
Bank of the north henge |
This is a set of three Neolithic
henges that lay in a northeast to southwest line within the flat plateau of
land between the Rivers Ure and Swale
All three henges would have been roughly the same size with a central circle around
18 metres in diameter, a 12 metre berm, ditches about 3 metres deep and 20 metres
wide and with outer banks up to 3 metres high. They all had twin entrances, to
the northwest and the southeast.
The northern henge is probably the best preserved as it is covered in a small
plantation. It still has a high bank and deep ditches with the 2 entrances both
clearly defined.
The central henge is the most accessible but it's banks have been badly damaged
in places and there is little trace of the interior ditch. It is interesting to
note that it stands over an earlier mile long cursus
which ran in a northeast to southwest direction.
The southernmost of the 3 monuments is badly damaged but it is still recognisable
as a henge structure and the banks are still wide although not very high.
It is now thought that the banks of the henges would have been covered in gypsum
crystals, making them glitter in the sun and perhaps echoing the chalk earthworks
of the south of England. Later the area became a focus for activity in the Bronze
Age and around 2 dozen round
barrows were built on the land around these henges.
* The Thornborough Henge area is under threat from quarrying. Please consider
joining the
Friends of
Thornborough and signing their online
petition. *
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