| 073
Standing Stone, Trestle Cairn, Hownam. |
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Description
About 300m to the north north west of 044 Trestle Cairn, on the
north west facing side of the hill, can be seen two large
boulders, that may be standing stones. One stone is upright and
measures 0.90m high, 0.45m thick and 0.85m wide at the base. The
stone has a jagged appearance and appears to have been
deliberately set on edge. A second stone, possibly an fallen
orthostat, is now lying on the ground and is almost totally
concealed in thick vegetation. It measures about 1.00m long and
can be found 40m uphill to the south east of the first stone.
The stones were found during a pre-afforestation survey of the
area and both stand out on what is largely a stone free area of
grassland. The two stones may possibly mark the line of an old
boundary.
Directions
This site is best reached by following Dere Street, the Roman
Road. Take the minor road running south from Hownam then head
right for Oxnam. Dere Street is crossed at Pennymuir Forest, at
the junction leading to Towford Outdoor Centre. On foot or by
mountain bike, follow Dere Street north. Trestle Cairn can be seen
over the wall on the left and the two stones are best found using
GPS. Note that parts of the route are very wet and boggy and
sturdy footwear is recommended.
Parking
On verge beside Pennymuir Forest.
Fieldnotes
An entry in CANMORE drew my attention to this site and while
visiting the area to obtain additional information on other
sites close by, I thought it worth investigation these two
stones. They are not typical of standing stones in the area and
might just simply be plain old boulders. However, as noted, they
are distinct in being the only stones in that area of the
hillside and have also survived the construction of the dry
stone wall running alongside Dere Street, the Roman Road. Had
the stones not had some purpose and meaning in the past, they
would surely have been broken up and removed.
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