Reasons for Designation
Stone alignments or stone rows consist of upright stones set in a single line
or in two or more parallel lines, up to several hundred metres in length. They
are often sited close to prehistoric burial monuments, such as small cairns
and cists, and to ritual monuments, such as stone circles, and are therefore
considered to have had an important ceremonial function. Traditionally they
are regarded as being of Bronze Age date although there is a lack of precise
dating evidence. Circumstantial evidence - for example, the fact that most
appear on moorland which shows little sign of widespread colonisation until
the Late Neolithic, and the fact that some are slighted by Middle-Late Bronze
Age structures - suggests that all or most were constructed during the first
half of the second millenium BC. As such they provide rare evidence of
ceremonial and ritual practices during this period. Due to their rarity and
longevity as a monument type, all examples of stone alignments that are not
extensively damaged will be considered nationally important.
Askham Fell stone alignment survives reasonably well and is a rare example of
this class of monument in Cumbria. It lies within an area of open fell rich in
prehistoric monuments, and is situated upon an alignment of funerary monuments
stretching for over 1.5km along the natural communication route over a col
between Lowther and Ullswater valleys. It thus indicates the importance of
this area in prehistoric times and the diversity of monument types to be found
here. The monument will contribute to the study of the ceremonial function and
date of stone alignments and other spatially associated monuments.
Details
The monument is a stone alignment on Askham Fell situated on a line between
White Raise round cairn and Askham Fell ring cairn. It is divided into two
separate areas by a natural sink hole. The easterly part includes two
virtually parallel alignments of irregularly spaced stones 6m-9m apart,
orientated approximately north west - south east, and running for a length of
70m. There are fifteen stones in the northern line and seven stones in the
southern line. Some of the stones remain upright while others appear to have
fallen. The maximum height of the stones is 0.3m. At the south east end there
is a slight bank up to 0.1m high and 1m wide that continues the southernmost
alignment of the stones for a further 8m. The western part of the monument
continues approximately on the same alignment as the northern line of stones
for a further 44m and includes seven irregularly spaced stones up to 0.45m
high.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
22526
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
