Ulgham Cross

Trip No.97  Entry No.3  Date Added: 17th Sep 2018
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 16th Sep 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Ulgham Cross, Near Ashington, Northumberland: From Newbeggin By The Sea, we headed inland to try and find this cross, which we thought was near the church. In typical Tate fashion, we'd arrived when there was a Sculpture Show at the Church; as they were charging to go in, we declined, and set off to find this cross, which is around 320m WSW of the church of St John The Baptist.

The photographs we'd seen of the cross had black painted iron railings in front of it, and we were temporarily confused as these have now been removed. This cross is located just west of the junction of Ulgham Lane with the B1337, in front of two modern bungalows. With the railings no longer in place, I walked up the four steps and had a look at the back of the cross. It looks as if it’s had a hard life and has numerous holes and weathering. It looked to my untrained eye as if it might have been a repurposed standing stone.

Much to the amusement of the passing traffic, I darted in and out of the road to try and get the best photographs I could, as the sunlight behind the cross was dazzling.

Twyn-Y-Beddau

Trip No.167  Entry No.6  Date Added: 27th Jul 2021
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: Wales (Powys)
Visited: Yes on 12th Jul 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Twyn-y-Beddau: This round barrow is right next to the road, although with the twin tyre tracks leading up and over it, it could be mistaken for part of a 4 x 4 obstacle course, which some idiots presumably have been using it for, hence the stones placed on top.

A lovely evening, with paragliders attempting to set up their kites and take off from just to the south of the barrow, although there wasn't enough wind to enable them to take off.

Quite a few cars passed by, but no-one (apart from us), stopped to look at the barrow. A beautiful view to the west, as the land just drops down, with mountains (big hills, certainly) rising to the south and the east. Well worth a stop.

Twizel Standing Stone

Trip No.95  Entry No.6  Date Added: 9th Sep 2018
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 6th Sep 2018. My rating: Condition -1 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Site of possible standing stone, Twizel: The boulder no longer appears to be in the field, although there is a small raised area in the field – as this is England, we couldn’t find anyone to ask permission to walk into the field, so photographed it from the fence near the cottage. For a last stop of the day, a little disappointing, as a standing stone would have 'wrapped things up nicely'.

Twelve Apostles (Dumfries)

Date Added: 22nd Sep 2014
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 19th Sep 2014. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: The Twelve Apostles, Dumfries: Shortly after we moved to Irongray in 1992 and my husband was touring the county to get to know it for his work with Dumfries and Galloway Enterprise, he came home one lunchtime and said we needed to go and see a stone circle. Being then only 6 miles from our house, we went off to look. I can still remember this visit really clearly. “It’s just in a farmer’s field, with a hedge running through it.” And it was.

The hedge has now been grubbed up, but the scar of where it was still remains in the field. My memory must be playing me slightly false, as we both remember the stones being smaller and the circle more compact, but this might be the result of part of the circle being cut by the hedge.

Following the A75 westwards around Dumfries, turn right at the Lochside roundabout onto the A76 (Glasgow Road). (Did anyone else spot the rhino on the right hand side next to the housing estate? This used to be on top of the bus shelter, but has been moved onto a plinth of its own now). Just past a garage on the left hand side, there is a left hand turn onto Irongray Road, and follow this until you go over a quaint little bridge over Cluden Water. Then take the next right hand turn. The stone circle is on your right, and there is now a stile over the fence, although I’m guessing that most people park further up at the road junction with the B729 and use the gate into the field (which is the next turn left along the A76 if you miss the first).

Sited in a gentle bowl, we wondered if the circle had been built where Cluden Water and the larger River Nith meet - the course of the rivers may have changed since the circle was built - this feels like a special place. We counted only 11 stones, but then one stone looked as if there were two next to each other. The stones are also not of the local Locharbriggs sandstone, being largely whinstone and course granite, and where they were brought from, I’ve not yet been able to identify. The RCAHMS notes say the circle is 260 feet in diameter, more in keeping with the size of a henge.

One of the stones had what I took to be cup marks in an odd pattern, but the RCAHMS notes say they are caused by natural weathering.

In walking up to the gate to take a few pictures to try and make into a panorama, I spotted another boulder by the roadside, next to the gate (grid reference: NX 94533 79488 – it can be seen on aerial photographs) and wondered if at one point this had been associated with the circle, and moved by the farmer in the past.

Tullybannocher

Trip No.53  Entry No.4  Date Added: 11th Oct 2017
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Yes on 28th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Wester Tullybannocher Stone Circle, Comrie: From the Dalginross/Dunmoid Four Poster Stone Circle, we made our way north through Comrie, heading west on the A85, over Dalginross Bridge then turning left. The road goes through a zig-zag then a bend, passing a caravan park on the right hand side at Twenty Shilling Wood. Just after the road turns a right hand bend there is a farm track to your right hand side, with room for a car to pull in before the gate (on opening the gate there is a small area of hard-standing for a couple of cars). We parked just in front of the gate and walked along the farm track to the stones, which were peeping out of knee high grass in the un cultivated part of the field to our left hand side.

We couldn’t spot any cup marks on the western stone, despite walking round the stones several times. Sited on flat pastureland with low hills rising around, and lying just north of the River Earn, this is a lovely spot, although a little spoiled by the heavy traffic on the A85 just to the south of the stones.

Tullie House Museum

Trip No.46  Entry No.1  Date Added: 19th Sep 2017
Site Type: Museum Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Yes on 18th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: The Cursing Stone, Carlisle: This stone is located in the strangely lit underpath that runs the dual carriageway near Tullie House Museum and Carlisle Castle, next to Tullie House museum. We came across this quite by chance, thinking it was located inside the museum. It is actually on the Tullie House side of the pedestrian underpass from the Castle to the Museum.

There is nothing on the walls of the underpass to tell you what this stone is. I’d read about it on the Portal some time ago and recognised it. The wording of the curse is recorded below.

Tullie House Museum

Date Added: 29th Apr 2018
Site Type: Museum Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Yes on 20th Apr 2018. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Tullie House Museum, Carlisle: We went to see the copy of the Bewcastle Cross and the Anglo Saxon cross fragments I'd seen photos of some years ago. The Bewcastle Cross copy no longer stands in the main entrance lobby, but is now in storage, and there are only a couple of rock art panels on display, along with Celtic gods (all displayed behind glass).

There was a very interesting video, and a display of associated artefacts, of the Langdale Axe factory.

A small museum, but interesting, even the Roman gallery in the basement, which has lots of interactive displays for children.

We bought a year pass for £10 each, which means we can return at any time for free until the end of April 2019. I've asked permission to go back to use their learning resource to find out more about the Celtic god sculptures.

Tullibole

Trip No.109  Entry No.1  Date Added: 11th Nov 2018
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: Scotland (Fife)
Visited: Yes on 31st Oct 2018. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Tullibole Church Ruins with hogback in five pieces: Our first stop of the day, and as Andrew told me this was a site where 11 witches were tried, condemned and burned, a site I thought would be a good, spooky, start to the Halloween. But, this is essentially a field with a few gravestones sticking out of it, and it turned out the trials had taken place at nearby Tullibole Castle. The remains of the church are there, on the south side buried deep in the grass and turf, but more visible on the northern side, where several courses of stones stick up out of the ground.

There is a display board next to a large monument surrounded by a metal railing and tall conifers, but we had difficulty orientating ourselves to the photos, eventually picking up the display board (which was propped up against the railings, and taking it over to the chest tombs).

We did find one part of the hogback, and possibly a second, but the grass tussocks were so high, we were unable to find any more pieces.

As the information sheets were covered in plastic, but the rain was seeping through, and they are likely to become even more worn and stained, I photographed a couple of them and typed them up for future reference.

Tuilyies

Trip No.111  Entry No.2  Date Added: 14th Nov 2018
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: Scotland (Fife)
Visited: Yes on 2nd Nov 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: The Tuilyies Stone Setting: There is a small layby on the A985, right by the stones, but as there was no direct entrance into the field, we ended up walking along the grass verge down to where the wire fence is jointed to a wooden one. This is by a small clump of trees, at NT 02801 86657, where we succeeded in clambering over the fence.

The stones are set in a very ‘lumpy and bumpy’ field that looks like it has several building platforms and banks within it, but no structures are visible.

The tall stone to the north north west of the setting of three stones is tall and impressive (although thin) with the eastern face peppered in cup marks.

Combined with the three stones to the south south east reminded us somewhat of the stone setting at Kilmartin. I amused myself by standing behind the taller stone trying to line it up with the three smaller ones, but there was always one stone hidden from view, behind the larger stone.

The Firth of Forth glinted in the sunlight to the south. Shame about the proximity to the main road.

Tughall Chapel

Trip No.75  Entry No.3  Date Added: 22nd May 2018
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 20th May 2018. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Socket stone and cross shaft fragment, Tughall: Continuing along the busy B1340 from the Long Nanny standing stone, we turned right off the road towards Tughall Farm. There, the remains of the chapel stood above the road. We parked at a small layby just off the main road at NU 21427 26478, where there was a small gate into the field. This had been wired shut, so we walked round to the main gate at NU 21224 26486. There was absolutely no-one around to ask, and as the cattle were at the far end of the field, we let ourselves in.

The chapel is raised above the surrounding land. Only the tiniest bit of masonry remains (part of the apse, according to HE). The cross base is to the south of the chapel, almost next to what we initially thought might have been a hogback, but is only an old grave stone. I couldn’t see any writing on it.

The portion of cross shaft fragment remaining in the socket stone is very small and thin. I wonder what happened to the rest of it? [Note, this is on private land, but we didn't find anyone around in all the buildings on the farm to ask if we could take a look.]

Next stop, but not recorded on the Portal, was the lime kilns and harbour at Beadnell (too recent in time!)

Trestle Cairn

Date Added: 25th Apr 2015
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 23rd Apr 2015. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Trestle Cairn, off Dere Street, Scottish Borders: Continuing north up Dere Street from the Black Knowe standing stone, the stone wall is continuous uphill. To get back to Black Knowe Cairn we either had to carry on to Trestle Cairn then double back to Black Knowe Cairn or walk back down the hill to a gate lower down the field at the lower field boundary and walk back uphill to Black Knowe Cairn. We chose the former.
Continuing uphill, there is a gate in the next field boundary. At the time of our visit there was stock in the field and an electric fence which we had to duck under. A few yards to the left hand side there was a gate into the field immediately below Trestle Cairn. 50 yards along the stone wall to the left there was a gate into the Trestle Cairn field giving easy access to the cairn.
The Canmore/RCAHMS records for this site (Canmore ID 57949 Site Number NT71NE 34) record in 1947 that this is a ‘Druidical Circle .... consists of 17 stones distributed within the circumference of a demolished cairn which originally measured 55’ in diameter’. There were clearly 2 ovals/circles of irregularly placed stones with banks and ditches around them. My impression was that this was a cairn, with some similarities to the Loupin’ Stanes which we’d seen near Eskdalemuir a few weeks before. The views to the west and south were stunning at this time of early evening, with the distant hills bleeding into the grey of the dusk.
From here we could see the Five Stones Stone Circles down in the valley to the right of Dere Street, which we’d hoped to make it to that day. The walking had been slower than we anticipated so we stayed to photograph and appreciate the location of this cairn and made our way downhill to Black Knowe Cairn. There is so much to see in this area that we’re going to make another trip, with the Five Stones Stone Circles top of the list.
Note for future visitors: returning to the gate in the field within Plea Shank, don’t go back to the gate onto Dere Street. Continuing down the field you will come to some smoothly mown pathways within the heavily tussocked grass. These lead back to Trestle Cairn and is easier walking than in the long grass.

Tremaenhir Standing Stones

Date Added: 29th Aug 2014
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: Wales (Pembrokeshire)
Visited: Yes on 22nd Aug 2014. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Standing Stone by Tremaenhir, Pembrokeshire: After an amazing day at St. David’s Cathedral and Bishop's Palace, followed by St. Non’s Well, Chapel and standing stones, we were reluctant to call an end to the day, so we decided to drive along the A487, heading north to Tremaenhir Farm, where the map told us there were ‘Standing Stones’.

Just opposite the farm, there was a solitary tall standing stone, with only its top half poking above the undergrowth. We looked around for more, and couldn’t find any - although I did spot a tall shape in the bank opposite, which looked like it could have been a standing stone heavily covered by ivy.

It would be fun to go back in winter, when all the grass and weeds have died down, armed with the information and grid locations recorded here on the Portal.

Trellwyn-fach Stone Pair

Date Added: 28th Aug 2014
Site Type: Standing Stones Country: Wales (Pembrokeshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Aug 2014. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Trewynfach (Tre-llwyn Fawr) Stone Pair, Pembrokeshire: About 400 yards up the road from the Parc-y-meirw stones, just before reaching a house called Trellwyn, is an un-named farm to the south side of the road. On the map there are two standing stones marked, which stand very slightly to the west of the farm. Neither of the stones can be seen from the road. No-one appeared to be at the farm, and as the field gate was open, we walked along the field boundary for about 50 yards to see if we could spot them.

One of the stones has been used as a gatepost, in the field boundary between the farm and the first field to its west; the other is situated in the middle of the farmyard. Presumably the gatepost stone, which stands 1.4 metres high, has been relocated from its original site. The second stone is on private land, but looks taller than the stone being used as the gatepost.

I confess that after the Parc-y-Meirw stones and these, we looked at the gateposts of all the farms as we drove along, wondering if they were ‘recycled’ standing stones.

Trellwyn-fach

Date Added: 28th Aug 2014
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Wales (Pembrokeshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Aug 2014. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Trellwyn-Fach Standing Stone, Pembrokeshire: [We found more than one standing stone at this site, one of them not marked on the map, so I hope I haven't confused them – if I’ve got it wrong, please let me know so I can correct my entries (thank you!)].

From the Trewllyn-Fach Stone Pair, we walked along the footpath at the other side of the un-named farm (about 100 yards south west of the house called Trellwyn). This is essentially a farm-track and easy walking, past old farm properties which are being renovated. As the track turned a left hand corner just past the farm buildings, I spotted a standing stone in the middle of the field, but this wasn’t marked on the map, so intrigued, we continued onto Trellwyn-Fach.

The footpath went passed the standing stone towards the derelict Trellwyn-fach farmhouse, but there was a well-worn track across to the stone, so we crossed the bank forming the field boundary and followed the track to take a closer look at the stone. On the way, there was also another erratic stone in the field to the left hand side (I’ve not been able to get the grid reference as the images from UK Grid Finder are those of clouds, so I’m unable to make out the ground). The whole area is littered with large stones, possible cairns and what appear to be large erratic stones.

I wasn’t sure if the stone had broken and the broken piece been taken away, or if the rock had been deliberately quarried. This stone does indeed look like a pointing finger and there are good views over the Cwm Gwaun valley.

Trefael

Date Added: 27th Aug 2014
Site Type: Rock Art Country: Wales (Pembrokeshire)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 23rd Aug 2014

Log Text: Trafael Rock Art, Pembrokshire: We were looking forward to seeing this rare example of rock art in Wales, but despite driving up and down the B4582 road twice, we couldn’t find any of the marked footpaths. We could identify from the field pattern from our detailed map exactly where the stone was located. I suggested going to Bayvil church, further down the footpath, and walking back from there. On our second drive-past, we saw a very clear, official notice on the gate to the field saying ‘access to the capstone only with the permission of the landowner’. As we will have to research who the landowner is, we’ll need to save a visit to this rock art for another time.
However, we were well compensated by stumbling upon Nevern church with its stone crosses a few minutes later.

Trefach

Date Added: 27th Aug 2014
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Wales (Pembrokeshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Aug 2014. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Trefach, Pembrokeshire. This stone was literally just round the corner from Gellifawr, where we were staying. We parked at the entrance to the field on the corner of the road and walked up to the footpath which leads up to Waun Mawn. There was actually a couple of parking spaces at the bottom of the footpath so we could have driven closer, but after a long car journey, it was nice to put feet to tarmac and grass again.

The footpath rises up a gentle hill, and after a few paces, there was what appeared to be a cairn to the left hand side. Looking up the hill, Trefach became visible on the horizon. There was a clear track leading up to the stone, so we followed this. The stone is surrounded by a low wire fence, presumably to protect it from the stock (in this case a small herd of Welsh ponies, who curiously came to see what we were doing and what food we might have brought!).

The views over the Afon Gwaun Valley to the east were lovely. (as Paul M says in his description of the site: ‘commanding’). To the north west, there were views over crags at what I think is Carn Ingli.

Near the main Trefach stone, there was a fallen stone, which looked as if it might have stood upright. The field was also littered with groups of stones which looked like possible cairns.

This was the start of a couple of hours exploring some pretty interesting sites within the Cwm Gwaun valley.

Tree of Life Stone

Date Added: 11th Apr 2015
Site Type: Rock Art Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 10th Apr 2015. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Tree of Life Rock Art Stone, near Otley: From seeing the remains of the Anglo Saxon cross shaft at All Saints in Weston, we re-joined Moor Lane, turning left to the village of Askwith. This appears to be a ‘rat run’ from Ilkey to Otley, and there are a lot of cars along this very narrow lane, so approach bends with caution! Once in Askwith, we turned right onto Askwith Lane which turns into Moor Road. Continue straight on at the cross roads with Weston Moor Road. We managed to park one field passed the gate to the access land, just passed the entrance to Carr Farm (there is room for one car on the grass verge).
Walking up the hill towards the Tree of Life stone, we admired the outcrops of crop to our right hand side. At the top of the field there is a gate through into the moorland behind it. The Tree of Life stone is about 50 feet west from the corner of the stone wall to your right hand side as you come through this gate. Its full grid reference, taken from our GPS device is SE 17981 51166.
There are splendid views across the Washburn Valley and to the Swinsty Reservoir to the north east, but as we stood the murk from the polluted continental air moving across the UK rolled across slowly and even the mast at Norwood Edge disappeared into this mist.
Continuing along Snowden Carr Road, this lane eventually joins onto Askwith Moor Road with in turn joins with the main A59 towards Harrogate.

Tre-llwyn Fawr

Date Added: 28th Aug 2014
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Wales (Pembrokeshire)
Visited: Yes on 21st Aug 2014. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Trellwyn-Fawr Standing Stone, Pembrokeshire: [We found more than one standing stone at this site, one of them not marked on the map, so I hope I am reporting them correctly – if I’ve confused them, please let me know so I can correct my entries (thank you!)].

On the way back to the road from the Trellwyn-Fach Standing Stone, we stopped off to look at this stone, which we'd first seen on the walk down. This stone stands alone in the middle of the field, with great views over the Cwm Gwaun valley below. It seems to fit the description on the Dyfed Archaeological Site, which describes this stone as 1.4 metres high by 1 metre wide at its base, leaning slightly to the north-north-west. Just to the west, there was another smaller stone poking through the grass.

The views to the north, east and west were blocked by hedges and trees, so it wasn’t really possible to appreciate the location this stone was set in.

Traprain Law

Trip No.52  Entry No.4  Date Added: 10th Oct 2017
Site Type: Hillfort Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 27th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 5 Access 3

Log Text: Traprain Law Hillfort, East Lothian: We only saw this from afar. It would have taken too long to climb up and get back down and see the rest of the sites we wanted to see this afternoon. Brilliant view. The farmer’s wife from Standingstone Farm told us there were wild Exmoor ponies living on top (we could see them moving around on the top of the slopes), but their water was at the bottom of the hill.

Town Well

Trip No.170  Entry No.3  Date Added: 11th Aug 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Derbyshire)
Visited: Yes on 16th Jul 2021. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Town Well, Tissington: Our third well out of the six in the village. From Yew Tree Well, we headed east along The Green, past the pond (which had very cute young ducklings being taught to swim by their parents). The well is just to your left hand side at the far side of the green.