Of disputed antiquity, though derscribed in the Norton Park review report 2019 thus -
"Within the Park itself, there is a possible Bronze Age Barrow (ref:
00872/01 – MSY4312) listed as an ‘unditched earth mound 1.4m high. This was identified by W.A.
Timperley in an archaeological report ‘Discoveries at Oakes Park, Norton’ published in the
Derbyshire Archaeological Journal vol. 71, in 1951, where he states, “Mounds. Several have been
found some certainly barrows, long and round, others may be. One in Graves Park is probably a
Bronze Age round barrow. Another is being excavated and has been shown to cover artificially
worked rock in which there are cysts.” It is also speculated that the ‘barrow’ in Graves Park was
constructed as a ‘tree mound’, a later feature related to the eighteenth-century landscaping of
Norton Park or is a former round pillow mound (rabbit warren) associated with the early medieval
deer park. It could be any of these with an earlier burial mound being later re-used several times.
In the later twentieth century, the mound was used as a platform for a sculpture created as part of
a trail through the park. During the current landscape surveys, several long, linear boundary
features (now heavily degraded) have been discerned. The precise date for these is still to be
determined but the major one which runs close by the possible barrow also overlain by a
confirmed medieval wood and in doing so descends a very steep slope. This feature is suggested by
archaeologists to be prehistoric and possibly either Bronze Age or late Neolithic in origin".
https://friendsofgravespark.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Norton-Park-review-report-Feb-2020.pdf
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Possibly a 3rd piece of rock art in the woodland. jury is out on this one discovered recently.
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I'd definitely advise walking up there from the Stones of Stennes, passing the Watch Stone and other smaller standing stones on your left. You'll also pass the Comet Stone.
If you drive up to the car park you're going to miss the details as it's a narrow and busy road. And it's actually a nice walk.
Currently the inner is off limits which was disappointing. But I followed the rules, for once.
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Very sterile feeling. A human conveyor belt of tourists coming and going. I was invited down in there after a long chat with the archaeologist stationed there.
Felt like Stonehenge and Mae's Howe. Though I did manage to have it to myself for 10 minutes by hanging around all day.
I wouldn't go again. The Barnhouse settlement 100 metres from The Stones of Stennes if far worthier a visit imo. And doesnt cost £9.
You can get a free look from a small ssection of fence by the entrance. Pretty crap though.
Theres a gate to the right of the entrance, right by the sea front fence. It's a right of way so you're allowed through it. You get a better free view this way. Just mention it's a row and the ticket masters will back off. I wasted £9.
The reconstructed house is definitely worth a look though.
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Jump off the Moanes ferry, Folllow the obvious road..Take the first road left. Follow it. Signs will lead you there. It's by an obvious parking spot just after the second Dwarfie stone sign.
Theres a bothy about 4 miles away..if you get drunk and miss the ferry. :D
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Taking the bus either way you want to get off at Finstown. Facing kirkwall just walk along the road to the first obvious right turn. Think its signed "Old Finstown rd". You cant miss it.
Two routes. Turn right into the community hall road and just keep heading uphill. About half a mile up you'll see an obvious left onto the moor. Follow it for 5 mins and you'll see the modern cairns. Shes below you on your left. :)
Second route takes a short walk along the road. It is short but I wouldn't do it with kids. The sign points you to it and this route involves a much shorter uphill walk.
You flip the coin!
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Visited 13/5/19. Was only there a couple of minutes when the farmer +1 pulled up in his little buggy pick up type thing and told me in no uncertain terms "get out of our fucking field".
I gave him a thumbs up and quickly jumped on the very timely approaching bus.
Nice!
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14/5/19.
Currently sat at Cuween taking on food and water, and bathing in the sun and the stunning scenery.
Got the bus from Stromness to Finnstown and walked the remainder of the way. Bit dicey on the road due to speeding traffic but it's not too far a walk.
Initially had Unstan down as my favourite from this visit, then Wideford. This blows them out of the water! Probably the most stunning site I've visited, and that includes all the show sites on Orkney! Even the sites in my beloved Wiltshire. I dont think I could call it between here and the Dwarfie stand for number 1 spot. I rate this place so high. It genuinely is a must visit site, even if it takes up your whole trip.
Inside is stunning. Odd. A real curiosity.
I'm gonna go drink it in now, stay a few hours and just wonder at this magical place.
Bring a torch. Luckily I have two! :D
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14/5/19. Currently sat at Cuween writing this, watching a female hen harrier below.
My visit has been a bit of a nightmare. I definitely do not recommend walking the road from Finnstown past Cuween to get to Wideford. Almost got hit by a truck. :D
The bus driver refused to stop anywhere near the bottom of the hill so I had to make my own way from Finnstown. A car is a definite bonus for a visit here but today has proved it can be done without. Usually the bus drivers are great but not this one.
Luckily for the second time today I managed to thumb a lift on the way back.
I kinda took the wrong route up to Wideford, walking up the steep road past the farm. Very tiring on this stunningly glorious day.
The cairn itself is just awesome. Others have covered this previously so I wont ramble on.
Despite several negatives on the day the effort was more than worth it. The scenery simply out of this world.
Taking on food and water before I venture inside Cuween. Been sat here around an hour just looking back across to Wideford. With views to die for and several hours to kill I'm in no rush. :)
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Visited today. 12/5/19. Camping at the point of Ness campsite so took the foot ferry from stromness to moaness. £8.80 return and secures me a good 8 hours to explore. It's been a lifelong dream for me to see old Dwarfie so I'm super excited. Everyone else from the ferry heads off in a different direction, some picture post ard village/ beach place. Who cares.
The 2 mile walk passes quite quickly though I'm taking anslow pace. Scenery is stunning and the weather couldnt be better.
Anyway arrive at the site and I'm alone. See someone else pull up so I make my way further up the hill to allow him peace as I've all day. He leaves within 10 minutes. My turn now.
So I walk around letting the anticipation build whilst checking out the grafitti, then head inside.
I'm totally elated by now and just bathe in the glory of the interior, its features and acoustics. I'm in heaven.
I spend a good 4 hours there, in and back out, taking hundreds of pics, sharing a live tour via facey, eat food, wander the area, eat food again, take more pics and vids. A group of four turn up so I retreat again climbing high up by the hammers for pics, discover a small standing stone that got to be so by some weird fortune. The group leave and I'm back again.
I wander the area again looking for the supposed cube shaped rock that reportedly has cup and ring Mark's, I find nothing of note. My left leg finds a big hole up to the knee despite most of the moor being tinder dry.
I dont think could ever have my fill of this amazing place but eventually I make my way back to the road and chat to the rspb guy stationed at the parking spot. Turns out hes a scope trained on the white tailed sea eagles sitting two chicks above old Dwarfie. I have a butchers through the scope and the female is visible of a little blurry at 50x magnification. I also take in a pair of hen harriers through his binos. Nice!
Eventually I start heading back to the ferry dock, turning repeatedly to have one last glance at this awesome rock, then out of sight it is. Lump in throat, just one tear shed. Honest.
Avebury. Stonehenge. Brodgar. Stennes. Keep them all. Give me Dwarfie.
I've still 4 days here. I may head back. :)
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Visited today, the field is in an awful state, ankle deep mud and puddles just as deep, .massive pile of manure by the circle. Wellies would have done but I only had walking boots. Had to negotiate the shit pile as it was the lesser of two evils, went in almost knee deep. The ground I immediately around the stones isn't much better. At least the cows in the field didn't accost me.
Also found the site very hard to find from long Meg but managed it with a bit of trespassing and a nod from a farmer. I'd advise taking the road route as posted below. Wish I had.
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Just spent three nights here for the Mabon celebrations. Rituals aren't really my thing but camping besides an henge with two others in close proximity definitely is.
I'm not sure what the situation has been in the past but at the moment you cant walk the direct route between all three henges, the way from the central henge to the north henge is private property, the field contains an house, big disappointment. On a more positive note you can easily walk from the central henge to the southern one, though you do have to cross a small lane.
If you want to visit the northern henge (you really should, it's easily the best imo) then it's quite straight forward.
From within the central henge leave by the gate facing the southern entrance, as if you we're heading for the southern henge but turn right and walk along the lane a short while, 300 metres-ish and take the first possible right (on foot) up a narrow path that's rather overgrown (atm) with sloe berries, stay on it till you meet the road. Cross the road and follow the other lane till you are almost at the point where it dog legs, dip through the hedge here (on your right) and you're in the northern henge.
It's well worth the effort. ;)
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Camped with my 9yr old daughter at Middlehills this weekend so would have been utterly rude not to pay a visit and say hi to Stu.
A small bunch of fading flower were by one of the chambers, i got quite emotional and didn't stick around too long despite it being quite a long walk for the little un.
As a mark of respect to my old mate i "offered" up one of my arrowhead necklaces, "killed" it with a rock and hung it from one of the trees, got nettled to hell doing so. how many times have we done that for this crazy hobby of ours.
Not sure when i'll visit again, maybe never. And despite being at Stu's service i felt a real need to visit his last resting place at least once. I just managed to hold back the tears, the little un said "it's ok to cry dad, he was your friend". Leaving was hard, i'd have probably stuck around much longer and got myself in a bit of a tangle but her little legs were tired by this point.
On a lighter note the Permissive path is still open, the site clean and in good order.
Almost back into Sheffield the next day we parked up and looked back at this beacon of a site, then on to McDonalds for ice cream.
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Pics don't do this site any justice, so i'm not going to post any. just visit if you can, it's well worth the trek through the heather. There's also abundant inter-visibility going on.
Stunning and weird little site. There's nothing else like it in the area, or anywhere i know of.
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Very bitter sweet visit today. My last visit was with stubob. Good company kept my spirits up though, and searching for the weird "banana" cairn along Harland edge. That's a very strange site indeed. Glad i made the effort to push on as we debated turning back twice.
As for HHH it was looking fine today. No rubbish laying around, no offerings etc bar a couple of flowers. There is a geocache in one of the corners, not that i mind of course, suppose it gets people to the site that wouldn't normally visit. :)
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Spent another hour wandering the area today.
Going on this statement by Sidney Addy (1888) "as one could judge from the road it is a heap of stones scattered here and there. I cannot say more without a nearer examination", any standing stone was either already gone or more likely it was just a pile of stones as described. Today the area is still an isolated sea of huge rocks, only one of which is of any note and that's isolated from the main scatter by 50 metres or so itself, and it's more like 135 metres from the road than the 35 mentioned by the above.
See the uploaded pics.
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Couple of dodgy areas along the route if you have kids with you. One small section where a rope guards you from wandering off the edge so don't be letting the kids run ahead.
Don't let this put you off though, it's perfectly safe with care (took my 7 yr old today) and the RA is well worth seeing. So are the views.
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This stone stands around 1.5m tall and is located around 50 metres down hill from doll Tor stone circle. It's easy to find but the route to it can become a impassable tangle of brambles in high summer.
There are other large stones close by, some suggestive of a four stone alignment including this stone. I'm uncertain of age but the rilling suggests its been stood this way for millenia.
Stu first pointed this out to me several years ago but as we visited in summer we couldn't really explore the area fully.
Well worth a look if you're visiting the nearby circle.
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Another visit today, probably my tenth, maybe 15th as it's only a short drive for me, but once again....wow.
I never tire of this place with it's expansive views through 360 degrees with backdrops including Stanedge Edge, Ladybower Tor with it's rock art, the dramatic Win and Lose hills and in the far distance Kinder scout. Get there before 3pm and there's even a bloody sarnie caravan, what more could anyone want ?
Idiot proof directions here.
http://www.weebly.com/weebly/main.php
:)
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I'm not the person formerly known as "megadread". No way !
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