<< Our Photo Pages >> King Edward's Monument - Cairn in England in Cumbria
Submitted by Anne T on Tuesday, 22 August 2017 Page Views: 1530
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: King Edward's MonumentCountry: England County: Cumbria Type: Cairn
Nearest Town: Carlisle Nearest Village: Burgh-by-Sands
Map Ref: NY3257460920
Latitude: 54.938371N Longitude: 3.053956W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Anne T visited on 20th Aug 2017 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 King Edward's Monument, Burgh-by-Sands: After having visited Beaumont, I was reluctant to go home without seeing something of the Solway, and looking across to Dumfries & Galloway, where we spent 12 years. When we last visited in February 2014 we were unable to get down the lane because it was so waterlogged (we got about one third of the way down and had to abandon the visit, having seen the monument only from afar). This time, the lane looked dry, so we parked by the little triangle of grass and could see the monument on the marshland below.
Appearances were certainly deceptive – parts of the lane were ankle deep in mud, and we picked our way from the track to the marshy grass land next to it, to dry stones and boulders where we could. Eventually we came to the stile over a small stream at NY 32773 60897, which led immediately down to a small wooden bridge and onto another stile. The other side of this stile was deep in water, but thankfully previous walkers had moved ‘stepping stones’ into the water. Once onto Burgh Marshes, the mounds left by ridge and furrow ploughing kept our feet dry until we got to the monument. Parts by the brick wall/metal railings surrounding the monument looked as if it was surrounded by a small moat!
What a place to have waited to cross the Solway. I think I would have preferred to have seen the original cairn rather than this Victorian monstrosity. The chimneys of Chapelcross, the decommissioned nuclear power plant, could be seen across the estuary, together with the flattened hilltop of Burnwark hillfort.
At the time of our visit, the tide was out, but I could imagine the shimmering water of the Solway to the west. A fitting end to a nice afternoon out.
Perhaps a strange entry to put on the Portal, but this monument now marks the place where King Edward 1 (Edward Longshanks) died in 1307, and is perhaps not to be overlooked by visitors to the area seeking out other ancient sites such as holy wells, mottes, cairns and early Christian sites.
This monument was originally marked by a cairn; this pillar was erected in 1685 and restored first in 1803 and again in 1876.
It is sited near the village of Burgh-by-Sands, on a flat and relative dry (but now marshy in parts) just south of the River Eden, shortly before it joins the Solway estuary to the west. It sits in splendid isolation, and is a poignant reminder of this formidable English king who died, probably of dysentery, whilst marshalling his army and waiting to cross the Solway estuary into Dumfries and Galloway.
For more information see Pastscape Monument No. 10843 and Historic England List ID 1087463. Edward's body was moved in short stages back to Westminster; his body lay in state at the nearby St. Michael's Church in Burgh-by-Sands. St. Michael's is one of three fortified churches on the line of Hadrian's Wall, built within the site of a Roman fort.
Access to the Burgh Marshes is by footpath from a small parking area at NY 32876 60329 and walking down the signposted lane. Even after a spell of dry weather, this lane is water-logged (our first visit in February 2014 was abandoned because we needed wellies), so be cautioned! A lonely but thought-provoking spot.
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