In this rolling series I’m looking at ‘odd’ things discovered when out walking. Some objects will be familiar to some readers, but many are likely to be unfamiliar to most. I’m presenting those that caught my attention through incongruity, idiosyncrasy, or simply their odd appearance.
I came upon this on a walk from Rocky Valley in Cornwall, at a place called Trewethet Mill. The maze, carved into the rock is considered very ancient, probably from the Bronze Age, (1800-1400BC), and is described as a ‘labyrinth’ on a nearby metal plaque, now much weathered and worn. The ruins of the original building that led us to this intriguing spot are well hidden and appear relatively dilapidated, but we entered anyway. Apart from this carving, there are a couple of others and a ‘wishing tree’ from which were hung ribbons and odd trinkets, some in plastic bags. An odd custom, but relatively harmless, I suppose.
The walk through the Rocky Valley from Tintagel was undeniably worth the effort, and I’d recommend it if you ever venture in that direction. But it’s not for the faint-hearted; demanding, steep in parts, and quite hazardous in a couple of places. But we tackled it in our 70s, so I guess most healthy folk would manage!
Stuart Aken 
In this case it was Queen Mary’s bedroom and dining room. Where her secretary was murdered.
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Ah, that’s maybe why those stairs were so tiny!
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After our tip to Scotland, which had me walking 5-9 miles a day (way too much, but I soldiered on), I doubt I could do this trek. Is the figure Pictish?
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That’s a good deal of walking, Noelle, especially in Scotland, which is not known for its flat landscape! I hope you haven’t overdone it. But Scotland is a very beautiful country, so the temptation to get out there and walk is understandable.
As for the figure in this post, it’s from Cornwall, which is about as far as it’s possible to get from the Pictish Scotland, so unlikely to have originated there. Mind you, there is growing evidence that the Bronze Age inhabitants of the island did move around quite a lot, so who knows?
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You are right. A lot of stairs and stairs and uphill!
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Good for the calves, though!
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Hard o the hips. Finally quit in Holyrood Palace when face with a teeny, tiny, circular staircase for people with size 2 feet!
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Ah, yes, Noelle. Many of the castles in the UK have narrow spiral staircases. People were generally smaller in the Middle Ages, of course, and stone was never cheap. It was mostly servants who had to ascend and descend those treacherous winding ways, and no one cared about their problems. Imagine being a soldier and having to get up those stairs in armour!
But, often, there are spectacular views from the top of those stairways, so the effort is at least rewarded.
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Pity those poor servants, especially as they got older!
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And would often be carrying food, clothing, or, best of all, a full chamber pot!
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