Visiting the Dig at Arthur's Stone

 

On Saturday morning I made the most of a drier spell and drove across to Dorstone, to visit the penultimate day of this year's Dig at Arthur's Stone. It was the OpenDay. HERE is a - very brief - link to work on the site in layman's terms, from the Hereford Times.  "Archaeology at Arthur's Stone" is the more detailed Facebook page if you want to check that, and it has links to the nearby dig at Snodhill Castle too - exciting times there as well as they found a private Royal Free Chapel.  I've not visited this site, so this is one to go to this summer.

The view across Golden Valley from Arthur's Stone.

A new area uncovered this season at the entrance to the Burial Chamber.  The white grid is used for drawing the plan of a particular area of the site.

An exciting find - a cist which had been added later and contained some cremated remains which are now being analysed.

More exploring at the back of the entrance.

This shows the dry stone walling which demonstrates this was one of the Cotswold-Severn group of burial chambers.  Amazingly, what appears to be neatly-dressed pieces of stone occur naturally - what's more the Dig explored an area of the field behind Arthur's Stone and found these pieces in situ!  BELOW You can see the smaller little "wall" of stones close to the nearest end of the trench.  Amazing - but how did folk KNOW this was here?  I can only assume it was sheer luck when quarrying for the "doughnut" of stone which surrounds the burial chamber.

One last glimpse of Arthur's Stone . . .

    The kittens have been on Bat Watch this week, but I have blocked the attic door with a towel. The last one to crawl through was hung on the towel where it had ended up, out of the window overnight.  It was still there yesterday morning so I gently shook it off, but it has clearly died as it hasn't moved from the outer windowsill.  

    Yesterday Lulu had to be persuaded that perhaps pursuing a Hornet which had landed on the glazed half of the old kitchen door, was NOT a good career move.  I managed to catch it using a large yoghurt pot and lid and took it outside.

    Meanwhile, L. Whale brought in a live mouse last night.  I heard him give a "Look what I've caught" meow, but unfortunately around the "Look what" part he opened his mouth too wide and it escaped and is somewhere under the shoe rack or the food cupboard in the hall.  According to two interested kittens that is.

    I did some more family history yesterday and noted THIS gem (he would be my 1st cousin, twice removed).

Northampton Mercury 14 January 1910.

"Joseph Battams wishes to thank Fred Kellaway Esq, and other local gentlemen and friends from around the villages of Shutlanger, Stoke Bruerne, Roade and Blisworth, who SO KINDLY HELPED HIM OUT of his LITTLE DIFFICULTY.  With KINDEST THANKS to all."

    Having checked other newspaper reports, I don't believe this is linked to him riding his bike without lights, for which he was fined 4 shillings, and 4 shillings costs . . .  Will report back!