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Bluestone ‘quarry’ findings questioned

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By Matthew Bearne

Disputed: ​​​T​​he​ ​'quarry' site

Disputed: ​​​T​​he​ ​’quarry’ site

FOLLOWING reports last week that archaeologists had located the ‘quarry’ where the Stonehenge bluestones originated, a paper had been published which casts significant doubt over their findings.

Earth scientists who worked at a bluestone monolith quarry site at Craig Rhosyfelin in Pembrokeshire have suggested that the archaeologists have got it all wrong, and that the so-called engineering features on the flank of the crag are entirely natural.  Furthermore, it is suggested that members of the digging team have unconsciously created the very features that they have cited in support of their quarrying hypothesis.

In a peer-reviewed paper published on Monday (Dec 14) in Archaeology in Wales journal Dr Brian John, Dr Dyfed Elis-Gruffydd and John Downes have described a set of Ice Age deposits and landforms at the site of an archaeological dig that was started in 2011, and have determined that there are no traces of human intervention in any of the features that have made the archaeologists so excited.  These include features described by the diggers as a quarry face, a quarry spoil bank, a storage platform, props and pillars, stone rails, a proto-orthostat, a revetment, and an export pathway.  Most of these are now dismissed as archaeological artifices unconsciously created by the archaeologists themselves during five years of highly selective sediment removal. In other words, the authors of the new article suggest that the archaeologists have created what they wanted to find, instead of describing what was there.

This site has been described by lead archaeologist Prof Mike Parker Pearson as the Pompeii of prehistoric stone quarries and has caused great excitement in archaeological circles.  The selection of this rocky crag near the village of Brynberian for excavation in 2011- 2015 was triggered by the discovery by geologists Richard Bevins and Rob Ixer that some of the stone fragments in the soil at Stonehenge were quite precisely matched to an unusual type of foliated rhyolite found in the crag.  This led the archaeologists to conclude that there must have been a Neolithic quarry here, worked for the specific purpose of cutting out monoliths for the bluestone settings at Stonehenge.

Commenting on the new research paper, Dr Brian John said: “The new geological work at Rhosyfelin and Stonehenge is an interesting piece of ‘rock provenencing’ – but it tells us nothing at all about how monoliths or smaller rock fragments from West Wales found their way to Stonehenge.  We are sure that the archaeologists have convinced themselves that the glacial transport of erratics was impossible. We are not sure where they got that idea from. On the contrary, there is substantial evidence in favour of glacial transport and zero evidence in support of the human transport theory. We accept that there might have been a camp site at Rhosyfelin, used intermittently by hunters over several millennia. But there is no quarry. We think the archaeologists have been so keen on telling a good story here that they have ignored or misinterpreted the evidence in front of them. That’s very careless. They now need to undertake a complete reassessment of the material they have collected.”

The three authors of the new paper suggest that this fundamental error in interpretation might have been avoided if there had been greater cooperation in the Rhosyfelin dig between archaeologists and specialists from related disciplines.

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St Davids Choir performs at historic Hampton Court Chapel

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ST DAVIDS Cathedral Choir has returned from an inspiring weekend of music-making at the iconic Chapel Royal in Hampton Court Palace. The group, comprising the Vicars Choral and Choral Scholars, was invited to perform at the historic venue and took part in a series of high-profile services attended by both music enthusiasts and chapel visitors.

The weekend began on Saturday with a unique bilingual Evensong, where the choir performed stirring pieces by renowned composers Thomas Tomkins and Thomas Tallis. The highlight of the visit came on Sunday, when St Davids Choir joined the esteemed Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal for a morning Eucharist and an evening Evensong. This collaboration featured sacred music by Palestrina, Tallis, John Shepherd, and William Byrd, creating an atmosphere that resonated through the halls of the 16th-century chapel.

The weekend’s success was credited to the warm welcome extended by the Chapel Royal team, including notable figures such as James Elliot Harris, Sophie Baylis, Carl Jackson, and Simon Bloxam-Rose. “Their hospitality was exceptional,” said a spokesperson for St Davids Choir. “They made us feel truly at home.”

Special thanks also went to Canon Leigh Richardson, Laurence John, Ben Richards, and Christa Richardson of St Davids, whose Welsh readings added a personal and cultural dimension to the service.

St Davids Cathedral Choir expressed their desire to continue this partnership, extending an invitation for the Chapel Royal team to visit St Davids Cathedral in the future. For many, the weekend was a moving testament to the power of music to connect communities and celebrate heritage across borders.

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Missing photographer Chris Ellery safe in Ireland after two-day ordeal

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A KEEN photographer from Bristol, Chris Ellery, has made a miraculous landing in Ireland after his small boat broke down in the Irish Sea, sparking a two-day search effort along the Pembrokeshire coastline.

The 54-year-old set off from Fishguard on Thursday (Oct 31) on a solo outing, expecting a brief return journey. When he failed to arrive back as scheduled, family members and authorities were alerted, leading to a large-scale, multi-agency search across the waters and shores of Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay.

Breakdown in the Irish Sea

According to HM Coastguard, Mr. Ellery ran into engine trouble while heading west towards Ireland. The three-metre (10ft) black inflatable boat suffered a breakdown mid-journey; although he managed to restart the engine, his phone had also stopped working, cutting off any chance of communication. Stranded and without a working phone, Chris continued his journey until he eventually came ashore on Saturday in County Wicklow.

After making landfall, he walked to the nearest police station, where he was able to contact authorities. The Gardaí confirmed he was “tired but okay,” ending days of intense worry for his family and friends.

Chris’s family had travelled to Fishguard after losing contact with him and grew increasingly concerned. His daughter, Kenzie Ellery, issued a heartfelt appeal on social media, urging anyone with information to come forward. On Saturday afternoon, she shared a joyful update: “MY DAD IS ALIVE HE HAS BEEN FOUND IN IRELAND,” bringing much relief to all those involved in the search.

Two-day search operation

HM Coastguard resumed its search efforts early on Saturday, deploying aircraft, RNLI boat crews, and Coastguard teams across North Pembrokeshire, Cardigan Bay, and St Brides Bay. Dyfed-Powys Police had joined the search as well, after the Coastguard retrieved some of Mr. Ellery’s personal items on a remote cove earlier in the operation.

A Coastguard spokesperson commented, “He came ashore in County Wicklow and made his way to a local police station. They contacted Dyfed-Powys Police. It’s good news.”

The family has expressed their gratitude for the extensive support received from search teams and the local community. The remarkable journey, from the initial breakdown at sea to reaching safety on Irish shores, has brought relief and closure to what could have been a tragic outcome.

St Davids RNLI said their crew were part of the major multi agency search operation

St Davids RNLI said: “Volunteers on both our all-weather and inshore lifeboats were delighted to receive freshly cooked bacon, sausage and egg sandwiches from our own crew member Judd and his FPV Rhodri Morgan crew.

“This was a very welcome boost for morale during the intensive search.”

Fishguard RNLI confirmed: “Our volunteer crew were paged to launch both lifeboats on Friday to assist with the search for a missing person.

“Both lifeboats were again out on the water this morning conducting a further search of the coastline.

“[On Saturday] there was good news that the individual had been located in Ireland, and so a positive outcome to the search over the last few days.

“Eight lifeboats across five stations played their part in searching the Welsh coast from Skomer Island up to Mwnt and out into Cardigan Bay along with Coastguard volunteers and aircraft crew.”  

Daughter Kenzie Ellery took to social media on Saturday afternoon, saying: “I just want to say thank you for all the amazing support from everyone.

“The details are still vague but we will be able to answer questions in time, the important part is dad is alive, safe and well!

“It’s been great how social media can bring people together positively and see communities come together to help.

“Thank you to everyone involved.”

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Plane, helicopter and lifeboats in search for missing man Chris Ellery

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A MULTI-AGENCY search continues in the Fishguard area for 54-year-old Chris Ellery, missing since Wednesday (Oct 30) after setting off alone from Fishguard Harbour in a black RHIB.

Concerns for Chris’s safety were raised after he failed to return home as expected on Thursday (Oct 31). The last sighting of the experienced sailor was captured on CCTV at 2:00pm on Wednesday, just as he left the harbour.

Since then, Dyfed Powys Police, HM Coastguard, and RNLI have been conducting extensive land and sea searches. Helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and search vessels are combing the sea off Fishguard.

Rescue efforts were paused Friday evening due to fading daylight but resumed early Saturday morning.

Five lifeboats were involved in the search on Saturday (Nov 2)
HM Coastguard aircraft involved in search operation

Personal items found amid search

During Friday’s search, personal belongings linked to Chris were discovered on a secluded cove, accessible only by boat. While this discovery intensified efforts in the remote area, there has yet to be any sign of his boat or other trace of Chris.

In a Facebook appeal, his daughter, Kenzie Ellery, described her father as “always very prepared” and pleaded for help from the public. She shared a photo of the boat he was last seen on and encouraged local residents to stay vigilant along the coast. Kenzie also mentioned an AirTag device her father carried, which last pinged in the sea near Fishguard.

Public plea for assistance

Kenzie’s heartfelt plea has been shared widely, with family and friends in Bristol circulating the information in hopes of reaching those closer to the search zone. “We all need him to be home, and we pray that he is safe,” she wrote. “Please share this post—we need him to be safe and home as soon as possible.”

Please dial 101 if you have seen Chris, police said

Police appeal for information

Dyfed Powys Police have asked anyone with information on Chris’s whereabouts to get in touch. Residents along the Fishguard coastline are urged to report any unusual sightings immediately.

Anyone with information can contact police through:

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired, text 07811 311 908. Quote reference: 102 of the 1st Nov.

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