The gradual destruction of one of the oldest structures ever discovered in England has been brought to a welcome end.
It was noticed recently that passers-by had been removing stones from the Neolithic long cairn on Dudderhouse Hill in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Heritage body Historic England raised the alarm, leading to the government designating the 5000-year-old structure as a Scheduled Monument, the highest level of heritage protection available in England.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, praised the move. "Scheduling this remarkable Neolithic long cairn ensures that this rare and fragile piece of our prehistoric heritage receives the protection it deserves."
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What is Dudderhouse Hill Long Cairn?
The 5000-year-old monument is a partly turf-covered oval mound of stones approximately 23 metres long, up to 12 metres wide and just a metre high. Close to the Yorkshire Three Peaks, it enjoys views towards the prominent summit of Pen-y-Ghent, and its shape appears to mimic the Ingleborough to Simon Fell ridge to the north-west.
Its positioning suggests it had some ceremonial significance and a relationship with the surrounding land. Long cairns such as this may also have served as a way for our ancient ancestors to mark claims to the territory in its vicinity.
Wilson added, "What makes this discovery particularly significant is that it belongs to a small group of recently identified long cairns in the Yorkshire Dales, an area where these monuments were once thought to be absent. He added that "each discovery helps us build a more complete picture of how our ancestors shaped and understood their landscape."
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Why does the long cairn need to be protected?
David Noland, Member Champion for Cultural Heritage at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, noted that the decision to give official protection to the long cairn "means we can now plan a holistic repair and interpretation project on the monument to address the recent damage that the site has suffered."
In the wake of the announcement, an appeal to the public for information about the monument has been made on behalf of Historic England’s Missing Pieces Project. Under the scheme, anyone can submit whatever insights they may have about the Dudderhouse Hill Long Cairn. These could be in the form of photos, drawings, audio, film or text.
Historic England suggests that "everything you add is an important piece of the picture. And the more pieces of the picture we have, the better we can celebrate and protect what makes these places special."
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Gallery: Dudderhouse Hill Long Cairn
Top image: Dudderhouse Hill Long Cairn. Credit: Historic England
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