Reasons for Designation
Henges are ritual or ceremonial centres which date to the Late Neolithic
period (2800-2000 BC). They were constructed as roughly circular or oval-
shaped enclosures comprising a flat area over 20m in diameter enclosed by a
ditch and external bank. One, two or four entrances provided access to the
interior of the monument, which may have contained a variety of features
including timber or stone circles, post or stone alignments, pits, burials or
central mounds. Finds from the ditches and interiors of henges provide
important evidence for the chronological development of the sites, the types
of activity that occurred within them and the nature of the environment in
which they were constructed. Henges occur throughout England with the
exception of south-eastern counties and the Welsh Marches. They are generally
situated on low ground, often close to springs and water-courses. Henges are
rare nationally with about 80 known examples. As one of the few types of
identified Neolithic structures and in view of their comparative rarity, all
henges are considered to be of national importance.
Details
The monument includes a henge monument lying on a gravel terrace north of the
River Ure in the Vale of Mowbray.
The monument comprises a subcircular enclosure surrounded by a bank and
internal ditch with two opposing entrances on the northern and southern sides.
The bank is much reduced, but still visible in places as a slight earthwork.
The internal diameter of the enclosure ranges from 97m to 100m and the
external diameter from 200m to 210m. The bank is up to 18m wide with entrances
15m wide on the northern side and 8m wide on the southern side. Excavations
in 1961 revealed the ditch to be 13.7m wide and 1.8m deep.
The monument is one of a series of henge monuments located in the Vale of
Mowbray. These henges are also associated with other contemporary monuments
and groups of later round barrows. The study of these monuments provides
important information about their form, nature and function within a wider
ritual landscape.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25585
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
