Latest Fieldnotes

There is a visitor centre (Ferrycroft Countryside Centre) in Lairg with parking, etc and a trail to the cairn.

26m x 22m oval cairn covering a passage and chamber (neither accessible). The chamber probably reached a height of about 4m.

For access, see Ord North.

The round cairn has now largely disappeared but would have been about 15m diameter. The low stones of the chamber and passage remain visible.

Next to single track road. Parking difficult.

Right next to road. Parking available.

The local boatman – ask at the (only) shop – will take you over from Eday to the Calf where there are three chambered tombs in reasonable condition.

See also Calf of Eday Long and Calf of Eday SE.

This site has 7m diameter cairn covering passage and four-part chamber (both accessible).

Maes Howe type chambered tomb. No obvious remnants of cairn or chambers currently visible. Stone decorated with spirals and concentric circles found here.

Slight remains of stalled chambered cairn.

Maes Howe style chambered tomb. On Eday Heritage Walk.

Two-tier tomb (like Taversoe Tuick). On Eday Heritage Walk.

Southern half of tripartite chamber visible. On Eday Heritage Walk.

4.5m high standing stone at start of Eday Heritage Walk.

This site is on the Westness Heritage walk which starts at Midhowe.

This site is on the Westness Heritage walk which starts at Midhowe.

“.......As for this site (PRN 2064), we have recorded it as a folly on the SMR. A primary source is the Country Life article, May 7, 1981. Apparently the chapel was built over the original site of the circle; the circle was first reconstructed in C17. Re-erected in 1981 “as near as possible in its original formation.” There are additional sources within the SMR which you are welcome to consult during opening hours by appointment.”

County Sites and Monuments Record Officer
Central Library, Westgate
Oxford OX1 1DJ
01865 810825

Does this site now class as a modern folly, a very curious C17 re-working of a Neolithic site or a semi-faithful reconstruction of a destroyed monument?

I can only leave it to the Eds to decide whether this should remain on TMA. My own feeling is that it should remain if only to show the curious cheek by jowl jostling of different beliefs.
One wonders whether they would allow a Druid ceremony to be held there...........?

From Wirksworth I this stone is in the field to the east... 200m away.
Perhaps 50-60cm tall when upright... and a complete contrast to the other 2 stones which stand/stood either side of it.

28 Nov 2003
Five months since my last trip I am on top of the world again. Little bit colder today but still a good view. It is actually busier today then it was at midsummer. The five telescopic stick waving regatterd up hikers passed by with a quick glance up at the trig point but a big Cornish well done to the three student types (including the one with the wild mohecan) who had traipsed up there from Codda through bog and stream. The fact that we had to tell them where they were isn’t important, they did it (I am also going to forgive them for calling us professional ramblers just because my mate had a GPS)

I just wonder if they ever found their way back?

28 Nov 2003

The sun was setting as we climbed up the hill towards the cairn. King Arthurs Hall had shown itself to me from a different angle...walking to it from Casehill it looks as if it sits in a bowl, but from the north it is sat on the ridge. Anyway, we had visited it earlier in the day and as the sun was leaving us and we had just walked 8 miles there was no point in detouring again.

After the dissapointment of the two cairns supposedly near Loudon Circle it was nice to find something that could be identified. In what is a manmade view, ie wall built on one side of it and the clay tips of Hensbarrow in the distance, it is not easy to visualise the position this cairn had in the prehistoric landscape. All I know is, on this fine winters day as the sun set in the west there was a fine view from this spot.

Access to this lovely site is very easy, as the site sits beside the road on Percy Cross Rigg.
The site has been fenced since my last visit. I suspect the fence was erected to discourage the dickheads on two wheels from using the banks and ditches of the site to get their kicks.
There are five hut foundations here, two of which are very prominent, one having at least three courses of stone wall surviving. The site has been dated to the late Iron Age.
The area is steeped in prehistory, the mesolithic site of Highcliff Nab is less than two kms away, the long cairn, cairn cemetary and Iron age enclosure of Great Ayton Moor is one and a half kms away. The area is surrounded by Bronze Age barrows and the entrance of the most southerly hut looks over towards the site of the Commondale stone circle.
All in all an excellent spot and a good illustration of continuity of use of an area over 6 thousand years.
There is some debate over whether the local Gabrantovices tribe were a sub-tribe of the Brigantes or a division of the Parisii. I think that given the known Iron Age remains in this area, that there could possibly be a connection between the name Percy and Parisii...just a hunch!

The Black Howes are a very prominent group of barrows and can easily been seen from Smeathorns road. Access is along the ancient path, or trod, known as Quakers’ Causeway. The path runs from Aysdale Gate to Brown Hill.
We approached it from Brown Hill, the main Howe is about 1km from the road.
The first thing you notice is the wonderful views from this point, you can see the coast and lockwood Beck reservoir, but best of all are the views of Freebrough Hill.
There are also a group of prominent barrows running along a ridge on the western horizon one of these barrows is Hob on the Hill.
The first barrow you come to is large and low, approximately 1 metre high and 12 metres in diameter.
The main group of three barrows are another half a kilometer along the track. The first one you encounter is the largest. It is over 2m high and about 18 metres in diameter. There are traces of a kerb around the barrow and the southern edge is cut by a drainage channel. The barrow itself resembles many of out local barrows and has a deep depression in the top probably caused by the excavation by the prolific barrow digger, Canon Atkinson.
There are three barrows in this group and they grade in size with the largest in the east. The other two show no signs of a kerb. The group are aligned NNW-SSE.
The question is which came first, the track or the barrows? are the barrows aligned to the track or to some other object?
Whilst up there I had a look for Elgee’s stone triangle, not for the first time.
Elgee reports the triangle to be north of the Howes. I spent a good hour scouring the hill side between the path, Lockwood Beck and Spindle Bogs and came up with nothing. The hillside here is part of an intensly managed grouse moor. There are many drainage cuts, pools and shooting butts so although the moor has an outwardly natural appearence, it most definitely isn’t. I suspect any decent stone on the moor, including kerb stones and possible any standing stones have ended up in one of the many shooting butts, drainage channels or dams on the moor.

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!

Barrow-like mound surmounted by a yew tree at ST052214. {1}

The mound is circular, although slightly truncated at its N side. E-W diameter is 9m, N-S diameter 7m and c1.25m high. The centre of the mound is about 17m due S of the E wall of the chancel. It is crowned by a massive yew stool with a number of trunks and is clearly very old. {2}

NGR should be ST052213. {3}

Very doubtful. {4}

References:
1 Mention – Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society Aston, M 1976 “Somerset Archaeology 1974-5” vol 120, 71
2 Personal communication – Burrow, I SCPD 07.03.84
3 Detailed records – Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division 1976 ST02SE(M) SCPD
4 Mention – Quinell, NV quoted in Grinsell, LV “Somerset Barrows: revisions 1971-87” Proceedings of the Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Society 131 (1987), 22.

Record created by:
Ian Burrow in March 1984

© Copyright Somerset County Council 2003

The authenticity of the mound as a barrow is in question.
With thanks to the Somerset Museums Service for their help.

Class 1 henge monument of single causeway type consisting of a circular rock-cut ditch with an external rampart of earth and stones, enclosing a flat central area without any form of upright. The causeway is to the N. The ditch varied in width from 12ft to 21ft and 4-9ft deep. The NE and SW segments yielded evidence of Beaker occupation. This was separated from the ditch bottom by a barren yellow clay silt layer. In two places a platform of closely packed stones was interposed between the clay and beaker deposit, which consisted of dirty rubble, charcoal, hearths etc. Finds from this deposit included 4,000 flint flakes and implements, pottery of A-C beaker type (including rusticated ware) representing at least 100+ beakers, a few sherds of Neolithic “B” ware and large quantities of animal bones, mainly domestic. No evidence was found of stone or post holes, walling or any other structural remains. Two hypotheses can be suggested – the monument may be attributed to the grooved ware or “B” beaker group, or the A.C. beaker folk for whom the ditch held no significance. {1}

The beaker burial and occupation deposits had radio-carbon date centring on 1900-1700bc. {6}

The henge is set on a gentle E-facing slope to the W of Long Wood, in improved pasture. Condition is generally good except for three hawthorn trees growing in the ditch. {7}

The majority of the archives and finds were destroyed in the Second World War. {8}

The monument is in a generally satisfactory condition with no evidence of damage by grazing cattle. {9}

References:
1 Excavation report – PUBSS Jones, S.J 1935 “...Excavations at Gorsey Bigbury...” vol. 4(3), 174-8
2 Excavation report – PUBSS Jones, S.J et al 1938 “The Excavation of Gorsey Bigbury” vol. 5(1), 3-56
3 Excavation report – PUBSS ApSimon A.M 1951 “Gorsey Bigbury: The Second Report” vol. 6(2), 186-200
4 Detailed records – Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division 1966 ST45NE15 SCPD
5 Excavation report – PUBSS Tratman, E.K 1966 “Gorsey Bigbury...Third Report” vol. 11, 25-30
6 Description – PUBSS ApSimon A.M 1976 “Gorsey Bigbury...dating...” vol. 14(2), 155-183
7 Personal communication – Burrow, I SCPD (13.09.82)
8 Archive – UBSSM
9 Detailed records – Field Monument Warden’s report (22.4.1998) in HER files

Record created by:
Ian Burrow in September 1982

© Copyright Somerset County Council 2003

(Edited) With thanks to the Somerset Museums Service for their help.

RCAHMS NMRS No. HY31SW 6
Recently I found the mapped remains of this accessible and so took the chance to investigate (at the time only the remains of St. Mary’s were shown on Canmap). This mound isn’t so prominent – more than a rise but less than a tump. There are two levels to it. The stones are on the smaller higher piece on the left. Mostly all that is left is the one course.

Perhaps if it weren’t so easy to get onto the ‘Viewpoint’ site (just over a turnstile from the new Viewpoint and often a little damp to reach) wouldn’t appeal but it is a significant feature in this landscape, as much I feel as Maes Howe (which is only just down at the junction of this Stoneyhall Road and the Kirkwall-Stromness road). From the depression at the top you look out lochwards and see how heavily humanised even this view across the holms is. In the loch edges on either side are many stones, and just off the area which leads into the main body of Harray Loch can still be seen an obvious rectangular structure.

An archaeologist friend of mine who had visited this site said perhaps it did not appear in the records because rather than a broch (which had been his impression too) it was actually the site of St. Mary’s church that had somehow been displaced on the map. However on closer inspection during my second visit I found a very small piece of exposed structure, only two or three thin slabs but feeling more prehistoric than ecclesiastical. Being not all that observant I missed a relatively big chunk of stone in the remains of a trench on the side until my last visit.

Going back onto CANMAP today I find on the next promontory along as well as the remains of St. Mary’s there is also shown the Grimston (alias Biggings) Broch which I’m sure wasn’t shown last time I looked, so now I shall add this to Orkney as a positive.

RCAHMS NMRS No. HY31SW 6

‘Thin (just under 1’) slab of a stone. Close to the edge of the sea, just up the bank from the beach.
Potentially stands a few feet downhill from a large ring of stones but its difficult to tell if it is a ring in reality or my imagination as there’s quite a few stones over this land.
You’d see it from its side on if looking from out at sea (not as visible as if it were facing seaward). If this is to be seen from the sea, there’s a much better promintary position just to the south, up the rise with the gorse, toward the road where there’d also be much less hills at its background so that it would appear on the skyline.
You can see it from the road. There’s a road you can take down to the farm very close by.‘

- 2 April 2002