Blackfaulds

Only nine stones of this circle can be considered to be in situ. Several others, lying on or about the circle, appear to be fragments or not earthfast. The second circle was not located. Resurveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (RD) 21 February 1969

This stone circle lies immediately within the N edge of an area of sparse woodland some 390m SW of Blackfaulds steading. The circle comprises about ten stones set on an internal diameter of about 7.5m, although only two now remain upright. The circle is not an ellipse as previously indicated (Thom, Thom and Burl 1980), and is not one of a pair (Ibid); Burl has obviously referred to an earlier account by Scott (1911) which states that there were two stone-circles in the wood, but Scott may have misunderstood a still earlier reference (Baxter 1892), which refers to two stone circles on Brownie's Knowe (NO13SE 15). Although the majority of the stones are fallen, it is clear from their sizes that the tallest stones were on the S arc. It should be noted, however, that the large broken block on the SSW is flanked by two comparatively small stones.

The stones are described clockwise from the large broken block on the SSW:

Stone 1 (SSW) is a large angular block, which originally measured

at least 1.4m in height, but has now broken into at least four pieces; the stump measures 0.9m by 0.75m at ground level.

Stone 2 (WSW) is a small erect stone measuring 0.7m by 0.7m at the base, and 0.4m in height.

Stone 3 (W) is a long, angular stone which has fallen outwards and measures 1.5m in length by 1m in breadth, and at least 0.8m in thickness.

Stone 4 (WNW) is a large block which has also fallen outwards; it measures 1.4m by 1.15m, and at least 0.45m in thickness. There is an earthfast stone at the W end of this block but it does not match the broken end of the stone.

Stone 5 (NNW) is a fallen stone which measures 1.4m by 1.15m, and at least 0.3m in thickness.

Stone 6 (NE) is a fallen slab which measures 1.5m by 0.7m, and at least 0.6m in thickness.

Stone 7 (E) is a large rounded boulder which measures 1.2m by 1.2m and 0.7m in height; it may be in situ.

Stone 8 (SE) is an angular block which has fallen outwards; it measures 1.6m by 1.1m, and at least 0.7m in thickness.

Stone 9 (SSE) has fallen outwards and measures 1.8m in length by 1.1m in breadth, and 0.7m in thickness.

Stone 10 (S) This small stone is in situ but leans outwards; it measures 0.95m by 0.4m at the base, and 0.4m in height.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 6 April 1989.

RCAHMS surveyed the stone circle at Blackfaulds (NO13SW 15) with plane-table and alidade on 19 April 1989 at a scale of 1:125. The resultant plan was redrawn in ink and published at a scale of 1:250 as part of a ‘Comparative plans of stone circles in South-east Perth’ illustration (RCAHMS 1994b, 32).