Mud on the Barrow Downs

[ladyofastolat]

There was a strange and unfamiliar glowing ball of light in the sky this morning, so I thought I'd get out nice and early before it decided to go away again. My knee still isn't up to long walks, so I just did about 6 miles, centred on Five Barrows. Five Barrows, as the name suggests, is a hilltop conglomeration of at least eight barrows. Even the experts don't seem to know how many there are, barrows presumably being like the stones in stone circles when it comes to uncountability. The Megalithic Portal says there's one main barrow and "four or five" smaller ones, but proceeds to tell us that "they supposedly consist of one disc, six bowl and one bell barrow." However, the website does warn me that I may be viewing yesterday's version of the site, and advises me to register in order to receive the most up-to-date information, the world of prehistoric momuments presumably being one so fast moving that yesterday's information is worthless.



The way was rather wet and perilous, and prone to enormous puddles leaping out at saying "None shall pass!"



The barrows were pretty much impossible to photograph in any meaningful way, so here are some poor attempts:

All I will say is that here are "some" barrows. (Or, if barrows are uncountable, should that be here "here is some barrow.")



This barrow exhibits a very prominent fried egg structure, which proved to be anything but prominent when I tried to photograph it - not helped by the fact that I had to do this into the sun. I expect the barrow wights (Wight wights?) had something to do with this.



I think this picture was taken while standing on the main barrow, which is surrounded by a gorse-filled ditch. Half a ditch, anyway.



Leaving the barrows, I saw that something very Probably Ritual had recently happened on it, or was about to happen on it after I left.



And then back to the car, by way of a deadly path and some very muddy woodlands:





After failing to photograph the barrows properly,

Comments

[rubygirl29.livejournal.com]

Great pics, but I don't think I've ever heard of "Free Range Bees." Is this a British phenomenon like barrows?

We have neither in the US ... though I'm sure we have rogue bees that belong to no established hive roaming the wilds of our back yards and gardens. :-)

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

It's not just the Wight wights that get up to these tricks - in Dorset we have Nine Barrow Down which, according to my copy of Prehistoric Dorset, is an "impressive linear barrow group consisting of 18 barrows..."

I think the ritual (hare-and-hounds maybe?) must have already taken place - how else to explain the sunshine?

[puddleshark.livejournal.com]

Perhaps barrows come and go at will? This would be why the people at Megalithic Portal need daily updates.

[lycoris.livejournal.com]

We had that strange and glowing ball of light here too. It seemed friendly, I think we should let it stay. ;)

Those are some lovely photos - looks like a nice place! Free range bees ... wouldn't that be, well, all sorts of bees? Bees tend to be free range, it's in their natures ...

[thecatsamuel.livejournal.com]

Fantastic, atmospheric photos.

I have camped with free-range midges, but the bees are a new one!

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

Aha, I see the sign of the Secret Ritual of Hashing :-)

Nice photos! There was (probably still is) a gate at the bottom of the field at the back of my grandparents' house that either looked exactly like that, or without the water but with Mud of Extreme Squelch, which was always an interesting obstacle to navigate when heading out for a walk. It was, I think, due to the cows that mostly occupied that field, and annoyed Nanna by licking her windows and leaving smeary marks all over them.