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Iron Age Britain, Barry Cunliffe

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<< Text Pages >> Dwarf's Tomb (Alva) - Burial Chamber or Dolmen in Scotland in Clackmannanshire

Submitted by Anne T on Wednesday, 06 September 2017  Page Views: 1971

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Dwarf's Tomb (Alva)
Country: Scotland County: Clackmannanshire Type: Burial Chamber or Dolmen
Nearest Town: Alva
Map Ref: NS88489754
Latitude: 56.157450N  Longitude: 3.797053W
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
no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
no data 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.
no data 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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Burial Chamber (Dolmen) in Clackmannanshire

The tomb is recorded as Canmore ID 47076 which tells us the flexed skeleton of a dwarf which had been buried in natural cavity in the rock was discovered in 1913 whilst quarrying at the mouth of Alva Glen. They add: "The body had been placed in a cavity or rock shelter in the face of the cliff, about 40ft from the base and about 200ft above sea-level, and a rough, curved wall of dry-stone building, about 1ft thick, had been built across the opening, which faced east."

The Northern Antiquarian (TNA) also features a page for this curious site - see their entry for Dwarf’s Tomb, Alva, Clackmannanshire, which gives directions for finding the tomb, together with photographs and a brief archaeology & history and local folklore which says the place is haunted by the spirit of a dangerous witch!

TNA add a note saying: "The exact spot of the tomb appears to have been destroyed, or at the very least is certainly covered over and no longer visible.  The section of the quarry looking east, into which the tomb was built, is all-but gone and no initial evidence prevails to show its exact location.  However, it would seem from the description to have been close to the tops of the tree-line, perhaps giving a clear view to the rising sun in the east.  Perhaps… 
The position of this tomb, enclosed high up in the cliffs, hidden away at the entrance to the deeply cut ravine of the Alva Glen, is intriguing in that it is a rarity."

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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
NS8897 : One Of The Alva Glen Waterfalls by Gary Buchan
by Gary Buchan
©2009(licence)
NS8897 : Alva Golf Club by Doug Lee
by Doug Lee
©2014(licence)
NS8897 : Dam and falls on the Alva Burn by David Brown
by David Brown
©2021(licence)
NS8897 : Entrance to the Alva Glen car park by wrobison
by wrobison
©2023(licence)
NS8897 : Alva Glen by Chris Wimbush
by Chris Wimbush
©2006(licence)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 351m NNE 13° Ladies Well (Alva) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS88579788)
 452m SE 132° St Serf's Well (Alva) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS88819723)
 2.6km E 90° Lady's Well (Tillicoultry) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS91119749)
 3.3km SW 226° Priest's Well (Tullibody) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS8606995324)
 3.3km SW 226° The Maiden Stone (Tullibody)* Sculptured Stone (NS86039533)
 3.5km SW 233° Lady's Well (Tullibody) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS85639548)
 3.5km NNW 328° Bengengie North Ancient Village or Settlement (NN8668000601)
 3.9km E 89° Tillicoultry House Carving (Tillicoultry) Rock Art (NS92409752)
 4.0km SW 224° Haer Stane* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS85659475)
 4.1km ENE 64° Eliston West (Tilicoultry) Cairn (NS92209924)
 4.1km E 95° Cunninghar Stone Circle (NS92569708)
 4.8km S 171° Hawk Hill Cairn (Alloa) Cairn (NS89119282)
 5.1km SSE 160° Parkmill Cross (Alloa) Ancient Cross (NS9013392661)
 5.4km SSE 155° Hawk Hill (Alloa) Stone Circle (NS906926)
 5.6km ESE 107° Balhearty Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS9378295816)
 5.7km SE 135° Grassmainston Well (Clackmannan) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS9247893403)
 5.9km ENE 73° White Stane of Tam Baird (Dollar) Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature (NS9413599110)
 6.2km SSE 154° Mercat Cross (Clackmannan)* Ancient Cross (NS9111091889)
 6.2km SSE 154° Stone of Mannan* Standing Stone (Menhir) (NS91119188)
 6.4km SSE 154° Lady Well (Clackmannan) Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS91129166)
 6.6km SE 146° Hawk Hill Stone Circle (NS920920)
 6.9km W 264° Logie Old Kirk (Stirling)* Early Christian Sculptured Stone (NS81549696)
 7.0km NW 311° Sheriff Muir Row* Stone Row / Alignment (NN83240226)
 7.1km W 261° The Victoria Stone* Marker Stone (NS8141296608)
 7.1km W 273° Fairy Well (Logie)* Holy Well or Sacred Spring (NS81359804)
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