east-lothian-1924/05-202

Transcription

STENTON.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [STENTON.

heaps of stones, but there seem to have been
at least two hut circles against the interior of
the wall to the north-west and one to the north-
east. Outside the northern section of the
larger area are three hut circles ; the first,
with an internal diameter of 12 feet and a
stone wall 2 1/2 feet thick, impinges on the north-
eastern arc ; the second, some 22 feet to the
north-east, and the third, some 21 feet to the
north-west, have each an internal diameter of
9 feet and a wall of 2 1/2 feet thickness. About
28 feet north by west of the second of these
circles is a circular excavated hollow about
10 feet in diameter. Some 43 feet east of the
smaller of the two larger areas is a hut circle
with an internal diameter of 9 feet surrounded
by a stone wall, from whose northern and
southern arcs a wall seems to curve a few
yards to the east as if to enclose a circular
annexe. In the angle between the large en-
closures on their east side are two hut circles 9
feet in diameter. About 34 feet south-west of
the smaller of the two chief constructions are
the faint traces of two impinging hut circles,
respectively 25 and 12 feet in diameter within
walls 2 1/2 feet thick and 9 inches to 1 foot in
height. Running eastward from these the in-
distinct foundations of a stone wall can be
traced for 60 feet, when it turns at right angles
towards the north.

A second group of hut circles occurs about 60
yards north of the above group. It shows a
large irregularly shaped enclosure with a much
dilapidated wall and measures about 45 feet
from east to west and 43 feet from north to
south. There seem to have been entrances from
the east and the north. There are six hut
circles in its immediate vicinity. The first,
impinging on the outside, at the north-west of
the wall, is about 12 feet in diameter ; the
second, impinging on the south-western corner
is a finely preserved example, being 15 feet in
diameter internally with a wall 3 feet thick and
1 1/2 feet high, but no entrance can be traced ;
the third, which lies about 40 feet to the
north-west is 7 feet in diameter internally ;
the fourth, which lies about 25 feet farther to
the north-west, shows the half of a circle about
20 feet in diameter ; the fifth, 40 feet to the
east of the central structure, is some 19 feet
in diameter internally and has a curved
bank of stone and earth springing from its

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western arc and covering the entrance ; and
the sixth, some 28 feet to the north-east of
the last, is 12 feet in diameter in the inside.
The slope on which the hut circles are built
is bordered on the west and south by steep
declivities falling more than 50 feet. But to
the north and east slight walls of earth and
stone have been thrown up enclosing an area
of over 400 yards from north to south and
nearly 300 yards from east to west. Starting
from the edge of Snailscleuch a wall, now about
10 feet wide in places and rising 1 foot in height,
is carried to the south-east a distance of some
220 yards, where it seems to turn south and
can only be traced at intervals. About 40
yards to the east of this wall, after it turns
south, a similar wall can be traced running
parallel for some distance. These walls have
not been built in a straight line. Several heaps
of stones in the vicinity of the walls on the
east, varying in diameter from 12 feet to
20 feet, resemble cairns. A large part of the
area is covered by a rank growth of heather
and bracken, which obscures many of the
structures. Excavation would probably dis-
close many features which are not noted.

See Berwickshire Nat. Club. vol. xxi., p. 200.

xvi. S.E. 2 July 1913.

STONE CIRCLE.

185. Stone Circle, Spartleton Edge.-Near
the summit of the ridge known as Spartleton
Edge, 300 yards east of the old Herring Road
track and about 1 1/8 miles north-east of Johns-
cleuch, at an elevation of 1000 feet above sea-
level, is a circle 42 feet in diameter composed of
seven small stones peeping through the peat
and heather, while other two are to be found
by probing 2 to 4 inches under the surface.
Of the stones seen above ground five are
pointed and measure only 4 to 6 inches across,
while the other two, which are flat, measure
1 foot and 9 inches in breadth respectively.
There are traces of an earthen wall, with a
good many small stones in places, thrown upon
the line of the circle. The interior of the circle
has been disturbed. Within the circle a stone,
2 feet 6 inches in height, 2 feet 2 inches broad
at the base, and 4 inches thick, was set up
recently by a local shepherd. On Farmer's

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[Stamp]
Royal Commn
Anc.Mons.Scot.