Reasons for Designation
Stone circles are prehistoric monuments comprising one or more circles of
upright or recumbent stones. The circle of stones may be surrounded by
earthwork features such as enclosing banks and ditches. Single upright stones
may be found within the circle or outside it and avenues of stones radiating
out from the circle occur at some sites. Burial cairns may also be found close
to and on occasion within the circle. Stone circles are found throughout
England although they are concentrated in western areas, with particular
clusters in upland areas such as Bodmin and Dartmoor in the south-west and the
Lake District and the rest of Cumbria in the north-west. This distribution may
be more a reflection of present survival rather than an original pattern.
Where excavated they have been found to date from the Late Neolithic to the
Middle Bronze Age (c.2400-1000 BC). It is clear that they were carefully
designed and laid out, frequently exhibiting very regularly spaced stones, the
heights of which also appear to have been of some importance. We do not fully
understand the uses for which these monuments were originally constructed but
it is clear that they had considerable ritual importance for the societies
that used them. In many instances excavation has indicated that they provided
a focus for burials and the rituals that accompanied interment of the dead.
Some circles appear to have had a calendrical function, helping mark the
passage of time and seasons, this being indicated by the careful alignment of
stones to mark important solar or lunar events such as sunrise or sunset at
midsummer or midwinter. At other sites the spacing of individual circles
throughout the landscape has led to a suggestion that each one provided some
form of tribal gathering point for a specific social group. A small stone
circle comprises a regular or irregular ring of between 7 and 16 stones with a
diameter of between 4 and 20 metres. They are widespread throughout England
although clusters are found on Dartmoor, the North Yorkshire Moors, in the
Peak District and in the uplands of Cumbria and Northumberland. Of the 250 or
so stone circles identified in England, over 100 are examples of small stone
circles. As a rare monument type which provides an important insight into
prehistoric ritual activity, all surviving examples are worthy of
preservation.
Details
The monument includes a circle of 11 standing stones with evidence that at
least three more stones lie below the ground surface. The circle is situated
on level moorland close to the edge of a west-facing escarpment known as
Hordron Edge and overlooks the upper Derwent Valley. The stone circle is
dated to the Bronze Age and is sometimes referred to as 'The Seven Stones of
Hordron'.
The circle measures 15m by 16m and is of local stone. The height of the stones
varies from 0.45m to 0.95m with the largest standing at the south west of the
arrangement. There is no trace of an embankment surrounding the circle, as
with several stone circles in the Peak District, nor of central features. The
stones are arranged into three groups with relatively wide spacings between
each. During repair and restoration work in 1992, evidence for at least three
more orthostats below ground was discovered and it is likely that the stones
were originally more regularly spaced. It is unclear whether the present
positions of the standing stones are original settings, but many are likely to
be undisturbed.
Dispersed around the circle are several small and indistinct mounds which may
either be natural hummocks or possible clearance cairns. The area surrounding
the circle is covered with an accumulation of peat which may mask further
archaeological features.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
29823
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
