Buzza Hill Entrance Graves – St.Mary’s, Isles of Scilly – 3rd October 2003
Buzza Hill can be reached via a footpath up from the east end of Porthcressa Beach, or from just off Church Road (either a footpath from the Power Station, or via the Hospital Lane).
It’s well worth the short climb. Not only does the hill give you the best views back over Hugh Town but also it contains one existing entrance grave, one that was probably an entrance grave before a windmill was built on it in 1834 (and which is now ‘King Edward’s Tower’ and lots of stones that might be some sort of chamber (between the two above ones).
Compared to all the ‘show graves’ of the islands the entrance grave is not great (only one capstone in place), but the position is fantastic and it is a very enigmatic place. The Cornish Antiquarian William Borlase excavated two chambered cairns on the hill in the mid-18th century. He found neither pottery or human bones.
The kerbed ring around the tower is excellent in places and I guess it would have a been a classic entrance grave in it’s original form.