More information : (SX 558620) Cairns (NR) Stone Rows (NR). (1)
Two stone rows each headed by a cairn near Collard Tor:
a. The remains of a cairn 25 feet in diameter, with a stone row
running from it, in a southerly direction. The row is 215
feet long, from the centre of the cairn, ten stones are standing,
ten fallen and four sunken.
b. A cairn 26 feet in diameter and two feet high. It is surrounded
by a stone circle 26 1/2 feet in diameter, of which 5 stones are
still standing. The stone row runs southwards from the cairn,
is 275 feet long, 14 stones are standing and 15 fallen. (2-3)
To the east of Collard Tor on a south slope between 243m. OD and
260m OD are two cairns and two single stone rows, generally as
described by Worth.
The westerly cairn at SX 55826203, is considerably robbed. A number
of stones (shown on large scale plan) at the edge of the cairn, and
within it, may represent the remains of retaining circle or circles.
The row extending south from the cairn comprises large boulders, some
of which are post-like, measuring 0.8m. high and 0.3m. by 0.3m. Many
similar boulders litter the area and it is difficult to identify
displaced stones; the more certain stones have been surveyed, giving
the row a length of 62.2m. The stones average 0.5m. high with no
regular spacing. (see plan).
The easterly cairn at SX 55846203 measures 8.1m. in diameter and
0.6m. high. The centre has been excavated, but apart from a large
prone slab there is nothing to suggest a former cist. The mound
is surrounded by a peristalith of boulders each of which is 0.9m.
high and roughly 0.5m square. The row is similar to the other row
and can be traced for 79.6m. Some of the stones are included in
a boulder and rubble field wall 1.2m. wide and 0.4m. high, which
follows the row for 6.0m.
The stones of the rows bear some resemblance to those of the
Leedon Tor row (SX 57 SE 135).
Surveyed at 1:2500 on MSD and at 1:1000 for AO Records. (4)
Depicted and described by Butler (1994, 106 map 48). (5)
Two stone rows each headed by a cairn lie on a gentle clitter-covered south-facing hillslope between 239m and 259m above OD. The rows which are oriented appoximately north-south, diverge from their N ends and are from 17.0m to 19.0 apart; a field bank interrupts the course of the east row. The precise lengths of the rows are difficult to determine partly because they appear to have been slighted and partly because of the presence of clitter and earthfast stones which hamper indentification of the individual stones. The deduced lengths of these rows (excluding the cairns) are 75.4m and up to 97.2m respectively however because of the disturbed nature of each row these measurements are by no means certain. A count of the upright and clearly definable stones revealed 10 in the west row and 13 in the east row , but these figures provide a totally misleading picture of the somewhat jumbled and chaotic distribution of moorstones in each alignment. The heights of the uprights range from 0.3m to 0.9m with one very large damaged stone 1.3m high.
Both cairns have been badly disturbed : the western mound is 8.0m across and 0.6m high and the eastern mound is 8.5 m across and 0.6m high. These rows are of totally different character to the single row located NW of Saddlesborough (SX56SE45).
Other large upright stones occur near the east row. Two substantial uprights used as gateposts may have been moved from elseswhere and there are two uprights nearby which Butler suggests may be athe remains of a row which lies at 90 degrees to the east row. Surveyed at 1:200. (6) |