Skulls and Standing Stones

Another Sunday and another mudfest! Still the sun was out briefly and a few hints that spring might just be on its way- some new nettle growth and a few busting tree buds.

This week it was Bettiscombe, famous for the legend of the  Screaming Skull .

We passed closer to the haunted manor than we should have done - the path is ambiguous at that point and we ended up in the courtyard. The owners were very nice about it and no we didn't ask to see the skull! Strangely it took me three attempts to upload this picture and then it went into completely the wrong directory...

No sign though of the phantom funeral procession that haunts the path.

 

The pond into which the skull was (briefly) thrown.










Interesting as this, it wasn't the skull that had drawn us here but the standing stone on the hillside overlooking the village. The "wishing stone" has the power to grant wishes but on Midsummer Eve is said to uproot itself and walk down the hill for a drink at the stream before returning.

The stone wasn't hard to find despite being someway off the bridleway - at least once you start looking in the right place.

A lot of stones seem to go for a walk at Midsummer. An old folk memory rooted in stories to perhaps to keep the curious away on a significant night of the year whilst the stones were being used for ritual purposes?