Cheddar Gorge

[mynewcolour]

much more recent than that. The whole "ley line" stuff was early 20th Centurybased on a single book as I recall, while the "Druidry" we associate with Stonehenge and whatnot only really blossomed in the 2nd half of the 20th C.

The Old Straight Track. I read it as a kid. Apparently A.Watkins was a keen photographer.

You sure about ceremonial gatherings at Stonehenge being a 20c thing? You know it predates the carpark right?

 

[c41]

I didn't know that. We have three off the coast of the Isle of Wight.
Steve.

Maybe you're talking about other forts, there are a lot of Napoleonic era forts in the Solent area, but I always thought there were 4?
Spitbank, St Helens, Horse Sand, No Mans Land - I think maybe they're all private/hotels now? Very cool to visit Spitbank back in the day when it was 'open'

Cheddar is nice, winter is perfect, less coaches/tourist groups. Get up high if you can, the view from above is the one. The caves, not so interesting to me, Wookey Hole is better maybe?

Glastonbury isn't so bad, a lot nicer than some of the boghole Somerset towns like Frome imo. The Abbey and the Tor are absolutely worth the effort. There's a couple of old country craft type museum/visitor centre things around town too that are pretty OK. You don't have to buy crystals or hashish to enjoy a pleasant afternoon down there. Short drive to commanding views across beautiful Sedgemoor and the Mendips too. Gorgeous part of the world Avalon imo and I've never found my mother earth crystal or morris danced or whatever. - Sedgmoor draped in morning mist with the Tor poking above is a special sight imo with the fine aroma of pig manure on the air that means you just need to be there.

Enjoy your Cheddar trip.

 

[Steve Smith]

Maybe you're talking about other forts, there are a lot of Napoleonic era forts in the Solent area, but I always thought there were 4?

Oh yes. Spitbank fort. Making four.

It's very close to Portsmouth and gets ignored from here!


Steve.

 

[railwayman3]

The Old Straight Track. I read it as a kid. Apparently A.Watkins was a keen photographer.

You sure about ceremonial gatherings at Stonehenge being a 20c thing? You know it predates the carpark right?

Alfred Watkins - invented and marketed several photographic items, including the "Watkins Bee" exposure meter and a special thermometer for a time/temperature developing system.

So far as I recall from reading the book many years ago, he didn't attach any magical significance to the "Ley lines", and thought that they dated back to prehistoric tracks for travel or trade ; IIRC, it was authors in the 1960's Age of Aquarius/Flower Power days who merged his ideas into the whole Glastonbury/Earth Magic/Witchcraft scene.

I have a friend who is a qualified historian who, as one of his specialities, has written extensively on studies of Folk Lore and beliefs....he has little time for the modern crystal/meditation/magic stuff, but the genuine folk lore, superstitions and beliefs dating back hundreds of years, and the reasons behind them, has become quite a legitimate field of study.

 

[klownshed]

Wells is really lovely, some nice little pubs as well.

Wells is definitely worth a visit. As well as being Britain's smallest city (unless you count the City of London, which may be technically smaller, but being part of London doesn't feel quite as small as Wells!) it's also home to what they claim is the oldest surviving residential street in Europe, Vicars' Close.

Whether it's the oldest street or not, it's a photogenic place. Hence much photographed.

Coincidentally, Wells is also the location of an Ebay buy that stared my darkroom off... got myself a nice little Durst and a whole load of bits and bobs. A bit of a trek but a day out in Wells was the icing on the cake.

 

[c41]

Oh yes. Spitbank fort. Making four.

It's very close to Portsmouth and gets ignored from here!


Steve.

Lol. Fair enough and duly noted!

 

[Steve Smith]

So far as I recall from reading the book many years ago, he didn't attach any magical significance to the "Ley lines", and thought that they dated back to prehistoric tracks for travel or trade.

I too was under the impression that they were just regularly used routes for a variety of purposes.


Steve.

 

[NJH]

Its the dowsing stuff where it all goes a bit loopy.