Deep Point ‘D’, looking south to Porth Hellick Down’s prehistoric sites. Various tombs form visible mounds on the skyline, with the higher top of the Giant’s Castle fort rising behind to the right. The Great Tomb can be seen further to the right, just left of the tree.
Looking north, with St Martin’s on the horizon.
Deep Point ‘D’, looking NW showing the neatly constructed chamber.
The chamber of Deep Point ‘D’.
Deep Point ‘D’ (SV93061117), showing kerb and largely complete chamber.
The remaining stones of Deep Point ‘B’’s trashed chamber.
The top of Deep Point ‘B’, showing the few visible megalithic remains of the chamber. St Martins and the Eastern Isles can be seen on the horizon.
Deep Point ‘B’ (SV93011117), with Deep Point ‘D’ just visible to the right.
The in-situ capstone of Deep Point ‘A’ (SV92971118).
The top of Deep Point ‘A’. The remaining in-situ capstone is in the centre of the picture, another dismounted slab lies in the foreground.
Deep Point ‘A’ (SV92971118) in foreground, with Deep Point ‘B’ (SV93011117) behind to the right.
Deep Point ‘A’ (SV92971118), looking south-ish. Capstone visible in centre.
The chamber of the fourth grave I found, after kicking away as much undergrowth as I could
The first sight of the fourth grave I found didn’t look too encouraging
The fourth grave I found – the relatively intact chamber was a nice surprise!
The third passage grave I found – the mound is pretty trashed but the capstone is visible
The mound of the second ‘grave’ we found, with one stone peeping out – there wasn’t much more to see on this one
A few kerbstones (2 in foreground and one on right) and the disturbed chamberstones of the first grave we found here
The mound and stones of the first entrance grave we approached
The ridge is surmounted by a number of chambered tombs, in varying degrees of preservation. There’s a heavy covering of bracken over the mounds at this time of year, but the general shape and form can still be seen. We have a poke about on the top of ‘A’, the most westerly of the three primary tombs that remain. This reveals one in-situ capstone, as well as another slab that presumably formed part of the chamber’s roof.
‘B’ is another large mound, but the chamber is badly ruined with only a couple of uprights to be seen. ‘D’ on the other hand is great, with a well-preserved kerb and a largely intact chamber covered by a very thick, square slab. This is a beautiful spot, with views across Crow Sound to St Martin’s and south to Porth Hellick, also dotted with chambered tombs and our next destination.
On the eastern edge of St Mary’s, walking south between Innisidgen and Porth Hellick Downs the path passes over Gap Point towards Deep Point where Moth and I spotted five further chambered cairns in varying stages of ruin, peeping out from the carpet of heathers, gorse and moss.
Six assorted cairns on Normandy Down. Brief descriptions of the four principle cairns, with grid refs:
SV 9297 1118: Entrance grave located 135 metres north east of Water Rocks, Normandy Down. Scheduled.
SV 9306 1117: Kerbed platform cairn with funerary chamber located 190 metres north east of Water Rocks, Normandy Down. Scheduled.
SV 9291 1114: Platform cairn located 100 metres north west of Water Rocks, Normandy Down. Scheduled.
SV 9301 1118: Round cairn located 155 metres north east of Water Rocks, Normandy Down. Scheduling revision.
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