Andy Burnham's Blog, page 203

Maen Llia

Finding new features and angles of well known sites. There are upwards of seven stones in this row which is roughly aligned on the Northern face of Maen Llia.. Maen Llia Standing Stone is an elegant and imposing standing stone which is impressively situated in a remote position at the top of the Llia valley, along which it points directly north to south. It is a massive slab of a stone 3.8 metres in height, 2.8 metres across but only 0.9 metres thick and dominates the scenery in the austere moorland of Fforest Fawr.

Rempstone

A forgotten gem of a site, nestled in the enclosing bosom of the Purbeck Hills, Dorset. A once grand circle and remains of stone avenues, now almost forgotten. Really atmospheric despite it's near destruction and roadside proximity.

Giant's Cave.

A natural cairn type structure near Carnmenellis,
A big granite slab with a big chamber dug out beneath it.
A Roman coin hoard was supposedly found here.
Tricky to find as it was very overgrown when I visited.

Pastscape record: Giant's Cave.

Cairnholy 2

This is an absolutely fantastic site, easily accessed by driving along the signposted track from the A75. Cairnholy 2 lies a little further up the track leading to the B & B from Cairnholy I. (see our nearby sites list). As with Cairnholy I, Cairnholy 2 also follows the Clyde Cairn tradition and may have been constructed in more than one phase. It also has two chambers, but is not quite as well preserved.

Stonehenge.

Site closures round-up due to the wretched virus:. Stonehenge and staffed English Heritage properties now closed. Avebury facilities closed but the stones are open. Historic Environment Scotland sites such as Calanais Visitor Centre and Maeshowe are closed. Newgrange and main Brú na Bóinne sites are closed. Most if not all Museums are now closed. But all unstaffed ancient sites with public access including the Callanish stones are open as normal. Most US National Parks open (with fees waived) but facilities are not. Stay safe and why not have a sort out of your photos and send some to us to display.

Museu Municipal de Marvão

The Museu Municipal de Marvão in Alentejo, Portugal opened in 1987 in the Igreja de Santa Maria (church). It was reorganized and refurbished in 2015 and is again accessible. it has a significant archaeology collection. (photos on our page)

St Oswald's Church (Lythe)

Ancient cross fragments and Viking age carved stones in North Yorkshire. During the restoration of St Oswald's Church in 1910-11, forty-nine Anglo Scandinavian carved stones were found in the fabric of the building, largely dating from the 10th century. Two of the pieces are dated to the 8th century, indicating "there may be evidence for a stone Church prior to the arrival of the 'Vikings' and contemporary with the abbey at Whitby (Streoneshalh)".

Great Mell Fell Tumulus

Site of a Bronze Age Round Cairn or Bowl Barrow on the landmark summit of Great Mell Fell (573m asl). A turf covered mound of stones 8.5-7m diameter and 0.8-0.4m high, which appears to have been previously excavated/disturbed. The site commands an excellent 360 degree panorama of the surrounding landscape.

Talaiot de Mestre Ramón

This site was described, before the recent and ongoing archaeological works, as a talayotic settlement. The site occupies a small but prominent hill. The archaeological works began in 2015 and have uncovered a rounded building at the top of the hill and a ciclopean wall that is surrounding its base, near the former farmlands.

Sproat Lake Petroglyphs

On the shores of Sproat Lake, there is a panel of Petroglyphs, described as one of the best examples in British Columbia. The lake is a provincial Park, very popular as a recreational venue for visitors using the lake and its beaches. The actual Petroglyphs are on a rock face on the lake's edge, with a floating platform now provided to allow visitors to view the art without actually being able to touch them - but there is clear evidence that they suffer from damage and 'additions'