The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

   

Pettigarth's Field

Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork

Nearest Town:Lerwick (26km SSW)
OS Ref (GB):   HU587653 / Sheet: 2
Latitude:60° 22' 4" N
Longitude:   0° 56' 8.3" W



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Fieldnotes

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- cairn (with chamber and cist):
narrow line of coast, you can see both sides from up here.
a string of islands in the sea
white margins, wavering, surround them.
wind, wind, wind.

sitting on a ledge of a perculiarly steep short slope
a burial cairn; below & unmistakeable, across plateau
at the edge of the noisy sea, ruins:
a congregation of stones amid brown-yellow grasses.


- Benie Hoose:
a thrilling site. a Stanydale('temple')-like structure. really well preserved. not only the building with alcoves (as at Stanydale) but a rounded structure at its front. far more extensive than any other Shetland building I've seen other than at Stanydale. appears to have a kindof alter, a flat ledge above the main room (upon which there's a slaughtered sheep). small standing stone just uphill from it, possibly aligned with other way down close to the Stones of Yoxie.
either a stream (more an assemblage of water) rises at its centre, or its water gathering bcos this is excavated from the peat and the land around is higher.
by a trick of the shape of the land you can't see this building from the burial cairn above


- Stones of Yoxie
a) remains of a building (on surprisingly level ground, but perhaps thats the architects' doing), not quite of traditional Shetland clover leaf plan; comprising an entrance room; long passage; two, maybe three chambers, one leading to another
b) short standing stone on two sides (one of which I'd presumed aligned with the Benie Hoose but maybe it isn't)
c) small round cairns on two sides
d) a line of stones to one side
e) further on, a wall, that twists around then heads directly to the cliff edge

180 degrees of broiling sea and nothing else; islands; sky; moorland

further away back to the southwest there's two more stone alignments, one about 50' and the other twice as long parallel and not straight with the cliff edge then heading straight down right to the cliff edge; and there are scant remains indicating it may have begun at one cliff edge, travelled up then around in an arc and down again to the cliff edge.
a little further on again there's another very short alignment using much larger stones.
and on again a possible short standing stone, with quite a tilt, beside other stones, fairly close to the cliff edge

- 3 April 2002
Posted by FlopsyPete
30th April 2002ce