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Art as Metaphor: The Prehistoric Rock-art of Britain

Art as Metaphor: The Prehistoric Rock-art of Britain

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Hellstone - Long Barrow in England in Dorset

Submitted by Baz on Saturday, 18 June 2022  Page Views: 35514

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Hellstone Alternative Name: Hell Stone
Country: England County: Dorset Type: Long Barrow
Nearest Town: Dorchester  Nearest Village: Waddon
Map Ref: SY60588670  Landranger Map Number: 194
Latitude: 50.678615N  Longitude: 2.559285W
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.
 3 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.
 3 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

madmagickmoon SumDoood bernypaul AsgardW0lf KieKa rrmoser would like to visit

WMSPURLING visited on 26th Jul 2022 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Around the site is quite overgrown with long grass. Apart from that it’s quite a lovely peaceful spot. It’s not easy to find the footpath coming from the direction of Hardy’s monument. The footpath is contained by a wall to the left and barbed wire to the right and is quite overgrown, long grass, brambles, nettles etc. When you reach the summit you have to clamber over a gap in the wall to the left.

philw visited on 31st Dec 2021 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 2

Humbucker Bladup richsmith JimChampion TimPrevett ocifant have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3.5 Ambience: 4 Access: 2.5

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Antonine : 2009 (Vote or comment on this photo)
Long Barrow in Dorset. The Hellstone on Portesham Hill is an impressive dolmen, restored in 1866 after the capstone had fallen some six years earlier.

Further down the page: First light at the Hellstone, 22nd June 2018.

Note: A photo essay of the Hellstone by Antonine
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Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by bec-zog : Hell Stone Long Barrow on Portesham hill. Superb views of Chesil bank to the south (Vote or comment on this photo)

Hellstone Dolmen
Hellstone Dolmen submitted by morgoth : Hellstone Dolmen, near Portesham, Dorset. (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by baz : The Hellstone, Portesham Hill. (SY605867). An impressive dolmen, restored in 1866 after the capstone had fallen some six years earlier. (6 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Manja : What an impressive dolmen in beautiful surroundings! Visited on June 10th 2011. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Humbucker : Visited The Hellstone in the Spring. I parked halfway down Portisham Hill -where there is a little pull in layby. Some farmhands were moving soil with a tractor & trailer & I asked one of them if I was heading in the right direction for The Hellstone. He genuinely didn't know what I was talking about - I had a feeling it would be up on the ridge above the field so I asked if it was OK to climb up ... (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by axis : I seem to have the uncanny knack of having rain on me when I get out to most ancient sites, no exception here then! it adds a desolate note to the picture that seems to fit the surrounding landscape perfectly.

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Postman : A south east facing entrance

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Bladup : The Hellstone chambered cairn.

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by richsmith : Hellstone. October 2010

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by bec-zog : Encouraging interest in megaliths at The Hellstone burial chamber. 27m long 1.5m high. Incorrectly restored in the late 19th century. R.C.H.M dorset 2,3 (1970) 432

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by WMSPURLING : Hellstone, Portesham, Dorset.

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Bladup : The Hellstone chambered cairn.

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Bladup

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Bladup

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Bladup : The Hellstone.

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by richsmith : Hellstone. October 2010

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by richsmith

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by caradoc68 : Hellstone SY605 868, this is one of my first burial chambers and im inpressed. near village is Portesham bout a mile up very steep hill

Hellstone Dolmen
Hellstone Dolmen submitted by TimPrevett : 4th Photo

Hellstone Dolmen
Hellstone Dolmen submitted by TimPrevett : Visited Saturday 1st June 2002 - a glorious summer evening.

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Antonine : 2009

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Antonine (2 comments)

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Postman : Chesil beach is over there, longest shingle beach in Britain.

Hellstone
Hellstone submitted by Postman : Looking north north east towards Hardy's monument, a handy aid for navigation as you can see it from most of the sites hereabouts.

These are just the first 25 photos of Hellstone. If you log in with a free user account you will be able to see our entire collection.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 120m E 90° Portesham Stone 11 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY607867)
 156m SE 129° Portesham Stone 12 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY607866)
 241m ENE 65° Portesham Stone 3* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY608868)
 301m N 3° Portesham Stone 1 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY606870)
 319m E 90° Portesham Stone 5 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY609867)
 323m NNE 21° Portesham Stone 2* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY607870)
 332m NNE 21° Jeffrey & Joan (Portesham) Standing Stones (SY60708701)
 334m ENE 72° Portesham Stone 10* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY609868)
 377m ENE 57° Portesham Stone 4* Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY609869)
 456m NNE 28° Portesham Stone Row* Stone Row / Alignment (SY608871)
 662m SSW 205° Portesham Stone 7 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY603861)
 942m SSW 197° Portesham Stone 8 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY603858)
 997m NNE 13° Black Down (Dorset)* Modern Stone Circle etc (SY60818767)
 998m WSW 258° Hampton Down Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue (SY596865)
 998m WSW 258° Hampton Down* Stone Circle (SY596865)
 1.0km E 90° Portesham Stone 6 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY616867)
 1.1km SSW 200° Portesham Stone 9 Standing Stone (Menhir) (SY602857)
 1.1km NW 306° Valley of Stones circle* Stone Circle (SY59668738)
 1.2km NE 38° Hardy Monument Barrows* Barrow Cemetery (SY61308760)
 1.2km N 351° Black Down Barrows (Dorset)* Barrow Cemetery (SY604879)
 1.4km NW 322° Valley of Stones polisher* Polissoir (SY59758778)
 1.5km NW 323° Valley of Stones quarry* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry (SY59708788)
 1.5km NE 48° Smitten Corner* Barrow Cemetery (SY617877)
 1.6km SE 125° Waddon Henge Henge (SY6185085783)
 1.7km N 354° Winterbourne Steepleton 1* Long Barrow (SY6042788361)
View more nearby sites and additional images

<< Wilsworthy Cross Barrows

Treswallock Downs - Bronze Age cairn cemetery >>

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"Hellstone" | Login/Create an Account | 11 News and Comments
  
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Re: Hellstone Access as of Summer 2018 by TimPrevett on Thursday, 28 June 2018
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Access is now via the main Ridgeway Path to the north. Park in layby, walk past the farm buildings on the left, follow the signage to the main path, across a field boundary, head downhill, then a steep step-over stone stile on the right hand side (south) takes you along to the dolmen..
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hellstone Access by TimPrevett on Monday, 14 August 2017
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Not sure what the access line is here as of Summer 2017. The path from the layby is closed. The stile is overgrown with a "Private Land" sign boarded on to it. Walking a little way down from the layby you can take the main ridgeway path, but all routes approaching the dolmen from the west are blocked and the former gate immediately adjacent the monument is now tied and secured.

There was a German couple sat on top of the dolmen when I arrived and hoped to access from the west, they left to the north, so perhaps there is access that way. (I know they were likely German as the other vehicle in the layby was a big RV with German registration plate and D upon it).

The hedge line has been reduced on the boundary which bisects the barrow mound, and I reckon the height of the hedge in the adjacent west field trimmed down, so the dolmen is now visible from the main road if you know where to look.
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hellstone by autumnmoonfire on Thursday, 25 April 2013
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the lovely farmer that owns this land has put up a gate so its hard to get on the land not only that he has moved the cowshed close by so its very muddy by there he has done well trying to stop people getting on his land may i suggest you take some wellingtons with you if you are going to visit i will be next time im that way grrrr
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Hellstone by Katie on Monday, 25 March 2019
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    Yep it’s 2019 and there is still a cowshed and many perilous poo puddles on the path. The path comes out just to the side of the cow shed.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Video of the Hellstone at BBC Dorset by Anonymous on Wednesday, 27 June 2007
ruederoc writes:
I took the beautiful walk up from Portesham to the Hellstone and posted a pic-tour of the route on:
http://portesham.online-today.co.uk
[ Reply to This ]

Video of the Hellstone at BBC Dorset by Andy B on Tuesday, 17 April 2007
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Video at BBC Dorset
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2007/04/13/sacred_sites_feature.shtml
[ Reply to This ]

Re: Hellstone by stavares on Tuesday, 15 February 2005
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Has anyone looked at the orientation of the Hellstone?

Could it be a corruption of Heol (Sun) stone?

Did it let in the light of the Midweinter/midsummer/other/sunrise/sunset before it was damaged/changed/rebuilt?

I'd like to go and see it but finding sites in that area is very difficult, what with the narrow lanes and where to park. The maps aren't too clear either. I have visited the area many times, but not seen any of the sites, except the Valley of the Stones.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Hellstone by Thorgrim on Tuesday, 15 February 2005
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    Sorry to disillusion you, but the Hellstone structure that you see today only dates from the 19th century. The stones are an inaccurate reconstruction from the long barrow. As ever with place names, there can be a number of meanings. "Hele" means "a corner" in Anglo-Saxon as in Hele in Somerset; "hellir" means "a cave" in Old Norse as in Helbeck, Cumbria. Or it can be from a personal name like Helgi and it can mean "holy" as in Hellifield (Holy field from Halga-feld). Could even mean that Christians called it the Hell Stone because it was pagan and led to Hell! You pays your money and you takes your choice, but I don't think it means Heol (Sun) Stone. Then again - why do we call Stonehenge's outlier the Heel Stone? Was that name just an 18th century Druid invention? Probably.
    [ Reply to This ]
    Re: Hellstone by Anonymous on Monday, 28 February 2005
    Stavares: I would be happy to show all of the sites in the area. A liitle walking required so allow yourself a full day. I'll supply transport between the sites.

    Starman.
    mikecroley@hotmail.com.
    [ Reply to This ]
      Re: Hellstone by Anonymous on Wednesday, 20 December 2017
      My friend and I are keen to visit this site,but not sure how to find it!
      [ Reply to This ]

Re: Hellstone by enkidu41 on Tuesday, 20 July 2004
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Easily reached along either of 2 permissive paths both leading off from the right of way footpath which runs from the minor road running between Portesham and Winterbourne Steepleton (at about half a mile north of Portesham - park in layby) and the Hardy Monument. The first is near the road and signposted, the second is 400 yards further on and easily missed!

The massive stones of this inaccurately rebuilt monument make it no less impressive. It consists of 9 uprights up to 6' high and 2' thick supporting a 20 ton, 10' x 8' x 2' thick capstone forming a 9' x 5' x 5' chamber. This stands at the SE end of a mound formerly 88' long and up to 40' wide more or less aligned along the directions of the mid-winter solstice sunrise and summer solstice sunset.
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