We chose to walk from where we were already parked, rather than move to the nearer parking, which meant we had an extra walk through misty woods - that otherwise wouldn't have been the case. To me, this only added to the magical feeling of the day, watching the fog clear and the sun come out as we approached the Tor was breathtakingly beautiful! Because of…
Also known as the Grey Ladies, this circle has only 4, of the original 9, stones remaining. The tallest remaining standing stones of any prehistoric site in Derbyshire, they stand isolated in a farmer's field on Harthill Moor. (You can read more about them here) Also on route are Robin Hood's Stride (yes, more rocks with a name. 😂) and Hermit's Cave. To visit, we parked…
Arbor Low is an impressive example of a Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age henge. Standing almost 400 metres above sea level, its earthwork enclosure is defined by a bank and internal ditch which is about 90 metres in diameter. It has two entrance gaps (or causeways as they are sometimes called) facing north-west and south-south-east. It is made up of 50 large limestone slabs that encircle a central cove of 7…
Where once stood a magnificent country house, now lie some scattered remains - the building lasting less than 100 years, and the ruin is now cordoned off for repair after a spate of vandalism. You can read more about its history here. To visit, there is a dedicated car park by the reservoir (53°16'13.2"N 1°58'59.0"W) with a path leading directly to the ruins. Also nearby are…
Duloe Stone Circle consists of eight stones placed in an oval-shaped ring with alternating heights; large, small, large... It has the smallest circumference of all the stone circles in Cornwall (under 12m), but the largest stones (up to 2.6m). No other stone circle within Cornwall has a ring of stones so rich in quartz, with veins of translucent white running down the eight lichen-covered stones. This…
Overlooking a picturesque river crossing, still marked by a series of ancient stepping stones, Ogmore is part of a trio of fortresses built to guard Glamorgan against attacks from the Welsh-held west. It started as a castle of earth and wood in the early 12th century but was quickly fortified in stone, before being further strengthened with a curtain wall in the early 13th century. Unusually,…
Gorsedd Stones are groups of standing stones constructed for the National Eisteddfod of Wales. They form an integral part of the Druidic Gorsedd ceremonies of the Eisteddfod. The stones can be found as commemorative structures throughout Wales and are the hallmark of the National Eisteddfod having visited a community. Each stone structure is arranged in a circular formation typically consisting of twelve stone pillars, sometimes from the…
The ruins of Candleston stand on the Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes, on the edge of the Merthyr Mawr Warren. A small fortified manor, Candleston was built in the first half of the 14th century on the initiative of the Cantilupe family. The Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales reported that Candleston's "elevated position was just sufficient to save it from the encroaching sand dunes on…
It is variously referred to as a folly, a prospect tower, a belvedere, a hunting lodge and even a mediaeval watch-tower, but in spite of its popularity very little seems to be known about it. Regardless of it's history, it made for a great little find on our woodland walk. To get here you can park at Hosey Common car park (51°15'32.3"N 0°04'49.0"E) or another car…
This was just a quick stop, but quite rewarding. Shortly after my arrival the car park started filling up rather quickly with groups of people all heading in the same direction, so of course I decided to see what all the fuss was about. It turns out they were all birdwatchers eager for a sighting of a rather rare bird - the woodchat shrike. One of…
Don't expect a village of ruins, the only building left standing is the church. The rest of the village can be found with a row of stones marking the walls of the various other buildings. We parked nearby (54°04'38.8"N 0°41'28.7"W) and only realized later that there is a car park much closer (54°04'07.3"N 0°40'36.6"W).
After a wander around Horsey Gap, we stopped at the nearby Somerton Church ruins; a tiny site just off a back road (literally), but beautifully overgrown and well worth the stop if you're in the area. To visit, there is a tiny amount of parking (maybe 2 or 3 cars) just by the ruins (52°43'06.2"N 1°40'21.2"E)