Background:
SD805163 Fully excavated between 1961-4 by Bury Archaeological Group (they were going to put a TV mast on it!). Classed as a Bronze Age enclosed cremation cemetary according to the report (Bury Reference Library). They found a "slghtly oval bank 2 metres wide, enclosing a small central cairn and inner semi-circular bank partly defined by small boulders. Five cremations with collared urns in varying states of preservation, and six un-urned were found in central and southern parts of the site. One urn gave a C14 date of 3595+/- 20 BP and another C14 3635 ....(uncalibrated)."
Grave goods included lithic material, clay studs, accessory vessels and a bronze awl.
Some of the cairn had been damaged by farming, also by robbing and also by a stone lined kiln built into the NW enclosing bank. In the 1960's it was completely excavated then put back. BUT it is still well worth a look and is quite impressive. Not least because of two standing stones on its summit and a large glacial erratic also there. Plus there is a fabulous view.
The quarry to the North of it has not only demolished the Old Bury Rd, thought to be an ancient trackway (the report also lists three Roman coin hordes in the area - including Whitelow itself adding to this theory), but also two known other cairns, one at Bank Lane, half a mile North. The other is listed in the Bury Arch Society list as Shuttleworth Cairn 804165. The first 19th Century OS map has the nearby farm listed as The Lowes.
Access:
Take Walmersley Old Rd off Walmersley Rd at the traffic lights. Go all the way up until you reach the Old Raglan (?) pub (they brew their own beer!). You are best parking there as there is nowhere to park further up. Then walk the last half mile North up the road. You will pass a large fallen stone in a field on your right (an old marker stone?). Eventually you will see the hill in a field to the left of the road (shortly after the tarmaked bit ends). It is a farmer's field, but the gate is not locked and access is easy - though I suppose you should ask.
Some locals once knew it as the Devil's Playground - according to the Arch report (Bury Ref Library).
I will take a camera next time and post some pictures.
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road