The Modern Antiquarian. Stone Circles, Ancient Sites, Neolithic Monuments, Ancient Monuments, Prehistoric Sites, Megalithic MysteriesThe Modern Antiquarian

Beckhampton Plantation Stone Circle

Stone Circle

Miscellaneous

Details of Stone Circle on Pastscape

(SU 09856713) Stone Circle (NR) (remains of). (1)
Excavations at a scatter of stones, nearly a mile south of Silbury Hill, by Smith and Long in 1877, revealed the remains of a roughly oval setting of stones (see plan) enclosing an area 261ft by 216ft. Identified by Smith with Stukeley's very large oblong work like a long barrow, made only of stones pitched in the ground, no tumulus (2) which Stukeley says is on 'the heath south of Silbury Hill'. According to Grinsell (3) in 1950 the ground had long been arable and the stones were lying in heaps with probably hardly any in situ. SU 09886716 Soilmarks of a bank with both inner and outer ditches, forming the NE half of a rough circle, possibly some 60.0m overall diameter. It is not possible to determine precisely if this feature is associated with either the setting of stones, or the later field system (SU 06 NE 68) but stones and soilmark together form a rough oval centred a SU 09876715. (4) In arable ground, no trace of either the soilmark or the stones. Soilmark surveyed from OS APs (4)(5) Description of the site and a brief account of its history (6). The status of the site and its date are uncertain. Not mentioned by Burl (7), Barnatt suggests that the site is better interpreted as an enclosure, comprising of many small contiguous stones in a sub-oval ring of c.80m x 66m. (6-8) The only enclosure visible on air photographs, in the vicinity of the location given by the previous authorities, forms part of an extensive field system that covers the area (described in full SU 06 NE 68). This enclosure is defined by banks and is rectilinear but with very curved corners. No trace of the stones or any accompanying circular or oval enclosure was visible on the available air photographs. (9)
Chance Posted by Chance
29th October 2012ce

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