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Cuff Hill
Chambered Cairn (Neolithic)
Site Name Cuff Hill
Classification Chambered Cairn (Neolithic)
Alternative Name(s) Cuff Hill Plantation
Canmore ID 42121
Site Number NS35NE 12
NGR NS 3859 5509
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/42121
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Beith (Cunninghame)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Ayrshire
NS35NE 12 3859 5509.
(NS 3859 5509) Long Cairn (NR) (remains of)
OS 6" map (1969)
This Bargrennan group long cairn is situated at 500ft OD, on the slopes of Cuff Hill. It is now about 147ft long and 63ft wide near the NW end, diminishing to a narrow, rounded SE end. In 1810 (or 1813 - a), the cairn was enclosed by a stone wall and planted with trees. The SE third of the cairn has been so greatly robbed that only a slight bank, 1ft-2ft high, around the edge indicates the original size, and the area is now turf-covered. The part outside the modern wall is also reduced to a low bank. The rest of the cairn has been much robbed and disturbed, though in some places, notably N of the N chamber, it has been little disturbed and stands 8ft or 9ft high. In 1810, the SE end was removed for road metal and four chambers were found; a fifth chamber was located in 1963-4 in the NE side of the remaining cairn. A fruitless attempt to find further chambers was made in 1874 when 'the most part of the cairn remaining undisturbed was turned over'. Three chambers remain, exposed, wall-faces may also be seen.
Material found (but later lost) includes a bead, said to be of burnt clay, a small bit of copper 'like a defaced coin', human bones, and possibly burnt bone.
A S Henshall 1972; R Love 1876
Visited by OS (DS) 28 August 1956
This chambered cairn is generally as described, planned and illustrated by the previous authorities.
Revised at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (JRL) 5 January 1983
Field Visit (11 September 1942)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Emergency Survey (1942-3), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, vary from short notes to lengthy and full descriptions and are available to view online with contemporary sketches and photographs. The original typescripts, manuscripts, notebooks and photographs can also be consulted in the RCAHMS Search Room.
Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 10 December 2014.
