The centre of the site is near the road (Manor Hill) that bisects the site, just South of Brighton Race Course. The notorious Whitehawk estate lies in the valley beyond, source of many burnt offerings.
Image credit: A R Cane
A R Cane
Approximately between the 3rd and 4th ring with the communications mast to the South.
Image credit: A R Cane
I was going to post about Whitehawk more than a year ago after I volunteered for the dig which took place there in August 2014. I refrained from doing so at the time as I was supposed to be photographing (for Brighton Museum) the ‘more interesting artefacts’ which they hoped to uncover in the process of the dig. Sadly, despite intensive digging in 3 separate areas on Whitehawk Hill nothing particularly interesting was found. Geo-physics had shown up some anomalies on the Southern side of the hill which the archaeologists hoped might be a fifth outer ring, but this proved to be unfounded. Most of the very small things found were pieces of worked flints (possibly Neolithic), masses of broken glass, the inevitable willow-pattern ceramics shards and miscellaneous bits of ironware which were probably bits of broken gardening tools (most of the hill has been given over to allotments in the past and still is today). I personally found a 1945 farthing which back then would have bought you a whole house in Brighton. The other thing that was found in abundance were pieces of relatively modern cars and scooters which is quite interesting in itself. The practice of sacrificing expensive offerings to the gods on this site was still happening in the here and now, a clearly continuing tradition, except now they like to torch them first rather than burying them or flinging them into a watery place.
As stated in older posts there’s not much to suggest that you’re standing in a Causewayed Enclosure when you’re up there as most of it has been encroached upon by modern progress, allotments and the enlargement of Brighton Race Course, but here and there you’ll notice a slight undulation, a small squeak to remind you of the sheer scale of the site. The positioning of it too, is wonderful and a true focal point, commanding expansive views over the sea and South Downs of which it forms part. The panoramic images posted here were commissioned recently by Brighton Museum for educational purposes to highlight the importance of this truly ancient and wonderful place.
Setting sun, thundering jets and solid stone.
Image credit: A R Cane
Panorama of big stones and long shadows, late September.
Image credit: A R Cane
The car park was chocca, but the rings largely absent of people. Do people genuinely drive to these places and stay in their cars?
Image credit: A R Cane
Yet another glorious sunset on what has become an almost yearly pilgrimage to Five Barrows in conjunction with working at the AJ Wells enamelling factory at Newport. You can’t beat it!
Image credit: A R Cane
A charming saucer barrow on the Eastern limit of the cemetery.
Image credit: A R Cane
This curiosity is on the other side of the valley from the barrows, about half a miles walk from the barrows. It may once have stood and is about 1.5m in length and made of a strange highly iron-infused sandstone. There are lots of boulders of the same material further below on the beach at Compton Bay.
Image credit: A R Cane
Looking West along the edge of the enclosure(?) earthwork which runs parallel with the public footpath through the Freshwater golf course. It’s quite long and starts outside the course near the solitary barrow at Tapnell Down.
Image credit: A R Cane
The corner of the enclosure(?) earthwork with a curious stone near the corner.
Image credit: A R Cane
Two very large barrows located within the Freshwater Golf Course just before you start the descent towards the clubhouse. Glad to discover they hadn’t been tampered with like some of the other unfortunate barrows here.
Image credit: A R Cane
This will probably end up on the ‘disputed antiquity’ list as it doesn’t appear on any maps or on MAGIC, but it is a very big sarsen standing stone, almost 6 foot high, in a quite interesting position in relation to the Marlborough Downs, Avebury and Winterbourne Bassett. Very easy to locate as it’s just off the A3461 (between Swindon and Avebury) if you turn off at Broad Hinton towards the Hackpen Hill White Horse, it’s less than half a mile on your left. You can pull up for a quick shufty, but you wouldn’t want to block the gateways to the fields there.
Hackpen Hill White Horse and the Marlborough Downs in the background of this possibly contentious standing stone.
Image credit: A R Cane
Venturing forth over the sacred wall. Nice bit of veg.
Image credit: A R Cane
Looking South. If you’re wondering where the information board has gone, I photoshopped it out. Why was it sited so close to the barrow? Probably ruined lots of peoples shots over the years!
Image credit: A R Cane
Looking back towards the chimney and mined landscape. The chink in the foreground is right next to the half covered cist.
Image credit: A R Cane
Easy to understand the positioning of this burial chamber at the end of everything with it’s fantastic juncture between the land, the sea and the sky.
Image credit: A R Cane
Archaeologists Unearth Trove of 2,000 Mysterious Gold Spirals in Denmark
A team of archaeologists working in Boeslunde, Denmark recently stumbled onto an intriguing mystery: nearly 2,000 tightly-wound golden spirals dating back to the Bronze Age. The discovery of gold in Boeslunde isn’t uncommon, as numerous gold objects have been unearthed in the region over the last few years. But the purpose of these coils has stumped archaeologists who refer to the find as the “golden enigma.”
thisiscolossal.com/2015/07/archaeologists-unearth-trove-of-2000-mysterious-gold-spirals-in-denmark/
Panorama of the South East quadrant with possibly the best bit of the ditch.
Image credit: A R Cane
A bizarre story. Some friends of ours currently have an art installation at Worthing 6th Form College and asked me to come and photograph it today. At the end of the shoot I noticed what was obviously a roughed out flint axe head on a table along with some of their other bits and pieces and asked them what it was doing there. They said they’d found it down the side of an old garage next door and had noticed the writing on it (MH Harrow Hill 50), but didn’t know exactly what it was. I suspect someone borrowed it years ago from the local museum to draw, but failed to give it back. I’m off to the museum tomorrow morning to check it out.
Image credit: A R Cane
Overall dimensions are 15cm long, 10cm wide and 8cm deep.
Image credit: A R Cane
First visit here.....and lost for words.
Image credit: A R Cane
Devizes Museum will be holding an exhibition of our work from 13th June till 31st August 2015.
wiltshiremuseum.org.uk/events/index.php?Action=2&thID=1016&prev=3&catID=5
Almost too cute for words....with a few associated stones in the foreground.
Image credit: A R Cane
Another one for the collection and positively ‘porcini-like’.
Image credit: A R Cane
We couldn’t really have asked for a better backdrop. Thank you Preseli Mountains.
Image credit: A R Cane
The outliers which align on the Summer Solstice (apparently).
Image credit: A R Cane
Going for an aerial view to try and emphasise the pentagonal nature of the site.
Image credit: A R Cane
Whoopee! There they are! We struggled to find them in the thick fog and had to rely on wind direction to find our way back down.
Image credit: A R Cane
Looking back up the hill towards Carn Bica, just visible in the fog.
Image credit: A R Cane
In it’s landscape viewed from atop the nearby rocks.
Image credit: A R Cane
