Winter Solstice 2015

-
Started out early in the morning after dropping Raye at work. Ventured to Castle Gresley, about a mile away is a village called Church Gresley! Obviously there is a church at one and at the other a castle! Travelling by road between the two I could see no sign of a castle. My deadline for leaving was 11am in oreder to pick Raye up from work. After going round in circles a few time and the rain getting heavier I circled a new roundabout and spotted on a hill a mound. So headed in that direction, unable to find I saw a jitty by the side of this built up area marked by a public footpath side. It was now 10:45! My instincts told me it might be there, so I quickly ran up a small incline and 'hey presto' there it was. A bailey and motte in full view! Brilliant! Quickly checked for a leyline and there it was running parallel to the path and running through it.

It has a motte and semilunar bailey, although altered by modern earthworks. The motte is twenty foot high on the hill top.

Apparently it may have been built by William de Gresley, the eldest son of Nigel de Stafford, probably during the twelfth century and was again probably made of wood.

So yet again, another adventure taken to the wire from a time perspective (just in time to collect Raye!)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summer Solstice 2012

-
Image
Castle Ring, Cannock Chase Started out in the morning in new car. Went to Castle Ring in Cannock Chase. I drew a line on my Ancient Britain map where I thought the Belinus leyline was. According to my calculation it disects Castle Ring. Further research had shown that another source thought it disected Meon Hill near Stratford-on-Avon, so I needed to visit both! As an aside, I also found that a couple had come up with a theory about 'leylines'. They thought they were natural tracks made by animals, posibly migrating herds, and then used by man later as communication networks, interesting. At Castle Ring I walked completely round the large hill fort. My rods crossed all round the perimeter except for either side where I found the leyline, 23 paces in width again, disecting the site in a SW-NE direction. Looking NE in the distance was the coal power station at Rugely. Castle Ring was thought to have been occupied around AD 50, by the Celtic Cornovii tribe.The fort at it...
Read more

WINTER SOLSTICE 2020

-
COVID AGAIN! National Lockdown over Christmas period and beyond. “GOV.UK CORONAVIRUS ALERT New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More info & exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives
Read more

AUTUMN EQUINOX 2023

-
Autumn Equinox 2023    kiosk there but free. Ruin very impressive and very grand. The Abbey had been used by Benedictines. They were canons and not monks, so could mix with other people. Checked my divining rods. They crossed everywhere inside the ruins. Unusual. So unable to find a ley line
Read more