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Burial Chamber
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Visited 5th March 2012
When is a burial chamber not a burial chamber? Arguably when it's been dug up, partially destroyed and re-erected in a different location opposite a church without any of its previous context.
I don't want to sound too harsh to the poor Ballaharra stones, as I'm generally in favour of restoration/reconstruction of ancient sites. But the four remaining stones here seem to have been reconstructed almost as a garden feature, by the same token if I collected some stones from a cairn on a windswept moor and piled them up at home would I have a megalithic site in my garden? The stones may come from the monument but the monument itself is long gone.
Still the stones themselves are pleasant enough, with two small trees bookending the site, although the proximity to the busy (for the Isle of Man) road spoils things a bit, as does the litter accumulating near the garden wall. Due to the reconstruction it is difficult to tell how the burial chamber would have been structured, since two of the stones were destroyed during its 'excavation' but it looked as if one of the stones was possibly cupmarked.
The information board, with its Stonehengesque delusions of grandeur, is still there but looking a bit faded now. We took a few photos and retired to the very good Tynwald Hill cafe for a drink in front of their lovely open fire.
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Posted by Ravenfeather
17th March 2012ce
Edited 19th March 2012ce
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