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Friar's PointCairn(s)
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Visited 1.2.11 I recently became aware of this site after seeing it mentioned on Megalithic. (Listed at Barry Island Cairns but I think that sounds a bit 'tacky') As it was Dafydd's birthday and we were treating him to a day at Barry Island it was an ideal opportunity to have a quick look. I have walked out to Friar's Point many times over the years and have never noticed anything 'prehistoric' before – although to be fair I was never looking! Luckily the weather was very mild for the time of year and the wind was light. Karen stayed in a café with Sophie enjoying a cuppa whilst myself and Dafydd headed across the beach towards Friar's Point. Although I find the 'Pleasure Park' awful, there is no denying the quality of Whitmore Bay beach. Once you walk past the lifeguard station there is a path which takes you from the beach up to the rocky headland (there is a path which runs behind the lifeguard if you don't want to get your shoes full of sand!). The O/S map shows two cairns: The first I spotted (I think) behind the 2nd single bench you come to overlooking the sea on your left. It was about 10 metres in diameter and 0.3 metres high. I assume this was the cairn as it was in the right spot but the ground is very undulating so it is difficult to be sure 100%. It would be very hard to spot in the summer when the grass is high. The second cairn is further along the headland, to the right where the path forks. It is smaller, about 5 metres wide and 0.5 metres high and appeared to have had the centre dug into at some point in the past. The cairns are not much to look at but it is a pleasant walk out to Friar's Point on a nice day. It only takes about 10 minutes from the beach. |
Posted by CARL 9th February 2011ce |
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Coflein indicates that there are/were five cairns here, as well as a pillow mound which appears to be one of the "cairns" marked on the OS 1/25000. North-south descriptions: Cairn IV (ST11066604) Nothing that I could see on the ground, Coflein has: This is one of a group of mounds excavated in the nineteenth century, when it was found to be encircled by a shallow ditch. The only small finds were two pieces chert and several horse teeth. Cairn I (ST11046603) A cairn, excavated in the 19thC, now comprises an annular bank measuring 7m in overall diameter, 1.5m internally, with a height of 0.5m. It is eroded on its W side. Cairn III (ST11066600) The cairn exists as a kerb of stones, most noticeably on the S and W where the kerb is 0.2m high, enclosing an an area of gravel and small stones measuring 5.9m (N-S) by 4.8m. It is spread on the N side and eroded to a height of 0.1m on the E. Cairn II (ST11066598) Described in 1873 as the most southerly of three mounds, it was partly removed to make a platform while the remainder of the stones were subsequently removed to make a flagstaff mound. Cairn V (ST11096596) Didn't see this one either. A small mound, 3m in diameter, excavated in late 19thC without result. .................... Pillow mound (marked as "cairn" at ST11036612) A grassy earthen mound measuring 14m (E-W) by 9.1m and 0.5m high. It is surrounded by a 0.3m deep ditch which is completely eroded on the E; its inward-facing scarp is 2.3m wide on the N & S |
Posted by thesweetcheat13th November 2012ce |
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