Swallowhead Spring feeds the Winterbourne Stream, down by Kennet at Fyfield Down, and is part of the greater sacred landscape of Avebury. It is found South from Silbury Hill, across the A361, forming a near alignment with Silbury and West and East Kennet Longbarrows. I wish I had known of it when I went to walk the Ridgeway in August, although given that we were too hot and bothered to take the time to walk to West Kennet, perhaps it was just as well that I didn't know I was missing something else as well.
Cath's first report here has got me rather riled, it has to be said, but then no surprise there, given the content.
| Visit date: | 12/09/1999 |
| Reporter: | Catherine Humes |
| Email: | cath@gingerbreadhouse.demon.co.uk |
| Purpose: | First visit |
| Spoke to Land Spirits: | Yes |
| And they said: | Couldn't help it! They said "This is a violation. Have you no respect either? If you have, do something. If not, leave now." |
| Nightlight remains: | Yes |
| Candlewax: | Yes - Grass and tree and firepit |
| Charcoal incense block remains: | Yes |
| Fire damage: | Yes - Within the last week, in the cenre of the site, facing the river. [See comments] |
| Soot damage: | Yes |
| Chipped bits: | Yes - From the surrounding trees |
| Disturbed soil: | Yes |
| Picnic remains: | Yes |
| Cigarette ends: | Yes |
| Chalk marks: | Yes - Local rocks had been overturned in the grove and at the spring, and illustrations that looked aboriginal in design had been drawn all over them. |
| Action taken: | Overturned the stones. Cleared the fire pit of debris and poured earth from the nearby ploughed field onto it. Removed all large fragments of chalk and arranged pebbles in a unicursal maze design on the top. |
| Comments: | The fire was a camp fire, and the person who left it had been asked to make good by our friends who had seen him camping there the previous weekend. He had stated the usual "Iit's my right to have a fire here." The damage was substantial and had not been cleared in any way. The person wo had done this damage said he lived in Glastonbury, and promised to clear the fire pit before he left. He spoke of his right to draw on the stones and otherwise personalise the site as he saw fit. After the cleaning the site felt much better and allowed us to stay for some hours. |