Ancient stones in Dorset

Patrick took me for a detour to this amazing dolmen which is on a hilltop, only a couple of miles from the sea in Dorset. Parking the car near to the roman road which runs westwards across the high ground, we crossed a couple of fields, which surprised me by being surrounded by old stone walls, unusual in this area. Beside the path, Patrick picked up a flint from the ploughed field, which had obviously been prepared by a stone age hand to be a tool. He pointed out the masses of flints objects and debris lying in, and on, the chalky soil, suggesting that it was a place where flint tools had obviously been produced in huge numbers.

We crossed over another stile, walked up to the crest of the hill and saw this massive dolmen, sitting on the edge and just above a probable barrow. The stone lying on top is supported by about ten large stones dug in to the ground. We climbed inside and wondered. Outside we could see far away to Portland Bill and westwards to Lyme Regis, with Hardy's monument set back on another hilltop, which you can just see in the picture, surrounded by scaffold.

Patrick said I could take his picture for a blip, as long as I mentioned and plugged his most recent book. I am delighted to so so, as I admire all his books and wish he was more widely known. 'A Complete Guide to the Soul' by Patrick Harpur is published by Rider Books in the UK, but is available internationally. You can read a review by author Lindsay Clarke HERE. You might also be interested in his 'Daimonic Reality - a field guide to the other world'. I was.

Patrick and I have known each other for nearly fifty years and I was really pleased to be able to spend a few days with him again.