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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Many people are still surprised to discover that the lands to the north of Hadrian's Wall are dotted with Roman sites including forts, roads, camps and bathhouses. To find out more, check out my books, both currently reduced if you buy direct from the publisher: shorturl.at/7Ytav #RomanSiteSaturday

The cover of two books by Alan Montgomery, entitled the Road to Mons Graupius and Walking the Antonine Wall

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A Roman tombstone for #TombTuesday. It was found on Ludgate Hill in London in 1669, and marked the final resting place of centurion Vivius Marcianus. His wife Januaria Martina set it up for him some time in the third century.

A large carved stone with a figure of a man inside an arched top niche.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

There are loads of Scottish Roman forts in my book The Road to Mons Graupius, from Trimontium in the Borders to Stracathro, the most northerly Roman fort in the world. You can buy it direct from the publisher at a discounted price here: tippermuirbooks.co.uk/product/the-... #RomanFortThursday

The cover of the book The Road to Mons Graupius by Alan Montgomery

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This is the six metre tall menhir of Kerampeulven in Finistère, Brittany. Perhaps due to its phallic shape, it was long believed to enhance fertility, so women who hoped to fall pregnant would rub their bellies against it. #StandingStoneSunday

A tall thin standing stone surrounded by dry grass and trees behind.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Some more lovely stained glass from the collection of the V&A in London, this panel showing a musical angel was made c. 1420-40 and originally came from Hardwick House in Suffolk.

A blue and yellow stained glass roundel showing an angel playing a stringed instrument.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Discovered (by me, at least) on a sunny cycle in Brittany last month, the Manor of Touche Carné was constructed in the 15th century and has recently been restored. #MedievalMonday

A stone manor house with a slate roof and and polygonal stair tower at one end. Trees behind, and a cloudy sky.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It's funny the things you stumble across in quiet corners of rural Brittany...

A weird dummy sitting in a deck chair next to a holy fountain in Montertelot, Brittany.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

When I was in Brittany last month, I made a quick visit to the amazing Dolmen of Ty ar Boudiged, an ancient tomb that still retains its original mound. Its name translates into English as 'the House of the Fairies'. #TombTuesday

A mound of earth with a stone-lined doorway, in the shadow of a tree.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

A beautiful example of English 15th-century stained glass from Suffolk, featuring St Edmund, now in the collection of the V&A.

A stained-glass portrait of a bearded king, with a crown and a flowered robe.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Nestling in the shade of an oak on a hot August morning, this is the huge (nearly 5m tall) menhir of Kerelcun in Finisterre, Brittany. #StandingStoneSunday

A large standing stone shaded by an oak tree, with more trees behind and dried grass in front.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I'm heading off to Brittany tomorrow for four weeks of writing, painting and stone hunting! I plan to visit some old favourites and hopefully take in some new megalithic sites too... #StandingStoneSunday

The standing stones at St-Just in Brittany known as the Alignments of the Mill

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Also spotted at Knole earlier this week, a gorgeous goggle-eyed Gorgon! #ReliefWednesday

A wooden relief carving of a Gordon face with an open mouth and surprised expression.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Spotted yesterday at glorious Knole in Kent, a tiny stained glass sun. @nationaltrust.org.uk

A tiny stained glass painting of a sun with a face, with some cracks across the glass.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The massive ruinous walls of Corfe Castle, which was slighted on Parliament's orders in 1645. #WallsonWednesday

Crumbling and collapsing walls built from large blocks of cut stone.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The 'Whispering Knights' of Rollright in Oxfordshire are the remains of a 'portal dolmen' burial chamber consisting of four upright stones and a fallen capstone. Its name refers to a legend that the Rollright Stones were a king and his army who were turned to stone by a witch. #TombTuesday

An ancient tomb constructed from three large upright stones and a fallen cap stone, with a metal fence encircling them.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

This the tiny but tall-spired church of St Peter's in Cambridge. Although some claim it has Saxon origins, it was probably founded in the twelfth century and it was definitely rebuilt in the late 1700s. #MedievalMonday

A small church with a tall tower and spire.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

This is my watercolour painting of the Hawk Stone in Oxfordshire. Legend tells that the cleft at the top was made by chains used to imprison witches who were later burnt at the stake. The original artwork is now available on my Etsy shop here: shorturl.at/HDzSI #WyrdWednesday

A black and white painting of a pitted and grooved standing stone

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

This is the magnificent but baffling pediment of the Roman temple of Sulis Minerva in Bath. Discovered in 1790, its symbolism has been much debated since. The head at the centre seems to represent a male Gorgon, while a little owl can be seen just to the right of the central roundel #ReliefWednesday

Several carved blocks from a fragmentary pediment, which a round bearded face at the centre.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

My Etsy sale ends tomorrow, so you don't have long to snap up an original work of art with 25% off, including this watercolour on organic cotton rag paper entitled 'Sun Henge' - perfect for the summer solstice! Check it out here shorturl.at/HDzSI #StandingStoneSunday #SummerSolstice #Art

A painting of a sun with a face hanging over a stone circle with a henge around it

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

There's just three more days of my Etsy sale left, with 25% off original artworks including this magical sun and moon. Prices starting at just £11.25, grab a bargain here: shorturl.at/HDzSI #Art #Tarot #FolkyFriday

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

This magnificent Roman fresco was discovered on the south bank of the River Thames in London. It once decorated the wall of a grand bath house. When the building was demolished in the 4th century, the plaster fell face down and lay untouched until it was excavated in 1983. #FindsFriday #FrescoFriday

A colourful Roman fresco featuring architecture details and a cupid standing at the centre.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

It can be difficult to find somewhere to lock up your bike in London, so it is VERY annoying to see bike racks completely blocked up with rental bikes - which of course don't even need to be locked up 😡 @londoncycling.bsky.social @london.gov.uk

A bike rack completely blocked up with rental bikes.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

My latest drawing features Trevethy Quoit, a magnificent dolmen in Cornwall. I have been trying out a few styles and materials in the past few weeks, but I am starting to think that nothing beats good old-fashioned pencil on paper for capturing the magical atmosphere of the old stones. #TombTuesday

A monochrome pencil drawing of an ancient dolmen in a landscape, it consists of a large cap stone supported by several upright stones.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

This is the fourteenth-century barbican gate of Lewes Castle. Founded soon after the Norman conquest, the castle is unusual in that it has two mottes that were both topped with shell keeps. #MedievalMonday

A tall medieval gatehouse built from flint, with a more recent brick house next to it.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

All of the original artworks in my Etsy shop are currently on sale at 25% off, including this painting of Mên-an-Tol, the famous ancient monument in Cornwall that is said to have healing properties. Grab a bargain here: shorturl.at/HDzSI #StandingStoneSunday #Art

A black and white painting of Men an Tol, with a round hollow stone places between two standing stones in moorland.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

If your dad is the kind of man who is constantly thinking about the Roman Empire, then one of my books would make the perfect Father's Day gift. And both of them are currently reduced if you buy direct from the publisher here: tippermuirbooks.co.uk/product/the-... #RomanSiteSaturday #FathersDay

The covers of two books entitled Walking the Antonine Wall and the Road to Mons Graupius

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

A mysterious little door in the moat of the chateau of Pontivy in Brittany for #AdoorableThursday.

A faded wooden door in a heavy stone wall with grass growing in front of it.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

All of the original artworks in my Etsy shop are currently on sale at 25% off, including this watercolour on hand-made cotton rag paper of Bacchus, the Roman god associated with wine and wild celebration. Grab a bargain here: shorturl.at/HDzSI #Art #Bacchus #Wine

A painting on paper of a man's face with hair and beard of leaves and bunches of grapes hanging from it.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

All of the original artworks in my Etsy shop are currently on sale at 25% off, including this painting of Wayland's Smithy, the magical ancient tomb in Oxfordshire linked in legend with a mythical master blacksmith. Grab a bargain here: shorturl.at/HDzSI #TombTuesday #Art

A black and white painting of Wayland's Smithy, a tomb constructed from large stones with a dark doorway at the centre. In the background are trees.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Discovered in 1806 during the construction of the Bank of England in London, this small square panel was the first Romano-British mosaic acquired by the British Museum. #MosaicMonday

A square panel of Roman mosaic mounted on a wall. It features a red border and a pattern of guilloche and a cross at the centre.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

What is that, lurking in the forest?! Giving serious folk horror vibes, this is the weird carved stone known as 'Le Babouin' (the Baboon) in the woods near Trédion in Brittany. No-one knows who made it, or when, or indeed why. #StandingStoneSunday

A standing stone carved with a round flat face in some woodland.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Known as “the guardhouse of the bloodiest valley in Britain”, austere Hermitage Castle near Hawick in Scotland has witnessed intrigue, murder, torture and treason. In use for 400 years, it lost its strategic importance after the Union of the Crowns and fell into romantic ruin. #CastleSaturday

The ruins of Hermitage Castle with a lichen covered wall in front of it and hills in the background.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Believe it or not, one of the best fragments of London's Roman city wall can be found in an underground car park close to Moorgate. A long section was unearthed here in 1957 and, while most of it was destroyed to make way for a new road, this impressive piece was preserved #RomanSiteSaturday.

A short length of Roman wall constructed from stone and lines of brick surrounded by the concrete columns and ceiling of an underground car park.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

This Roman gameboard and checkers, used to play a game called Ludus Latrunculorum, was discovered at Bearsden Roman fort in Glasgow. Although we don't fully understand the rules, the name means 'the game of robbers'. You can see it now in the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow University. #FindsFriday

A rough edge panel with squares etched into it and coloured game pieces on and around it.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Yesterday I climbed up to the top of the Monument to the Great Fire of London for the first time. There are 311 steps to negotiate, but the views from the viewing platform are amazing!

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

This is the imposing entrance to Dunadd Fort, situated on a huge rock that rises out of Moine Mhor (the ‘great moss’) an expanse of bog to the south of Kilmartin Glen. The rock became a royal power centre of Gaelic kings in the 500s to 800s AD. #HillfortsWednesday

a path leading between to large natural rocky outcrops.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

This is my watercolour of Nether Largie South Cairn in magical Kilmartin Glen. Constructed around 5000 years ago to contain multiple burials, it was later enlarged to to accommodate two secondary cists. The original artwork is now available on my Etsy shop here: shorturl.at/HDzSI #TombTuesday #Art

A black and white painting of an ancient burial mound, with piles of pebbles in the foreground and a dark doorway leading into an underground chamber.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

his week I went to visit the Tower of London for the first time in a while. Highlights included the eleventh-century White Tower, which contains St John's Chapel, the most complete surviving example of early Anglo-Norman royal ecclesiastical architecture. #MedievalMonday

The keep of the Tower of London, a tall square tower with smaller corner towers with onion dome roofs.

The interior of St John's Chapel, with a rounded apse end and rounded arches. There are wooden pews and a wooden altar.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

This is 'Sunhenge', one of my series of watercolour paintings on hand made cotton rag paper that are inspired by folk art and ancient megaliths. The original artwork is now available on my Etsy shop here: shorturl.at/HDzSI #StandingStoneSunday

A painting of a sun with a face hanging above a stone circle within a henge earthwork.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

A little bit of London's Roman city wall is visible inside the Tower of London, where it was reused and repaired by the Normans as part of the defences of their new castle. #RomanSiteSaturday

The base of a partly ruined wall, constructed from stone and red terracotta tiles.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

This rare Roman pottery lamp, shaped like a foot wearing a sandal, was made between 50-60 CE, and was found at Borough High Street in Southwark. Archaeologists discovered the lamp in a rubbish pit, close to buildings that had been burnt down during the Boudican rebellion in 60-61 CE. #FindsFriday

A lamp made from orange terracotta in the shape of a sandalled foot.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Can anyone guess where I was this morning? Sound on for full effect...

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Looking down onto the massive rubble ramparts of Mither Tap, a Pictish hillfort on one of the peaks of Bennachie in Aberdeenshire. The sun was shining, but it was pretty cold and blustery up there! #HillfortsWednesday

A view from a hilltop, with a large rubble rampart visible below. In the distance are fields and forest.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

This is 'Sun and Dolmen', an original painting in watercolour and gold ink on hand made cotton rag paper. It is now available on my Etsy shop here: www.etsy.com/shop/MySearc... #TombTuesday

A painting on deckled edge paper of a stylised sun with a face hanging in the sky over a dolmen.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

A 3-4th century Roman mosaic from Bath featuring a dolphin and two hippocampi. Given its marine theme, it may have once decorated a private bath house. #MosaicMonday

A mosaic with broken edges showing two horse-like creatures and a stylised dolphin made of tiles in brown, red and cream.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

This is my watercolour of the enigmatic megalith in Oxfordshire known as the Hawk Stone. According to legend, witches were chained to it before being burned at the stake. The original artwork is now available on my Etsy shop here: www.etsy.com/shop/MySearc... #StandingStoneSunday

A black and white painting of a standing stone that is riddled with holes and crevices.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Located in Caddam Wood just outside Kirriemuir in Scotland, this forest track has been identified as a Roman road. If it is, it would be the most northerly stretch of Roman road in the entire world. #RomanSiteSaturday

A grassy and muddy forest track with tall trees on either side.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

This Roman limestone sculpture of a hunter was discovered in 1977 during excavations near Southwark Cathedral in London. Thought to have been carved locally, it features attributes of Mithras (the cap), Apollo (the arrows) and Diana (the stag). #FindsFriday

A yellowish limestone sculpture of a man flanked by a dog and a how headless stag.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

An apotropaic phallus carved into the floor of the headquarters building of Chesters Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall - so cool it merits a double hashtag. #RomanFortThursday #PhallusThursday

A slab of stone with a carving of a phallus inside a circle.

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Dr Alan Montgomery @classicalalan.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

The grounds of Dumfries House in Ayrshire are incredible - on a sunny day, it really feels like a little corner of paradise. As well as a Chinese Bridge and a maze, the estate also features areas that feel wonderfully wild. Turn the sound on for full effect! #Scotland #Nature #Garden

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