Moated

A very interesting day.  Finola, who is a rock art expert, had received a phone call from a friend of ours who thought he had uncovered an interesting rock - would she like to come and inspect it. We went too. GT lives in the most remote and spectacular place, unusually for here, surrounded by woodland. He's off the grid, a waterfall providing hydro-electric power and he has built his own house, everything cleverly and innovatively recyled. First we went to his stone circle , now officially recognised as an ancient monument. What an incredible position - huge views out to Bantry Bay and sheltered by the mountains behind. It's a five stone circle, one of the stones still part of living rock. GT discovered it by chance a few years ago. The ruins of an old turf store is literally a metre away but the old farmer who used this about 40 years ago had no idea a circle was anywhere near.
We then went to examine the rock art - offically confirmed as such by Finola. Quite hard to make out and not one that makes you gasp, but once you start inspecting the bean-shaped marks, it's seems pretty obvious that they have been picked ie made with by picking with a tool. Whilst they did all the technical recording, GT took us off to look at a ruined house he also has on his land. It seemed to be surrounded by streams, almost moated. GT once wondered if the streams might provide a good source of drinking water but when he had the water tested it was found to be highly toxic, full of dangerous levels of manganese. He knew a little about the house's history. Last lived in about 120 years ago when the three daughters finally married and left. Little fragments of their lives remained - shards of pottery, the odd bottle, a wooden paddle for washing clothes, some long rusty nails. Thousands of years of occupation and history on just a few acres much of it covered by gorse and bracken until recently.
The extra shows Finola in action!