<< Text Pages >> Hawking Craig - Cave or Rock Shelter in Scotland in North Ayrshire
Submitted by AstroGeologist on Tuesday, 21 May 2019 Page Views: 1003
Natural PlacesSite Name: Hawking Craig Alternative Name: Hawking Cave, Hawking Cairn, Hawking CistsCountry: Scotland
NOTE: This site is 0.776 km away from the location you searched for.
County: North Ayrshire Type: Cave or Rock Shelter
Nearest Town: West Kilbride Nearest Village: Seamill
Map Ref: NS17945079
Latitude: 55.716240N Longitude: 4.899868W
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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Cave or Rock Shelter in North Ayrshire
A Rock Shelter consisting of 2 small Caves in the Sandstone Cliffs of Hawking Craig, at Hunterston in Ayrshire.
Hawking Cave is referred to locally as 'The Holy Cave', it has associations with Irish Monk Kentigern, now known as St. Mungo - founder of Glaschu in the ancient kingdom of Strathclyde. To the South is a 2nd cave called Smiths Cave (Named after "John Smith" ~ author of 1895 book 'Prehistoric Man in Ayrshire')
The entrance to Hawking Cave is about 3m above the level of the old raised beach that runs down to the sea. In 1879 the cave was excavated, the size of the cave at the entrance is 1.8m x 1.8m and this extends 8.2m deep. The back 4.5m were excavated to a depth of 1.8m. Three "floors" were visible, One at 45cm, another at 75cm, and the third 1m deep, indicating three different periods of occupation.
Each was formed of layers of Sea Shells on layers of Ashes on trodden sand. Deer, Pig, Sheep, Ox, and Goat Bones were found at all levels, Horse Bones between the upper and second, and Dog Bones between the middle and third floors. Bone, Flint and Slate Objects were found along with some Pottery and a bit of Slag in the debris. The Pottery included a coarse, unglazed, Reddish type and a thinner, better type with a Green glaze.
From Hawking Cave you look directly West across to Lesser Cumbrae 2.75km away, which was once attached to the mainland before sea levels rose after the last Ice Age.
Records of "J. Paterson" from 1866 show that a Cairn used to stand on the level piece of ground between Hawking Craig and the sea. He notes that some Cists & Urns with Human Remains were also found in the vicinity of Hawking Craig. As well as an Axe Hammer and a Flint Point, the famous Hunterston Brooch was also found near Hawking Craig.
For more information : Canmore ID 40667
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