Henge 120m south of Lodge Farm

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.

Gunthorpe henge is a particularly good and rare earthwork example of this type of site in Nottinghamshire. The size and quality of the earthworks illustrate the high level of preservation of the structural elements of the site. The fill of the ditch, the make up of the bank, the old ground surface beneath the bank and that which lies beneath the alluvium, will retain important archaeological and environmental evidence relating to the use and date of the site.

Details

The monument includes the earthwork and buried remains of Gunthorpe henge located 120m south of Lodge Farm. The site has a sub-circular flat platform measuring approximately 53m in diameter which is enclosed by a ditch averaging 15m wide and approximately 1.5m deep. An external low bank approximately 5m wide surrounds the ditch and survives to a height of 0.75m. An entrance to the south east is clearly visible. The northern and western part of the site is masked by alluvium (soil left after flooding) but will survive well beneath this layer. A relatively modern drain cuts through the western side of the monument. The drainage ditch follows, in part, the ditch of the henge. A curve in the drain clearly shows the point at which this occurs. The layer of alluvium covering the north and west side of the henge will have preserved the outer bank to the west and north of the drain. All modern field boundaries including fences, gates and drainage ditches are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 5 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:

29901

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Darvill, T. C., MPP Single Monument Class Description Henges, (1989)
RCHME, NMR 12863 Frame No. 26, (1996)

End of official list entry

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