Burnhead Moor

Plumbing and electrical suppliers are amongst the types of businesses which operate here.

No evidence of OS surface block, top soil not deep enough for it to be buried.

Looking towards Kilcreggan and Helensburgh from the summit of Corlick Hill

Looking over Knocknairshill to the Clyde and Cardross.

See NS2973 : Lurg Moor Roman fortlet for a discussion of various other antiquities located nearby on the moor, with links to photographs. Compared to some of those sites, the remains shown in the present photograph are less conspicuous, but they are shown on the 1:25000 OS map. Several enclosures have been reported in the immediate vicinity of this one, but the remains shown in this photograph are the easiest to pick out visually. See Link (at Canmore) for further details; the subject of this photograph is structure "A" in that report, the D-shaped enclosure. Structures "A" and "B" together make up the enclosures that are depicted on the 1:25000 map. [See Link for an annotated satellite image (zoom out for other antiquities located nearby). The satellite view shows some other interesting details nearby: for example, only 60 metres ESE is another feature, the form of two overlapping circles: I examined that area on a later visit: NS3072 : Possible hut circles on Burnhead Moor.] The present photograph shows two ridges, both greener than the surrounding moor, but with some dark tussocks along their course. The nearer one is straight, and the more distant one is curved into a C-shape, with the open side toward the photographer, so that they are arranged (very roughly) as "C|". In the foreground, just below the centre of the photograph, part of the nearer (straight) ridge runs across the width of the image, sloping upwards to the right. Behind it is the other (curved) ridge. Only one half of its C-shape is seen in this view; the near end of that arm of the ridge is to the left of and slightly above the centre of the photograph. From there, the ridge can be followed to the right-hand edge of the picture. Providing confirmation of the view direction, Corlic Hill (called Corlick Hill on the OS map) appears centrally on the skyline.

The mound in the middle distance is a high point of the moor. A trig point can be seen there; for a closer look, see NS3073 : Trig point on Knocknairs Moor. The River Clyde is visible in the background. On the far side of the river, and extending from the left-hand edge of the image to behind the trig point, the slopes above the shore-side town of Helenburgh resemble a single low wide hill; behind its highest point, Glen Luss forms a gap in the mountains; the distant Cobbler (NN2505) and Ben Ime (NN2508) stand in the gap.

For a view of the trig point in context, see NS3073 : Knocknairs Moor. Its flush bracket number is S4982. The large town of Greenock is visible on the near shore of the Clyde. Out in the firth, the Rosneath Peninsula can be seen directly behind the trig point, with Loch Long to its left, and the Gare Loch to the right.

The ground to the west is rougher underfoot, not only here, but along the full length of the fence and wall. For background details on the left, see NS3073 : Knocknairs Moor. On the right, Ardmore Point (NS3178) can be seen jutting out from the far shore of the Clyde. Two hills, close together, can be seen behind it: Ben Bowie (NS3382), with the partially-afforested Killoeter (NS3481) to its right.

The valley of the Devol Burn is visible in the background; the burn flows eastwards there, but the photograph was taken at a point where the burn is, by means of the foreground wall, sharply diverted to the south, where it passes through a sluice gate: NS3073 : Sluice gate on the Devol Burn. Although the burn is redirected here, part of its flow is allowed to continue eastwards from this point, as controlled by the valve (another contributor's photograph, taken elsewhere, shows the top of what is clearly the same kind of valve: NS3433 : Water Valve). The valve is of cast iron, and can be dated by the lettering on its near side. The lighting conditions prevailing at the time mean that this writing is not evident in the photo, but it reads as follows: "LAIDLAW AND SON ENGINEERS GLASGOW 1903." According to Link (at Canmore), R. Laidlaw and Son were based at the Alliance Foundry, Broomhill, Glasgow, from 1853-1923.

This part of the road lies about 500 metres within NS3073 : Greenock boundary, and gives some fine views of the town of Greenock and the Firth of Clyde. For the origins of the road's name, see NS2974 : Auchmountain Road.

[Update: on the nature of what is shown here, the following comments refer to a field visit made by professional archaeologists in 2012: "It is possible that both features ... are the remains of hut platforms, but they are equally likely to be the result of geology and natural vegetation cover". One of the main reasons for my submitting possible finds is so that they can be properly assessed, and I am glad that this has occurred.] A number of hut circles and ancient enclosures have already been reported from these moors. The majority of these discoveries were made by the Renfrewshire archaeologist Frank Newall. Three such sites are known from the immediate vicinity of the area shown in this photograph; for those reports, see (1) Link (2) Link (3) Link (all at Canmore). The first of those reports corresponds to NS3072 : Remains of enclosures; the other two are about sites just to the north and west of those enclosures. However, the rather faint feature that is shown in this photograph lies about 65 metres to the east of the enclosures; it seems, therefore, that this particular site had not been reported until now. It is noticeable on some satellite imagery (although to what extent very much depends on when those images were taken); see the link in the end-note for a satellite view centred on this feature. The NW circle of the pair is shown here at the centre of the photograph, and it fills most of the width of the image. For a view from a different angle, see NS3072 : Possible hut circles on Burnhead Moor. The area is flat, and falls away at its northern rocky edge. In both photographs, traces of a low circular ridge can be seen on the elevated upper surface (most notably at the link just cited). These circular features might be hut circles (the conventional name given to the remains of roundhouses – circular dwellings of various kinds – dating from the late Bronze Age or early Iron Age); if this interpretation is correct, then the overlapping circles indicate that a later building was erected on almost the same spot as an earlier one (a good location was likely to be re-used). As mentioned above, several rather more visible hut circles have already been recorded from other parts of the moor (see NS2973 : Lurg Moor Roman fortlet for the relevant links). The area shown in the present photograph is flat, and is slightly elevated above the surrounding moorland; it would have provided an ideal platform for a dwelling. However, the traces visible on the ground here are slight, and it would take a more expert appraisal than mine to definitely identify them as genuine hut circles. Nevertheless, the feature shown in the present photograph may merit further examination; to that end, I have submitted a report to WoSAS (that report also includes the feature described below). Similar circular features can be seen nearby; one of them is located just 55 metres to the east: NS3072 : Possible hut circle on Burnhead Moor.

[Update: on the nature of what is shown here, the following comments refer to a field visit made by professional archaeologists in 2012: "It is possible that both features ... are the remains of hut platforms, but they are equally likely to be the result of geology and natural vegetation cover". One of the main reasons for my submitting possible finds is so that they can be properly assessed, and I am glad that this has occurred.] See NS3072 : Possible hut circles on Burnhead Moor for the main description. The present photograph is likewise a view over the north-western circle of the pair, but looking to the NE. Compare a known NS2973 : Hut circle on Lurg Moor, which is located about 1.3 km to the NNW, and which presents a rather similar appearance; the slightly-elevated area shown in the present photograph is likewise very flat on top. Note also, in the present view, what appears to be a low ridge, extending from the near side of the rocky area on the left, and following a curving course along the near edge of the flat elevated area. Harelaw Reservoir can be seen in the background, although it is more apparent in the larger versions of the image.

[Update: on the nature of what is shown here, the following comments refer to a field visit made by professional archaeologists in 2012: "It is possible that both features ... are the remains of hut platforms, but they are equally likely to be the result of geology and natural vegetation cover". One of the main reasons for my submitting possible finds is so that they can be properly assessed, and I am glad that this has occurred.] This feature is located about 55 metres to the east of NS3072 : Possible hut circles on Burnhead Moor; the view direction of both photographs is the same. The circular outline fills most of the width of the image, and can be followed as a line of tussocks (the left-hand side is more apparent than the right). The feature is about 15 metres across, and could be the remains of a hut circle that had gone unrecorded until now; see the link in the previous paragraph for further details. Traces of ancient enclosures had already been recorded from close to this spot, and several hut circles are present elsewhere on the moor (see the 1:25000 map for NS2973, and see NS2973 : Lurg Moor Roman fortlet for links to the various antiquities located in this area). See Link for a satellite view centred on this feature, which is indicated by a marker. On that view, there are hints of several similar features nearby, but they are considerably fainter and more indistinct. [I have submitted a report to WoSAS, describing this circular feature and the one that is located 55 metres to the west (on which, see the link in the second paragraph).]

Of the three ruined farm buildings that I visited on the day, Lurg was the least well preserved. [The other two are NS3074 : The ruins of Knocknairshill Farm, 400m to the east, and NS2874 : The ruins of Loudenward Farm, 1.3 km to the WSW.] Lurg is shown and named from the first edition OS map (surveyed in 1857) onwards. The farm building was about 30 metres long, and fairly narrow, with its long axis oriented SW-NE. From the 1960s on, OS maps no longer name the ruins, which must already have been in poor condition. They are not depicted at all on present-day mapping (which is understandable, given that they are now fairly inconspicuous). The photograph is a view of the south-eastern side (one of the long walls). The lower area on the right is outside the building, and the raised area on the left is the interior. The ground drops away quite sharply at the edge of that area, revealing the line of the wall, although there is now little exposed stone to be seen. Trees now cover much of the area of the ruin, making it more difficult to reveal its form in photographs. Isolated fragments of wall, with some exposed stone, are located among the trees. The farm appears to correspond to one that is shown, but not named, on Roy's Military Survey of Scotland (1740s-50s); see NS3074 : The ruins of Knocknairshill Farm. Although Lurg Farm is gone, the name survives in Lurg Moor (NS2973) on the high ground to the south; also, just as Knocknairshill Farm was not far to the east of Lurg Farm, there is a Knocknairs Moor (NS3073) just to the east of Lurg Moor.

tennis and football

A view of Greenock taken from the Scenic Route which runs from Greenock to Largs. Sorry about the coo - I asked it to moove but it wouldnae, in fact it charged at me just after I took this!

taken in freezing fog