The foliage dominating Menevagar Longstone was somewhat reduced on my visit in 2017.
The foliage dominating Menevagar Longstone was somewhat reduced on my visit in 2017.
The flat N face of Mayon Standing Stone.
The S face of Mayon Standing Stone has a patina of yellow lichen and a rounded profile.
The E face of Mayon Standing Stone as seen from the path.
There is a standing stone in a field NW of Mayon, a hamlet adjacent to the N edge of Sennen. The stone is a rough slab c. 5 feet high. The cross-section is c. 2 x 1.5 feet at the base tapering to a broad point at the top. The N face is flat and the S Face is rounded with a patina of yellow lichen.
Mayon Standing Stone has the look of an ancient stone but it is not included on OS maps.
Directions: On the way to Lands End the A30 passes through Mayon. A public footpath heads NW 50 yards after the Mayon Garage. Parking is available on the street near the Spar Shop. Follow the path for 100 yards and Mayon Standing Stone will appear on your left, 30 yards from the path.
N kerb of Manor Common Barrow N with large earthfast stone.
While on an annual trip to Cornwall in 2019 I attempted to find the Manor Common Barrows. I found a possible candidate for Manor Common Barrow N but failed to find anything at the Manor Common Barrow S grid reference.
My proposed Manor Common N Barrow is located at SX 1293 7433 adjacent to a path on Manor Common.
The barrow measures c. 20 yards across with an intermittent kerb 3-4 feet high. One possible kerb stone measuring c. 3 feet high by 4 feet wide is earthfast in the N perimeter of the barrow. There is also a Recumbent Slab measuring c. 4 feet by 2 feet lying c. 5 yards NE of Manor Common N Barrow. The barrow is grass covered with a hollow centre.
Directions: At the Temple/St Breward junction of A30 take the St Breward turn off. After c. 0.6 miles park in a large passing place beside a body of water at SX 1311 7435. Walk 50 yards N on the road until you reach a path heading E into Manor Common. Stay straight on this path following an ESE bearing for c. 130 yards. At this point take a faint path heading SW for 20 yards. Manor Common Barrow is on your left.
Mains of Kilcoy SE and Mains of Kilcoy NW in situ.
Mains of Kilcoy SE, a verdant island in a dark sea.
Mains of Kilcoy SE Cist, measuring c. 1m x 0.5m.
Mains of Kilcoy NW Excavation Trench left by A A Woodham in 1961. All remnants of a 8x2 feet cist are gone but the cairn has been scarred.
Mains of Kilcoy SE Cairn
Mains of Kilcoy NW Cairn
I visited Mains of Kilcoy in 2012 after visiting Carn Glas (Mains of Kilcoy). Mains of Kilcoy NW is c. 200m SE of Carn Glas. The field was ploughed and the Mains of Kilcoy cairns were verdant islands in a dark sea.
Mains of Kilcoy SE is the more impressive of the pair, looking like a long cairn. However only one cist was visible on the surface, an off-centre shallow cist measuring c. 1m x 0.5m. According to Canmore ID 12840 (go to Links) the centre of this c. 30m cairn was excavated but no cist or chamber were found. It does seem to be a contradiction; all this construction for one shallow burial.
Mains of Kilcoy NW was excavated in 1961 by AA Woodham (Canmore ID 12836 (go to Links)). He found a large cist, 8 feet by 2 feet containing traces of cremated bone. However, his restoration of the cairn was incomplete, leaving a trench 4-5m wide bisecting the cairn. No remnants of a cist were found in the trench.
Canmore ID 12837 contains an account of the cleaning and restoration of Carn Glas (Mains of Kilcoy) from 2014 to 2015.
I visited this site in 2012. It was in a poor state with still impressive exposed chambers. The site was not being maintained. This changed in February 2014 with the vegetation being cleared by local volunteers. A Brookes photos in late 2014 reflect the improved condition of the cairn at this time.
Subsequent to this it was decided to partially restore the chambers of Carn Glas (Mains of Kilcoy). Between November 2014 & September 2015 work was carried out on the chambers by the Adopt-a-Monument team. The chamber floors were then covered with chipped stones, and a new display board erected on the edge of the cairn. Further details of the restoration can be found in Canmore ID 12837 (go to Links).
No pictures of the restored cairn have been submitted so we will see if it has been a sympathetic restoration all in good time.
Mains of Clava SW viewed along SW-NE Axis towards the Culloden Viaduct.
A large stone, c. 4 feet x 3 feet, in the Interior of Mains of Clava SW.
Approaching Loch an Dun Fort the causeway is clearly visible above the water.
As CARL observed wellies are advantageous in crossing the ramshackle causeway to Loch an Dun Island.
Almost all traces of Loch an Dun fort have been obscured except for a course of stone on the right where the causeway meets the island.
A modern cairn has been constructed on Loch an Dun fort to complete its indignity.
Leskernick North Circle captured in 2014 with a large recumbent and two stones visible. An additional stone breaking the surface can be seen in the left foregound beside a small mound. According to Historic England turf was cleared round the stones in 2018 so the circle will perhaps look more complete now.
The recumbent stone, c. 4 metres long, lies inside the circle, N of the centre in Leskernick North Circle.
Leskernick North Circle was added to the Historic England List (go to Links) on 16/10/19.
‘The stone circle comprises a recumbent stone (4m long) a little north of the circle’s centre with 25 stones in an almost-perfect circle approximately 23m in diameter.‘
The above quote is an extract from Historic England’s summary of Leskernick North Circle. A more detailed account is contained therein.
According to Historic England turf was cleared round the stones in 2018 so the circle will perhaps look more complete now.
Historic England Entry for Leskernick North Circle
Dranigower Hut Circles aka Fauldinchie/Hardcroft Hut Circles
Dranigower Hut Circle W viewed from S. Note the proximity of beef cattle. They can be dangerous but on this occasion they ignored me.
W arc of Dranigower Hut Circle W.
E arc of Dranigower Hut Circle W.
S Entrance of Dranigower Hut Circle W.
SE Bank of Dranigower Hut Circle W.
Earthfast stone incorporated into SW Bank of Dranigower Hut Circle W.
Dranigower Hut Circle E viewed from S.
Interior of Dranigower Hut Circle E viewed from SE.
E arc of Dranigower Hut Circle E.
Scattered stones on E arc of Dranigower Hut Circle E.
Dranigower Hut Circles lie on unimproved moorland 1 mile E of New Luce just off the Southern Upland Way (SUW). The ground is wet and tussocky so wellies are strongly recommended. Watch out for Beef Cattle in the area within 200 yards of the Hut Circles.
Dranigower Hut Circle E is smaller and less defined than its companion. It is around 7 yards internally on a N-S axis with a surrounding stony earth bank up to 2 feet high & 4 feet wide. The earth bank is intermittent and covered in ferns. The interior of the circle is also covered in ferns. On the E arc there is a large scatter of stones which Canmore ID 61638 (go to Links) has interpreted as the remains of a small hut or pen.
Dranigower Hut Circle W lies 75 yards W.
Directions: At the S edge of New Luce, beside the church, take the un-signposted turn up the hill. Stay on this narrow lane for c. 1.1 miles until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) at NX19106500. There is room to park here. Follow the SUW path for c. 0.5 miles to reach a SUW Post halfway up Knockcraven Wood at NX1937564690. Head W for 70 yards from this point to reach Dranigower Hut Circle E. Walk 75 yards W from here to reach Dranigower Hut Circle W.
Dranigower Hut Circles lie on unimproved moorland 1 mile E of New Luce just off the Southern Upland Way (SUW). The ground is wet and tussocky so wellies are strongly recommended. Watch out for Beef Cattle in the area within 200 yards of the Hut Circles.
Dranigower Hut Circle W is slightly larger and better defined than its neighbour. It is around 9 yards internally on a N-S axis with a surrounding stony earth bank up to 3 feet high & 4 feet wide. There is a 4 feet gap in the bank in the S quadrant denoting a probable entrance according to Canmore ID 61638 (go to Links). The SE perimeter has many exposed stones and there is a large earthfast stone incorporated into the SW bank. The interior of the hut circle is relatively flat and clear of vegetation however the S arc is partially obscured by ferns.
Dranigower Hut Circle E lies 75 yards E.
Directions: At the S edge of New Luce, beside the church, take the un-signposted turn up the hill. Stay on this narrow lane for c. 1.1 miles until you reach the sign for the Southern Upland Way (SUW) at NX19106500. There is room to park here. Follow the SUW path for c. 0.5 miles to reach a SUW Post halfway up Knockcraven Wood at NX1937564690. Head W for 70 yards from this point to reach Dranigower Hut Circle E. Walk 75 yards W from here to reach Dranigower Hut Circle W.
Lamford Burn Cairn
Scattered stones on the S quadrant of Lamford Burn Cairn.
Lamford Burn Cairn looking W towards Loch Doon. It has been razed to ground level from an original height of 6 feet.
Lamford Burn Cairn is a cairn in Dumfries and Galloway c. 1 mile from the border with East Ayrshire. According to Canmore ID 63853 (go to Links) in 1963 it was a ‘cairn 48 feet in diameter and circa 6 feet high.’ A subsequent report from 2004 gave the following detail: ‘The Scheduled Lamford Burn cairn was substantially damaged in July 2004. Unauthorised excavations at the cairn had left it severely truncated.‘
When I visited in 2012 I found the cairn razed to ground level on the N hemisphere and up to 1 foot high on the S hemisphere. There was a perimeter of earth and stones delineating the original footprint of the cairn with a stripped interior on the N side and scattered stones on the S side.
Lagganmullan 4 Panel with several Cup & Ring Markings and a small group of peck markings exposed.