Dorset Diversions
Every time we drive down to Cornwall, I want to stop off and see some sites in Dorset. Every time, something conspires to stop me, be it time constraints, the weather, carriage of pets, or whatever.
Today we were on a time constraint to get to St Just by 1pm, to pick up some meat from the organic butcher there. So an early start was called for. We left the house at 3:40 am. A smooth drive down the M3 ensured we were travelling through the New Forest just as the darkness started to disperse.
I had a few possible Dorset targets in mind: Nine Stones of Winterbourne Abbas (recently desecrated with runic inscriptions by idiots with chalk), the Hellstone, The Old Grey Mare and her Colts, Kingston Russell Stone Circle. Having seen the Nine Stones in the past, and knowing how difficult they are to photograph even in the day, I turned off for the Old Grey Mare group, but missed the appropriate side road. Pulling into a layby to check my bearings, I realised I was perfectly parked to pop over to see the Hellstone.
Two fields later, and having passed a herd of vicious/ultra-curious bovines in the adjoining field (why don’t they put something in their morning coffee to stem such behaviour?) I was standing by the Hellstone, just as the sun began to rise. Sadly the same group responsible for the Nine Stones graffiti has desecrated this site too. The same/similar symbols were in evidence here, with runes inscribed inside the chamber. Unlike the Nine Stones, though, the rain won’t have a chance to wash these ones off.
Saddened by this, I watched a glorious sunrise to lift my dampened spirits before returning to Mikki in the car.
We retraced our route back to the side road and made our way down towards the entrance to Gorwell Farm, ready for the walk to the Grey Mare.
The walk was much easier than I’d anticipated, though the ‘Beware Low Flying Aircraft’ signs were a little worrying, and I jinked off the footpath at just the right spot to see the Grey Mare. As Moth describes them, they are indeed a ruinous version of Waylands Smithy. Not much more to be said really. I did look for, but couldn’t see, the optical illusion so in evidence at Waylands, so maybe not such a good comparison after all?
A quick glance at the time proved that I wouldn’t have time to continue on to Kingston Russell on this occasion, so it was back to the car to continue our journey, arriving in Penwith in good time for the butchers, despite a long breakfast stop on the way.
Today we were on a time constraint to get to St Just by 1pm, to pick up some meat from the organic butcher there. So an early start was called for. We left the house at 3:40 am. A smooth drive down the M3 ensured we were travelling through the New Forest just as the darkness started to disperse.
I had a few possible Dorset targets in mind: Nine Stones of Winterbourne Abbas (recently desecrated with runic inscriptions by idiots with chalk), the Hellstone, The Old Grey Mare and her Colts, Kingston Russell Stone Circle. Having seen the Nine Stones in the past, and knowing how difficult they are to photograph even in the day, I turned off for the Old Grey Mare group, but missed the appropriate side road. Pulling into a layby to check my bearings, I realised I was perfectly parked to pop over to see the Hellstone.
Two fields later, and having passed a herd of vicious/ultra-curious bovines in the adjoining field (why don’t they put something in their morning coffee to stem such behaviour?) I was standing by the Hellstone, just as the sun began to rise. Sadly the same group responsible for the Nine Stones graffiti has desecrated this site too. The same/similar symbols were in evidence here, with runes inscribed inside the chamber. Unlike the Nine Stones, though, the rain won’t have a chance to wash these ones off.
Saddened by this, I watched a glorious sunrise to lift my dampened spirits before returning to Mikki in the car.
We retraced our route back to the side road and made our way down towards the entrance to Gorwell Farm, ready for the walk to the Grey Mare.
The walk was much easier than I’d anticipated, though the ‘Beware Low Flying Aircraft’ signs were a little worrying, and I jinked off the footpath at just the right spot to see the Grey Mare. As Moth describes them, they are indeed a ruinous version of Waylands Smithy. Not much more to be said really. I did look for, but couldn’t see, the optical illusion so in evidence at Waylands, so maybe not such a good comparison after all?
A quick glance at the time proved that I wouldn’t have time to continue on to Kingston Russell on this occasion, so it was back to the car to continue our journey, arriving in Penwith in good time for the butchers, despite a long breakfast stop on the way.
posted by Alan S. | 13:17
<< Home