Showing 1-20 of 445 miscellaneous posts. Most recent first | Next 20 
Destroyed standing stone, a good match for other stones in the vicinity (the Longstone, the Broadstone). Pastscape provides details of the stone's sorry fate:
The Longstone, a sandstone megalith, formerly stood about half-way along, and 15 to 20 yds. in from, the northern hedge of a field still called "Longstone Field". It was destroyed in 1875, but has been described by a local farmer as being about
6 1/2 ft. above ground level by 4 ft. broad, narrowing to 2 to 2 1/2 ft., by 1 1/2 to 2 ft. thick; although Rudder gave its dimensions as 10 ft. high by 6 ft. broad by 5 ft. thick. A portion of the stone about 18 inches square is still to be seen at the well at Closeturf Farm (SO 585048), where it is used as a water-bucket stand.
http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=109412
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Group of plough-reduced round barrows form part of a major complex of prehistoric sites, including Four Stones, a palisaded enclosure, causewayed camp, various standing stones and a possible cursus, all within sight of the Radnor Forest mountain barrow cemetery to the WNW and Burfa Bank hillfort to the east, while excavation has revealed a continuation of occupation from the Neolithic into the Romano-British period.
Coflein descriptions as follows:
Upper Ninepence barrow (SO25126136)
A ploughed-down barrow, c.42m in diameter and 1.3m high.
Excavation, 1994, demonstrated that a BA barrow had been raised over a Neo settlement/occupation site; a RB hearth was recorded upon the surviving barrow material, the whole having been much affected by 19th C. rabbit farming activity.
Hindwell Ash barrow (SO25706111)
Plough-damaged barrow, 36m in diameter and 1.1mhigh, surmounted by an Os triangulation pillar: trial excavation, 1992-3, on the N part of the monument produced evidence for BA activity underlying the barrow, which had two hearths, one RC dated to the l.IA - e.RB period, upon its surface.
Hindwell Farm barrow II (SO25226091)
A round barrow, 36m in diameter and 1.1m high. The barrow is adjacent to the Hindwell Palisaded Enclosure (NPRN: 309366).
Hindwell Farm Barrow II is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Hindwell Farm barrow I (SO25376064)
A barrow, 34m in diameter and 1.0m high.
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There are six barrows set in a curving line from the summit of the Whimble at the southwest to the summit ridge of Bache Hill to the northeast. All are intervisible with some (but not all) of the others. The barrows are situated on or just below the 2,000ft contour. Some cemetery!
Coflein descriptions (J. Wiles 2002-2004), SW-NE:
Whimble barrow (SO20516263)
The barrow, 19m in diameter and 1.2m high, is set upon Wimble, a conical hill, and has a more recent cairn, 11m in diameter and 0.6m high, superimposed upon it.
Whinyard Rocks barrow I (SO20786312)
One of a pair of barrows, 19m in diameter and 1.6m high.
Whinyard Rocks barrow II (SO20846317)
One of a pair of barrows, 14.5m in diameter and 1.2m high.
Bache Hill barrow III (SO21126343)
A barrow, 10m in diameter and 0.5m high.
Bache Hill barrow I (SO21396365)
A round barrow, 20m in diameter and 3.0m high, diched, with traces of a counterscarp. There are indications of possible excavation trenches and an OS triangulation pillar atop the mound.
Bache Hill barrow II (SO21626367)
A barrow, 17m in diameter and 1.25m high.
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Excavation finds, from a 1939 excavation by Audrey Williams, included two slingstones, bones of red deer, ox, pig and sheep or goat, together with various shells of molluscs. A Roman brooch and iron finger ring, and a fragment of plain Samian pottery indicate IA occupation continuing into the Roman period. A single hut circle was found just inside the inner rampart.
Info taken from "Prehistoric Sites of Gower and West Glamorgan" (Wendy Hughes, 1999 Logaston Press).
Coflein (J. Wiles 2002) description:
An enclosure, c.48m by 36m, formed by two lines of ramparts and ditches cutting off an inland promontory, the outer ditch utilising a natural fault. Entrance to the enclosure appears to have been from below the N side of the promontory, by-passing the ramparts.
Aerial photo here.
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This is the easternmost of the many cliff forts to be found on the Gower Peninsular.
Coflein (J. Wiles, 2002) has this brief description:
A level area of promontory, c.55m by 30m, is cut off to the W by two lines of defences, the outer, said to follow a modern field boundary, barely tracable, the inner being a bank and ditch.
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Pastscape page contains descriptions of the rows.
Jeremy Butler's "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities Volume 3 - the South-West" (1994 Devon books) contains detailed plans of the rows and of the terminal cairns.
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Hawks' Tor is a prominent rock outcrop to the SE of the settlement. Approaching from Saddlesborough summit cairns it greatly resembles a quoit or portal dolmen.
William Crossing notes it:
This is a small pile, but a very curious one. One end of a large slab of granite rests on what is the main part of the tor, its other end being supported on a boulder standing on the lesser and lower part of the tor, a kind of small chamber thus being formed beneath it. There is some reason for supposing this arrangement to be artificial, though it is difficult to see what the object could have been intended for. It has been suggested that it was a dolmen. Polwhele, writing in 1793, says that several had supposed it to be such, though he was not of that opinion.
From "Crossing's Guide To Dartmoor" (2nd ed 1912).
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Descriptions of the cairns from Jeremy Butler's "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities Volume 3 - The South West" (1994 Devon Books):
A number of cairns occupy the summit and higher slopes, including a large ring cairn on the highest point next to the triangulation pillar. A circular bank 19m across, dug into at several points, surrounds a natural block but an otherwise flat interior. Numerous stone pits crater the hillside and several have been dug into the cairn constructed against the Tor rocks just north of the summit. Its stones have been widely scattered, completely distorting the shape, and the deep central cavity reveals the natural boulders at its core. A third cairn near the lower end of a row of tinner's pits descending the eastern slopes is now reduced to an outer rubble rim, broken through on the south side where almost the whole of the interior down to ground level has been carried away. Some of the remaining larger slabs are set on edge both within the mound and around its base. The steep outer profile of the remaining portion suggests it must have been an impressive bowl-shaped monument about 16m in diameter.
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Jeremy Butler's excellent "Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - Volume 3 - the South-West" (1994, Devon Books) has a plan of this extensive settlement and notes that since the encroachment of the clay works to the north, there are 27 hut circles and 7 associated enclosures remaining.
The settlement is situated on the northern slopes of Saddlesborough, the summit of which was graced with a number of (now-damaged) cairns. It is not inter-visible with West Saddlesborough/Shaugh Moor settlement and field system and a substantial reave separates the two.
A further enclosure to the north was destroyed by clay workings, but was fully excavated prior to destruction. Dates for the start of the settlement may be as early as 1870 BC, with intermittent occupation well into the Iron Age.
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Jeremy Butler (Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities Volume 3, 1994 Devon Books) has a brief description of this cairn:
Strangely, the large cairn (11.0 x 1.4m) has escaped comparatively lightly. Its top has been hollowed but part of the retaining circle remains despite the deep gouges into its base.
Pastscape (Fletcher MJ and Probert SAJ, 1997) has this:
SX55326346. The remains of a turf-covered cairn located on a west-facing slope at 253m above OD and adjacent to the line of the reave. It measures 8.9m to 10.5m across and is 0.8m high. Four or five kerb stones are visible mostly in the north-west quadrant; two are 0.4m high. The cairn has been disturbed and debris partially infills a robbing trench of the terminal reave
The cairn is scheduled.
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Two cairns on steep-sided hill looking towards the mouth of the Afon Nedd. Coflein details (J Wiles, 2002):
Cairn I (SS72039476)
A centrally disturbed round cairn, 18.3m in diameter and 1.5m high; possible kerbing has been observed.
Cairn II (SS72019470)
A sub-circular cairn, 5.0m by 4.0m and 0.3m high, set in an area where clearance heaps have been noted, but also about 43m SW of a presumed sepulchral cairn.
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Two associated cairns here. Coflein (J. Wiles 2002) has this:
Cairn I (SJ16955324)
One of two cairns set on the summit of Moel-y-waun and bisected by a community boundary, c.16m in diameter and 0.9m high, much mutilated.
Cairn II (SJ16895332)
c.11m in diameter and 0.6m high, much disturbed.
The cairns are on the edge of an area of access land and various footpaths provide routes to the cairns.
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Another site added that gives me an excuse to extol the virtues of Susan Cooper's "Dark Is Rising" sequence. The fourth part, The Grey King, features Llyn Mwyngil at its climax, where six knights (the "sleepers") rise from the waters of the lake to overcome the power of the Brenin Llwyd, the Grey King of Cadair Idris.
The lake is also referred to in one of the poems that feature through the sequence: "By the pleasant lake the sleepers lie".
Nearby hillforted Craig yr Aderyn features in the book as well.
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The fort was recorded in the 17th century by Sir William Dugdale, who mentions "Rampires whose Height and Largenesse do still shew the Strength", together with a discovery of Neolithic polished axes in the fort. Info taken from "Southern England - An Archaeological Guide" - James Dyer (1973, Faber).
Pastscape has details of the fort itself.
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Substantial barrow 24m in diameter, marking one of the bounds of Exmoor Forest. It has had various recorded names in the past, including Osmundesburgh (1219) and Owlaman's Burrow.
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Unusual barrow, presumably Bronze Age in date but containing a large number of Mesolithic micro-flints.
According to Pastscape, "Ninety eight Mesolithic artefacts from Wilderness Barrow opened by W J L Abbot are in the British Museum; Tunbridge Wells Museum holds another 125 artefacts".
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Large bowl barrow, 18.3m diameter by 1.4m high. Contained a crouch burial high up in the mound, accompanied by an antler hammerhead now in the British Museum.
There must be some folklore to be had, with a name like that?
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Info from "Southern England - An Archaeological Guide" - James Dyer (1973, Faber):
Opened in 1869 the central mound of the Three Barrows contained a cremation burial, with a small grooved bronze dagger, bronze pin, a pygmy cup and a necklace with beads of lignite and fossil encrinite.
Other barrows nearby produced inverted urns containing cremations. Finds were in Rougemont House Museum, Exeter, but this has closed and it is not clear where the objects are now, unless anyone can help?
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Barrow cemetery of about nine barrows, located on the northern edge of Exmoor. One the barrows excavated in 1883 by George Doe yielded a ribbon-handled urn of Cornish Trevisker type, inverted over a cremation burial. Now in Exeter Museum.
[info from "Southern England - An Archaeological Guide" James Dyer (1973, Faber).]
Pastscape details here.
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Showing 1-20 of 445 miscellaneous posts. Most recent first | Next 20 |
"The fleeting hour of life of those who love the hills is quickly spent, but the hills are eternal. Always there will be the lonely ridge, the dancing beck, the silent forest; always there will be the exhilaration of the summits. These are for the seeking, and those who seek and find while there is still time will be blessed both in mind and body." Alfred Wainwright
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