A panoply of impressive ancient archaeological remains is to be found in Wensleydale to the east of Semer Water on three adjoining moors of Thornton Rust, Thoralby, and Aysgarth.
Major features include: several settlement-remains; the neolithic henge earthwork of Castle Dykes; the great cairn of Stony Raise; and the round cairn and rock art at the summit of Addlebrough hill. In 1993, Tim Laurie and Robin Minnit produced a useful guide to the whole area. It was a background briefing to accompany a field walk by visiting members of the Prehistory Society, who held their summer meeting at Ripon that year.
Tim’s later entries in the SWAAG database acknowledged that while at the time of the guide’s creation it was correct that ‘no comprehensive study of the prehistoric archaeology of Wensleydale has yet been published,’ that omission had since been partly addressed regarding the special features on the moors of Thornton Rust, Thoralby, and Aysgarth.
He cited: Keith Blood and Derek Carter, ‘Settlement at Greenber Edge’ RCHME Archaeological Survey Report NMR nos. SD98NE 1, 6, 201-4, RCHME 1996; also, Robert White, The Yorkshire Dales, English Heritage Landscapes through Time Series, 1997; and T G Manby, Stephen Moorhouse and Patrick Ottaway, eds. The Archaeology of Yorkshire, An assessment at the end of the 21st century, Yorkshire Archaeological Society Occasional Paper No 3, 2003.
Tim Laurie’s and Robin Minnit’s original guide can be read here: ‘Wensleydale: An Archaeological Survey of Semerwater, Addlebrough, and the Stake Road’ in Western Yorkshire Handbook of the Prehistoric Society (1993).
SWAAG database
Further information about this moorland area can be found in 18 SWAAG database records by clicking on the following links:
– PDF for record nos. 219-279 – see record nos. 245, 257-259.
– PDF for record nos. 752-801 – see record nos. 774, 795-98.
– Burial Mounds and Cairns category PDF – see record nos. 403, 948.
– Burnt Mounds 1 category PDF – see record nos. 62-68.
