thesweetcheat

Almost midsummer, crops harvested. Looking NNE.

The holed stone, Tresco Abbey Gardens.

Cairn at the southern end of the Down. Round Island lighthouse is visible beyond.

Another view of the kerbed cairn. The structure on the top right skyline is King Charles’ Castle, on the highest point of the island.

Well-preserved kerb, cairn towards NW corner of Castle Down.

Ruined cairn (or kelp pit?) in the foreground, with prehistoric boundary feature running across the centre of the picture.

There are over 70 bronze age cairns on Castle Down. Many of them are only visible as low mounds, with no obvious stonework. This one has what appears to be a capstone or roofing slab just protruding from the soil and vegetation.

Looking southeast, under perfect summer skies.

Looking SW towards Bartinne.

In Penwith summer.

Chun Castle seen from Carn Downs to the east. The courtyard settlement at Bosullow Trehyllys is visible in the field system to the bottom left of the picture.

The settlement seen from Carn Downs, to the east. The courtyard houses are visible in the third field up in the centre of the picture, with the simpler round houses scattered in the field above that.

One of the well-preserved courtyard houses.

Simple round house to the west of the courtyard houses.

Looking NW, out into the beautiful blue.

Looking west towards the distinctive outcrop of Carn Kenidjack and Carn Bean (with radio mast).

Approaching from the west – what a perfect June day.

The western arc of the kerb.

The largest stones in the kerb.

The barrow is already starting to disappear under summer vegetation, a month on from Chris’ visit.

Inside the chamber.

The central chamber.

Exposed stones of the kerb.

Midsummer stones.

Remaining stones of the destroyed western circle protrude from the adjoining hedge. Perfect June weather...

Seen from the east.

The cairn, with the central cist. The Tristis Rock is on the left of the picture.

The terminal cairn circle.

The terminal cairn circle, looking towards the Erme Valley.

Looking eastwards across the cairn circle to the Tristis Rock.

The southern end of the row, teminating with a now-ruined cairn circle.

The small stones of the row, looking towards Stalldown Barrow.

Looking southwards along the row – the upright stones of the terminal cairn circle are visible on the horizon.

Large enclosure to the east of the round house concentration.

Example of the hut circles on the east side of the settlement, more turfed over than some of the others and apparently constructed of smaller blocks.

Round house with others behind.

Looking over the Erme Valley.

Another round house, the foundations built from very large blocks.

Well preserved round house remains.

Thickly walled round house towards the western side of the settlement.

Looking SW across the cairn circle, with the stone row running southwards on the left.

The cairn circle, looking west.

The cairn circle partway along the row.

The southernmost upright in the row.

Recumbent slab towards the southern end of the row. If this was ever erect, it would have towered over its neighbours.

Middle section of the row, looking north.

Looking north from the fourth stone from the north – from here southwards the stones are much smaller (although still large by Dartmoor stone row standards).

The northernmost, and tallest, four stones.