<< Our Photo Pages >> Thornworthy Cairn - Cairn in England in Devon
Submitted by AngieLake on Monday, 02 October 2006 Page Views: 5470
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Thornworthy Cairn Alternative Name: Thornworthy Cist; Grinsell Chagford 3; Turner E39; Dixon 71Country: England County: Devon Type: Cairn
Nearest Town: Chagford
Map Ref: SX6674284335
Latitude: 50.643422N Longitude: 3.886049W
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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External Links:
I have visited· I would like to visit
graemefield visited on 7th Apr 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 5
AngieLake have visited here
This gorgeous little cist on the gentle lower southern slopes of Thornworthy Down, is surrounded by the remnant small kerb stones that once retained its covering mound. Since Fernworthy Reservoir was created in early 1940s it now overlooks water, whereas it once sat on the higher slopes of a river valley. It is on the landward side of the path that runs around the man-made lake, so unlikely to fill with water in the winter. However, it is quite deep inside, and I believe it has been dug out by treasure-seekers at some point in time. On the day JackME and I visited (11th September 2006) someone had placed a very attractive offering of rowan berries on the ledge inside it.
There is an easy walk to it from the other side of the reservoir, where one can park and walk down a track that leads over a small wooden bridge below the dam, then up a track on the other side. The 4-mile track around the reservoir is all level and makes a nice walk on a bright day. Sorry to say, it isn't so easily accessible for anyone in a wheelchair.
Update August 2019: This cist is featured on Prehistoric Dartmoor Walks - see their entry for the Thornworthy Cist, which tells us the barrow containing the cist measured 11.5 x 0.6m.
More information can be found at Pastscape Monument No. 443844; and on the Devon and Dartmoor HER MDV6613 (Thornworthy Cairn and Cist, Fernworthy), which adds: "A central cist was found with a second, smaller cist to the south-east. Unfortunately the second cist was rifled before it could be fully excavated .. the second cairn was removed after excavation … (the cist) was … re-erected at Torquay Museum. It is now at the High Moorland Visitor Centre at Princetown."
The cairn and cist are scheduled as Historic England List ID 1020058 (Cairn and cist on the northern side of Fernworthy Reservoir, 660m north west of Metherall).
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
337m SSE 163° Metherall Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX66838401)
696m SE 146° The Heath Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX6712083750)
697m SSW 196° East Lowton settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX6653783668)
717m N 354° Thornworthy Down Stone Row / Alignment (SX66688505)
858m E 85° Yardworthy* Stone Row / Alignment (SX6760184393)
1.0km SSW 204° Lowton Brook West Settlement* Ancient Village or Settlement (SX663834)
1.2km W 268° Fernworthy Cairn N* Cairn (SX65548433)
1.2km W 269° Fernworthy stone row N* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX6553884336)
1.2km WSW 256° Fernworthy Cairn E* Cairn (SX65568407)
1.3km WSW 255° Fernworthy Cairn 4* Cairn (SX65518403)
1.3km WSW 257° Fernworthy Cairn SE* Cairn (SX65498409)
1.3km WSW 257° Fernworthy stone row SE* Stone Row / Alignment (SX65498407)
1.3km WSW 258° Fernworthy circle* Stone Circle (SX65488411)
1.3km WSW 258° Fernworthy* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65488410)
1.3km WSW 258° Fernworthy stone row SW* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX6547984105)
1.3km NNW 329° Thornworthy Corner North Cist (SX66118546)
1.3km WSW 258° Fernworthy Cairn SW* Cairn (SX65478410)
1.3km NW 324° Shovel Down row 7* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX660854)
1.3km NNW 327° Three Boys* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX66038548)
1.5km NNW 328° Shovel Down row 6* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX660856)
1.5km NNW 331° The Longstone (Shovel Down)* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SX66038568)
1.6km NNW 333° Shovel Down row 5* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX66028581)
1.7km NNW 333° Shovel Down Cairn Row 4* Cairn (SX66008589)
1.7km SSE 150° Chagford Common Cairn* Cairn (SX6757182800)
1.8km NNW 333° Shovel Down row 4* Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SX65988595)
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