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Singing Up the Country: The Songlines of Avebury and Beyond

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<< Our Photo Pages >> Monument to a Horse - Modern Stone Circle etc in England in Hampshire

Submitted by JimChampion on Wednesday, 28 June 2006  Page Views: 14404

Modern SitesSite Name: Monument to a Horse
Country: England
NOTE: This site is 0.9 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Hampshire Type: Modern Stone Circle etc
Nearest Town: Southampton  Nearest Village: Bramdean
Map Ref: SU62972716
Latitude: 51.040355N  Longitude: 1.103218W
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.
 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
 4

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Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : Both parts of the 'Monument to a horse' are visible here - stones from the 'Circle of Stones' in the foreground, and the 'Pile of Stones' on the far side of the A272 road (to the left of the silver car). The mossy stones in the foreground are part of a fallen 'tetralithon'. The largest standing tetralithon is on the left behind the hazel branch. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The "Monument to a Horse" lies alongside the A272 road, at a crossroads one mile east of Bramdean. On the northern side of the road is a ramshackle circle of sarsen tetralithons, and on the southern side a barrow-like mound of flints. Both are reputed to have been built by Colonel George Greenwood (1799-1875), of nearby Brockwood Park, in memory of a favourite horse.

If either of these modern monuments marks the grave of Col. Greenwood's horse, it is most likely to be the mound of flints - also known as the "Pile of Stones". The mound, which looks something like a cairn or round barrow, is about 5 metres in diameter and over a metre high. It is now surrounded by beech trees, probably also planted by George Greenwood. He was responsible for planting the avenue of copper beeches that lead up from the Pile of Stones to Brockwood Park.

The stone circle on the other side of the road is about 8 metres in diameter and sits on an apron at road level that protrudes into the hollow way alongside the A272 road. It looks as if the circle originally had at least five sarsen tetralithons - each one consists of three partially buried stones pointing upwards with a capstone resting on top. Only the two tetralithons nearest the road are still intact; the others have fallen, some have been prised apart by young hazel trees. Local accounts say that Greenwood himself transported all the stones to the site in a wheelbarrow after being told by a doctor that he did not have long to live, but that he might prolong his life by exercise in the open air.

Local tradition tells various unlikely stories about the circle - that it is "as old as Stonehenge", and that it is the burial site of the many soldiers killed in the Civil War battle at nearby Cheriton in 1644. More recently the circle gets a mention in Pieter Boogaart's book "A272: an ode to a road".

The sarsens that make up the stone circle, none of which exceed 1.5m in length, were probably uncovered by the quarry workings a short distance to the east of the site. Greenwood had an interest in geology, as well as in unearthing archaeological sites in the neighbourhood. His grave at All Saints Church (Hinton Ampner) is marked with a single recumbent sarsen stone, simply inscribed "COLONEL GEORGE GREENWOOD B. 1799 D. 1875".

Access The Pile of Stones and Circle of Stones are alongside the A272 at a minor crossroads between Bramdean and the Meon Hut traffic light junction. There is some room to park on the verge, and a convenient bus stop if travelling by public transport. Be prepared to knock back a few nettles and brambles if you want to see the Circle of Stones in the summer.

References
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Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : The largest 'tetralithon' with the A272 road behind. Much easier to see in the winter when the brambles and stinging nettled have died back. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by Upozi : The Marker (Grave Stone) (Vote or comment on this photo)

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by Upozi : Pile of stones with marker (Vote or comment on this photo)

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by Upozi : largest stone assemblage (Vote or comment on this photo)

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by Upozi : Sarsens from the South (Vote or comment on this photo)

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by Upozi : Bus shelter

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by Upozi : I visited this site in February 2023 and submit photos including of the damaged bus shelter that may help identify the place. I found a stone at the pile of flints which contrary to the previous information identifies the horse "Melksham" as belonging to Col Richard Meinertzhaven and having died in 1910. Obviously this stone was not present during earlier visits. A look at his Wiki entry suggests... (1 comment)

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : The 'Circle of Stones', from the verge of the A272 road. Two of the tetralithons are still standing. The one on the far left has fallen and the ones at the back have been pushed apart by hazel bushes.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : The smaller of the two standing tetralithons, with the A272 road in the background. Much easier to see these stones in the winter when the nettles and brambles have died back.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : The "Pile of Stones", to the south of the A272. This view is looking roughly south-west, with the minor road to Brockwood Park in the background. It is possible to park reasonably safely on the verge. The mound, which is reputed to cover the grave of a favourite horse of Col. George Greenwood, is now in the shade of beech trees planed by the same man.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : A most unusual gravestone in the churchyard of All Saints at Hinton Ampner. This recumbent sarsen marks the grave of Colonel George Greenwood (1799-1875). Greenwood was, amonst other things, an archaeologist and geologist. He was also responsible for building the Circle of Stones and Pile of Stones by the A272, north of Brockwood Park.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : Colonel George Greenwood's grave at All Saints church in Hinton Ampner is marked by this recumbent sarsen stone. Greenwood was, amonst other things, an archaeologist and geologist. He was also responsible for building the Circle of Stones and Pile of Stones by the A272, north of Brockwood Park.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : A composite photo of the Pile of Stones, to the south of the A272. This view is looking roughly west, with the minor road to Brockwood Park in the background. The mound, which is reputed to cover the grave of a favourite horse of Col. George Greenwood, is now in the shade of beech trees planed by the same man.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : Composite photo of the Circle of Stones from the hollow way to the north. The hazel tree in the centre seems to have grown up underneath one of the tetralithons and has gradually prised the sarsens apart.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : The smaller of the still-standing tetralithons, hidden from the road by bushes and brambles.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : One of the toppled tetralithons with its fallen capstone, in the shade of the beech and hazel trees.

Monument to a Horse
Monument to a Horse submitted by JimChampion : The largest of the standing tetralithons, and the one that many people notice as they hurtle past on the A272. At this time of year it is almost hidden by the surrounding nettles on the verge of the road.

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"Monument to a Horse" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Re: Monument to a Horse by Anonymous on Friday, 26 June 2015
Jim, I am a relative of Col George Greenwood - Prism the horse we have been told, was buried under the original mound which has Melksham''s headstone....but my rellie, Col George dies in 1928 and was buried in Froxfield......just wondering where your information comes from....we''re confused.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Monument to a Horse by Anonymous on Sunday, 12 November 2017
    As you are a relative, I was just wondering if you had any old pictures of around the village and at brockwood park, as I am interested in local history.
    [ Reply to This ]

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