East Moor stone alignment. Copyright Mark Camp.
A single stone row measuring 560m long, including at least 23 widely spaced medium and large-sized stones situated in a col between high ground to the north and south. The row is orientated NNE to SSW and unusually for a single row has a large blocking stone at the SSW end. The row has noteworthy visual links with a cairn on Brown Gelly which seems to be its focus. There are several cairns, a ring cairn, stone circle, stone setting and prehistoric settlements in the vicinity.
Location
| England Cornwall Bodmin Moor SX 22316 77729 Lat 50.57221 Long -4.5106481 |
Map showing the location of East Moor stone row.
Simplified plan of the East Moor stone alignment (Source: Johnson, N. and Rose, P., 1994, 32).
Characteristics
| Type: Single | Length: 560m |
| No. of stones: 23 | Size of stones: Medium and large |
| Orientation: 25° | Altitude: 294m |
| Upper end: – | Lower end: Blocking stone |
| Straight (Yes or No) : No | Sea View: No |
| Context: Cairns and reaves | |
| Notes: | |
Other Information
| Public Access: Yes |
| Land Status: AONB |
| Scheduled Ancient Monument: Yes |
Identification
Category: Plausible. No doubts have been expressed regarding the prehistoric interpretation of this row.
Typology
This stone row is of Type S12. Information on this form of stone row and other rows of this type is available here.
Photographs
Stone 1. Northernmost stone in the row. View from north east (scale 1m).
Stone 2. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 3. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 4. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 5. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 6. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 7. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 8. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 9. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 10. View from east (Scale 1m).
Stone 11. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 12. View from south east (scale 1m).
Stone 13. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 14. View from north west (Scale 1m).
Stone 15. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 16. View from north east (Scale 1m).
Stone 17. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 18. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 19. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 20. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 21. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 22. View from south east (Scale 1m).
Stone 23. Southernmost stone in the row is set at right angles to the row’s orientation and looks more like a blocking stone normally found at the end of double rows. View from south west (Scale 1m).
Stone 23. View from the north east (Scale 1m).
The row and Brown Gelly
The East Moor stone row has obvious visual links with a cairn on the top of Brown Gelly. Whilst deliberation is as always impossible to prove it seems rather unlikely that these visual treats are purely a coincidence.
Brown Gelly cairn viewed from the “blocking stone” at the southern end of the row.
The Brown Gelly cairn seems to sit on top of the blocking stone when viewed from the row at SX2235377803.
As you walk southward along the row the Brown Gelly cairn emerges from behind the “blocking stone” and then “moves” higher and higher above it.
From much of the central length of the row both the blocking stone and the Brown Gelly Cairn are not visible.
The blocking stone is visible from the northern length of the row but disappears as you walk south before reappearing at SX 22499 78102.
Brown Gelly cairn “sitting” on the “blocking stone” viewed from the northern length of the row.
At the northern end of the row the “blocking stone” and Brown Gelly do not line up. As you walk south along the row the two move closer and closer together.
Stones in the lowest part of the row. From here the Brown Gelly cairn and “blocking stone” are not visible. View from south.
Access Information
Limited car parking is available at SX 22112 78933. From here walk east and enter the moorland through a gate. Follow the track to SX 22205 78692 and then head up the hill towards the row. A map is recommended.
Online Resources
Megalithic Portal Modern Antiquarian PastScape Historic Environment Record
Other References
Burl, A., 1993, From Carnac to Callanish – The prehistoric rows and avenues of Britain, Ireland and Brittany, Yale University Press, New York and London, pg. 214.
Johnson, N. and Rose, P., 1994, Bodmin Moor – An archaeological survey Volume 1: The human landscape to c 1800, English Heritage and RCHME, pg. 32.
Timeline
VISITED:- 23rd June 2017
FIRST PUBLISHED:- 29th January 2016
LAST UPDATED:- 17th January 2018
The Stone Rows of Great Britain 