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<< 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 71
Country: England County: Devon Type: Cairn
Nearest Town: Chagford
Map Ref: SX6674284335
Latitude: 50.643422N  Longitude: 3.886049W
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
4 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
5 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.
5 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
5

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graemefield visited on 7th Apr 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 5

AngieLake have visited here

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : Thornworthy Cist, sitting in its little circle, looks approximately southwest across the water of Fernworthy reservoir. When first created it was on the north slopes of a river valley. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Cairn in Devon

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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Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : This cist was one of two discovered at Thornworthy but was removed to Torquay museum in the late 19th century. It now has a temporary home in the rear garden of the Dartmoor National Park Authority's visitor centre at Princetown. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : The second Thornworthy cist, now on display in the garden at rear of the Dartmoor National Park Assn High Moorland Visitor Centre in Princetown. (This shot taken through the window of the centre.) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : The second Thornworthy cist, once removed from the moor to Torquay Museum, but now on loan to Dartmoor National Park Authority, and situated in the rear garden of the visitor centre at Princetown. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : The description of a second Thornworthy cist that once belonged to Torquay Museum but is now temporarily on display in the rear garden of the High Moorland Visitor Centre of Dartmoor National Park at Princetown. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : JackME left his measuring rod in the cist while he photographed it. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by Bladup : The pretty little Thornworthy Cairn and cist.

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by Bladup : The lovely Thornworthy Cairn and cist.

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by Bladup : Thornworthy Cairn and cist.

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by Bladup

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by Bladup

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : Another view of the Thornworthy cairn cist (its lid can be seen sticking up above its front kerb on centre right), this time in an attempt to show the cairn circle surrounding it - bumpy lumps where the kerbstones used to be, and green grass in the middle.

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : An attempt to show how deep this very neat little cist at Thornworthy cairn is.

Thornworthy Cairn
Thornworthy Cairn submitted by AngieLake : The lovely little boxy cist in Thornworthy cairn circle, showing the bright red rowan berries someone had left as an 'offering'.

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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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