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It was a very beautiful day at the end of May, about four in the afternoon, Eric and his best mate Luke stoically riding their bikes in front of me and my two Jack Russells taking me for a walk. It had been a long drive, getting away from home late, but we were here now, and it was good.
About a hundred yards up the path to the hill fort is Ffynnon Gybi, Saint Cybi's well, it is a place of extreme beauty. The spring first empties into a square pool behind the main building, channeled in under the wall into the main chamber. This chamber is the oldest part, (no date)it is angled inwards all around suggesting a sort of beehive hut shape. The later building attached to it is Victorian. The path carries on behind the Well and up through thickly bluebelled woods, the air thick with birdsong and myriad flying insects. The path sadly ejects one from this earthly paradise and up into the next one. In front the fort stands out well on its hill top, in the first field is a long rectangular cairn, is it a cairn ? field clearance or something to do with the nearby fort.
At the top the fort is very impressive, high banks and deep ditches,obvious entrances and all that stone from the later walls. But the view from the top is a belter. The view north and east are the best , because it contains lots of big lovely mountains. Eric's mate Luke said it was the first time he'd seen the sea, and that this was only his second time out of England and the furthest from home he'd ever been. Poor child, we'll go the beach in a month or two.
With in the fort is a strange little hut circle affair, for people no bigger than a few inches, what exactly it is I haven't a clue, something modern ? a Fullact fiadh, don't know.
We sat up here for ages, talking about the kind of things that one does in these high places, Alien invasions, Volcanic eruptions, immortality, over population, and of course where and when are we having Tea.
Usually, having to leave such a well proportioned vantage point as this would make me a bit annoyed for not having longer to linger, but those bluebelled woods in early evening light back down the hill and the slow trickle of water at the well are a welcome addition to the walk/pulled run back to the car.
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A fold in my map had hidden this large barrow from me for years, but, the Portal awakened me to it's presence. Last nights Springwatch inspired an early morning wander round Delamere forest, in which we saw no remarkable wildlife. To compensate for no Badgers, Foxes or Deer we also went to Eddisbury Hill fort and this barrow.
It is situated on Private land on a hill top in a fenced off copse, needless to say there was no keep out signs so I helped my self (I would've anyway).
Though the barrow is presumably somewhat flattened and spread out, it is still about two meters high and at least twenty to thirty meters across. Some very mature trees are growing on and around the barrow, a smattering of Bluebells and copious birdsong made this a fine barrow to get to.
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More hats off to Rhiannon for finding this and adding the site. In some ways this turned out to be the very unsung star of the day.
Whilst we were at the fantabulous Arthur's stone we noticed on the information board that a standing stone was nearby to the north east, it wasn't on the map and none of us had a clue about it. A quick fiddle on the I phone and technology, the TMA and Rhiannon had furnished us with everything we needed.
We went a searching for Ralph.
A short drive later and were outside Ralph's house, it's a nice house. Alken takes the honour of knocking on the door, Ralph's wife answers, she is an old woman and I wonder what she made of us. Ralph soon appears at the door and confides that she thought we were Witnesses, couldn't have been further from the truth, we are godless heathens mostly interested in sciencey things.
Ralph dons his wellies and takes us to his stone, it is but a short slippy walk down to the stream at the bottom of his garden. I wish I had a stream at the bottom of my garden, never mind a lost megalith that i'd returned to the world after who knows how long.
It has to be said, the pictures on the
Bredwardine and Brobury - Through the Ages website are a little better than mine, because of the undergrowth being cleared away and the edges being better defined. But if you go now this is what it looks like.
The stone is somewhat squarish, more pointy at one end, Ralph suggests that this was the end in the ground. The stone is maybe eight feet long, stood upright maybe six feet tall. it is a thick and sturdy stone.
I liked this one a lot, Ralph obviously likes it too.
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