British Camp and then Early Christian Crosses

Of course the best photograph of British Camp will be from the air, and for this I suggest the Wikepedia page.  This is a Bronze Age hillfort and the distinctive ditch and bank circuits were probably dug by antler picks - quite a job as it's a big fort.  Folklore would have it that the British chieftain Caractacus made his last stand here.  Whether or not that was the case, there has been found evidence of Roman occupation in the form of a Roman jar dating from the 2nd or 3rd C which was found the only time it was dug archeologically in 1879. It has, however, been surveyed more recently by English Heritage in 2000, and the survey revealed many hut circles - 29 from the earliest hillfort, which increased to 118 in the larger later hillfort.   

In the Medieval period, an oval ringwork was built by the invading Normans in the 11th - 12th C.  There was possibly/probably a wooden castle built here then.  Whether this was primarily a hunting castle, or one to control the hotly-contested boundary of the Shire Ditch it is not known, or it might merely have been the "iron fist in the landscape" to show that the Normans had arrived.

In the last couple of weeks I have joined a Facebook group specializing in Early Christian Crosses, and this has reignited my interest in them (which never really went away).  Anyway, my copies of A Corpus of Early Medieval Inscribed Stones etc (Vols. I and II) have been put to good use and Keith and I have visited several ECMs.

This early sculptured stone is to the South of St Cattwg's church at Llanspyddid near Brecon.  It stands about 3 feet high and is dated between the 7th and 9th C.  It has two ring-crosses carved into it but the lower one is very worn now and barely visible.  According to Lhuyd, writing in 1698, there had been an inscription on this stone, but this has worn away.  It was possibly in memory of Aulach or Anlach, father of King Brechan of Brecknock.  Another account states that the stone was previously twice the height it is now, but was cut down in 1880 during restoration work.

King Brechan was apparently very fecund as he apparently sired some 40 - 50 male and female children from 2 marriages, who all became saints in their own right . . .

St Cattwg's Church.  St Cattwg is also known as St Cadog (easier to write!) and was born in 497 AD and founded many churches in Dyfed.  During his lifetime he was Abbot of Llancarfan, near Cowbridge, although he died in Benevento in Italty in 580 AD.  His father was a hermit for some time, but obviously got fed up with that and had a change of heart and apart from siring St Cadog, he founded Newport in Gwent.  In English his name was Woolos the Warrior.

Fox and Cubs flowering still.

One of the venerable old yew trees surrounding this church.

Another day, another church, another county.  This one is in Herefordshire, at Orcop, and is St John the Baptist.  It fits so well into the landscape and we loved the 16th C timber bell tower.  Apparently the poet Francis Horovitz is buried here (didn't know that and didn't look for his grave).   We came here for the Medieval preaching cross (below).

The cross is very unusual because of the niche which would have held the Pyx or the Holy Water, when Mass was celebrated at the cross.  Below: close up of the niche.

Obviously a much-loved church with a congregation who can still design and sew (some churches just have plain unadorned kneelers.)

There was no other stained glass than this piece, based on the theme of "light" which was made and installed to celebrate the Millennium.

Many old churches smell musty, but this one smelt wonderfully of the bunches of flowers within it.

Finally a selection of gravestones, which I took photographs of because some of the Border surnames are so unusual.