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<< Our Photo Pages >> Sherwell Long Barrow - Long Barrow in England in Devon

Submitted by AngieLake on Monday, 03 January 2005  Page Views: 9039

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Sherwell Long Barrow Alternative Name: Sherrill Long Barrow
Country: England County: Devon Type: Long Barrow
Nearest Town: Ashburton  Nearest Village: Dartmeet
Map Ref: SX677752
Latitude: 50.561535N  Longitude: 3.86925W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
1 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
3

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Sherwell Long Barrow
Sherwell Long Barrow submitted by AngieLake : Sherwell Long Barrow on Dartmoor, just north of Yar Tor, photographed on 9th September 2000. See site page for more info (click on blue title to top left of picture). (Vote or comment on this photo)
This long barrow lies on a NW - SE axis, on private land in the hamlet of Sherwell (as spelled on my Ordnance Survey map (Outdoor Leisure 28 Dartmoor). The hamlet has also been referred to as Sherrill. The settlement is worth a visit just to see the quaint ancient houses, but I don't think you would be able to access the barrow without permission, and it was nearly 5 years ago that I visited with another member of our local dowsing group, following an invite from the lady owner. This privacy would be respected by anyone reading this article, I hope.


The leader of our group, Tony Heath, had measured the length and width in megalithic yards (ie: one equals 2ft 8.64ins, or 82.966 centimetres), making it 65 long, by 30 wide. I missed the initial group's visit to dowse due to working full-time, but returned alone with Tony one Saturday, and whilst he visited the lady, I did my own dowsing - records of which would be available if anyone wished to see them.

When Tony re-joined me, we dowsed the underground chambers, working in a kind of mirror-image movement from the top surface of the barrow away from the collapsed SE entrance. (We were unable to investige this entrance as it was covered in bushes). We confirmed a long chamber reaching back approximately 1/3 of the way along the barrow from the entrance, and on each side were five side chambers, with the middle one on the NE side being partially collapsed (at least, it dowsed in a 'W' pattern, rather than square). The long passage, off which these chambers led, ended in a narrow rectangular space, the width of the passage. We crossed-checked each others' findings, walking right around the whole ten/(eleven, if you count the narrow end chamber) from the entrance, and back to the entrance again.

We also dowsed that a 'dolmen-like' structure once stood atop the barrow (or in a position at a distance of at least 3/4 of the way from the entrance, and slightly to the NE of the barrow's ridge). It's possible that we picked up a ground-level structure, later incorporated into the mound of the barrow. (Some of the Severn-Cotswold chambered tombs have burial cists included in the rear ends of their mounds.)

Due North from this 'dolmen' was firstly a straight, followed by a looping processional route, which ended in many swirls on the spot just 6 paces from the present-day NW wall, before executing a large 'figure-of-eight' movement to the N, (also found in front of Long Meg herself, for instance) which overlapped the present path, before linking back in to the swirl, turning 21 times, then returning to the 'dolmen'.

(I had a theory about this movement:

"The processional route to the North was really interesting. What did all those squashed serpentine movements mean? Maybe a standing stone, or wooden 'totem pole'/'post' of some description once stood where the swirls occurred at the end of that movement, and perhaps the exaggerated zig-zag route was encouraged to amplify the importance of the approach to it? After the figure-of-eight movement, just like an Analemma (the track made by the sun as seen from a fixed point on the surface of the Earth over the course of the year) that crossed the present-day track, I returned to the swirl, which this time, executing 21 anti-clockwise turns, seemed never-ending. Maybe it guaranteed the 'priest' or 'priestess' would enter a dizzying trance as he/she moved back along the 'stone row' (another N - S axis row possibly stood here) to the dolmen, heightening his connection with the other worlds? Whatever........."

That passage is taken from the book I have written, which is awaiting a publisher.)

A processional route, up and down a longer 'stone row', once existed between the 'dolmen' and a 'blocking stone' (none of these stone monuments are visible now) to the NE of the SE barrow entrance. This entire ritual movement commenced from the 'blocking stone' at SE to the 'dolmen', in a NW direction, and was followed by the aforementioned northerly processional route, after which it circled the 'dolmen' in an anticlockwise direction, before returning to the 'blocking stone' again. Then I turned back to the NW for a few paces, before heading off to the NE a few more paces, and finally ended in a multiple swirl. I believe this was where I ended the whole exercise, due to the tiredness that comes on after such a lot of concentration.
(It is always important to record all these moves, then they can be compared with other sites' patterns. I always 'ask' to be shown the original ritual movements when the site is at the height of its importance, whilst holding copper L-shaped rods, which move of their own accord when I concentrate on that subject. Before you pooh-pooh this, find your local dowsing society, and have a go. I guarantee you will be amazed! Having said that, I don't know anyone else who does processional route dowsing, but it works on the same priniciple of 'the need to know', as in water dowsing, or earth energy dowsing.)

As the barrow's entrance faced SE, it may, like Newgrange and many others, have been aligned to the sunrise at the Winter Solstice. It seems to have been one of the most important ritual times of the year for the ancient people. However, the horizon in that direction is obscured by high tors (the rugged hills of Dartmoor, with their unusual granite formations, often also topped off with cairns). This would make the sun appear a little later, over the brow of the hills. When checking the ordnance survey map - despite the lower ground between Yar Tor and Corndon Tor that could have given a sun 'peep' - the SE axis would be more likely to align with Corndon Tor.

This dowse was completed on 9th September 2000, and is copyright of the Society of Moorland Dowsers, and also of myself, Angela Lake. I'd be happy to share any info with anyone, as this particular part of our dowsing exercise was really just my own findings.
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Sherwell Long Barrow
Sherwell Long Barrow submitted by AngieLake : A close-up of the remnants of the little stone row that runs along the east side of the barrow. The 'High' stone above the barrow's 'SE entrance' may be seen clearly in this picture, tucked under the bushes middle right. The barrow seems to be orientated towards the summit of Corndon Tor, 434m, approximately SE. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Sherwell Long Barrow
Sherwell Long Barrow submitted by AngieLake : Sherwell Barrow's position in relation to Yar Tor, 416m, whose summit is directly South. (I was on the summit of Yar Tor a week later, 27 Feb 05, and measured the angle with my compass, showing this site to be due North of it). The small stones of the row are visible here, left of centre again. The 'High' stone above the 'SE entrance' is barely visible under the bushes above the row. The dowsed ... (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Sherwell Long Barrow
Sherwell Long Barrow submitted by AngieLake : Sherwell Barrow and its alignment with the cairn-topped summit of Corndon Tor, 434m, approx SE. The stones in the middle of the pic were dowsed by the group (in 2001) as the remnants of a dolmen-like structure. (If this was correct, the larger stones were probably used in building walls, as Sherwell is an ancient settlement). The tiny white stones, left centre, near the bottom of the barrow's e... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Sherwell Long Barrow
Sherwell Long Barrow submitted by AngieLake : This view of the supposed SE entrance to Sherwell Barrow is taken from a position outside the trees, and shows a large fallen stone that may have come from the left of the barrow entrance (middle far left). The 'High' stone would be around the top right-hand corner of this picture. For convenience, I've referred to this one as the 'Low' stone. It doesn't appear in any other pictures. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Sherwell Long Barrow
Sherwell Long Barrow submitted by AngieLake : Getting in under the trees, in an attempt to find the SE entrance of Sherwell Barrow, and prove it exists. The steep bank and irregular disturbance in the underlying soil here could mask an entrance. The short upright granite stone on the top of the barrow is just visible here, top middle, behind some branches. It appears to be set there on purpose, above this entrance. (Its position may be see... (Vote or comment on this photo)

Sherwell Long Barrow
Sherwell Long Barrow submitted by AngieLake : This is the first view of Sherwell Barrow when approaching by the footpath that leads uphill from the hamlet of the same name. (Marked on Ord.Survey map in green, and signposted to Cator, I seem to remember.) The trees mark the area just in front of where the SE entrance would be, and this area is shown in close-up in other photos to be posted. Middle right is the barrow ridge. (2 comments)

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 995m ESE 117° Corndon Down N Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SX68587473)
 1.2km S 172° Yar Tor Enclosure* Causewayed Enclosure (SX67847403)
 1.2km SSE 161° Yar Tor NW* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX6806674043)
 1.3km S 171° Yar Tor Summit* Cairn (SX67867394)
 1.3km SE 138° Corndon Down Cairns* Barrow Cemetery (SX68557420)
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 1.4km SSE 161° Money Pit Cairns* Cairn (SX68147384)
 1.8km S 181° Yar Tor Prehistoric Homestead* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX67627342)
 1.9km SSE 153° Ouldsbroom Cross* Ancient Cross (SX6850173504)
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 2.3km WSW 249° Huccaby Rings Outer* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX6554474428)
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 2.3km W 272° Laughter Tor row 1* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65377532)
 2.4km NNW 344° Cator Common Platform Cairn and Cist Cairn (SX67107751)
 2.4km N 349° Cater Common settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX673776)
 2.4km SE 144° Sherberton Common Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX691732)
 2.5km W 273° Laughter Tor Longstone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX65227538)
 2.5km W 273° Laughter Tor row 2* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65207538)
 2.8km N 353° Cator Common Cairn Circle* Cairn (SX6742678001)
 3.1km WSW 258° Dunnabridge Pound* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX64617462)
 3.2km WNW 297° Bellever Tor NE Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX64867675)
 3.2km WSW 241° Sherberton stepping stones* Ancient Trackway (SX64817370)
 3.5km S 189° Combestone Tor* Rock Outcrop (SX671718)
 3.5km N 355° Soussons Common* Stone Circle (SX6751178692)
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"Sherwell Long Barrow" | Login/Create an Account | 7 News and Comments
  
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Re: Sherwell Long Barrow by AngieLake on Saturday, 14 May 2005
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Writing in her book "Tales of a Dartmoor Village" (about Postbridge), Miss Theo Brown, F.R.A.I. tells a chilling tale of this area:
"The Headless Goat. - A friend of mine, a woman now of middle age, recounts an affair that happened about 25 years ago. She was hunting on the moor, and at the end of the day found herself in the Sherril neighbourhood with darkness falling. Her way lay over the little bridge across the Walla Brook and up a lane between two hedges set with tight beeches. Her horse developed colic, and my friend dismounted and began to lead it gently up and down to ease it. It was now very dark. Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the hedge, as of a body pushing through. As she peered in that direction a headless white goat burst through and dropped on to the road and clattered off down the lane towards the bridge. The horse shied violently, and my friend had enough to do without noting any more of the goat's activities. She was so shocked at the sight of the bleeding stump, as though the goat had just that minute been decapitated, that it did not occur immediately to her that it was odd that she saw so much in the dark. She could not face passing up that lane again for many months.
At length, there came a day when she felt it was absurd to go miles out of her way and she must break the spell, and she took the same route home after a hunt. She came up the lane, the horse showed no sign of colic, and - the same rustling repeated - the same headless white goat leapt out on to the road. This time the horse bolted down the road, and again my friend was not able to see what happened to the goat.
After that she made some enquiries round about and discovered that there was a local tradition about this extraordinary apparition, but no story was known that accounted for it."

(The author was an educated woman, belonging to an official society, so why should she make this up? And if there had been a hunt on both days, why should the goat break through the hedge at the same place?!)

She also told a story of another woman coming face-to-face with beautiful slender white dog, like an Afghan or Saluki, ("It has a long cream-coloured coat - and a beautiful face.") while walking in the little wood above Pizwell [follow the Walla Brook north of Sherwell]. Her own dog, Tinker, flattened his ears and fled out of the wood. She spoke to the white dog as it came close - and it vanished! Two others mentioned seeing it, and one told of a farmer who saw it frequently on Cator Common, just north of Sherwell. Another farmer also saw it there in 1950, when looking for sheep. Miss Brown adds: "Some few ghost dogs appear tall and thin like this, and one in Lincolnshire was described as of Saluki type. It seems likely that they are ghosts of old types of deer- or wolf-hounds, which would not be familiar to a percipient nowadays."
Strange.....
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Re: Sherwell Long Barrow by Anonymous on Friday, 25 March 2005
This is not a long barrow. It is a natural feature
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Re: Sherwell Long Barrow by AngieLake on Monday, 07 March 2005
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In Jeremy Butler's book 'Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities - Vol.1', he mentions the footpath that runs close to this barrow. (But not the barrow itself!):
"An ancient track from Cator Gate to Sherwell pre-dates the medieval fields which bound it on either side."
Reading this led me to wonder if this evidence helps to prove that this IS a barrow, as it lies so close to the footpath. Maybe the track existed during the long-barrow building period, and tribes used it to come here from that direction (Cator was a prehistoric settlement) to attend rituals or burials?
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Re: Sherwell Long Barrow by AngieLake on Tuesday, 01 March 2005
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To my knowledge there is no other evidence, Enkidu. Maybe the inclusion of it on this website will prompt someone to find out?
I was there on Sunday 20th Feb 05, and took more photos. The summit of Yar Tor is directly south from the barrow. Corndon would be approx SE.
Meanwhile, just a note that Wm. Crossing mentions Sherwell in his 'Guide to Dartmoor' (I've got a reprint of the 1912 edition):
"....we climb the hill between the enclosures to Sherwell, one of the ancient villages. In Edward the First's time there is mention of a Hamlin de Sherwell, who held land at Dunnabridge.
Thence we make our way to the summit of the lofty Corn Down, 1/2 m. E., where are several fine cairns. Southward is Corndon Tor, and still further S. Sherwell Down, or as it is often called, Sherberton Common. Sherwell, by the way, is always Sherell on the moor."
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Re: Sherwell Long Barrow by enkidu41 on Wednesday, 19 January 2005
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Presumably this site has never been excavated but is there any other evidence other than this dowsing experience that this really is a long barrow (rare on Dartmoor after all)? And don't get me wrong, I believe dowsing gets results and I practice it myself in a dilatory way but such conclusions ought not to be accepted without some sort of corroboration.
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Re: Sherwell Long Barrow by AngieLake on Wednesday, 19 January 2005
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You can now visit this site, as I have asked Tony if it IS on private land, and he said 'No'. I was obviously mistaken. For helpful tips, see my comment under the photograph. (It may be wiser to walk to the barrow..)
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Re: Sherwell Long Barrow by TheCaptain on Monday, 10 January 2005
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Odd that such a large and significant looking monument does not seem to get any kind of a mention in any of the Butler books, which seem to be so thorough. I dont know whether it gets amention in any of the other standard Dartmoor references.

Just goes to show, that theres still places like this to be discovered. Well done indeed Angie.
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