Andy Burnham's Blog, page 116

Thornborough N

It just so happens we have three slots left before our next news email so let's feature all three of the Thornborough Henges. This northern henge is not included in the recent announcement so let's not forget this one.. The northern henge is best preserved but is covered by trees and brambles, but not so much that it is not recognisable and accessible. The other two are more ploughed out, with the southern henge being the most damaged. All three henges are peculiar in that they have a wide berm between the outer bank and the inner ditch which is best seen at the northern henge.

Ahaglaslin

Together with the tomb at Arderawinny Co. Cork, this picturesque monument lies outside the general portal tomb distribution. It has a tilted capstone 3.9 meters long over an unusually long chamber 4.8 x 1.2 meters, approached by a rudimentary funnel-shaped court which betrays its court-tomb derivation.

Grimspound

The best known and most easily accessible ancient settlement on Dartmoor. Grimspound is a late Bronze Age settlement, in an excellent state of preservation. The name was first recorded by the Reverend Richard Polwhele in 1797 - it was probably derived from the Anglo Saxon god of war, Grim (more commonly known as Woden, or Odin).

Callanish 7

A site on the Isle of Lewis, a few hundred metres from the southern shores of Loch Ceann Hulabhig, Mistakenly named as a Calanais site by Alexander Thom. It is very likely that site is a ruined shieling (shepherd's hut) - see photos on our page. However close by is small vein of quartz at the knoll of Cnoc Dubh (pictured top). Following investigations by archaeologist Torben Bjarke Ballin this was identified as having been worked in prehistoric times. More details below on our page.

Sophienhof Dolmen

A well preserved dolmen in Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg. Built of 2 pairs of orthostats on the long sides and one orthostat at the NE narrow side. The entrance most probably was located in the SE. The capstone measures3,2m by 1,7m and is 1,2m thick. It is covered with cup-marks.

Redhouse

These two stones stand about 80 metres apart in adjacent fields but are very dissimilar in appearance and have no obvious connection. Pictured top: Redhouse Standing stone SW. In contrast the north-eastern stone at SW44802663 (see photos further down our page) is flat with rounded edges and may possibly be a capstone from a cist or burial chamber set on edge.

Foxborough

A collection of unusual, possibly ancient native american stone sites within the Foxboro State Forest, now known as F. Gilbert Hills State Forest near to the town of Foxborough in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, about 22 miles southwest of Boston. This one area of the state park has probably the densest combination of 'prayer seats' in New England, if indeed they are prayer seats. This page, positioned for the Forest Headquarters, acts as an overall collection page for all of the various individual sites under their own names. Map at left by Chuck Drayton

Foxborough Prayer Seat (2)

A horseshoe shaped wall of rocks. The structure opens to the northeast (Azimuth =50 degrees magnetic north), and also open toward two very large boulders approximately 50 yards away. The wall is approximately 1 metre (3.5 feet) tall and about 1.8m (6 feet) in length. This is Site B on the published map.

Île Carn cairn

Top photo: The exceptionally beautiful corbelled roof in the southern chamber. Just offshore from the bay of Porsguen in the community of Ploudalmézeau at the northwestern point of Finistère, Brittany, lies a small island, which can be walked to at low tide from the mainland. A large part of this small island is made up of a massive and remarkable round cairn which contains three dolmenic chambers.

Arbor Low 1

Hillshade plots of Arbor Low, Pilsbury Castle, the Bull Ring and Gib Hill produced by Dr Helen Malbon and Dr Alexandre Nobajas from Keele University, more on our page
. Arbor Low is one of the most important prehistoric monuments in Britain. Located on a plateau 375m (1230ft) above sea level, it contains a number of interesting features. The circle-henge was almost certainly constructed in a number of phases during the 3rd millennium BC. The long barrow of Gib Hill close by (GR: SK158634) was probably the original focus on the site before the oval bank and ditch of the henge, with its two entrances to the north-west and south-south-east, were established in the Late Neolithic period.