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Pikestones

Chambered Cairn

<b>Pikestones</b>Posted by pgsherbImage © Pgsherb
Nearest Town:Adlington (4km SSW)
OS Ref (GB):   SD627171 / Sheet: 109
Latitude:53° 38' 55.49" N
Longitude:   2° 33' 51.67" W

Added by IronMan

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Fieldnotes

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visited pikestones last month. no more visible damage. somone had built an enclosed stone altar close by, inside of which was a sheep skull Posted by maesi
18th April 2008ce

Visited here yesterday 30/7/06 its my first visit this year and it distressed me to see how much this site has gone down since my last visit due to the mindlessness of some individuals.

This site has suffered badly from heavy excavation in the past and is hardly recognisable as to what it once was, now some idiots are causing whats left of it further distress.
Firstly theres 2 different rocks with names carved on.
Somebody has also been setting fires at the rear of the chamber and the worst damage i saw was somebody has taken a stone and pounded the spiral, i know the spiral isnt contemporary but theres no need to vandalise it further.

I remain in awe at the stupidity of individuals who cause damage like this.
treehugger-uk Posted by treehugger-uk
31st July 2006ce

Whilst walking from Pikestones in search (unsuccessfully) for Devils ditch I passed the site at 58 degrees . This looks like a settlement site rather than a stone circle. On our way back with the sun at a very low angle (8.45pm late May) about 100 yards from the settlement site towards Pikestones, and directly on the path I came across this stone showing clear signs of having been worked. The striations are parallel and deep. First thoughts were plough marks although any one who knows this area will doubt it has ever been ploughed. The marks are very evenly spaced to be anything other than intentional. Comment welcome. Posted by pgsherb
2nd June 2006ce

[visited 22/02/04] What a site for sore eyes this is, its condition reminds me of Grey Mare in Dorset, but the ground plan on the wellkept sign makes it look more like Hetty Peglars Tump. I parked on the corner & headed across open moor to the barrow. Its a bit trashed, but the location made up for it.

Didn't find the circle mentioned here, but did find a cairn with stones on the center which was approx 300m at 58 degrees from the Pikestones so maybe...
juamei Posted by juamei
23rd February 2004ce
Edited 14th June 2005ce

I've been wanting to visit the Pikestones for sometime now and so on a crisp october day I decided to do so. Suprisingly they were relativelyeasy to find. Follow the road round past the Manor House 'til the road leads straight again and there is a gate at the top of the road just before the road takes a sharp right. Park your car by the gate as there's loads of room behind. The gate is at the end of a track leading straight on the Pikestones. Although not signposted, it's in a field to the left of the gate. You can't miss it. It's in the top left of the field by the trees.

Once here you are immediately struck by the utter destruction of the site, although there is still a lot to see. It's just a shame to see this site in the state its in. It must have been a very grand place at one time, but the thing that really saddened me was the lack of respect it had been given by somebody who had actually stuffed crisp wrappers, a Pot Noodle carton and baby wipes in the burial chamber itself along with other rubbish. Do people not know this place contained burials? It's a grave, a final resting place of once great people, and they deserve the dignity they were placed here with. Anyway I cleared the site of rubbish and that was an end to that I hope.

I did not find the stone circle nearby which was mentioned although there are lots of earthworks here (too many too photograph). One thing does intrigue me though. The info board mentions this is one of only two chambered tombs found in Lancashire. Does anyone know which the other was? All in all a beautiful place and fantastic views. You sometimes forget how beautiful Lancashire is, and this place indeed reminds you.
treehugger-uk Posted by treehugger-uk
16th October 2003ce
Edited 16th October 2003ce

Stone circle near Pikestones, but not on 1:25000 OS map. The circle is approximately 10 metres in diameter with a central stone of 0.5 metre in height. The locaton is about 300 metres from Pikestones on a bearing of 58 degrees. NGR: SD 630 174. I have no other details at present, I just found it by chance when walking in the area today. Posted by Charles Wimpenny
7th June 2002ce

15.2.02
This is the second time i have tried to visit this site, success at last. It is much damaged but worth visiting in my opinion.
Their is a spiral carved in to the stone which is really cool.
This site is very open and the wind is blowing me about.
Although it has an information board up, it is not sighnposted from the road and not really known in the area.
Good views over Chorley and Preston.The field it is in are well boggy, so wear wellies or good boots. The area has a good atmosphere. I am going to try and find out a bit more about any Folklore about the area.
Posted by mushroom si
22nd February 2002ce

Scant remains, in complete ruin (the result of excavations, from what I can gather), of what must have once been a very impressive site (well according to the artist's impression!). Still keeps a good amount of atmosphere however. IronMan Posted by IronMan
7th January 2002ce

Miscellaneous

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As a boy I walked up here many times. I visited again recently with my own children and saw the spiral for the first time. This is definately vandalism. It has only appeared within the last fifteen years.

In fact, on close inspection you can see where the lichen on the slab has been cut across. Lichen takes a very long time to grow, possibly hundreds of years, and not one bit of lichen can be seen in the groove. This has definately not come from antiquity. Sorry to dissapoint anyone.
Posted by parker
6th June 2005ce

It should be noted that the spiral is in fact vandalism. I visited the site approximately 10 years ago and this had been freshly chiselled in to the stone. It is not an original feature and has caused irrepairable damage to this ancient site. Posted by Global
12th May 2004ce

Very similar to what I imagine the burial tombs at the other end of the moor were once like. The carving is cracking and reminds me of the unfurling bud in springtime, perhaps a symbol of renewal.

Despite the news from above post, the carving still looks good!

3rd March 2004
daveyravey Posted by daveyravey
4th March 2004ce
Edited 13th May 2004ce

Pikestones is one of the Severn-Cotswold type chambered cairns. Could it be the most northerly example of such? Posted by TheElf
14th March 2003ce

Iron Man - the Pikestones are mentioned in the Northern Earth index for edition 54 - if anyone's got a copy perhaps that could shed some light on the spiral? Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
10th June 2002ce