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MONUMENT NO. 220502

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Probable site of a stone circle at Clatford, which appears to have been destroyed by the 1880s. The earliest reference is a description (late 17th century) by John Aubrey of "eight huge stones in a circle", all of which "doe lie fall'n down". In 1723 William Stukeley referred to "twelve stones flat upon the ground in the middle of the road which seems to widen on purpose for it... Eight of them seem to lie in a circle...". In the early 19th century, Colt Hoare could only refer to these earlier sources, suggesting that the stones may already have gone. Certainly by the later 19th century AC Smith was unable to identify the site on the ground. The precise location of the stone circle is unclear; based on Stukeley's description, placenames and other documentary sources it has been suggested to lie south east of Clatford cross roads at 'Broken Crosses', or at 'Broadstones' where a widening of the road is suggested by the 1792 Inclosure Award.

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A stone circle near Clatford was first recorded by John
Aubrey in the 17th cent. In 1723 Stukeley noted that in the lane,
or rather Roman Road between Marlborough and Devizes, over
against Clatford and on the edge of the meadow just by the side
of the Kennet, close to Clatford Bottom "lie twelve stones flat
upon the ground in the middle of the road which seems to widen
on purpose for it and takes a little turn, too, upon that
account. Eight of them seem to lie in a circle (see plan (2))
and the other four may possibly have been the entrance or
beginning of an Avenue; they are all very large, being about the
size and shape of the stones of the outer circle of Stonehenge.
I measured one, 16 1/2ft long, 2yds broad .... There are two
barrows within site of it .... a little further westward you
turn on the right into the fields which leads (leaving a barrow
on the left hand) into the Clatford Bottom".

The stones have long since disappeared, Colt Hoare only being
able to cite Aubrey as evidence, and AC Smith could not identify
the site in the 1880's (1).

Free (3) considers the site to be on a piece of unenclosed
ground SE of Clatford cross roads on which there is still a
Pound, (SU 16106840). The area is known as Broken Crosses.

Grinsell (4) sites the circle to SU 16106855, quoting Piggott.

Meyrick, however, mentions 'The Broadstones' as being the local
name for the circle and "Broadstone W Meadow" shown by Smith as
the Tithe Map name for the narrow strip between the Bath road
and the Kennet, bounded on the west by Clatford Bottom and on the
east by Plough Cottage. (Area SU 16126900) "Bradstone mede" can
be dated back to 1466. (5). (1-5)

A topographical view of the stone circle, bisected by a road and
contained within wide verges, appears on a drawing of 1722 (b).
The site lies above Broadstone Mead (c) on the N side of the
river where the road forms a junction with a secondary track. (6)

The map with the Inclosure Award of 1792 (d) suggests that the
"Lord Bruce's Arms" now "Elm Cottage" at SU15916898, was built
where the road had locally widened or deviated. There is now no
evidence of this, though it is feasible, and the plot lies
immediately north of "Broadstone Watermeadow" (e).

Stukeley's ground observations of barrows etc, can also be
deduced from this area.

The siting indicated by Grinsell and Free seems largely based
on the field name "Broken Crosses". Neither the Tithe nor the
Inclosure map shows any local widening of the road in the
vicinity. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

Piggott, S 52, 1947-8 Page(s)390-1

( 2) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

(Long) 4, 1858 Page(s)317

( 3) General reference

Free, DW. 1950. Marlborough and District, pp11-12

( 4) edited by R B Pugh and Elizabeth Crittall 1957 A history of Wiltshire: volume 1, part 1

The Victoria history of the counties of England Grinsell, LV. Archaeological Gazetteer Page(s)96

( 5a) by the Rev A C Smith 1884 Guide to the British and Roman antiquities of the north Wiltshire downs in a hundred square miles round Abury; being a key to the large map of the above

Page(s)202

( 5) The Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine

56, 1955-6 Page(s)192-3

( 6a) Externally held archive reference

Gough Map 231 f249

( 6b) Externally held archive reference

Tithe Map, Preshute 1843

( 6) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 MHB 28-OCT-74

( 7a) Externally held archive reference

Inclosure Award Manton Preshute 1792

( 7b) Externally held archive reference

Tithe Map & Award Preshute 1843

( 7c) Externally held archive reference

Award for Tything of Clatford 1839

(8) Aubrey Burl 1976 The stone circles of the British Isles

Page(s)316-7, 332, 348

(9) by John Barnatt 1989 Stone circles of Britain : taxonomic and distributional analyses and a catalogue of sites in England, Scotland and Wales

British Archaeological Report (BAR) British series1 (1974) - 215 (i-ii) Page(s)474-5

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