Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Sedgemoor in Somerset, 6 July 1685. This formed part of the unsuccessful rebellion by the Duke of Monmouth against King James II.
The battlefield site forms part of the ‘Pitchfork Rebellion Trail’ that explores the surrounding landscape.
The Ministry sign to Stanton Drew Stone Circle has been adapted with a sign with arrow ‘This way’ attached over the lower section that read ‘Ancient Monument’. All becomes clear from the other side.
The Cove lies to the south-west of the main circle at Stanton Drew, and to the rear of the Druid’s Arms. Lindsell finds parallels at Avebury, Cairnpapple, and at Rollright. Burl notes that the stone is dolomitic breccia, and different to the other stones.
The series of stone circles at Stanton Drew in Bath and Avon (formerly Somerset) were placed under the protection of the Ancient Monuments Protection Act (1882). For an overview of the site see English Heritage.
The guide was prepared by L.V. Grinsell (who also wrote the guide for Hetty Pegler’s Tump). It consists of 7 pages (the back page is blank) and contains a plan of the three circles in the centre pages. There is a short history of the site (noting the date to between 2000 and 1400 BC) and then descriptions of the Great Circle and Avenue, the North-eastern Circle, the South-western Circle, the Cove, and Hautville’s Quoit. In addition there is a section on Stanton Drew in Folk Tradition, and a review of the literature from John Aubrey (1664) and William Stukeley (1776).
The Glastonbury Tribunal was placed in State Guardianship in 1932. C.A. Ralegh Radford prepared the first guidebook in 1953. This continued in print as a paper booklet until 1971. The format contains a History followed by a Description. Plans of the ground and first floors are printed in the centre.
It was then transformed into a foldout card guide (1973). This format was adopted for other sites: Hetty Pegler’s Tump, Reculver, Hardknott Roman Fort, and Y Gaer Roman Fort. For Glastonbury two pictures were added to enhance the guide.
Nunney Castle in Somerset was placed in State Guardianship in 1926. The guidebook was prepared by Stuart Rigold (1957); it remained in print until 1977. The guidebook takes the usual format of History followed by Description with a single plan in text. There are a number of black and white illustrations including a drawing of the back by S. and N. Buck.
Cleeve Abbey in Somerset came into State Guardianship in 1951 after forming part of the Dunster estate.
The Cistercian abbey itself was founded from Ravesby in Lincolnshire (itself founded from Rievaulx in Yorkshire) on 25 June 1198. It was known as Vallis Florida. The abbey was dissolved in 1537. (For history see here.)
The guidebook was prepared by R. Gilyard-Beer in 1959, though this was formalised in 1960. This included not only a history and description of the abbey but also an architectural history. Two fold-out plans of the abbey appear inside the back cover. The guide was reissued by English Heritage and a second edition in 1990. Gilyard-Beer had earlier written guidebooks to Gisborough Abbey and Monk Bretton Priory, both in Yorkshire, as well as the Ministry’s handbook to Abbeys.
The abbey ruins inspired the work of the architectural historian Sir Howard Montagu Colvin.
Heritage Futures 