Circles 01 : The Potter Fell Ring Cairn

Thursday 20th April 2019

On Potter Fell there is a stone circle.  I know this from having visited it on BOOTboys walks, particularly BB1621.  To be technical, it is probably a Ring Cairn in which case it could date from 2000 BC.  But it is not mentioned in the book, hence "Almost".  Plus the fact that unfortunately Margaret was unable to join us.

Also on Potter Fell is an upright stone with a plaque that states:

Low Taggleshaw

This four acre site within the four boundary stones was awarded in perpetuity
to the parish of Strickland Roger by the Enclosures Act of 1838
for the inhabitants of that and neighbouring parishes for recreation and exercise.

And on Potter Fell is one of my favourite tarns, Gurnal Dubbs (although again to be technical it is a reservoir, designed originally for the mills down in Burneside).

On a nice day, it is an excellent place for a picnic.  Today was indeed a nice day.

We parked on the Potter Fell Road, near Larch Bank.  Luca was given the task of navigating us to the enclosure and, I have to say I was proud of him and his navigational skills.  He checked for every wall, every stream and every junction and unerringly brought us to the plaque.

Having read the wording on the plaque to us, we set off to discover the four boundary stones.  As the bracken was dead and flattened, it was a much easier task than it had been when I was there with the BOOTboys.

Soon we were at Gurnal Dubbs where the priority was finding a place to enjoy the feast that Emma had brought for us.  Magnificent.  No wonder her rucksack was so heavy.  The only thing missing was a birthday candle on the cake.  To be more accurate, it wasn't actually missing.  We decided it might not be safe to light it as the ground was so dry that the heather and bracken might easily catch fire.

Having feasted, we festered.  

Luca and Ellie were enjoying skimming stones and I must admit, so was I.  We saw buzzards being driven off by crows;  also a heron, and several curlews.

Eventually we decided it was time to resume our quest for the stone circle.  We knew it was more or less directly across the Dubbs, somewhere in the heathered hill hopposite.

After passing the boathouse and crossing the weir we let the sat nav take us directly to the ring cairn stone circle.  It is not the most dramatic I have ever seen, it has only about 20 low stones but a stone circle it most definitely is.

We returned along the bridle path, once again passing the Low Taggleshaw plaque and its adjacent stone.  We noticed that the stone appeared to have an indistinct carving on it.  On closer inspection, Emma thought that it might be the same symbol as used on el Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the pilgrim's walking route to Santiago. Now back home and able to consult Uncle Google, I think it more likely to be a surveyor's mark to determine elevation above sea level.  But there again.......!

One other feature deserves mention, as seen before we returned through the fields to the car.  In the near distance is a perfectly circular small hill, quartered by stone walls.  

Does this have historical significance?  Is it a pre-historic burial chamber? Or a symbol for an alien visitor?    Or simply a residue of the last ice-age?

Further research needed!  But not until Margaret and I have properly investigated the Stone Circles of the Lake District.

Don, 18/04/2019

BOOTboys

If you want to follow
The BOOTboys
let us know and
you will receive
automatic notification
of new BOOTboys reports

       To contact BOOTboys
Click on or visit:

For the Index pages
of our various outings
click on the relevant
link below:

If you want to know which BOOTboys reports refer to having visited any particular Wainwright or certain other tops, see BOOTboys Hill Log
 Warning- it might not be fully up-to-date!

Map: OS 1:25k

4.5 miles  640 feet

Photos have been gleaned from many sources although mostly from me and other BOOTboys. Likewise written comment.
I apologise if I have failed to acknowledge properly the source or infringed copyright.
Please let me know and I will do my best to put things right.
Unless stated otherwise, please feel free to download the material if you wish.
A reference back to this website would be appreciated.

BOOTboys 2019

E-mail addresses on this web site are protected by Email Riddler

Spam Trawlers will be further frustrated by  Spam Blocker: help fight spam e-mail!

 BOOTboys^© is a Lakeland Enterprise production brought to you by

Comitibus Communications^©