When Easter comes around I think of them both.

My dad was buried over the Easter weekend. 

Easter in England is a time of family picnic’s, walks, gatherings and pub lunches. I miss my parents the whole year round, but particularly at Easter.

Love you Mam and Dad. I hope you are together for Easter.

In loving memory of George Wilfred Newman

and Phoebe Ethel Newman.

When I think of you both, I think of the beautiful English countryside and our Sunday ‘outings’. I hope you are both proud of me now. I am following my dreams and becoming a writer. It took long enough.

• Follow me on Facebook
• Girl on the Beach (Smashwords)
• Girl on the Beach (UK)
• Girl on the Beach (US)
• Preview Dead of July
• STOP TALKING TO ME

If I watch a movie, I need to be thrilled, dangled in suspense, scared and immediately hooked. What I don’t need is to be disgusted with blood and gore.

Sixth Sense

Who didn’t love this movie. I may have to watch it again it’s been a while.

SAW

I would NEVER watch this movie again. The plot was great and it was full of suspense, but it was way too graphic. It’s not entertaining to watch dismembered bodies flailing on the floor in agony as they slowly die.

So herein lies my dilemma. I write. How do I find my writing balance?

My first two short stories were fairly amusing ghost stories, I didn’t want to scare everyone away. I wrote from my heart.

My first story ‘Guy at the Bar’ is based on an event that happened to me when I was 18 and a drunken stranger followed me home from my local pub. As I fled, terrified, I wished him dead. In the story my wish comes true and he comes back to haunt me…..or does he?

This book was on Amazon for a while, but I have taken it down for editing. I see mistakes that I didn’t see when I first published it. Nothing obvious, but I am more particular now.

Girl on the Beach is still for sale on Amazon, although I may re-edit it next year.

Girl on the Beach (UK)

Girl on the Beach (US)

This is a story about a seven-year old girl who has disturbing premonitions and sees people after they have passed.  I have received some very complimentary reviews on this story.

My upcoming novel is called ‘Dead of July’, and is set in Germany in 1982. It tells the story of a young Army wife who gets into trouble the Russian Mafia, both dead and alive. What would you do if you were being chased by an Evil Cossack who showed up in impossible places? Who would you turn to for help if you were being haunted?

Dead of July will be available on Amazon in March, watch out for it. 

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My next novel, after ‘Dead of July’ is set in London in the 1940′s. It is a bit of a challenge as this is a book my late father started whilst on active duty with the British Army during the London Blitz. I am finishing it in his honor. 

Where does the balance between good and evil come in? I want my stories to be thrilling, but not awful. I want them to have a touch of Evil, but in a good way. I don’t want blood and gore, but I don’t want to write something that could become a ‘Chick Flick’.

It’s a tough life being a writer, but I am enjoying the ride. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

My first short story describes the events that happened after a young girl met a stranger in her local pub. He was called Guy, hence the name ‘Guy at the Bar’.

I had a lot of fun writing and then publishing this story, but now, with three stories under my belt, I know it needs some work. I re-read it a couple of weeks ago, editing it as I went along. There was a lot of editing which tells me that it’s time to send Guy to Re-hab.

Re-hab means spending time with Amy Eye my trusted and patient editor. I didn’t know much about editing when I released my first story. I just wanted to be a writer.

‘Guy at the Bar’ will be back next year, and it will be the story I intended it to be.

This story is set in the early seventies in a small village called Brompton-on-Swale in North Yorkshire.

‘Dead of July’

What can I say other than I am proud of this book, which will be published in March 2013. Almost there!

‘Dead of July’ happened in Dortmund, Germany. It is set in the early eighties and is and exciting story with a paranormal twist.

This book has had some great reviews and will remain on Amazon for a little while longer before I take it down and have my editor do her magic with it.

Girl on the Beach (UK)

Girl on the Beach (US)

Below is one of the reviews I received for this book. Not bad for a novice.

A good story, told very well. Sort of a ghost story, without being macabre or creepy. As another reviewer mentioned, you can see early on what’s going to happen, but you don’t mind because it is so well-crafted and paints such a vivid picture of the author’s childhood. I highly recommend it.

‘Girl on the Beach’ starts in Blackpool, Lancashire and then moves to ‘Summerhouse’ county Durham. Time period is the mid sixties.

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Writing is a hobby, which I would like to turn into a career. Since 2009, when I started publishing my books, I have learned a great deal and when ‘Dead of July’ is published, I will be proud to put my name to it.

Hi Mum!

My first published short story ‘Girl on the Beach’ is a tribute to my mother. She struggled to raise me and gave me all she could afford, Being a single mum was tough in the sixties, but it made us very close. I have many stories to tell about how we struggled. One day, when the time is right, I may share them.

‘Girl on the Beach’ is about the vacation I spent with my mother in Blackpool. When I talk about my mum ‘putting her face on’ it brings tears to my eyes. I remember watching her as she sat at the dressing table and carefully applied her make-up. She was beautiful without it.

Girl on the Beach (UK)

Girl on the Beach (US)

My second short story, is actually the first one I wrote. ‘Guy at the Bar’ is about my life as a troubled teen who lived in a small village in North Yorkshire. It is also about the relationship with my stepfather, who was a good man and tried hard to win my trust and affection. I resented him for a long time, not because he wasn’t my ‘real dad’ but because I was jealous of the attention my mother gave him. My stepfather was good to me and eventually we got along. ‘Guy at the Bar’ reflects our relationship and how patient he was.

Both stories have a ghostly, paranormal and mystical thread running through them, as does my life.

Guy at the Bar Amazon

Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

‘Dead of July’ is my first full length novel and I am proud of this book. It is currently with my editor and will be published in March of 2013. ‘Dead of July’ is about a young lady who lives with her British Military husband in Dortmund, Germany. She really does get herself into trouble. As well as the ‘usual suspects’ from beyond the grave, she also manages to get entangled with the Russian Mafia.

As I wait for ‘Dead of July’ to be edited I am working on my fourth book, ‘September Souls’, which was started in 1940 by my stepfather. He started writing ‘September Souls’ whilst serving in the army in the World War II and unfortunate enough to be in London during the Blitz. Fearing he may die, he mailed the first couple of chapters of this story to his father. These chapters lay in a drawer, forgotten, until after my dad died. When I found them, I cried, but knew I had to finish the story in his honor.

It is tough to finish something that was started over seventy years ago, but I want to make him proud. I believe that with the help of my wonderful editor, Amy Eye, I will.

So now you know about me. If you like you can Follow me on Facebook

As well as this blog I have a very humble website Words From Beyond

I love photography and travelling. You can follow my adventures, photographs and general ramblings on Travel Tales and Mishaps

I hope you feel like you know me now. Yes, I do still have premonitions, usually when I am least expecting them. I also have dreams that quite often come true. I have been excited about something for quite some time now. Maybe it is my upcoming novel, but I know something really good is going to happen soon.

It helps to know the author of the book you are reading. I feel like Stephen King is an old friend, even though I have never met him.

Thanks for stopping by.

Copyright © 2001-2012 | Great Castles | All rights reserved.

After writing two short stories, which are set in North Yorkshire, County Durham and Blackpool, I decided to tackle a novel. ‘Dead of July’ is currently being edited and will be released late 2012 or early 2013. ‘Dead of July’ is set in Germany in 1982 and is a paranormal thriller about a young British Army wife living in Dortmund. 

Give my two short stories a try. If you like them, you will LOVE ‘Dead of July’. I self-edited these stories, so be kind to me. 

Girl on the Beach (UK)

Girl on the Beach (US)

Guy at the Bar Amazon

Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

Follow me on Facebook

(Preview) Dead of July

When her grand kids visited, the first thing the did was open the biscuit barrel (cookie jar), to see what she had made.

One of their favorite recipes is included in this blog, with a slight adjustment, as I can’t give away a family recipe. Everyone called these cookies ‘Aunty Hilda Biscuits’, which irritated my mum intensely. Aunty Hilda lived on a farm, so we loved to visit her, and although she always gave us these cookies, my mum claimed the recipe originated from her, and not Aunty Hilda. Of course this made us laugh and the name ‘Aunty Hilda Biscuits’ stuck. It didn’t cause a real family feud, but my mum never ate these cookies at my Aunty Hilda’s house ever again in protest. The recipe is included below. Remember these are ‘English Style’ so they are a little crunchy rather than soft.

Why am I putting a recipe on my blog? It’s part of the tapestry of my life, and who I am, just like my stories.

Enjoy!

Family Feud Cookies (Aunty Hilda Biscuits)

4 0zs Sugar

1 oz shredded coconut

1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup (or one tablespoon golden syrup if you are lucky enough to have some)

1/2 tablespoon dark corn syrup

5 ozs self rising flour

4 0zs oats (I prefer to uses Coaches Oats)

Scant handful of broken pecans or sliced almonds.

1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a tablespoon of milk (bicarbonate of soda if you are in Europe)

If you live at altitude like me, heat oven to 355 degrees and allow approx 15 minutes to cook. They are cooked when the top is golden brown, and the underside slightly darker.

If you are at sea level, these can be cooked in 8 – 10 minutes at 350

Melt butter, syrup and sugar in a pan slowly, do not boil.

Add coconut.

Add baking soda and milk.

Mix together flour, oats and pecans/almond slices and add to the mixture in the pan.

Form into walnut sized balls on a greased baking tray.

Flatten slightly with a fork and bake for required amount of time, until golden in color.

Delicious family feud cookies to enjoy with (or without) a cup of tea.

For a short while longer, my short stories (see links below) will be available on Amazon. When I finish my first novel (Preview) Dead of July I will remove the short stories for re-editing. As I grow as a writer, I realize the stories were enjoyable, but I need to do a better job  of editing them.

Hope you enjoy the cookies. It is with thanks to my niece Adele, that I still have this recipe. I lost my little green handwritten recipe book during my move to the US in 1995. Luckily she still had a copy. 

Munch a biscuit and read about my mum in the short stories which are still available.

Girl on the Beach (UK)

Girl on the Beach (US)

Guy at the Bar Amazon

Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

Follow me on Facebook

I launched my first short story a little over a year ago. I was proud of my book, but also a little naive. This modest short story could have been better edited, but I was still learning the ropes. Editing is the MOST important part of being a writer, I know that now. 

Below are just a few of the wonderful reviews I received on Amazon. I thank these lovely readers for taking the time to write these reviews. Their kind words gave me encouragement and I am now in the process of having my first full length novel ‘Dead of July’ professionally edited.  It will be released later this year.

The following reviews were kindly written about my first short story ‘Girl on the Beach’

1.     This is a pleasant journey through a few ordinary days with a not-so-ordinary 7-year-old girl. It starts with an unusual incident she has on a beach during her last day of summer vacation, and you spend the rest of the book waiting for the other shoe to drop. When it does, towards the end, you won’t necessarily be surprised but it is very well done and will leave you feeling satisfied with the hour you’ve spent listening to her tell you her tale.

M. Weisbeck – Blackhawk

2.     A good story, told very well. Sort of a ghost story, without being macabre or creepy. As another reviewer mentioned, you can see early on what’s going to happen, but you don’t mind because it is so well-crafted and paints such a vivid picture of the author’s childhood. I highly recommend it.

(Buglady)

3.     I really enjoyed this story, its supernatural feel, its sense of mood and foreboding, and I loved this special little girl who broke my heart. I really felt I got to know Sheila, everything about her, and I found her charming and endearing. The author completely put me into the mindset of this seven-year-old child. And several times, Sheila actually had me tearing up. I knew what she would soon be facing, and it’s always heartbreaking to see a small child face tragedy.

This story is written in such a gentle and natural way, every word smoothly and easily flowing to the next, never sounding forced or hurried. With well-chosen words, this author made me a picture of summer and sand and of a little girl so happy on her holiday. The author then breaks this idyll with feelings of dread, juxtaposing the brightness of summer with the dark foreboding of death.

Told in first-person from Sheila’s point of view, this story is well-written and thoughtful, with the author showing and never telling the story, allowing the reader to experience all that Sheila feels. And you will feel many different emotions, from sadness to happiness, from dread to hope. Even suspecting the outcome of the story, I still felt the chilling beauty of it.

S. Richards – Deep South

4.     This is a very short book and it isn’t so complicated you won’t be able to pick it up and put it down frequently without losing track of what is going on in the story. I wouldn’t call it a thriller or a mystery or a horror story, I am not sure what genre this has been placed in but it’s just a nice little story.

I think what I enjoyed most about it was that it was written from the point of view of the little girl. I enjoyed seeing things through her eyes. It was descriptive and simple but effective.

SurprisingWoman Utah

5.     This short little book was very enjoyable. A seven-year old girl narrates the story of her vacation to Blackpool. The Amazon book summary may give you a different impression. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a tragedy that was dark and depressing or a mystery… It deals a bit with the subject of death and souls, but I viewed that as a secondary storyline. The main part was more a story of a young Irish girl and her mother during a brief part of her life. It has parts that were touching and others that were funny. All told, the author allows you a glimpse into her life, both her joys and her difficulties. 

One review gave it 1 star saying it was too easy to figure out what was going on. I don’t think this book is meant to be a mystery. I recommend reading it for the story and let it unfold naturally.

Kindle Reader 7

6.     This was a book that I couldn’t put down. It kept me in suspense. I loved the main character and the supporting characters as well. I guess the little girl had a special gift and she could see deceased people and have premonitions. I really enjoyed it!

Nicole

7.     I really liked this story. It was well written and even though I knew pretty early on what was going to happen, I still couldn’t put it down.

Steph

8.     This was a well written short read. With the author’s power of description, I felt as if I was there. Good characters, good atmosphere and just the right length. If you want a well written short read, I recommend this.

Lucy PA

Below are links to my two short stories as well as previews. You can also  Follow me on Facebook  for updates.

(Preview) Dead of July

(Preview) Girl on the Beach

(Preview) Guy at the Bar

Girl on the Beach (UK)

Girl on the Beach (US)

Guy at the Bar Amazon

Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

I go back because 1982 was thirty years ago, yet it only seems like yesterday.

I go back to the future because my book ‘Dead of July’ which is set in 1982 is part of my future. It will be released later this year and will be a major milestone in my life.

A lot happened in 1982.

Cost Of Living 1982

How Much things cost in 1982
Yearly Inflation Rate USA6.16 % 
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 1046 
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve 11.50% 
Average Cost of new house $82,200
Median Price Of and Existing Home $67,800
Average Income per year $21,050.00
Average Monthly Rent $320.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 91 cents
New Car Average price $7,983.00
US Postage Stamp 20 cents
Vic 20 $299.95
Satellite Receiver $245.95

Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Sterling
Average House Price 23,644
Gallon of Petrol 1.59
Yearly Inflation Rate UK 8.6% 
Interest Rates Year End Bank of England 10.00% 

My earlier books are both short stories, ‘Guy at the Bar’ is set in North Yorkshire in 1974. ‘Girl on the Beach’ is set in Blackpool in 1964. They can both be purchased as e-books from Amazon, or in print from my website from the links below.

• Girl on the Beach (UK)
• Girl on the Beach (US)
• Guy at the Bar Amazon
• Guy at the Bar Amazon UK
• Words from beyond

Attached are previews from my three books.

‘Girl on the Beach’ and ‘Guy at the Bar’ are already for sale as E-book and P-books.

‘Dead of July’ is with my editor and will be released soon.

When ‘Dead of July’ is released I have decided to do a further edit my first two stories and re-release them. Both have recieved great reviews, but as I learn more I want to make them even better. My readers deserve it.

Writing and publishing are a learning process and I am loving it, but still learning.

https://createspace.com/Preview/…      (Girl on the Beach)

• Girl on the Beach (UK)
• Girl on the Beach (US)

https://createspace.com/Preview/…      (Guy at the Bar)

• Guy at the Bar Amazon
• Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

https://createspace.com/Preview/…        (Dead of July available soon)

I was hoping to have my German Ghost Story finished by now, but it wasn’t to be. Maybe I will get time to write while I am away. I hope so! The next installment is below. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And so my story continues……..

After cleaning out the back of the car, I went and found Isabelle and asked her if she had seen anyone hanging around my car when she came after me this morning. She looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“You really were out of it weren’t you, there wasn’t anyone there, just you. You are losing yer mind, that what ye get for being married to a bloody black Sassenach that cheers for the foreign teams”

(Sassenach (sass-y-nak) sic. Dialect, chiefly Scot. ~ n. 1. an Englishman or -woman 2. used by Highlanders to describe non-Gaelic-speaking Lowlander [from the Gaelic sasunnach, meaning Saxon]) 

That made me laugh, I had forgotten that Isabelle’s husband had been in pursuit of Les and Graham during the Scotland v. Brazil game.  Laughter felt good.  It had been a strange day, in fact it had been a strange week, but it at least it was Thursday. Only one more day to go until the weekend! What was that song again, ‘Everyone’s just working for the Weekend’!

That is exactly how I felt! Still tonight was important.  I knew Italy would beat Poland. What would happen between Germany and France though? Even though I would have loved the German team to be knocked out at this stage, just to teach them a lesson, I really wanted them to get through to the World Cup Final and then be beaten by the Italian team.  By tomorrow morning, we would know which scenario it would be.

When I finished work on Thursday, I was exhausted. As I walked to my car I thought about all that had happened during the course of the week. It all started on Sunday with the brief encounter with Anna in the park. That encounter led to visitations from the ‘Evil Russian Cossack’. Monday had been exciting and exhilarating because of the World Cup, when your team won there was nothing like it, and my team had won. On Tuesday I had literally run into Anna whilst shopping! That had led to the ‘Great Escape’ as I later called it.  She finally got away, disappeared, hopefully to start a better life many miles away and beyond the reach of the man who had almost ruined her life and would surely have eventually ended it. I was convinced that had she not escaped when she did, she would have been killed or taken her own life. I felt happy that I had been able to make such a difference in someone’s life, and I truly hoped things worked out from her. I wanted her to stay in touch with me, but understood if she didn’t.

• Free e-book (Smashwords)
• Girl on the Beach (UK)
• Girl on the Beach (US)
• Guy at the Bar (Smashwords)
• Guy at the Bar Amazon
• Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

Not traveling far, just a short trip to Aurora Colorado to an event arranged by the very successful Book Shepherd’s.

Also hoping to get a review on my two Novella’s.

My first novella is set in Brompton on Swale, North Yorkshire, England. I moved from Brompton in 1977, when I married my Husband.

My second Novella (below) started in Blackpool in Lancasire and ended in County Durham, where I lived as a child. Now I live in Colorado so travel has always been a big part of my life. You can download ‘Girl on the Beach’ free from  Girl on the Beach (free) Smashwords

Both books can be purchased from Words from beyond or from the links below. 

• Girl on the Beach (UK)
• Girl on the Beach (US)
• Guy at the Bar (Smashwords)
• Guy at the Bar Amazon
• Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

Back to the Bar

Going back to my roots at the end of May.

Going back to Brompton-on-Swale, which is where my book ‘Guy at the Bar’ is based. Click on the link above to get a free download of ‘Girl on the Beach’  from Smashwords. Download a copy of ‘Guy at the Bar’ at the same time.

Unfortunately the pub my story started in is closed. I will still visit Brompton though, it was my home for nine years back in the late sixties and early seventies. It is a beautiful village on the banks of the river Swale.

My parents ashes are buried there. I don’t think anyone will remember me, but it will be nice to wander around and reminisce.

The pub below is where ‘Guy at the Bar’ started.

Guy at the Bar started here!

The guy on featured on the cover of my book sat next to me at the bar in the King William IV, and started coming on to me. I slipped out of the back door, but he chased me home, well most of the way home.

To find out what happened buy this book from my website Words From Beyond and I will personalize your copy before mailing it to you.

You can purchase either of my books from the links below.

• Free e-book (Smashwords)
• Girl on the Beach (UK)
• Girl on the Beach (US)
• Guy at the Bar (Smashwords)
• Guy at the Bar Amazon
• Guy at the Bar Amazon UK

My book is in print

I wanted to take it back to the King William IV in Brompton-on-Swale, which is where the story began.

It wasn’t to be, the pub is closed.

I don’t give up easily though, I can still take this back to England with me, back to the village the story started.

You can purchase this directly from my website Words from beyond  using a credit card. 

King William IV - this is where my story started

This is where I had my first drink in my first local pub.

I have not blogged here since last year.

This is my travel blog and since returning from Roma, I haven’t travelled. How sad is that?

In a little over a month I am going back to England for the first time since the death of my mother in 2002.

It will be the first time my daughter and husband have been back since we moved here in 1995. As well as visiting friends and family and having fun in London, we will be making a trip to Brompton on Swale. I lived in this picturesque village from 1967 until I was married in 1977. My parents are buried there.

As well as visiting them where they rest, I will be making a trip to the King William IV, which used to be my local pub. I am now a published author and my first short story starts in the King William IV. I hope the current Landlord/Landlady will like my story when I take them a copy.

Keep checking into my re-activated blog for the count down to the ‘Rovers Return’ and updates about my ‘Guy at the Bar’ story.

You can download a copy of ‘Guy at the Bar’ for $4.99 from:

Purchase from Smashwords

Archaeology & History

Aerial views of cursus

A huge linear monument that could once be found on the flats just north of the B6271 road running between the villages of Scorton and Brompton-on-Swale, east of the ancient A1 road, has long since been ruined.  Although found quite a few miles north of the main Thornborough henge and cursus complex, a number of students still posit that this northern monument was part of the same “ritual landscape” arena.

Plan of the cursus (after P.Topping, YAJ 1982)

First discovered in 1949 following aerial survey analysis by Prof. J.K. St. Joseph, this huge dead straight cursus monument ran for at least 1.3 miles (2.1km) and would have been considerably longer if the self-righteous advance of industry hadn’t quarried it away (such is “progress”!).  Built along a southeast to northwest axis, the southern end of the cursus was straight and flattened (as opposed to convex, as found at some cursuses), as Peter Topping’s (1982) illustration of the monument here shows, but the northwestern end of the cursus has not been found.  As Mr Topping himself wrote:

“The southwestern terminal, which shows clearly on the aerial photographs, consists of a straight transverse ditch which joins the two main ditches at right angles.  Clustering around it was a series of ring-ditch cropmarks.  The aerial photographs also show a series of bleach marks between the ditches at the southern end of the cursus, which may represent a series of contiguous mounds.  This area of the cursus also features what appears to be smaller outer ditches…”

Topping also commented on a most “noteworthy feature” in the accuracy of the ditches that constitute the length of the monument, being so “remarkably straight considering the distance over which they extend.”  Features which, in bygone days, a number of respected archaeologists denied our prehistoric ancestors the ability to execute.

Hopefully readers will forgive me citing more of Topping’s extensive notes regarding the archaeological analysis of this site, but I think they’re worthwhile.  Of the ditches that make up the outline of the cursus, he told:

“The ditches of the cursus are the two most prominent features of this site on the aerial photographs.  …The only evidence available for the existence of the cursus in the area to be excavated was a section exposed in the adjacent gravel quarry.  This section clearly illustrated quite distinct re-cut features visible in the profiles of both ditches, and evidence of this recutting was also discovered in the excavated areas.  However, one anomaly which did distinguish the excavated sections from those exposed in the quarry was the variable depth of the ditches. In the quarry-face sections the western ditch had a maximum depth of 60cms, while in the excavated area its maximum depth was 45cm; similarly, the eastern ditch had a  maximum depth of 65cm in the quarry and a maximum depth of 43 cm in the excavations.  This may have resulted from the actions of hillwash or ploughing reducing the height of the old land surface in this area where the ground naturally rises, or alternatively indicate no more than an uneven depth to the ditches.  Their width was fairly consistent, the maximum width of the eastern ditch being 3.40m, while that of the western ditch was 3.85m.

“Recutting in both ditches was indicated by a V-shaped notch beneath the main profile of the ditch…

“Closely datable artifacts were sadly lacking in the ditches, the one possible exception being (a) flint…possibly an arrowhead, from the upper fill of the eastern ditch… The upper fill of the eastern ditch also produced (a) flint…”

But in all honesty, these flint finds were probably of little importance to the cursus itself and can be discounted as of any relevance outside of being stray hunting flints. Three other flints were discovered by the western ditch aswell, again with little significance to the monument.  But the next part of the excavation work here explored on what Topping called the ‘Central Feature’, on which he said:

“Bleach marks on Prof. St. Joseph’s aerial photographs revealed what appeared to be a series of axially-placed contiguous mounds situated between the main ditches, and extending the whole length of the long axis of the monument as then known.  The presence of this feature was confirmed in the excavated area.  A low central mound was uncovered, within and respecting the lines of the ditches, which had a maximum height of 32cm above the old ground surface.”

But on excavation they found what one would have expected: little more than the upcast of earth and gravel dug out from the ditch that makes up the cursus, i.e., spoil-heaps made where they’d dug out the cursus lines with little other significance.  This feature is obviously apparent in many cursuses.  Of greater interest was the pit- or post-hole on the eastern ditch.

“This was stratigraphically related to the cursus to the extent that it was sealed by the same layer of hill-wash that had buried the cursus ditches. In addition, this feature clearly respected the limits of the eastern ditch.  The dimensions of the pit/post-hole were: maximum diameter at its base, 1.12m, the maximum width at its top, 2.10m, length, 4.19m, and a maximum depth of 60cm.

“…Distinct tip-lines were evident leading in and downwards towards the centre of the feature, this central area being relatively stone-free.  This could suggest that the feature originally held a post which was subsequently removed at a later date.”

I’d say this notion is highly likely!  In the event that a  complete excavation could have been made here, it’s probable they would have found other pit-holes into which upright wooden posts were erected around the time the cursus was constructed.  When Topping and his team excavated sections of the eastern ditch-floor, they found what appeared to be the truncated base of another post-hole.  He told:

“This feature was sectioned and found to be flat-bottomed and to have a depth of only 3cm and a diameter of 25cm.  The fill was indistinguishable from the fill of the cursus ditch and contained no traces of organic material…although the exact function of this feature is unknown.”

Topping’s conclusion about the nature and function of this monument is a simple one: “it can be seen as part of a concentration or complex of magico-religious structures.”  And although this is a somewhat tentative notion based on the limited archaeological evidence here, it does accord with standard views in comparative religion on the animistic relation humans had with natural and man-made monuments from this and later periods of history; aswell as reflecting the findings on the origin and development of human consciousness in Jungian and other applied psychology schools.  The construction of this gigantic landscape feature occurred at a period in human history when the division between the sacred and the profane had yet to emerge culturally.  In all likelihood, Mr Topping’s notion is correct.

References:

Moorhouse, S., ‘The Yorkshire Archaeological Register: 1975,’ in Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 51, 1979.
Pennick, Nigel & Devereux, Paul, Lines on the Landscape, Hale: London 1989.
Thorp, F., ‘The Yorkshire Archaeological Register: 1975,’ in Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 48, 1976.
Topping, Peter, ‘Excavation at the Cursus at Scorton, North Yorkshire, 1978,’ in Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, 54, 1982.

Acknowledgements:

To the Yorkshire Archaeological Society for use of Peter Topping’s drawing & to Cambridge University for use the aerial photograph.

© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian

We started planning and booking our brief tour of Scotland in October with the main focus on spending at least a day and evening in Edinburgh and for the first time in a year we managed to book a Caravan Club site were we wanted to stay. The stupid booking system is another story and we found it really difficult to book anywhere near Aviemore as most sites seem to be booked out from one year to the next.

We did not even think that the weather would be so cold and have thick snow at this time of year.

To make the trip bearable we stopped over last night at a CL called Deepdale at Brompton-on-Swale near Richmond in North Yorkshire just off the A1. The traffic driving up was heavy to say the least and for probably the first time since we have had the Hymer we could easily keep up with the traffic flow.

We had booked the last pitch at Deepdale but on arrival we were, due to the weather, the only ones to turn up. We hooked up near the gate so we could get out easily in the morning then walked to the village to check out the pubs. The Farmers Arms looked the best bet when we drove in but did not open for another hour. It was too far to walk back to the van so we decided to check out the rest of the village hoping to find something open as the temperature was around -3°C. The Crown in Richmond Road was open. A real old fashion locals pub, pleasant enough but not our thing. Had a pint and walked back to the Farmers Arms dot on opening time at six. Nice decor mostly for dining but had a lounge area with comfy sofas. Staff really friendly, Anneli had a bit of a false start with the lamb casserole but ended up with a steak. Two main courses and a bottle of red for £24 and they gave us two pints free because the casserole, as the waitress said, tasted disgusting.

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