The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

The Devil's Bed and Bolster

Long Barrow

Fieldnotes

It's really very nice here. I've put off a visit for a long time because I wasn't sure about the access: it looks like one of those sly long dashes from a footpath, with the potential of shotgun pellets in the rear. However, fear not, because the local farmer(s) make the footpaths very clear, and there is actually a permissive bridleway to the barrow (from ST810532). What nice people.

To me, the obvious thing in the landscape as I sat at the middle of the barrow, was Cley Hill on the sw-ish horizon. Of course, certain modern features do tend to make you look this way (the chestnut trees and the hedge behind you, the field margin to the left all block the view), so it could be irrelevant, but it didn't feel it.

The stones are a soft orangey pink, flat, and pocked with tiny holes on their narrow edges. The Countryside Stewardship notice about the path mentions 'nine stones' but there are certainly more than nine.

I think the atmosphere would make it easy to stay hours here.Looking for more information on the web, I see there's supposed to be a 'geocache' here. Well if I'd known (because the site was beautifully litter free on the surface) I'd have dug it up and blown it to smithereens. So that's something to do next time. Miserable, unappreciative dimwits.

AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY MAKES ME CROSS?? The git who left it there copied MY cheesy phrase from this website.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=07f8c21b-bcc6-4edb-ac19-91a47a85eb80
It makes you want to give up doesn't it. TMA is surely an attempt to make people value their environment and prehistory. What can you do if some people use that information for making a mess of the place? The box apparently contains golf tees and 'dinos' and all sorts of shite. Why do people leave this 21st century detritus at these special places?
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
14th September 2007ce
Edited 26th September 2007ce

Comments (0)

You must be logged in to add a comment