Whilst staying in a scout hut on the edge of Dartmoor (for a National Trust working holiday on the moor) I spotted a big map on the wall. After getting my bearings I noticed a substantial stone row and cairn circle that must now be swallowed up by the expanding China Clay works.
It ran just to the east of a track that ran from Tolchmoor Gate into the workings at Cholwich Town. The stone row ran from SX584621 to 585623, ending at a cairn circle, which would have made it about 250 metres long.
I didn’t actually visit the stone today, but did see it from a distance as it is visible from all the minor roads around (the best view is from Old Forge on the other side of the River Wye).
From a distance this stone looks like a thick beast with a rutted head. When I later saw pictures of it (see link below) this was dramatically confirmed.
The National Trust booklet ‘The Cerne Giant & Dorset Hill-Forts’ (2000) which is definately available at the Kingston Lacy house and might be available at other Dorset properties, gives the following directions to the hill fort at Coney’s Castle, “From the track leading to Lambert’s Castle continue on along the B3165 for 300m. Turn left to Fishpond’s Bottom. At Fishpond’s take the third turning to Wootton Fitzpaine. This road passes through the centre of Coney’s Castle. You will see the car park on the left just before the road enters the hill-fort”.
It adds that the name ‘Coney’s Castle’ means a fortified place frequented by rabbits and that the earliest documented reference to the place name dates from 1322.
Note – the car park is at about SY371977.
The National Trust booklet ‘The Cerne Giant & Dorset Hill-Forts’ (2000) which is definately available at the Kingston Lacy house and might be available at other Dorset properties, gives the following directions to the hill fort at Lambert’s Castle, “from Pilsdon continue along the B3164 for 2 km and turn left onto the B3165. Drive a further 3km, the track to Lambert’s Castle is on the left”.
It adds that the name ‘Lambert’s Castle’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon personal name of ‘Lambert’ and that the earliest documented reference to the place name dates from 1044.
Note – the car park is at about SY366988.
The National Trust booklet ‘The Cerne Giant & Dorset Hill-Forts’ (2000) which is definately available at the Kingston Lacy house and might be available at other Dorset properties, gives the following directions to the hill fort at Eggardon Hill, “From Dorchester take the main road west (A35) towards Bridport......At first the Bridport road follows the Roman road and is characteristically straight. After 5km the main road leaves the old route and drops down into the village of Winterbourne Abbas. The Roman road still exists as a minor road cutting across the downland towards the ancient landmark of Eggardon. Take this quiet road. After 5km the ramparts of the hill-fort are visible at a crossroads. Turn left here towards Askerwell and drive for 200m. Park in the lay-by on the left. Cross the road and take the footpath towards the southern ramparts”.
It adds that the name ‘Eggardon’ is an Old English place name, the hill or down belonging to a man called Eohhere. The earliest documented reference to the place name dates from the Domesday Book in 1086.
The National Trust booklet ‘The Cerne Giant & Dorset Hill-Forts’ (2000) which is definately available at the Kingston Lacy house and might be available at other Dorset properties, gives the following directions to the hill fort at Pilsdon Pen, “Take the B3164 west out of Broadwindsor. This winding road skirts the northern edge of the Marshwood Vale. After 4km you will see the ramparts and ditches of Pilsdon Pen hill-fort come into view at the southern end of a high flat topped ridge. Park in the lay-by just after the turning to the hamlets of Pilsdon and Bettiscombe. Cross the road and walk up the steep slope”.
It adds that the name ‘Pilsdon’ is Old English for a hill with a peak. The earliest documented reference to the place name dates from the Domesday Book in 1086.
The National Trust booklet ‘The Cerne Giant & Dorset Hill-Forts (2000) which is definately available at the Kingston Lacy house and might be available at other Dorset properties, gives the following directions to the hill fort at Hod Hill, “From Blandford Forum take the Lower Shaftesbury Road (A350) and beyond Stourpaine village turn left to Child Okeford. The Hod Hill car park is about 1km along this road on the left. The footpath from the car park follows a steep incline first through woodland and then along the edge of a field to the north-west corner of the hill-fort”.
It adds that the name ‘Hod Hill’ is Old English for hood or shelter and that ‘hill’ was added to Hod in the 18th Century. The earliest documented reference to the place name dates from 1270.
Although mainly known as a medieval settlement, this diamond-shaped enclosure actually also contains several Bronze Age and Iron Age features. The link below tells you more. Several large terraced field headlands, known as lynchets, are generally attributed to the Iron Age. A hut circle settlement also exists, which is similar to Bronze Age settlements elsewhere on Lundy. There are also five cairns scattered within the enclosure of which at least two are Bronze Age burial cairns. This is at least 3,000 years of history all in one enclosure!
This is considered to be one of the more important cairns on the island as it is larger and more elaborately constructed than the others (it’s a kerbed cairn)
Interestingly this is not mentioned on the MAGIC site and not given a schedule by English Heritage, but it is mentioned in the handy National Trust leaflet ‘The Archaeology of Lundy’ which writes “John O’Groats is a ruined post-medieval building on top of a prehistoric burial mound or cairn. The building may have been a link to the lookout posts further down the steep cliffs. The cairn is one of a number situated on high points across the island.”
Whilst I was at Clifton Suspension Bridge in late Dec I saw an interesting topic on the information board for the Downs. Info on the ‘Seven Sisters’ said “A circle of pine trees, five of which are original, having been planted about 1871. The two added in 1991 replaced losses from the 1990 storms. They stand on a slight mound situated on a high point on Durdham Downs, a location thought to have been a Bronze Age round barrow dating from some 3-4,000 years ago”
Nothing shown on OS map. Nothing mentioned on the ‘Magic’ web site.
The National Trust info board says “The National Trust owns only the top of this hill which was a walled village of the Early Iron Age from about 300BC to 100BC. At first the area near the edge of the hilltop was cleared to a rock base on which substantial timber framed and wattle huts were built. A 20’ wide rampart was then made faced inside and outside with well built dry stone walls and infilled with loose stones. The outer face was at least 12’ high. After a period of occupation some of the huts were burnt down and the rampart was overthrown. The site was abandoned and never occupied again”.
P.S. – The slopes of the hill (Little Solsbury Common) are administered by the Batheaston Freeholders Association.
This is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is now recognised as the rampart of an Iron Age defended settlement, rather than a cross-ridge dyke as it was previously thought to be (and recorded as on the OS map). The ‘Magic’ website confirms that it was included in the schedule in 1970 as ‘Wiltshire 847’ and is now scheduled in the national monument register as ‘34190’, and is described as “Rampart of an Iron Age defended settlement 410m south west of Mount Scylla Farm”.
A two page report (PDF document) on the settlement is available via the ‘Magic’ website, at magic.gov.uk/rsm/34190.pdf
Iron Age defended settlements are actually very rare, and this is said to represent a well-preserved example. The site was mentioned by antiquarian John Aubrey who described it as a “rampard with graffe (ditch) eastwards, but no camp”. It runs from ST83177445 to ST83257435 and on to ST83237423.
This is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The ‘Magic’ website confirms that it was included in the schedule in 1925 as ‘Wiltshire 130’ and is now scheduled in the national monument register as ‘28993’, and is described as “Bury Wood Camp hillfort and earthwork enclosure 750m north of Raffinwood House”.
A two page report (PDF document) on the fort and enclosure is available via the ‘Magic’ website, at magic.gov.uk/rsm/28993.pdf
Large multivallate hillforts such as this are relatively rare in England, with around 50 examples recorded.
I still haven’t been to the site, but it should still be pretty impressive. A two page report (PDF document) on the barrow is available via the ‘Magic’ website, at magic.gov.uk/rsm/22826.pdf
The report suggests that apart from the chamber, the rest is still there – a mound 60m long, 25m wide and 2.5m high, retained by a dry stone wall. It says that “despite disturbance of the site, the Fair Toot long barrow survives comparatively well”.
It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, on the national monument register as ‘22826’, and is described as “The Fairy Toot long barrow 350m SSW of Howgrove Farm”.
The full 8 figure grid ref is ST52056179.
I had read in ‘The History of Colerne’ (1975 – no author) of “three circular mounds, one large, with a surrounding ditch in Colerne Park”. Colerne Park Nature Reserve is actually about 2 kms north east of Colerne village, and the barrows are near the lane that separates Colerne Park and Coombs Wood.
These definitely are Bronze Age barrows and are Scheduled Ancient Monuments. The ‘Magic’ website confirms that they were confirmed in the schedule in 1981 as ‘Wiltshire 835’ and are now scheduled in the national monument register as ‘12316’, and are described as “Three bowl barrows in Colerne park, 450m north of Keeper’s Cottage”.
A one page report (PDF document) on the barrows is available via the ‘Magic’ website, at magic.gov.uk/rsm/12316.pdf
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The entrance of this Iron Age cliff castle is on the higher, southern side of the headland; three ramparts descend the steep, north-facing slope. The two lower ones are little more than scarped terraces; the inner bank is much stronger, reaching 2.5m in height. Inside the fort are three cicular depressions which may represent hut circles.”
On the coastal footpath.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “Only traces remain of most of the single rampart and ditch of this small oval earthwork, although there is a stretch of bank 1.8m high on the south side. The enclosure originally measured 109m from north to south, by 97m; the entrance faced north-east. Excavations showed that it was constructed during the second century BC, with occupation continuing in to the second century AD. Huddled against the inside of the rampart were the sites of timber huts which were shown to have been occupied by metalworkers. Pits, hearths and a stone mould for casting penannular brooches were found; so to was an ingot mould embedded in the floor of a hut.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “This headland has three lines of defence across its neck. The outer rampart is slight, and its ditch virtually untraceable. The central bank is set back from it; it is 5.2m high and fronted by a ditch 2.1m deep. The innermost rampart is of similar height. None of these Iron Age defences is so well preserved on the south side of the headland.”
Just off the coastal footpath, on National Trust openland
A Tor Enclosure to be exact. Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “On the slopes of Helman Tor are the remains of a field system including at least one round house. The summit of the hill is enclosed by the battered remnants of an earth and stone wall linking the natural outcrops of rock. This enclosure is long and thin, measuring 170m from north to south, by 60m. It is similar in size and construction to the Neolithic village enclosure on Carn Brea. The site has been dated to the 4th millennium BC.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The magnificent headland was defended by one of Cornwall’s finest Iron Age cliff castles. The outer defence is a deep ditch fronting colossal earth rampart 6.5m high and 275m long. 60m beyond this are two slighter ramparts and ditches. The outermost of those reaches a height of 2.0m, and the outer edge of its ditch has a faint counterscarp. The inner bank, originally stone-faced, makes use of a low ridge. The fourth and final line of defence is another deep ditch, backed by a heavy masonry wall, crossing the extremely narrow neck of the headland’s tip. The inturned entrance retains its gate jambs, and behind it lie traces of two round houses. He appearance of the site suggests that there were two or three phases of construction.”
Just off the coastal footpath, on National Trust openland.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The high central spine of this headland is protected by natural outcrops, but there are faint signs of a wall here. North of this is a well preserved triple Iron Age defence. The outer ditch is 1.2m deep and the stone ramparts behind it are 2.4m, 3.3m and 2.1m high. An entrance roadway, its north side revetted with stone, hugs the foot of the central rocky spine; two round houses lie beyond. The southern defences are behind a natural rocky ridge, and consist of two battered stone banks 1.2m high with traces of outer ditches. There are two hut platforms immediately behind the inner bank.”
Just off the coastal footpath.
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “Two dilapidated stone ramparts 60m long, with outer ditches, cross the high, narrow neck of this rugged headland, defending an area of 3 ha. The inner bank, 3.0m thick, reaches a height of 1.8m; the outer rampart is now no more than 1.2m high. The two halves of each rampart are slightly out of alignment, forming staggered entries that are now difficult to see. 10m south of these defences is a short length of ditch above the eastern cliff, apparently an unfinished outer defence. Excavation in 1939 showed that the back of the inner rampart had been fashioned into three steps, providing a stance for slingers, as in some Breton cliff castles. Within the ramparts, on the lower eastern side of the headland, are sixteen round houses averaging 6.0m in diameter. They and the ramparts are second century BC.”
Just off the coastal footpath, on National Trust openland.
Craig Weatherhill believes that this is actually an aboveground fogou. In “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) he writes of “a scattered settlement of at least three Iron Age/Romano-British courtyard houses and several round houses in a sheltered spot at the eastern base of Hannibal’s carn. In a central position within the settlement is the intriguing ‘beehive hut’, now regarded as an aboveground fogou from its strong resemblance to the Phase 1 structure at Carn Euny. It had a round, corbelled chamber 4.0m across (the lintelled entrance from the south-west is modern), connect by way of a low, heavily built portal to a small, oblong chamber 3.3m by 2.1m, which was its original entrance passage (the wall blocking the south-east end is also modern). Both chambers are now roofless. The best preserved of the courtyard houses, with an adjoining paddock and walls up to 1.5m high, lies 180m to the west of the fogou; another, 60m south of the fogou, has a medieval cowshouse built inside its courtyard.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) – “The slopes of Garrow Tor are strewn with the remains of settlements and fields which probably date from the Middle or late Bronze Age. Most of the fields are of strip type, with their long axes at right angles to the contours. The main centres of settlement are at SX147786, SX144780 and SX143781. The huts, of which well over a hundred are visible, are from 6.0m to 8.0m in diameter, with walls up to 1.5m thick and 0.9m high. At SX145780 are the ruins of an extensive settlement of medieval longhouses. Excavated huts have produced pottery, beads, slate bangles and querns.”
Janet & Colin Bord’s early gazetteer (“A Guide to Ancient Sites in Britain”,1979, Paladin Books) shows a really interesting photo of the site after it had been excavated and left open (i.e. with at least 13 of the chamber stones sticking up proudly, before it was backfilled into the lumpy mess it is today). The book actually calls for the exposed stones to be preserved properly – presumably they had visited the site before it was backfilled in 1976 and didn’t know that by the time the book was originally published (in 1978) it had already been covered over, although maybe not in the sensitive way that had hoped for!
The book comments “This Neolithic tomb is a good example of what happens to a megalithic burial chamber which is excavated and left open to the weather. When burial chambers are restored, a certain amount of rebuilding is necessary, and such unnatural materials as concrete are often used. This work can with some justification be criticised by the purist. But if the alternative is a sad picture of dereliction, such as we see at Notgrove, then surely preservation is justified. When the result is a beautiful structure like Belas Knap long barrow not far away, preservation is certainly justified.”
Cheryl Straffon in ‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites on the Scilly Isles’ (Meyn Mamvro – 1995, revised 1999) gives the following information “to the west [of Tean] is the small inlet of Old Man which has a ruined entrance grave in a mound with kerb, orientated E-W to the equinox (at SV90491631). On the west side of the inlet the sea uncovered a cist (at SV905163) which was excavated in 1933 and 2 bronze brooches found.”
Jeanette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following information “Visible below high water mark is a fragmentary system of rectilinear fields defined by boulder walls. Some are well-preserved with long stretches of set boulders, others have become spread by wave action. They are of prehistoric or Romano-British dates and probably originally connected with similar ones on Old Man, in East Porth and in and around St Helen’s Porth. On the south-west side of the system is a large cairn, stones heaped around natural rock with seven kerbstones around its perimeter – the result of stone clearance or a burial cairn.”
Jeannette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following information “On the summit of this hill, built against an outcrop, is a flat-topped cairn surrounded by ten kerbstones housing a rectangular chamber, whose walls protrude just above ground level. No capstones survive. To the south, an oval area enclosed by a low stone and earth wall is either a ring cairn or round house, with a possible entrance on its south side. At the hill’s south-western end, a cairn, defined by a kerb of massive slabs (now mostly fallen) and natural rocks, contains a chamber, with slab and coursed walling, partly destroyed on the south-east side. These are two displaced capstones.”
This tiny island, on the south east of the Eastern Isles, has a cairn at SV95531366. I think the first person to get fieldnotes on this definitely deserves a pint or two!
Jeannette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following information “On the summit of this hill, built against an outcrop, is a flat-topped cairn surrounded by ten kerbstones housing a rectangular chamber, whose walls protrude just above ground level. No capstones survive. To the south, an oval area enclosed by a low stone and earth wall is either a ring cairn or round house, with a possible entrance on its south side. At the hill’s south-western end, a cairn, defined by a kerb of massive slabs (now mostly fallen) and natural rocks, contains a chamber, with slab and coursed walling, partly destroyed on the south-east side. These are two displaced capstones.”
Craig Weatherhill and Paul Devereux, in ‘Myths and Legends of Cornwall’ (Sigma Leisure, 1994) believe that “Bolster is a good example of a giant being named after an earthwork, in this case the Bolster Bank which runs from Chapel Port to Trevaunance Cove, thus enclosing a large area of tin-rich land including the entire hill of St.Agnes beacon. The bank is now interrupted in a number of places and an isolated fragment immediately south of Bolster is a contraction of ‘both lester’ (boat-shaped hump).”
The round apparently still stages the occasional miracle play, and the Cornish Gorsedd has been held there three times.
‘The Archaeology of the Bromley Area’ (Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit – 1985) reports that “…..at Warbank, Keston, a large unenclosed Iron Age settlement was excavated by the West Kent group in 1969-75 and this must have related to the hill fort in some way. This work revealed many pits and four-post structures as well as pottery and quernstones for grinding corn”.
The publication later seems to contradict itself by writing that the site was enclosed (not unenclosed)…. “Part of the [Roman villa] building cut across an earlier (Iron Age) enclosure, though it is interesting that the centre of the villa appears to line up with the enclosure entrance!”
‘A Walk Through Keston’ (The West Kent Archaeological Group – Second Edition 1976) mentions a bank and ditch on Keston Common immediately above the ponds, on the top right-hand (west) edge of the car park. “This can be traced running westwards for a distance of about 270 yards and there is a possible entrance near the center. It is possible that this is a boundary ditch dating from Saxon or later times, but it is also possible that it was built in Iron Age times and related in some way to the great hill fort in Holwood Park ”.
‘The Archaeology of the Bromley Area’ (Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit – 1985) is a little less ambiguous and after discussing the hill fort, adds that “It’s surviving main entrance lies close to Keston Ponds where it is in turn protected by another rampart and ditch on Keston Common”
‘The Archaeology of the Bromley Area’ (Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit – 1985) reports that “…by about 200 BC a very large and powerful tribe dominated the area with a territory probably reaching to the River Thames. Unfortunately, its name and its chieftains are not known! Such were its resources in terms of manpower and organization that it was able to construct a massive hillfort at Holwood Park, Keston, covering an area of about 43 acres. Here large numbers of tribesmen and women would have been required to construct the massive multiple ramparts and ditches which in places topped 40ft and ran for a mile in circumference. Although much of the fences were thrown down in the 18th Century, it still rates a one of the most spectacular prehistoric sites in Kent. It is protected as a Scheduled Ancient Monuments and lies within private grounds. Minor excavations took place here many years ago, but the interior has never been excavated”.
This publication also has two good diagrams of the site. The surviving defences are univallate (i.e. a one bank and ditch) on the North side, and bivallate (i.e. two banks and ditches) on the West side. The north west section also shows an entrance. The rest of the defences have been flattened.
I’m pretty sure this is the hill fort that was mentioned by the esteemed John Craven on ‘Countryfile’ last weekend in an article about better public access to a lot of the land to the East and South East of Craven Arms following agreements between local landowners and the local authority as part of an effort to create circular walks in the area and attract people to Craven Arms / Shropshire.
It is Scheduled Ancient Monument. Looking at the OS map it looks like it had pretty decent access around the outside anyway – maybe it’s the interior that is now permitted access as well?
Not much info on this one. Jeanette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) merely says “This entrance grave has a chamber extending almost its whole diameter. Nineteen simple cairns lie to the north and north-east.”
‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites on the Isles of Scilly’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1995, revised 1996 & 1999) adds that the entrance grave is “30ft in diameter, with a chamber 4ft 9in wide in the middle, occupying almost its whole diameter. Four capstones remain”.
Jeanette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) explains that a Civil war battery dominates the area and “a possible magazine in the platform’s north-east corner re-uses the chamber of an entrance grave hose visible remains are an upright slab and capstone. The curve of the battery on this side may reflect the circular edge of the entrance grave”.
‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites on the Isles of Scilly’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1995, revised 1996 & 1999) adds the entrance grave is 75ft in diameter and has a chamber 4ft 10in wide, orientated SW (winter solstice sunset).
Please note – this part of Gugh is used by nesting colonies of black-backed gulls during spring and early summer
Jeanette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “Two prehistoric round houses and associated field wall. Though perhaps an Iron Age cliff castle because of its promontory location, none of the walls appear substantial enough to have formed a line of defence and an unenclosed settlement is more likely. Each hut consists of a levelled area enclosed by a circle of boulders set on edge. The field system comprises boulder walls, slightly lynchetted, standing a maximum of 0.6metres high”
‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites on the Isles of Scilly’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1995, revised 1996 & 1999) adds little extra.
Jeanette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “On the north-western knoll is an entrance grave with a kerb of very large boulders and outcrop, and an off-centre chamber with walls but no capstones. Halfway along the ridge lies a second entrance grave with a kerb similar to the first and a chamber with its floor and walls of large boulders and natural rocks. No capstones remain. On the south-eastern knoll are an entrance grave and a cairn. The first has an oval mound with an incomplete stone kerb and a ruinous central chamber of boulders set on edge with two upright stones flanking its entrance but no capstones. The second is a circular cairn, partially kerbed with upright boulders and with an off-centre cist built against natural rock. Stone slabs form its other three sides, but no capstones survive”
Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) adds…”Each of the three summits of Cruther’s Hill carries barrows. The northern summit has an oval, kerbed mound with diameters of 12m and 8m. It is 0.9m high and incorporates natural outcrops. The chamber, in an off-centre position near the south-western end of the mound, appears rather cist-like despite its length of 3.8m. It is 0.7m wide, with its western end covered by one surviving capstone. The tomb on the central summit is an unmistakable entrance grave, 8m in diameter and 1.8m high. It has a massive kerb, broken on the north-east by the entrance to a roofless chamber 4.7m long, 1.2 long (sic), and 1.0m deep. The southern summit bears the remains of two conjoined barrows. The northernmost, 6.5m across, incorporates natural rock. In the centre are the remains of what may have been an entrance grave, but its original plan and orientation are impossible to ascertain from surface appearance. The southern mound is 4.5m in diameter and 0.8m high and retains much of its kerb. There is a large natural boulder within the kerb, but no trace remains of any chamber or cist that the barrow may have held. All the barrows are likely to be of late Neolithic or Early Bronze Age date.”
Cornovia also has two of Weatherhill’s classic sexy diagrams. Note – the photo in Cornovia is actually of Bant’s Carn (from the opposite page).
Jeanette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “A well-preserved entrance grave consisting of a circular cairn surrounded by an incomplete kerb of large boulders with an infilled chamber, with coursed stone walls and two capstones still in place. On the slopes below lie nine small cairns (some kerbed). A low stony bank ditched on its south side cuts the island in half. Of unknown date, it is later in character than the fragmentary prehistoric field system of boulder walls, forming a rectilinear pattern.”
‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Ancient Sites on the Isles of Scilly’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1995, revised 1996 & 1999) gives the following info. “On Higher Town Beach to the East of New Quay lies this prominent stone row (partially covered at high tide), the only one positively identified on the Scillies. A previous one thought to be on the island of Old Man (Tean) has been shown to be a wall structure. Three stones still exist in the St.Martin’s row, one of which is grooved and one of which may have (natural?) cup marks. The row seems to point to Chapel Dows above to the NE, and may therefore have marked the place from which to view the Midsummer sun rising over the prehistoric sites on the Downs”
Nicholas Johnson and Peter Rose in ‘Cornwall’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1990) consider it “One of the most spectacular sites in the county” and give the following info. “Excavated in 1963-67, the site was occupied between 4th Century BC and 1st Cent AD. Round houses were found with pottery, bones and other artifacts suggesting a settled occupation much the same as in inland hillforts (e.g. Warbstow). Traces of hut platforms can be seen behind the inner rampart and on the slopes of the E knoll, along with the lines of at least two fields. The ramparts (numbered 1-4 onwards) are part of two phases. In Phase 1, ramparts 1 (inner) and 3 were built with a large area, perhaps of defended grazing, between them. Phase 2 – ramparts 2 and 4 (outer) built, rampart 1 still in use, rampart 3 abandoned. A modern wall has been built into the outer rampart. The defences were at their most complex, with massive wooden gateways and walkways over the top, just before abandonment.”
Antiquities of the Cornish Countryside (Tor Mark Press – no date, seems to be early 1970’s) gives the following info. “Lies at the entrance to the River camel, north side. Reached by B3314 from Wadebridge to St.Minver and then by C roads to Pentire Farm, on Pentire headland. Take the coastal footpath (signposted). The large and well defended fort was recently excavated and has three great banks and ditches thrown across the approaches to Rumps Point; behind them lie the remains of Iron Age dwellings”
Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000) adds “The magnificent cliff castle at the Rumps, near Polzeath, was found to have housed a thriving community which perhaps had trading links with the Mediterranean through the Breton tribe, the Veneti. It may be that the Veneti themselves built the Rumps and other cliff castles, notable Gurnard’s Head which bears similarities to Breton cliff castles on the coast formerly inhabited by the Veneti”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). “There is a sadly ruined tomb on the summit of Samson Hill, but this excellent tomb is situated on a flat ledge on the steep southern face of the hill, directly beneath a high outcrop whence one gains a superb aerial view of the site. 9m in diameter, the denuded mound is retained by a massive kerb still two courses high in places. The chamber (entered from the north east) is coffin-shaped: 0.8m wide at the entrance, 1.4m in the middle and 1.1m at the distal end. Six capstones, one of which is displaced, still cover much of the somewhat infilled chamber.”
Jeannette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “At the eastern end [of Samson Hill] lies an oval cairn, enclosing a rock outcrop and surrounded by a kerb of 21 stones. A few metres north-east is an overgrown entrance grave; a mound, revetted by 10 nearly-set kerbstones and other natural rocks. The central hollow is probably the remains of a chamber”
Jeannette Ratcliffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “At the west end of the hilltop, an irregular D-shaped kerbed cairn built against a natural rock has remains of a chamber running along the outcrop. Two metres north-east on a natural eminence of bare rock by the footpath is a simple cairn with a slight central disturbance”.
Jeannette Ratclifffe in ‘Scilly’s Archaeological Heritage’ (Twelveheads Press, 1995) gives the following info. “An oval shaped cairn built out from the slope incorporating at least three natural rocks, is revetted by an almost complete kern of large orthostats (21 visible) with a chamber extending for much of its length. The sides are of slabs set on edge, with some coursed walling. Five capstones remain, two still in place.”
Mentioned by Craig Weatherhill, in “Cornovia: Ancient Sites of Cornwall & Scilly” (Cornwall Books – 1985, revised 1997 & 2000). ”This Iron Age/Roman-British fort occupies a small hillside spur overlooking a deep valley to the east, rather than a hilltop position. Oval is plan, 167m by 150m, it has a single, well preserved earth rampart up to 3.7m high, surrounded by a ditch 1.5m deep. There are three entrances, facing west, north east and south east; it is not known whether all three are original. The site is forested, and no hut sites are known within the fort”
The only reference I can find to this site comes from a snippet in ‘The Earth Mysteries Guide to Mid Cornwall and The Lizard’ (Meyn Mamvro, 1994)….” ‘Three great stones’ are noted in the Lanhydrock Atlas, possibly a stone row at Pelgodu (SX04326207 – 04406199), close to Lesquite Quoit”