Porth Hellick Down Burial Chamber |
| Hob Uid: 1476796 | |
Location :
Isles of Scilly
St. Mary's
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| Grid Ref : SV6064496210 |
| Summary : Porth Hellick Down Burial Chamber is a Bronze Age entrance grave situated on the north western slope of Porth Hellick Down. It consists of a low, circular platform, 21 metres in diameter, containing a sub-circular earth and rubble mound at its centre. The mound is 12.25 metres in diameter with near vertical edges retained by a kerb of slab-built walling. Slightly east of the mounds centre is a sub-rectangular slab-built funerary chamber, set at an angle to a passage linking it with the north west edge of the mound. The chamber measures 3.5 metres by 1.5 metres wide and is 1 metre high. It is roofed by four capstones 2.5 metres long by 1.25 metres wide. It is D-shaped in plan with two sides angled westwards to join the inner end of the passage. The passage, on a north west-south east axis, is unroofed and extends from the mound's kerb to the chamber. It is constricted by slabs where it is meets the chamber and the mound's kerb. In 1899, partial excavations were carried out on the site by George Bonsor who called it 'The Great Tomb'. These post-dated an unrecorded antiquarian excavation and were the first in Scilly to be documented in detail. They revealed fragments of decorated Bronze Age pottery and a piece of pumice stone, though much of the material is likely to have been removed by the earlier excavation. The entrance grave was later restored by the Ministry of Works, including re-covering the chamber with turf, removing the platform's outer kerb and modifying the mound's outer kerb. It is one of the largest examples of its class. It is now in the care of English Heritage. |
More information : 'A'. SV 92841084. (Ashbee's No 1) (7) A chambered cairn preserved by the DOE with an overall diameter of 12.2 metres and a maximum height of 1.6 metres. The outer wall kerb stones are visible almost all the way round as a result of restoration; the height of this outer retaining wall is 0.8 metres. The entrance passage is 4.4 metres long and the chamber, set at an angle to it, is 3.5 metres long. The width of the entrance way is 0.9 metres and height 1 metre. The roof consists of four large capstones. (see plan). The line of the former 'collar' or platform is visible as a very low bank 2.7 metres from the retaining wall.
'A'. (Hencken's 1, Daniel's 7). See plan and section (1, 5).
The remains of a chambered tomb preserved and scheduled by the MOW. Ashbee notes that the surrounding collar was destroyed during restoration by the MOW. The original excavation was by Bonsor circa 1900 (3) who called it "The Great Tomb". Previous disturbance had destroyed the contents leaving only a piece of pumice and a few probably intrusive late Bronze Age pottery fragments. (1-2, 4)
Porth Hellick Down Burial Chamber is a Neolithic entrance grave situated on the north western slope of Porth Hellick Down. It consists of a low, circular platform, 21 metres in diameter, containing a sub-circular earth and rubble mound at its centre. The mound is 12.25 metres in diameter with near vertical edges retained by a kerb of slab-built walling. Slightly east of the mounds centre is a sub-rectangular slab-built funerary chamber, set at an angle to a passage linking it with the north west edge of the mound. The chamber measures 3.5 metres by 1.5 metres wide and is 1 metre high. It is roofed by four capstones 2.5 metres long by 1.25 metres wide. It is D-shaped in plan with two sides angled westwards to join the inner end of the passage. The passage, on a north west-south east axis, is unroofed and extends from the mound's kerb to the chamber. It is constricted by slabs where it is meets the chamber and the mound's kerb. Partial excavations were carried out on the site by George Bonsor in 1899. These post-dated an unrecorded antiquarian excavation and were the first in Scilly to be recorded in detail. They revealed fragments of decorated Bronze Age pottery and a piece of pumice stone, though much of the material is likely to have been removed by the earlier excavation. The entrance grave was later restored by the Ministry of Works, including re-covering the chamber with turf, removing the platform's outer kerb and modifying the mound's outer kerb. It is one of the largest examples of its class. (6-7)
A brief history and description. (8)
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