South Ronaldsay, Hoxa Hill, The Wart

ND49SW 4 4333 9357

(ND 4333 9357) Tumulus (NR)

OS 6" map (1900)

'The Orkney Herald' (June 1871) reported the excavation of this site in the autumn of 1870.

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Opened in 1869 by Captain Gray and Mr Petrie and found to contain, within a circular wall, the area inside of which was divided into several compartments by upright stone slabs, a quantity of human bones mixed with charcoal.

Name Book 1879

This mound, occupying a prominent position on Hoxahill, has been much destroyed and no accurate measurements can be given. A considerable number of stones, many fairly large, have been used in its construction. It was excavated in 1871 by Petrie, who records, that it contained a very rough built chamber, the walls of which did not exceed 2ft 4in in height.

RCAHMS 1946, visited 1929

A chambered cairn known locally as "The Wart" (Mr Scott, Roeberry Farm, S Ronaldsay), about 9.5m in diameter and 0.7m high, placed centrally within a probably contemporary circular bank 0.3m high, spread to 3.5m and measuring 17.2m in diameter between its centres. Within the central excavation are four upright stones of a chamber of uncertain plan. One stone 'A' is possibly not in situ. The largest stone 'B' is visible to a height of 0.9m. There is no indication of an entrance passage. Two or three stones amongst the debris surrounding the excavation are probably displaced orthostats.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (ISS) 27 April 1973

The remains of a chambered cairn which seem to stand on a low platform (c/f HY62NE 2 - Cutter's Tooer) c.21m in diameter and 0.4m high, wwhich has had a bank round its edge now spread to about 4m and only about 0.1m high. It has been totally removed in the S arc where a water tower has been built. Four upright slabs remain of the chamber. 'A' on plan, would appear to be in situ, although possibly broken within a later wall which has been built around the rim of the excavation hollow, as it is somewhat loose. A large slab, 1.4 x 0.8m, lying prone to the S side of the cairn, may be the displaced partner to 'B', shown in situ, on Petrie's plan.

The total height of the cairn above ground level is 0.9m. No back-slab is visible, but walling may have been used as reported by Petrie (c/f ND48NW 10 - Nev Hill).

Visited by OS (JLD) 14 May 1981

Round cairn of Orkney-Cromarty type, probably with a tripartite chamber.

J L davidson and A S Henshall 1989