Assycombe Hill

Nearest town:
Okehampton (14km NW)
OS reference:
SX661826
OS sheet:
191
Latitude:
50° 37' 37.52 N
Longitude:
3° 53' 36.05 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by postman

The cairn circle at the top of the row.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 1, 2018
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by postman

I wonder if the big slab ever stood up, or is it just a big slab?

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 1, 2018
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by postman

Can you see me multi tasking? I’m sitting whilst doing photography.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 1, 2018
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by postman

I really had to tear myself away from here, it’s on my top ten now.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 1, 2018
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by postman

The hut circle, i’d have come just for this if it were in North Wales, but down here it’s just a Stan Lee cameo.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jul 1, 2018
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by costaexpress

Sittaford to Greywethers, onto Fernworthy Stone Circle and final stop at Assycombe Hill before back out onto moor for the walk back to Warrens House Inn. And what a lovely site to finish a day out on the moors at. Why build it on a hill? Ceremonially, would it have flowed up the hill or down the hill? What is the purpose of the end blocking stones? Why do we know so little?

costaexpress
costaexpress Mar 17, 2017
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by GLADMAN

Sunburst upon a superb stone row... just mind the mud in the nearby woods or you’ll never be heard of again!

Image credit: Robert Gladstone
GLADMAN
GLADMAN Aug 8, 2010
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by paul1970

Showing more of the row of stones leading down the hillside and what looks to be a cairn of sorts(correct me if im wrong please).

Image credit: paul ford 2007
paul1970
paul1970 Apr 22, 2007
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by paul1970

Im not sure which row this is actually..i cant find another picture that is the same as this row...

Image credit: paul ford 2007
paul1970
paul1970 Apr 22, 2007
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by Meic

Assycombe Stone Row 17th October 2005

Image credit: Michael Mitchell
Meic
Meic Apr 11, 2006
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by Meic

Assycombe Stone Row 26th November 2005

Image credit: Michael Mitchell
Meic
Meic Apr 11, 2006
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by Lubin

The top of the row showing the last few stones and the cairn.

Image credit: Peter Castle. ©
Lubin
Lubin Sep 5, 2005
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by Lubin

Looking down the row showing the round house on the left.

Image credit: Peter Castle. ©
Lubin
Lubin Sep 5, 2005
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by Lubin

Looking down the row from the 12th stone from the top.

Image credit: Peter Castle. ©
Lubin
Lubin Sep 5, 2005
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by Lubin

Looking up the row from the 12th stone from the top.

Image credit: Peter Castle. ©
Lubin
Lubin Sep 5, 2005
Image of Assycombe Hill (Stone Row / Alignment) by Lubin

Looking down the row from the cairn. The blocking stone stands across the right hand row.

Image credit: Peter Castle ©
Lubin
Lubin Sep 5, 2005

Articles

Assycombe Hill

postman
postman Jul 1, 2018

I went the same way as Meic, his directions are spot on, I counted the number of crossroads, but didn’t really have to, it’s a long straight track, when it forks take the right track, stones are on the right, unmissable.
The walk was really rather nice, in the forest mostly out of the sun, we saw a couple of young deer. Always a bonus.
I’ve wanted to come here for a number of years now, it looks a real belter of a stoney site. But it really took me this one did, got under my skin, I wanted to stay.
Eric once more plonked himself down under a small tree at the top of the clearing, seemingly going to sleep, leaving me free reign to linger longer, to get to know the site. It’s not a site, it’s a beautiful woman, imagine going on a date with Charlize Theron, she’s very pretty, but she also likes prehistory, loves star trek, superheroes and she too has no sense of smell, I hope you get those analogies. I went to see a nice stone row but found much more.
At the top of the hill is a lovely little cairn circle with a faint cist at it’s center, then tall stones wibble and lean and off down the steep hill go two stone rows. Half way down is a long stoney bump across the row perpendicular to it. At the bottom of the row is a single terminal stone, there was probably two but hey what are you going to do. Have a look at the awesome hut circle just off to the side, that’s what, I wonder what it’s occupiers thought of the rows, is the house the same age or later, did they use the rows, did they build it, and got buried up the hill. Such a thought provoking place.
Back up at the top, Eric is still crashed out, so I join him for a while and lie down on the big flat stone next to the cairn, a big flat stone? did it once stand? is it a really over sized cist cover? I close my eyes and begin to drift.
Not to sleep but into memories, memories of stones of times past, trips out with my toddling children, they’d have followed me into a volcano if I’d have told them it’ll be cool, anything so long as we’re together. In the end perhaps that’s what keeps me going, trying to recapture those bucolic idyllic days, days with no worries, lying around on the grass and introducing my children to the world. Those memories come with me always, there not as good as real children laughter, or complicated questions with absurd sounding answers. Am I rambling? It’s Assycombe’s fault. A life with stones and a life with children, two things I’m most glad I’ve done.

Assycombe Hill

Meic
Meic Apr 11, 2006

The easiest route to Assycombe row ,is to park by the Forestry hut in Fernworthy – then take the track up from the other side of the hut. Through (or round)the gate and carry on up the track over the first “cross road” through the forest over a second “cross road” and carry on past a third “cross roads” until the track forks. Take the right fork and follow the track for just under 1/2 Km and look out for the top of the row on your right. It’s a steep walk but should only take 10/15 minutes and is by far the best approach.
To go back walk down the row and follow a small track through the trees io meet a forestry track.Turn right and follow the track for about 1 1/2 Km to join the main Fernworthy road.Take a right here back to the forestry hut.
There is a hut circle near the bottom of thr row and you can access a couple more hut circles at the site by walking through the trees from here into a clearing.

Assycombe Hill

greywether
greywether Dec 18, 2003

In the same forest as Fernworthy (not all forest tracks are shown on the 1:50k, you’ll need the 1:25k)

Double stone row running from a cairn at NE end downhill for 125m to a blocking stone at SW end.

Sites within 20km of Assycombe Hill

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