Monument record MDR3219 - Destroyed stone circles or barrows, Brassington Moor, Aldwark

On Brassington Moor, two miles south of the village of Elton, there was, until approx 1800 a tumulus of earth and stone called Stoney Lowe or Stanhope Lowe …. On the east side of the tumulus was a circle of stones, some two feet high and thirty-nine feet across. Sixteen feet from this was a small circle twenty-two feet in diameter. The barrow and its circles were removed to supply materials for walls and for the road which now passes within fifty yards of the spot. (1) There was formerly a circle of about 39ft in diameter and another 22ft on Brassington Moor. (2) SK 2354 Possible stone circle on Brassington Moor. (3) In the late 18th century, two structures on Brassington Moor were recorded by Rooke which were destroyed soon afterwards. They were located just to the east of the large but now badly damaged Neolithic chambered barrow of Stoney Low [SMR 102]. The first structure was next to the edge of the mound and consisted of a ring of stones with a diameter of 39 feet. Rooke's drawing shows fifteen to nineteen small stones, some of which were almost contiguous. Bateman noted that none exceeded 2 ft in height. Inside this ring was a second of about half the diameter - seven or eight stones are shown on Rooke's drawing and there was a further stone near the centre of the site. The second site was a short distance to the east on the same line. This had a diameter of 22 ft and the drawing shows twelve or thirteen, equally spaced, small stones with a gap for one more. Four larger stones are shown scattered in the interior. The small size of the stones, their almost contiguous arrangement and the presence of internal settings suggests these two rings were the kerbs of denuded barrows or possibly chambered tombs, rather than being true stone circles. (4)