One of many subjects that interest me, are old stones. Stone circles and that sort of thing. They don’t interest me enough to research the subject, but I like to visit them when the situation arises. One such case happened a while ago. I found myself at the end of a country walk in the village of Studland. My Pentax ME Super, had the last frame on the last roll from my little store of Agfa Vista 200. This film was available from Poundland (a store where everything was a pound, although this seems to have changed now!). Anyway, for just a pound it was a bargain so I always kept a few rolls around then one day it disappeared. I asked a staff member if there was any and was told that they were not going to stock it anymore. I suspect no one made any money from it at that price! However, on my travels, I brought up the stock as and when I saw it from other stores, then it was gone. This was the last from my fridge. Back to the stones… this is the Studland Cross, whilst the shaft and the cross are newish – dating from 1976, the circular base is Saxon.
Another opportunity happened as I was driving back home one day at the end of a day out, and in no particular hurry. “Nine Stones” sits right at the edge of the A35, just outside Winterbourne Abbas. It is an ancient site looked after by English Heritage, but there is nowhere to park on this busy road! It is usually too much effort and most people including me, usually drive right past. Today I had three shots of HP5 left on a roll, so I made the effort and parked half in the hedge and half in a farm entrance!
The circle dates from somewhere between 2,200 – 1400 BC. It has many astronomical alignments, equinox sunrise, solstice sunset etc. It’s a beautiful spot underneath a huge beach tree, or rather it would be if the very busy A35 wasn’t the other side of the fence!
S.H.O.U.T. 