More information : (Names: SV 877130) Tumuli; (NR) (three times)
('A' SV 87711324; 'D' SV 87701309; 'E' SV 87741308;
'H' SV 87711305; 'M' SV 87731299; 'U' SV 87781291)
Kistvaen (NR) (six times)
('P' SV 87751297) Stone Circle (NR).
('C' SV 87711317; 'F' SV 87711308; 'G' SV 87711307;
'J' SV 87731304; 'L' SV 87721302; 'Q' SV 87751295;
'R' SV 87751294; 'S' SV 87771292; 'T' SV 87811288).(1)
('A', 'C', 'D', 'E', 'F', 'G', 'H', 'J', 'L', 'Q', 'S', 'T')
Tumuli (NR). (Three times)
('P') Stone Circle (NR).(2)
All the published features are confirmed as barrows by Russell
except 'R' and 'T', while 'U' is not listed. (3)
'A' (Hencken's 6; Daniel's 1) The most northerly of the group,
lying on the downward slope of the hill towards Bollard Point,
marked 'Kistvaen' on map. Diameter 20 ft, chamber aligned north
north east/south south west.
'B' Listed as a barrow by Russell at SV 87691324.
'C' Shown on (1) and (2). Confirmed as a barrow by Russell.
'D' (Hencken's 7, Daniel's 2) Diameter 17 ft with chamber 9 ft
long and 4 ft wide at centre, aligned east/west with entrance at
east end. (Daniel sites this cairn 15 yds south of 'A', but if 'A'
is the northernmost of the group this must infer a printing error
of 15 yds for 150 yds which has been perpetuated by Ashbee.
Hencken's distribution map, although of very small scale,
indicates the position of 'D' and 'E' as on (1)).
'E' (Hencken's 1, Daniel's 5) A chambered barrow on the "summit"
of North Hill excavated by Hencken in 1930; (see plan (7)). The
mound is comprised of earth and stones with a surrounding kerb
having traces of two courses on the south side. The interior was
mostly disturbed, but less so beneath the surviving capstones where
there was a trace of paving which included the re-use of the upper
stone of a granite saddle quern.
No human remains were found but flints and fragments of
Neolithic pottery, some with stamped decoration, lay around the
entrance. (The siting of this barrow is given by Daniel as 25 yds
east of 'D' which is accepted by Ashbee although the actual
distance is apparently 165 ft if the written description is taken in
conjunction with Hencken's distribution map).
'F' (Hencken's 8, Daniel's 3) A cairn, diameter 35 ft, with
ruined chamber aligned north/south. It is the weternmost of two
cairns lying just north of the highest point of North Hill.
'G' (Hencken's 9, Daniel's 4) A cairn, diameter 25 ft, with traces
of a chamber showing through the turf, lying just to the south-east
of 'F'.
'H' (Daniel's 17) An earth covered cairn, total diameter 60 ft,
16 yds south of 'G' on the highest point of North Hill,
excavated by Smith in 1862. A grooved cist, was exposed, (see
plan (8)). It was 2ft 3 in deep and contained cremated bones in
one corner of the stone paving. The joints of the stone slabs
are recorded as being filled with "clay mortar". Photographed
by Piggott and Crawford.
'J' (Hencken's 10, Daniel's 6) A cairn, 28 ft in diameter, with
ruined chamber aligned north east/south west. It lies 50 ft east
of 'K'.
'K' (Daniel's 15), SV 87721304 (3) A cairn, with no outward signs
of a chamber, lies 60 ft to the south of 'H'.
'L' (Hencken's 11, Daniel's 7) A cairn, diameter 19 ft, with
ruined chamber, 3 ft 6 ins wide, aligned south east/north west and
about 65 ft south west of 'J'.
'M' (Hencken's 12, Daniel's 8) A ruined cairn, diameter 21 ft,
about 75 ft south east of 'L' with chamber 4 ft 9 ins wide
aligned north/south. The stone surround is
missing on the east side.
'N' Queried as a barrow by Russell. SV 87751298.
'P' listed by Russell.
'Q' and 'S' are confirmed as barrows by Russell, but she queries
'R' and 'T'. Presumably these four include Hencken's and Daniel's
13 and 14. (See below).
'U' Cist shown only on (1) and (2).
'V' SV 87641318 Listed by Russell as a barrow (11).
Unlocated.
Hencken's 13, Daniel's 13 A round barrow or cairn which may
have contained a chamber but has no trace of one now. It lies
about 90 paces south of 'L' and 'M' (5) or about 200 feet south
of 'M' (4).
Hencken's 14, Daniel's 14 A round barrow or cairn which may have
once contained a chamber but now has no trace of one. It lies
less than 50 feet south of 13 (4-11).
'H' A Romano/British bronze statuette was apparently found in the
cist when Smith opened it in 1862. It was rediscovered, with
label, at Tresco Abbey recently, where it still remains. (12)
This group of cairns occupies the heather covered ridge of North
Hill and is linear in appearance. Several of the cairns are
linked by later boulder walling and banks, some of which impinge
upon the cairns. (See illust). The banks average 3.0 m wide and
0.6 m high. The boulder walls are of single stone construction
and between 'A' and 'C' form part of an enclosure. The cairns
are mostly chambered, though now without capstones, and are
constructed of rubble with an earth covering.
'A' A kerbed cairn is 12.0m by 10.0m and 1.4 m high with a
chamber 2.0 m by 1.2 m and 0.3 m deep, orientated north/south.
The cairn is partly formed of natural rock and is linked by
boulder walling to prominent rocks and also to 'C'.
'B' Nothing was seen on the ground to indicate a barrow.
'C' A probable cairn 6.0 m in diameter and 0.6 m high, constructed
of earth and stone. It is joined by the walling to 'A' and 'G' and
possibly to 'D'.
'D' A chambered cairn, 10.5 m in diameter and 1.0 m high, with a
kerb and a chamber 2.2 m by 1.1 m and 0.6 m deep which is aligned
}east north east/west south west.
'E' This chambered cairn is 11.0 m in diameter and 1.7 m high
with some spaced kerb stones. The chamber is 4.0 m by 1.4 m and
1.0 m high with two capstones in place, and is sligned east/west.
The cairn is linked to 'G' and 'J' and possibly 'C'.
'F' A chambered cairn 8.0 m in diameter and 1.1 m high with a
kerb slightly overlaid by 'G' and this of earlier construction.
The chamber, aligned north north west/south south east, is 3.9 m
by 1.4 m and 0.4 m deep.
'G' A possibly chambered cairn of 10.0 m diameter and 1.4 m height.
It has one large stone, perhaps a cap-stone on the top of the
mound. The alignment of the possible chamber is north east/south
west.
'H' A cairn with cist 21.5 m by 17.5 m and 2.2 m high, with some
spaced kerb stones. It is now in very poor condition. The cist is
exposed at a depth of 1.0 m within the cairn. It is 1.2 m by
0.6 m and 0.5 m deep and orientated north/south. The slabs are
not 'grooved' but have natural indentations.
'J' A chambered cairn 10.5 m in diameter and 1.3 m high. It has a
chamber 4.2 m long, 1.3 m wide and 0.4 m high, which is orientated
north north east/south south west. A low bank links the cairn
with 'E' and 'M'.
'K' A cairn with no special characteristics, 4.5 m in diameter
and 0.5 m high.
'L' A chambered cairn 13.5 m by 8.5 m and 1.3 m high with two
possible kerbs. The polygonal chamber is 2.4 m by 1.5 m and 0.7 m
deep and is aligned north west/south east.
'M' A chambered cairn with kerb; it is 13.0 m by 11.0 m and
1.6 m high. The chamber, aligned north north west/south south east,
is 3.5 m long, 1.0 m wide and 1.2 m high. A linking boulder wall
from 'L' runs into the western side of the chamber.
'N' Nothing is visible on the ground though part of 'P' may have
been mistaken for a separate feature.
'P' A possible ring cairn 12.5 m in diameter and 0.7 m high with
an off centre depression 0.5 m deep. The ring is made of small
stones with a retaining kerb of large stones.
'Q' A probable cairn formed around natural boulders 1.7 m high,
to the base of which small stones have packed to a diameter
of 7.0 m and a height of 0.4 m. From Authy 4 and ground
observations it is probably Hencken's and Daniel's 13, though it
seems more like a 'boulder cairn' than a ruined chambered cairn.
'R' Following from 'Q' this chambered cairn is probably Hencken's
and Daniel's 14. It is 8.0 m in diameter, 1.1 m high, and kerbed.
The east/west facing chamber is 2.7 m by 1.7 m and 0.6 m high.
'T' A probable cairn, 8.0 m in diameter and 1.0 m high with a few
spaced stones around the perimeter.
'U' A probable cist; it is 1.3 m long by 0.8 m wide and 0.4 m deep
with a coverstone. The larger stones beneath this coverstone
appear to have smaller packing stones between them.
'V' No mound was visible in the area.
'W' SV 87721300 A probable cist, polygonal in shape and aligned
north west/south east is 2.0 m by 1.8 m internally and 0.2 m deep.
It is similar in appearance to 'U' though covered by two large
stones.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 on PFD.
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