Note :- The exact location of this site cannot be guaranteed as it does not appear on any O.S. maps.
-----------------------------------------------------------
I stumbled across this whilst looking for Black Coppice cairn.
This feature consists of an arc of stones which may form a complete circle (the remainder is still concealed under the peat), and an upright stone sitting among a collection of stones that may have formed a cairn.
Note :- The exact location of this site cannot be guaranteed as it does not appear on any O.S. maps.
-----------------------------------------------------------
This stone just outcropping from the surrounding peat and vegetation shows a curious curvi-linier marking similar to the playing card shapes associated with Roman forts ?
Note :- The exact location of this site cannot be guaranteed as it does not appear on any O.S. maps.
-----------------------------------------------------------
This chance find was on the top of Hurst Hill surrounded by many other stones / boulders outcropping through the eroding peat.
When I put my compass next to the grooves to give a feeling of size, I was surprised to see that they aligned precisely North / South.
Revisited 19 February 2004
This is another Bargrennan-style tomb (third today!). It is in the process of detailed excavation and has been backfilled since my last visit making the main features easier to make out. Further work will continue this year.
There are three chambers (S with a capstone, E and N) in a round cairn. What looks like the remains of a kerb can also be seen in the W.
The remains of a Bargrennan-style tomb in Ayrshire. Not discovered (or re-discovered) until 1975 so not included in Audrey Henshall’s massive inventory of Scotland’s chambered tombs.
The cairn has been almost entirely removed and used to build the sheepfold which incorporates the surviving and impressive chamber.
The most visible features of the chamber are the capstone and two orthostats within the sheepfold (ie to the S) and these are considered to have been part of the rear of the chamber. Two large stones to the E were also part of the chamber.
Park at the bridge where the pylon lines (not on the map) cross the road and walk N to the raised area at the bend where the tomb is situated.
Visited 19 February 2004
This broch sits on a small headland jutting out into the lower end of the Loch of Tankerness.
There are two ways to reach the site; Neither is straightforward and both requiring boots. One is to follow the mill stream and step on and over the wall where the stream comes to the loch shore, then follow the shoreline to your right. This way is very marshy and somewhat treacherous. Alternatively go up the hill from the Tankerness Mill and just round the road from Northwood House (the sound of doves comes from Glebe). Go to the field that is directly behind this, then downfield to the shore. It tends to be rather suckily muddy in many places. I would suggest going down the left-hand side, as the wall does a few strange things. To get to the headland requires going through a barbed wire fence , which fortunately has plenty of give in it or I’d never have managed it.
It is one of the least prepossessing brochs I have seen, though at the seaward end it stands rather higher than the likes of Oxtro. At first sight I thought that there was nothing. Going towards it you can certainly feel plenty of apparently isolated stones hidden beneath the grass but no sense of stucture that I could tell. Coming to the highpoint and taking the line around you certainly get a strong feel for where the inner and outer walls were, going by the turf.
At the top and found a roughly rectangular depression. Looking on the inner side I made out several slabs in a non-radial line. So I did some rooting about and tearing off of the overhanging grass. Definitely a straight wall, remaining about six foot long and a foot or so high. The other side is less well defined, a few loose stones as far as I could tell and not so obviously slabs. If you go poking about then gloves are a necessity – the place is covered in almost invisibly short nettles, I can fully feel the nasty little buggers several hours later! Maybe this is how such sites can sound so uninteresting in official reports , that only amateurs are daft enough to brush brush aside for a proper view.
This wee stone stands near Court Hill cairn, is oriented NE-SW, and measures 1.3m high x 1.4m long x 0.5m thick. There are no markings on it, but it has quite a fantastic pattern to the stone – I have tried to capture this in one of the photographs.
Visited this site today, as it’s adjacent to the Loak standing Stone. From Canmore: “This is a large turf-covered barrow, mainly of earth but with some stone evident, 4.0 to 5.0m high and formerly covered by trees. It is situated on relatively flat arable land and is readily visible from all directions. A slight terrace effect halfway down the east side of the tumulus is probably due to the tree-planting. Traditionally the site of judicial courts held prior to 1745.”
Hence the alternative name. There’s little else in Canmore about it, so presumably it hasn’t been excavated. The farmer did tell me, however, that this area lies on a gravel bed, and that the local estate has made some plans to quarry for this. He wasn’t sure how advanced the plans were – but possibly another cause for Heritage Action? I’ll be keeping a close eye on local developments here.
The view from the cairn is quite spectacular, and I make no apologies for posting a couple of pictures of these. The cairn seems to be the central feature in a number of low mounds running NW towards the Obney hills, which can be faintly discerned in a couple of the pictures. Anyone have any theories for this? A long line of standing stones runs from Denmarkfield Farm, through Cramflat, Gellybanks, Loak, and Pitsundry to the Witch’s Stone at Meickle Obney. Could be just serendipity, though...
Visited here today. The stones still exist, and are in the garden of a small cottage, protected at the rear by a large hedge. Canmore states: “Two standing stones 10’ apart W of the main road at Dowally. They are respectively 8’7” and 7’8” high and 8’ and 10’11” basal girth.” In 1975 it was noted that one stone had fallen, otherwise the description is correct. This has since been re-erected, and I was unable to find out which one – presumably the one hit by the bus, however!
The western stone has a huge line of quartz running vertically down the west side of it. They’re quite a decent size and impressive standing out pale against the dark hedge.
The hillside is covered by an ancient field system and finds at the top indicate an Iron Age settlement up there. I have to admit to not having seen many signs of ancient remains, but I wasn’t hanging around to look to be honest..
Excellent views though.
Nearby, in the Country Park, the type of settlement it is thought to have been has been recreated (See links).
This is a Bargrennan-style long cairn – the most northerly of all the Bargrennan cairns. Dimensions around 45m x 20m.
It runs NW/SE and three chambers are visible in the NW end. For ease, they are called NW, NE and S. The NW and NE chambers have one capstone each.
The site lies off a road between the Kirkleegreen and Cuffhill Reservoirs. There is parking at a boathouse at Kirkleegreen.
Visited 18 Feb 2004
The only identifiable Clyde chambered tomb in Ayrshire.
One chamber with one capstone and divided into three compartments remains. The cairn was removed in 1772 when “five stone coffins” were found. There may therefore have been another two-compartment chamber.
It can be seen at the back of Douglas Park at the S end of Largs. Off-street parking is available.
Visited 18 February 2004
Cup and ring marked rock measuring 14m by 6m at its widest point. Situated on the lower slopes of Blackshaw Hill and with views over the Firth of Clyde.
Heavily weathered and mainly cup marks visible but at least 10 cup and ring motifs could be identified.
Blackshaw Farm is a Quad Bike centre. They were happy to let me use their car park and walk up. No offer to go by bike, sadly.
Visited 18 Feb 2004
Had another look at this site today, a fine clear afternoon and (unusually) no cattle-beasts in the field for a change. This was one of the first sites I visited when I started recording the stones in my area, and I only took a couple of general photos. I have removed these and replaced them with the current set, which quite clearly show the large cup marks on the NE stone.
Canmore states: “A ‘circle of stones’ forming a triangle whose sides are 25’10” x 28’10” x 29’4”. There is also a small outlying stone on the north side. The first measures 5’ x 4’ x 10” high; the second, 2’ x 3’ x 3’6” high; the third, 2’ x 2’ x 3’8” high.
On the E side of the latter are 21 cups, varying from 1”-3” in diameter. 6 are surrounded by single rings and connecting grooves. On the west side are 16 cups, varying from 1”-2 1/2” in diameter. There is also a connecting groove at one side.
J R Allen 1881.”
These are all easily visible in the photos. The view from this elevated field is quite spectacular, with the Sidlaws behind and the long slow slope south towards the mouth of the Tay.
When we visited this site on February 14th it was impossible for us to get up the track track along the edge of the forest. The forestry commission stony path leading from the Whitby road was ok but the track running parallel to the forest towards the cairn circle has been completely churned up with motor vehicles and was turned into a deep quagmire of thick mud and water, which we could not pass even though we had wellingtons and walking boots on.
If you want to visit this site you may be best to try it from another angle, maybe from the south or west.
A very large glacial erratic that stones have been piled up to to form a cairn like structure. This stone dominates the landscape and is of the same stone type as the central stones at Miller’s Grave. It is certain to be part of the ritual landscape of this moorland.
A 4 foot standing stone it is heavily weathered. It is supported at the base by smaller stones and appears to have been re-erected. It is very close to Miller’s grave and to the south of another standing stone dated from the 18th century called the Greenwood Stone, a boundary stone bearing the date 1775.
A prominent burial mound which, it is suspected once had a chamber. There are two massive slabs at the centre. This site has been heavily plundered over the years but it is quite nice. Its 4o foot diametre shape may have been recreated recently as the stones around it are built in a wall-like fashion.
A near seven foot high monolith at the junction of several footpaths.
The Nether Largie stones (the Great X etc.) seem to be lined up with features of the landscape.
E.g:
Looking down the line of the ‘X’ (its a very narrow X, more like a straight line with an ‘entrance’ at each end – see kilmartin.org/kilmartin/sites/ss9.html
for a good view of it) from its southwestish end, it points at the small wood to the northeastish;
The big central stone of the X lies on a straight line between Templewood and another small wood on the opposite side. It is a thin, flat sided stone and the plane of it is on this line. (Where these woods there when the stone were erected?);
Also when you line this central stone up with the smaller stone that is standing on its own in what is now the next field to the northish it points at the highest visible hilltop peak.
The www.kilmartin.org site reckons it may have been used to track the sun and moon. Doesn’t say how – but if so looks likes its relating them to local landscape. (Also/or related to geomancy?)
The landscape of the whole glen is really unusual. You particularly notice this if you go towards the sea. The glen is not only mostly very flat, its also mostly right at sea level. It looks and feels like its just been submerged and could be again at any moment. The glens stones etc. are all basically round the edge of a giant peat bog which according to my sources (a tourist brochure) would have been a bit bigger and maybe still partly submerged when the stones were erected. Go down towards the sea, especially in the late afternoon/evening and its a really eerie, quiet and strange landscape, which is maybe why the glen has so many ritual sites.
I have read everything that has been posted, and would like to add that I visit this place regular and have found no ill affects when visiting, in fact quiete the contrary... I find the energy there is very warm and welcoming, not at all malicious, I leave with a renewed sense of wellbeing.
This place must have held some significance at some time as there are also remains of two stone cairns further accross the mountain and I have read that there is a possibility of a burial chamber just over from the ring cairn.
I would also be interested in finding more information about this site, if anyone has any.
Finally manage to make the time to visit the site. After leaving White Coppice cricket ground and avoiding a long line of walkers ( I forgot the Anglezarke Amble was taking place) I manage to scramble up the steep bank to the plateau above Black Coppice.
The large capstone of the cairn was clearly visible on the horizon about 20 feet back from the top edge of the quarry. Arriving at the site the cavity formed by the cap stone propped up on the underlying rocks was clearly seen. The cairn was surrounded by a spread of an assortment of rocks / boulders that may have been part of the structure. Adjacent to the site was a depression containing 3 stone mill wheels in various stages of manufacture.
With the close proximity of the quarry and the mill wheels, and without any datable evidence for the cairn, its hard to tell if it is ancient or contempory with the industrial features.
To the north of the cairn I found another feature of note. This consists of a curvi- linear spread of hand sized boulders forming an arc of approx. 30 ft diameter. At the centre of the arc was an upright stone approx. 18” tall.
As this feature does not appear on the 1st edition or modern O.S. maps and so doesn’t have a name or date its not possible to add this as a new site on T.M.A.
But, as my Archaeology tutor drummed into me :-
“the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
So maybe these sites should be added !!
Trippet Stones- 4.10.2003
On the way back to London I only had time to go to something close to the road, so the Trippet Stones were an ideal stop off. Really easy to access circle, and a very lovely looking one, with good views around bits of Bodmin Moor. It was also blowing a gale for me, but was worth it.
A tip – the turnoff from the A30, when travelling eastbound is the last turn-off on this single carriageway, just a few metres before the dual carriageway starts again.
Wayland’s Smithy Long Barrow – 8.2.2004
Directions – I think what Chris means (see first fieldnotes) is that if you really want to have the shortest possible walk to Wayland’s you could unofficially park where the dead-end road to Knighton Barn (the road is called Knighton Hill) crosses the Ridgeway (circa SU285856). I wouldn’t encourage having the shortest possible walk though, although I guess there might be some good reasons in certain situations (e.g. lack of mobility, terrible weather). Most people walk from the Uffington Castle area, or from the signposted National Trust car park (free). For the latter, walk out of the car park as if you were continuing on the road that just took you to the car park and continue to walk up the road until you get to the Ridgeway, turn right and follow the Ridgeway until you pass a line of beech trees. 400m further you’ll see the entrance on your right into the Wayland’s Smithy enclosure. It’s 2 km in total. Alternatively you can approach from the West by parking just off the road between Ashbury and Ashdown House, where it crosses the Ridgeway (circa SU274843). It’s only just over 1 km from there.
We walked from Uffington Castle, which was pretty pleasant, despite patches of the Ridgeway looking like a mangled forest track (and other bits being bone dry!). The only spoiler of the walk was three annoying 4x4’s playing silly muddy buggers, with an attitude. I don’t have a problem with real off roading (challenging stuff on private land in forests and farm land), but this is like off-roading for the blandly afflicted. Pointless and tedious. Later we heard and saw three motorbikes churning through the mud right outside Wayland’s.
It was about 12 years ago when I first visited this famous Long barrow, and it’s a good sign that it hasn’t changed much. Lots of visitors came and went (quickly), and then suddenly 5 minutes of calm and didn’t see another human being all the way back to the NT car park.
Uffington Castle – 8.2.2004
When I had visited once before I couldn’t appreciate its size and views because I could hardly see in front of my face with thick mist. Today I could, and walked around, up and over part of it. What a great place to live this would have been. Howling gale, or no howling gale, this was still great.
No-one seems to have done the obvious yet....(car centric) directions. A large (and free) National Trust car park exists just off the B4507, up the hill, opposite to the road to Woolstone. From the car park it’s a 600-700m walk to the Horse / Castle. I think a separate car park for people with disabilities exists closer to the Horse / Castle and is approached via the narrow road that starts opposite to the road to Uffington village and cuts Dragon Hill from The White Horse (hhmmmm!). This is all well signposted. Note – The B4507 lives up to it’s ranking in the B roads stakes. It’s a twisty, potholed, slightly narrow thing.
