Ros Castle

Nearest town:
Alnwick (16km ESE)
OS reference:
NU080251
OS sheet:
75
Latitude:
55° 31' 10.01 N
Longitude:
1° 52' 23.82 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Ros Castle (Cup Marked Stone) by thesweetcheat

The equally heathery western side of the fort, looking towards The Cheviot.

Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2021)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 28, 2022
Image of Ros Castle (Cup Marked Stone) by thesweetcheat

Looking northeast from inside the fort, towards the North Sea. There’s little in the way of visible earthworks to be seen under the heather and bracken.

Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2021)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Sep 28, 2022
Image of Ros Castle (Cup Marked Stone) by thesweetcheat

Ros Castle is the prominent hill, centre skyline. Further left along the ridge is Old Bewick hillfort. Seen from Brizlee Hill, Alnwick, over 10 miles away to the southeast.

Image credit: A. Brookes (17.10.2021)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 28, 2022
Image of Ros Castle (Cup Marked Stone) by Hob

View to the south from Ros Castle, across the cairn infested nothingness of Bewick Moor.

Image credit: IH
Hob
Hob Apr 30, 2006
Image of Ros Castle (Cup Marked Stone) by rockandy

Ros Castle 3; cup-marked rock about 80x40cm in deep heather. Stan records 27 cups, most of which are apparently paired in two lines.

Image credit: Rockandy
R
rockandy Mar 11, 2006
Image of Ros Castle (Cup Marked Stone) by rockandy

Ros Castle 1; prominent cups and the hint of arcs and other grooves.

Image credit: Rockandy
R
rockandy Mar 11, 2006

Articles

Ros Castle

Hob
Hob Apr 30, 2006

As well as the rock art on the hill, Ros Castle (as the name suggests) also is the site of a prehistoric fort. The hillfort earthworks are difficult to discern, not helped by being sliced in two by a boundary wall, with a lot of heather on each side. The road runs quite close, and whilst there are a couple of steep patches, it’s probably worth a detour this way for anyone heading from the Cheviots to the A1. The ground underfoot is loose sandy soil with rocky protuberances, not suitable for wheeled contrivances, and looks like it would need extra care in the wet.

The view is excellent, with the most of Bewick Moor stretching to the south, I think it’s just possible to make out Old Bewick Hillfort. The vista is edged on the south east by Hepburn crags, with it’s cupmarked cairns, cists, and a small hillfort. To the east, the coast is easily visible, and Bamburgh castle stands out like a sore thumb. To my minor chagrin, the long cairn at Ox eye isn’t visible, though it may well have been if the trees weren’t there. To the north, the lost carvings of Amerside Law also hide behind conifererous screening, with the Lammermuirs clearly visible on the horizon, I’d think it would be possible to see as far as Edin’s Hall broch. To the west is the Cheviot Massif, an omnipresent silhouette, best viewed from the smaller hills to the east, such as Ros Castle.

Ros Castle

pebblesfromheaven
pebblesfromheaven Jun 6, 2003

Been back a few times but I remembered this time to look out for the Cups. StanBeckinsall’s wonderful book told me the Rock Art was to be found at the base of the hill: There were a few largish rocks here, about half of them had some sort of cup marks, and although visible on the day the photos didn’t come out very well!!
.o0O0o.

Ros Castle

pebblesfromheaven
pebblesfromheaven Jan 11, 2003

Ros Castle 11-1-2003CE

It was too good a day to miss, clear day, not much wind, perfect conditions. Glad I took my wellies… nice black bog to cross, still mostly frozen thankfully.

National Trust site, with a replica fort and memorial obelisk for an old politician (?)

I’m glad I went up there… the views today were fantastic. Could see Bamburgh castle and the Farne Islands, Lindesfarne castle and Holy Island, the ridge of Simonside, the snowy Cheviot… lovely.

Didn’t know there was rock art until I came to post these pictures – I looked around, as you can’t help it, and I didn’t see any. Maybe next time.

.o0O0o.

Sites within 20km of Ros Castle

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