Chance
In 1644, diarist Richard Symonds described Fyfield as ‘a place so full of grey pibble stone of great bignes as is not usually seen ... they lie so thick as you may go upon them all the way. They call that place the Grey-weathers because afar off they look like a flock of Sheepe.‘
Image credit: Chance - March 2008
In 1644, diarist Richard Symonds described Fyfield as ‘a place so full of grey pibble stone of great bignes as is not usually seen ... they lie so thick as you may go upon them all the way. They call that place the Grey-weathers because afar off they look like a flock of Sheepe.‘
Image credit: Chance - March 2008
In consequence of a recent change of ownership.. there is every probability that the work of breaking up the Sarsens will be undertaken on a greatly extended scale.. the Grey Wethers in Pickle Dean and Lockeridge Dean would be the first to go, owing to their situation adjacent to high roads – while for the same reason their disappearance would be a greater loss to the public than the disappearance of those in more remote parts of the Downs.
Image credit: Chance - March 2008
Piggle Dene stones were bought by the National Trust in 1907.
In 1644, diarist Richard Symonds described Fyfield as ‘a place so full of grey pibble stone of great bignes as is not usually seen ... they lie so thick as you may go upon them all the way. They call that place the Grey-weathers because afar off they look like a flock of Sheepe.‘
Image credit: Chance - March 2008
An image from a much changed Avebury. The “Druid Stones” in this picture are stone number 44 and the remaining portal stone from the Northern entrance, number 46 – The Swindon Stone.
The base of Round Hill Tump has seen much disturbance due to a colony of badgers. Something the local farmer is attempting to rectify by the construction of a heavy duty fence.
Image credit: Chance - Aug 2008
The base of Round Hill Tump seems to have been marked for fencing off. The area seemed to have become a des-res for a colony of badgers.
Image credit: Chance - Aug 2008
Round Hill Tump looking South West. The mature lime tree was probably planted to replace the legendary “bleeding” Elm.
Image credit: Chance - Aug 2008
View of Round Hill Tump looking North West with the traffic on the busy A367, the ancient Fosse way.
Image credit: Chance - Aug 2008
Overall view of Round Hill Tump showing its position in relation to the Fosse way.
Image credit: Chance - Aug 2008
Field Notes
Round Hill Tump – ST 6900 5617 – Aug 2008
Ordnance Survey Explorer Map 142 – Scale 1:25000
Shepton Mallet & Mendip Hills East inc. Frome & Midsomer Norton.
ISBN 978-0-319-46154-9
After looking at both references to this site on TMA database, I feel this one is the most appropiate in terms of name and grid reference, although Rhiannon’s Camerton Round Barrow site No.5698, is older.
Like a lot of ancient sites, it has become the boundary marker because it was here before anything else.
As to the name, I’m going for Round Hill Tump, as it lies in a field called the “Tump Ground”. Rhiannon’s name of “Camerton Round Barrow” is a little confusing. The village of Camerton lies 2 miles north of the site, on the other side of the Roman Road, the Fosse Way (the modern A367). The area was partially excavated by W.J. Wedlake and a report was published in 1958 entitled ‘Excavations at Camerton 1926-56’. The nearest village is Clandon. The whole hill is called Round Hill and the course of the Fosse Way makes straight for the top of it.
My route to the site was along the bottom of the valley from Stoney Littleton Long Barrow and the Sustrans cyclepath href=“https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/BathNES/transportandstreets/walkingandcycling/cycling/NCN24.htm”>The Colliers Way – National Cycle Network Route 24.
From the middle of Radstock, I took the Bath Old Road, behind the museum and up the side of Round Hill. The road is very steep to begin with but once past the sports field, it levels off a bit.
The “Tump” is easily spotted from the road and a gate was conveniently placed for access.
As to the mound itself, it is unusual. It certainly isn’t your average bowl or bell type of round barrow and it didn’t seem to have any form of ditch or bank (although there probably was one formed to create the structure. Maybe it was such a bowl barrow to begin with and it was added to at a later date. Colt Hoare also noted such strange barrows and called them “Conical Barrows”. The only other one I have encountered like this is known as Mount Wood and lies on the Marlborough Downs near Yatesbury.
I think the TMA Eds will probably re-list it as a disputed antiquity after reading this, although I do hope they find the time to merge it with Rhiannon’s Camerton Round Barrow, site No.5698.
Neolithic jewellery on display in the Musée des Tumulus de Bougon by Joachim Jahnke – 2006
Image credit: Joachim Jahnke - 2006
Display illustrating megalith-building technology by Joachim Jahnke – 2007
Image credit: Joachim Jahnke - 2007
Musée des Tumulus de Bougon by Joachim Jahnke – 2006
Image credit: Joachim Jahnke - 2006
Tumuli F2 by Joachim Jahnke – 2006
Image credit: Joachim Jahnke - 2006
Tumuli B by Joachim Jahnke – 2006
Image credit: Joachim Jahnke - 2006
Tumuli A by Joachim Jahnke – 2006
Image credit: Joachim Jahnke 2006
Plan of the various tumuli by J.E. Walkowitz
Image credit: J.E. Walkowitz
Pictures and text from Places of Pilgrimage web site for Tumulus de Bougon
Pictures and practical information of Musée des Tumulus de Bougon from linternaute (English translation via Google)
Presentaion from the award winning archectural practice of StudioMilou. (English version)
The offical website for the Musée des Tumulus de Bougon (English translation via Google)
The Bougon museum, opened in 1993, is a modern structure, incorporating an ancient priory. The exhibition is focused on prehistory in general and the Neolithic in particular. It includes the excavated material from the site, but also replicas of a room in the Neolithic settlement of Catalhoyuk (Turkey) and of the passage tomb art from Gavrinis (Brittany).
The museum also has an outside area with displays of experimental archaeology, including reconstructions concerned with prehistoric methods for the transport and construction of megalithic monuments.
Description and photos of site on Wikipedia
The Tumulus of Bougon or Necropolis of Bougon (French: “Tumulus de Bougon”, “Nécropole de Bougon”) is a group of five Neolithic monuments (barrows or burial mounds) located near La-Mothe-Saint-Héray, between Exoudon and Pamproux in Poitou-Charentes, France.
Their discovery in 1840 raised great scientific interest. To protect the monuments, the site was acquired by the department of Deux-Sèvres in 1873. Excavations resumed in 1968. The oldest structures of this prehistoric monument date to 4,800 BC.
View of the grounds of the Hypogée Martyrium
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
La Pierre Levée, meaning the raised stone,
rests peacefully in a little well tended park amongst the modern housing of the Dunes, a suburb of south eastern Poitiers.
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
The massive capstone is held up by the remaining supports
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
La Pierre-Levée from the south looking along the Rue du Dolmen.
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
View looking at the remaining supports from the south
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
View showing the inside of the chamber and the distinctive, limestone slabs
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
The massive capstone may be broken but it’s grandeur still remains
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
Looking along the Rue du Dolmen towards the junction with the Rue de la Pierre Levée
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
English linked translation of the Monuments de France page for Tumulus du Montioux
Site with more pictures of Tumulus du Montioux
Note:
Web site also includes pictures and info on other local sites including Tumuli de Bougon and Boxie
The overall view of the site with tumulus 2 in the foreground. The completely rebuilt chamber 1 is shown next to the partially rebuilt chamber 2. The excavated but not re-built areas of chambers 3 and 4 can be seen on the far left.
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
Overall view of the site from the trackway leading to the road
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
Plan showing overall position of chambers and the unexcavated tumulus 2 which is thought to be the oldest part of the site.
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
The side of the monument looking towards chamber 2. The area to the left is the excavated but not re-built areas of chambers 3 and 4.
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
The passage to Chamber 2 looking square on
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
The cap stone roof of chamber 2 has been removed to show construction technique used with dry stone walling and flat stone blocks.
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
The cap stone roof of chamber 2 has been removed to show construction technique used with dry stone walling and flat stone blocks
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
The cap stones forming the roof of the passage to chamber 2
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008
Looking into chamber 2 and the passage. The roof of the chamber has been removed to show the construction technique used.
Image credit: Chance - Sep 2008