Ancient terracing

I am always amazed at how much dry stone terracing there is on the mountainside, much of it now crumbling away. This section was in the woods on today's circuit. I can go miles off the beaten track and come across a cabin which must have been amazingly labour intensive to build but have required hours of trekking to reach any civilisation. Similarly I can think of an irrigation canal 17 kilometres long, an hour's climb up from the valley floor that must have taken the labour of a whole village over many years to complete. 
There were just five of us ringing this morning. In the afternoon, friends came round for a traditional English tea. Mrs TT made a Victoria sponge and I contributed with homemade ginger cookies. The best china came out and it was all very pleasantly genteel!