The Drustone

Chapter Seven. On Their Own.

Chapter Seven 

On Their Own 

It was rumoured that Uncle Steve had gone to see a lady friend somewhere in Staffordshire. He was not due to return until the following Sunday evening, which gave the boys four days to complete their various missions. In reality they had only two, because they were expected to stay close to home at the weekends. 

On the Thursday, P.C. and Henry returned to the stone circle. Rev could not accompany them as he had to babysit his younger sister whilst his mother went to market in Ulverston. After Henry adamantly refused to venture back in to the caverns, they decided to follow the paths leading to distant churches.  

Initially, they followed one leading in a northerly direction towards Ulverston. The track was faint and often disappeared for short stretches, but they were able to trace it without too much difficulty. It led directly to a grass- covered mound. Beyond the mound, there was no path and the countryside was quite different. Instead of open moor, small fields enclosed by dry-stone walls and hedgerows dominated the landscape.  

This pattern was repeated on their next path to the South-East.. The route again terminated at a mound, situated on a bluff overlooking the sea and the village of Aldingham. 

"I was sure these paths were going to lead to the churches," said P.C. 

"Obviously not. I wonder if they all end up at big hillocks like this one." 

"Let's try one more and see. How about we try the path going to Pennington, then we'll be close to home when we finish?"  

Henry, who was starting to tire, agreed. 

The village of Pennington was very familiar to the two boys. It was the site of their parish church. As they descended from the moor they appeared to be heading directly for the familiar Norman edifice. Yet again the path ended at a mound, a much larger one this time, one they knew as Ellerbarrow. 

"Have you noticed, Henry, these mounds all seem to be about the same distance from the stones?" 

"I was just thinking the same thing. It looks as if the stones are at the centre of a circle surrounded by these mounds." 

"What's really strange is that inside that circle of mounds the moor is untouched, no farming, no mining, no buildings." 

"It really could be sacred ground, couldn't it?" 

P.C. laughed, but didn't respond. 

************** 

The next morning, Rev and P.C. rode to Bardsea. Henry had once again refused to go underground. They left their bikes outside the Bradyll's Arms in the village, and surreptitiously approached the cavern entrance.  

"Can you believe it, Rev? It looks like the ivy has grown back, as if it's trying to hide the entrance." 

"I think it's just sprung back to its original shape. Ivy does that. Look it parts easily."

Together they pushed the covering ivy aside, and leaned against the metal door. There was a screech of metal against rock as the door resisted. Their combined efforts created a small gap, large enough for them to squirm through. Once inside, P.C. lit the hurricane lamp, even though they could see in the light diffusing from the nearby cavern. 

Free from Henry's wild imaginings they made rapid progress, and soon untangled the maze, finding the other passage Uncle Steve had mentioned. The tunnel, cut through limestone, was long and uphill. Water, streaming down the walls and along the floor made the footing treacherous. Luckily steps had been carved in the worst places and the boys emerged from the tunnel unscathed. 

"Where the heck are we?" asked Rev. 

"I'm not sure," said P.C. He sniffed. " Can you smell it?" 

"Smell what?" 

"The sea." 

"You're joking, P.C. Nobody can smell the sea." 

"I can. I bet it's close by. Let's go and look over the top of the hill." 

Rev looked up. It was going to be quite a climb.  

Huffing and puffing, they made their way past numerous rectangular blocks of white rock embedded in the hillside, to the top. 

"I told you didn't I?" The tide was in. "I know where we are too. See over there." P.C. pointed with his right arm. "That's Aldingham church. We're on the Haggs. Me, and my Dad come rabbiting here sometimes. You've got to be very careful up here. There are lots of caves and sinkholes." 

"Great for speleologists." 

"If you say so, Rev." 

Sensibly, P.C. and Rev decided against investigating the subterranean warren and wound their way down the bluff to the coast road leading back to Bardsea. 

***************** 

Rev's mother planned to go shopping in Barrow on the Saturday. She was quite taken aback when her son, who was normally embarrassed to be seen in her company, asked if he could tag along. She knew he must have an ulterior motive, and was not surprised when he asked to go to the museum rather than shop. 

Most of the space in the museum seemed to be dedicated to the history of shipbuilding in the town. There was a scale model of every ship ever built in the yards. Rev could find nothing relating to earlier times. He approached the front desk. 

"Excuse me, Miss. Is there anything about the Ancient Britons on show here?" 

"Why yes, son,' said the bespectacled librarian. "You'll find a display on the second floor that might interest you. Just go up the staircase over there, and it's in the first room on your left." 

A rectangular white board stood on an easel outside the room. 'Furness before the Romans', it advertised. Just the job! 

He was quite taken aback to find that the showpiece of the display was a model of the Urswick lake village. It depicted the village as a collection of thatched, stone walled huts built on a mound in the centre of a lake. A wooden stockade surrounded the village, and the only entrance was by way of a jetty at which were moored several small boats. Lead figures had been used to represent the early Britons, and several were shown crossing the tarn in coracles and punts. 

Display cases around the walls contained many artifacts, uncovered during the Urswick dig. Most of the items were patterned pieces of black pottery and tools made from bone. There was also a small collection of iron tools and weapons. The archeologists had also uncovered a whetstone used to sharpen knives, a primitive saw and a scythe, along with large cakes of unworked iron. 

One case contained examples of ornamental work created by the early craftsmen. These were intricate bronze items that had been artistically arranged around a central exhibit that made Rev's eyes bulge. It was a burnished copper egg supported on a triangular base made of three slugs of rusted iron. Rev looked around. There was a silver haired gentleman sitting at a desk near the entrance. He had to ask. 

"Please, Sir. Could you help me?" 

"Certainly, young man." 

"Could you tell me what that copper egg is, in that display case over there?" 

"That's a model of the Drustone found at Urswick." 

"What's a Drustone?" 

"We believe they were stone monuments, usually erected at sites where Druids worshipped. A triangular base of three standing stones supported another rock that was sometimes, but not always,eggshaped. A few have actually been found in the area." 

"Why would they make a model of one?" 

"That's a mystery. Maybe they were just like us; built models of sacred objects. We have a model of Furness Abbey downstairs."  

It wouldn't be a mystery to Henry's Uncle Steve.