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Butterdon Down West
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 4 Access 3
Butterdon Down West submitted by TheCaptain on 28th Feb 2019. Heading around the hillside until I find the stone, my first view of it being nothing like I was expecting, a tall thin curved shape presenting itself to me.
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Log Text: Crikey, an easy to reach Dartmoor standing stone which has no pictures on the Portal, so I'd better go visit it. It's not the easiest place to park at Butterdon, but I find somewhere not blocking anything, and it’s a beautiful spot. Walk westwards up the lovely, almost tunnel like bridleway before getting onto the open downland, and head around the hillside until I find the stone, my first view of it being nothing like I was expecting, a tall thin curved shape presenting itself to me. The stone is taller than me, being just over 2 metres tall, and a nice granite slab, crystals sparkling in the bright sunlight, and a good crop of lichen hair on top.
About 40 metres south from the stone is a fairly large triangular slab standing on edge. A closer look at this, and I am not convinced it is an old standing stone, perhaps more of a large slab once making up part of a reave or boundary, as it looks to be in a fairly straight line of some kind with many more large stones present. Further walking around on this hillide, and it is seen that there are lots of these stones over the place, and fairly obviously many of them being in straight rows with each other.
Marden Down East
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Ring Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 4
Marden Down East submitted by TheCaptain on 4th Mar 2019. Heading up to the top of Mardon Hill from the Headless Cross, and about halfway up there is a recently cleared area by the path, with the clear remains of a ring cairn, which I was not expecting to see from my quick look in Butler before heading off for the day.
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Log Text: Heading southwest up to the top of Mardon Hill, and about halfway up there is a recently cleared area by the path, with the clear remains of a ring cairn which I was not expecting to see from my quick look in Butler before heading off for the day, which basically states that there are probably other cairns on the down, but the whole hill is overgrown with gorse and bracken making everything hard to find! This pattern held for the rest of my visit, as the local commoners have taken it upon themselves to hunt down and clear the large amount of archaeology there is to be found here, from cairns and the stone circle, through reaves, right through to mortar pits, trenches and even railway making exercises carried out by the American soldiers based here before the D-Day invasions.
Mardon Down Ring Cairn
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Ring Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3
Mardon Down Ring Cairn submitted by TheCaptain on 6th Mar 2019. In places there are some semblances of structure.
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Log Text: A bit further south along the ridgetop pathway is a large open green area to the west, with the fairly clear remains of a large 20m diameter ring cairn, looking much like a saucer. Much of this cairn has been ruined, but in places there are some semblances of structure. On the eastern side of the pathway here is another recently cleared area which looks to have a cairn located within it, a circular pile of stones with a deep hole in the middle, surrounded by a bank of earth and stones, which all looks too recent and certainly not prehistoric, unless it has perhaps been recently excavated and left without backfilling. I wondered whether it was perhaps a shooting hide, but learned later that it was a mortar pit, made by troops based here in the build up to D Day during the second world war.
The Giant's Grave Mardon Down
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3
The Giant's Grave Mardon Down submitted by TheCaptain on 6th Mar 2019. At the top of Mardon Down is a fairly large cleared area, but the Giant's Grave cairn is very disappointing, being not much more than a large bumpy area of ground of about 20m diameter. It certainly doesn't live up to its name.
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Log Text: At the top of the hill, and there is a fairly large cleared green area, but the Giant's Grave cairn is very disappointing, being not much more than a large bumpy area of ground, of about 20m diameter. It certainly doesn't live up to its name.
Mardon Down Cairn 3
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 2 Ambience 3 Access 3
Mardon Down Cairn 3 submitted by TheCaptain on 6th Mar 2019. Just south of the Giant's Grave is a smaller, but much clearer cairn, about 10m diameter and still with some semblance of a retaining circle of stones.
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Log Text: Just south of the Giant's Grave is a smaller, but much more clear to see cairn, about 10m diameter and still with some semblance of a retaining circle of stones.
Mardon Down S
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3
Mardon Down S submitted by TheCaptain on 25th Mar 2019. View across Mardone Down stone circle. I was slightly surprised to find it so cleared of all the gorse, and easy to find.
Who could believe this was February on Dartmoor !
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Log Text: Further south along the ridgetop path, and I arrive at a large wide open green area, where I can see the remains of the stone circle extending around the exterior. The first part I get to has another of what looks like a little cairn right on the circumference of the circle, but again the hole in the centre looking too deep and recent. I initially wonder whether I can see the remains of a sort of cist capstone at one place, but which later I wonder whether it is one of the remaining circle stones fallen and buried here. The circle is the largest on Dartmoor at 38 metres diameter and clear to see, but in a very ruinous state, with only 2 or 3 stones still standing of what was probably once between 60 and 70. There is still a nice arc of stones on the southeast side, with one still standing and a large fallen block. Opposite to this on the northwest side is another good arc, with one very interesting shaped large slab still standing, and a couple more a bit further round. I dont get great feelings here, probably as its all pretty much wrecked, and too easy to find. Perhaps it would have been more atmospheric it it was all still hidden and lurking within the gorse. This gorse was still surruounding the whole circle, preventing seeing any of the fabulous views available from elsewhere on the hill.
Mardon Down Cairn 1
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 4 Access 3
Mardon Down Cairn 1 submitted by TheCaptain on 5th Apr 2019. Just south of the circle is what at first looks like a pile of large stones, but upon investigation is the remains of a cairn with much of the remains of a circle of surrounding stones, with four large blocks at its southern side, and a large slab just on the outside, probably once the capstone to an internal cist.
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Log Text: Just south of the circle is what at first looks like a pile of large stones, but upon investigation is the remains of a cairn with much of the remains of a circle of surrounding stones, and with four large blocks at its southern side, and a large slab just on the outside, probably once the capstone to an internal cist. This is a nice monument. I continue on southwards to get a look at the wonderful views from the edge of the hill all the way round from the east through the deep valleys to the south and out to the west with the heights of the main bulk of Dartmoor. There are a lot of fires out there today, I suspect from burning off of the gorse and bracken.
Mardon Down N
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Stone Circle
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 5 Access 4
Mardon Down N submitted by TheCaptain on 16th May 2019. Febrary 2019: Approaching from the hilltop ridge path down to the northern circle, and the standing pillars of it make a splendid sight against the distant fields and forests.
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Log Text: Approaching from the hilltop ridge path down to the northern circle, and the standing pillars of it make a splendid sight against the distant fields and forests. I am not sure what to make of it, is it a stone circle, a cairn with a surrouding circle of stones, or perhaps even a large roundhouse with large pillars incorporated ? There seems to be a double faced ring of edge set slabs, with half a dozen upright pillars incorporated. Now I am home and reading my Butler, it seems he is not sure what to make of it either, stating "it is unparalelled among the numerous cairns on the moorland massif only a short distance to the west, emphasizing the very localised nature of some cairn designs." Whatever it is, its a nice thing to visit, and i sit here listening to the skylarks and buzzards for a while before heading back down to a sandwich at the car and decide what to do next.
Headless Cross (Moretonhampstead)
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 3 Ambience 3 Access 5
Headless Cross (Moretonhampstead) submitted by AngieLake on 23rd Nov 2008. The Headless Cross, or Maximajor Stone (of Dartmoor Legend) marks the start of the NE end of the ridgeway track over Mardon Down.
Thought to be a replacement for a pre-existing ancient menhir.
(See site page for more.)
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Log Text: Beautiful sunny week in February, the hottest on record with 21 degrees recorded at Kew. So I decided a day on Dartmoor was required, and that I should visit Mardon Down to see the stone circle and other monuments in the vicinity, plus visit a couple of pubs. Two hours to drive down, and I was out on the moors before 12:00, having parked in a car parking area opposite what is marked as the Headless Cross. Turns out that the stone here now is a fairly modern replacement for the original stone, which was broken by either a car accident or an act of vandalism, depending on what story you see. It also seems to state that this never was a cross in the traditional sense, but probably a menhir (known as the Maximajor Stone), which acted as a guide stone in more recent times, much like many of the moorland crosses.
Hound Tor Enclosure
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Causewayed Enclosure
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 1 Ambience 4 Access 4
Hound Tor Enclosure submitted by Andy B on 3rd Jul 2011. Hound Tor
From this angle, taken a little way into the moorland from Swallerton Gate, SX7479 : Hound Tor falls into three main stacks.
Copyright Derek Harper and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.
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Log Text: Being such a beautiful day, I walk up to the top of Hound Tor before the sun goes down. Beautiful up here in the low sunlight. With views all around. I even climb up to the top of the bare granite rock tor, grazing my fingers on the rough stone in the process. I am a bit wary of being up here alone, and my legs are giving a bit of trouble getting down, but it was worth it. Didn't see much of an enclosure here, but wasn't looking for one to be honest.
Hound Tor Ring Cairn
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Ring Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Condition 4 Ambience 5 Access 4
Hound Tor Ring Cairn submitted by h_fenton on 23rd Oct 2009. Hound Tor Ring Cairn, with Hound Tor in the background.
29 September 2009
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Log Text: From the top of Hound Tor, I make my way south to look for the cairn and cist, but it is easy to find with obvious pathways leading to it. It is a splendid thing, about two thirds of a circle of contiguous surrounding stones with remains of a large cist box in the centre. I sit here for a fair while watching the sunlight fading on the Hound Tor rocks before heading back to the car.
Bowerman's Nose
Date Added: 28th Sep 2020
Site Type: Rock Outcrop
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Saw from a distance on 26th Feb 2019. My rating: Ambience 5 Access 4
Bowerman's Nose submitted by Bladup on 25th Apr 2013. Bowerman's Nose.
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Log Text: Drive down from Hound Tor passing Bowerman's Nose, but the sun has now gone, so decide not to go out to the fabulous looking rock column. One for another time. The drive down this little road is splendid, part of it being gated (I'd forgotten the joys of gated roads!), part through a stream bed , some over open common and some through woodland.
Lydney Harbour
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Modern Stone Circle etc
Country: England (Gloucestershire)
Visited: Yes on 17th Feb 2019
Lydney Harbour submitted by TheCaptain on 17th Feb 2019. A modern circle of standing stones, with outliers, constructed between Lydney Harbour and the Severn Estuary.
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Log Text: None
Sittaford Tor pound
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Misc. Earthwork
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 13th Feb 2019
Sittaford Tor pound submitted by TheCaptain on 13th Feb 2019. An oval shaped enclosure, defined by embanked rubble walls.
The walls are best seen where the old leat cuts through them on the western side.
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Log Text: None
White Ridge pound
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Ring Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 13th Feb 2019
White Ridge pound submitted by TheCaptain on 13th Feb 2019. Circular enclosure between 20 and 25 metres in diameter, surrounded by an embanked rubble wall up to a metre in height.
It has an entrance on the western side still with a jamb in place, at which point the walls are easiest to see.
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Log Text: None
Fernworthy Cairn 4
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 12th Feb 2019
Fernworthy Cairn 4 submitted by TheCaptain on 12th Feb 2019. The first monument to look for, which you might otherwise miss is cairn 4, found right at the corner of forest, trackway and open area. Probably about 10 metres in diameter, the centre of the cairn is green and rocky, and there are several kerbstones making up a circular surround.
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Log Text: None
Fernworthy stone row SE
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Stone Row / Alignment
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 12th Feb 2019
Fernworthy stone row SE submitted by TheCaptain on 12th Feb 2019. The southeastern stone row is short and of small stones, hard to tell whether it is a single or a double row with little space between the two rows.
The northern terminus of the row has a cairn, but there is nothing obvious of the southern terminus, with just 20m of stones to be seen.
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Log Text: None
Fernworthy Cairn E
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Cairn
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 12th Feb 2019
Fernworthy Cairn E submitted by TheCaptain on 12th Feb 2019. Cairn 5 is up to 10 m diameter, and has a small 5 m diameter mound in the centre, surrounded by a flatter region and then a ring of surrounding stones.
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Log Text: None
Fernworthy stone row N
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Multiple Stone Rows / Avenue
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 12th Feb 2019
Fernworthy stone row N submitted by TheCaptain on 12th Feb 2019. Approaching the northern row from the circle. Froggymeade living up to its name.
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Log Text: None
White Ridge Standing Stone
Date Added: 29th Oct 2019
Site Type: Standing Stone (Menhir)
Country: England (Devon)
Visited: Yes on 12th Feb 2019
White Ridge Standing Stone submitted by TheCaptain on 12th Feb 2019. There is a large elongated slab near to the middle of the ring structure, which looks to me like it should once have been standing.
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Log Text: None