Ancient Stones
A Guide to Standing Stones & Stone Circles in the South of Scotland.


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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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Quick Info
Type: Standing Stone
Nearest Town: Jedburgh
Nearest Village: Hownam
O.S.
Landranger Sheet 80
O.S. Outdoor Leisure 16
Grid Reference: NT 7507 1639
GPS Reference: SSTRES

Symbols Key | Stone Types

Other Sites Nearby
039 Five Stones, Dere Street, Hownam.
044 Trestle Cairn, Dere Street, Hownam.

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