Andy Burnham's Blog, page 47

Siss Cross Hill - Enclosed Urnfield

A bronze age enclosed urnfield on the gentle north east slope of Siss Cross Hill. It is both flanked and aligned by two barrows as well as being aligned with two other barrows that run down from the summit in a north easterly direction. These urnfields are rare, with fewer than 50 being identified, mainly in the north of England. This one is even rarer, being one of a handful of a regionally distinct type of oval embanked enclosure that can be found on the North York Moors.

Ana Cross Round Barrow and Wayside Cross

The cross is a fairly recent replacement and at 12 foot high is the highest cross on the moors. Though to have been a Sanctuary Cross rather than a Wayside Cross, the original pre Norman Cross stood at 24 feet, the top of which still survives and can seen seen in the crypt of the church of St Mary, Lastingham (link to our page). Well worth a visit to this standing sentinel in the middle of the moors with brilliant views.

Gåsneset

At Gåsneset (Møre og Romsdal, Norway) there are six burial cairns. Two of the cairns are large, over 20 metres in diameter. They are located just west of the local road between the road and the shoreline. The terrain is grassy and has some moss but very low vegetation and the largest cairns are easily visible. The site has an information board next to the local road and a small parking place.

Rebecca's Well (Crazies Hill)

This well on Crazies Hill in Berkshire (or Cray-wy-seath Hill or 'the hill of fresh clean water of the waterless place') is scheduled. The well house dates from circa 1870 and was designed by Gertrude Jekyll, who also painted the gable.

Stalldon Row

Site visit report and lots of pictures of this most magnificent stone row, on southern Dartmoor. Perhaps the best stone row in the land. . This magnificent stone row stretches for over 500 metres in a north to south direction, mostly up the southern slopes of Stalldon Barrow hill, but with its northerly end just over the top of hill, and starting to wander back down the northern hillside.

Monte Santa Croce-Cognolo

Recent research found very little evidence for permanent habitation at this Italian hillfort - instead, it is likely that it was used for pasturing animals.. This hillfort in Italy occupies a strategic location at a pass formed by the Volturno River, connecting the coastal and inland regions of Campania. This area is traditionally seen as the border between the territories of the Samnites and another pre-Roman group, the Campani. The hillfort encloses 18ha including the twin summits of Monte Santa Croce (580m) and Monte Cognolo (518m), separated by steep slopes descending to a saddle (499m) where a modern-day cemetery is situated. This defensible location, its proximity to fertile soils and other natural resources suggested that the site was well-suited for permanent habitation and for potential urban development. However this seems not to be the case.

Trewsbury Camp

Situated about 0.5km NW of Akeman Street (part of the Fosse Way) and some 6km SW of the Roman City of Corinium (Cirencester) this hillfort in Gloucestershire is said to be one of two Iron Age or Roman Forts protecting the SW approaches to Cirencester from Bath - the second being at Hocbury presumed to be near Rodmarton a little further west.

Bryn Cader Faner

Youtube video producers CoralJackz have made an informative 20 minute documentary of their visit, exploring the history and archaeology Bryn Cader Faner: The Finest Ring Cairn In Wales. The link is the comments. This cairn-circle has to be one of the most visually-appealing circles in the entire British Isles, despite extensive damage to the stones both by treasure-hunters of the last century and soldiers during World War II. Fifteen stones remain of the original thirty, each standing about 6 feet, and lean outward in such a way that from a distance, it looks like a crown of thorns.

Skerrish Barrows

Once a group of five barrows on the cliff top above The Skerrish, only two now remain, in the flat area on the right in the top image. One is thought to be a long barrow at SX33365411 (it looked like a round barrow to me) - it has been dug into in the past but no record of this work is known. It has been used as a beacon in recent times and is recorded on early OS maps as St German's Beacon.

Carn menhir (Loperhet)

A 4.8 meters tall menhir with veins of quartz. Between the D 29 and C 27 roads, at Carn Bihan hamlet near the village of Loperhet, Brest.