We’re in border country here – between the Shropshire Hills and Wales and I’m standing inside a Bronze Age stone circle, Mitchell’s Fold, looking in a northerly direction. And if the circle is a little raggedy after three millennia, then its location is surely still impressive.
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Here is the southerly view towards Corndon Hill on whose flanks are the remains of several prehistoric burial cairns. To the right are the hazy Welsh uplands.
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This westerly view towards Wales shows more of the Bronze Age circle. Several of the stones have been laid flat or damaged, and this apparently happened long ago. Perhaps when the land through the circle was being worked. You can see here the rig and furrow outlines of medieval fields. I think the climate must have been milder back then or they grew very tough crops.
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Now looking east, the furthermost ridge is one of Shropshire’s most mysterious and curiously named hillscapes: the Stiperstones with its lunar Manstone and Devil’s Chair outcrops. This ridge is formed from quartzite laid down some 480 million years ago.
All these places loom darkly in local legends and folklore. I’ve told the story before of Mitchell, the wicked witch for whom Mitchell’s Fold is named. You can read about her grim deeds and sticky end in an earlier post: Witch Catching in the Shropshire Wilds which also comes with snow-scene photos courtesy of he who no longer uses his camera.
Tish Farrell 
Wonderful photos and post for my challenge. Thanks so much for playing along Trish. 😀
Happy to play, Cee 🙂
Oh, brilliant image of the Stiperstones….whenever I visited it in the past, it never seemed mysterious enough, but you’ve caught something of the eldritch here, Tish
What a very nice comment, Sue. Much appreciated. It’s a bit odd that it worked at all. Lots of zoom required and the light was truly weird that day. Must have been some active magic ingredient in the strange middday haze. It was flipping cold too.
Well, whatever it was, it certainly worked! My parents used to tell me about the Stiperstones, but I didn’t see it myself,,,,,, and now I get it!
🙂
What a lovely, scenic spot!
We do have some good spots here in Shropshire, Brian. And some very strange ones!
Some of your very finest. Such beautiful landscapes, and explanations too. Cheers!
Many thanks, Stephen. Glad you enjoyed these Shropshire glimpses.
… some 480 million years ago, magnificent! These are fabulous photos in distance. Thank you, Tish for sharing with us.
Many thanks, Amy.
Black & white gives a very atmospheric and other worldly look to these scenes
Thanks, Pauline. I’m growing very fond of b & w for landscapes.
I must try it
Bleak but beautiful in black and white, Tish. Hoping you and the man are keeping warm 🙂 🙂
We are indeed keeping warm. Happy weekend to you two in sunnier climes.
B&W photos always seem to have an aura of mystery about them … the subjects more serious and intense. All of that certainly comes out in these photos!
Thank you for those thoughts, Joanne.
This series works great in black and white!
Many thanks, Marcus. You have some very atmospheric shots over at your place.
I like the edits you have applied to these.
Thank you.
Beautiful shots of these historic grounds, Tish! I am always imagining how it would feel to live among so much traces of history. But the closest I’ve come to Shropshire is tasting Shropshire cheese (or at least that’s how it was called in the menu) on the BA flight over to Sweden in December 🙂
Hello Helen. I’m impressed if they gave you Shropshire cheese in First Class. Was it Shropshire Blue? And as for the history all around, I suppose it does expand one’s personal time-line perspective a little.
Wow!!! This is incredible! I can’t wait to see similar things in person soon. My dad’s people came to the USA many generations ago from Wales.
So much to see once you leave our towns and cities behind.