Coflein descriptions of the cairns on Rhossili Down, running south-north:
Cairn IV (SS42048877)
A large denuded cairn, 15.2m in diameter, defined by a stoney bank and having a central pile of stones 5.5m by 4.3m and 0.3m high, with a central robbed hollow.
The Beacon - Cairn VIII (SS41998886)
One of a group of barrows on Rhossili Down, this one lies on the summit below a concrete trig. pillar.
The cairn is a stony mound measuring 14m (NW-SE) by 12m and 0.5m high. It is composed mostly of quartz conglomerate stones and small boulders with some larger boulders on the north suggesting a perimeter kerb. The mound has been disturbed, probably through construction of the pillar.
Cairn VII (SS42268892)
Thought to be a denuded ring-cairn, 10.1m in diameter and 0.3m high, with indications of a raised rim.
Cairn III (SS42048894)
A mutilated cairn, 12.2m in diameter and 0.6m high. Kerbing survives on the N and there is a central robber crater.
Cairn II (SS42068903)
A heather-grown platform c.0.3m high, with a kerb of conglomerate orthostats 9.1m in diameter. It is suggested that the cairn may have had a raised rim and that a central hollow may represent a robbed cist.
Cairn I (SS42018918)
A mutilated cairn, 13.7m in diameter and 0.6m high, showing the remains of kerbing on the N.
Ring Cairn (SS42168927)
A possible ring cairn, 9.0m in diameter, having a bank 1.8m wide and under 0.2m high. An alternative interpretation would see this as the remains of a roundhouse.
Cairn V (SS42278938)
This one isn't shown on the OS 1:25000 map.
A flat, stoney area, c.14m in diameter, with indications of a liminal bank.
Sweyne's Howes Ring Cairn (SS42148977)
A denuded cairn, 9.0m in diameter and 0.4m high, presenting the aspect of a ring cairn, with possible upright slabs about its circuit.
May be the tumulus dug c.1870, producing charcoal, calcinated bones and a cinerary urn.
Bessie's Meadow Cairn (SS41889008)
A robbed and mutilated cairn, 6.0m by 4.0m and 0.3m high, upon the N summit of Rhossili Down. Kerbing and a possible cist have been reported. The monument is overlain by the S wall of Bessie's Meadow (SS49SW50).
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Coflein description:
A mound of earth and stones, 6.1m in diameter and 0.6m high, a central depresion indicates robbing.
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Coflein description of the "unfinished" fort:
Hardings Down East fort is an enclosure, c.134m by 92m, defined by an incomplete circuit of bank and ditch, occupies the summit of Hardings Down. There is a slighter, outer rampart down-slope to the E and the entrance appears to have been on this side - the entrances at the other two defended enclosures on the Down (Nprns301322, 301323) also face downslope.
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Coflein description:
The north enclosure at Hardings Down is a subcircular defended enclosure, c.42m internal diameter, set on a N facing slope near the top of Hardings Down and defined by a bank and ditch. The entrance, to the NW, is approached from below by a trackway flanked by stony banks. There is a c.6.0m diameter house platform within.
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Coflein description:
Hardings Down West Fort is a sub-oval enclosure, c. 110m by 75m, set on a spur at the W end of Hardings Down, enclosed by a bank and ditch, an excavation in 1962 indicated that the bank had been reveted. Two further banks and ditches cut across the spur, without forming coherent circuits. The line of the outer ditch is continued by a slighter, possibly later bank with an internal ditch, and this and other banks and ditches to the NW of the main enclosure are thought to have been agricultural enclosures, linking in with modern field boundaries.
Three circular features are apparent internally, two having been excavated in 1962, as was the entrance to the NE.
The entrance appears to have faced downhill, as does that at the N camp.
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Coflein description:
A circular enclosure, with an internal diameter of 13m, a denuded wall, or bank, 2.5-3.5m wide and 0.6m high internally with interior facing slabs visible, and having a SES entrance, is interpreted as a roundhouse. Springing from the house's circuit to the E and SW are ruined stone walls which curve awat tothe SE to define a sector of a putative enclosure c.100m in diameter.
A rectilinear building in this situation would be interpreted as a hafod or lluest.
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Coflein description:
A bank and ditch, about 100m in length with a simple causewayed entrance, cuts off the higher, western part of Burry Holmes island, effecting an enclosure, about 112m east-west by 60-100m. Romano-British pottery was found in excavating the ditch in 1965 and a roundhouse, 5.6m in diameter, dated by a sherd of 2nd century Samian was excavated at the western of the island, 2000-2001: the defended enclosure can be linked with underlying traces of occupation found when excavating the monastic site in the east of the island.
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Coflein description:
An apparently undisturbed barrow (1974), 27m in diameter and 1.8m high.
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Coflein description:
Castle Ring, Pen Offa, is an oval enclosure, 136m by 106m, defined by banks, ditches and a counterscarp, with simple entrances to the north-west and south-east.
As of March 2012, there is permissive access to the fort (which isn't on any right of way). A signboard next to the road to the north states:
"These woods are available for quiet recreation on foot.
Please follow any directions in relation to woodland work.
Respect the owner's privacy and property.
Please keep dogs under control and clean up any mess."
A forestry track leads to the fort, which can then be accessed by a stile.
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Coflein description:
A plough-damaged barrow, 8.2-10.7m in diameter and 0.9m high.
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Coflein description:
A ploughed-down barrow, 25m in diameter and 0.75m high, destroyed to the NNE by road building.
Ditch clearly defined as cropmark.
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Frances Lynch ("A Guide To Ancient and Historic Wales - Gwynedd" 1995 HMSO) has this to say about this fabulously enigmatic monument:
The circle is probably the remains of a Bronze Age burial monument rather than a ceremonial circle, but so little remains that certainty is impossible. Four stones less than 1m high still stand on the arc of a circle 4m in diameter, and the two stones outside the arc may have been moved when the monument was incorporated into a field-wall (now largely removed). The large block of quartz on the north-east is of uncertain date.
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Pastscape description:
The earthwork in Hailes Wood is on a spur of the Cotswold escarpment with steep natural slopes to the west, and more gentle slopes to N and S. The ground rises steadily to the east, and on this side the defence is strongest with a bank up to 2.3m in height above a ditch which is 1.5m deep. On the south side a ditch and slight outer bank is in use as a path, except where it turns at the SW corner to end on the natural slope. The SW approach is also defended by two additional banks between the outer ditch and the level area above it, which has been cut off from the rest of the interior by a ditch up to 1.8m deep. The total area enclosed is 1 1/2-2 acres. Modern paths run through the earthwork, but the entrance near the SE corner may be original.
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Pastscape description:
Remains of a probable IA fort situated upon the flat summit of the northern end of the ridge called The Warren, and centred at SP02403180. The work is roughly oval in shape, measures about 230.0 m, NW-SE, by 170.0 m transversely, and is contour-following all the way.
Where the defences crossed the ridge at the northern and southern ends, no traces remain, probably due to ploughing.
Along the W side, the upper slopes of the ridge have been steepened by scarping, and are 5.0 m in height, 10.0 m in length. A probably original entrance cuts very obliquely up through the scarped slopes near to the NW corner of the work.
The E side has been reduced by ploughing to a lynchet-like slope, 5.0 m in length, 1.5 m in height.
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English Heritage description:
Despite some disturbance in the past, the two bowl barrows known as Stumps Cross round barrows survive well.
The monument includes two bowl barrows, aligned north west-south east, set just below the crest of a hill in the Cotswolds and within two separate areas of protection. The northern barrow mound measures 20m in diameter and is 0.6m high while the barrow mound to the south measures 18m in diameter and is 0.5m high. Surrounding each mound is a ditch from which material was excavated during the construction of the barrows. These ditches are no longer visible at ground level, having become infilled over the years, but survive as buried features about 2m wide.
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Coflein has the following description:
A sub-oval hilltop enclosure, 120m by 90m, defined by a bank, ditch and counterscarp, with entrances to the SW and NE.
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English Heritage description:
The monument includes four contiguous bowl barrows aligned east-west and situated along the crest of a hill in the Lower Greensand. The western barrow has a mound 30m north-south, 23m east-west and 2.2m high. To the east the second and third barrows form a double mound 32m east-west and 20m north-south with each mound standing to a height of 2m. The most easterly barrow has a mound 30m north-south, 28m east-west and 2.2m high. All of the mounds have a slight hollow in the centre suggesting that they were all once partially excavated. Surrounding the mounds is a single ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument. This has become partially infilled over the years but is still visible to the south of the mounds as a slight earthwork 4m wide and 0.3m deep, the rest surviving as a buried feature.
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Two bowl barrows in the grounds of Capesthorne Hall. EH descriptions:
NW barrow (SJ 84297 72889)
The monument includes a bowl barrow located on the summit of a rounded knoll 200m north-east of Capesthorne Hall. It includes a slightly oval turf-covered earthen mound up to 1m high with maximum dimensions of 27m by 25.5m. A broken ornamental stone pedestal on the barrow's summit is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath the pedestal is included.
SE barrow (SJ 84512 72570)
Despite some minor disturbance to the monument by a combination of rabbit holes and tree roots, the bowl barrow 450m south-east of Capesthorne Hall survives well. It is a rare survival in Cheshire of an unexcavated example of this class of monument and will retain undisturbed archaeological deposits within the mound and upon the old landsurface beneath.
The monument is a bowl barrow located on a local high point in woodland 450m south-east of Capesthorne Hall. It includes an earthen mound measuring 20m in diameter and up to 2m high.
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Round barrow in the grounds of Birtles Hall. A BA urn was found in the Hall's grounds. EH description:
The monument is a bowl barrow located on the summit of a natural rise 230m west-south-west of Birtles Hall. It includes a slightly oval earthen mound up to 1m high with maximum dimensions of 20m by 19m.
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Large but damaged bowl barrow. EH description:
The monument includes a bowl barrow situated on heathland at the highest part of the Ashdown Forest, towards its eastern edge. The barrow has a roughly circular mound approximately 26m in diameter and up to 0.5m high. The uneven surface of the mound suggests that it has been partly disturbed by World War II army training activity. Surrounding the mound is a ditch from which material used to construct the barrow was excavated. This has become infilled over the years, but is likely to survive as a below ground feature up to 2m wide.
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Twin interests are music and prehistory - music obviously includes Mr Cope, but wide variety of other things including Durutti Column, New Order/Joy Division, Billy Bragg, Smiths, Chameleons, Cardiacs, 50s rock'n'roll, etc. Many hols (and every opportunity) spent dragging very patient girlfriend to see vaguely discernable stone lumps obscured by mud and vegetation, particularly in West Penwith, also the Peak District and Herefordshire/Shropshire. Used to live in Yorkshire (Blakey Topping and High Bridestones being favourites) now live in Gloucestershire and pining for stone circles. Also blaming TMA in general and Gladman in particular for increasing levels of obsession where Wales is concerned. And now also blaming Drewbhoy for the urge to move to Drewland, RSC Central. No car (and can't drive) so sites are visited by public transport and on foot, which is still just about possible, despite the efforts of our beloved government to reduce/stop less profitable services by cutting funding everywhere. Appreciate a nice pint after a hard day's stone spotting (particularly in the Tinners Arms at Zennor).
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