Henge 370m north east of Drove Cottage

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1015795
Date first listed:: 25-Feb-1955

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1015795
Date first listed:: 25-Feb-1955
Date of most recent amendment:: 08-Apr-1997

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Somerset (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Priddy
National Grid Reference:: ST 55915 49786

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.

Despite having been ploughed in the past, the henge, 370m north east of Drove Cottage survives well and is still clearly visible as an earthwork. The monument will contain archaeological remains providing information about Neolithic beliefs, economy and environment.

Details

The monument includes a henge situated on the floor of a shallow valley, 370m north east of Drove Cottage. The henge includes a circular bank 11.5m wide and 0.4m high, inside which is a ditch 6m wide and 0.3m deep. Both bank and ditch are broken by a single entrance on the north west side and enclose a circular central area 19m in diameter. Near to the entrance on this central area, which slopes gently to the west, is a low oval mound. The overall diameter of the henge is 54m.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 29764
Legacy System:: RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Tratman, E K, 'Proceedings of the University of Bristol Speleological Society' in Another Henge Monument On Mendip, , Vol. 8, (1958), 124-125

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.