Cave

In the S quadrant of a ringfort (TS088-009001-). The Man-made underground passage is described in detail by the Rev. James Graves (1870-71, 207-8) as follows, it 'was approached by a regular flight of steps, giving entrance to a small bee-hive-shaped chamber of an irregular circular form 6'9" [2.06m] wide by 5'5" [1.65m] high, built of rough fragments of limestone; from this chamber a narrow passage, so low that one was obliged to creep through it on all-fours, led into another chamber of the same character, 6'8" [2.03m] wide by 6'9" [2.06] high; and from this a similar passage gave entrance to a third, of larger size, 6'8" [2.03m] high, and by 7'3" [2.21] in diameter. The passages were square-headed, and roofed with single stones stretching across from wall to wall. The jointing of the stonework was very irregular, no courses or bedding being perceptible, the faces of the stones as they came from the quarry being rudely fitted to each other. In each chamber the bee-hive vault was capped by a single stone at top; and what was very note-worthy, as bearing on the habitable nature of these souterreins, each chamber was provided with two ventilating shafts, placed near the top, and diverging in opposite directions towards the surface'. The Man-made underground passage has been 'cleared out' and 'bones of the cow, pig, sheep, deep, and goat, were found, also quantities of sling stones and some bone pins, together with pieces of charcoal' and a carved bone (ibid, 208). The entrance to the Man-made underground passage is visible as a hollow, the opening has been covered over. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011