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chrisull.bsky.social
@chrisull.bsky.social
230 followers 450 following 140 posts
Programmer, author, musician (lo-fi),
amateur historian, amateur environmentalist (butterfly transect walker at Golitha Falls), chair of St Cleer Environmental group, runner, running coach and Birmingham City
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chrisull.bsky.social
The Porz ar Streat menhir near Plouescat in #Brittany #Bretagne #Breizh. This menhir is on the edge of a farmyard where refrigerator lorries are slowly rotting and electric fenced off, which slightly detracts from its ambience. #StandingStoneSunday
A single stone of 4 metres stands to the left of the photo towering over a flat empty field. Scrub fills the grey horizon and to the right is a typical small Breton home.
November 9, 2025 at 7:45 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
The beached allée couverte of Guinivrit at low tide in #Brittany #Bretagne #Breizh It might have lost all its capstones but it remains a unique and captivating site #StandingStoneSunday
A row of blackened and seaweed covered stones emerge from the sand, like the beached carcass of a whale, running down the golden white sands. A rocky promontory cloaked in grass and the odd wind scoured tree forms the backdrop.
November 2, 2025 at 7:30 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
The partially submerged Er Lannic stone circle, on a private island, that can’t be visited and can only be seen by boat. Sea birds have reclaimed this haunting site and perch atop the menhir on the skyline. Photo taken on my birthday this year. #StandingStoneSunday #Brittany #Bretagne #Breizh
A small island forms the core of this Hipstamatic filter tinted photo. The restless but gentle blue sea beckons you in to a green sanctuary. A menhir plus cormorant is just visible on the horizon and if you zoom in on the right a row of stones wade out into the sea, each with its own seabird hat. The sky is an ominous blue grey.
October 19, 2025 at 6:50 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Been involved with a couple of moth trapping events at Golitha Falls, and it’s always a multitude of yellow underwings and not much else. Yesterday sitting at the base of the tree where previous displays have been hosted was this jaw dropping Death’s head hawk moth. #Teammoth #mothsmatter #Cornwall
On a mossy bark, a pair of mottled brown and black wings fan out like a ball room dress sported less by the traditional yellow skull pattern than by an insectoid alien head.
October 16, 2025 at 6:39 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Men Gurta (St Breock downs monolith) on a cloudy day in 2023. #Cornwall #StandingStoneSunday
A tall grey ,quartz streaked menhir stands in a pool of recently mown green grass that the straw coloured moorland scrub is trying to encroach upon. A wind turbine on the horizon echoes the stone under a marble grey sky.
October 12, 2025 at 6:55 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
The magnificent Buttern Hill cist, part of a Bronze Age cemetery across the hillside, with magnificent views to Bronn Wennili (Cornwall’s highest point). #Cornwall #BodminMoor #StandingStoneSunday
Three narrow granite slabs, lying lengthways, form a rectangle, while a large standing stone rests halfway across it like a coffin lid poised on the lip of the tomb. Small chunks of granite surround the cist forming a much denuded mound. Across in the distance on a dry, brown and treeless horizon is a looming grey ridge, Bronn Wennili (I won’t say it’s English name) - the Hill of swallows it translates too, although perhaps its other Cornish name Bronn Ewhella (highest hill) seems more accurate as I never glimpse swallows there. The sky is filled with Constable like clouds and sun falls on land between the ridge but not on the cist or hill.
October 5, 2025 at 8:04 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
The Dol de Bretagne, which, legend has it, appeared in the height of a battle where two brothers met and fought, when it rose up between and separated them. There does seem to have been a battle near here in 560 CE between father and son. #StandingStoneSunday #Folklore #Bretagne #Breizh #Brittany
A large 9 metre high menhir dominates a mown grassy field. The sky is a cloudless blue with some hints of vapour trails, echoed by desire lines in the grass leading up to the menhir. The only other features are a small fence in the background and a few trees and hedges on the skyline.
September 28, 2025 at 7:18 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Not often I get to post #HillFortsWednesday but with an EV need a charge what better excuse to nip up Brent Knoll, to walk the ramparts and see across to Bannau Brycheiniog / Brecon Beacons 79 miles away on a gorgeous early autumn day.
An old farm track/footpath staggers between a rustic farm shed and small pumpkin patch. A straw coloured Brent Knoll looms over the background , crowned with a mohican of trees. A large grassy ridge winds away to the left, whil to the right the land drops away revealing a glimpse of the sea and the Quantocks. A narrow desire like snakes its way along a grassy ridge to a beacon stone on a small platform on the horizon. The sky is bleached white by the sun and silver clouds clatter over like cars edging along a motorway traffic jam The view out to the Bristol Channel which is a cross cross of rhomboid fields, one filled by a water like panels. A large ridge looms in the channel (Bardsey island??) while Wales is a grey ghost on the Horizon, but if you zoom in the centre you can just about make out Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons.
September 24, 2025 at 6:14 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
When is a standing stone not an ancient standing stone? When English Heritage use it to denote the place of origin of the bluestones of Stonehenge in the Preseli mountains! Although this isn’t on top of Carn Menyn or Carn Goeddog even more confusingly. But it is a nice #StandingStoneSunday
A tall, impressively ancient looking menhir stands on flat moorland while hills rise behind it on the horizon. Below a plaque in both English and Welsh describes it of being one of two blue stones taken from Carn Menyn, (the other being at Stonehenge) to indicate its place of origin.
September 21, 2025 at 6:00 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Not an ancient #StandingStoneSunday but an old gatepost on a footpath that passes one of Bodmin Moor’s remotest farms (which I believe is occasionally inhabited and also not for sale) and not on anything remotely resembling a road or semi-paved track. #Cornwall #BodminMoor
A squat rectangular lichen encrusted stone sits on the edge of a small farm holding. Behind trees in full leaf surround a shuttered up building, constructed from granite with a slate roof and slate clad upper floor, typical of many Cornish dwellings in this part of the world.
September 14, 2025 at 8:15 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
The Pipers taken on the day after winter solstice sunrise in 2022 (wouldnt be able to get near them on the solstice itself) These are the two outliers, next to the Hurlers circles, Minions #Cornwall #StandingStoneSunday
Two tall menhirs,one reflecting itself in a pool of water, greet the morning sunrise. The sun is both coming up from behind Caradon hill and emerging from the top of the right hand stone. A few clouds are scattered over an otherwise pallid sky, just beginning to bruise orange.
August 31, 2025 at 6:44 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
The Christianised menhir of Brignogan Plage, always a wonder. Lovely to see new interpretation boards nearby but they were rather blighted by the AI ‘photos’ of menhirs and dolmens on them. Doesn’t Brittany have enough monuments to use real photos? #StandingStoneSunday #Brittany #Bretagne #Breizh
The 8 metre tall menhir stopped by cross against a blue sky with a single small cloud. It’s perched behind a natural boulder where what must be a natural hollow is currently (August 2025) filled by grass
August 24, 2025 at 6:12 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
At the end (or beginning) of Erdeven’s wonderful megalithic walking trail, amongst some much more well known sites is the Dolmen de Botlann, nestled in a small housing estate. #TombTuesday #Brittany #Bretagne #Breizh #UrbanPrehistory
A small dolmen, comprised of three grave stone sized support stones and a picnic table sized capstone, sits on an arid piece of grass in a small housing estate. If it wasn’t registered it could almost be mistaken for one of those faux garden ornament dolmens the Bretons and Cornish like to construct.
August 19, 2025 at 6:24 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Spotted this vestal moth, lurking in the grass of a freshly cut meadow today in noonday sun. A bit of a beauty. #Moths #MothsMatter #TeamMoth #Cornwall
A triangular tent shaped moth in straw and grass, with wings the colour of old paper, except for a broad raspberry ripple pink stripe running across like an upturned chevron.
August 17, 2025 at 3:29 PM
chrisull.bsky.social
For #StandingStoneSunday it’s time to revisit the striking quartz stones of Duloe. Since its recent acquisition by Cornwall Heritage Trust, the surrounding grass is now uncut, and the hedge behind removed, allowing the circle to breathe and, by letting wildlife back, giving it atmosphere. #Cornwall
Six white standing stones and one recumbent stone stand in a rough circle like shape on a small patch of mown grass. Behind the grass grows long letting yarrow, knapweed and thistles feed the insect population. You can just about make out the lines crisscrossing the longer grass, under a cloudless blue sky as a soft orange glow bruises the horizon at sunset
August 17, 2025 at 5:50 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
The magnificent Dolmen de Crucuno nestled against a house as if they were somehow built at the same time. #TombTuesday #Bretagne #Brittany #Breizh #Megalith
Lichen encrusted sign reading ‘Propriete de l’etat Dolmen De Crucuno’ in engraved red letters The Dolmen itself a squat, rectangular monster of a capstone is supported by 6 visible uprights and perched against a stone wall of a house.
August 12, 2025 at 6:29 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Throwback to the original #MegalithicMonday tag. Here is some rock art, the engraving of an axe at the end of the Allée couverte of Mougau Bihan in #Brittany #Bretagne #Breizh
Two tall stone flank a greenish grey stone that has what at first sight look a sword face downwards with a bent handle. Closer examination shows the top part is not symmetrical and it is the head of an axe, not a sword handle at all.
August 11, 2025 at 6:51 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Brignogan plage’s ‘other’ menhir. Anywhere else this would be the starring megalithic attraction, at just under 8 metres. With Men ar Marz’s 8m plus and cross just down the road, menhir de menoignon must play second fiddle! #StandingStoneSunday #Bretagne #Brittany #Breizh
A huge triangular menhir stands in a small green corner of a field surrounded by bushes, a tree and interpretation boards
August 10, 2025 at 5:22 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
Let’s have a riot of colour…. #Butterflies #MothsMatter #TeamMoth #Insects #NatureSky (all taken this week in #Brittany #Bretagne #Breizh). And instant follow for anyone recognising the lyric….
A clouded yellow on a clump of birds foot trefoil. Lots of grass and green trefoil leaves frame the lemon yellow of the plant and butterfly. In French it is called Souci (worry), an apt name for a butterfly that rarely seems to settle. A glorious red sundew, a carnivorous plant that feasts on flies, attracting them to its sticky tendrils that gives the impression of dewdrops on eyelashes A fluorescent green beautiful demoiselle damsel fly on a head of pinkish, greenish white Angelica. You can see the definition of the veins on its shiny black wings. A broad bordered bee hawk moth feasting on the last of some white buddleia. Beautiful red bordered wings around a clear interior. A stumpy cigar shaped body of black, yellow and red stripes is ever so slightly out of focus because this one moves like a hummingbird, hovering frantically.
August 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
chrisull.bsky.social
Picked up this wonderful #Brittany #butterfly atlas and French names are so much better than ours. Pictured: Spanish tobacco (tabac d’Espagne), coral necklace (collier de corail) and flambé! Looking out for half sorrows, vulcans and Robert the Devil! #Insects #NatureSky @savebutterflies.bsky.social
A cover of the book ‘Atlas des papillons diurnes de Bretagne’ showing and orange tip on a daisy of some sort and a swallowtail. A silver washed fritillary aka a Spanish tobacco on a head of hemp agrimony ( looks like a pink and white scrap of rug) A brown Argus (coral necklace) on a bed of straw. A chocolate brown butterfly who wings are edged by orange dimples. A scarce swallowtail in a part of Brittany that they haven’t been previously recorded (climate change responsible I’m guessing). It’s like a yellow tiger with a swallow’s (the birds )bottom, partially obscured by long grass
August 5, 2025 at 6:27 PM
chrisull.bsky.social
For #TombTuesday the dolmen Mané-Groh (the sorceress’s hill) one of many sites on the recently(ish) created (2019?) Sentier de Megaliths in Erdeven near Carnac, #Brittany. The funeraire coffre (sarcophagus/cist?) next to it is an older monument! #Bretagne #Breizh
View of the entrance of a passage grave in July 2025 (my own) where several upright stones lead to a three covered chambers, each capped with a large stone. The grass around has been recently mown contrasting with older pictures showing it surrounded by gorse. Green woodland forms the backdrop. A close up of the rectangular granite sarcophagus or cist that stands free of the ground next to the dolmen. It has been hewn inside into two separate boxes giving it a rowing boat like appearance.
August 5, 2025 at 6:36 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
At last a #StandingStoneSunday where I’ve been able to replenish my album of sites with new photos of mine! These are the alignments de Moulin at the Saint-Just in #Brittany taken last Tuesday, exactly 5 years to the day since I last visited them. #Bretagne #Breizh #Menhirs
7 tall, thin grey stones run from top left of the photo to bottom right in a not altogether straight line, across parched brown grass. The sky above, a melange of blues, greys and whites which help highlight both the green lichen and white quartz on some of the stones.
August 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM
chrisull.bsky.social
#TombTuesday A late entry, but having just returned from the ‘Sistine chapel of the Neolithic’ aka Cairn de Gavrinis, on my b’day, I’m hopefully forgiven. Quite frankly amazing, one of Europe’s finest prehistoric monuments . #Bretagne #Brittany #Breizh #NeolithicArt
July 29, 2025 at 7:12 PM
chrisull.bsky.social
And while it’s #BigButterflyCount let’s not forget moths. These happened to either blunder into my house or turn up on my butterfly searches, no special equipment needed. @savebutterflies.bsky.social #MothsMatter #Cornwall #NatureSky
A Black arches on my blue front door window pane. A beautiful marbled black and white moth, black squiggles across the flat wings with some serious pareidolia going on. Is that the joker I can see? A silver y, low down in some grass. Squat grey moth with two reflective y shaped streaks in the wing centre. A dark arches try to camouflage itself in my textured grey lampshade. A magpie moth hiding beteeen leaves and partially concealed. A pointillist fantasy of black, orange and white.
July 28, 2025 at 7:24 PM
chrisull.bsky.social
As it’s #BigButterflyCount , here’s a selection of some of the butterflies in and around the Golitha Falls transect. 2025 has already massively eclipsed 2024, and looks to be better than 2023 on my survey numbers. @savebutterflies.bsky.social #Cornwall #Butterflies #NatureSky
Common Blue, wings closed on a section of marsh grass. The outer wings are brown dappled with white ringed black spots and orange petals with nary a hint of blue. Vibrant orange comma on a bramble leaf, with the familiar jagged wings. The brightness suggests possibly a golden morph variant ? Small copper feasting on a large pink head of hemp agrimony, a plant colloquially known as strawberries and cream, which gives a clue to its Eton mess like appearance A close up of a silver lined meadow brown, wings open, with smudges of vivid orange around the characteristic circular black eye mark. The brown colouring hasn’t faded suggesting a recent emerged specimen.
July 25, 2025 at 5:25 AM