The circle is far more obvious on the ground than in the photos. Follow the main path north from the Nine Ladies, and just after you lose sight of the info board there’s a track forking off slightly to the right (NNE). This leads to a small gate at the boundary fence where the track then takes a 90 degree turn back to the main path. Continue on the track for 65 metres (measured) from the gate (about 80 paces) and the circle will be just to your right. Before it, there’s a distinctive tree on the right with two boughs close to the ground (see image).
I’ve surveyed the ring, and it’s circular with two entrances opposite each other: one at SSW from the centre, just off the track, while the other lies about ten metres from the boundary fence/wall behind.
Stanton Moor North, a well-preserved embanked circle (or is it a ring-cairn?) is northernmost and first stop-off. Right near the northern boundary of the Moor, in the trees to the left of the main north-south path, it's easy enough to find if you know it's there, but easily missed if you don't. I've only been here once before, in Spring 2002, and I half-expected this to be completely overgrown. It isn't, and the bank is clearly visible. There are a couple of small (a foot tall or so) uprights protruding and the entrance gap at the NE is easy enough to see. It is however very difficult to get a decent photograph, as there are trees growing on the circle as well as closely surrounding it. I half-heartedly try climbing a tree, but this isn't really my thing and I'll probably end up stuck, so enough of that! It's a nice spot here, but I'm eager to press on, so I head back to the path and on to the most famous of Stanton Moor's many sites, Nine Ladies.
What a mess. The stones here are so strewn around that I wasn't entirely sure I had found the remains of this ring cairn/stone circle at all Add to that the heavy undergrowth and the covering of birch trees and the site is almost impossible to work out – Stubob's pictures taken early in the year give a much better idea of what's left.
Sometimes known as SM1 (Stanton Moor 1?) or just plain "61" by the Heathcotes, Rooke recorded two entrances to the north-north-east and south-south-west but I couldn't figure them out, there were certainly traces of an earth and rubble bank, along with much disturbance in the centre as well as several scattered smallish boulders, one of which could have well have been a standing stone. A rough estimate of the diameter would be 8-10 metres although it could well have been larger. The position of the site is interesting despite the destruction and flora intrusions, at this point the land is already beginning to drop away to the northeast towards Stanton Woodhouse and the River Derwent just beyond.
Probably best visited in winter.
A few hundred yards North of the 9 Ladies, follow the first stone wall you reach down to the right. The site is badly overgrown, but the banks and entrances can be seen.
The interior of the circle is very disturbed, with Rooke in the 1700's, Bateman in the 1800's and the Heathcotes in the 1940's all digging this site.
Cremations, urns and pygmy cups were found on all occasions.
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Posted by thesweetcheat
Posted by Chris Collyer
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