Dating a hole in a sea washed rock is never easy. These holes seem hand cut with a metal chisel of some sort. There are many more along the Gannel from Fern Pit to the West for some hundreds of feet.
My best theory is that they were associated with shipbuilding. The holes are the right diameter to locate the sizable timbers typically used to stabilize ships being built at beach sites. In the 19th century the Gannel was used by shipbuilders and produced coastal schooners up to 250 tons burthen, i.e. about 100 ft long.
I do not know when shipbuilding started on the Gannel, in theory I suppose it could be early medieval times, but I suspect the rock marks largely date from the 18th and 19th centuries.
 Reply | with quote | Posted by crowdercref
16th March 2008ce
11:23 |
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Head To Head 
What the hell...? (jimit)