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Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

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Sense of Place
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tjj
tjj
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Re: Sense of Place
May 21, 2012, 12:57
Have just returned from a dream holiday looking at stone circles and standing stones in West Cork ... the 'dream' bit was the time spent on the Beara Peninsula where there are several stone circles, standing stones and a few wedge tombs. They all had one thing in common - they were all on a mountain or hillside facing the sea. Visiting them was almost a mystical experience and thankfully the weather was kind as many of them are surrounded by peat bog.

I took Julian Cope's book The Megalithic European with me having listed all the sites he mentions beforehand. Although too heavy to take out and about it proved very useful; there was one example that illustrated the 'sense of place', or lack of of it, very well with regard to the stone circle at the small town of Kenmare. When Julian Cope visited in 2002 he quoted Aubrey Burl as saying that in its present state it looks like a garden centre feature. Nicknamed the Shrubberies by the locals, it is near the town centre and has been made into a 'feature' - even worse now as, since Julian's visit, fast growing conifers have been planted completely enclosing it. And yet, and yet ... as the disappointment settles over you, you know the Caha Mountains are there though cannot been seen - and the sea nearby. I think this was also discussed a while back in relation to Boscawen-un in Cornwall being enclosed by gorse bushes.

I now understand how important a 'sense of place' can be to the appreciation of ancient monuments.

PS: It was such a beautiful day around Fishguard yesterday that a little detour was made on the homeward journey to climb up the coast path from Abercastle and visit Carreg Samson - another beautiful ancient site that illustrates the 'sense of place' so very well.
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Sense of Place (moss)		 Replies:
Re: Sense of Place (Sanctuary)
Re: Sense of Place (thesweetcheat)
Re: Sense of Place (drewbhoy)
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