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Mark Walters

@mark-walters.bsky.social
3.9K followers 1.6K following 3.3K posts

Archaeologist in Wales, UK. Into: Sound & Music, Photography, Botany, Birds, Dragonflies, Palaeontology, Astronomy, Art, Ancient History, Numismatics, Gaming, Border Collies & walks in the hills

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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 2h
Just watched this on BBC4. An amazing range of scientific techniques used to completely rewrite the findings of an initial excavation used to prop up the Nazi aryan race origin story. The results were far more interesting… www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
bbc.co.uk
The Shaman's Grave
An ancient grave: a woman, a child, circumstances of death unknown - researchers in Germany reopen an archaeological cold case from the Mesolithic period.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 4h
Nice out the back…
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 5h
It’s a long time since I have visited the rather hidden Roman bath house at Prestatyn. It is tucked away on a residential estate down Melyd Avenue. Built in 120 CE & expanded 150 CE it formed part of a 1st-3rd c. industrial settlement where iron, lead and bronze metal working took place.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 5h
Good to see the Clive Engine House at Talargoch near Prestatyn today. Despite restoration & repair work in 2012 it seems a bit forgotten, hidden by trees & not signposted from the road. It is one of the best preserved Cornish engine houses in N. Wales built in 1860 to pump water from the lead mine.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Looking forward to a read of Amy Blakemore’s fictional take on the events surrounding the 1381 Peasants Revolt.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Funny how memories get a bit confused. When I was at Llanbabo Church last week looking at the ‘Celtic’ heads above the door I had a distinct feeling Gill & I had been there before but wasn’t quite sure. Turns out we had in May 2000 after she had broken an ankle walking on Elidir Fawr, Eryri 🙂🥲
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
An interesting interview with Welsh landscape & documentary photographer Pete Davis on his collaboration with the Strata Florida archaeological team looking at the past woodland management by the Cistercian monks. His exhibition at MOMA Machynlleth finished 2 weeks back youtu.be/dcrxsgrCyBI?...
youtu.be
Pete Davis - Strata Florida photographs and exhibition, 2026.
YouTube video by Offline Journal
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Lola’s stick of the week. Not the longest she has tried to drag along a path but she has her paw on it so it’s a keeper 😁
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Nice out the back….
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
I always photograph memorials to people that you find in remote locations. In this case on top of Parys Mountain, Anglesey. They’re part of the funerary & ritual archaeology of the future. In this case, given the date of death (July 2020), you wonder if Kirsty (33) was a Covid victim.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Loved Colin from Accounts Series 3. Perfect ending 👍🙂 www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The Pen yr Orsedd standing stones near Llanfairynghornwy, Anglesey. Unfortunately both are on private farmland and both were surrounded by cows when I visited, but you can still get a good view from the road. The northern stone is apparently the tallest on the island at over 5 metres.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Good to see the small early medieval defended site at Porth Trefadog, Anglesey has recently had access improved with signage & an excellent info board. Good conservation work too to prevent erosion. A circa 1050-1150 hall & lookout over the landing area or perhaps a settled Irish Viking family unit.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Made me smile 🙂 A holy water stoup at the entrance to Llanfaethlu medieval church, Anglesey.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Great to see the location of the earliest fossils in England and Wales at Llanbadrig Point on the geopark trail. I can’t show you any as they are microscopic bacteria known as Stromatolites in the limestone rock of the Gwna melange formation. Found some of the original cores. 860 million years old!
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I quite like to get to know the geology of an area when I’m on holiday and this has been an excellent guide to the numerous geopark trails on Anglesey. Copies are available in the Oriel Llangefni gallery bookshop or from the GeoMon website here www.geomon.org.uk/product-cate...
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
St. Patrick’s cave and well in the cliffs below Llanbadrig Church, Anglesey. The cave entrance is much shorter than it would have been due to lots of roof collapse in recent years and it is quite dangerous to visit. The entrance area was surrounded by Golden Samphire plants.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A spot of birding at Porth Trefadog and Porth Trwyn on the west coast. Lots of Curlew, Little Egret fishing in the rock pools, Turnstone turning stones, Choughs bouncing along the cliffs, Oystercatcher’s piping and Cormorants on lookout.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Llangaffo Church is 19th c. built on an earlier church site. The church was locked which prevented viewing of some 9th-11th century memorial stones inside. Outside you can still see some medieval cross slabs lined up and the base of a cross shaft. The original church door is now the churchyard entry
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Llys Rhosyr near Newborough includes the only visible remains of a Royal Court of the Princes of Gwynedd in the 13th century. It declined after the English invasion in 1282. You can see the main hall layout with a side chamber and an additional building. The buildings are reconstructed at St. Fagans
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A very useful new CVAT lidar visualisation layer has been added to the England snd Wales coverage area on the National Library of Scotland Maps website. News and links here maps.nls.uk/additions/#205
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Some nice coastal plants today..Marsh Samphire, Rock Samphire, Sea Aster, Sea Campion
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Had to pay my respects to one of the greatest Welsh artists at Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy church. While Kyffin Williams is best known for his distinctive landscapes he also had a knack for capturing the character of a Welsh farm collie 🙂
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Dropped into the peaceful & secluded Llanbabo Church above Llyn Alaw, Anglesey. Mostly 12th century fabric. The very weathered heads above the door & the one inside (known as the Llanbabo devil) look earlier. Superb 14th c. grave slab inside memorialising King Pabo, the supposed 5th c. CE founder.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Popped in to the Oriel Gallery at Llangefni to see the Trysor exhibition of recent metal detector finds on Anglesey including some of the new metalwork from the Llyn Cerrig Bach survey. Amazed at the amount of (Roman ?) smelted copper ingots on show. Great landscape paintings too - loved the montage
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I passed this 1930’s church on Bull Bay Road in Amlwch a few times and just had to take a look. This is the Catholic Church of Our Lady Star of the Sea & St Winefride. It was designed by an Italian architect to look like the upturned hull of a boat reflecting Amlwch’s maritime history.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Llanddwyn
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Lovely afternoon visiting Llanddwyn Island for the first time since we were living at Rhiwlas near Bangor 25 years back. This was a favourite walking spot for us along with all of the trails through Newborough Forest. Odd revisiting without Gill but happy memories restored 🙂
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Fox Moth caterpillar on the coastal path
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The winding engine house on Graig Wen above the Porth Wen brickworks, Anglesey which lowered the quarried quartzite rock down an incline plane to a stone breaker and crusher house building.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The coastal promontory #hillfort at Dinas Gynfor, Anglesey. The landward defences of limestone blocks are largely hidden in bracken but can be seen tracing a line on the right in the 2nd photo. Lola the collie stands in the entrance. The lidar shows the rampart well + view from E #HillfortsWednesday
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The mid 19th century to 1949 brickworks at Porth Wen, Anglesey. The works produced fire resistant silica bricks from locally quarried quartzite which were used in furnace linings. The sea is undermining the foundations of many buildings making it a dangerous place to visit with many steep drops.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The old wireless transmitting mast, originally one of two, on Torllwyn above Porth Wen, Anglesey. It is now used as a maritime navigation aid.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Nothing quite prepares you as you descend the rocky slope to the west and suddenly see the ruins of the mid 19th c. to 1920 Llanlleiana Porcelain Works below you with the curving sea defences, factory and chimney above. China clay was extracted to the west and east of the works.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Llanbadrig Church, Anglesey. Said to be the oldest church foundation in Wales by St. Patrick in 440AD. The present church fabric is 12th c. (font and nave) with a 14th-16th c. chancel. 1884 internal renovations revealed the 9th c. ‘Icthus’ stone depicting crossed fish and a palm tree.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Great to see some Choughs on the cliffs between Cemaes and Bull Bay today, Anglesey.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Lovely coastal path walk today from the historic industrial port at Porth Amlwch to Point Lynas lighthouse with diversions off the path to see stuff of interest. Greeted by two seals playing in a small bay on way back.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The visit to Llaneilian Church, Anglesey was well worth a diversion off the coastal path 😍 5th c. CE foundation with visible remains from the 12th-17th c. Remarkable 1496 timber rood screen with image of Death inscribed ’Sin is the sting of death’. 14th c. side chapel of St. Eilian down steps.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The medieval Saint Eilian’s well near Llaneilian on the Anglesey coastal path. It was originally a healing and pilgrimage well within a tiny chapel but in the 18th century it took on a darker role as a cursing well. The blue eyes on that creepy modern effigy of a monk definitely follow you around 👀🙂
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Had a look around the Oxen Quarry area of Parys Mountain where the Bronze Age and Roman copper mining evidence is located. No surface hammer stones seen, but I did find this large and heavy lump of early copper smelting slag which will either be Bronze Age or Roman in date.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Great fun exploring the extraordinary copper mining landscape at Parys Mountain, Anglesey. Followed around by Stonechats everywhere🙂
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Always a joy to see and hear flocks of Curlew, Parys Mountain, Anglesey.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
While the medieval Riggs Hall was the main interest on the tour of Shrewsbury Library the rest of the building is pretty amazing too with a 1630 rebuild of the original timber framed school. 1630 sundial showing Shrewsbury Times (10 mins behind GMT) and 1630 ornamental facade with classical motifs.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Great to see the early to mid 15th century timber framed Rigg’s Hall on the heritage open day tour of Shrewsbury Library this morning. It was incorporated into the 16th-19th century school buildings that later became the library. Definitely needed the tour access to see the best of the earlier hall.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Nice out the back…Penysarn, Anglesey
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
It’s toadstool time on the Breidden again
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Never realised there is a 2019 Horrible Histories movie set during the Boudiccan revolt. I caught it near the end on BBC3 just now and the rap/dance sequence at the final battle is 😂 www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
bbc.co.uk
CBBC - Horrible Histories: The Movie
A Roman boy and a Celtic girl get caught up in Boudicca’s revolt against Nero’s army.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Canalside Cormorant
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Lots of Ladybird larvae (top) and rounded pupae (below) on this umbellifer leaf and there were adult ladybirds elsewhere on the same plant, so the full metamorphosis cycle was on display here.
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Mark Walters @mark-walters.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Good to see an Emerald Damselfly today. Although considered locally common the species is in decline and I’m lucky if I see one or two of these on the Montgomeryshire Canal in a flying season.
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