Twelve Men’s Moor

Nearest town:
Liskeard (10km SSE)
OS reference:
SX250752
OS sheet:
201
Latitude:
50° 32' 59.01 N
Longitude:
4° 28' 13.84 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Looking northwest across the kerb cairn at SX 24567503. The really big orthostat is over a metre tall. Brown Willy, the highest hill in Cornwall, can be seen on the right skyline.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 11, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The kerb cairn at SX 24567503, looking up to Kilmar Tor. The remains of a cist can be seen in the centre.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 11, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The excellent kerb cairn at SX 24567503. Looking northeast the top of Hawk’s Tor can be seen over the rising ground.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 11, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Superb kerb cairn with cist at SX 24567503, near the western edge of the cemetery. Looking towards Trewortha Tor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 11, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The cairn at SX 25577526, the southeastern recognised monument in the cairn cemetery. It is on the rising ground below Kilmar Tor, higher than the other cairns on the moor. Dartmoor can be seen on the horizon.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The prominent cairn at SX 24877546, with the possible long cairn indicated.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The best preserved and most prominent of the group on the saddle at SX 24877546, enjoying good views of Trewortha Tor and Hawk’s Tor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The Cornwall & Scilly HER suggests that this feature at SX 24827543 may be a long cairn. Unfortunately I took it for clearance or the remains of a boundary structure and didn’t give it a proper look.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The cairn at SX 24717545. This is the westernmost of the compact group near the track, and the rising ground to the east blocks the view of Hawk’s Tor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

One of the larger cairns in the group, at SX24717545. Looking southwest, the hill in the background is Newel Tor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Another of the small, possibly clearance, cairns at SX 24737545. Looking WNW towards tree-covered Smallacombe Downs and Trewortha Tor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Another of the smaller cairns in the group at SX 24747545, this one with an excavated centre. Looking towards Kilmar Tor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Small cairn at SX 24777547, possibly clearance rather than sepulchral. The most prominent cairn of this group is silhouetted against the sky beyond.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The large cairn at SX 24797548 has a well-defined bank around its circumference. Unless it’s been substantially robbed, it appears to be a ring cairn.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Large but low (15m diameter but less than 1m high) cairn at SX24797548, part of a closely-spaced group immediately to the south of the track to Trewortha.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

The small cairn at SX 25117558. Looking south towards Kilmar Tor. The other cairns in the spread-out cemetery occupy the slopes below the granite outcrops.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Low remains of a small cairn at SX 25117558, possibly containing a damaged cist. Looking northeast towards Hawk’s Tor.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016
Image of Twelve Men’s Moor (Barrow / Cairn Cemetery) by thesweetcheat

Standing stone at approx. SX259759, in the raised verge on Noddon Lane to the northeast of the cairn cemetery and an obvious route onto the moor between the Kilmar and Hawk’s Tors. No obvious sign that it’s been a gatepost. No idea if it’s prehistoric but it’s nice, about 6 feet tall, tapering and very broad at the base. Any info welcome.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.6.2016)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016

Articles

Miscellaneous

Twelve Men’s Moor
Barrow / Cairn Cemetery
markj99
markj99 Apr 12, 2021

Directions to Twelve Men’s Moor

From N: The B3254 heads S off the A30 at Launceton. Take the first left for B3254 St Petherwin at the first roundabout. Stay on the B3254 for c. 7 miles. Cross the Lynher river into Berriow Bridge. There is an unsigned dead-end lane turning R at the end of the narrow bridge . Follow this track uphill for c. 1.25 miles to reach a Car Park at a cattle grid at the end of the public road.

From S: From A38 take the A390 Liskeard exit. Follow All Routes B3254 into Liskeard. The B3254 becomes Pound St. Take the second exit R for All other routes at the roundabout, avoiding the Town Centre. Take the first L for B3254 Pensilva/St Cleer at the double roundabout. Follow the B3254 for c. 8 miles to reach Berriow Bridge. At the N end of Berriow Bridge there is an unsigned dead-end lane turning L just before the narrow bridge over the Lynher River. Follow this track uphill for c. 1.25 miles to reach a Car Park at a cattle grid at the end of the public road.

Twelve Men’s Moor starts here. There are many sites to be explored from here: They include Cairns, a Cist, the Pyramid Stone and a Settlement on Twelve Men’s Moor, an unusual Stone Row on Hawk’s Tor Summit and Arthur’s Bed on Trewortha Tor, all in a square kilometre.

Miscellaneous

Twelve Men’s Moor
Barrow / Cairn Cemetery
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jul 10, 2016

An extensive but widely spread Bronze Age cairn cemetery occupies Twelve Men’s Moor, from the northern slopes of Kilmar Tor (at 396m OD, the third highest hilltop in Cornwall) down to the saddle between it and Hawk’s Tor.

Details of cairns from Cornwall & Scilly HER, generally north to south:

Cairn at SX 2511 7558

A cairn discovered during fieldwork by RCHME in 1983, on a flat valley floor in an area of partly cleared moorland pasture. In poor condition and measuring 4.9m in diameter, the cairn is much robbed and now merely the base of earthfast stones 0.1m high. Just off centre are two slabs, 0.3m-0.4m long and 0.3m high, set at almost a right angle, both leaning but very firmly embedded in the base stones. Possibly the remains of a small cist, but very uncertain.

Cairn and cist at SX 2511 7551

A cairn, first recorded by Trahair in 1978. Surveyed by RCHME in 1983. It lies on flat ground in an east – west ‘valley’ between Kilmar Tor and Trewortha Tor in an area of moorland bracken, furze and boulders. A round cairn of which only the south part survives, this measuring 9.0m by 4.0m and 0.8m high. Robbing has exposed a fine cist with four slabs set about 0.1m into the ground and standing about 0.5m above it. The cist, set in a NE-SW direction, measures 0.9m by 0.6m internally. A coverstone lies immediately to the north of the cist.

See themodernantiquarian.com/site/11120/twelve_mens_cist.html.

Group to the east of Trewortha
Cairn at SX 2479 7548

This cairn is part of a compact cairn group, to the east of Trewortha. It is marked on early OS maps as a ‘hut circle’ and was Scheduled as such by Mercer in 1978. It was surveyed from the air and from the ground by the RCHME in the 1980s. Shown as a cairn on the latest OS map. The cairn is located in a flat valley with a slight west slope, in an area of grazed pasture enclosed by rough moorland with boulders. It is circular, 15.4m in diameter, and 0.9m high. Top probably flat originally, but it has been disturbed.

Cairn at SX 2477 7547

It is located in a flat valley with a slight west slope, in an area of grazed pasture enclosed by rough moorland with boulders. The cairn is first recorded by Trahair, who considered that it could be the result of stone clearance. In 1983, it was surveyed by Quinnell onto the RCHME’s 1:2500 air photo plot. Described by Quinnell as a spread of stone 6.0m by 4.8m and 0.4m high.

Not shown on the OS 1/25000

Cairn at SX 2472 7545

It is located on a very slight south west slope in an area of pasture free of stone. Quinnell describes the cairn as a circular grass covered mound of stones 5.0m in diameter and 0.4m high.

Not shown on OS 1/25000

Cairn at SX 2471 7545

One of the larger cairns in the group. Marked as a cairn on the latest OS map. The cairn is almost circular, 9.3m in diameter and 1.1m high. There is an old excavation hollow in the top. Trahair suggests that this could be a clearance cairn, but Quinnell notes that if so, it must be prehistoric to have warranted exploration.

Cairn at SX 2474 7545

It is located on a very slight south west slope in an area of moorland pasture free of stone. The cairn was first recorded by Trahair, who considered that it could be the result of stone clearance. In 1983, it was surveyed by Quinnell onto the RCHME’s 1:2500 air photo plot. Quinnell describes the cairn as 5.0m in diameter and 0.8m high, with a small central excavation hollow.

Not shown on the OS 1/25000

Cairn at SX 2473 7545

The cairn was first recorded by Trahair, who considered that it could be the result of stone clearance. Quinnell describes the cairn as circular, 5.0m in diameter, and 0.7m high.

Not shown on the OS 1/25000

Possible cairn at SX 2470 7544

This possible cairn is a member of a compact cairn group located on a very slight south west slope, in an area of moorland pasture free of stone. The cairn was first discovered by Trahair, who suggested that it could be the result of clearance. Quinnell describes it as a triangular mound, 5.7m at its widest and 9.7m long and up to 0.7m high. It appears to have been recently disturbed.

Not shown on OS 1/25000
....

Cairn at SX 2487 7546

This cairn, which lies within a compact cairn field, is located in a flat valley with a slight west slope, in an area of grazed pasture enclosed by rough moorland with boulders. The cairn is circular, 11.8m in diameter, and 0.8m high. Top disturbed, but probably originally a flat platform type.

Possible long cairn at SX 2482 7543

This possible long cairn is part of a compact cairn group 500m to the east of Trewortha. It lies adjacent to an old track, in a flat valley with a slight west slope, in an area of grazed pasture enclosed by rough moorland with boulders. The cairn was probably first discovered by Trudgian and King, who made a rough survey of it in May 1974; although in 1974, Mercer scheduled a long cairn in the area which is probably to be identified with this. Quinnell describes the feature as a long low mound, 21m long, 3.7m wide and up to 0.8m high, though it varies a little throughout its length. Stone is exposed in part. Trudgian and King’s plan shows a number of kerb stones and a ‘marker’ stone at the east end. Considered to be a very likely long example of a prehistoric long cairn by Rose.

Not shown on the OS 1/25000

Cairn at SX 2520 7536

Cairn, first recorded by Trahair in 1978. Surveyed by RCHME in 1983. It lies in an area of boulders and bracken, on a very slight NW slope, consists of earth and stone, and measures 6.5m by 5.2m and 0.8m high. Two narrow trenches have been dug from the north and west towards the centre where there is north – south aligned pit measuring 2.1m by 0.8m wide and 0.4m deep. An upright slab forms the east side of the pit and to the north a stone about 1.0m square lies partly buried. Trehair’s view that this is a cairn and cist seems correct although it seems curious that coverstone, one end and one side stone are missing rather than displaced. There has been some clearance of small stones to the west of the cairn, possibly for its construction.

Cairn at SX 2557 7526

A probable prehistoric cairn located by RCHME air photo survey and surveyed on the ground by Quinnell in 1983. This cairn is on a slight northern slope, within an area of scattered stone, bracken and furze and is in fair condition. A moss and turf covered mound of stones, 6.5m in diameter and 0.5m high, with no evidence of excavation.

Cairn with kerb and cist at SX 2456 7503

This cairn is one in a group of three in scrubby moorland on a gentle west facing slope. It was first located by the OS reviser in 1958 and is shown on the 1963 OS map. It is mentioned by Trahair in his 1978 survey of barrows. The cairn is oval, measuring 5.1m by 4.4m overall and is up to 1.0m high on its lower side. It has a kerb of contiguous stones up to 1.1m high. The disturbed interior reveals a possible inner stone setting concentric with the kerb, 3.6m by 2.0m within which is a slab 1.4m long and 0.4m wide, aligned north west – south east, which may represent part of a cist. The residue of an excavation surrounds the cairn, with most of the material deposited to the north west.

Cairn with cist and kerb at SX 2452 7499

See themodernantiquarian.com/site/11123/trewortha_cairn_and_cist.html.

Sites within 20km of Twelve Men’s Moor

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