Reasons for Designation
The East Moors in Derbyshire includes all the gritstone moors east of the
River Derwent. It covers an area of 105 sq km, of which around 63% is open
moorland and 37% is enclosed. As a result of recent and on-going
archaeological survey, the East Moors area is becoming one of the best
recorded upland areas in England. On the enclosed land the archaeological
remains are fragmentary, but survive sufficiently well to show that early
human activity extended beyond the confines of the open moors.
On the open moors there is significant and well-articulated evidence over
extensive areas for human exploitation of the gritstone uplands from the
Neolithic to the post-medieval periods. Bronze Age activity accounts for the
most intensive use of the moorlands. Evidence for it includes some of the
largest and best preserved field systems and cairnfields in northern England
as well settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles and other
ceremonial remains which, together, provide a detailed insight into life in
the Bronze Age. Also of importance is the well preserved and often visible
relationship between the remains of earlier and later periods since this
provides an insight into successive changes in land use through time.
A large number of the prehistoric sites on the moors, because of their rarity
in a national context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connections,
will be identified as nationally important.
Details
The monument includes a small prehistoric stone circle with central cairn
located on gently shelving land at the eastern edge of Eyam Moor. The circle
stands close to contemporary cairnfields and related monuments.
The stone circle consists of six surviving stones arranged in a ring measuring
13m by 12.5m. Four of the stones stand upright, the other two are now fallen.
The stones range between 0.25m and 1.1m in height. It is recorded that there
were nine stones in the ring during the 19th century. Within the circle of
stones stands a large oval cairn orientated north-south, measuring 8.5m by 6m
and standing about 0.6m high. The cairn has a deep trench cut along its axis
although much of the original fabric still survives. The trench is likely to
be the result of 18th or 19th century antiquarian excavation. The ring of
free-standing stones without an embankment is unusual in the local region. A
fallen orthostat (upright boulder) on the ESE side of the circle now bears a
boundary mark.
The monument is interpreted as a Bronze Age stone circle of which a few
survive in the local region. The central cairn was probably funerary in
purpose, forming a complex ceremonial monument.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
31231
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
