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 solarcalendar.The standing stone,now recumbent,which lies in the south west corner of Tent Field survives well and,despite having fallen,remains in its original location.The four stones at its base are considered to have been used as packing material.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 formerly standing stone in the south west corner of Tent Field 250m south west of St Helen's Church,Lundy.It lies where it has fallen and some of the packing stones lie beside it at the northern end.The stone lies with its head to the south and base to the north.Unlike many of the standing stones on Lundy,this one is columnar rather than slab-shaped.It measures 2.2m long and 0.6m wide on average.Given their position,the four earthfast boulders at the northern end of the fallen stone are considered to be part of the monument,representing packing stones,and as such are included in the scheduling.The standing stone is one of nine recorded on Lundy,all of which are to be found across the southern part of the island.Where the drystone wall,which runs to the west of the monument,falls within its protective margin it is excluded from the scheduling,although the ground beneath it is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
27624
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
