The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Fieldnotes by stewartb

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Broch of Gurness

When the Vikings arrived here they didn't rebuild but they did bury some of their people.

They seem to have respected this site, even though it hadn't been inhabited for many hundreds of years.

People have drawn parallels between this well and the water filled base of Minehowe.

I remain to be convinced!

Bratton Castle & Westbury White Horse (Hillfort)

The White Horse, as we see it today, only dates from the 19th century but there are local legends that it was cut over an earlier horse facing in the opposite direction.

The are above the horse in known as Bratton Camp and is a maze of archaeology from many periods.

The horse lies to the west of Westbury and is well signposted.

There is a good viewing point on the B3098 at ST 885 517.

Pewsey Church (Standing Stones)

The back wall of Pewsey church sits on what appear to be worked, megalithic, stones.

There is a local story of a destroyed stone circle at Pewsey and it may be that these stones, along with the standing stones by the riverside, may be its remains.

Pewsey (Standing Stones)

On the bank of the river in Pewsey you'll find these standing stones.

There is a local story of a destroyed stone circle at Pewsey and it may be that these stones, along with the ones built into the church wall, may be its remains.

Ringmoor Cairn Circle and Stone Row (Stone Row / Alignment)

This is a wonderful setting consisting of a cairn circle and a stone row.

The circle itself is around 13m in diameter and has 11 stones. It was re-erected in 1909 and some of the stones may not be original.

The row is 530m long and consists of a double line of stones although some have been lost making it a single row in parts.

Fernworthy stone row (North) (Stone Row / Alignment)

Excavation of stone rows on Dartmoor has shown that they were normally built in woodland clearings that had previously been used for agriculture.

Although the trees surrounding Fernworthy are part of a modern plantation and not native species, it may well be that this row is more representative of how they may have looked originally.

Trowlesworthy Stone Row West (Stone Row / Alignment)

This row is part of a complex that includes a circle and a second row just to the east.

It runs for 78m and was originally a double row but has been robbed out to such an extent that it is now a single.

There is a suspicion of a ruined circle at the N end of the row which would make it a match for the eastern one.

Trowlesworthy Stone Row East (Stone Row / Alignment)

This row is part of a complex that includes a circle and a second row just to the west.

Trowlesworthy east is a double row with a separation of about 1.4m. It joins the circle at the SE and runs away S for about 130m.

There is a more modern leat running through the row about halfway down but this can easily be stepped over.

Trowlesworthy Warren (Stone Circle)

This site is part of a complex that includes the circle itself and an eastern and western stone row.

The circle has 8 stones and is about 7m in diameter.

The attached eastern row runs away to the SE.



The alignment of the row and circle is up the hill towards the hut circles on Trowlesworthy Tors

Dozmary Pool (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork)

This is said by some to be where Bedwyr (Bedevere) returned Excalibur to the Ladies of the Lake after the death of King Arthur at the battle of Camlann.

One of my favourite memories of it is when I tried to drive a Fiat Panda right down to the waterside and got it stuck.

In my defence I must say that this was a very long time ago

The Greywethers (Stone Circle)

The first time I tried to visit this site I got within about 200 metres then got hit by Dartmoor snow storm and had to shelter in the lee of a stone wall for 30 minutes.

The Grey Wethers is a double stone circle with the two circles side by side instead of concentric.

Tregiffian (Entrance Grave)

This would originally have been a very impressive burial chamber but, sadly, the B3315 goes straight through the middle of it! Before the damage it would have been 12 metres in diameter.

The cup marked stone at the entrance is a cast replica of the original, which is now in the County Museum in Truro.

Stalldown Stone Row (Stone Row / Alignment)

I'm a little tentative in calling this Stalldown as it's not named on my maps but it's a stone row and it's on Stalldown so I guess you can see where I'm coming from.

I spotted the tallest stones when I was on the other side of the river following Butterdon Stone Row and yes, I did have to wade through a Dartmoor river in March to get to it. However, it was worth it.

This is another stunner! There must be 50 or 60 stones, many of them taller than me and running almost due North South.

Hillson's House (Cairn(s))

This site is here mainly because it's a good sighting point on the way to Stalldown stone row. However, there is a second reason in that I have a good friend named Hillson who's family is from this part of the Dartmoor.

If anyone has any information on how this site got its name, we'd be very glad to receive it.

Beckhampton Avenue (Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue)

In the summer of 2000, I was lucky enough to take part in an archaeological dig at the Beckhampton end of the Avebury Complex.

Pressure of work meant that it was only for one day and most of the work involved pushing a wheelbarrow but hey, I got my trowel dirty at Avebury.

Mine Howe (Burial Chamber)

Minehowe is truly one of the gems in Orkney's archaeological crown. This is a very strange place and, whatever else you do, don't miss it when you're on Orkney.

The site was first discovered in 1946 but was quickly closed off to stop farm stock falling into it. Unfortunately, the 'many stone tools' discovered have disappeared along with any skeletal remains. It would be nice to think that these might turn up at some stage so that the site could be put into a firmer context.

Yellowmead Multiple Stone Circle

Another Dartmoor oddity here! Yellowmead consists of 4, not quite concentric, circles and a short row. The tallest stones lie just South of East with the row slightly West of South.

The stones of the innermost circle form a near continuous wall.

Barnhouse Settlement (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork)

This Neolithic settlement is contemporary with Maes Howe, Stennes and Brodgar and may well have been home to the people who built the monuments.

One of the houses is of a type I've not come across before in that it is more or less symmetrical about the entrance, sort of a semi-detached or duplex. However, the symmetry is not exact as one of the dwellings is bigger than the other.

The Dwarfie Stane (Chambered Tomb)

Depending on which source you believe, this is either the only, or one of only two, rockcut chamber tombs in Britain.

It may not be in the middle of nowhere but you can definitely see the middle of nowhere from here.

Winterbourne Bassett (Stone Circle)

This site is another bit of an oddity as it doesn't appear on the 1:50000 series OS maps (Pink Cover) but does on the 1:25000 (Orange Cover).

It lies about 5.5km north of Avebury itself and is, undoubtedly, the remains of a substantial stone circle.

I counted three stones in a southern arc with one opposite in the remains of a northern one.

I'm also sure that there is an entrance avenue leading away from this stone away to the field entrance in the gap between the trees.
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