Looking southeast from Hurley Beacon cairn towards Wills Neck, the highest point of the Quantock Hills.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
thesweetcheat
Expansive views from the top of Hurley Beacon cairn.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
Hurley Beacon cairn.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
One of the low, overgrown barrows on the summit of Thorncombe Hill, the southeast of the Thorncombe Barrow.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
As well as the main Thorncombe Barrow, there is a group of three further barrows on the summit of Thorncombe Hill to the southeast, centred on ST131391.
These are very low and (at the time of writing) heavily overgrown with heather.
Pastscape descriptions:
Three Bronze Age burial cairns lie on the summit of Thorncombe Hill. The largest of these three cairns lies at ST 13199 39105. This is a low, stony mound with a flat top, 8.5m in diameter and 0.5m high. The top of the mound has a central depression, 1.6m x 1.4m x 0.5m deep. The cairn has been cut through by a track which has exposed much of the west side of the cairn. Some 30m to the northwest, at ST 13175 39123, is a second cairn. This is a circular mound, 4.4m in diameter and 0.7m high, with a small central depression. A third cairn lies some 100m to the north at ST 13150 39224. This is a circular stony mound, 5m high and 0.7m high. The west edge of the cairn has been clipped by a track.
The top of Thorncombe Barrow, looking northwest towards Bridgwater Bay. The hill on the right is Beacon Hill, topped with its own barrows.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
Thorncombe Barrow surrounded by a wine-dark sea of heather.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
Looking down on Short Combe, which provided our route up, from the southeastern part of the rampart.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
The western rampart at the bottom of the site.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
The northern rampart. The village below is Bicknoller, where we walked up from.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
Looking along the rampart, showing the steepness of the hillside. This can’t have been intended as a defensible site, the hillside above would favour an attacker. Presumably a domestic or stock control function is more likely.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
Looking across the northeastern rampart. The eastern edge of Exmoor is on the left skyline, Selworthy Beacon and the coast near Minehead are to the right.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
Looking down on the fort from the steep slope above.
Image credit: A. Brookes (3.11.2018)
There’s a gap in the bank in the foreground, which may well be original, as a common feature of Peaks embanked rings.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
Looking to the rising ground of Bamford Moor.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
The bank around the stones is superbly preserved and mercifully someone is keeping the vegetation away too.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
Approaching from Bamford Edge to the west. Stanage Edge fills the whole skyline.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
The possible southern outlier, looking straight towards the circle.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
The northern end of Stanage Edge rises behind the circle.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
The lovely gritstone stones.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
Looking northwest towards the Derwent Moors.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
Looking west towards Lose Hill.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
The possible northern outlier, looking west towards Win Hill, with [[Lose Hill][ far right.
Image credit: A. Brookes (20.10.2018)
Lose Hill at its most conical, from Losehill End to the southeast.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
From the other side, the barrow looks more like a natural part of the hilltop, hence the uncertainty about its status.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
Barrow with toposcope. Looking across the Noe Valley towards Win Hill.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
The is-it-or-isn’t-it barrow on Lose Hill.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
Looking along the Great Ridge to Lose Hill, from the slopes of Mam Tor.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
The cobbled surface of the summit barrow. Lose Hill is far right of shot.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
The view of the Vale of Edale towards Kinder Scout from the summit barrow.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
Looking down on the southwestern barrow from the summit barrow.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
The summit barrow from the southwestern barrow.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
The southwestern barrow, with the summit barrow behind.
Image credit: A. Brookes (19.10.2018)
