My first stop in Anglesey, a beautiful example of Neolithic burial grounds. On the longest day of the year, sunlight flows into the passageway of Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber. I was there a week before the solstice and already there was plenty of light to see the mysterious pillar stone inside. The presence of the pillar within the burial chamber, the reproduction of the 'Pattern…
On the way to Gottwood festival, I decided to take an extra day and stop at some spots along the way. This gorgeous waterfall topped the list, and the weather cooperated perfectly. The walk from the carpark is beautiful;, the views of the falls appear in the distance drawing you in. To visit, there is a car park (53.228093078254204, -4.005168388087007). There is a path which is…
On the way out of the Isle of Portland, we stopped at Tout Quarry Sculpture Park & Nature Reserve. A brief visit due to time restraints, but a place that looks worthy of a return visit should I end up on this isle again. We explored the circle of stones, and over the hill to the small buda ritual carving. A rainbow framed our departure, and…
I spent a few days with friends on the Isle of Portland for new year. One amongst us had a gig to play on the island, so about 40 of us decided to join and make a trip of it. One of the days, a few of us went on a wander down the coastal path. After a windy stroll along the cliff edges, we took…
This one is a little bit of a local secret, not marked on maps and it only flows during rainy seasons.. but worth a visit if you're around at the right time. After the falls we took a walk up to Sir William Hill trig point, before walking back for a pint in town. I did this walk with friends.. we hired Eyam YHA for the…
Beacon Hill Country Park encompasses a nature area with trails, rustic play equipment for kids, sculptures, an arboretum, and even a rhododendron labyrinth. For me, the rhododendron labyrinth was the top attraction! For some unknown reason, exploring rhododendron dells as a child is a key memory for me, so I'm always happy to come across one, and this one has easily walkable paths cut through it…
Built in 1771 by Sir Richard Arkwright, Cromford Mill is the world’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill. Today, the mill buildings house a variety of independent shops and a small museum, all of which are free to explore. To visit, there is (paid) parking on site (53°06'34.5"N 1°33'17.2"W)
Lying just behind The Druid Inn in the village of Birchover is a fascinating cave complex known as Rowtor Rocks. It consists of numerous interlinked tunnels and caverns, some natural and some man-made. A series of steps, thrones and altars have also been carved out of the stone around the place. There are plenty of opportunities for climbing, hiding, and adventures... but do watch the children as this is a…
Stanton Moor is an area of gritstone that stands between the villages of Stanton in Peak to the north and Birchover to the south. It contains the remains of 2 definite stone circles (Nine Ladies and Doll Tor) and 3 other possible circles or ring cairns (Stanton Moor North, Central and South), as well as Earl Grey Tower, and the cork stone (climb it if you can). All of these are held in an environment that…
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…