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Miscellaneous Posts by Hob

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Morwick (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art)

Saved from the quarrymans wedges?

Apparently the carvings at Morwick were once threatened by a quarry, the remains of which are now to be found about 100m to the east of Jack Rock. Such was the claim a letter in the Newcastle Journal of Feb 18th, 1886 (a copy exists in a binding of the many volumed 'Denham Tracts').

However, an investigation and field visit by Mr G.H. Thompson on behalf of the Society of Antiquities of Newcastle upon Tyne reported that the proposed quarry was not a threat to the carvings, and that given the keen antiquarian tendencies of the landowner, Algernon, Duke of Northumberland, no threat was ever intended. However, he also notes that some of the rock on he flat above the carvings had been stripped to examine the strata. This fact, in conjunction with the fact that The Duke Algernon in question was not the same Duke Algernon who was renowned for his antiquarian proclivities, but rather his succsessor, leads me to wonder if the account is a bit of Victorian spin to cover over a narrowly avoided embarrassing incident. Maybe I'm just being overly suspicious, but it seems that the quarry was possibly nearly placed on the wrong outcrop and that the letter in the Newcastle Journal pointed this out.

(Details can be found in the Proceedings of the Society Volume II, 1886, Number 22)

Green Castle (Hillfort)

It's interesting that Green Castle is also known locally as 'Cup and Saucer Camp' When considering that 'Cups and Saucers' is a colloquial term used in 19thC Northumberland for cup and ring marks, and that a marked stone was found in the ramparts of this site, it's possible that the local name refers not to the shape of the earthworks, but to rock art.

Moss Farm North (Standing Stone / Menhir)

According to info from RCAHMS:

"In 1861, near it were several smaller stones, apparently fragments of larger ones, indicating the former existence of a stone circle. As he was unable to determine the centre of the circle, Bryce dug a trench at the W base of the stone, but no remains or signs of previous disturbance were seen."

However, later visits failed to find any of these smaller stones.

Mulchaich (Chambered Cairn)

RCAHMS say:

"Alcaig Manse (A S Henshall 1963). This cairn, of uncertain type, is overgrown and considerably robbed. It is about 55 ft. diam. with a now rather intermittent peristalith of heavy boulders of which one on the SE segment has about 15 cups, one of these being 7 ins across and 2 ins deep.
A massive stone, 8 ft. within the W. edge of the cairn, is 2 ft. above the cairn material and, in an excavated hollow some 8 ft to the south east of it, another stone is exposed to a depth of 2 feet. Towards the E side of the cairn, is a large, displaced slab. The presence of these stones suggests the existence of a chamber.
Forty feet outside the peristalith may be a comparatively modern bank.
V G Childe 1944; A A Woodham 1956 "

Balvraid (Chambered Cairn)

The excavation mentioned above "did not reveal skeletal remains, but artifacts included sherds of Neolithic pottery and undecorated Beaker, lignite beads, a stone spindle whorl and flint artifacts including a leaf-shaped arrowhead"

From the RCAHMS web stuff.

Gairshie (Cup Marked Stone)

Another cup-marked stone close to the road that I should have seen, but had to forgo. Like the other known as Balvraid, I don't think this one is marked on Landranger maps.

I find it nice to hear that the discoverer, back in 1882, who found it in a pile of clearance stones, valued it to such an extent that they refused permission for it to be carted off to a museum.

It is described as "A flat stone slab 3'9" x 2'9" bearing 30 distinct cup-marks "

Balvraid (Cup Marked Stone)

Marked on Explorer maps, but not on Landranger maps, RCAHMS says that this is "A prostrate stone, over 6' long" and that it is "covered with cup-markings". It was in mint condition in 1882, but was more recently said to bear only faint cups. No indication of how many.

Unfortunately, This lad didn't get to check it out. I'd like to visit again, but it's unlikely, as this place really is the back of beyond. That's a big part of why it's such a nice spot I guess.

Achadh Nam Bard (Standing Stone / Menhir)

According to RCAHMS, this diminutive stone is in an old churchyard. I didn't notice any sign of a church, possibly the traces are buried in the undergrowth, but it's interesting to see a church with a standing stone and a cairn. Nice inference of continuity.

Big Balcraig (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art)

There seem to be at least 5 sites according to RCAHMS. Maarten van Hoek reported that the one shown in the Beckensall drawing (Bal craig 1?) is now completely covered over, he says the same of another panel which I think is Balcraig 2.

But RCAHMS lists Balcraig 3 at NX 3759 4429 and Balcraig 4 at NX 3754 4440 as still being uncovered. Another unnumbered is listed as simply Balcraig, at NX 3774 4440.

Cambret Moor (Cup and Ring Marks / Rock Art)

8 figure grid ref: NX 5285 5738

RCAHMS says:

"This cup and-ring marked rock is situated on a gentle slope on the SE flank of Cambret Moor to the W of a field-system (NX55NW 26). The smooth, slightly sloping, upper face of the rock bears a faint cup-and-ring, around which there is a spiral which completes six circuits of the cup and-ring, measuring 650mm across. A channel runs out from the cup through the ring and spiral. Also on the rock, there is a cup and three rings, measuring 250mm across, and what may be two large pock-marks near the edge of the slab."

Torbreck (Stone Circle)

RCAHMS say:

"A stone circle of 9 almost evenly spaced monoliths (maximum height 1.2m) with an overall diameter of 7.8m. A quantity of small stones lies upon the site, but these appear to be the result of field clearance. The site lies within a cultivated field. There are no traces of an outer circle."

Clachmhor (Cup Marked Stone)

According to RCAHMS:

"Clachmhor is a large triangular erratic block, situated in a pasture field to the NE of Culnakirk farmsteading. Its upper surface bears at least ninety weathered plain cupmarks, some conjoined in pairs, and measuring up to 90mm by 30mm. A ring of upcast material around the stone probably indicates a relatively recent attempt to move it."

Guisachan (Standing Stone / Menhir)

The following from Canmore:

"Guisachan, standing stone. In the parkland some 75m SW [NW] of the ruins of Guisachan House (NH22NE 7.00) is what appears to be a standing stone. The boulder is 1.7m wide at the base, 0.8m thick and 1.3m high, with a rounded 'pointed' top. There are 4 cup marks towards the base of the stone, in the centre of its NE face."

Duncan and Harden, J and G (1987 a)
'Guisachan, (Kiltarlity and Convinth parish) standing stone',
Discovery Excav Scot, 1987, 25

Long Knowe (Chambered Cairn)

One source says: "This elongated, pear-shaped mound of stones is the best preserved cairn in Southern Scotland, due probably to its remote location. It lies in the Newcastleton Forest in a clearing next to a forestry track, some distance from any public road.

The cairn measures about 52m in length and at its widest part is 13.5m across. Stone slab chests which served as tombs are buried at various points within it, their locations indicated by upright slabs protruding from the mound.

The site was investigated in the C19th, but there is no published evidence of any result of the enquiry"

But according to RCAHMS,:
"An account of an investigation in 1870, after there had been a considerable disturbance of the cairn, mentions "several stone coffins of various sizes standing exposed". When these were examined nothing was found except a little charcoal in one of them (J Brydon 1872). "

NMRS Number: NY58NW 6

The Currick (Chambered Cairn)

"The cairn is aligned WNW-ESE and includes a partly scrub covered mound of stones up to 2m high and measuring 45m along its long axis by a maximum of 22.5m wide. It is wedge shaped in plan with the wider end to the east, where there is a hollow thought to be the site of a collapsed megalithic chamber. Two indentations about halfway along the cairn's long sides are thought to represent the position of two further megalithic chambers."

From't RSM

Mickleden Beck (Cairn(s))

Directly rieved from the RSM:

"The monument, which falls into six separate areas of protection, includes the earthworks and buried remains of Mickleden Beck prehistoric cairnfield, an associated field system, a funerary cairn and a medieval dispersed settlement. It is located on unenclosed land along the valley
floor either side of Mickleden Beck and is centred 840m south west of Pike of Stickle. The monument represents evidence for the prehistoric and medieval exploitation of this landscape.

The prehistoric cairnfield consists of four groups of round and oval-shaped clearance cairns, two on the north bank of Mickleden Beck, two on the south bank. The group centred at NY27180645 consists of over 30 cairns up to 0.7m high; the round cairns measure between 1.9m to 5.4m in diameter while the oval-shaped cairns measure between 1.8m to 19m long by 1.8m to 6.9m wide. Within this group of cairns there is part of an associated field system comprising discontinuous and generally irregular stone banks and elongated cairns following the alignment of the valley. A cross-valley stone bank has a greater width and stone volume than the valley-aligned bank. The cairn group centred at NY27060624 consists of over 20 cairns up to 0.6m high; the round cairns measure between 3m to 5.4m in diameter while the oval-shaped cairns measure between 2.3m to 11m long by 1.8m to 6.6m wide. There are two alignments of elongated cairns suggesting that these may have been constructed along the lines of former boundaries. At the eastern end of this group of cairns there is a short length of stone bank. The cairn group centred at NY26800676 consists of over 30 cairns up to 0.6m high; the round cairns measure between 2m to 8m in diameter while the oval-shaped cairns measure between 1.9m to 14m long by 1.8m to 6m wide. Within this group of cairns there are further traces of the associated field system, the most significant element being a cross-valley wall and a series of stone banks meandering along the valley.

As with the previously described cross-valley wall this one is also much more substantially built than the valley-aligned banks. Pollen samples taken from beneath both of the cross-valley walls suggest a pre-medieval date. The stone banks include cairns within their overall alignments and their form is more consistent with stone clearance which may have been deposited against former boundary markers. They appear to define two irregular and discontinuous lines along the valley.

The cairn group centred at NY26320689 consists of seven cairns up to 0.7m high; the round cairns measure between 2.7m to 3.5m in diamater while the oval-shaped cairns measure between 3.3m to 5m long by 2.5m to 4m wide. There is a small semi-circular stone bank just to the north of the cairns. To the south east of this cairn group there is a field consisting of a gently-sloping area of cleared pasture bounded by streams on three sides and a continuous decayed stone wall on the remaining side. This wall effectively acts as the fourth side of an enclosing quadrilateral as it links two parallel streams. There are two entrances through the wall, one at the north end the other near the centre. This enclosed land is largely clear of surface stone, is well-drained, and is relatively good quality pasture land.

Within the field there is a single oval-shaped cairn which is interpreted as a funerary cairn. It consists of a small circle of approximately 20 stones which define an external kerb surrounding a slightly raised scatter of smaller stones. It measures 4m by 3m and is 0.25m high with a slight surface depression possibly indicative of disturbance. The form of this cairn corresponds with the Kerb Cairn monument type, and excavated Scottish examples are typically dated to the later Bronze Age. At NY26200733 there are the remains of a rectangular stock enclosure bounded by a series of stone banks and cairns. There is a small circular stone-free shelter built into the enclosure's south west wall."

Spithope (Chambered Cairn)

A bit of an iffy one this, as the jury is still out regarding the existance of any chambered cairns in the Cheviots, but a double row of parallel upright stones described in Northumberland County History (Vol. XV, p.38) and located at NT76410347, currently in plantation, has been interpeted as the remains of a chambered long cairn.

Duddo Five Stones (Stone Circle)

An obscure reference to an outer circle at Duddo. It isn't clear if the author is talking about an outer circle of stones, or a bank. Given the profusion of henges in the area, probably the latter. The barrow to the north is a new one to me too.

Canon Raine in his massive volume 1852 on North Durham (very north indeed!) writes:

On an eminence in the middle of a field a mile north west of Duddo stands a time and weather worn memorial of the Druidical period. The temple or whatever it may have been, has been of the usual circular shape, surrounding at intervals a plot of 36 feet in diameter. Four stones alone are standing, the tallest of which measures 6 feet9 inches in height, by 13 feet in girth: a fifth is extended upon the ground, In a broken state, the rest have been removed. The remains of an outer circle were a while ago discovered at the usual distance*. The situation of this hillock is of a peculiar nature; it rises as it were, in the middle of a large natural basin two miles in diameter and might have been seen at one and the same time by thousands upon thousands of assembled devotees. A small barrow at the foot of the hill on the north side, much levelled by the plough, has I believe never been opened.

*My emphasis

Swinburne Terraces (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork)

The tumulus next to the path by the terraces was excavated in 1925 when charcoal and wood was found. Supposedly the stones on top were once the kerb, and traces of the ditch are still evident. It was decided the barrow was of Bronze age date. It used to be known locally as 'The Kings Seat'.

Devil's Lapful (Long Barrow)

Info courtesy of English Heritage, via magicmap:

"The remains of a long cairn of Neolithic date situated on the south west slope of Castle Hill commanding extensive views southwards.
The long cairn, orientated NNE to SSW, measures a maximum of 60m long and 14m wide and stands to a maximum height of 2m. It has been constructed of rounded boulders and some stone slabs with smaller stones around the edge."
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I like the Prehistoric Rock Art of Northumberland:

Ketley Crag
Chatton
Weetwood Moor
Dod Law
Roughting Linn
Lordenshaw
Fowberry Cairn
Hunterheugh
Old Bewick
Morwick




Currently obsessed with waving torches at things, often including rocks, as a prelude to some serious waving of torches at rocks that will inevitably appear here on tma at some point :)

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