Barr River

NM65NW 5 6154 5642 and 6150 5650.

(NM 6154 5642) Mesolithic Site, Barr River: This site lies about 0.8km along the track running NW from the lowest concrete bridge over the Barr River; an old stone wall runs from the shore up the ridge, and the site, some 100m from the sea, lies about the track just E of the way through the wall, at a height of about 12 - 15m OD. The site appeared as a scattering of worked stones on the track and, with charcoal fragments, on the originally-deepest part of the throw-out from a ditch dug by the Forestry Commission immediately parallel to the track on its shoreward (N) side. Excavation (carried out in 1972 with the approval of the Ancient Monuments Inspectorate) proved unrewarding. Small pits were tried all over the area, with a 1.8m by 1.2m trench, 1.2m deep, at the most promising place, but all that emerged was that the occupation material was probably scanty in origin and is now scattered through shallow to very deep hillwash, with much disturbance by the Forestry Commission; doubtless material does exist in situ, but in deeply buried patches. The material recovered consisted of charcoal, 194 mostly well-patinated or burnt flints and six artifacts made of more unusual rocks; these included four microliths, a microburin, and five scrapers. A further 82 flints were collected from the shingle of the minute bay (centred N 6150 5650) amongst rock outcrops, which lies immediately W of the wall noted above.

J Mercer 1979.