Re: Stonehenge, Avebury

> > --- On Mon, 3/19/12, piratejenny@verizon.net<piratejenny@verizon.net> 

> Obviously they had not been reading the right books! Avebury
> specifically had been on my list of places to go. Woodhenge
> was a spur-of-the-moment thing, but you know, we were
> driving around and there were signs.

It's in the neighbourhood, so to speak.

> West Kennet was closed when we were there. I was quite sad.
> I think it was cause of hoof-and-mouth.

Ah, it must have been that then. It's basically never closed otherwise, but it is in a farmer's field, so I could understand the fear of foot and mouth.

>
> Never been. I really wanted to get inside Knowth though.
> Even though it's not safe and all that.

See, you can get inside Carrowkeel.

Carrowkeel is in rural Co. Sligo. You drive up a remote hill. The road becomes dirt and you start to run out of it -- you're as far as you can go. There's a few places to the side to park. Then you walk a bit -- not very far -- maybe five-ten minutes -- to the very top of the hill where you have an amazing view on all sides. There are 14 cairns, most of which you can get into, although some you need to crawl into on your hands and knees. Others, you just have to duck and kneel down a bit.

It's not nearly as well known as Newgrange and Knowth. No shop, no tour guides, no restaurant. It's free and it's remote. There were two other people there when we last visited, though, so we didn't have it all to ourselves. :)

Ellen

"Literature stops in 1100. After that, it's just books."
-- JRR Tolkien