The Longstone, Mottistone
Encyclopedia
Mottistone
Mottistone is a village on the Isle of Wight, it is located in the popular tourist area the Back of the Wight. It is located 8 Miles southwest of Newport in the southwest of the island. It is home to the National Trust's Mottistone Manor.-History:...
, close to the south west coast of the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. It is the only Megalithic monument on the Island.
Description and location
The Longstone consists of two pieces of local greensandGreensand
Greensand or Green sand is either a sand or sandstone, which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment, that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay...
sandstone probably from a vein 100m away. The larger stands at 3.9m (13 feet) and the smaller lies at its foot. They are on the edge of a wood in small fenced enclosure just off Strawberry Lane, near Mottistone. The name Mottistone (the Speaker’s or pleader’s stone) almost certainly derives from the Longstone. The stones and the surrounding land are in the care of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and are open to the public.
Until the mid nineteenth century the smaller stone was further south but in 1856 a local landowner, Lord Dillon
Charles Dillon, 14th Viscount Dillon
Charles Henry Dillon, 14th Viscount Dillon, was born 20 April 1810 in Dublin and died in 1865. He was descended from Charles II.- Family :He married Lydia Sophia Story, granddaughter of Sir Francis Baring, founder of the London merchant house of Barings...
, had it turned over to discover if it had a mortise
Mortise
Mortise or mortice may refer to:* Mortise and tenon, a woodworking joint* Ankle mortise, part of the distal tibia joining the talus bone to form an ankle joint* Mortise chisel, a type of chisel* Mortice lock - a deadlocking lock....
hole (it did not). Its present position has led to fanciful tales of its being a sacrificial altar stone and, in common with many other megalithic monuments, modern pagan meetings and rituals are associated with it.
In October 2007 the larger stone was vandalised by unknown person(s) who painted the white outline of a Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
onto the side facing the smaller.
Associated long barrow
The stones are associated with a narrow mound 21m (70 feet) long, which runs from them to the west. In September 1956, excavations by C.N. Hawkes appeared to confirm that this was the remains of a long barrowLong barrow
A long barrow is a prehistoric monument dating to the early Neolithic period. They are rectangular or trapezoidal tumuli or earth mounds traditionally interpreted as collective tombs...
, so that the stones may be the remains of an entrance. Long barrows in this part of England (not on chalk or limestone) are rare.
Dating
Although dating is difficult, pottery excavated in 1956 indicates that the mound (and therefore probably the stones also) are NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
.
External links
- Druid site with photographs and mixed archaeological and folk history
- Photographs of the monument, Jerry Anderson, Megalithic Portal, 11 February 2001.