Hut circle
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
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BrigantesNation
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
A very poor long distance shot, showing the circle and the cairn.
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
Stone (sandstone) showing some possible human drill holes.
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
Stone (sandstone) showing some possible human drill holes.
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
An enhanced image of three of the stones.
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
I went to see what I could see today and saw a stone circle.
I can see why there is confusion, since I also found several hut circles, and squares and other shapes all located broadly in the same area identified as a hut circle on the OS – a clear understatement of what is going on here!
This stone circle sits in a place of prominance in the middle of an apparent pre-historic settlement, that includes a number of huts, field enclosures and other signs of human activity. Including a cairn not too far away.
The circle is small – 10m across and appears to be a nine stone – circle with several stones missing. The embankment that it sits on is approx. 11m in diameter.
Most of the stones appear to have slipped from their original position and a few seem to be missing altogether. The stones themselves are small – the largest is less than a metre high. This is not surprising as the strata of the local rocks means they are subject to easy fracture and these stones appear to have done well to stay so large.
Interestingly, two different types of stones were used to create this circle. The majority of stones were limestone but at least two were sandstone.
One of the sand stones appeared to have human-made drill holes which were very shallow – perhaps 5mm deep.
There is a poem about the well, said to testify to its purity;
“Whoever eats Hammer nuts and drinks Diana’s water (watter)
Will never leave Witton while he’s a rag or tatter.”
“There is another spring on the fell, called Diana’s Well, which Mr Barker thinks may be regarded as a memorial of Roman Paganism” Wellans History and Topography of York and North Yorkshire 1851.
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
This site is a little odd. It’s an irregular circular enclosure which has bank and ditch and is on the small side for any use as a defence.
“About two hundred yards east of the ancient village of Gayle (which is on the rivulet, half a mile distant from Hawes), are some traces of an ecampment, supposed to have been an outpost of the Roman Station at Bainbridge.” Wellan’s History and Topography of York and The North Riding 1851.
Wellan often called Iron age enclosures Roman, this is a so far unknown earthwork and is worth checking out.
“On Aysgarth Moor, now enclosed, may be seen the remains of a circular encampment, supposed to be Danish” Wellin’s History and Topography of York and the North Riding 1851.
This is an unusual and unknown feature exposed by the cut – slightly away from the centre of the barrow. It appears to be the bottom of a pit which constant ploughing has reduced to a one inch deposit.
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This is the southern side of the ring ditch, a little better preserved, here the final few centimetres are being removed.
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This is the northern side of the ring ditch for the eastern most barrow. Once the topsoil was removed it was plain that only about an inch of the ditch remained.
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I called this a barrow cemetery because even though there’s only three barrows here, they are close together and in alignment, and it is this relationship that makes me feel they should be treated as a group.
Even though these barrows are protected monuments I do not think they will be here for very much longer. You see protection means the farmer can continue ploughing them. A small mound, if continually ploughed will eventually be flattented to nothing.
This was dramatically demonstrated today when I visited the excavations of Dr Jan Harding, who had placed an excavation trench across one of the barrows. The barrow is almost flat, the ditch on one side was about an inch deep once the plough soil had been removed and in some places the plough had cut through the ditch to the natural underneath. The ditch on the other side of this ring ditched monument was about six inches or so deeper, but clearly it won’t be long before this crop mark is just a crop memory.
I’ve included some pictures of the excavation but as you may guess, there’s not a great deal to so, these may be the last.
This camp has a fascinating possible faulse entrance system. Several hollow ways which approach it from the south converge at Fortress Dyke stream and on the other side diverge again. One of them takes a course straight to the camp, another runs beyond its western side whilst another tow seem to go nowhere – running for 30m or so and then just stopping. Whilst this sort of complex entrance is the same sort of idea as at other Iron Age hillforts, this system is completely different. firstly there are no apparent walls to the hollow ways that approach the camp – it is was a defensive measure they would have had to be lined with wooden fences.
The camp itself is sub rectilinear aproximately 45m by 60m. It has a single bank and ditch which is only apparent on three sides. The fourth side – east appears to have a slight ridge running along it for some of it’s length at least. The camp is cut right through by a stream running east west. This may have been an original feature which has now eroded quite a deep path through the camp.
To the north are several other enclosures which have been interpreted as field systems, although one at least is too small, being approx 20m by 7m, and may have been an animal enclosure.
There are three Round Barrows here;
120m S of Low Barn – SE35487297
350m S of Low Barn – SE35437276
300m WNW of Low Barn – SE35197319
150m E of Burtree Hill. SE35447433
Located 350m SE of Blois Hall Farm.
This camp straddles both sides of the B5451, it is of uncertain origin.
This 20m diameter burial mound was excavated in 1951 in advance of deing destroyed by the A1. The total excavation revealed 5 cremation burials each with an associated “beaker” pot.
The internal mound, about 10m in diameter was constructed by covering a primary burial pit with a heavy covering of cobbles. A ditch was dug around the perimeter, about 1.5m in diameter and this was then surrounded by large stones. A ritual hearth was also found to one side of the mound.
“The excavation of a section accross the complete width of the cursus, now reduced to a cropmark, produced evidence from recut ditches of at least two major phases of use. The first was indicated by narrow almost V-profiled ditches, which, having silted, were recut to a wide and shallow form. A low mound of indeterminate shape, possibly upcast from the ditches, was situated in the centre of the cursus, while a pit complete with a ramp was discovered as an external feature of the eastern ditch. A sampling strategy recovered a flaked stone assemblage of flint and chert, which included debris from knapping activities in addition to actual tools. In the area excavated no evidence was recovered for any recognisable form of occupation of any period.” Peter Topping 1978.
The cursus was originally about 2.1km long and aligned SE-NW. Clustered round the monument were a string of ring ditches, one that was excavated had a single burial with a beaker. The cursus was cut almost dead straight over it’s entire length and was approx. 30m wide. The entire site has now been destryed by quarrying.
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
This hillfort defends an area of about 150 square metres on the top of a small hillock very close to the River Swale. It has a single rampart and ditch and appears to have an entrance on the west side. A couple of fields to the west, a hollow way seems to point directly to the fort.
Rock with one cup mark, 290m S of Crag House. SE17675125
Three carved fragments of gritstone outcrop in enclosed pasture 500m SW of Washburn Farm. SE18105121
Rock with cup marks and grooves near boundary between Askwith Moor and Denton Moor, 600m E and Dunkirk. SE 16065088
Two carved rocks south of derelict grouse butt, 840m SSW of Crag House. SE17365099
Cup marked rock 640m NE of Whin Hill Farm, Askwith Moor. SE 16685056
Cup and groove marked rock 700m NE of Whin Hill Farm. SE17105054
Cup and Ring marked rock on ridge 520m S of triangulation point on Shooting House Hill. SE17105054
Rock with at least two cups at Hollin Tree Hill, 840m NNE of Whin Hill Farm. SE 16545085
Carved Rock below Snowden Crags on Snowden Carr, 100m S of Crag House. SE17665144
Rock with at least seven cups at edge of track on Stoop Hill, 890m SSE of the Trinagulation point on Shooting House Hill. SE17555028
Rock with cups, rings and grooves near derelict grouse butt, 440m SE of tiangulation pillar on Shooting House Hill. SE 177425076
Two cup marked rocks near track, 180m E of triangulation pillar on Shooting House Hill. SE 17285104
Interesting link looking at the astrological alignment at Thornborough.
“The ritual complex at Sarn-y-bryn-caled is the most studied of the Welsh sites and a development sequence based on relative and absolute chronologies as well as site analogy has been proposed. The cursus appears to have been primary, attracting close to it’s NE terminal a horseshoe-shaped ring ditch, a substantial standing post and pits containing Peterborough Ware. These sites are followed by a hengiform ring ditch, a timber circle, two ring ditches, both of which show cropmark evidence for central pits, and a Beaker – associated henge. The complex was developed over the course of almost two millennia.”
Alex Gibson, Cursus monuments and possible cursus monuments in Wales.
This possible cursus runs for 130m on a SE-NW alignment, it’s ditches are 15m apart and there is a relationship with the River Wye.
This possible cursus runs for 120m on a SSW-NNE alignment. it’s ditches are 27m apart and there is a ring ditch close to the northern end.
This definate Cursus runs for 900m along a SE-NW alignment. It’s ditches are 14m apart and excavation has shown them to be 3, wide and 1.3m deep.
“NT 891453. Groat Haugh. Enclosures, cropmark. (1)
Sub-oval enclosure on terrace of River Tweed. Defined by a narrow ditch, with two broad entrances. The south east entrance has two pronounced inturns. Possible pits in the interior. Diameter less than 100m. Orientated c.north-west/south-east. Cannot be ruled out as henge-
related. (2)
The enclosure has opposed entrances aligned north west/south east. The ditches at the south east are inturned – a linear feature/ditch? There are two small ditched penannular features close by the west side of the main enclosure. (3)
Visible on a series of aerial photographs. (4)”
Source: Northumberland SMR
According to the SMR, the cropmarks of an enclosure matching a type II henge were revealed here.
According to the SMR, crop marks have revealed the site of a possible henge here.
“The perimeter pit alignment and external ditch of the henge were excavated in advance of the cemetery extension. An undated crouched inhumation was found in one pit which may have been covered by a barrow. An extensive geophysical survey was also undertaken around the henge suggesting that the pit alignment was an irregular oval of ca.210-350m across.” From the South Yorks SMR
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
Image credit: BrigantesNation.com
The fort close to Braithwaite Wood, close to Castle Steads is probalby part of the same IA mining community that controlled the area surrounding Flamstone Pin. Tracks coming from this fort lead to Castle Steads and also to the River Cover. This may was have worked with Castle Steads and a number of other features to have created a very large protected zone that allowed the ancient peoples to control access to the entire mining area. This fort, together with Castle Steads were probably the equibvalent of the local bank or strong room – serving to protect large amounts of metal prior to shipment for trade.