Kozmik_Ken

A robbed out round cairn on Curbar Edge, the stones in the foreground are the remains of a cist. The views from here are extensive, to Baslow Edge and the Eagle Stone to the south, and over Stoke Flat to Over Owler Tor, Mother Cap, Higger Tor, Stanage Edge, Banford Edge and Win Hill to the north.

There are numerous cairns in this area. Stoke Flat to the north has a stone circle and cairnfield, to the south is the Eagle Stone cemetery and Gardom’s Edge Neolithic enclosure and to the east is Big Moor, that includes the Barbrook circles and cairns, as well as Swine Sty field systems.

When this cairn was excavated (or more accurately destroyed) in 1913, by the Duke of Rutland, the cist was found to contain the remains of a cremation, a broken food vessel, a flint scraper and a broken bronze knife.

Now, I’m well aware that this area is well known as being used for military training during WW2. The area is littered with bullet holes and mortar scars, left behind by training assaults.

However, these marks have a very different look and feel to the obvious bullet holes. Much softer and more weathered out.

I know that anything resembling rock art in this area will be dismissed as the remains of either military activity or quarrying – but maybe, just maybe!

At the top of Pike Lowe on Midhope Moors is a walkler’s cairn that sits on top of a Bronze Age burial cairn. This must once have been massive at one time considering that robbed material has been used to build a large, square sheepfold next to the cairn.

Not an easy place to reach, with longish walks from whichever direction you approach it from and quite often over rough/boggy ground without even a hint of a path.

Access here is pretty easy. Park at Curbar Gap car park and take the main path across Baslow Edge (or wander along the edge itself if you wish and take in the views). The main path leads straight to it and you can see it coming a mile off.

I’d been meaning to visit Hordron Edge Circle for years. I finally made it there yesterday. On my way to Baslow Edge, I had plenty of time to spare so decided that I was going to drop in on the spur of the moment. I went via the Cut Throat Bridge gate and path route. Not too bad a walk, the only steep bit being where the path turns up to reach the top of Jarvis Clough.

A lovely place it is too. Unfortunately, although the weather had looked promising when I set out, the cloud had thickened and was letting no light through at all except the flattest, most diffused light – rubbish for photography! Consequently, I don’t have many images to post. Still, I know where it is now, so will be back for a sunset on a better evening.

The Cock Crowing Stone (not ‘Growing’ as some people have misread it) stands near the roadside, below West Nab on Meltham Moor. It’s impossible to miss due to having it’s name painted on in large white letters!

I’ve got no real further information regarding it’s provenance, folklore or otherwise. I’d only heard of it before, as when I found it quite by accident, I thought, “ah, there it is!“.

It’s name would suggest some kind of sunrise significance. It wouldn’t relate to any alignment on West Nab, so something else must be afoot.

If anyone has any further info, I’d love to see it. Maybe Mr Bennett can help on this one?

I have developed a bit of a fascination with Mother Cap recently!

Considering the history of Hathersage Moor and it’s conspicuous positioning, I thought that a bit of research may be called for. I came across a piece of information (probably StuBob’s notes) that suggests that Mother Cap may have been used as a marker for much of the prehistoric activity in the surrounding hills and was possibly illuminated by fire at night.

This caught my imagination and I thought it may be fun to try to recreate how the massive outcrop may have looked by firelight (of course not wanting to set half of the moor on fire, I used a 5 million candle power torch). So on Tuesday night, I found myself trudging up the lower slopes of Over Owler Tor by the light of a brilliant full moon. Over Owler is an odd place at the best of times, a bit of a geologist’s playground with rocks worn into all manner of strange shapes. But by moonlight it is amazing!

The exposures were about two and a half minutes at f8 to catch the colours in the sky, with short blasts from the torch to fill areas of the rock in. Some shots look as if the light is coming from within the rock. The moon is dropped in from a different exposure as the long exposures blew it out to a non-descript glare.

Single standing stone on the lower slopes of Beinn Ghobhlach (The Horned/Forked Hill). An indistinct track leads from a wooden gate to the stone, which is only just visible from the single track road from Dundonnel to Badrallach. The stone seems to be set in a raised mound. The drive here is excellent with amazing views, steep rocky hillsides and every chance of seeing Buzzards at close quarters.

A vitrified fort originating from the Iron Age, An Dun was probably re-modeled during the early centuries AD by the Vikings and later became the seat of local Mackenzie and Macleod chiefs. Little can now be seen above ground, but excavation has found sections of fire-fused stone walling.

Located at the back of the ruined church, just a few paces away from the Pictish carving, is a small stone in which is a basin. Local legend says that the basin never dries of water and can cure warts and ailments. The churchyard itself is interesting, with a circular boundary and a number of small standing and recumbent stones used as gravemarkers, as was the custom before inscribed gravestones.

Remains of an Iron Age Hillfort just south of Barnsley, this hilltop has seen an active history. It is thought to have been reused in Medieval times, followed by the building of a gothic folly by the Earl of Strafford circa 1730.

The site is now included in the Gardens of Wentworth Castle, a country house built in 1672 by Thomas Wentworth on the site of old Stainborough Hall.

A huge natural boulder with a simulacrum of a face with a hooked nose and protruding chin, when seen from a certain angle. The upper surface is covered in large natural cups (hence it’s name). Nearby is a large War Memorial obelisk with commanding views towards Oldham.

Happened across this little stone while trying to find a path from Dragon’s Den near Wharncliffe Crags to the road. It’s not marked on the OS map and I’m not sure if it has a prehistoric origin, but there are what appears to be two cup marks on it’s face. Other ancient sites lie nearby with a settlement just up the way, and Walder’s Low cairn almost within site.

A reconstructed Iron Age Roundhouse, on the banks of Clatteringshaws Lock, in the Forest of Galloway. The Roundhouse lies on the path between the visitor centre and Bruce’s Stone

A wonderfully picturesque place with a very primeval appearance. Cairnholy 2 looks great perched atop it’s hillock.

A sweet little circle, with lovely rounded stones. As we were staying only a few minutes drive away, it was great to zip down on an evening and watch the sunset, with the place to ourselves. Loved this place!

Brilliant circle, great scenery, too many people.

The Head Stone is a natural rock outcrop that from some angles looks a little like a head on shoulders. A clear view can be had from the A57, west of Sheffield on the hillside above the road.

It can be reached by follwing the public footpath opposite the farmhouse, down over the bridge in the woods and up the steep hillside. The views to the west of the stone are lovely.

It would be reasonable to suspect that the route of the A57 is pretty old, and the Head Stone may have been an important marker on the route.

The Hordron Edge stone circle is about two n’ a half miles to the west.

As juamei says, nothing much to be seen here. Slight traces of the ditches can still be just about made out, best viewed from the parking place a little way along the road, rather than the track.

A beautifully preserved Round Barrow can be seen from the road. It still retains much of it’s height and has a clearly defined ditch around it’s base.

More barrows exist is the woods, but as we were short of time, we didn’t bother to check on accesibilty.

West Rudham South TF810253

A second long barrow can be found nearby, just behind the woods alongside the road.

It is well overgrown with bracken and has a young oak tree growing on it’s southern end. Traces of ditches alongside the length of the barrow can still be found.

Not much at all to see on the ground, and access is poor as it’s used as a horse riding field now... but ariel photography has shown a henge and D shaped enclosure once stood in theses fields, just a spit away from Arminghall Henge at the southern tip of Norwich.

The high path running along the ridge from Round Hill to Ellacar Pike is an ancient trade route above Middleton and Denton Moors. This is supported by a number of boundary stones bearing 18th C ‘D’ and ‘M’ inscriptions when it was still regarded as a significant landmark. One fallen boundary stone is a reused cup marked rock and there are still a number of old milestones around these paths. Both Middleton and Denton Moors contain a number of cup and ring marked stones.

A number of paths meet at High Badger Gate, which is possibly the site of an old market.

Take the footpath down to Malham Cove and look up on the hillsides around you, they still bear the prominent cultivation terraces and settlements of Bronze Age farmers, later reused by the Saxons.

Previously a Victorian Showcave in which evidence of early human habitation was found. A wonderful place to spend an afternoon exploring with a torch. The highlight being the underground waterfall chamber at the back of the cave.

You’ll find it just over the river from the Apronfull of Stones cairn.

An easy route is to approach from the east over Ilkley Crags and past the Pepperpot Rock, this brings you to the back of Willy Hall’s Wood.

This is one of my favourite spots to while away time on these moors. The atmosphere is buzzing and it’s not hard to see why this would have been a sacred spot in prehistoric times... in fact, it still is now. Willy Hall’s Wood is a mound surrounded by two streams which drain off of Green Gates and join again at the bottom of the mound at Willy Hall’s Spout. The stream then flows down into Ilkley under Brooke Street and joins the Wharfe at the bridge near the Roman Fort of Olicana.

Near the crossing of the eastern stream is an upright boulder with a number of large bowls or cups on it’s eastern face. I’m uncertain whether they were fashioned or are natural (I have seen many similar features on a number of rocks around Ilkley Moor), but I am certain that it’s not there by accident and feels very much like an ‘entrance’ to the site. A few yards north of the main rock is a cluster of small boulders, one of which has a small cup on it’s top.

Unfortunately, Willy Hall’s Wood Stone still bears the marks of someone’s utter stupidity. As previously shown here, someone has followed the design in red paint and added runic nonsense to the north facing side of the stone. The paint seems to be an acrylic and has dried to a rock hard, matt finish which will take decades to weather away naturally. A curse on the backward thinking motherf*cker.

Still, even this vandalism can’t detract from the beauty and sacred intent of this spot.

Much of what is here is poorly accessible due to the thick forestry plantation, but as the woodland is up for sale, the trees may be harvested soon. A few rocks exist in the heather nearby and a large boulder (now a boundary stone) set into the wall bears dozens of cup marks on its upper surface.

The area a few hundred yards to the east of the Badger Stone has a scattering of cup and ring marked rocks, including the curious ‘Pitchfork Rock’. Search amongst the waterlogged ground and spring heads for a few beauties!

Either approach from the usually boggy path from the Wetstone Gate transmission masts to the east, or along the forestry wall up from Rivock Edge.

A large scatter of boulders, one of which is used as a boundary stone still. A number of rocks bear large cups similar to those on the ‘entrance stone’ at Willy Hall’s Wood and one large, upended triangular boulder is beautifully weathered.

The walls here look so good ‘cos they were excavated and rebuilt in the late 1980’s. Excavations revealed signs of settlement on this spot stretching back 9000 years. Possible started as a mesolithic hunting camp.

Took the path up through the wonderful Troller’s Ghyll to Skyreholme and found three carved rocks (there’s many more but didn’t have time to look) and possible rubble walling nearby.

On a visit to this site that was well known to me during my childhood, I found the site changed slightly. The old stone gutter is gone and the water now flows into a round concrete basin and disappears underground. A low wall has also been built at the back of the spring.

A search of the nearby rocks revealed no further clues such as carvings.

An amazing array of weathered outcrops and rock idols absolutely crawling with people. Go on a pissy, cold day in winter to avoid the hoards.

Situated above Shipley Glen and overlooked by rock art on Baildon Moor to the north and east, this sad little circle lies near the road which destroyed a section of its northern end. It’s hard to distinguish amongst the rock scatter and fallen stones, but a couple of (largely reconstructed) double arc settings give it away.

Camping at Dobrudden was a great experience. Within half an hour of rolling out of bed each morning, I was out walking the dogs and searching for rock art. Most of the photos I’ve uploaded are from the ridge on which the campsite/caravan park sits, but from what I see here, I’ve missed quite a few. More carved rocks and a possible stone circle are on the next ridge down near the curve in the Brackenhall Road.

I also found a faint, vaguely circular enclosure to the east of the caravan park.

Also worth noting is the livestock on the campsite. Turkeys, geese, chickens and peacocks! Watch out when you’re reversing!

A fantastic high outcrop of millstone grit at the northern side of Wharfedale. Connected by folklore to the Cow and Calf rocks on Ilkley Moor, this place is worth a visit if only for the great views and weirdly weathered bowls. Standing stones reputedly once stood nearby, so it seems very likely that the sacred nature of the crag was recognised by our ancestors.

Visited here last Wednesday (April 14th) to investigate reports that the circle had been destroyed and yup, it’s gone! A sad clearance pile of rocks heaved out and dumped near the style still bear JCB marks and the field in which the remains of the circle stood has been stripped down to the soil and is now grassed over. A very slight depression in the soil remains overlooking Bradup Beck.

This was a protected monument on the Scheduled Monuments Register and I’m sure the landowner can be prosecuted if the destruction was carried out without permission.

Local folklore also tells that a number of stones were taken from the circle many years ago to build the nearby Bradup Bridge.

A bit of a bugger to find, as it’s not visible from the road. Take the road south out of Warham, over a narrow bridge and a few hundred yards later you come to a passing place with two gates. The right hand gate is the track down to the camp.

The camp is a circular Iceni earthwork with double banks. Unfortunately, the western end which contained the original entrance was destroyed when the river course was re-routed. The other entrances are all supposedly modern. The central area of the camp has never been excavated.

Still, it’s a fine, impressive place with high banks and a deep ditches.

A finely preserved Iceni ditch and banked enclosure on the salt marshes near Holkham. Access is poor as the area is a nature reserve, but a good view can be had from the high observation hide overlooking the marshes on the edge of the woods. The camp was also reputedly used by the Danes.

While visiting, also take the time to visit the wonderful expansive beach on the other side of the woods.

Dun Toiseach is on a small hill near a bend in the road at Torran, overlooking the bottom end of Lock Awe. Below, on the bands of the loch seems to be an area that was once settled. Possibly the land connected to the hillfort. However, before we could investigate properly, we were chased off by some quite angry looking, territorial cows! I made pretty short work of the drystone wall near the road!

Dun Dubh is one in a line of Hillforts that top the hills above Ford and on towards Loch Awe (which itself has a number of cranogs).

There’s not much left to see up there by the way of remains. Just a possible entrance and plataux. But the views us Lock Awe and over towards Jura are truely stunning.

Apparantly, Samhain fires were light on top of Dun Dubh until quite recently.

A number of cup and ring marked rocks and prehistoric walling on the hill behind Ilkley Crags, between Backstone Beck and Green Gates.

Green Gates is the area around the Badger Stone, from Grainings Head to Cranshaw Thorn Hill along which and ancient trade route was thought to cross the moor. This area has a number of carved rocks, the majority of which appear to be on vertical surfaces. If the theory that carvings on vertical surfaces equal male and horizontal surfaces equal female holds true, maybe this area could have been reserved for male activities? It is not uncommon for tribal societies to have separate areas for each gender, such as areas for menstruating women etc. Hell, even my Dad’s Working Man’s Club still has a Men’s room (although women are allowed in to watch football if they wish!!!!).

The Badger Stone is thought to have been the site of an ancient market, possibly ‘Badger Men’ (millers or grain men) selling grain at the equinoxes. This is supported by the nearby spring heads named ‘Grainings Head’. The nearby 12thC market cross called ‘Cowper’s Cross’ was said to have replaced and older market nearby.

This area is also the spring head for the waters that emerge at Willy Hall’s Spout below Willy Hall’s Wood Stone and flow down through Ilkley under Brook Street, to join the River Wharfe by the Roman Fort ‘Olicana’. The Church built on this spot houses a Roman Altar stone bearing a carving of the Goddess of the Wharfe; Verbia.

Went looking for this at the top of Coldstone Beck, but I’m not sure if I found it. The ridge of Woofa Bank is littered with boulders and I found a few things that could be, but I’m waiting for verification before I post any images.

This is a fantastic prehistoric walled enclosure, lying below Woofa Bank containing a number of cup and ring marked rocks. The curve of the wall is plainly visible from the hillside above.

A huge cairn on Burley Moor that has been badly damaged by digging. The crater in the middle still houses the (now recumbent) standing stone erected by Walter Hawksworth for his masonic moots in the 14thC bearing the inscription ‘This is Rumbles Lawe’.

Nearby, there appears to be traces of a causeway and a large area of evenly scattered stones, There is also said to be the remains of a stone circle here too.

Although this fallen boundary stone is thought to be Saxon in origin, I’ve included it here for the reason that it occupies the centre point of the long edge of the isosceles triangle formed by the Backstone Circle, Twelve Apostles and the Grubstones and maybe a replacement for an earlier standing stone in this spot. There are also hints of being a sunrise marker.

The Idol Stone lies on the path from the Haystack to Green Crag, just a few feet north of the prominent Idol Rock.

It has been suggested that this maybe a cyst cover, prompted by it’s flat, slab-like appearance and that the rocks that surround it are the remains of a cairn. I’m not quite so sure myself as there is no noticeable spoil around the stone and I think of it as having more in common with the carved rocks at the Backstone Beck Enclosure as they display a remarkably similar style.

The Idol Rock is a natural boulder that lies just south of the cup and ring marked Idol Stone and is a prominent marker visible from many of the other prehistoric sites on this part of the moor.

The rock itself bears no prehistoric markings, although it does seem to bear something akin to a masonic symbol which someone appears to have attempted to grub out at some point (these symbols appear on other rocks elsewhere on the moor).

Nearby prehistoric walling seems to point to this rock being used as a boundary marker and it is clearly visible from the Backstone Circle. West of this point are the living areas of Green Crag and the Backstone Beck Enclosure. East lie the cairns. Maybe this was a division between the lands of the living and the lands of the dead?

The hillside below Green Crag (on which can still be found enclosure walling) bears a number of marked rocks including the Idol Stone.

On top of the ridge is a huge natural boulder that bears a number of large weathered bowls and cups including a peculiar feature which is a large bowl over 1ft in width about the same in depth with a hole through the rock about a third of the way up from the bottom. All appear to be natural but may have held significance in the prehistoric landscape, as it commands extensive views of the northern edge of the moor all over the cairnfields of Green Crag Slack to Woofa Bank. The rock is still used as a boundary stone and bears a number of more recent carvings including a certain W.M 1785 and an old bell shaped carving.

Below is a large cup, ring and groove marked boulder, prehistoric walling, the Idol Rock and the cup and groove marked Idol Stone.