Not exactly a road trip but more a trip up the road and yet I had actually never visited this fine example of a "standing stone". Up a lane, which is borderline comfortable in a car, the gate to the field is around the bend and facing you. The stone itself can't be missed as it's very obvious once you make your way to the gate.
I had to climb over as I couldn't open it and maybe that's so careless visitors won't leave it open though thankfully there was no cattle in the field at the time.....I wouldn't have gone in then! It was a lovely sunny morning, with a definite hint of Autumn, a mix of under chill and warm sun, and perfect weather for viewing any ancient site.
So why did I put the words Standing stones in "" ? Well, that is because although it looks very much like a standing stone, it is in fact the last remains of what must have been a magnificent cairn. It stands 2.5 m high and is decorated with large spirals as seen in other megalithic structures such as Newgrange and nearby Loughcrew which is just 4K away. It is thought to have once been a lintel stone, resting over two side pillars to form an entrance to the now vanished monument. When the archaeologist, EA Conwell visited the site in 1872, he wrote that a tumulus had been destroyed a few years previously by the land owner, which in my opinion is so sad, and all that was left is this majestic stone, testament to a place that was most likely revered by our ancestors.
As I left, a small herd of cattle were nosily watching me from the field across the way and I just managed a maybe 5 point turn before heading back to the road, the long grass tickling the underbelly of my car.
As ever, I did my quick sketch.
