Site record MDR24628 - Rowtor Rocks Rock Art, off Main Street, Birchover
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Rowtor Rocks rock art, off Main Street, Birchover, probably of mostly Late Neolithic to Middle Bronze Age date.
Forty four individual panels of rock art were recorded by survey in April - July 2025, while the initial focus of the survey was on the 'Deer Panel', previously recorded on the northern side of the area. The Rowton Rocks is a geological feature comprised of exposed laminated rock, that during the 18th and 19th centuries became a managed landscape as a visitor attraction. Because of this, much of the area was modified through architectural carving, and moving rocks to form grottos. To the best of the surveyors knowledge, no prehistoric rock art was replicated during this period. The 44 surveyed sites, '…the majority of which date from the Bronze Age, comprising, single and multiple cup marks, cup and rings, lines / grooves and bowl marks. An addition[al] two engraved panels that contain figurative images representing a bovine and a cervid, both lie in close proximity with each other, on the northern intermediate slopes of the tor formation.' In other words, the surveyors concluded that the assemblage of rock art was comprised of non-figurative features, and that the two figurative engravings are of uncertain date, possibly pre-dating the main assemblage, based on weathering. The two figures (Site 19) were a clearly defined large cervid and a smaller cervid, possibly of Mesolithic or Early Neolithic date. (1)
The 'Deer Stone' panel (Site 19), in particular, was subject to a survey carried out immediately before the more extensive survey described above, in March - April 2025. The figure is thought to be one of two representations of a cervid at this site, which are exceptionally rare in prehistoric southern Britain. The figurative carvings are believed to pre-date the non-figurative ones. Please see linked photographs. (2)
Sources/Archives (2)
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 2355 6221 (130m by 176m) (45 map features) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BIRCHOVER, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR5350
- EDR5349
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Oct 10 2025 1:10PM