Wormy Hillock Henge

Wormy Hillock Henge, also known as The Dragon's Grave, is a small henge in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.[3] It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument[1] located in the Clashindarroch Forest.[4] It is a low, circular bank 16.5 metres (54 ft) in diameter which almost surrounds a 6-metre (20 ft) wide platform in the centre.[3] There is one gap in the bank at the southeast end of the henge.[3]

Wormy Hillock Henge
A picture of the mound; the henge lies in the left half of the photo
LocationAberdeenshire, Scotland
Coordinates57°21′48.32″N 2°55′3.40″W
BuiltDuring the Neolithic Period[1]
Architectural style(s)British pre-Roman Architecture
Official nameWormy Hillock
Reference no.3278[2]
Wormy Hillock Henge is located in Aberdeenshire
Wormy Hillock Henge
Wormy hillock henge shown within Aberdeenshire

History

In 1891, James Macdonald, thinking that this mound was a "round for sheep", excavated the mound. However, this did not bring any archaeological finds.[4]

Legend

According to legend, Wormy hillock henge was the location of a buried dragon or monster.[4][5] In the legend, the dragon had been attacking villages in the neighbourhood, and the villagers eventually succeeded in killing the dragon. They then half-buried its corpse and mounded dirt over it, making a mound.[6] This legend is the source of the names of the mound: Wormy Hillock Henge and The Dragon's Grave.[5][6]

The site

The henge is located to the south of the mound known as Wormy Hillock, on a haugh ("a piece of flat alluvial land by the side of a river", according to the Oxford English Dictionary[7]) in a steep valley[4] in the Clashindarroch Forest. The henge comprises a circular bank, 16.5 metres (54 ft) in diameter,[8] enclosing an oval area 13.5 metres (44 ft) long by 13 metres (43 ft) wide.[4] The bank itself ranges from 3 metres (9.8 ft) broad and 10 centimetres (3.9 in) high up to 4 metres (13 ft) thick and 60 centimetres (24 in) high.[4] Wormy Hillock falls into the sub-category 'mini-henge' or 'hengiform' as it is less than 20m in diameter (see henge main article). The area enclosed by the bank is around 140 square metres (1,500 sq ft), and the average for a stone circle is around 260 square metres (2,800 sq ft).[9]

Inside the bank is a small platform 6 metres (20 ft) in diameter surrounded by a 1 metre (3.3 ft) deep ditch crossed by several causeways.[4] The southeastern one is apparently related to the 1 metre (3.3 ft) wide hole in the bank at the same angular position.[3][4] This site is similar to several others in Dorchester, Oxon, England.[8] There are two small pits on the bank, and they may be much more recent than the rest of the mound. A large boulder is lying in the ditch right below one of the pits.[4]

Currently, the site is completely overgrown by grass and heather.[4]

  • >A front view of the burial mound, showing the small valley plain.
    A front view of the burial mound, showing the small valley plain.
  • >A panoramic photograph showing the circular bank in front of the burial mound.
    A panoramic photograph showing the circular bank in front of the burial mound.
  • >A side view panoramic photograph of the Wormy Hillock burial mound, showing the small river which runs next to it.
    A side view panoramic photograph of the Wormy Hillock burial mound, showing the small river which runs next to it.

See also

References
  1. Dip, Jill Moody (2006). Electricity Act 1989 (PDF) (Report). The Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  2. The Diversity Team (September 2009). Moray & Aberdeenshire Forest District Strategic Plan 2009–2013 (PDF) (Report). Forestry Commission Scotland. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  3. "Wormy Hillock Henge". Megalithic Portal. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  4. "Wormy Hillock". Canmore Site Records. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  5. MacDonald, James (1891). Place Names in Strathbogie. Dwyllie and Son. pp. 258–259.
  6. "Wormy Hillock Henge Monument". Attractions in Aberdeenshire. Britain Express. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  7. "haugh, n." Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. OED Online. Oxford University Press. 16 December 20.
  8. "Aberdeenshire SMR – Wormy Hillock". Aberdeenshire Council Sites and Monument Record. Aberdeenshire Council. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  9. Burl, Aubrey (August 2000) [First published 1995]. The Stone Circles of Britain, Ireland, and Brittany (2nd ed.). Yale University Press. pp. 36. ISBN 978-0-300-08347-7. wormy hillock.
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