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MHG2004 - Mound, Green Hill, Killimster

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Mound (NR) OS 6" map, (1960)

A small green mound completely overgrown with grass is said to be the remains of a Pictish dwelling.
Name Book 1872.

A grass-covered mound locally known as 'Green Hill', situated conspicuously on a low rise in a peat bog. It is roughly circular, measuring about 30m diameter by 2m max height. Quarrying into centre from SE has shown it to be a sandy knoll, and despite traces of a ditch in N arc, possibly caused by quarrying, which has also mutilated edge in E and S, it appears to be natural.
Visited by OS (A A) 20 March 1972.

(ND 3083 5501) Green Hill (NAT) OS 1:10,000 map, (1974)

In appearance, Green Hill is as described by previous field investigator, except that recent badger or fox digging to 1m maximum depth has exposed a content of earth and pebbles with total absence of stones suitable for wall building. Central area has been quarried down to ground level from S, and mound has assumed a horse-shoe shaped plan. An encircling ditch is interrupted at entrance to quarry, and also in E sector where there is a sharp break, like a causeway, 2m wide. The ditch is best preserved in N arc where it is 1.5-2m wide and 0.4m deep, but it is of variable size, and itself may have been quarried here and there; it does not form a regular circle but is somewhat angular.
The mound appears to be either man-made or part natural enhanced by man, but the severe mutilated by quarrying has rendered precise classification uncertain. The situation is remote, and its use as a quarry cannot be explained unless good building stone was being extracted. As stated, only earth and pebbles are visible, but this may be capping to a stony mound or unwanted material from the quarry. The ditch appears homogenous with the mound, but in its present state is barely strong enough for defensive purposes, and lacks regularity of a barrow or cairn ditch.
Visited by OS (N K B) 2 September 1982

Mound, Green Hill. Diameter: 30m. Subcircular grass-covered mound, quarried to a depth of 2.5m in the centre. It is surrounded by a ditch 0.5m dep, 1-2m wide.
R J Mercer, NMRS MS/828/19, 1995

Sources/Archives (2)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred ND 3083 5501 (14m by 14m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	ND35NW
Civil Parish	WICK
Geographical Area	CAITHNESS

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