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Viewing swaag.org website implies consent to set cookies on your computer. Full details Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group
Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775
SWAAG Honorary President:
Tim Laurie F,S,A,

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 *****SWAAG_ID***** 759
 Date Entered 12/10/2013
 Updated on 13/10/2013
 Recorded by Tim Laurie
 Category Standing Stones / Circles
 Record Type Archaeology
 Site Access Public Access Land
 Record Date 29/09/2013
 Location Galloway, Wigtownshire,Torhouse NX383565, 30m OD.
 Civil Parish Not known
 Brit. National Grid 
 Altitude 30m
 Geology All the stones of the Torhouskie Stone Circle are of local granite erratic boulders brought to the site which is approximately 1km east of and within sight of the River Bladnoch . The landscape of the valley of the River Bladnoch is characterised by many beautiful drumlins.
 Record Name Some Galloway Stone Circles 1. The Torhouskie Stone Circle.
 Record Description This fine stone ring (in State Care, by the roadside within a protective fence)is well worth a visit and has been surveyed by Alexander and Archie Thom who interpret it as a flattened circle and they conclude that the three stone outliers located about 140m to the ENE are probably solstitial. The stone ring surrounds a ring cairn and central three megalithic stone setting. A similar stone setting and probable cairn is located in a pasture at the other side of the road, 140m to the ENE. Reference: A & A.S. Thom, 1980. 'Megalithic Rings'. BAR British Series 81
 Additional Notes It may be mentioned that the only instance of a flattened circle in nature is the one day old moon. The frequent occurance within the comprehensive and very large body of accurately surveyed stone circle plans published by A. and A.A. Thom of this flattened circle plan within the numerous stone circles of the British Isles may indicate that these structures acknowledged a Moon Deity or The White Goddess (Robert Graves, 1948). A comparative Note. By comparison with the megalithic rings of Galloway and elsewhere, the few small free-standing stone rings of the eastern Pennine fringe are very poor relations, but this is not to say that the small Pennine rings are insignificant. These small rings may mark cremation internments at significant places on prehistoric routeways from lowland to upland, as on Carperby Moor and at the head of Lunedale in Upper Teesdale or on the watershed between Dales as at Barningham Moor and at Mudbeck in Arkengarthdale (see previous SWAAG Records). The ritual and mortuary enclosure characteristic of the Pennine Area is the stone dump ring cairn, some 30 of these slight stone rings being recorded in the Tees/Swale/Ure Uplands. These slight stone dump embanked enclosures are also and most accurately referred to as enclosed cremation cemetaries. as the characteristic burial within these rings are cremations contained within collared or plain urns.
 Image 1 ID 4741         Click image to enlarge
 Image 1 Description The Torhouskie Stone Ring and valley of the River Bladnoch.
 Image 2 ID 4742         Click image to enlarge
 Image 2 Description The western perimeter. All the stones are glacial erratic rounded boulders of local grey granite.
 Image 3 ID 4745         Click image to enlarge
 Image 3 Description The eastern perimeter.
 Image 4 ID 4744         Click image to enlarge
 Image 4 Description The central three stone setting.
 Image 5 ID 4746         Click image to enlarge
 Image 5 Description The outlier three stone setting and possible denuded cairn.
 Image 6 ID 4747         Click image to enlarge
 Image 6 Description The outlier three stone setting and glacial drumlin landscape.
 Image 7 ID 4753         Click image to enlarge
 Image 7 Description Torhouskie Stone Circle. Survey Plan showing geometric construction as an edge flattened circle. Thom A. and Thom A.A.1980 'Megalithic Rings' B.A.R. British Series 81. pp274,275.
 
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