Wideford Hill Chambered Tomb

All pictures copyright © 1995,2000 Martin McCarthy

A view of the outside of the tomb looking from the west towards the low entrance passage that can be seen at the centre Large Image (45kb 833x186) The inside of the tomb looking south. The entrance passage is through the opening to the right of the picture. Present day access is through a hatch in the roof - hence the ladder Large Image (47kb 703x525) Looking into the eastern side chamber Large Image (37kb 615x523) Looking into the southern side chamber Large Image (29kb 488x574) Looking down the entrance passage Large Image (46kb 701x505) Looking north. The wet and bedragled yardstick (it was a horrible midwinters day) is five feet nine inches tall Large Image (29kb 617x541)

Looking west on the western slope of Wideford Hill is a chambered tomb dug into the hillside. The tomb was excavated in 1849 by G.Petrie. The tomb was intact, but had been filled from a hole in the roof with rubble including animal bones (horse, cow, sheep, deer and pig). The outer cairn has a diameter of about 42 feet. The inner chamber is about five feet wide and ten feet long at floor level, but much narrower at head height. There are side chambers to the north, east and south, and a long low entrance passage to the west. (This was the original entrance - present access to the tomb is through a hatch in the roof). The tomb site is on a slope that was artificially flattened before construction.