Lundy, Isle of Avalon Stone Alignments   This is really important, Unilever, the makers of Dove beauty products, are buying palm oil from suppliers who destroy Indonesia's rainforests.They're causing forest destruction, species extinction and climate change. By their own admission, Unilever is the biggest single user of palm oil in the world, which is why they can't wash their hands of this problem. We mustn't let them. CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE OPEN LETTER NOW    Lundy, Isle of Avalon    Contents    Lundy Island    Arthur, the rightful king    The Knights Templar    The Holy Grail    Gods, Saints and Heroes    Stonehenge    Celestial Stuff    Mythological Stuff    Historical Stuff    Mystical Places    St. Michael Lines    The Romans    Picture Galleries    References & Texts

(We have it on the authority of Prof. Thomas ( in an article in 'Island Studies' from the guardians of Lundy's past the Lundy Field Society) that Lundy is visible from the Brecon Beacons.)

Stone Alignment SA1: Includes a standing stone (NTAS 101,099)on Ackland’s Moor a short distance north-east of the Old Light (fig. 6a). It is a triangular slab of weathered granite 1.4m high by 1.2m wide at the base and 0,21m across at the top. The stone is earthfast and a slight bank runs between this stone and another (NTAS 101,100) to the north. No satisfactory explanation has been found for the placing of these stones. They could as easily he cattle rubbing stones or old field boundary markers, as having any ritual purpose.

SA2: Includes a standing stone (NTAS 101,100) on Ackland’s Moor about 100m north of NTAS 101,099. it is a massive boulder which is not earthfast, being fixed in position by small stones. It is unweathered, measures 1.5m high hr 1.42m wide and 0.75m across the axis. It stands at the south—west end of a line of stones demarcating one side of the runway of the old airfield.

SA3 Includes a standing stone unrecorded in the NTAS and located at the northern end of the Tent Field in direct line between Beacon hill and Castle Hill. It is now prone but was standing until recently (as shown in a photograph by A.J Dollar, 1930) and the hole in which it stood is clearly visible. It has dimensions of 1.4m high 2m wide and an axis measuring 0.5m. The stone has cuplike marks on its only visible surface.

SA4: Includes a stone (NTAS 101,121 )at the south—west corner of the Tent Field which is now prone. The NTAS suggests this could be a cattle rubbing stone, an isolated remnant of a former field boundary or evidence of ritualistic practice. It is 2.28m high and is pillar—shaped with sides of 0.7m and a possible axis of 0.5m.

SA5: Includes a standing stone unrecorded in the NTAS. It is located a short distance from Friar's Garden approximately half way across West Side Field just to the side of the cliff path.  This stone is not earthfast and packing stones can be seen at its base. It is now leaning at an acute angle. It is 1.4m high, 1.2m wide and measures 0.54m across the axis (fig. hhj.

SA6: Includes stones NTAS 101,099 and NTAS 101,100 and culminates in a cairn NTAS 101,094 to the north. The cairn is a grass-covered stony mound which measures 8m across and is set on a high point to the north of Ackland's Moor. Exactlv halfway between NTAS 101,100 and cairn NTAS 101,094 is another cairn—like mound with two stones now prone. To the west of cairn NTAS 101 ,094 is a large flat bottomed stone

SA7: Includes a stone (NTAS 101,141) in Brick Field. It is located north of the boundary of Brick and Tillage Fields about 30m in from the eastern edge of the field. T he stone is earthfast and could be the only remaining one of several large upright stones which were extant in I 932 and were considered by Dollar to he menhirs. It has a height of 1.6m, is 1.5m wide and has an axis of 0.29m.

SA8: Includes stone NTAS 101,121 described in SA4 (above and a stone unrecorded) and described in SA3

The Alignments

Table 1. ORIENTATION OF LUNDY STONES

Stone National Declination

Align- Grid Magnetic Azimuth Skyline on Object

men! Reference Bearing E of N Elevation Skyline

I 127.4435 560 50.1 0 .21.5 midsummer sunrise

2360 210.1 2.25 -21.7 midwinter sunset?

2 1326.4445 590 53.1 I +22.9 midsummer sunrise

239° 213.1 0 -22.3 midwinter sunset ?

1 1360.44(X) 112° 106.1 2.5 +236 midsummer sunset

112° 126.1 0.25 -21.9 midwinter sunrise? Ia 1367.4175 90.25° 84.15 0.5 +3.f equinox sunrise

270° 264.1 2.5 -1.9 equinox sunset?

lb 1167.4176 96.5° 90.6 0.5 -0.4 equinox sunrise

276.5° 270.6 2.5 +2.1 equinox sunset?

5 1322.4406 277° 271.1 0.0 +02 equinox sunset

97° 91.1 1.0 -0.2 equinox sunrise?

6 1124.4476 358.6° 352.1 0.5 *38.4

178.5° 172.1 0.0 -39.0

7 I 380.4475 13° 7.1 0.0 +17.9

193° 17.1 1.6 -37.3

8 1360.4400 352.5° 346.6 1.5 ÷387

172.5° 166.6 0.25 ~37•()

Of the nine alignments investigated, six can he shown to have solar alignments and of the remaining three which share the same approximate declinations, the alignment on Ackland’s Moor is possibly meridian.

 Of the six standing stones only one, the Brick Field stone (SA7), is not involved in a solar alignment.

 SA6 and SA8 are the same, but the latter two contain stones which have astronomical alignments in other directions.

 SA6 has stones NTAS 101,099 and 101,100, both shown to be orientated towards MSSR; SA6 is also, I believe, a strong candidate for practical use as a meridian line. 

SA8 concerns the stone in Trent Field, the same stone which is in SA3  and aligned with MSSS on Beacon Hill.

 The stone  at NGR SSI 3094459 measures 0.85m high by 1.5m wide and O.28m across the axis; it is similarly located as the Equinox sunset stone, being on the western edge of the island plateau. The stone is leaning at an acute angle due to soil erosion on its southern side at the base A survey of the stone gave a magnetic hearing of 223° along the axis, giving an azimuth of 227.6°, which indicates a declination for the sun of —26º on the sea horizon

extant stones on Lundy

the  next three examples, SA4a, SA4b and SA5 (fig. 4), are all equinox alignments. 

SA4a and SA4b are both concerned with the standing stone in the south-west corner of theTent Field (NTAS 101,121). This stone is now prone and, on the assumption that standing stones often fall flat-face, a magnetic hearing of I80 degrees was taken along the centre of the stone’s length (SA4a) suggesting azimuths of 90 degrees and 270 degrees, which are very close to equinox. 

The azimuth of 90 degrees aligns with a distant mainland foresight, (NGR SS531453), the highest point visible from Lundv, situated c.2km south of Ilfracombe on the North Devon coast. 

It is a distinctive geographical feature with the appearance of a classic notch foresight; it is 23 miles distant at a height of 229m. 

The calculated declination for this marker was +1.6 degrees, a discrepancy which may be explained by the fact that the sun at the equinox is moving along the horizon at its fastest and is therefore difficult to mark accurately. The alignment had therefore been taken to the nearest significant feature to the equinox on the horizon However, during the autumn months a previously overlooked stone (SA4) was found lying prone in the shadow of a drystone wall. This is about half the height of the larger stone and about 4.5m away. It has a tapered end which could he the base of the stone. Magnetic hearings were taken on all possible azimuths. the bearing from base to base gives a very accurate declination of -0.4; all the others have no astronomical significance. It would be interesting mif archaeological work was able to confirm that the bases are in fact the endsof the stones which stood in the ground; certainly the astronomical evidence suggests they were.

SA5 marks the equinox sunset (fig. 6h). The axis of the stone is orientated giving a magnetic bearing of 277 degrees forward (±4 degrees) and 97 degrees reverse ±4 degrees), a declination of +0.2 in the forward direction overlooking the sea horizon. 

The magnetic bearing was taken on the equinox sunset as observed this is the only stone on which this procedure was carried out. There is no foresight or back sight evident for this alignment and this is the reason for the ±4 degrees error. A further stone on this alignment services at the edge of the Friars Garden, the southern half of which is cut by the alignment. This is almost buried hut forms a mound which is plainly visible.

extant stones on Lundy

The last three stone alignments, SA6, SA7 and SA8, have no clear astronomical significance; curiously, however, they all give similar declinations 

While carrying out the fieldwork connected with these alignments it appeared that they were not aligned to the more common astronomical events in the calendar.

 SA6 (fig 4), with stone NTAS 099 iii the foreground and cairn NTAS 091 in the far distance on island horizon, is well known and described by Gardner (1972,27) who suggests that, ‘the monoliths probably define the boundary of plough land as a slight lynchet follows the line’’.

 The alignment comprises, from north to south, a cairn ( NTAS 091), a cairn- like mound with two stones  clearlv visible but prone at NGR SS1 3254460 located exactly halfway between cairn 094 and stone NTAS 100, and lastly stone NTAS 099 at the southern end. Both stones 099 and 100 have been previously described and shown to be aligned along their axis to MSSR When the survey stakes were erected the line was shown to pass between the two stones on the cairn like mound, a feature  not recorded by the NTAS.

SA7 includes the impressive Brick Field standing stone fig. 5). This is the only one of all the Lundy stones which does not seem to have an astronomical alignment and, as Dollar has observed, is one of several which were extant in 1932 and were considered by him to he menhirs (‘l’haekrav 1989,121). The alignment is marked by a weathered and broken stone at NGR SS1 33824480 50.3m to the north which lies directly on bearing 56 degrees in SA1.

The final alignment, SA8, includes the stone mentioned in SA3 at the north end of Trent Field and stone NTAS121  in the southwest corner fig. 5. 

The axis of the stone at the north end of Trent Field would have been orientated in the direction of stone NTAS121 when it was standing. The hole in which it stood is still visible and gives a clear indication of this orientation.

All of the last three alignments give similar declinations (Table I). Of the three, SA6 north of Beacon Hill, could have functioned as a meridian line providing information which would have been of much practical use in an island environment. 

Standing at the northern cairn looking south, using the cairn as the apex of an approximate isosceles triangle, with the other base angles at SA1 and Beacon Hill, magnetic bearings give readings of SA6 178.5 degrees, Beacon lull 188 degrees and the sun at meridian 184 degrees. 

Both SA6 and Beacon Hill viewed from the cairn appear as distinctive terrestrial features making the observation of the sun’s meridian easy and precise; the distance between SA1 and Beacon Hill is 80m.

 The cairn NTAS 101,094) in the opposite direction to the north, would have provided a distinctive feature on the island horizon against a clear night sky and could have been used to watch the sequence of stars rising and setting, thus acting as timekeeper.

extant stones on Lundy

In the case of SA1 and SA2 (fig.4) it was suspected that the axis of Stone NTAS 101,099 in SA1 was orientated towards MSSR after taking a bearing with a prismatic compass. The sun indeed rose from its sea horizon along the axis of the stone as it did along the axis of stone NTAS 101,100 in SA2, 100m to the north. These two stones appear related; when standing at one it is natural to look at the other.

 The NTAS suggests that, "no satisfactory explanation has been found for the placing of’ these stones" (Thackray l989,75(; their deliberate alignment with MSSR is one possibility although it must he stressed that no foresight or backsight exists for stone NTAS 101.099 (11g. ôa). There is the possibility that the building of’ the Old Light on Beacon Hill has disturbed evidence; this will be discussed further below. A further possibility is the significance of the hearing of 56 degrees along the axis to the north-east which hits the back-marker for stone NTAS 101,141 in SA7. However, the distance, approximately 650m, does not seem to be practical and one stone cannot be seen from the other although Thom has suggested that a sightline over such a distance is possible with one or two observers standing in between (personal communication). Standing stone NTAS 101,100 in SA2 does have a foresight c.200m along its axis of 59 degrees which can clearly be seen on the island horizon. The stone is now broken into three pieces although the base is still in situ. Why, therefore, two stones connected with the same MSSR? The answer could he that SA2 is an improvement on SA1, a possibility born out by the stones themselves. Stone NTAS 101,099 is weathered and looks the older of the two. SA2 was made to the near horizon for better observation while SA1 would have had problems with horizon conditions, for example fog and mist.

The next standing stone, unrecorded in the NTAS, is in SA3(fig. 5) and was first identified by Langham (1975). When the survey stakes were initially placed to mark the alignment, it was shown to run to the right of Castle Hill looking south. Again there is no accurate foresight or backsight on Beacon Hill and the azimuth was calculated from the centre of the hill as seen from the standing stone. It appears to be more accurately aligned in the MSSS direction on Beacon Hill. Beacon Hill is a significant geographical feature, the presence of which appears to dominate the former three alignments. The fact that SA1 is so accurate could help substantiate the point that a possible backsight for SA1 was destroyed during construction of the Old Light. The name Beacon Hill is thought to derive from a former fire beacon, possibly of medieval origin, and could have been associated with the display of ancient coastal lights. It is also worth mentioning the tradition of beacon fires connected with both solstices which still take Place in some parts of Britain, Ireland and more widely across Europe.