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Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

Inscribed Across the Landscape: The Cursus Monuments of Great Britain

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Gormyre - Standing Stone (Menhir) in Scotland in West Lothian

Submitted by vicky on Wednesday, 03 March 2004  Page Views: 8967

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Gormyre
Country: Scotland County: West Lothian Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Nearest Town: Bathgate  Nearest Village: Torphichen
Map Ref: NS98067311  Landranger Map Number: 65
Latitude: 55.940192N  Longitude: 3.633588W
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.
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.
4 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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I have visited· I would like to visit

AstroGeologist visited on 25th Aug 2018 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 3 Gormyre Menhir : Made of Red Grit Sandstone, the Menhir is small, only 1.2m tall, but it isnt the size thats important, it's the location that is. l tried to picture the landscape when this may have been placed here, l cant imagine too much having changed, apart from the flora perhaps, and maybe some dwellings have came and gone since then. The location is nice and peaceful, from leaving Cairnpapple until reaching Torpichen l didn't encounter a single person. Which was a walking time of nearly an hour. l was wondering if there was possibly more stones with this in the past, or if it had spent its days alone. Plain Menhir, but worth the visit and glad l came to see it. From here Torpichen Preceptory Menhir is about a 20 minute walk away. *Getting There ; Around a half hour walk from Cairnpapple, which is 2.2km away (or a 1.6km walk if coming from the Torpichen Cup Marked Menhir) Coming from Cairnpapple, go back out the main entrance onto the same country road that brings you from Knock Stone Circle, continue North until you come to a road and turn left. Walk down this road for a couple of minutes and take your next right. Walk North for about 475m and take your 2nd left down a long 450m+ tree lined country road, follow this to the end and take the sharp right, then left and you will come to a gated field. You will see the Menhir standing against the horizon. Take the tractor path up to a gate in the field, and remember to be careful if the farmer has crops in when you visit.

Anne T visited on 22nd Sep 2017 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Gormyre Stone, Torphichen: Ever since I went to Torphichen on 13th May 2017, I’ve wanted to come back and not only look round the Preceptory, but also try to find the other refuge stones associated with the Sanctuary Stone in the churchyard. Today, despite not feeling 100% I was glad to be in search of this stone, and delighted to be able to see it from the road. We parked at NS 98072 72853 (there was just enough room by the gate to pull off the road), approximately 1.2 km east of Torphichen Preceptory. The farmer had padlocked the gates into the field and the track which ran alongside it; these were really high and a little precarious to climb over (didn’t want to break them), so I ended up clambering gingerly over the wooden fence next to the gate. Following the grassy trackway north, just over 200 metres further on there was another gate, again padlocked, so we negotiated the wooden fence next to it. Thankfully, the huge bull and his ladies were in the adjoining field. This stone sits on top of a natural mound. We couldn’t see the outline of the Maltese Cross on the north face of the stone, despite careful looking at a number of different angles and distances (although looking at one of the photographs, it does stand out a little). A really nice location, and a very friendly stone.



Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.5 Ambience: 3.5 Access: 3.5

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : A view across the northern face of this standing stone, which is supposed to have a Maltese Cross inscribed upon it. In 1974, Canmore reported there was no longer any trace of the cross. In this image, there are two raised lines across the face of the stone, similar to the boundary marker at Witch Crag/Craig nearby; these may well be natural, but I only spotted these in the viewing the photograp... (Vote or comment on this photo)
Standing Stone in West Lothian

This is one of the sanctuary stones marking the sanctuary area associated with Torphichen Preceptory. More information can be found on Canmore ID 47915 which describes this stone as: "This quadrilateral upright boulder stands on the summit of a low flat-topped ridge. Of hard red grit, it is c. 4' high, 2' 8" x 2' wide at bottom, and 3' 5" wide at top" and it had a Maltese Cross on its northern face.

The Canmore record goes onto state that in 1974 there was no longer any trace of the Maltese Cross.

This stone is also featured on the Ancient Stones: A Guide to Standing Stones and Stone Circles in the South of Scotland - see their entry for Standing Stone, Gormyre, Torphichen, which includes a description, directions for finding the stone with nearby parking, folklore and fieldnotes.
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Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by tjyukito : Winter season in 2020 (3 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by tjyukito (Vote or comment on this photo)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by tjyukito : Winter image in 2020 (Vote or comment on this photo)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : Hi, AstroGeologist, With reference to your comment about the farmer having moved the stone, I don't think he has. Here's my version of your photo shown in PID 194979 with the same tree, albeit from a slightly different angle, taken on 22nd September 2017. The stone still sits on top of the distinct, flat-topped high point on the hill. The angle of the hedge line running across the photo is still t... (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing S (25.08.18) : 4 large boulders at the edge of Gormyre field (1 is balanced on top the other 3, and it looks like the local cattle are attracted to them too) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing N (25.08.18) : 4 large boulders at the edge of Gormyre field (Were they stones that never got to be used for their megalithic purposes - or were they left here by a farmer who moved them out his field?)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing SW (25.08.18) : NE sides of Menhir, facing Torpichen

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing S (25.08.18) : North face of Gormyre Menhir

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing E (25.08.18) : From this angle it looks like a completely different stone entirely

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing SW (25.08.18) : The North face of the Menhir - you cant tell it has a concaved back from this angle

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing SE (25.08.18) : The entrance to the field you have to enter, with the mast at Cairnpapple visible 1.5km away

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing NE (25.08.18) : Concaved Southern Face (Every angle makes this stone look like a different stone)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing N (25.08.18) : The South face of the Menhir

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by AstroGeologist : Facing NW (25.08.18) : 120cm tall Menhir situated in a vegetable field (Wonder what this place was like when it was originally placed here, & then wonder what the area was like centuries later when it was used as a sanctuary marker stone for the Torpichen Preceptory 1 mile away?)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : Standing just north of the stone looking directly southwards towards the main gate into the field and the road. The farmland around here seems to be incredibly fertile with lush, long grass (and huge cattle in the neighbouring field!). (1 comment)

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : Standing just to the south east of the stone, looking westwards towards Torphichen.

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : A view of the stone, looking directly east across the fields.

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : Close up of the south facing face of this sanctuary stone, which stands on a low, natural mound.

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : The stone, looking east, across its concave face.

Gormyre
Gormyre submitted by Anne T : First view of the Gormyre Sanctuary Stone from the gate into the field by the road running west to Torphichen and the Preceptory.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 1.0km SSE 147° Lower Craigmailing (Torphichen)* Ancient Cross (NS98627222)
 1.1km ESE 110° Craigmailing Boundary Marker (Torphichen)* Marker Stone (NS99097270)
 1.3km NE 52° Kipps Farm* Round Cairn (NS99087387)
 1.4km WSW 242° Torphichen Churchyard Stone* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS96847250)
 1.5km SSE 153° Cairnpapple Hill* Round Cairn (NS98727175)
 1.5km NNE 33° Cockleroy Hill (Beecraigs)* Hillfort (NS98947438)
 2.1km SSE 148° Knock Stone Circle* Modern Stone Circle etc (NS99137133)
 2.5km NNE 21° Williamcraigs Standing Stone* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (NS99037544)
 3.4km SSE 166° Galabraes* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS9881869839)
 3.4km SW 225° North Couston Refuge Stone* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (NS95637078)
 3.8km E 79° Beecraigs Round Cairn (NT01827372)
 3.8km WSW 253° Westfield Farm Refuge Stone* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (NS94377211)
 4.0km N 9° The Boarstane (Linlithgow) Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS98757706)
 4.4km NNE 26° Linlithgow Camp Not Known (by us) (NT00057700)
 4.6km NNE 27° Cross Well (Linlithgow)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NT0021677170)
 6.5km WSW 238° Hillhouse (Torphichen) Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS92456984)
 6.5km NNW 341° Inveravon Temporary Camps 1 & 2 Not Known (by us) (NS96117933)
 6.6km NNW 330° Polmonthill Temporary Camp Not Known (by us) (NS94867895)
 6.9km NW 326° Little Kerse Temporary Camp Not Known (by us) (NS94327892)
 6.9km NNW 339° Inveravon Roman Camp Not Known (by us) (NS95777965)
 7.2km N 356° Kinneil Fortlet Ancient Village or Settlement (NS97748031)
 7.2km NNW 334° Inveravon Roman Fort Ancient Village or Settlement (NS95107969)
 7.5km SW 228° Boar Stone (Armadale)* Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (NS92336820)
 8.1km NNE 14° Kinglass Park Marching Camp Not Known (by us) (NT00178097)
 8.4km NNE 24° Muirhouses Camp Not Known (by us) (NT01688071)
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