Monument record MDO956 - Stone, Corscombe

[ST 51780341] HORE STONES [OE]. <3>

"Looks like remains of something".
"Hore Stone. ? Exact site : western dot?"
"It is a sarsen, prone, about 4' square". <4>

Four stones shown on OS 6" of which only 2 are now visible, one on either side of the road. The N. stone is 7' 9" x 7' x 3' thick and the other 11' 3" x 8' 6" x 3' 6" thick. Both are prone <6>.
[Mentioned; no details except the name spelt "HOAR STONES", prob. referring to such stones generally]. <1,2 & 6>

The two eastern stones portrayed on OS 6" alone remain and are as described in T3.
They are situated on a ridge top and the ground rises slightly to the south and falls sharply to the North. There is no trace of a mound in the vicinity.
The stones are sunk into the grass verge of the roadside.
They are much weathered and irregular in shape. <7>

The Hoarstone, Toller Down. 'On the south side of the road from Maiden Newton to Crewkerne, close to the Beaminster turning is a square stone 4ft across which has sometimes been claimed as the remnant of a burial chamber.' Of doubtful authenticity. <5>

The two "Hoar Stones" (local spelling) that survive are as described by Rigg and as measured by the RCHM. Evidently neither Crawford nor Daniel saw the stones but it is doubtful if they ever formed part of a burial hamber. (?natural erratics).
Both are correctly sited on the O.S. 25" but since the adjacent main road has been raised by a metre, both stones are now in railed sunken enclosures of the old land surface. See G.Ps. <8>

No change. <9>

<1> Society of Antiquaries of London, 1834, Archaeologia 25 (Serial). SDO17709.

<2> Warne, C, 1872, Ancient Dorset, 109 (Monograph). SDO10094.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey map 6 inches to 1 mile, 1930 (Map). SDO17328.

<4> Crawford, O G S, Annotated record map 6 inch (Map). SWX7265.

<5> Daniel, Glyn E, 1950, The Prehistoric Chamber Tombs of England and Wales, 235 236 (Monograph). SDO18028.

<6> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 107 (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(20) STONES, nearly 1 m. S.S.W. of the church. The O.S. 6″ map shows four stones; now two, one on either side of the road, are visible. They may have formed part of a structure. The N. stone is 7¾ ft. by 7 ft. and about 3 ft. thick, the other is 11¼ ft. by 8½ ft. and about 3½ ft. thick; both are prone.’

<7> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 25-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<8> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F2 NVQ 15-NOV-71 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<9> McOmish, D, Field Investigators comments DMcO, F3 DSM 18-FEB-87 (Unpublished document). SDO17646.

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 195891 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Oct 17 2022 12:46PM