Easthill

NX97SW 1 9193 7388.

(NX 9193 7388) Stone Circle (OR)

OS 6" map (1946)

'Small hillock rising in centre to 12ft.' Central store. Fosse like depression almost imperceptable.

Name Book 1850

The remains consist of eight stones, two of which are still upright, arranged in a circle 60 to 70 feet in diameter. The largest stone is 3 feet 10 inches long. On the upper side of a stone on the east arc of the circle are three possibly artificial small circular depressions in alignment but as undoubted natural pittings occur all over the stone they are unlikely to be artificial cup-markings.

RCAHMS 1914

This circle is known as the Seven Gray Stones but it consists of nine stones with a diameter between 78 and 81 feet. On the plan, F and L mark the sites of two stones and a third stone is supposed to have stood in a small hollow at H. The roughly oval hollow 15 feet within the circumference of the circle is probably the result of "a little digging" by Canon Atkinson.

F R Coles 1895; NSA 1845 (T Inglis)

There are ten stones in the circle, which is sited on a partly artificial platform in a depression.

J Brown 1890

There are three cup-marks on another stone, in the NW part of the circle.

J M Corrie 1910

The location of this stone circle is on a slight platform whch appears to be natural. In all, ten stones were counted; the smallest stones are almost flush with the ground while the largest Two are 0.9m and 0.6m high respectively with girths of c.3.0m On the second stone round westwards from the two stones set close together (see Coles' plan) is

a very small cup mark, possibly artificial. Most of the stones bear natural pittings but no other possible cup-marks were seen. The circle about 23.0m in diameter, is obscured by dense bracken.

Enquiries at Mains of Hills farm on whose land the circle lies, Hills Tower and Eastmill Farm, failed to find any confirmation that the circle is known as the 'Seven Gray Stanes' or any alternative name.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 2 July 1964