| 018 Grey Mare,
Wether Law, Longformacus. |
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Description
The Grey Mare is a large, pock-marked glacial erratic and can be
found, with some difficulty, on the north-west slope of Wether
Law, to the south of Whiteadder Reservoir. The stone measures
about 2.00m along it's longest axis and yet can still be hidden
when viewed from only a few feet away as it sits just below the
natural level of the surrounding heather. The surface of the
stone has numerous "cup" type markings that have more
than likely formed naturally through the processes of
weathering. The term Grey Mare and other similar names are often
given to large boulders such as this. A similarly named set of
stones has been recorded near Dere Street, the Roman road near
Hownam, although these are probably lost.
Directions
Wether Law can be found to the south west side of the road between
Longformacus and Gifford. For reference, the hill is due south of
Whiteadder Reservoir. The best way of finding the stone, without
using a GPS device, is to align yourself with the stone-built
grouse shooting butts to the south of the trig point on the Wether
Law. The stone is slightly to your right if you walk towards them.
Take care, the stone is still hidden even from 10m or so away.
Parking
There are a few small parking spaces along the roadside verge in
the area.
Fieldnotes
I had yet to purchase a GPS receiver when I first sought out
this stone and was only able to find it by taking a compass
bearing and using some noticeable features in the locality as
guidelines. I must have walked within a few metres of it more
than once before finally stumbling upon it. This stone is not as
easy to find at it would at first appear. If anything could be
said about the stone it would have to be the feeling of peace
and tranquillity I experienced while sitting there enjoying a
welcome coffee and chocolate biscuit.
The area around the stone
seemed to provide a little pocket of micro-climate, trapping the
warmth of the sun and also providing shelter from the wind. The
stone is presumably an erratic, left there after the glaciers
and ice sheets receded after the last Ice Age, some 13,000 years
ago. Another stone, the Grey Mare's Foal can be found 300m to
the north west and although not marked on the O.S. Landranger maps of the
area, one wonders if there are other similar stones in the
vicinity. Some months later when driving through the
area and approaching from the south, I noticed you can actually see the
Grey Mare, just visible in the heather, if you know where to
look.
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