Dartmoor 1999

Dartmoor, November 1999
These pictures are from an uncertain wobble in November of 1999 around the highways and byways of Devon, fuelled mainly by cider and red wine, and a desire to revisit old ghosts. The village is called Belstone, just east of Okehampton, on the northern edge of the moor. The stone circle is an ancient hut circle, known as the 'Nine Stones' or 'Nine Maidens'. There are many circles around Britain called 'Nine Maidens'; often a legend links them with a group of people turned to stone for dancing on the Sabbath day. Occasionally, a solitary stone is positioned slightly away from the circle - sometimes called 'The Fiddler'. Only rarely are there in fact nine stones in the circle. For a nice explanation of this particular legend, and some wonderful music, buy a CD by John Renbourn called 'The Nine Maidens'.

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