Grimes Graves

5000 years ago neolithic britons were mining flint from holes in the chalk near Brandon. On the first proper day of spring this year, we decided to head out and take a look. A view from the air shows the amazing extent of mining on this little hilltop. People sunk holes up to 15m deep through chalk to reach a lode of flint below and after each hole was exhausted they would fill it in an start again. This went on for over a thousand years to produce hundreds of holes.

Down one of the shafts it’s cool and cramped, and little holes go off in all directions where the miners have worked. Amazing to think that they did all that digging using dear antlers for picks and cow shoulder bones for shovels. Here’s a photo of Jan and Shelley down the mine