Merrivale North Row

Trip No.133  Entry No.2  Date Added: 3rd Jul 2019
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 14th May 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: 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!

St Ninian's Cave (Isle of Whithorn)

Date Added: 3rd Jul 2019
Site Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Would like to visit

Peter Hill Roundhouse (Whithorn)

Trip No.136  Entry No.13  Date Added: 1st Jul 2019
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Joicey Shaft Cairn

Trip No.141  Entry No.3  Date Added: 1st Jul 2019
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 30th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Joicey Shaft b

Trip No.141  Entry No.2  Date Added: 1st Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 30th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Joicey Shaft a

Trip No.141  Entry No.1  Date Added: 1st Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 30th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Tony's Patch 1

Trip No.141  Entry No.4  Date Added: 1st Jul 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 30th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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!

Whithorn Museum

Trip No.137  Entry No.13  Date Added: 29th Jun 2019
Site Type: Museum Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

White Cairn (Crouse)

Trip No.137  Entry No.16  Date Added: 29th Jun 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Crow Stone (Wigtown)

Trip No.137  Entry No.15  Date Added: 29th Jun 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Little Balsmith

Trip No.137  Entry No.14  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: 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.

Kirkmaiden Old Church

Trip No.137  Entry No.12  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Visited (still working on) on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Whitefield Loch Crannog

Trip No.137  Entry No.11  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Crannog Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 1 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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.

Culroy Cairn 1

Trip No.137  Entry No.10  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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!

Culroy White Cairn

Trip No.138  Entry No.9  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: 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).

Mid Gleniron 1

Trip No.137  Entry No.8  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: 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.

Mid Gleniron 5

Trip No.137  Entry No.7  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: 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.

Mid Gleniron 4

Trip No.137  Entry No.6  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: 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.

Mid Gleniron 3

Trip No.137  Entry No.4  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: 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.

Mid Gleniron 2

Trip No.137  Entry No.5  Date Added: 28th Jun 2019
Site Type: Chambered Cairn Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jun 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: 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.