Stanton Moor - Northeast of Birchover, Derbyshire

Stanton Moor is an area of gritstone that stands at a height of 280-320 metres above sea level in Derbyshire between the villages of Stanton in Peak to the north and Birchover in the south and with the River Derwent to the east. The area has been occupied since at least the Bronze Age and contains the remains of 2 definite stone circles (Nine Ladies and Doll Tor), 3 other possible circles or ring cairns (Stanton Moor North, Central and South) and an estimated 120 other cairns as well as several natural standing stones and rock outcrops. Most of these sites lie on the eastern and southern slopes of the moor and have fine views towards the Derwent and the hills beyond but stone quarrying in the central area could have robbed us of many other unrecorded cairns or circles. The sites have also received the attention of antiquarians and early archaeologists since the 18th century who have actually done them much harm and made modern interpretations difficult, in particular the father and son team of the Heathcotes whose 1930's and 40's excavations and inaccurate reconstructions have hindered our understanding of the original form of many of the cairns. Much of what remains is now covered in thick layers of heather while increasing visitor numbers have lead to erosion on the moor particularly around the area of the Nine Ladies which has lead to the site being resurfaced with new turf. The Nine Ladies has also been threatened in the past by proposals to reopen the nearby stone quarry which could have had irreversible effects on the circle and the surrounding moorland, currently however (2006), it would seem that these quarrying plans have been abandoned.