing the urn. "
Its not destroyed, just mangled like a lot of barrows about these parts.
|
The SMR has this listed as "A Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age palisaded hilltop enclosure lying on a gently sloping shelf to the south of the summit of Eldon Hill. The enclosure forms an irregular 'D' shape and is defined by a clearly visible stony bank."
I'd go for stock enclosure as opposed to habitation purely because this site is undefendable being abutted by higher ground to the North.
|
Mike PItts reviewing the Heelstone - Pit news
Let's have a dispassionate look at the latest Stonehenge news. The Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project (University of Birmingham and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection) continues its geophysical survey. So what's new?
The press release is titled "Discoveries provide evidence of a celestial procession at Stonehenge", which is pretty much what all the journalists who reported it said (often just copying the release). It includes a "podflash" interview with Vince Gaffney, and there is a video visualisation of the theory here.
The Independent really went to town, using words like "extraordinary" and "massive", suggesting the discoveries might "turn the accepted chronology of the Stonehenge landscape on its head", and that "Stonehenge site's sacred status is at least 500 years older than previously thought". The project as a whole is going to "transform scholars' understanding of the famous monument's origins, history and meaning". Golly.
I couldn't see where all this came from, so I contacted the Birmingham University press office, who very kindly gave me these geophysics plots. As no other news media anywhere as far as I can see has used them, I thought it would be helpful to post them here. Then we can see what is being talked about.
I mostly leave it to others to look at these plots and comment on the interpretations (please do). What I will do here is describe what Birmingham team found, and add a bit of context.
They pick on two geophysical anomalies, which they call pits, just south of the northern line of the Cursus:
Click through to see the pics
http://mikepitts.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/view-from-the-heelstone/
|
   
|
[visited 2/10/11] Well I know it's just a big wall now and very hard to make out in places but I think this is my favourite monument on the edge. Carrying on past Three Men you eventually cross an obvious section of the wall arcing back towards you and going through the dry stone wall. Heading into the wood it's initially hard to find amongst the bracken, but with a bit of effort you can trace it's path.
When I heard about this place I immediately thought defence given how it it's superficially similar in layout to some hill forts. But upon inspection I seriously doubt that was ever the aim of this place. It feels much more like one of the enclosures, causewayed or otherwise down south. Defensively the higher edge behind would make much more sense.
Access is varied. A relatively easy walk to the parts exposed on the edge. Bracken and tree fighting to the bits in the woods.
|
[visited 2/10/11] I've seen the other replica of this stone in Sheffield museum and so I was extremely glad to find this ones surroundings were so nice. Just don't touch it else the illusion is shattered, which is a shame as I am wont to stroke rocks (away from any carvings obviously).
Its relationship to and siting outside of the neolithic enclosure is interesting. In fact, the whole of the edge looks to have been a ceremonial focus point for quite a long time.
Access is fairly easy after a mile or so along footpath to get to the top of the edge. In summer the way is hampered in the wood by all the bracken.
|
[visited 2/10/11] This is an oddity, standing alone outside the neolithic enclosure, nowadays located in a small clearing in the woods. I spent a while here studying this gorgeous stone, enjoying the lovely hot October day.
Its lean is interesting given the theories about it being a crude sundial, certainly it seems deliberate. Though excavation would be needed to be sure. If true it gives a new perspective to other leaning stones in the UK.
Access is fairly easy after a mile or so along footpath to get to the top of the edge. In summer the way is hampered in the wood by all the bracken.
|
[visited 2/10/11] Well this its a great place to be buried. An almost archetypal location for some Neolithic chambered barrows shouting out to all and sundry that this land its occupied.
Of course there is previous little of that left on the ground. A mere outline under the 18th Century mounds of rocks, presumably made from the barrow stones.
Access is relatively easy if you continue from the Gardom's Ring Cairn. But the provisos for wheeled seekers there applies.
|
[visited 2/10/11] This was a side thought for me, a visit purely on the way to the standing stone and the rock art. So I was surprised to find The Prehistoric Peak had an entry just for it. After I got here though I understood entirely, this thing its a brute. It's got a big diameter and a well defined bank together with several surviving stones feeling analogous to Barbrook II. This would have been worth the trip onto the edge all on its own.
Its position is slightly weird 100 yards further on and its views would have been increased dramatically. Instead it just looks out to Beeley Moor where Hob Hurst's house etc are. Interestingly it is completely out of site of barbrook which is on the other side of this hill.
Access is ok for a moderately healthy person but may be hard for wheels due to a stile and a thinish gate/opening. It is hard to spot in summer and if I hadn't been looking for it I wouldn't have seen it from the path. As you approach up hill you can just see a stone poking out of the bracken to the left of the silver birch.
|
BACAS Geofiz survey finds possible circle
Those helpful guys at BACAS have done a survey on the suspected site of the destroyed circle up on Bathhampton down and found what looks like post holes.
Worth noting this is a mile to the west on the other side of the hill from the stones pictured.
http://www.bacas.org.uk/geophysics/BathamptonDownScreenVersion.pdf
|
[visited 28/4/11] This is a pretty little stone located with cracking views. I was slightly surprised it wasn't bigger, but as with many "head of valley" stones, it is about waist height or so. If this were here just for the views, as FlopsyPete points out, it could have been sited less than 20 metres away and got much more. So, this is presumably here to be seen from the East, where it can be seen from a fair way away, possibly as a marker to a track towards the Goyt Valley.
Interestingly, it's shape as you face Eccles Pike reflects the Pike. Angles and lengths are not exact, but topologically they seem the same. Eccles Pike being a barrowless spine of a central hill surrounded by farmland and hills, all of which have barrows.
Access is a pleasant 1/2 mile walk along a bridleway then across a field up a medium slope from the Whaley to Disley higher road.
|
Showing 1-50 of 448 posts. Most recent first | Next 50
Default Location: Bullring
Likely activities: Wandering, computering, fathering
Identifying physical deformities: Long hair, likes to wear black, unkempt facial hair
Identifying mental deformities: Belligerence, stone stroking, smiling
Peculiar Listening habits: Radio5, trad goth, drum and bass, dubstep, noise
Least likely to say: lets bosh a road through that henge
Most likely to say: oi stop boshing a road through that henge
Favourite website: Heritage Action
|
|
Log in |
Register
Top of page