From healing pits to sacred stones, a new consultant to magical Brittany selects his favorite wild and enchanting places.
In a remote location beyond Loch Lyon (seven miles west of Cashlie to Glen Lyon), a biannual seasonal ritual is held at the Tigh Nam Bodach Shrine since time immemorial. shaped stones worn across the river, and taken out and placed in front of the Beltane Shrine (May 1). There they stand and guard the land until they are sent back to the shrine in Samhain (November 1) for the winter. . The characters are said to constitute the Bodach (“old”) and the Cailleach, the elderly Celtic goddess who presides over the earth and brings the changes of the seasons. Open all year round in a circular way and without access.
Many believe that the ancient walled hill known as Cadbury Castle, 500 metres from the village of South Cadbury, is the site of King Arthur’s mythical Camelot. or the sixth century, when the historical Arthur would have lived. His legend is still rooted in fashionable culture and some believers insist that he never actually died. Some say that Cadbury Castle is where Arthur and his court rest in a magical sleep in a cave hidden underneath. the hill, in a position to wake up and return to the time of greatest need of Great Britain. Available free of charge throughout the year.
Among the decorative gardens on the outskirts of St Austell (400 metres north of the railway bridge over the B3274), Menacuddle Well is situated by a river and a tranquil waterfall. The medieval stone well is believed to involve healing water in a deep stone hollow. , and water flows freely around the well through shallow stone channels. Sick young men and those with ulcers came here to be healed, and twisted pins were thrown into the waters for divination and to bring good fortune. Its call is derived from maen- a-coedl which means “the stone of the falcon”. The well still has a magical atmosphere, enhanced with ribbons and crystals hung by visitors and pilgrims in search of a cure. Available free of charge throughout the year.
In a remote location in the hills above the Dyfi estuary, Llyn Barfog is said to have sheltered the Afanc, a water monster that plundered the area, killing cattle, until, despite everything, it was sent by King Arthur. He pulled him out of the lake using magic chains, with some saying he killed him, while others claim he took him to Cadair Idris and released him into the waters of Llyn Cau. he rides his fierce war with the Afancs and is known as Carn March Arthur. The lake is available via a one-mile trail from the Happy Valley Road parking lot, 1. 8 miles north of Aberdovey.
Nevern Cemetery stands out for its ancient carved stones and for its glorious “bleeding” yew. Next to the church is a four-meter-high Celtic cross completely covered with intricate knot patterns in a Scandinavian style. It dates from the 10th or eleventh century and is known as the Stone of St. Brynach. There is a legend that says that on St. Brynach’s Day (April 7), the first spring cuckoo landed on the stone and sang, and Mass may not be celebrated that day. of the saint until this happened. Saint Brynach was an Irish saint who is said to have floated in Wales on a stone. The bleeding yew exudes a red sap that looks like blood; one of the many legends tells that a monk who was hung from the tree cursed him to bleed for him. The tree is in a yew alley that bureaucratizes a green tunnel that leads to the door of the church.
Towering over an expanse of windswept moorland, the Stiperstones form a long, jagged rocky ridge, the highest of which is called the Devil’s Chair. It is here that a giant, or some say the devil, sat down to rest while an Irishman was dressed. stone apron. As he stood up, the apron ropes broke and scattered the rocks, which are still found all over the hill. the stones lie two miles east of Pennerley on Shropshire Way.
The imposing granite pile known as Bowerman’s Nose looks like an ancient megalithic idol as it looks across the landscape towards Hameldown Tor. Located in Hayne Down, a mile southwest of the village of Manaton, its appearance is so unnatural that some believed it was created through the Druids. Its base is almost perfectly square, while in the most sensitive part of the column there is a sinister “face” that turns out to be dressed in a hat. Local legend gives another origin to this monumental stone: a hunter named Bowerman angered an organization of witches by interrupting their rite while chasing a hare (which was a witch in disguise). In revenge, they turned the hunter to stone and his dogs turned into the rocks of Hound Tor.
It was once thought that the long Neolithic chamber tumulus known as the Wayland Blacksmith’s Shop housed an invisible blacksmith with mythical abilities. horse, and is marked through a row of massive megaliths that hide a small stone chamber and a long, low mound that extends behind. . Available for free all year round.
The volcanic rocky outcrop known as Traprain Law, 1 1/2 miles south of the village of East Linton in Lothian, obviously stands out from the surrounding landscape. It was once the capital of the Roman-British kingdom of Gododdin and a vital ritual center since the Neolithic. It is crowned by a hill of the Iron Age and in the most sensitive is a rocky outcrop from which a piece of rock has been detached, leaving a narrow area. This is the virgin stone and it is said that the narrowing in the zone confers fertility and intelligent fortune for any young woman who crosses it touching both sides. Available free of charge throughout the year.
Cut into the rocks at the edge of the Whin Scar Plateau, a mile southwest of Beetham in Underlaid Wood, a set of steep stone steps climbs through a narrow groove. They are said to be obsessed by fairies who have been seen walking through them. They will grant a wish to anyone who manages to climb or descend this narrow staircase without touching the sides, a task almost for everyone except for the “little people”!Fairy Steps is accessed via an ancient track that runs through the twisted trees and limestone pavement formations of Whin Scar near the village of Beetham.
This is an edited excerpt from Magical Britain – 650 Enchanted and Mystical Sites by Rob Wildwood, published via Wild Things for £18. 99; available to Guardian readers with a 20% discount and loose shipping with the code Guardian22