Crunzierton Wood Scooped Settlement

Trip No.164  Entry No.4  Date Added: 27th Jun 2021
Site Type: Ancient Village or Settlement Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 2 Access 4

Log Text: Crunzierton Wood Scooped Settlement: I found the 'scramble' up the steep, leaf covered slope to reach the settlement a little bit of a challenge, and rather than slide back down, we came back down on what had been a forestry track (now ruined by recent harvesting) on the north eastern side of the settlement.

What a pleasant part of the world, very rural, with what appeared to be mixed forestry rather than just pine.

Easier to see the outline of the settlement with the naked eye rather than try and capture it with the camera. Would love to come back when the undergrowth has died back.

Moffat Well

Trip No.164  Entry No.5  Date Added: 27th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Moffat Sulphur Well: I've described this location as 'good' because, as the well house itself is neglected and run down, the scenery around it is very pretty, and we enjoyed our visit.

Approaching the well from the small car park (having tripped over the low lying fence wire suspended 2 inches from the ground between the gate posts- beware!), we became aware of the strong smell of sulphur from about 10m away.

Taking a very deep breath of clean air, I ventured into the dark, dark, dank well house, and managed to take a few photos of the tunnel bringing water into the first of two troughs. No water flow was evident at the time of our visit, but there had been a prolonged dry period before hand.

Another spring appears to surface some metres to the south of the well, creating a boggy area with small ponds.

Looking down over the iron railing near the well house to the gorge below, we spotted a series of small waterfalls. Further north, there is a larger waterfall marked on the map, but by this time it was late evening, and we wanted to go home, so didn't venture further.

Skip Knowe

Trip No.164  Entry No.3  Date Added: 27th Jun 2021
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Access 4

Log Text: Skip Knowe Standing Stone, Gateside: Our fourth stop of the day, after having investigated Hodge Wells and Springs at NY 10960 95700 [not recorded here, as this is neither a holy well or sacred springs]. I've said this is Access: 4, when you can actually park on the grass verge right by the stone, but the grass verge is very uneven and difficult (for me) to navigate. Couldn't find part of the fence low enough to hop over this time (must have been repaired since April 2019), nor could we find a gate off the side of the field nearest the road.

Not much has changed about this stone. We managed to identify the second stone mentioned by Canmore, some 18ft from the main standing stone, but it did look more like 'just a boulder', which had other stones around it.

Very pleasant countryside, and no workmen erecting telegraph poles this time round!

Chapman's Stone

Trip No.164  Entry No.2  Date Added: 27th Jun 2021
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 5

Log Text: Chapman's Stone: Again, our second stop of the day, and I'd remembered wrongly there was a stile which allowed access to the field with this stone in. Rather, the stone acts as a stile, although the height of the fence and the barbed wire at the top stopped us from hopping over; neither could we find a gate on the side of the field nearest the road.

Such a shame this stone hasn't been set upright again. The views in either direction are very pretty.

Poldean menhir

Trip No.164  Entry No.1  Date Added: 26th Jun 2021
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Yes on 25th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Poldean menhir: Re-visited this stone whilst in the Moffat area. Not much has changed, except the weeds have been allowed to grow high around the stone. The area around its base has been heavily trampled, and was difficult to walk across. Two VERY large, very handsome bulls in the field of pasture, but thankfully an electric fence between us and them.

Eddybroth Well (Whittle Dene)

Trip No.163  Entry No.2  Date Added: 11th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 8th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3

Log Text: Eddybroth Well and Dean Head Well, Whittle Dene: A lovely walk along St Andrew's Lane from Ovington, then down (and across) Whittle Burn, and along leafy, shady paths which follow the side of the Burn. A lovely managed woodland, complete with small wooden chalets that were being well used in this warm weather. Once passed these, we saw only one other person. A really pleasant afternoon, and so pleased to have found this well.

St Andrew's Well (Ovington)

Trip No.163  Entry No.1  Date Added: 11th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 8th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: St Andrew's Well, Ovington: Parking in Ovington village by the old red phone box (now the Village Information Centre), it was a very pleasant walk along St Andrew's Lane to find this well, now no longer shown on the OS maps, but still very much there.

We carried on towards Whittle Dene, another glorious location, to find Dean Head Well and Eddybroth Well.

Entry Well (Ovington)

Trip No.162  Entry No.1  Date Added: 9th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Yes on 6th Jun 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Entry Well, Ovington: A pleasant walk on a warm, sunny Sunday evening, trying to destress before the builders arrive next door tomorrow. Not expecting to find anything at this site, we were surprised by the remaining, and still visible structure here. Not been able to find out anything much about this well, apart from the fact it forms the western boundary of the parish of Ovington. Have appealed for further information until I can get hold of some local history books/journals.

Ings Well (Mickley)

Trip No.161  Entry No.7  Date Added: 9th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (West))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Ings Well & Spring, Mickley (North Yorkshire): Our last stop of the day, and what a pretty site, with an easy walk down the Ripon Rowel Way from Mickley village. Note: there was a very rickety stile to cross as you entered the field at SE 25833 77052 (the top step was like a see-saw, although climbing the gate might have been easier!).

Sited under a lone hawthorn tree to the left hand side of the footpath, water flows freely out of the ground and spreads out into the field.

At SE 25954 77141 a large wooden post marks the location of a spring, the waters of which appear to flow south-east to north-west along a drainage channel. I wanted to investigate further, and also walk to another well (marked 'W' on the HE map search) at SE 26090 77149, but the field was far too wet and boggy and I was sinking up to my ankles in water. So wish I'd taken a pair of wellies!

Billey Keld

Trip No.161  Entry No.6  Date Added: 8th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (West))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Billey Keld Well, Grewelthorpe: With some very lively bullocks in the field, we decided not to venture into the field through the gate to look at well. However, we managed to see some of the structure from the roadside.

A local lady walking her dog stopped to talk to us and say she remembers visiting the well to collect water when she was a child.

Skew Skell Well

Trip No.161  Entry No.5  Date Added: 8th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2021. My rating: Condition 2 Access 4

Log Text: Skew Skell Well, Ilton: We parked at SE 18823 78010, and walked NW down the slope with GPS in hand to find this well. It is in a small, rectangular area (to our right hand side) defined by a the stone walls forming an enclosure open at its south-western side, presumably to accommodate, and allow access to the well and a spring.

The ground was very heavily covered with foliage and nettles. The sound of running water could be clearly heard. Skew Skell Well could be made out by standing in the NE of the enclosure (there was a deep dip, filled with water). The spring appeared to be on the NW edge of the enclosure, with water now appearing to rise just over the stone wall, in the adjacent field. This flow of water could be followed downhill by a line of reeds.

On the opposite side of the road, there was another large pool of water. Other springs rise in the area. Water from Skew Skell Well must be piped under the road and run down the drainage ditch at the other side of the lane.

Berry Well

Trip No.161  Entry No.4  Date Added: 8th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (West))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2021. My rating: Condition 3

Log Text: Berry Well, Swinton Park Hotel: After St Michael's Well in Well, we stopped off in Masham for refreshments, stopping to photograph the water troughs/Renton Well in Masham before setting off to find Berry Well.

We parked at SE 21443 79735, just to the south of the hotel lodge gates. As I stepped out of the car, I immediately noticed the trough.

The area of grass verge up to the well from the hotel gates has been recently strimmed. The sound of running water can be clearly heard. The well basin is well under the current ground level, and largely hidden by the weed trimmings. The water is piped under the road, although there is no indication that we could find of where the water goes to.

There is a pond on the other side of the wall, which feeds the well. There is a small, lively, very clear stream which wends its way down a very gentle slope in the grounds of the Swinton Park Hotel. (The gates of the hotel were open, so we popped in and followed the wall along).

There is another section of trough on the hotel side of the wall.

St Michael's Church (Well)

Trip No.161  Entry No.2  Date Added: 7th Jun 2021
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Cross Base, St Michael's Church, Well: Our second stop of the day, arriving in glorious sunshine. Parking is available immediately outside the lych gate, and along Church Street. The HE record led me expect a 3m tall cross shaft, but this had been broken off, with no sign of it lying anywhere close to the cross base.

Understandably, the church remains locked to visitors due to pandemic restrictions, but we wandered round the outside of the church, photographing the few medieval grave slabs built into the fabric of the old building, and the sundial (very, very worn) over the south porch door.

The lower part of the tower is clearly early - 12th century in date at the bottom, the western side containing a very old wooden door which looks like it leads up to the belfry. I would be very interested to go back, as the church contains part of a Roman mosaic found locally, along with some interesting tombs and effigies

St Michael's Well (Well)

Trip No.161  Entry No.3  Date Added: 7th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: St Michael's Well, Well: Our third stop of the day, driving west out of Well village, up a shady, pretty single track road with trees on either side. With little/no traffic on this road, we pulled into the passing place/small layby immediately opposite the well. At first, I didn't think anything was here, but behind the stone wall and wooden fence to the northern side of the road, there was the very distinct sound of running water.

Behind the small stone wall are some steps which lead down to the well itself, through which copious amounts of very clear water are running. This water then leads into a small stream which runs into Well Beck.

We didn't realise until later that the actual source of the water was from the southern side of the road, which also has a stone wall structure, fronted by what is now a muddy patch (once the well pool?). The water looks as if it originally emerged from by a large tree now growing in the wall. This area of ground has been heavily churned by cattle and the small gap/stile in the wall at this point has been wired off.

A very lovely spot, well worth the visit.

Lady Well (Kirklington)

Trip No.161  Entry No.1  Date Added: 7th Jun 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 31st May 2021. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Lady Well (Kirklington): our first site, in our first day out for 15 months. What a delightful location, although a shame the well house itself is crumbling and full of rubbish.

With the site of the deserted medieval village of Yarnwick in the same field, and to the north of, the well, it was a delight to be back in the countryside again

I stopped to photograph a second, now capped well, presumably the well supplying the farmhouse, at SE 31634 81303.

Easington Cross

Trip No.160  Entry No.2  Date Added: 20th Mar 2020
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 19th Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Easington Hogbacks and A-S stone fragments: We had already seen the cross base in the churchyard, but arranged with the Reverend Danny Walker to revisit when the church was open. He was there with a very knowledgeable churchwarden (with his two wonderful dogs) to move some furniture around so they could leave the church open for parishioners and visitors at this current time of crisis.

The churchwarden took us into the tower to see a Norman arch that had been rebuilt on the first floor to preserve it. He also showed us St Hilda’s Cross base, and what he said was part of the cross shaft, but I said I thought was a medieval cross-slab as it clearly had a sword on it in the sunlight.

The vicar had cleared the steps to the basement boiler room, where we were allowed to move the old screens and debris to find any pieces we could. We found all but one of the pieces listed on the Corpus (the other may have been under debris, but with dead birds in the corner, we were reluctant to explore this part of the room). A real treat, and thanks to the vicar for opening the church up for us.

St Oswald's Church (Lythe)

Trip No.159  Entry No.1  Date Added: 8th Mar 2020
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 4th Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 4

Log Text: St Oswald's Church, Lythe: Our first stop of the day, and one I was very much looking forward to. Parking is available in the small lane to the west of the church (just off the A174 Lythe Lane). A notice put up by the farmer asked cars to park on one side of the lane only, so they had continuous access to their fields behind the church.

I was concerned about if I'd be able to make it down the 'windy stone steps' to the basement, where many of the Anglo Scandinavian and medieval stones were displayed. I needn't have worried, as the steps were modern, and whilst there was no hand-rail, they were easy enough to descend (although I did manage to dislodge small chunks of stone from the south wall as I descended).

We spent an hour and a half here, then needed to move on. I would have liked to have spent another hour (at least) here, with the notes printed from the Corpus of Anglo Saxon Stone Sculpture, and better lighting to take better photos of the stones in the basement.

Three Crosses Well (Boulby)

Trip No.159  Entry No.7  Date Added: 7th Mar 2020
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 4th Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Three Crosses Well, Boulby: Parked outside the holiday cottages (there was a large layby just down the road). Originally followed the footpath sign, which took us down a steep bank, but Andrew found a farm track a little further along the south side of the A174, laid through a new area planted with saplings. Despite looking for someone to ask permission from at the farm and the holiday cottages, we were unable to find anyone, so were very carful to stick to the footpath/track.

At the end of this track, three cross bases came into view, and we peered over the fence line to see the well. The well house itself is a little down slope from the cross bases. We were curious as to the connection between the cross bases and the well.

The view of the sea from the cross bases is hidden by a natural small hill/mound. This is a magnificent site, despite the proximity to the potash mine.

Easington Cross

Trip No.159  Entry No.6  Date Added: 7th Mar 2020
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 4th Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Easington Cross Base: The cross base is recorded as HE 1011970 and as Pastscape 1583425. Pastscape 29031 tells us there are "nine Saxon stone fragments [in the basement] at (the) Church of All Saints", although my attempts to contact the vicar by telephone and email have not been successful. I did speak to a gentleman who I thought was the church warden, but he told me "he no longer holds an official position within the church".

As we were passing through the village anyway, we stopped to see the cross base, although the church was well and truly locked.

As well as the cross base, there is also a sundial towards the western end of the churchyard, and a drinking fountain at NZ 74521 18036, at the side of the main Loftus-Whitby Road.

Hinderwell Cross Head

Trip No.159  Entry No.5  Date Added: 7th Mar 2020
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Yorkshire (North))
Visited: Yes on 4th Mar 2020. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: The Hinderwell Cross Head, St Hilda's Church: Whilst the church itself is well kept and nicely presented, this cross head is tucked away in the foyer of the church, at the bottom of the stairwell leading to the gallery/organ.

After photographing the well, we wandered up to the church, finding it open. Just inside, to the left hand side of the lobby, next to the stairs ascending to the gallery, was a cross head, which I photographed. Inside was a leaflet describing local heritage, and I found a short section about both Lythe and the Hinderwell Cross in there.

Just outside the south door, about 3m to the south west, is part of either a cross base or a column, which I also photographed.

Guy Points, in his Gazetteer of Anglo Saxon and Viking Sites: Yorkshire, only mentions the well (pages 161/162).