Cap Stone visible on the horizon adjacent to Black Coppice quarry.
Image credit: Ian Barrow
Rivington Pike
Finally manage to make the time to visit the site. After leaving White Coppice cricket ground and avoiding a long line of walkers ( I forgot the Anglezarke Amble was taking place) I manage to scramble up the steep bank to the plateau above Black Coppice.
The large capstone of the cairn was clearly visible on the horizon about 20 feet back from the top edge of the quarry. Arriving at the site the cavity formed by the cap stone propped up on the underlying rocks was clearly seen. The cairn was surrounded by a spread of an assortment of rocks / boulders that may have been part of the structure. Adjacent to the site was a depression containing 3 stone mill wheels in various stages of manufacture.
With the close proximity of the quarry and the mill wheels, and without any datable evidence for the cairn, its hard to tell if it is ancient or contempory with the industrial features.
To the north of the cairn I found another feature of note. This consists of a curvi- linear spread of hand sized boulders forming an arc of approx. 30 ft diameter. At the centre of the arc was an upright stone approx. 18” tall.
As this feature does not appear on the 1st edition or modern O.S. maps and so doesn’t have a name or date its not possible to add this as a new site on T.M.A.
But, as my Archaeology tutor drummed into me :-
“the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”
So maybe these sites should be added !!
Capstone of cairn showing the close relationship of Black Coppice quarry (behind the barb wire fence)
Image credit: Ian Barrow
Capstone in relationship to the surrounding landscape
Image credit: Ian Barrow
For the ‘oldies’ out there. Remember The Ley Hunter, the 1st earth mysteries magazine. Well Jimmy Goddard has scanned in the early editions of the magazines from 1969 to 1976. The quality of the scannings a bit ‘iffy’, but these long out of print articles might contain a wealth of information.
Enjoy
Like King Orry’s Grave, the Cloven Stones are situated in the garden of a bungalow and has suffered building development.
A rescue excavation in 1988 revealed important assemblages of Neolithic and Beaker pottery and worked flint but structural features.
Excavation in 1989 revealed evidence of tempory shelters indicating a late Mesolithic occupation site.
The name Tynwald is derived from the old Norse ‘Thing-wald’ – ‘Assembly Field‘
Site of an Iron age promontory fort that once contained various embankments and buiding foundations. A house has now been built in the middle of the site.
This Iron Age promontory fort contains of a group of structures, both round and rectangular. At least 40 cup markings in 12 different locations have been found within the the enclosure, and others found on the outcropping rocks in the vicinity.
The site shows evidence of Norse re-occupation of an earlier Iron age promontory fort during the 10th & 12th C.
The inner rampart was probably the earliest phase of construction dating from the late Bronze Age, but the date of the outer rampart is unclear. It is suggested that the whole site continued to be occupied into the early Iron Age.
The circular structure was initially interpreted as a stone circle but now is recognised as a round house probably dating to the Iron age. But due to the presence of the stone outlier its original layout as a stone circle cannot be dismissed.
Following its excavation in 1941-44 by G. Bersu, Ballacagen has become the type-site for roundhouses on the Isle of Man.
The site was excavated in 1913 by P.M.C. Kermode and showed that the visible keeill was built into a Bronze age mound.
The site comprises a chamber 1.6m X 0.7m internally, open to the east side and is surrounded by a setting of stones 3m square.
The site was partially excavated by P. M.C. Kermode in 1926 and found that the western side and end had at an earlier time been quarried into for building stone.
Excavations at this site have provided the oldest datable evidence for early (Mesolithic) settlers on the Isle of Man.
2 Overhanging Rim Urns with incised decoration (205mm & 215mm) and pigmy cup (73mm). Excavated im 1898.
Image credit: Harris Museum & Art Gallery.
Web site covering The Portable Antiquities Scheme. The voluntary recording scheme for archaeological objects found by members of the public.
Web page covering sites and excavations on the Isle.
The web page of Britains leading Archaeological magazine.
As they say “The gateway to British archaeology online”.
Full of links to ‘traditional’ archaeological sites
The American view of this interesting topic, useful animations showing how the seasons work.
“THE International Electronic Forum for Research into Holy Wells & Waterlore” – need I say more !
The County Council has done it again !. Unlike MARIO, this site gives access to a lagre collecton of maps covering the county.
From general Lancasire maps such as Speed 1610, Lancashire Town maps c. 1890 to O.S. 1st Edition 6” maps c. 1845. A useful research tool!
A site full of ‘TMA’ type material especially covering the North of England region.
Illustration to show the relivent dimensions of the modern spiral.
Image credit: Rivington Pike
View of the Pike Stones looking North East ( towards Great Hill)
Image credit: Lindsey Barrow
The Pikestones information Board.
(This is new since I last visited 15 years ago !!)
Image credit: Lancashire County Council
‘Summer’ detail of the spiral.
Overall height – 31” Spiral Height – 10.5” Width – 12”.
Image credit: Rivington Pike
View of Round Loaf, with Great Hill on the horizon.
Photograph taken from the ridge just above the Pike Stones
Image credit: Lindsey Barrow
Site Layout of the Meayll Circle adjacent to Mull Hill, Taken from The Prehistoric Society – British Isles Study Tour 1994 (Isle of Man).
Note :- the image was taken from a poor original – but it give a good indication of the six “T” shaped structures.
Close up of the a “T” shaped structure.
Image credit: The dryad of Angelzarke
Detail of one of the six “T” shaped structures.
Image credit: The dryad of Angelzarke
View of the South-West section of the chambered tomb
Image credit: The dryad of Angelzarke
Site Layout of King Orry’s Grave. Taken from The Prehistoric Society – British Isles Study Tour 1994 (Isle of Man)
View of the South-West section of the chambered tomb showing the large upright.
Image credit: The dryad of Angelzarke
View of the North East section of the chamber Tomb
Image credit: The dryad of Angelzarke
Key
U Burial Urn
C Cremation
f Flint
rp Rubbish Pit
Note :- Illustration takan from “The Surviving Past” by John Hallam
Image credit: John Hallam
Although nothing now exist of this site, I think that it needs a mention on TMA as it is one of the few Bronze Age Burial Sites to be found in Lancashire.
Discovered in 1963 when a farmer uncovered a burial urn in land adjacent to Astley Hall Farm. Excavations of the site was carried out between 1974 and 1977 when a further urn and four cremations in shallow pits were unearthed.
Four of the six burials where found in an area enclosed by a ditch or trench 36feet in diameter the other two on the southern edge of the feature.
At the southern end of the feature there appeared to be an entrance and a cobbled forecourt, but as this area had been disturbed my digging.
30 feet to the south a pit was found containing 30 sherds of prehistoric pottery and a handful of flints. Charcoal and evidence of burn was also found.
A further three empty pits were found, one in the central area and the other two to the east.
URN 1 contained the remains of a 40-year-old female with signs of osteo-arthritis. The remains of a second younger body were also present. The urn also contained a burnt small flint knife and a struck flake of igneous rock believed to be Neolithic.
URN 2 contained the remains of a seven year old. It was noted that the bones had a green tinge probable caused by the breakdown of a copper or bronze article. The urn also contained charcoal, earth and pebbles, fragments of a miniature collared urn and fragment of what was either a small wooden bowl or cup.
CREMATION 1 contained the remains of at least one body.
CREMATION 2 contained the remains of the one body of a child or adolescent.
CREMATION 3 contained the remains of the one body.
CREMATION 4 contained the remains of an adult.
This information was taken from The Surviving Past by John Hallam
A great research tool provided by Lancashire County Council that enables you to overlay and compare the current edition of O.S. map for Lancashire with the 1st edition O.S. map. You can also drop on aerial photograph layer to give you a better feel of the lay of the land.
This stone has ‘bothered’ my for quite a few year.
Visible from Grey Heights (ChorleyNab) and from the Moor Road near Watermans Cottage but difficult to find on Anglezarke Moor.
The stone is located on the southern end of Stronstery Bank on the edge of the plateau below Grain Pole Hill. The stone stands about 4 foot tall and has a triangle incised on it. I’m not sure what this represents or indicates, but is it showing the location of the Pikestone, Round Loaf and another site ?.