Pixie door

A faerie tree doorway near the ceremonial pagan drove at Belaugh. (The spirits allowed a photographic record of the portal to their mysterious world.) 

For those who care to look, the countryside ~ and town to a lesser degree abound with magic and spirits. 

In Scots and Eire Celtic lore Áes Sidhe ~ "People of the mounds" (pronounced "eys shee") are mythological creatures who inhabit ancient burial grounds and ritual sites. These are sacred barrows scattered all around the British Isles and Europe, linked to monuments made of stone and even timber. 

The names of these ethereal entities vary from sprites, pixies, fairies and goblins, amongst many others. Faeire folk or 'wee folk' have captured our imagination for millenia. Some believe the 'little people' were gods, fallen angels, or that as full sized beings, they lost power as deities in the barrows, so became scaled down dwarves.

There are strong associations with sacred fairy trees, more so in the western part of the British archipelago, where earlier customs, language and rites are preserved. The openings at the base of the mystical trees are believed to be gateways to the 'otherworld'. 

Chris