Sunbiggin. I thought the name very apt seeing as today was the summer solstice, and, from Gamelands stone circle the summer solstice sunrise is blocked by Great Asby Scar, but the cairn is more or less in line with sun and circle. Coincidence i’m sure, or probably the cairn is enough out of line to be deemed not in line. But still, it’s called Sunbiggin.
Why do they put sticks in cairns round here ? they’re very common.
Just a couple hundred yards from the cairn and on the hill above Gamelands stone circle is this limestone paving, I thought it worthy of mention. (is all horizontal limestone called paving or is there a more exact term)
looking south toward howgill fells.
From Gamelands stone circle Sunbiggin cairn is, carry on up the lane up Knott hill, but turn and look down upon the circle before you reach the trig point or it will be too below to see. From the trig point go south east and with as much grace and finesse as possible get over the dry stone wall.
However, north east of the trig point is Castle Folds Romano British settlement, which I didn’t get to because of time constraints but from pictures ive seen it reminds me of Castle Wark in Derbyshire.
The cairn will come into view soon, it’s really very visible, at least from the direction I came and as my daughter says, there’s only One Direction. (Ghaaa!)
I do not think this is a ring cairn, true, i’m an amateur, but it is almost definitely a round cairn.
A good one too, as tall as I am and still half it’s original height. The obligatory scoop has been taken from it, a bloody big scoop too, and the also obligatory stick, nay, post, arises from the cairns inner, like a frozen arm waving the cairns whereabouts. It is of course made of limestone rubble, as is the whole of Great Asby Scar. Scar is an unfortunate term for such geological occurrences, the exposed limestone paving along with the very odd tree, and the very agreeable view is as mesmerising a place as the cairn or even the stone circle.
From Gamelands this cairn is very nearly 1 mile away, and it is 1495 meters or 878.97 smoots. Its also in line with the stone circle and the summer solstice sun rise, probably. But the circle cant be seen from the cairn, maybe at its original height it could be. But it might not have to be in direct line, just in the general vicinity of the sunrise might have be enough for the cairns owner.
Either way this is an astonishing place and most suitable to sitting silently pondering.
