King's Weston Hill stockpound

Date Added: 6th Nov 2023
Site Type: Misc. Earthwork Country: England (Gloucestershire)
Visited: Yes on 29th Aug 2011. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: A few hundred metres west along the hilltop ridge from the Kings Weston Hillfort can be seen the remains of a large circular earthwork, of unsure date. People have been living and working on this hilltop ridge since neolithic times, and it is thought that this earthwork is some sort of stockpound dating from perhaps bronze or iron age times. It is a very pleasant spot up on this hilltop, surrounded by the northwestern suburbs of Bristol, but you would hardly know it, and can easily get taken back in time while up here.

King's Weston Hillfort

Date Added: 6th Nov 2023
Site Type: Hillfort Country: England (Gloucestershire)
Visited: Yes on 29th Aug 2011. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4

Log Text: At the northeastern end of the ridge that is Kings Weston Hill, now in the northwestern suburbs of Bristol, is to be found the remains of an iron age hillfort and farmstead. It is situated in parkland, just to the southwest of the more impressive Blaise Castle. The hill and immediately surrounding area is nowadays parkland, a part of the Blaise Castle estate. The steeply sloping sides of the hill are thick woodland, while the flat top of the ridge is open grassland, and makes for a nice walk. There is an informative noticeboard. The defended enclosure at the end of the ridge has been dated to 800BC and was in use until Roman times. The steep northern edge of the ridge still has some remains of earthern ramparts, while on the flat top of the hill is a rectangular banked enclosure.

Cors Y Carneddau

Date Added: 6th Nov 2023
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: I head down to the west and back to the lower track in order to find the Cors Y Carneddau circle. At first I found lots of stones all seemingly scattered around at random, with nothing obvious representing a circle. Some stones are standing proud of the ground over by the wall. But nothing that shouts circle to me. Having a more detailed search of the area, I was at one point heading back to the east, and then an arc of stones came into view. Was this it? Looking closer and several more stones were found under the surface, and for sure this is the remains of a circle, perhaps 10 stones remaining in the circumference, with a diameter of 15 metres or so. The giveaway to being in the right place is a steel bar sticking out of the ground, probably once a fence post, nearby to the two most obvious stones.

Cefn Coch (Penmaenmawr)

Date Added: 6th Nov 2023
Site Type: Ring Cairn Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Having done my research beforehand, I now know to head up and over the nearby ridge to the south and there is the lovely ring cairn, about 10 to 12 metres diameter. It doesn't stand very proud of the ground, and has quite wide "walls".

Monument 280

Date Added: 5th Nov 2023
Site Type: Ring Cairn Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Over a couple of mounds, and there is another catchily named site, Monument 280, of which I have no idea what type of site this is. There are many stones stood and arranged, but with no obvious pattern. There is a circle in the middle of them, and several in a straight line through the middle. Is that a burial cist beside one of the large stones? I see online something which states that in 1845 this was described as three circles. Time for lunch, and I notice a pair of glasses within what looks to me like a burial cist, with a leather strap hanging over the large stone beside it.

Druids Circle (Penmaenmawr)

Date Added: 4th Nov 2023
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 5 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: From circle 275 the stones of the Druids Circle can be seen up on the hill against the skyline. I make straight for it, but this is probably not the best way as it takes me through a little valley with lots of boggy area to get through. The site is positioned on a flattened platform area, with an embanked circle of stones about 35 metres diameter. Several of the stones are large and standing upright, many much smaller and some are flat to the ground. The position up here is gorgeous with the views out and over the sea with the Great Orme to the east, and Anglesey to the west. There are a couple here taking it all in, with the lady sat sketching the circle. I was intending having my lunch here, but I move on to the next site for that, so we do not disturb each other.

Circle 275

Date Added: 30th Oct 2023
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 2

Log Text: Next up is the snappily named Circle 275, which is to the south of the trackway in the long grass and heather. This is a lovely little circle of five stones with diameter about 3 metres, and in a most gorgeous setting with views out over the sea and up to the hills with the druids circle visible on the skyline. Is that a spiral carving I see on one of the stones?

Fridd Wanc

Date Added: 30th Oct 2023
Site Type: Round Barrow(s) Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: Moving on and the next site just to the north of the trackway is the Fridd Wanc mound, with a telegraph pole standing from its centre. Just to the southeast are several boulders, three obvious large stones, with a couple more not so obvious. Is it the remains of an ancient burial chamber? Or on later thinking, another little circle?

Maen Crwn

Date Added: 30th Oct 2023
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: A bit further southwest, and now into an open paddock like area below the farm, and this large stone is stood in the open grass below an avenue of trees. It has a scratches T + J on its southern face, along with other graffitti.

Red Farm

Date Added: 30th Oct 2023
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: Wales (Conwy)
Visited: Yes on 13th Sep 2023. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 2

Log Text: Walking up from Penmaenmawr, once up on the plateau, the first site I see is the Red Farm stone circle. Its over a wall in a field containing horses, and there are lots of people out looking like they are on an organised shooting event, so I satisfy myself with the view over the wall. Looks like about 4 stones on a flattened platform, with a couple of other either outliers or moved stones laying around.

Fox Covert NW

Date Added: 28th Aug 2023
Site Type: Chambered Tomb Country: England (Wiltshire)
Visited: Yes on 9th Sep 2007

Log Text: A badly damaged overgrown Long Barrow with possible Chambered Tomb in a field, which has been cut in two by a hedge. The eastern part of the barrow in the eastern field has now been completely ploughed out. The part in the western field is now about 30 metres in length, about 20 metres wide and up to 2 metres in height. There are one or two big stones, which are almost certainly field clearance, dumped on top, otherwise there were no noticeable features that I could see. There are a few other tumuli marked on maps in neighbouring fields, but as far as I could see, these have no all been completely ploughed out, including the Tormarton 1 (Gloucestershire) long barrow in the field just to the north of the lane here.

Tormarton 1

Date Added: 28th Aug 2023
Site Type: Long Barrow Country: England (Gloucestershire)
Visited: Yes on 30th Sep 2022

Log Text: Day out walking and stopped for a quick look here on the way home. The field has been harvested, leaving the long raised lump in the ground standing proud. No obviously easy way into the field, so I satisfied myself with a view from the road.

Long Meg And Her Daughters

Date Added: 4th Aug 2023
Site Type: Stone Circle Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2022. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Now to walk around the circle. It's huge, much bigger than my memory was telling me and with a little double stoned entrance up near Long Meg. The stones are basically large rounded boulders, like giant pebbles from a riverbed, and its not really accurate to consider them as standing stones. Lots of young cows in and around the stones, some of which seem to be playing hide and seek.

Long Meg

Date Added: 4th Aug 2023
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir) Country: England (Cumbria)
Visited: Yes on 20th Sep 2022. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 4

Log Text: Before heading east over the Pennines, I have time to go and visit Long Meg. A new car park has been made which is well signposted, which leaves a 500 metre walk to the stone circle. I start my visit with Long Meg itself, as there are a few other people here who go the other way. What a lovely stone, standing proud overlooking the circle with its spirals and of course the face of Long Meg herself.

Penzance Market Cross

Date Added: 2nd Aug 2023
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2023. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: I took a walk round some of the splendid Penzance gardens, and had a proper look at the lovely old market cross, nowadays just outside the café.

St Mary's Cross

Date Added: 2nd Aug 2023
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2023. My rating: Access 4

Log Text: A strange looking stone stump in the churchyard at Penzance. All I could really make out is a couple of carved figures on it, until I realised that the cross arms were broken off.

Giant's Rock, Zennor

Date Added: 30th Jul 2023
Site Type: Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2023. My rating: Access 3

Log Text: Having found myself in the field adjacent to that in which the Giant's Stone is marked, I have a look and can see it over the hedge. However its all very overgrown and I cannot get in to have a proper look

Treveglos, Zennor

Date Added: 30th Jul 2023
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 3

Log Text: I found the large gatepost in the corner of the field, but nothing obvious nearby. The fields and walls here are full of large stones, and what is a standing stone, and what is a natural feature is very hard to tell. Not helped by a lot of growth around the field boundaries. I'm certainly not convinced of a row. Perhaps I was looking in all the wrong fields

Zennor Churchyard Crosses

Date Added: 30th Jul 2023
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: After a day at St Ives, I go to Zennor to pay my respects to the Mermaid. Whilst at the church, I have a look at the various ancient crosses in and around the churchyard, and Borlase's grave. How fabulous is that mermaid chair.

Trevega Cross

Date Added: 30th Jul 2023
Site Type: Ancient Cross Country: England (Cornwall)
Visited: Yes on 15th Jun 2023. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 5

Log Text: After a day at St Ives, I go to Zennor to pay my respects to the Mermaid. Whilst at the church, I have a look at the various ancient crosses in and around the churchyard, and Borlase's grave. How fabulous is that mermaid chair.