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Mains Of Southwick
Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)(Possible), Axehead (Jadeite)(Period Unassigned), Cinerary Urn(S) (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Mains Of Southwick
Classification Stone Circle (Neolithic) - (Bronze Age)(Possible), Axehead (Jadeite)(Period Unassigned), Cinerary Urn(S) (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Southwick House Policies
Canmore ID 65403
Site Number NX95NW 6
NGR NX 93 57
NGR Description NX c. 93 57
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/65403
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Colvend And Southwick
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Stewartry
- Former County Kirkcudbrightshire
NX95NW 6 c. 93 57
For Southwick House (NX 93023 57461) and associated buildings, see NX95NW 40.00.
A type Ia jade axe (W C Smith 1963) (referred to by early authorities as of green granite), measuring 22.6 by 10.7 by 2.4 cms, is in the collection of the Duke of Argyll, Inveraray Castle.
According to a letter from Lady S Riddell of Mains of Southwick (Southwick House: NX 930 574) dated September 26th 1779, it was found while rocks were being blasted on the estate. The axe lay in a hollow in a boulder (alleged to have been part of a burial chamber), the base of which remained in the ground after blasting. The find-spot is said to have been near one of a number of 'Druidical temples' on the estate, which was destroyed by the removal of gravel for road making.
Three or four close-mouthed coarse urns with ashes in them were found but crumbled to dust.
This 'Druidical temple' is said to be at Southwick while (OSA 1794), alluding to a 'Druidical temple' in Kirkbean parish, destroyed about 1890 (see NX95NE 24) is presumably referring to the same feature.
G Chalmers (1824), following, stating that the axe was found near this (i.e. in Kirkbean parish).
J M Corrie (1930) locates this axe to Airdrie farm (see NX95NE 22 & 23), but has misinterpreted the earlier authority (S Arnott 1895), which only locates the 'Druidical temple' near which the axe was found to Kirkbean parish. (Southwick estate would have overlapped both parishes).
S Riddell 1785; J Evans 1897; S Piggott and T G E Powell 1951.
