Carn Vael is a Bronze Age cairn, which measures 12 metres in diameter and stands up to 0.9 metres high. It is composed of very small quartz stones without grass covering and in respect to the use of white stones is unlike other cairns on the island. William Cubbon recorded a tradition which says that the cairn was formed by people from Baldwin depositing the white stones at the site when travelling to Bishopscourt for sacrament.
A few small loose stones mark the site of this cairn which is otherwise completely destroyed. The site is at the junction of three parish boundaries. The cairn is shown on the 1870 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map.
The remains of a damaged Bronze Age cairn. It is an oval feature orientated east-west and measuring 6.0 metres by 4.5 metres. It is defined by ten irregular stones one of which is prostrate. The largest stone is 0.7 metres high with sides of 0.6 metres by 0.3 metres. The tops of the remaining stones generally protrude through the ground surface and it is thought that they define the kerb of a cairn or barrow as indicated by a slight outward lean to some of the stones. This site was visited by an excursion of the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society in 1912 when Kermode thought that it marked a mound which had been removed.
The site of a damaged barrow or cairn. It has a diameter of 9 metres and height of 1.0 metre. The entire top has been robbed creating a rectangular depression, averaging 0.6 metres deep, revealing a heavy stone content. Part of the rectangle has been built up with dry stone walling. The site was visited by the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society in 1912 when it measured about 11 metres in diameter and about 1.8 metres high. It had certainly been a burial place.
The site of a possible late medieval to post medieval Watch and Ward beacon. The Carnane, which is now the heather-covered portion of Douglas Head, was a Hill for the Day Watch of Braddan parish as mentioned in Castle Rushen papers dating to 1627. A view of Douglas drawn by Daniel King circa 1650 marks the path to the Carnane as the way 'to the Beacon'. The Port for the Night Watch was at Douglas town.
Antiquarian notes compiled by the Rev. E.B. Savage record 'traces of rude huts' on the slopes of the Carnanes, overlooking Fleshwick. No further information is provided, and no features corresponding to the description have been located.
Aerial photography shows that the entire west and south-west facing slope south of the southerly summit of the Carnanes ridge was formerly divided into a field system comprising plots ranging in size from about 1.5 to 5 acres, the boundaries of which are still faintly traceable on the ground. The fields appear to have fallen out of use prior to the tithe and rating surveys of the 1840s and 1860s, and the Ordnance Survey of 1870, as they do not feature on any of the maps produced at that time.
The grid reference provided is for indicative purposes only.
Iron Age defended promontory; medieval watch station. The site is protected by an earthen bank and ditch across the landward side, and on the north side by precipitous cliffs on the north and east. The bank is 7m wide with a maximum inner height of 1.5m and outer height of 2.2m. A ditch to the landward of this is 6m wide on average and 1m deep, though it has suffered plough damage.
Excavation by PS Gelling in 1957 showed that the rampart was faced with dry walling inside and out and was 3.8m wide. The excavator believed that both faces were part of a reconstruction, for they stood on a layer of slatey rubble and building stone, which was thought to be Iron Age in origin. The rebuilding of the rampart probably took place before the construction of the rectangular longhouse within the enclosed promontory. Prior to investigation, there were surface indications of the building, but excavation proved it to be orientated NW-SE, with bowed walls and internal measurements of 7.5m by 4m. There was a possible entrance 2m wide in the south-east corner, but no trace of stonework. Apart from a few postholes for support for the roof and entrance, little else survived to indicate the construction of the walls, which seem to have been of earth and turf. There was a rudimentary raised bench along each long wall and at the west gable, formed by cutting down into the bedrock in the centre of the building; here there was also a hearth.
The excavator believed that the house represented Medieval reoccupation of the site. More recently it has been argued that the building was used as a watch-house as part of a system of watch and ward, and did not serve a domestic purpose.
Iron Age defended promontory.
The site is protected by an earthen bank and ditch across the landward side, and on the north side by precipitous cliffs on the north and east. The bank is 7m wide with a maximum inner height of 1.5m and outer height of 2.2m. A ditch to the landward of this is 6m wide on average and 1m deep, though it has suffered plough damage.
Excavation by PS Gelling in 1957 showed that the rampart was later faced with dry walling inside and out and was 3.8m wide. Gelling believed that both faces were part of a period of medieval reconstruction, since they stood on a layer of slatey rubble and building stone, which he thought was Iron Age in origin. This interpretation is crucial in establishing an Iron Age date for the origin of the site, as no Iron Age features were recognised within the defended area of the promontory, and had presumably been effaced by later medieval activity.
Medieval defended promontory.
Excavation by PS Gelling in 1957 showed that the rampart was refaced with dry walling inside and out and was 3.8m wide. Gelling believed that both faces were part of a period of medieval reconstruction and re-use, since they stood on a layer of slatey rubble and building stone, which he thought was Iron Age in origin.
Prehistoric coarse stone tool.
A worked prehistoric coarse stone tool was acquired by CH Cowley from Mr C Cashin of Market Place, Peel.
No further details concerning the circumstances of the discovery were recorded and the grid reference relates to the finder's address for indicative purposes only.
The antiquary Charles Harry Cowley was an avid collector of worked flint and coarse stone artefacts revealed by agricultural activity, mainly on farms located around Peel, and occasionally from further afield. He was active from 1900 until 1943. His entire collection of artefacts, together with a daybook cataloguing his discoveries, was later donated to Manx National Heritage.
The possible site of an undated fort, said to be located to the south of a fort on Gob ny Rona or Tableland Point. It appears to have been mentioned by P.M.C Kermode but no evidence of such a monument has been found and later sources believed the record to be erroneous, possibly a confusion with the fort on the point (PRN 1073.00).
It may however refer to the Civil War battery thought to have stood on the point before the Gob ny Rona battery was built in the late 18th to early 19th century.
Ringfort. This impressive oval earthwork survives to a maximum height of 4.6m. The bank, which averages 7m in width, has a diameter ranging from 31 to 35m. There is an entrance on the north-east side. Apart from the enclosure being built up on the north-west side to create a more-or-less level interior, there is no sign of any internal features.
The site has been compared to the circular structure at the Braaid, and stands at a roughly similar altitude, but here the likeness ends as there is no sign of any stone in the bank at Cashtal Lajer.
A cairn is shown here on the 1870 1:2500 scale Ordnance Survey map, located on the boundary between the Ballaugh and Jurby parishes. It may have been of Neolithic or Bronze Age date but no longer survives as a surface feature.
The possible site of an Iron Age or Early Medieval promontory fort, although the features here have been interpreted as being of geological origin.
The site is found on a projection of the brooghs and appears to be defined by a ditch measuring 7 metres wide and 1 metre in depth which cuts off the narrow neck of the promontory to the southwest. This creates an isolated shelf or "island" of flat ground which is taken to represent the interior of a fort. Fragments of a possible outer bank have been noted outside the ditch. It has been suggested that the "ditch" has been caused by a natural geological slip caused by coastal erosion. However, this part of the coastline appears to have remained stable since the time of the 1870 1:10560 scale Ordnance Survey map, which shows the promontory fort and names it as Cashtal Ree Gorree.
The old name of the local estate, Balyhamig, was recorded in 1515, and has been traced by antiquarians to the Scandanavian name Hamnarvik i.e. Harbour creek. This has led to the conjection that this is might be a defensive work of late date with Viking or post-Viking association but there is no other evidence to support this.
Neolithic chambered tomb. The well-preserved chambered tomb of Cashtal yn Ard is situated on raised land giving views overlooking most of the parish of Maughold and across the sea to the Lake District. Although the stone cairn has been stripped away, the largest, firmly-set stones create a dramatic burial site.
The impressive arcade of the sharply curved forecourt, now restored, measures 6.7m wide by 5.8m deep. The largest of the stones forming the forecourt stand 2.3m above ground level. Five stone-built chambers extend eastwards from the forecourt, each chamber separated from its companion by lateral stone slabs. The maximum height of the stones forming the chambers is 1m, gradually reducing eastwards. The longest of the chambers is 3.2m and the shortest is 2m long; the average width is 1.2m. The overall length of the tomb is 39m.
When first recorded in the 19th century, the cairn was clearly almost rectangular, and stood almost 1.2m high, the body of the cairn being revetted behind post-and-panel walling. The walling, most of the cairn material, and some of the orthostats forming the forecourt were removed in the middle of the 19th century for house building.
A few flints and some sherds of Neolithic pottery were found in the chambers.
The burial cists within the well-preserved Neolithic chambered tomb of Cashtal yn Ard is situated on raised land giving views overlooking most of the parish of Maughold and across the sea to the Lake District. Although the stone cairn has been stripped away, the largest, firmly-set stones create a dramatic burial site.
The impressive arcade of the sharply curved forecourt, now restored, measures 6.7m wide by 5.8 metres deep. The largest of the stones forming the forecourt stand 2.3 metres above ground level. Five stone-built chambers extend eastwards from the forecourt, each chamber separated from its companion by lateral stone slabs. The maximum height of the stones forming the chambers is 1m, gradually reducing eastwards. The longest of the chambers is 3.2 metres and the shortest is 2 metres long; the average width is 1.2 metres. The overall length of the tomb is 39 metres.
Large quantities of prehistoric worked flint, said to number in the thousands, have been observed and collected at Cass ny Hawin. Material has been observed at various points along the coastal periphery of Ordnance Survey Field no. 2969, and also as a result of ploughing. The site is now affected by quarrying. Two trial excavations were undertaken by Gelling and Cubbon in 1973 prior to an extension of quarrying in the vicinity. No significant discoveries were made, but an adjoining area to the east requires similar investigation.
