Wormy Hillock Henge
Encyclopedia
Wormy hillock henge is a small henge
in Aberdeenshire
, Scotland
. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
located in the Clashindarroch Forest
. It is a low, circular bank 16.5 metres (54.1 ft) in diameter which almost surrounds a 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide platform in the centre. There is one gap in the bank at the southeast end of the henge.
) in a steep valley in the Clashindarroch Forest. On the top of the mound is a circular bank, 16.5 metres (54.1 ft) in diameter, enclosing an oval area 13.5 metres (44.3 ft) long by 13 metres (42.7 ft) wide. The bank itself ranges from 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick and 10 centimetres (3.9 in) high up to 4 metres (13.1 ft) thick and 60 centimetres (23.6 in) high. Overall, this is a very small mound, since the area enclosed by the bank is around 140 square metre, and the average for a stone circle
is around 260 square metre.
Inside the bank is a small platform 6 metres (19.7 ft) in diameter surrounded by a 1 metres (3.3 ft) deep ditch crossed by several causeways. The southeastern one is apparently related to the 1 metres (3.3 ft) wide hole in the bank at the same angular position. This site is similar to several others in Dorchester, Oxon, England. There are two small pits on the bank, and they may be much more recent than the rest of the mound. A large boulder is lying in the ditch right below one of the pits.
Currently, the site is completely overgrown by grass and heather
.
Henge
There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork which are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three types is that they feature a ring bank and ditch but with the ditch inside the bank rather than outside...
in Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
located in the Clashindarroch Forest
Clashindarroch Forest
Clashindarroch Forest is possibly the largest forest in Aberdeenshire, situated to the south-west of the market town of Huntly. Managed by Forest Enterprise. Location of a series of trails for Nordic Skiing managed by the Nordic Ski Centre....
. It is a low, circular bank 16.5 metres (54.1 ft) in diameter which almost surrounds a 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide platform in the centre. There is one gap in the bank at the southeast end of the henge.
History
In 1891, James Macdonald, thinking that this mound was a "round for sheep", excavated the mound. However, this did not bring any archaeological finds.Legend
According to legend, Wormy hillock henge was the location of a buried dragon or monster. In the legend, the dragon had been attacking villages in the neighbourhood, and the villagers eventually succeeded in killing the dragon. They then half-buried its corpse and mounded dirt over it, making a mound. This legend is the source of the name of the mound: Wormy hillock henge.The site
Wormy hillock henge is located on the top of a mound in a haugh ("a piece of flat alluvial land by the side of a river", according to the Oxford English DictionaryOxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
) in a steep valley in the Clashindarroch Forest. On the top of the mound is a circular bank, 16.5 metres (54.1 ft) in diameter, enclosing an oval area 13.5 metres (44.3 ft) long by 13 metres (42.7 ft) wide. The bank itself ranges from 3 metres (9.8 ft) thick and 10 centimetres (3.9 in) high up to 4 metres (13.1 ft) thick and 60 centimetres (23.6 in) high. Overall, this is a very small mound, since the area enclosed by the bank is around 140 square metre, and the average for a stone circle
Stone circle
A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....
is around 260 square metre.
Inside the bank is a small platform 6 metres (19.7 ft) in diameter surrounded by a 1 metres (3.3 ft) deep ditch crossed by several causeways. The southeastern one is apparently related to the 1 metres (3.3 ft) wide hole in the bank at the same angular position. This site is similar to several others in Dorchester, Oxon, England. There are two small pits on the bank, and they may be much more recent than the rest of the mound. A large boulder is lying in the ditch right below one of the pits.
Currently, the site is completely overgrown by grass and heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
.