Standing stone 320m north west of The Old Lighthouse, Lundy

Reasons for Designation

Lundy is a small,steep sided island in the Bristol Channel,16m north of Hartland Point,north Devon.Aligned north-south,it is 6km long by 1km wide and supports a predominately moorland vegetation.The 100m high cliffs and tabular form give it a striking appearance,visible in clear weather from parts of south west England and south Wales.Lundy's remoteness and(until the 19th century construction of the Beach Road)its inaccessibility,combined with a lack of shelter and cultivable soils,has meant that it has escaped more recent occupation or development.It therefore preserves a remarkable variety of archaeological sites from early prehistory(c.8000 BC)onwards,representing evidence for habitation,fortification,farming and industry.There are also archaeological remains in the waters surrounding the island-over 150 shipwrecks are already recorded.Most of the island's archaeology is well documented from detailed survey in the 1980s and 1990s.Standing stones are prehistoric ritual or ceremonial monuments with dates ranging from the late Neolithic period to the end of the Bronze Age.They are often(as on Lundy)conspicuously sited and close to other contemporary monument classes;many,for example,are found on the edge of round cairns and barrows.Nine standing stones are recorded on Lundy,all believed to be still in their original positions and constituting an important group.Their survival in an environment virtually unchanged from prehistoric times means that they can be clearly seen in terms of the topographic setting in which they were constructed.A study of this group of stones concluded that,together,they represent evidence of a solar calendar.The standing stone on the edge of Ackland's Moor survives well in what is believed to be its original position.The stone and its surrounding soil will provide evidence for the construction and use of the monument,and of environmental conditions prevalent at the time.

Details

The monument includes a standing stone at the western edge of Ackland's Moor 320m north west of The Old Lighthouse,Lundy.The stone is now part of the later orthostat wall which runs northwards from a spring and dam.It is larger than the other stones in the wall and is not earthfast,being set on the ground and packed from below and around with small stones.The stone appears as a slab set on edge.It is 1.3m high,1.4m long,0.6m thick and oriented north east to south west.The stone is one of nine recorded on Lundy,all of which are to be found in the southern part of the Island.The stones of the orthostat wall which fall within the stones protective margin are not included in the scheduling,although the ground beneath them is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

27628

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Farrah, R W E, The Megalithic Astronomy of Lundy, (1991), 59

End of official list entry

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