thesweetcheat

The chamber, formed of massive granite slabs.

With Sharp Tor in the background. Kerb in the right foreground.

Looking southeast across the cairn. The well-preserved kerb can be seen bottom left of image.

The outcrop surrounded by the cairn.

Looking towards Kilmar Tor, the cairn is below.

The cairn is built around three sides of the tor, although obscured by summer bracken on this visit.

The cairn is built around the base of the eastern outcrop of the tor.

The view eastwards out of Cornwall, across the Tamar valley towards the high uplands of Dartmoor.

The rock basin on the very summit of Kilmar Tor.

Perfect natural chamber amongst the outcrops of the tor.

High Rock, Kilmar Tor, looking down on Twelve Men’s Moor.

High Rock, Kilmar Tor.

Looking north towards Trewortha Tor.

Central cist, partially filled with water.

Looking northwest, with Brown Willy on the skyline.

The stone to the left is probably the displaced cover stone, partially buried in the turf.

Looking west torwards Kilmar Tor.

Looking northwest across the kerb cairn at SX 24567503. The really big orthostat is over a metre tall. Brown Willy, the highest hill in Cornwall, can be seen on the right skyline.

The kerb cairn at SX 24567503, looking up to Kilmar Tor. The remains of a cist can be seen in the centre.

The excellent kerb cairn at SX 24567503. Looking northeast the top of Hawk’s Tor can be seen over the rising ground.

Superb kerb cairn with cist at SX 24567503, near the western edge of the cemetery. Looking towards Trewortha Tor.

The Pyramid Stone. The top of Brown Willy can just be seen on the skyline right of centre.

The cairn at SX 25577526, the southeastern recognised monument in the cairn cemetery. It is on the rising ground below Kilmar Tor, higher than the other cairns on the moor. Dartmoor can be seen on the horizon.

Looking over the cairn at SX 24877546 towards Kilmar Tor.

The prominent cairn at SX 24877546, with the possible long cairn indicated.

The best preserved and most prominent of the group on the saddle at SX 24877546, enjoying good views of Trewortha Tor and Hawk’s Tor.

The Cornwall & Scilly HER suggests that this feature at SX 24827543 may be a long cairn. Unfortunately I took it for clearance or the remains of a boundary structure and didn’t give it a proper look.

The cairn at SX 24717545. This is the westernmost of the compact group near the track, and the rising ground to the east blocks the view of Hawk’s Tor.

One of the larger cairns in the group, at SX24717545. Looking southwest, the hill in the background is Newel Tor.

Another of the small, possibly clearance, cairns at SX 24737545. Looking WNW towards tree-covered Smallacombe Downs and Trewortha Tor.

Another of the smaller cairns in the group at SX 24747545, this one with an excavated centre. Looking towards Kilmar Tor.

Small cairn at SX 24777547, possibly clearance rather than sepulchral. The most prominent cairn of this group is silhouetted against the sky beyond.

The large cairn at SX 24797548 has a well-defined bank around its circumference. Unless it’s been substantially robbed, it appears to be a ring cairn.

Large but low (15m diameter but less than 1m high) cairn at SX24797548, part of a closely-spaced group immediately to the south of the track to Trewortha.

The cist.

From the southeast the cairn looks relatively intact. Trewortha Tor beyond.

Looking northeast towards Hawk’s Tor (left) and Bowdanoddon Wood.

The cairn itself has been badly damaged, leaving just the southern arc, but the cist is superb. Looking towards Kilmar Tor. The dismounted cover stone lies to the right.

The small cairn at SX 25117558. Looking south towards Kilmar Tor. The other cairns in the spread-out cemetery occupy the slopes below the granite outcrops.

Low remains of a small cairn at SX 25117558, possibly containing a damaged cist. Looking northeast towards Hawk’s Tor.

Hawk’s Tor from Noddon Lane to the south. The facing slopes below the rocky outcrop are the site of an extensive prehistoric settlement. Hawk’s Tor itself is one of the last upland bastions of the northeastern edge of the moor, which drops away to the Withey Brook valley.

Another view of the fine Noddon Lane stone.

Standing stone at approx. SX259759, in the raised verge on Noddon Lane to the northeast of the cairn cemetery and an obvious route onto the moor between the Kilmar and Hawk’s Tors. No obvious sign that it’s been a gatepost. No idea if it’s prehistoric but it’s nice, about 6 feet tall, tapering and very broad at the base. Any info welcome.

The outflow from the wellspring, which runs over the cliff edge and down to Porth Kidney Sands below.

The lovely clear well.

Numerous clouties (many sadly not biodegradable) above the well.

Plantation Lane now follows the line of what would have been the southern ditch. The line of the southern rampart is beneath a later drystone wall.