<< Our Photo Pages >> Bunston Knowe - Modern Stone Circle etc in Scotland in Inverclyde
Submitted by AstroGeologist on Tuesday, 07 May 2019 Page Views: 1958
Modern SitesSite Name: Bunston Knowe Alternative Name: Bunston HengeCountry: Scotland
NOTE: This site is 0.404 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Inverclyde Type: Modern Stone Circle etc
Nearest Town: Greenock Nearest Village: Inverkip
Map Ref: NS25457530
Latitude: 55.938963N Longitude: 4.796223W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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AstroGeologist visited on 10th May 2019 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 3 Access: 4 Bunston Knowe :
The site is a lot bigger than l expected, due to being in private grounds of a hospital access was always limited. And from the aerial photographs it looked more like some sort of Henge, but as you can see it is actually some form of Earthworks.
I got the impression it was dug out ditches with raised banks, but it is more like some sort of Motte, on top of another Motte. Or possibly some sort of viewing platform. It actually looks like there used to be more than the current 2 layers, this is especially noticeable on the South and West sides, where the remains of 4 layers can be seen building up. The area surrounding the site has a massive embankment on it's Western perimeter, with a shallow depression separating it from Bunston Knowe.
Modern steps were built into the Earthworks around 1876 when the land was sold to build the Smithston Asylum.
On the Eastern side there is a shallow cutting through the turf running to the summit, which is about 2m high. Around the perimeter base it looks like there may possibly have been a ring of large boulders, which have now been removed.
The hospital was bulldozed in 2018 and is now a pile of rubble and the future of Bunston Knowe is uncertain, as plans were in place to turn the area into a housing scheme. I then read there are contamination issues at the site. I didn't know this before l went but l seem to be ok, bear it in mind though if you decide to go and have a look before this wonderful creation is destroyed forever.
*Getting There ; From Branchton train station it is approx 650m away (5 min walk)
It is a short walk from the train station, walk East along Inverkip Road for 475m passing Gleninver Road and then Neil Street across the street on your left, you'll soon come to a metal bridge on your right hand side, it goes over the railway tracks. Cross this and head South for a minute and you'll see Earthworks beyond the trees.
An Earthwork 'henge', in the grounds of what is now a hospital.
Sitting off centre on large circular flat piece of land 150m in diameter, the outer ditch measures approximately 30m in diameter, with the raised central part measuring about 15m across. This is connected by a narrow entrance type feature on the eastern side.
The site is enclosed by trees on all sides.
Test Pitted in 2019 by Claire Williamson from Rathmell Archaeology who wrote: No significant archaeological remains were uncovered. Made ground was found within one trial pit in the west which appeared to relate to extensive landscaping during the initial construction of the Smithston Poorhouse and Asylum at the end of the 19th century.
For great aerial photographs of this feature : Canmore ID 105643
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