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Anne T visited on 27th Jun 2018 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone: This was my first real 'day out' since being ill with flu and having been confined to bed for a week, so not feeling hugely great in myself, but great to be outside again. We met Sandy G (of Stone Rows of Great Britain fame) in Hownam Village and followed The Street, Sandy kindly moderating his pace to a slow 'plod' to accommodate me, until we reached Horseshoe Wood. The sun was bright and the temperature rose higher as we walked up the slope. I was glad to stop at the standing stone for a drink and to take some photographs. Great to hear Sandy’s views about the location of the stone and its context; it’s difficult to know what ages standing stones actually are, and whether they are in their original location. However, this one is placed right next to an important route, The Street, described as a ‘historic cross border route), which provides the context. There is a quarry to the immediate east of the stone, which makes the location look a little suspicious, but the stone looks as if it is in its original location with packing stones around its base and on a low, oval mound.

Anne T visited on 4th May 2015 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Horseshoe Wood Standing Stone, Hownam, Scottish Borders: Note, when parking in the village and starting up The Street, in the field immediately to the right hand side of The Street, there appears to be what might be another standing stone or stones at grid reference NT 77991 19158. I coudn't find out anything about this apart from a brief mention on (dare I mention it! the Modern Antiquarian site). From our parking spot in Hownam Village, The Street climbs slowly, steadily (and for the unfit, steeply!) up into the hills, although taken steadily it’s easy walking along a farm track. The views of the surrounding hills are impressive. Passing Horseshoe Wood with its possible settlement/mound, you turn the corner and see the standing stone sticking up out of a pair of banks to your right hand side. There has obviously been modern quarrying nearby – the scars are visible with stones scattered around the area between the end of the wood and the standing stone. Ignoring these, this spot is beautiful with stunning views to the south. The standing stone sits easily in the landscape on top of an elongated oval mound that we found has been scooped out at the far end – a quarry, or naturally shaped? My conclusion was that it was quarried in modern times, not very sympathetically. The Canmore/RCAHMS notes say that in 1968 and 1979 this stone was leaning at an angle of 55 degrees. It is upright now, so has been re-seated at some time. The Street continues up in between the Headshaw Law and Windy Law to your right and Hownam Rings to the left. Towards the top of the hill there is a signpost, and a left hand turn takes you towards The Shearers. Half way up the hill, to the right hand side of the track at grid reference NT 79015 19018 there is a reasonably sized boulder which sits on its own. For some reason I glanced at this rock and noticed an indentation. Looking more closely, I’m convinced this is a cup mark with a possible ring around it.



Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3 Ambience: 4 Access: 3.5

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