Saw Mills Stone Circles

Also known as:
The Frolic
Nearest town:
Fortuneswell
OS reference:
SY691724
OS sheet:
194
Latitude:
50° 32' 59.77 N
Longitude:
2° 26' 10.31 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Saw Mills Stone Circles by formicaant

Part of a possible stone circle built into a wall behind the Portland Heights hotel.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 30/09/09
formicaant
formicaant Sep 30, 2009
Image of Saw Mills Stone Circles by formicaant

More of the alledged standing stones built into a wall on Easton road.

Image credit: Mike Rowland 30/09/09
formicaant
formicaant Sep 30, 2009

Articles

Saw Mills Stone Circles

C
CARL Oct 22, 2012

Visited 14.10.12

Whilst on Portland visiting Portland Castle (E.H. site – worth a visit) I took the opportunity to go and have a look at the possible remains of the stone circle.

There are several large stones interspersed within the walls either side of the road.
Most of the stones are approximately 1 metre square in size.

The stones are easy enough to spot along the road.
There’s not much else to add other than let’s hope these are the remains and that they have not been destroyed. Perhaps they will be re-erected somewhere one day?
I know it’s not ideal but it would be better than where they are at the moment.

Saw Mills Stone Circles

formicaant
formicaant Sep 30, 2009

This is speculative at best, that the original stone circles existed is not really in doubt. Documentary evidence survives from several contemporary sources, two of whom wrote books in the 19th century. Both books were written by local women, Clara King-Warry and Elizabeth Pearce. Pearce wrote her memoir in 1805, before much of the major quarrying took place on this part of the island, she names one of the circles as being called The Frolic . King Warry wrote several books about a century later and sites the circles as having stood either side of Easton Lane ( now Easton road ), she says they were removed and due to the unwillingness of the local workmen were not destroyed but built into the walls along the lane. The sawmills name comes from the name of a now destroyed inn.
This brings us to the stones in the photos I took, they are in the right place and are much larger than any other stones I have seen built into old walls on the island. I have not seen all of the dry stone walling on Portland, there are miles of it, but these are unusual inclusions. Portland stone is and was expensive stuff and large pieces of it are not usually used in this way. Portlanders are a superstitious people, the word rabbit is still taboo, and I would not at all be surprised at the reluctance of workmen to destroy ancient stones .
The only other place where such stones exist is in another wall close to a site described by a visiting antiquarian called Fido Lunettes. Lunettes describes a place near the Portland young offenders institute, which was the original convict prison on the island. He visited the site in 1824, before the prison was built, he descibes an ancient British eartwork called Arun’s Green. He further describes some standing stones with a large flat stone on top which he calls a cromlech.
There can be little doubt that standing stones, circles, barrows etc did exist on this ancient island, but due to the quarrying and military activities in the 19th century much of it has been destroyed or moved or reused.

Sites within 20km of Saw Mills Stone Circles

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