Wideford Hill chambered cairn facts for kids
Wideford Hill chambered cairn
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 Location in Orkney Islands
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| Location | Mainland, Orkney, Scotland |
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| Coordinates | 58°59′31″N 3°01′48″W / 58.99201°N 3.03009°W |
| Type | Chambered cairn |
| History | |
| Periods | Neolithic |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Historic Scotland |
| Public access | Yes |
The Wideford Hill chambered cairn is a very old stone tomb found on Mainland, Orkney in Scotland. This special burial place was built around 2000 BC, which was during the Stone Age. It looks a lot like another famous tomb on Orkney called Maeshowe. In 1994, Historic Environment Scotland made sure this site was protected as a scheduled monument.
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What is Wideford Hill Cairn?
This ancient stone tomb is located near Kirkwall on Mainland, Orkney. It sits on a steep hill that faces west, looking out over the Bays of Firth and Kirkwall. Its design is very similar to the Maeshowe burial monument, which is also on Orkney.
How it was built
You can see how the cairn was built by looking at its stone walls. It has three walls built in circles, one inside the other. These walls were placed on a flat area made of earth. The outside of the monument looks like it has steps, but it was probably rounded or shaped like a cone when it was first built. The stone parts were likely covered with clay and grass.
Inside the tomb
The tomb was built on a steep slope, and its entrance is on the west side. The path to get inside is low and narrow. It's about one-third of the total length of the passage and curves a little.
The inner passage goes into the hill and has flat stones forming its roof. This passage leads to a main room made of stone, which has three smaller rooms on its sides. The side rooms have walls that stick out, making them look like small domes. Today, you enter the tomb through a new concrete roof that was added in the 1900s.
History of the Cairn
This tomb was built a very long time ago, around 2,000 BC, during the Neolithic period (the New Stone Age). People called these "chambered cairns" because they were stone mounds with rooms inside.
Discoveries and protection
In the 1840s, a person named Flinders Petrie dug up the site to learn more about it. He didn't find any human bones or other items at that time. He thought that the tomb might have been filled with rocks and left empty a long time ago. The main room inside had already been filled with rubble before he explored it. To keep this important historical site safe, Historic Environment Scotland officially protected it as a scheduled monument in 1994.
Images for kids
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The cairn is on a hillside, with a view looking West.
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Access to the cairn is through a hatch at the top. A torch is recommended, and one is provided on site.
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A steep metal ladder helps you get inside the cairn.
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Inside the cairn, you can see the side passages leading off the main chamber.
See also
