Niddrie House

Trip No.106  Entry No.5  Date Added: 6th Nov 2018
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Midlothian)
Visited: Yes on 28th Oct 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 5

Log Text: Niddrie House Stone: This has to be one of the saddest little standing stones I’ve seen. Largely hidden by ivy and surrounded by rubbish, in between a largish utility building and a padlocked, disused cemetery, with a bus stop about 10m to the south west and a new estate with many security cameras to the north east. And a splodge of what was red paint running down from the top of the stone, too. If I could have dug this up and taken it home with me, I would.

Norham Cross

Trip No.95  Entry No.5  Date Added: 9th Sep 2018
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 6th Sep 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Norham Village Cross: (Before looking at this cross, we stopped off to look at the Victorian Jubilee Fountain just over the border in Scotland, which still has its original pump handle, although this doesn't work). We passed this cross several times today, but with it being immediately next to the children’s playground, there were children sitting on its lower steps, and propping their bicycles against it. When we passed by on the way back from seeing the holy wells at Upsettlington, there was fortunately no children around it, so we stopped to take photographs, much to the amusement of two ladies passing by who stopped to watch. It was nice to see the cross still very much part of village life today.

Whilst the top part of this cross looks Victorian/relatively recent, the steps look much, much older and are very worn.

Norman's Castle

Trip No.82  Entry No.6  Date Added: 24th Jul 2018
Site Type: Stone Fort or Dun Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 12th Jul 2018. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Norman's Castle, Laigh Hill, Patervan: Strictly, I only saw this dun from a distance, as it was scramble to get to the top of the hill, and my fear of falling kept me on Laigh Hill settlement below. Husband, Andrew, with all the skills of a mountain goat, and no fear of heights, went tramping up with the camera. When he came back down he said: "Goodness knows why they live in such places - it's difficult to get into!" Presumably, raiders would have been deterred by the climb, so the settlers would have been well defended.

From Laigh Hill settlement below, a large rock protruding from the surrounding cliff face dominates, together with what looks like a cairn, but the scramble across the rocks to take a closer look was deemed a little tricky.

There are certainly 360 degree views all around this dun. Very little of the foundations could be seen, due to the high growth of bracken and overlying turf.

North Bovey

Trip No.129  Entry No.5  Date Added: 23rd May 2019
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 10th May 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: North Bovey Wayside Cross: We’d booked into the local hostelry, The Ring O Bells, for supper, but arrived a little early. As well as seeing the cross on the village green, we wanted to see the local church, St John The Baptist. However, the church (given the time of the evening!) was firmly locked.

I was somewhat dismayed to find how close all the cars parked to the cross on the village green, but then there is so little parking in the village with narrow lanes and a small public car park, that I guess this is the easiest option for residents and visitors alike.

The different socket stone and shaft are clear, as is in the inserted piece of granite at the base of the shaft, inserted after the cross was knocked down by a vehicle in 1951 to help it fit the base better.

I almost had to sit on the bonnet of the car next to the cross to get a decent photo of the ‘front’ of the grass, facing back across the village green. On the green there is also a village pump, which attracted the numerous children playing on the green.

North Couston Refuge Stone

Trip No.54  Entry No.2  Date Added: 12th Oct 2017
Site Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone Country: Scotland (West Lothian)
Visited: Couldn't find on 30th Sep 2017. My rating: Condition -1 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: North Couston Refuge Stone, West Lothian: From the Westfield Farm Refuge Stone, we set off towards North Couston with only a very small scale book of maps and Trigpointing UK on our mobile phone to try and find this stone. From Westfield, we got back onto the A801 southbound, then turned left onto the A800, turning left again onto a minor road to a farm, parking in a largish concreted area next to the field entrance at NS 95279 70925. From the Canmore record, we didn’t have much hope, but given as we were not far away, wanted to check whether or not this Refuge Stone was still there.

We waded around the edges of the very wet entrance to the field (the gates into the neighbouring field were almost shoulder high – too high for me to attempt to climb over, although this route would have been dry). The field edges of this recently harvested field were then drier, so we walked along the eastern side, then headed south at the corner, along the old, grubbed out hedge line. We walked most of the length of the Followed the field edges, prodding the fence line as I went, but could find no evidence of any stone along the field boundary.

North Haystack Hill

Trip No.34  Entry No.2  Date Added: 21st Jul 2017
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 18th Jul 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: North Haystack Hill, Ingram, Northumberland: After Ingram Hill Enclosure, we took the permissive footpath to its east, walking up between Turf Knowe to our east and Wether Hill to the west. From this point on, for the next quarter of a mile, we seemed to be constantly moving out of the way of a tractor and a small four-wheel drive van and trailer mowing bracken (they seemed to target us with every turn!), up until the division of footpaths just before this earthwork, which appeared as a low stone and earth mound, about 1 metre wide and 80cm high, running to the left of the footpath. It ran for several hundred metres with the occasional bank peeping out of the bracken to the east. By this time, we were 800 metres from Ingram Hill Settlement, and a couple of hundred yards from the main Haystack Hill complex. We stepped over the low electric wire that was keeping the sheep in a particular area and went to investigate.

What a view to have from your front door, down the Middledean Burn valley to the west and the Breamish Valley and Ingram below.

Getting back home and opening up Pastcape, I was surprised to find this is a recorded Iron Age/Roman enclosed settlement. Although the long bank is medieval, the settlement is described as ‘much mutilated’ with a number of scooped hut circles. It can be seen on UK Grid Reference Finder aerial images, with ridge and furrow ploughing cutting over the top.

Making our way back to the path, which by now was levelling off, we continued up the slope towards the larger Haystack Hill settlement.

North Plantation A

Date Added: 6th Sep 2014
Site Type: Rock Art Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Would like to visit

North View enclosure

Trip No.21  Entry No.1  Date Added: 5th May 2017
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: England (Tyne and Wear)
Visited: Yes on 4th May 2017. My rating: Condition 1 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: North View/Bucks Nook Enclosure, Gateshead: Whilst this site is literally within sight of the eastern end of Prudhoe, to drive to it, we needed to go through Greenside and take the Rockwood Hill/Bradley Fell road until we reached the point where the road divided,travelling south/wout-west towards Guard’s Farm, and north to join Kyo Bog Lane.

We parked at the fork in the road, just west of North View Farm at NZ 11320 61603. The footpath going to this site running south east through a wooded area from NZ 11320 61597 (the stile into the wood is barely visible from the road), where it runs to the west of North Farm to open pasture. The trees bordering the farm were strewn with ‘Dogs run free/keep out signs’, which were quite off-putting. Nevertheless, there was a clear path running up through the wood to a second and third stiles at NZ 11412 61533 and NZ 11418 61531.

Just before this second stile, there is a corner and definite change of slope which runs at an angle to the footpath (which now runs in a narrow between a fence to the north and an old stone wall/hedge line to the south) and, in the field immediately behind the garden of North View Farm (field contains a stable). At the time of our visit, this boundaryfeature was quite clear, due to the difference in the colour of the grass. From here, it was a little difficult to know where the boundary ran. Where it appeared to cross the footpath, there was a clear ‘hump’ in the ground. Where it disappeared into the field, it was difficult to tell where it ran.

Continuing along the footpath several hundred metres, there is a 6ft fence at NZ 11557 61447, with a stile over it, and more ‘dogs run free/keep out’ signs. It is possible to squeeze between the trees at this point and have a closer look at any possible earthworks. There was a difference in colour in the pasture about 10 metres before the hedge-line at the south-eastern corner, but without a definite plan, it was impossible to tell.

I found the Sitelines Tyne & Wear HER 172 record, but despite it saying the monument is scheduled, I’ve been unable to find anything (having done searches on the various names, grid references, postcodes, farm names). I have emailed T&W archives to see if it’s possible to get some more information. The feature is not visible on UK Grid Finder, although it is possible to pick out the northern corner (photographed).

This place has lovely views over the Tyne Valley to the north. It was worth coming here just to see the views back over Prudhoe and Crawcrook.

Nun's Well (Upsettlington)

Trip No.95  Entry No.4  Date Added: 9th Sep 2018
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 6th Sep 2018. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Nun's Well, Upsettlington: From St. Mary's Well, walking up the hill to the gate which leasds into the next field, we walked back down hill towards a steam. The well monument can be seen between two large trees, just before a small burn leading westwards into the RiverTweed. The trees on the western bank of the river hid the view of the water, but what a magnificent spot.

I didn’t realise until we got home and brought up the Canmore record that the actual well is hidden by the stone dome, which is outside the monument enclosure.

The monument seems to be built on much older steps, which are held together with a large number of iron staples. These aren’t mentioned in the Canmore record.

Oddendale

Date Added: 9th Sep 2014
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Yes on 7th Sep 2014. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: Oddendales Stone Circle, Oddendale, Cumbria: From Seal Howe, heading directly north west across the pasture to the ‘cairn circle’ was interesting walking, as the ground was lumpy and bumpy with hidden stones underneath. I was not prepared for what we found – a beautiful stone circle of some 34 stones (if I counted correctly) with an inner circle that looked like it had been a cairn or inner mound.

I wish I had a wide-angled lens to capture the beauty of this stone circle in the landscape (if you can successfully ignore the scar of Hardendale Quarry in the background, which we did). Even with my husband perched on top of a nearby stone to get a higher angle, we couldn’t achieve the shot we wanted.

Nearby are also other large red granite stones that we thought might have formed an avenue (but we are quite imaginative people, and would love to have the skills to interpret the prehistoric landscape).

Walking back to the car by the hamlet of Oddendale (according to the Visit Cumbria website, not simply just a farm), the limestone pavement is impressive.

Driving onto Gamelands Stone Circle, it hit me how large the prehistoric landscape is around Shap, and how important an area it must have been in the past.

Old Castleton (Newcastleton)

Trip No.31  Entry No.2  Date Added: 30th Jun 2017
Site Type: Misc. Earthwork Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Yes on 24th Jun 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Old Castleton Earthworks (Liddel Castle), Near Newcastleton: At the north-eastern end of the cemetery, there is a small iron gate which leads out onto the field with the earthworks. The gate had been tied fast, but rather than walk all the way round, I used my un-knotting skills (honed from many years of knitting with cats around) and let ourselves into the field. Whilst the earthworks seemed big viewed from the B6357, they were very large as we approached them.

I was surprised, on reaching the western flank of the earthworks that the ground disappeared straight down some 100 feet to the Liddel Water below on it’s western side and a small burn running north-south to its east. There appeared to be the remains of a large ditch (moat?) to its southern flank and the mound is further divided into two parts east-west across the middle

Very impressive. A lot of history in a small area round here, with St. Martin's cemetery and the old cross nearby.

Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology

Trip No.20  Entry No.3  Date Added: 1st May 2017
Site Type: Museum Country: England (County Durham)
Visited: Yes on 30th Apr 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Old Fulling Mill, Durham: Now closed to the public. All exhibits have been transferred to the University of Durham Museum of Archaeology at Palace Green.

We walked up and down, then down and up, this lovely riverside path, directly underneath Durham Cathedral and the Castle, looking for St. Cuthbert's well. It is in a really lovely spot, although very close to the river, but as the signboard said, must have been prone to flooding.

Having read in the Portal entry that this museum contained examples of rock art, I was keen to visit, but the sign firmly said the museum was now closed. The University of Durham now have an on-line resource, but would love to go and pay a visit. At this time on a Sunday afternoon, it would have been closed, so a repeat visit will be necessary, but as it's such a beautiful location, and not far from home, this will not be too much of a hardship!

Old Man's Grave (Edmunbyers)

Trip No.42  Entry No.1  Date Added: 30th Aug 2017
Site Type: Marker Stone Country: England (County Durham)
Visited: Yes on 28th Aug 2017. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Old Man's Grave, Meadows Edge Road, Near Blanchland: We originally intended to go to Blanchland to look at a holy well marked on the OS map, not far from the town square, but the village show was on and it was impossible to park. We drove on across to the moors, intended to stop at a boundary stone on the way to Old Man’s grave, but the roads were too busy to stop.

I was expecting a cairn, but this is a small, relatively modern boundary marker, sited between two footpaths, and at the corner of a modern fence.

Not impressed, but stopped to photograph it anyway. Certainly stunning views, and I’m guessing at some time in the past this might have been a cairn with a way marker on top, or by, especially with it being located just up the hill from where Bale Hill turns into Meadows Edge, and where two different trackways led off the north east and south west off Meadows Edge across the moorland.

Old Prior Manor House Well (Corbridge)

Trip No.149  Entry No.1  Date Added: 12th Sep 2019
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 8th Sep 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: We have driven past this well so many times and said “we need to stop and photograph this” and today we did. I thought it was just a hollow in the wall, with a dry pipe coming through the wall, but no, it is a real well, with water, although no water flowed through the pipe and the water was stagnant and full of vibrant green weed.

Looking over the wall, it had a stone domed well house.

The well is located outside the Old Prior Manor House, at the corner of the B6529, Stagshaw Road and St Helen’s Lane, with the junction with Corchester Lane, which runs to the Corbridge Roman site, diagonally opposite to the south west.

The OS map of 1895 shows the well being sited opposite Trinity Church. The house, also known as Prior Mains, was formerly the Corbridge Rectory.

Old Radnor Church

Trip No.168  Entry No.1  Date Added: 29th Jul 2021
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Wales (Powys)
Visited: Yes on 14th Jul 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Old Radnor Church: Whilst we went to have a look at the standing stone, we spent ages walking around the church, enjoying the peace and quiet and the carvings.

Whilst I was excited to see the standing stone, I was immediately disappointed by the memorial carving on it. This is very reminiscent of the 'standing stone' grave markers in Kensal Green Cemetery, which we researched and were found to be official grave markers, not ancient standing stones.

There was no guide book for sale, but an information leaflet marked 'Leave In the Church', so I photographed a few pages for later references.

There was a very interesting old font, said to be carved from on old standing stone - still to research this one.

Old Viney Museum (Corbridge)

Trip No.151  Entry No.2  Date Added: 16th Sep 2019
Site Type: Sculptured Stone Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 14th Sep 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: The Old Viney Museum, Corbridge: [Photographed the Prince's Street Pant at the corner of the road prior to walking up Appletree Lane.] We had long sought out the location of this museum, where we knew some of the stones recorded on the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture were built into its walls. Having found Peter Ryder's Cross Slab papers for south west Northumberland, we finally had a street, so went seeking the property, thinking we'd be able to see it from outside.

We were really fortunate to find the owner of the cottage working in his garage, and he was delighted to show us round, leaving us to take photographs. He was also really interested in the documentation I'd taken along (I have since sent him a copy by way of thanks). His father purchased the museum and adjacent school buildings in the 1970s and his family has owned them ever since.

What a treat! I felt so lucky to be welcomed in and to see these stones, which we've wanted to see for at least three years now. Brilliant.

Old Wives' Well

Trip No.7  Entry No.2  Date Added: 2nd Oct 2016
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 1st Oct 2016. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Old Wives' Well, just south of Mauley Cross, near Stape, North Yorkshire: With this well only 223 metres south of the Mauley Cross, we decided to walk down the narrow metalled road ((Keys Beck Road) to the well. Again, Chrispy’s directions were spot on. This time, the rally cars were back, appearing every minute or so and we had to ensure we were visible to the drivers at all times (sometimes difficult with the bracken at the sides of the road being so high). Walking southwards back down towards Stape Village, reaching the first passing place on the left hand side of the road, a small track leads through the grass. About 20-30 metres into the wood we glimpsed a wooden rail which partially surrounds the well, then the well itself came into site.

With a simple stone built ‘hood’ over it, into which there is writing carved into the lintel, this is a very enigmatic spot. The well basin was full of water and a small tickle cut its way through the peat floor of the wood, heading south west down hill towards the road.

There were plenty of old ribbons and scarves (even a sock!) tied to the trees around the well.

According to the Pastscape Record for this monument, number 60532, the lettering on the lintel reads: "Nattie Fonten L M Natalis" (Roman governor of 3 provinces 120AD).

Outer Golden Pot (Otterburn)

Trip No.28  Entry No.4  Date Added: 29th May 2017
Site Type: Marker Stone Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 28th May 2017. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Outer Golden Pot (Otterburn): What stunning views across to Upper Coquetdale from here. No wonder the site is marked as a view point on the Otterburn Ranges Access Map. The fencing surrounding this Golden Pot has been broken on three sides, so it’s possible to appreciate its form more fully than the Middle Golden Pot.

The base is smaller than the Shitlington Cross but is about the same size as many of the Anglo Saxon Cross Bases we’ve seen in and around churches in North Yorkshire.

As I stepped back towards the road to photograph the base, I saw what looked like a cart track running diagonally up the hillside, crossing under the road and carrying on in a north-east/south-west direction. Andrew pointed out that if I moved a bit further over, I could see the second ditch, so this was the old course of Dere Street, now metalled and called ‘Roman Road’.

After stopping to photograph this stone, we went in search of Ridlees Cairn and Bushman’s Crag, to the south east of these intriguing cross bases.

Over Rig

Date Added: 11th Apr 2015
Site Type: Misc. Earthwork Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 6th Apr 2015. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Over Rigg Enclosure/Settlement, Eskdalemuir (south of Bessie's Hill but before reaching Castle O'er): We saw this natural amphitheatre to the right hand side as we drove down towards Castle O’er, seeing what looked like man-made banks and ditches on its slopes with the meandering White Esk glinting in the evening sunlight below. Rounding the corner, we came upon an information board and screeched to a halt, to the annoyance of two cars which had suddenly appeared behind us (not having passed much traffic all day); fortunately there was room to park on the verge near the board.

There was an information sheet in a wooden box below the board which visitors were free to take with them on a walk around the site and replace when they’d finished with it. This told us “Over Rig now consists of three well-defined banks and ditches, forming a deliberately designed concentric system which is surrounded by a further (and later) rectangular ditch .... this is one of the few Prehistoric Trail sites to have been excavated recently (note: in the 1980s) .... revealed that a platform had been constructed of clay material that had sealed off sections of the site. Beneath this, on the eroded river side of the site, were discovered the partial imprints of two circular constructions identified as houses.”

The RCAHMS records (site 67422) state that this “enclosure was presumably originally circular, but has been eroded away by the White Esk, almost to a semi-circle, which a chord of 200 ft and a radius of 85 ft. It is surrounded by an inner ditch 3 to 4 fet deep and 13 feet wide, a concentric rampart 5 ft high and 18 ft broad and an outer ditch 3 ft deep and 15 feet wide.”

We debated the use of this site; whilst a lovely place to be located, the lower part of the site must be a flood plain for the river. Whilst the information sheet/board indicate it might be for habitation or industrial uses, other sources I’ve looked at since our visit suggest it could be a funerary or religious monument, an enclosure for animals or an unfinished settlement.

If you are passing, it is well worth stopping to look. Apparently the acoustics, should you wander down to the river, are amazing. There is a good view of another settlement on top of a hill across the valley.

Oxenham Arms

Trip No.132  Entry No.8  Date Added: 7th Jun 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 13th May 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Oxenham Arms Menhir & Roman Stone: We originally headed off to the wrong pub, at the north western end of the village, but having thought the name of the pub wasn't what we remembered, we found the Oxenham Arms just down the hill from the village cross.

Walking into the pub from the bright sunshine of the street took my eyes some time to adjust, but we welcomed the coolness and the opportunity of a long, cold, icy drink.

I asked the barman if I could ask a cheeky question, and he said “on the scale of 1 to 10, how cheeky?” I replied “4”. He said “that’s not cheeky”. He very patiently told us where to find the standing stone, and also told us about the Roman pillar in the restaurant at the back. He very kindly said it was OK for me to take photos.

He also added (tongue in cheek?) that they thought it had taken 40 years to carve the granite standing stone, although how he knew, I don’t know. The stone apparently continues in one of the rooms upstairs.

Lovely atmosphere here. If we go back to Devon, I’d like to go for a meal here. A chance to see a couple of fine stones and have a drink at the same time - only the second time ever (the first being at the Templar Preceptory at Rothley).

There are several notices hanging on the wall and I’ve typed this up.