Round and Round

Today I stood in a Bronze Age stone circle and then walked through an Industrial Revolution textile mill, both within miles of each other in the Derbyshire countryside. What struck me wasn't the contrast—it was how both represent the same human impulse to leave something permanent behind. One civilization built with stone to honor the cosmos. Another built with stone to harness water power. Both are still here. Both tell stories about what humans think is worth preserving. The question that lingered as we drove back through fields and villages: what are we building now that will still stand in 3,000 years?

Circles in Stone, Circles in Time

Took it easy this morning and caught up on a few things. Eventually left the house around 11am.

Nine Ladies Stone Circle

Drove around the countryside, stopping here and there for pictures. Made it to The Druid Inn in Birchover for lunch, then went to Stanton Moor and hiked to the Nine Ladies Stone Circle. Saw a few other stone circles and cairns along the way. The moor is a pretty place and it was a pleasant day for a walk. Lots of heather blooming.

Next we visited Cromford Mill. Not a lot to see, but still interesting. It was a textile mill—looked like primarily wool and cotton processing. Most of the cotton came from Brazil and India. In the early days, nearly nothing from North America.

Hung out at the house for a bit, then went to The Miners Arms in Carsington for dinner. Very good. Took a few pictures along the way.

A couple of observations from today:

The museums aren't great at making connections with what actually happened at these places. They occasionally talk about personal impacts, which are interesting, but less about the systems that brought things together so these factories could function. It's there, but you need to dig for it.

The Bronze Age artifacts today were interesting. What did they mean? How did the people who created them live? The history here is vast compared to what we know about in Oregon. Not as much stone there. Not as many artifacts.

There's something about the layering of time in this landscape. Bronze Age stone circles, Industrial Revolution mills, modern farms—all occupying the same space but from completely different worlds. Each generation leaving traces, most of which get covered over or forgotten. The stone circles survive because they're stone. The mills survive because they were built to last. Most everything else disappears.

Standing in a stone circle makes you think about what we're building now that might still be here in 3,000 years.

Images can be found here ... https://beloretrato0.picflow.com/d43bka91mw/8t7fut0q1f