Details of cairn on Pastscape
[SS 9077 4272] Robin How [NR] [SS 9077 4272] Robin How (Beacon) [NR]
Cairn of beacon known as "Robin How" on the Luccombe-Wootton Courtney parish boundary. On it there are two conical erections one to N., one to S., each about 3ft. high. Between them the mound has a flat top composed of smaller stones than elsewhere. Diameter of exposed stones about 62ft., height above the moor excluding the surmounting stone heaps – 6ft. (3) Scheduled under Burial Mounds (4). (3)(4)
This is a disturbed cairn 1.6 metres high and listed by Grinsell as Luccombe No. 3. As Grinsell suggests, a quarry pit 0.7 metres deep against the east side of the cairn probably provided its material.
(See G.P.s AO/65/126/3 and 4.)Resurveyed at 1:2500. (5)
[SS 9076 4272] Luccombe 3. Robin How, cairn 24 paces diameter, 10ft. high. The material may have come from quarry pits to the east, north-east and south-east. Visited by Grinsell Whitsun 1958. Robin How and Joaney How (SS 94 SW 3) were shown as Luckham Barrows on O.S. 1" first edition, 1809, and as Luccombe Barrows on the map by W. C. Cox 1829 and in Savage (b). The earliest appearance of Robin and Joaney How on the maps appears to be on the O.S. 6" 1889. (6) Joaney How (SS 94 SW 3), Robin How and adjacent mound (SS 94 SW 4).Scheduled. (7)
The large cairn known as Robin How lies on Dunkery Hill at SS 90761 42724. It comprises a large, circular mound of stone, enclosed by a heather and turf covered bank. The cairn measures 21.5m in diameter and stands 2m high. The eastern side is flanked by a large pit, 19m N-S, 8m E-W and 0.8m deep, probably the source of material for the cairn. The stone mound is flat topped, and has probably been re-worked recently, as there is no sign of the two conical erections mentioned by authy 3. The evidence for this being the site of a beacon comes from the OS 25" first edition map (Somerset 34.14), there is no other evidence that this was the case. The cairn was surveyed using differential GPS as part of the RCHME East Exmoor Project (8).
Surveyed at 1:500 scale with EDM, 24 February 2000 (9).
Round cairn known as Robin How. Part of round cairn cemetery on Dunkery Hill. Traditionally thought to be named after Robin Hood. Scheduled. (10)
The cairn known as Robin How has been transcribed as earthworks from aerial photographs as part of the Exmoor National Mapping Programme survey. The cairn appears to be circa 25 metres in diameter and centred on circa SS 90764272. It is one of eight cairns recorded as part of the survey in this area, although more are present but not visible on the aerial photographs available. (11-12)