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

North Plantation A

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

Priest's Well (Catlowdy)

Trip No.187  Entry No.1  Date Added: 2nd Sep 2022
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Couldn't find on 30th Aug 2022

Log Text: Priest's Well, Catlowdy: Tried to find, but the footpath appears block by recently constructed areas for horses. Not wanting to disturb these beautiful animals, we gave up on our search, and will try and seek permission to enter from another direction at a future date.

Rumbling Well (Buittle)

Trip No.182  Entry No.2  Date Added: 20th Jul 2022
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Couldn't find on 19th Jul 2022

Log Text: Rumbling Well, Buittle: Unable to get to. Since the Google Earth images and the map on Canmore were produced, an additional lake with platforms for fishing has been introduced at the head of the reservoir.

We parked in the 2-car layby by the footpath sign at NX 80296 61523 and made our way across the fields towards the reservoir, thinking we’d be able to walk around the head of this new lake. What we should have done was parked further north at about NX 80275 61662 (but this was only a field gate with no footpath sign and only passing places to park in), and walked towards the northern side of the reservoir.

With a party of teenagers arriving to swim in the waters, and temperatures in excess of 30 degrees C, the call of cross fragments and other sites called louder, so we gave up, saying we’d come back another day, as there is so much to see in this area.

Cross Stone of Keverigg

Trip No.180  Entry No.3  Date Added: 11th Jul 2022
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Couldn't find on 9th Jul 2022

Log Text: Cross Stone of Keverigg: The location of the stone was clearly marked on the Historic England Map search map, but despite my husband clambering (very carefully) over the dry stone wall and stock fence at the eastern end of the access land, he was unable to find the stone. There was considerable growth of grass and weeds in the area, and plenty of moss and lichen on the surrounding stones. He did, however, find the Cross Shaped Stone that MonumentMan has submitted (SID 52464), 23m away.

Ladye Well (Terregles)

Trip No.177  Entry No.2  Date Added: 8th Jun 2022
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway)
Visited: Couldn't find on 6th Jun 2022. My rating: Condition 1

Log Text: Ladye Well, Terregles: Armed with the OS map and a description from “Saints in Scottish Place-Names”, we went back (after many, many years) to Terregles. This well is on private ground, so I found myself chatting to a lady who was gardening just opposite the village hall about how we might be able to ask for access.

She was very cagey about giving us any information at all, telling us in order to see it, we’d have to walk half-way down someone’s driveway. I did explain the purpose of our visit – my ‘holy well’ project, and that we used to live in the area - which didn’t seem to convince her.

I did try and knock on the door of the house at the very end of the village, at NX 92749 77497, but no-one was at home, apart from the dogs. Just to the west of this house there was an access road into a building plot, and with no-one around to ask, we ventured down this track to the back of the "garden". All was derelict ground with weeds galore.

Finding nothing, we made our way back to the road, and I was going to walk down to Ladywell House, which was some distance down a long driveway, with the house not visible, only for a second lady who drove out of Ladywell House and parked up just down the road, to speak to the Gardening Lady (presumably waiting for us to walk up). I went up to them and told the Gardening Lady we couldn’t find the well, found myself telling them we used to live around here years ago, and my kids went to Shawhead School (only 4 miles away). The New Lady said “there’s nothing to see – it’s all weeds. Even the site of the old chapel is just a lump at the end of the field, covered in weeds. Nothing to see at all”. So that was us told!

We felt really unwelcome, which was very sad.

We went onto see a named well (not a holy well or sacred spring) at Kingholm, and our reception was completely different. Two of the residents were enormously helpful, even giving us a guided walk of the field with possible locations of the well and associated spring.

Holy Well (Stonehaugh)

Trip No.171  Entry No.1  Date Added: 31st Aug 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Aug 2021

Log Text: Holy Well (Stonehaugh): We last tried to find this well on 30th June 2014, but failed, despite being directed by a local farmer and his dog, Meg. On this occasion, the steep path down the gorge was very slippery, with wet, knee high grass along the path, and quite dangerous, so we gave up, determined either to come back after a dry period, or to try a different path from the village of Stonehaugh towards the Black Pool.

Crossfoot Farm Standing Stone

Trip No.169  Entry No.5  Date Added: 9th Aug 2021
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Wales (Powys)
Visited: Couldn't find on 15th Jul 2021. My rating: Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: Crossfoot Farm Standing Stone: We tried to find this stone, and even hopped across the gate into the field which the OS map shows it in, but no standing stone was visible.

The field is next to a building site and it looks as if the field was being used to store both materials and rubble, making the field very difficult to walk across.

We think the stone now may have fallen, and may be in an area of unmown grass, so is not visible from the highly chained and padlocked gate into the field.

The Monk's Well

Trip No.167  Entry No.2  Date Added: 22nd Jul 2021
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: Wales (Powys)
Visited: Couldn't find on 12th Jul 2021

Log Text: Monk's Well, Clyro: Despite having the grid reference and the Coflein information, we were unable to find this well, which appears to be on private land.

Gilsland Spa Sulphur Spring

Trip No.146  Entry No.2  Date Added: 28th Aug 2019
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Couldn't find on 27th Aug 2019

Log Text: Gilsland Spa Sulphur Spring: We tried to find this well from both sides of the river. Continuing west along the river walk for about 20m, we found the path had been washed away, and not even husband-cum-mountain-goat Andrew felt comfortable walking this section of the river (he said it would have been easier to walk in the river).

We did cross the footbridge and made our way along the side of the river to within what should have been 'sighting distance' of the well, but the banks were too heavily wooded to see. Shame, as I really wanted to find this well-in-a-grotto. May return and have a second look from the Irthing Gorge walk path.

Homers Lane (Warden)

Trip No.126  Entry No.2  Date Added: 1st May 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Couldn't find on 1st May 2019. My rating: Ambience 2 Access 4

Log Text: Homers Lane, Warden, Rock Art Panel: Having visited Warden Hill Hillfort, we decided to drive the 1.15km to try and find this rock art panel, as it was so close. Driving north up the almost single track lane we managed to park next to the gate into the field with the rock art panel in, at NY 91110 68391, and walked back south the 50m or so towards the grid reference where the panel was located.

I'd gone armed with the ERA information and their photographs, and the GPS took us to within 9m of the previously recorded location of the panel. We leaned over the very ivy covered dry stone wall and tried to identify the boulder, but could not see it.

The field was planted with wheat, but with a large, long pile of fertiliser combined with a wide grassy edge to the field, we thought if we trod very carefully, we could let ourselves in through the gate and walk back to the piles of boulders. This was easy enough to do, although I wish there was someone I could have asked permission from first!

Using the GPS, we got to within 3m of the recorded grid reference, but still could not find a boulder the right size and shape. With the ERA photos in hand, I identified the two trees in one of the their photos, lined them up, but there were no boulders at that location. It looked as if they had been rolled further downhill, towards the drystone wall, to make room for the huge pile of fertiliser.

Andrew very bravely balanced on the boulders, trying to locate the panel, but after a reasonably through search, had to give up. Disappointing, but the NADRAP survey photos were dated 2008 - some 11 years ago.

Barningham Moor 1.

Trip No.117  Entry No.4  Date Added: 12th Feb 2019
Site Type: Rock Art Country: England (County Durham)
Visited: Couldn't find on 6th Feb 2019. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: Barningham Moor 1: Despite having the grid co-ordinates and also being with rich32, who knew where this stone had previously been located, we were unable to find it. in the end we started a few hundred yards to the west of Barningham Moor 96 and the three of us walked in a line back to BM 96, but no stones were visible in the ground. This panel was completely covered by grass and moss. Shame, perhaps we'll be able to see this on another visit.

Fairy Stone (Fourstones)

Trip No.116  Entry No.2  Date Added: 27th Jan 2019
Site Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature Country: England (Northumberland)
Visited: Couldn't find on 26th Jan 2019

Log Text: Fairy Stone (Fourstones): This is one of the sites I added to the Portal from The Northern Antiquarian, so whilst we were in the area, decided to try and find it. We parked at NY 89360 67929 on the outskirts of Fourstones Village (I didn’t think there was much at Fourstones, but there is a large papermill there).

Armed with the grid references (the one given by TNA, the other by Pastscape, we wandered along the road, up past the farms and along the lanes, but could find no trace of this stone. What a shame – I was looking forward to rediscovering it. Andrew, through looking at the age of the stone walls and the road surface, was able to tell where the road had been widened, which helped our search before admitting defeat.

I did photograph an old well/drinking trough next to the farm at about NY 89325 68021. This is a lovely old village.

Packman's Grave (Whiteadder Reservoir)

Trip No.105  Entry No.3  Date Added: 4th Nov 2018
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: Scotland (East Lothian)
Visited: Couldn't find

Log Text: Packman's Grave, Whiteadder Reservoir: Despite having the grid reference, we were unable to find anything at this site, which was disappointing. We did find something remarkably similar at NT 62814 64541 - five stones in a kite-;ike shape, not far to the south west of the Mayshield Stone Setting.

Borthwick Mains

Trip No.93  Entry No.8  Date Added: 31st Aug 2018
Site Type: Class I Pictish Symbol Stone Country: Scotland (Scottish Borders)
Visited: Couldn't find on 29th Aug 2018

Log Text: Borthwick Mains Possible Pictish Symbol Stone: We got the location of this symbol stone completely wrong, and whilst we found Borthwick Mains, did not find the symbol stone. Its now high on my 'wish list' to return to. A lot of building work had been happening here, with the entrance to the farm in the process of being widened, and the house nearest the road empty and almost derelict. I did venture into the garden, but not having any phone signal, did not have the photo of the stone on Canmore to refer to.

Parkmill Cross (Alloa)

Trip No.84  Entry No.7  Date Added: 26th Jul 2018
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: Scotland (Clackmannanshire)
Visited: Couldn't find on 14th Jul 2018. My rating: Condition -1

Log Text: Parkmill Cross, Alloa: Could not find this – the grid reference seemed to be somewhere in a breaker’s yard. Parking in the nearby housing estate just to the south west of this location, we followed the footpath sign to the footpath which ran west-east along the bottom of the field this cross base is supposed to be in, the tall fence and padlocked gates prevented entry. Andrew tried to gain access from the car breakers yard to the north-west, but said it looks as if their site has been extended to cover where this cross might have been.

Wester Biggs (Dunblane)

Trip No.83  Entry No.5  Date Added: 24th Jul 2018
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Scotland (Perth and Kinross)
Visited: Couldn't find on 13th Jul 2018. My rating: Condition -1 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: Wester Biggs Stone Circle, Near Dunblane: Returning from tea and cakes in Dunblane, we resumed our search for megalithic sites. Next stop, hopefully, a not-before-photographed stone circle, right by the side of the road.

Finding the telephone mast and driving a couple of hundred yards further on, we parked at NN 86368 06240 and walked back south along the road, armed with the Canmore listing on my phone and the GPS.

Despite an intensive search of the land east of the road around this point, we were unable to locate any stones amongst the tall heather. However, there was a circle of gras/vergetation which was different from any heather at almost exactly the grid reference given by Canmore, so I photographed ‘the spot’. Andrew thinks the stones may have been removed. Always possible, but I think we need to return when the shrubbery has died back.

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.

St Colmac's Cross

Trip No.50  Entry No.8  Date Added: 9th Oct 2017
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Scotland (Isle of Bute)
Visited: Couldn't find on 25th Sep 2017

Log Text: St Colmac's Cross, Isle of Bute: I really, really wanted to find this standing stone with incised Latin Cross, but we couldn't work out a way to get behind the barn at East St. Colmac Farm to view it. The Canmore records show this intriguing stone in a wooden enclosure, which was built round it after it was damaged in recent times (the top was knocked off).

By the time we'd had several attempts to find this stone, we were seriously running out of time to get back for our ferry back to Wemyss Bay. We needn't have worried, however, as the ferries were suspended because of the heavy fog. This necessitated a drive up to Rhubodach to get a shorter ferry ride across to Colintraive, then a very hairy mountain drive on a single track road with dense fog back to Dunoon. A not to be forgotten trip!

St. Oswald's Well

Trip No.20  Entry No.5  Date Added: 1st May 2017
Site Type: Holy Well or Sacred Spring Country: England (County Durham)
Visited: Couldn't find on 30th Apr 2017

Log Text: St. Oswald's Well, Durham: From St. Mary’s Well, we headed off along the footpath by the side of the river, on the outer bank of the river Wear as it curves south and east around the cathedral. It is a very pretty path, although with quite a steep drop on the river side at times. We were amused by the ladies rowing on the river who went into the bank once or twice!

Reaching the outer walls of Hatfield College, we climbed some steps onto a path leading us onto Anchorage Terrace and followed the road north towards St. Oswald’s Church. The grid reference as given showed the well to be in the vicinity of the school. After much walking around St. Oswald’s churchyard, I eventually pulled up the description from the Ancient, Healing and Holy Wells of County Durham by Laurence Hunt, which told us that the well was “Situated just below the footpath leading from St Oswald's churchyard to Prebend's Bridge. Reached down a narrow, steep footpath about 20 yards after entering the trees below the church tower.”

Following our steps back to the tower, there is indeed about 20 metres through some trees back to the footpath. Just to our left there was a small, very overgrown track leading down what (to me) looked like a death-defying drop down the cliff to the river below.

Husband Andrew, being intrepid and with absolutely no fear of heights, swung himself onto the footpath, clung onto a tree and leaned over. He said he could see the well. I closed my eyes.

After a few minutes he reported that about 3 metres of the footpath appeared to have slipped down the slope and was missing, and he could reach the well but would like a rope!

We aborted the visit, sadly.