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Standing Stone / Menhir
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The Poind (Burial mound) is easily visible from the track from Bolam West houses, where permission to wander about the field can be sought. The Man (Standing stone) is on the other side of the Poind, not visible as you come along the track. It's a very weathered bit of sandstone with what look like iron deposits, visible as raised veins. It's wide face faces the Poind, from the side, the deeply eroded runnels form a jagged silhouette. The other thing that stood out, was the cleft in the bottom of the Man. It looked like the Man had been taken from the same rock as the outcrop, and that some of the weathering had taken place prior to it being stood up.
The stone looks like it's local, as can be seen by the similarity to that of the bedrock outcrop in the same field. It seems that both the Poind and the Man have been placed purposefully in relation to the outcrop. The outcrop itself has what may be the highly eroded remains of cups. But I could see why there might be considerable doubt, but it is very soft stone, as can be seen by the erosion on the Man. The cow, rabbit and sheep crap that covers much of it didn't help make it any easier to decide if they were solution holes or nearly gone cups. In better light, it might be easier to tell one way o the other.
The Poind is home to a number of rabbits, and the Man has Owl pellets in the grooves on the top. The spot commands a good view over towards Tyne valley to the south, and a clear view of the Simonside hills to the north. It's easy to see why the historical record states that men were 'set to watch' here during the reiver years. They would have had a darn good vantage point to look for the signs of reiving activity.
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Posted by Hob
14th May 2004ce
Edited 30th November 2004ce
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