| Summary : A stone alignment and cairn, situated on a saddle 620 metres east of Down Tor. The alignment is orientated east-north-east to west-south-west, running for 316 metres and containing at least 174 stones, with the tallest at either end. The westernmost stone stands 2.8 metre high, the easternmost stone stands 1.6 metres high, and the remainder vary between 1 metre and 0.2 metres in height. The westernmost stone, and an unknown number of others, were re-erected y Baring-Gould and Burnard in 1890. The cairn lies 4 metres west of the western end of the alignment. The cairn mound measures 8 metres in diameter and 0.7 metres high. It is surrounded by a kerb made up of 24 orthostats, standing between 0.3 and 1 metre high, forming a ring with a diameter of 11.5 metres. A hollow in the centre of the mound suggests partial early excavation or robbing. Two tin prospecting pits lie immediately against the edge of the kerb. The alignment is in direct line with another cairn to the north-east (438589). Scheduled. |
More information : (SX 588693) Stone Row (NR)
(SX 58706926) Menhir (NR)
(SX 58686926) Stone Circle (NR). (1)
A stone row, 346 yards long (3), terminating at its western end
in a barrow with a cairn circle. The circle is 37ft diameter
(3) and, when inspected by RN Worth, was composed of 26 stones
of which 19 were then standing. The "Menhir", the first stone in
the row and 12ft from the circle, which RN Worth found leaning
on its immediate neighbour, has now been re-erected and stands
9ft 6ins above the ground. (2-3)
(SX 55693) Stone Row (NR)
(SX 58686926) Stone Circle (NR). (4)
At SX 58696926, on a slight east-facing slope at 364.0m OD, is
a cairn with cairn circle and from it on an orientation of
69 1/2o east of Grid North runs a stone row extending for
340.0m from SX 58706927 to SX 59026938.
The cairn circle consists of 26 upright stones and possibly two
more now recumbent; it has an internal diameter of 11.5m (see
plan). Within the circle is a cairn of 8.5m diameter and 0.6m
height with a small depression in the centre which may be the
site of a cist.
The stone does not form a perfectly straight line, being bowed
to the north to a maximum of 2.5m off alignment at the centre
of the row.
The individual stones tend to be smaller towards the centre of
the row, all the very longest being at either end. 170 stones
are visible of which eleven are recumbent and one semi-recumbent.
The standing stone at the western end of the row measures 0.8m
by 0.5m and is 2.8m high, and the terminating stone at the
eastern end is 0.7m by 0.6m and 1.6m high.
The stone row is in direct alignment with the cairn at
SX 59196944 (SX 56 NE 31)
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD. Stone row surveyed at 1:1000 and
cairn at 1:200 for A O Records. (5)
A stone alignment and cairn, situated on a saddle 830 metres east of Down Tor. The alignment is orientated east-north-east to west-south-west, running for 316 metres and containing at least 174 stones, with the tallest at either end. The westernmost stone stands 2.8 metre high, the easternmost stone stands 1.6 metres high, and the remainder vary between 1 metre and 0.2 metres in height. The westernmost stone, and an unknown number of others, were re-erected y Baring-Gould and Burnard in 1890. The cairn lies 4 metres west of the western end of the alignment. The cairn mound measures 8 metres in diameter and 0.7 metres high. It is surrounded by a kerb made up of 24 orthostats, standing between 0.3 and 1 metre high, forming a ring with a diameter of 11.5 metres. A hollow in the centre of the mound suggests partial early excavation or robbing. Two tin prospecting pits lie immediately against the edge of the kerb. The alignment is in direct line with another cairn to the north-east (438589). Scheduled. (6)
"Much of its present appearance is due to Bernard and his associates who re-erected many of them in 1894. Bate was the first to describe the row in 1871 and it was planned by Lukis a few years later. At the western end the row is orientated towards the centre of a ring of 27 tall stones, irregularly spaced and 12 m in diameter, surrounding the cairn but well outside its base. Some of these stones have also been re-erected as only 20 were standing in 1882 ... Numerous tinners' diggings pit the surface around a slightly larger cairn a short distance to the north-west (14.0 x 1.3 m), this one without an outer ring of slabs or associated row, (SX 56 NE 28)." (7)
"After c.150m, the row rises towards but stops short of cairn."
6th September 1972: Cairn with retaining circle 12.5m in diameter. Breton stated that it formally enclosed a large cist. Stone row proceeds to ENE downhill and then uphill aligned with but stopping well short of cairn. (8)
"Only where monuments have been incorrectly reconstructed, as at Down Tor do stone rows align directly with the centres of associated cairns." (9)
"A retaining-circle, on the east slope of Hingston, measures thirty-seven feet in diameter and entirely encloses the cairn in which the (now vanished) kistvaen was centrally placed. Eastward from it, and beginning at a stone nearly ten feet high, there runs an impressive single row 1,145 feet in length, which terminates at a blocking stone." (10)
The popularity of the site has raised some conservation concerns. Adjacent to the Stone Row (SX 5869 6926 - 5902 6938) is a track way which is fast becoming a large swathe. This, especially when wet, is causing severe erosion to the surrounding area and ultimately the stone row itself.
The Cairn circle (SX 5869 6926) has also suffered some disturbance in the form of a pit, probably a result of unrecorded excavation or robbing. The pit has a diameter of approx 3.2 m by 3m and is 0.5 m deep. (11)
Cramber Tor Survey 2002, Site WA072, WA177 (12) |