The rampart and ditch on the SW side of the hill fort. There are two entrances which both have outward facing walls or banks.
Image credit: Gavin Douglas
Gavin Douglas
The view, from inside the hill fort, looking down the Coquet which meanders like a snake through the valley. The River Coquet is notorious for changing its course and may have appeared differently to the Iron Age inhabitants.
Image credit: Gavin Douglas
A view of the crags which flank the north side of the hill fort. The Ancient Rowan’s, growing from the rock, invoke a feeling of wildness- perhaps remnants of the the old Wildwood, which once filled the valley.
The steep crags provide a natural defence, and the rampart on this side is a shallow ditch and wall.
Image credit: Gavin Douglas
Solar Observatory on Simonside Beacon.
Site of disputed antiquity
Image credit: Dubhghlas Gwalchgwyn
NE facing outcrop looking towards Garliegh Pike
Image credit: Gwalchmie
Close up of the inside of the rock shelter.
Note the carved “arm chair”-a later addition.
Stan Beckensal, who excavated the floor of the shelter in 1975, found a mixture of artifacts dating from about 8,000 years ago (Mesolithic flint flakes) and a cremation urn from 4,000 years ago, which was covered by a triangular, cup marked stone. A similar motif can be seen on the top of the shelter. (Stan Beckensall--“The Power of Place” 2001 Tempus Publishing Ltd)
Image credit: Gwalchmai
The entrance to the cave in the Little Church Rock, Simonside.
Image credit: Gwalchmai
Little Church Rock, Simonside. Cup marks can be seen on the top of the rock. Also a cave, possibly a Rock Shelter, with a phalic shaped entrance stone, and a standing stone laid on the floor of the cave.
Image credit: Gwalchmai
Another view of Simonside, from Lordenshaws, with cairn in the foreground.
Image credit: Gwalchmai
This view of the Simonside ridge is taken from Lordenshaws, looking SW, with the main hut cirle on Lordenshaws hill fort in the foreground.
Image credit: Gwachmai
