Archaeology

Items

Billown Mooar Standing Stone
Undated standing stone. This granite pillar stands in the valley between the drumlins which form the hills at Billown and Skibrick. It stands adjacent to landscaped water features which were created during the 20th century in front of Billown House. These lakes themselves are a development of a series of dams which have been used to manage the flow of water therough this valley and south towards Castletown. The stone therefore lacks the landmark qualities of some of its neighbours, but nevertheless there is a well established local tradition that the Billown 'Circle' (PRN 0146) and the standing stones surrounding it are closely associated.
Billown Quarry
Modern lime quarry. Quarrying at Billown appears to have begun in 1834 at the northern end of the site. Two large quarry pits, apparently disused and one of them partially wooded, are shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868; two sets of three lime kilns, both marked 'Old Limekilns' are associated with them. To the south, the OS shows two further quarry pits, marked 'Quarries', associated with a further set of three 'Limekilns': these would appear to form the working part of the complex at this point. The more southerly of the two quarries is flooded, but adjacent to it is a structure marked 'Engine House'. This houses a steam engine used to pump the quarry sufficiently clear of water to allow working to continue. In 1892 the steam engine was replaced by a wind-powered pump, which subsequently was repositioned in a number of locations, as an additional quarry was begun further south. Quarrying recommenced at Billown during the 1990s at a location immediately to the NW of the complex. The grid reference marks the centre of quarrying activity up to the present day.
Billown Quarry
Modern lime quarry. Quarrying at Billown appears to have begun in 1834 at the northern end of the site. Two large quarry pits, apparently disused and one of them partially wooded, are shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868; two sets of three lime kilns, both marked 'Old Limekilns' are associated with them. The grid reference marks the centre of the older of the two abandoned quarries at the north end of the site, already wooded at the time of the Survey of 1868.
Billown Quarry
Modern lime quarry. Quarrying at Billown appears to have begun in 1834 at the northern end of the site. Two large quarry pits, apparently disused and one of them partially wooded, are shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868; two sets of three lime kilns, both marked 'Old Limekilns' are associated with them. The grid reference marks the centre of the more recent of the two abandoned quarries at the north end of the site at the time of the Survey of 1868.
Billown Quarry
Modern lime quarry. Quarrying at Billown appears to have begun in 1834 at the northern end of the site. The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 shows two active quarry pits, marked 'Quarries', associated with a further set of three 'Limekilns'. The grid reference marks the centre of the more northerly of the active quarry pits at the time of the Survey of 1868.
Billown Quarry
Modern lime quarry. Quarrying at Billown appears to have begun in 1834 at the northern end of the site. The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 shows two active quarry pits, marked 'Quarries', associated with a further set of three 'Limekilns'. The grid reference marks the centre of the more southerly of the active quarry pits at the time of the Survey of 1868. The quarry is marked as flooded, but a steam-powered pump enabled working to be continued. From 1892 this was replaced by a wind-powered pump.
Billown Quarry
Modern lime quarry. Quarrying at Billown appears to have begun in 1834 at the northern end of the site. The grid reference marks the centre of the most southerly of the quarry pits opened at Billown. The quarry is now flooded, but a wind-powered pump enabled working whilst active. This pump had been used at various locations on the site from 1892 onwards, but was latterly located at the SW corner of the quarry pit. The quarry is now managed as an Area of Special Scientific Interest under the Wildlife Act.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. A large quarry pit, apparently disused and partially wooded, is shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 (PRN 2138.10); a set of three lime kilns, marked 'Old Limekilns' is associated with it. The grid reference marks the position of the easternmost kiln, which is not thought to survive above ground.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. A large quarry pit, apparently disused and partially wooded, is shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 (PRN 2138.10); a set of three lime kilns, marked 'Old Limekilns' is associated with it. The grid reference marks the position of the central kiln, which is not thought to survive above ground.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. A large quarry pit, apparently disused and partially wooded, is shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 (PRN 2138.10); a set of three lime kilns, marked 'Old Limekilns' is associated with it. The grid reference marks the position of the westernmost kiln, which is not thought to survive above ground.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. A large quarry pit, apparently disused, is shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 at the northernmost extent of the site (PRN 2138.11); a set of three lime kilns, marked 'Old Limekilns' is associated with it. The grid reference marks the position of the westernmost kiln, which is not thought to survive above ground.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. A large quarry pit, apparently disused, is shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 at the northernmost extent of the site (PRN 2138.11); a set of three lime kilns, marked 'Old Limekilns' is associated with it. The grid reference marks the position of the central kiln, which is not thought to survive above ground.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. A large quarry pit, apparently disused, is shown on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 at the northernmost extent of the site (PRN 2138.11); a set of three lime kilns, marked 'Old Limekilns' is associated with it. The grid reference marks the position of the easternmost kiln, which is not thought to survive above ground.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 shows two active quarry pits (PRN 2138.12, PRN 2138.13), marked 'Quarries', associated with a further set of three 'Limekilns', all located to the south of the earlier pits and kilns which have been abandoned by this time. The grid reference marks the position of the northernmost kiln, which still survives.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 shows two active quarry pits (PRN 2138.12, PRN 2138.13), marked 'Quarries', associated with a further set of three 'Limekilns', all located to the south of the earlier pits and kilns which have been abandoned by this time. The grid reference marks the position of the central kiln, which still survives.
Billown Quarry
Modern limekiln. The Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868 shows two active quarry pits (PRN 2138.12, PRN 2138.13), marked 'Quarries', associated with a further set of three 'Limekilns', all located to the south of the earlier pits and kilns which have been abandoned by this time. The grid reference marks the position of the southernmost kiln, which still survives.
Billown Settlement
A possible prehistoric settlement site reported at Billown.
Billown Standing Stone
Undated standing stones. A group of three standing stones located at Ballahott, east of the burial cairn at Billown. The stones are shown on a plan prepared by WC Cubbon published in 1945. There is a definitely established local tradition in the neighbourhood that the Billown 'Circle' (the cairn mentioned above) and the standing stones surrounding it are closely associated. These three stones are located in the large 37-acre field immediately to the SW of, and overlooked by Ballahott farm. The grid reference refers to the centre of the field.
Billown Standing Stone
Undated standing stones. One of three standing stones located at Ballahott, east of the burial cairn at Billown. The stones are shown on a plan prepared by WC Cubbon published in 1945. There is a definitely established local tradition in the neighbourhood that the Billown 'Circle' (the cairn mentioned above) and the standing stones surrounding it are closely associated. These three stones are located in the large 37-acre field immediately to the SW of, and overlooked by Ballahott farm.
Billown Standing Stone
Undated standing stones. One of three standing stones located at Ballahott, east of the burial cairn at Billown. The stones are shown on a plan prepared by WC Cubbon published in 1945. There is a definitely established local tradition in the neighbourhood that the Billown 'Circle' (the cairn mentioned above) and the standing stones surrounding it are closely associated. These three stones are located in the large 37-acre field immediately to the SW of, and overlooked by Ballahott farm.
Billown Standing Stone
Undated standing stones. One of three standing stones located at Ballahott, east of the burial cairn at Billown. The stones are shown on a plan prepared by WC Cubbon published in 1945. There is a definitely established local tradition in the neighbourhood that the Billown 'Circle' (the cairn mentioned above) and the standing stones surrounding it are closely associated. These three stones are located in the large 37-acre field immediately to the SW of, and overlooked by Ballahott farm.
Billown Standing Stone
Undated standing stone. This stone was recorded on the Ordnance Survey 1:2500 First Edition mapping of 1868, but is thought to have been removed in the first or second decades of the 20th century. Its position is estimated from the 1868 OS. The well established local tradition that the Billown 'Circle' (PRN 0146) and the standing stones surrounding it are closely associated appears not to have saved this particular example from disturbance.
Billown Standing Stone
A possible Bronze Age standing stone reported at Billown. A stone is shown at circa SC259698 on a plan drawn by W. Cubbon in 1942, but is not described.
Billown Stone Circle
Prehistoric cairn. The site comprises a concentration of large boulders, the majority of them quartz, which when investigated in 1929 formed an incomplete oval chamber about 10m long and 8.5m wide. Two large boulders towards the south, though fallen, were thought to have formed an entrance. The position of stones on the east side had been affected by an uprooted tree. The function of the structure was considered to be sepulchral, perhaps of Neolithic date and may have been originally earth-covered.
Billown Stone Circle
Prehistoric cairn. The site comprises a concentration of large boulders, the majority of them quartz, which when investigated in 1929 formed an incomplete oval chamber about 10m long and 8.5m wide. Two large boulders towards the south, though fallen, were thought to have formed an entrance. The position of stones on the east side had been affected by an uprooted tree. The function of the structure was considered to be sepulchral, perhaps of Neolithic date and may have been originally earth-covered.