Priddy Circles

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Priddy Circles
Priddy Rings Somerset Map.jpg
Locationnear Priddy and Wells
Region Somerset, England
Coordinates 51°16′20.93″N2°39′38.85″W / 51.2724806°N 2.6607917°W / 51.2724806; -2.6607917 Coordinates: 51°16′20.93″N2°39′38.85″W / 51.2724806°N 2.6607917°W / 51.2724806; -2.6607917
Type Earthwork enclosures
History
Periods Neolithic
Site notes
Conditionruined

Priddy Circles are a linear arrangement of four circular earthwork enclosures near the village of Priddy on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. [1] The circles have been listed as Scheduled Ancient Monuments, [2] and described as 'probable Neolithic ritual or ceremonial monuments similar to a henge'. [1]

Contents

The southernmost Priddy Circle falls on adjoining land to a house and stables that are owned by retired businessman Roger Penny. [3] In 2012 Penny was fined £10,000 after the earthwork was damaged by work he had permitted. [3]

Description

The enclosures range in diameter from 185 to 194 m (607 to 636 ft). [4] [5] Three of the circles are closely spaced in a nearly straight line, while the fourth is 350 m (1,150 ft) to the north and somewhat out of line with the other three. The total arrangement is spread over roughly 1.2 km (0.75 miles). There is no missing enclosure in the gap between the northernmost enclosure and the others. This gap is bisected by the B3135 road and the course of the Roman road which runs between Charterhouse and Old Sarum.

The four circles each consist of a flat circular area surrounded by a bank and external ditch enclosure with more than one entrance. [1] Excavations carried out between 1956 and 1959 by members of the University of Bristol Spelæological Society showed that the banks had stone cores with post and stake holes on either side. Geophysical surveys in 1995 and a magnetometer survey in 2006 are exploring further the make up of the circles.

Aerial view of Priddy Circles, with the Priddy Nine Barrows and Ashen Hill Barrow Cemeteries in the distance. Priddy circles.jpg
Aerial view of Priddy Circles, with the Priddy Nine Barrows and Ashen Hill Barrow Cemeteries in the distance.

The circles are numbered in sequence 1 to 4, with number 1 being the most southerly of the group. [1] Circle 1 is 194 m (636 ft) in diameter, with a surviving ditch up to 6 m (20 ft) wide and 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) deep. It has several gaps, but the one to the north-north-east was a causewayed entrance feature. [5] Circle 2 is 185 m (607 ft) in diameter, with a bank up to 6 m wide and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high, and the ditch is up to 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in) deep. There are three gaps present in this earthwork, and the one to the north-north-east is possibly an original feature. Within circle 2 is a possible ovoid barrow mound measuring 14 by 9 m (46 by 30 ft), and 0.4 m (1 ft 4 in) high. [4] Circle 3 is up to 190 m (620 ft) across, with a bank up to 1 m high and 7 m (23 ft) wide, and ditch up to 1 m deep and 5 m (16 ft) wide. There are four gaps in this circle, the one to the south-south-west is considered an original entrance feature because it directly faces the north-north-west entrance of circle 2. [6] Circle 4 has a diameter of up to 190 m but only two-thirds of the earthwork is present. Boreholes made in the 1950s suggested that the missing western section was never finished, possibly due to subsidence in the area. [7] Associated with circle 4 is a group of mounds interpreted as barrows, one outside the circle to the west, and possibly four inside. [8]

2011 damage

In June 2011, it was reported that English Heritage was investigating damage to the site, [9] and during July 2011 photographs were published that appear to show significant damage to a section of the southernmost circle. [10]

The owner of the southernmost ring, Roger Penny, was fined £10,000 and ordered to restore the earthwork at a cost of £38,000 following the damage caused by contractors he had hired. [3]

Rubble had been used to fill important “swallet” holes in the ring, these have been described as natural cavities which may have been key to the monument’s creation. [3] The workers also cleared gorse and bracken between April and October 2011, bringing rubble into the field to help rebuild a wall and moving a gate. In bringing in the rubble, ruts were made in the ground inside the circle by agricultural machinery. The damage included the destruction of a circular ditch said to be completely bulldozed. Penny was aware the ring was a scheduled monument and told the contractors not to touch it, but because part of the site is not visible to the naked eye "serious damage" was caused. [3] English Heritage had not been consulted about the works. A spokeswoman for English Heritage described the damage as a "major incident", adding the structure was one of only about 80 henges in England. She said the loss of the fabric to the henge meant a "really, really rare piece of Neolithic engineering had been lost forever". [3]

Interpretation

They are probably Neolithic ritual or ceremonial monuments similar to a henge but this interpretation is somewhat speculative due to the presence of external rather than internal ditches, [1] a feature which makes them unique in Britain. [11] [12] [13]

Although no dating evidence has been found, [1] they appear to be contemporary with Stonehenge, i.e. Neolithic circa 2500 BC [14] - 2180 BC. [15] Two round barrow cemeteries, Ashen Hill and Priddy Nine-Barrows, located less than 1 km (0.62 miles) south of the Circles, would seem to imply that the area to the northeast of Priddy held ritual significance into the Bronze Age. [11]

Related Research Articles

Woodhenge

Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class II henge and timber circle monument within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of Stonehenge, in Durrington parish, just north of the town of Amesbury.

Henge Type of Neolithic earthwork

There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork that are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three is that they feature a ring-shaped bank and ditch, with the ditch inside the bank. Because the internal ditches would have served defensive purposes poorly, henges are not considered to have been defensive constructions. The three henge types are as follows, with the figure in brackets being the approximate diameter of the central flat area:

  1. Henge (> 20 m). The word henge refers to a particular type of earthwork of the Neolithic period, typically consisting of a roughly circular or oval-shaped bank with an internal ditch surrounding a central flat area of more than 20 m (66 ft) in diameter. There is typically little if any evidence of occupation in a henge, although they may contain ritual structures such as stone circles, timber circles and coves. Henge monument is sometimes used as a synonym for henge. Henges sometimes, but by no means always, featured stone or timber circles, and circle henge is sometimes used to describe these structures. The three largest stone circles in Britain are each within a henge. Examples of henges without significant internal monuments are the three henges of Thornborough Henges. Although having given its name to the word henge, Stonehenge is atypical in that the ditch is outside the main earthwork bank.
  2. Hengiform monument (5 – 20 m). Like an ordinary henge, except the central flat area is between 5 and 20 m (16–66 ft) in diameter, they comprise a modest earthwork with a fairly wide outer bank. The terms Mini henge or Dorchester henge are sometimes used as synonyms for hengiform monument. An example is the Neolithic site at Wormy Hillock Henge.
  3. Henge enclosure (> 300 m). A Neolithic ring earthwork with the ditch inside the bank, with the central flat area having abundant evidence of occupation and usually being more than 300 m (980 ft) in diameter. Some true henges are as large as this, but lack evidence of domestic occupation. Super henge is sometimes used as a synonym for a henge enclosure. However, sometimes Super henge is used to indicate size alone rather than use, e.g. "Marden henge ... is the least understood of the four British 'superhenges' ".
Arbor Low Neolithic henge monument in England

Arbor Low is a well-preserved Neolithic henge in the Derbyshire Peak District, England. It lies on a Carboniferous Limestone plateau known as the White Peak area. The monument consists of a stone circle surrounded by earthworks and a ditch.

Maumbury Rings

Maumbury Rings is a Neolithic henge in the south of Dorchester town in Dorset, England. It is a large circular earthwork, 85 metres in diameter, with a single bank and an entrance to the north east. It was modified during the Roman period when it was adapted for use as an amphitheatre, and the site was remodelled again during the English Civil War when it was used as an artillery fort guarding the southern approach to Dorchester. The monument is now a public open space, and used for open-air concerts, festivals and re-enactments.

Mount Pleasant henge Neolithic henge monument

Mount Pleasant henge is a Neolithic henge enclosure in the English county of Dorset. It lies southeast of Dorchester in the civil parish of West Stafford. It still partially survives as an earthwork.

Priddy Human settlement in England

Priddy is a village in Somerset, England in the Mendip Hills, close to East Harptree and 4 miles (6 km) north-west of Wells. It is in the local government district of Mendip.

The Bull Ring Neolithic henge monument in Derbyshire

The Bull Ring is a Class II henge that was built in the late Neolithic period near Dove Holes in Derbyshire, England.

Cursus Barrows Barrow cemetery in England

The Cursus Barrows is the name given to a Neolithic and Bronze Age round barrow cemetery located mostly south of the western end of the Stonehenge Cursus. The cemetery contains around 18 round barrows scattered along an east-to-west ridge, although some of the mounds are no longer visible. The Cursus Barrows can be seen just north of the route between the Stonehenge Visitor Centre and Stonehenge.

Marden Henge Neolithic henge monument

Marden Henge is the largest Neolithic henge enclosure discovered to date in the United Kingdom. The monument is northeast of the village of Marden, Wiltshire, within the Vale of Pewsey and between the World Heritage Sites of Avebury and Stonehenge.

Devils Quoits

The Devil's Quoits is a henge and stone circle to the south of the village of Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire, England. The site is believed to be from the Neolithic Period, between 4000 and 5000 years old, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The Quoits were restored between 2002 and 2008, with stones which had been knocked over or had fallen over being re-erected, and the surrounding earthworks rebuilt.

Scratchbury Camp Hillfort in Wiltshire

Scratchbury Camp is the site of an Iron Age univallate hillfort on Scratchbury Hill, overlooking the Wylye valley about 1 km northeast of the village of Norton Bavant in Wiltshire, England. The fort covers an area of 37 acres (15 ha) and occupies the summit of the hill on the edge of Salisbury Plain, with its four-sided shape largely following the natural contours of the hill.

Drove Cottage Henge is a scheduled monument in the Priddy parish of Somerset, England. It is located 370 metres (1,210 ft) north of Drove Cottage. The site is a ceremonial Neolithic location. Since this henge is one of only around 80 henges throughout England, it is considered to be nationally important.

Knowlton Circles

Knowlton Circles are a complex of henges and earthworks in Knowlton, Dorset, England. The henge enclosing Knowlton Church is the best known and best preserved, but there are at least two other henges in the vicinity as well as numerous round barrows.

Priddy Nine Barrows and Ashen Hill Barrow Cemeteries

Priddy Nine Barrows Cemetery and Ashen Hill Barrow Cemetery are a collection of round barrows, dating from the Bronze Age, near Priddy in the English county of Somerset. They are designated as ancient monuments.

Scheduled monuments in Bath and North East Somerset

Bath and North East Somerset is a unitary authority created on 1 April 1996, following the abolition of the County of Avon, which had existed since 1974. Part of the ceremonial county of Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset occupies an area of 220 square miles (570 km2), two-thirds of which is green belt. It stretches from the outskirts of Bristol, south into the Mendip Hills and east to the southern Cotswold Hills and Wiltshire border. The city of Bath is the principal settlement in the district, but BANES also covers Keynsham, Midsomer Norton, Radstock and the Chew Valley. The area has a population of 170,000, about half of whom live in Bath, making it 12 times more densely populated than the rest of the area.

Scheduled monuments in Mendip

Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of 285 square miles (738 km2) ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000. The administrative centre of the district is Shepton Mallet but the largest town is Frome.

Scheduled monuments in Somerset Nationally important sites in Somerset, England

There are over 670 scheduled monuments in the ceremonial county of Somerset in South West England. The county consists of a non-metropolitan county, administered by Somerset County Council, which is divided into five districts, and two unitary authorities. The districts of Somerset are West Somerset, South Somerset, Taunton Deane, Mendip and Sedgemoor. The two administratively independent unitary authorities, which were established on 1 April 1996 following the breakup of the county of Avon, are North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. These unitary authorities include areas that were once part of Somerset before the creation of Avon in 1974.

Coneybury Henge Henge in Wiltshire, England

Coneybury Henge is a henge which is part of the Stonehenge Landscape in Wiltshire, England. The henge, which has been almost completely flattened, was only discovered in the 20th century. Geophysical surveys and excavation have uncovered many of its features, which include a northeast entrance, an internal circle of postholes, and fragments of bone and pottery.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Historic England. "PRIDDY CIRCLES (197570)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 15 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Firth, Hannah (2007). Mendip from the air. Taunton: Somerset County Council. ISBN   978-0-86183-390-0.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Prehistoric monument filled in with rubble after businessman owner tried to keep it tidy". The Daily Telegraph. 28 October 2012. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  4. 1 2 Historic England. "Priddy Circle 2 (1041413)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  5. 1 2 Historic England. "Priddy Circle 1 (1041406)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  6. ↑ Historic England. "Priddy Circle 3 (1041421)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  7. ↑ Historic England. "Priddy Circle 4 (1041422)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  8. ↑ Historic England. "Monument No. 197576". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  9. ↑ "Priddy Circles damage investigated by English Heritage". BBC News. 27 June 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  10. ↑ "Outrage, as English Neolithic monument bulldozed flat". Past Horizons. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  11. 1 2 "Mendip Hills An Archaeological Survey of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" (PDF). Somerset County Council Archaeological Projects. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  12. ↑ Historic England. "Three of the Priddy Circles and one barrow, 400m west of Castle Farm (1015498)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  13. ↑ Historic England. "Priddy Circle and barrow cemetery 400m north of Castle of Comfort Inn (1015501)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  14. ↑ Havinden, Michael. The Somerset Landscape. The making of the English landscape. London: Hodder and Stoughton. p. 50. ISBN   0-340-20116-9.
  15. ↑ Dunning, Robert (1983). A History of Somerset. Chichester: Phillimore & Co. ISBN   0-85033-461-6.
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