More information : (SX 17547787) TUMULUS (NR) (1)
A mutilated cairn up to 26.5m across and 1.7m high. The top has
been partially dug away and three large granite slabs which may
have formed part of a chamber are now visible.
Published survey 1:2500 revised. (2)
Cairn depicted on NMR Bodmin Moor A.P. transcription. (3)
'Tolborough ('Tober' in local prenunciation) Tor'. Although
there is a tor it is concealed by the encompassing cairn, unlike
Showery Tor, Roughtor, where the tor is still the doinant feature.
Cairn situated at about 346 m above O.D., and visible for a
considerable distance from the S.E., and W. Within an area of
moorland grazing.
A cairn 24 m to 26 m in diameter, including up to 2.0m of
probable overspill, with a flattish top 1.5 m to 2.3 m high. It
has been constructed around a low tor with a vertical outcrop
utilized as part of the perimeter on the W. On the NW there
is a contiguous kerb for 8.0m, the stones 0.3 m to 0.5 m high.
Elsewhere the kerb has been much despoiled and uprooted but a half dozen upright slabs indicate an original diameter of 23m.
An outcropping rock on the N. seems to have been ignored and
the kerb is maintained by running across it leaving a slab
8.0 m. long protruding 3.5m. beyond the perimeter.
The top of the cairn is about 16.0 m. in diameter, generally flat but with minor diggings 0.2m. to 0.4m. deep. These have
exposed two massive, prone, slab stones, both of triangular
shape. One has sides 2.2m long and is 0.3m. thick; the other,
partly buried, has visible sides of 3.0m and 2.0m, and is
between 0.2m and 0.4m thick.
Jammed between them is an upright slab 1.2m. long, 0.4m. thick
and 0.6m high. All are more likely to represent the top of the
tor than the stones of a chamber or cist.
On Tolborough hill and around the cairn there is some evidence
of peat digging which may have contributed to the exposure of an
alignment of five stones extending in a S.E. direction from the
perimeter of the cairn.
A sixth stone protruding rom the crest of the cairn is obvious,
though only 0.2m high, but may be a coincidence. The five stones
are spaced at intervals of about 3.0m and are firmly earthfast,
slabs and blocks 0.4m to 0.7m long, 0.1m to 0.4m wide, and
from 0.2m to 0.4m high. Their positioning is unlikely to be a
natural occurrence and yet form an unusual miniature stone
row, not even aligned to the centre of the cairn.
The only major pit dug into the cairn is on the S side. Overall
this is 4.0m across at the top and cut ito the slope of the
cairn to a depth of 1.3m at its northern side. Reminiscent of
a 1939-45 Home Guard look-out post.
Condition is fairly good, though some early rifling is apparent
on the top and sides.
Surveyed at 1/2500 and 1/500. (4)
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