I was quite awestruck by this place – I wasn’t expecting it to be so spectacular! I thought it’d be another grassy bump, but it’s like a mini Nympsfield (in Gloucestershire) with fewer people and better views. Possibly my enthusiasm is heightened by the fact that this is the only ancient site I have ever reached entirely on foot, so it felt like a proper adventure. (I like adventures!)
The horned forecourt is still visible and the entrance is aligned dead straight with the distinctive peak of Harboro’ Rocks – surely this can’t be a coincidence? Other sites which can be seen from the barrow or very near it include the edge containing the Bonsall Lane rock shelter, Aleck Low and Minninglow (surprise surprise). There are probably loads more too which I just don’t know of/recognise from a distance.
I did wonder about the stone with the hole in it which is part of the separation between passage and chamber. Was it chosen on purpose, maybe to let the spirits out? I don’t usually go in for spirits or ritual or lands of the living and dead etc, so maybe they chose it purely because it’s interesting and the right shape.
The website will only let me upload one photo - it says error for the others I have tried.
Could be miles off with this theory, came to me after reading Tilley, but maybe the chamber is aligned to Harboro' Rocks because of the Rocks' history......ice age axes and artefacts have been recovered from the fields around there and same with the cave...
Emma - good for you.
Re the photos, it may be that the file size of the others is over 1mb..... that's the limit. Try reducing the width (pixel size) using whatever program you use to download the images from your camera to the PC.
Thanks, Gladman - that worked!
Stubob - sounds interesting! I'll have to go and explore Harboro' Rocks soon. It took me ages to work out what that hill was!
Harboro' was at one time home to a Neolithic chambered cairn too
But not any more? Wonder if it was aligned to Green Low.
You can make out traces of the rim of the cairn in the area by Harboro' Rocks' trig point, but otherwise......