Monument record MDR7587 - Neolithic enclosure, Gardom's Edge, Baslow
Type and Period (2)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Hillfort with massive tumbled rubble bank. Extent is interrupted by intake and there are two possible entrances. There is also a sheep fold built into the bank at one point. The west side of the enclosure is bounded by a natural scarp edge. South of the intake several vertical orthostats suggest possible facing of the outer edge. There is no sign of internal features though the area is boulder strewn. There are several cleared areas within the interior particularly the posited 'main' entrance. (1)
Photographic record. (3)
This feature comprises a massive bank, built of surface-gathered boulders, with multiple entrances, which encloses the highest parts of the Gardom's Edge crest. The bank is 610m long and is between 6m and 9m wide and encloses about six hectares. Some parts have been badly robbed to build drystone walls but the robbed stretches are still clearly traceable. Each end of the enclosure bank terminates at a large boulder at the cliff edge. Detailed recording of the site has been undertaken, together with small excavations carried out to clarify its form. As a result, it is now thought that, contrary to previous interpretation as an Iron Age hillfort or stock enclosure, it is a Neolithic enclosure built in the centuries around 3000 BC. It is overlain by a Bronze Age/Iron Age field system and has several characteristics in common with functionally similar structures known in southern England, but it is unlike any Iron Age hillfort in the region (and elsewhere). Neolithic enclosures of this size were built for seasonal gatherings of the whole region's community, where feasts and ceremonies were held and where goods were traded. (4)
The monument consists of a large enclosure of c.6ha. The western edge is defined by a natural escarpment. The remainder is defined by a stone bank which ranges in height from 0.3m to 1.5m, and in width from 6m to 9m. There are 6 gaps in the bank. In 2011 the monument was dominated by birch woodland and scrubby undergrowth. There appeared to be little deterioration in the stone banks. <5>
Sources/Archives (5)
- <1> SDR16523 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J (PDNPA). Descriptive text on monuments in the Peak District.
- <2> SDR16424 Article in serial: Barnatt, J. 1986. 'Bronze Age remains on the East Moors of the Peak District', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 106, pp 18-100. Fig 19.
- <3> SDR18971 Photograph: Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA). Slide Collection. 1386.1-8.
- <4> SDR19851 Unpublished document: Barnatt, J (PDNPA). 1998. The Chatsworth Estate Historic Landscape Survey, Chatsworth Moorlands: Archaeological Survey 1997-8. p 44, Feaure 12.10.
- <5> SDR24169 Unpublished document: Waddington, C and J Brightman (ARS Ltd). 2012. Peak District Hillforts: Conservation and Management Audit.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 271 729 (168m by 559m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | BASLOW AND BUBNELL, DERBYSHIRE DALES, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
- EDR3856
- EDR4691
- EDR3835
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Nov 13 2018 12:18PM