There are several possible routes to this cache, though we should
point out that you’re likely to have to walk at least a mile there
and back. Initially we visited Whitlees to try to find the remains
of the Bastle but had little luck. There seems to be a good number
of large stones strewn around the area, but no definitive
structure. The footpath from there to Manside is quite overgrown,
so you’d be better off using the Border County Ride which is a hard
packed and almost level track.
The medieval Manside Cross is a square stone with a hole
in the centre, inside which stands another stone on end. There are
a number of similar ‘crosses’ in the North East which consist of a
base topped by a long stone, though this one is quite small in
comparison. It was first recorded in the Border Survey of 1604 and
is thought to have been used as a boundary stone in post-medieval
times.
The co-ordinates of the cross are: N55º13.398 W002º01.482
Near to the cross is a rectancular iron age settlement with three
ramparts and two ditches. The site was excavated between 1959 and
1960 and it was concluded that there were two periods of use,
during the iron age and again in the Roman period.
We have also found some interesting aerial photos of the nearby
earthwork - see pics. More photographs can be found on this
website:
http://www.davison03.freeserve.co.uk/manside%20cross.htm
We saw an adder at Whitlees, so watch out for snakes.
If anyone can find any more information on the history of this
site, please let us know.
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