The partner in crime on this trip, the second howe with the “headstone” I think that the head stone is one of the kerb stones that the embankment has worn away from as close investigations reveals the tops of several other upright stones still embedded in the embankment approximately in line (circularly) with the head stone.
The standing stones make for an intriguing site. Shame about the grouse butt.
As a mature student of archaelogy I visited Simon Howe for the first time yesterday and was appalled at the desecration of the circle by that stupid and unecessary cairn and that obscene wind break ( or is it grouse shooting butt ? ). I am not a religious person at all but that sort of mindless behaviour at an archaelogical site is beyond belief and speaks volumes about the moronic people who have presumably systematically helped create such vandalism without any consideration for its archaelogical importance . I am also a regular hill-walker and suggest other walkers I would be better served by learning to navigate properly via map & compass than relying on the questionable value of cairns and if you need protection from the elements then carry the neccessary equipment ! I would gladly get involved in any legal process to restore Simon Howe to its previous glory.