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

Lakehead Hill

Stone Row / Alignment

Fieldnotes

This place is the reason for this day out on a sunny Dartmoor morning, the main objective is the big cist circle and stone row, I knew there was more in the clearing over the fence, but wasn't expecting wife to be up for a prolongued stone hunt, I was wrong.
The big cist is well impressive, and of the sort you can get into, mmmmmmy favourite.
The stone circle surrounding it is half missing and I only recognised it for what it was after some time (only five minutes i'm not that stupid) .
The stone row emanating from the circle is a low wriggely slightly curving kind of row, the early start from Glastonbury had been worth it, we had the place to ourselves for ages, everyone who passed by carried on up to the Tor, had we put them off ? or is the Dartmoor thing to do go up a tor or two, then maybe an old bridge? sounds like missing the point a bit to me.

Hayley now made my day for a second time and readily agreed to a minor stone hunt over the fence, we tied the dogs together and off they ran into the long grass, just seconds later the stone row is come upon, not a long one but a straight one.
The terminal stones are the largest, dont know if thats the norm, but it did look as though it were aligned on a peak on the horizon, since found out it is Haytor rocks. From the tallest stone in the row a view of Bellever tor can be seen, this is the only stone on the hill that can say that.

North towards the Tor half a minute walk and there is another perfectly round cairn circle, and in the middle an overgrown large flat stone flush with the gound suggesting a hidden cist. From this circle another is just twenty yards away, with a more exposed cist but not one that I could get into, maggie could though, the circle stone thats north of the cist is a small wonder the flat top is a perfect recepticle for sitting buttocks, seemingly too perfect for chance . Of all the cist circles up on this hill these two are the closest, hinting at a more special relationship with its builders, but then, can they tell which one was built first or were they all going up at the same time.

Walking back up to the stone row now on our way back to the carpark I spy yet another low cairn circle, no sign of a central cist but then the stones themselves are only centimeters above the grass so maybe its underground, in the northern(?) arc are two large slightly curving stones, I struggle to say why I mention it, but I do and they are thereand I remember them.

There are more megaliths hidden in the trees, two or three cists a circle and a row, but frankly I wasn't expecting all this so I was more than happy with what we did get to.
postman Posted by postman
13th November 2010ce
Edited 13th November 2010ce

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