"On the eminence above Matlock Church, called Riber Hill, are the remains of what has been supposed a Druidical altar, but which has more resemblance to a cromlech; it is called the Hirst Stones, and consists of four rude masses of gritstone, one of which, apparently the smallest, is placed on the others, and is computed to weigh about two tons, on the upper side of which is a circular hole, made for the reception of a pillar in modern times..."
T. Bateman "Vesitiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire.
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"On the declivity of a hill on Ashover Common is a rocking stone, called by the people 'Robin Hood's Mark' which measures 26 feet in circumference, and from its extraordinary position evidently not only appears to have been a work of art, but to have been placed with great ingenuity. About 200 yards to the north of this is a singularly-shaped rock, called the 'Turning stone', in height 9 feet, supposed by Mr Rooke to have been a rock idol..."
T. Bateman "Vesitiges of the Antiquities of Derbyshire.
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"Nearly a quarter of a mile west of Row-tor is another assemblage of large rocks, forming a similar kind of hill, called Bradley-tor, after a former owner of the property on which they stand; on the upper part is a rocking stone 32 feet in circumference, and of orbicular shape, and raised above the ground by 2 stones having a passage between them. This conforms in every aspect to the Tolmens or rock idols described in Borlase's 'Antiquities of Cornwall' in which part of England there are many examples of this form rocking-stones...."
T. Bateman "Vestiges of the Antiquities of Derbys"
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The mound was excavated by T.Bateman in 1845. He found the primary burial of contracted inhumation and several later cremations.
The inhumation was accompanied by flint tools including a dagger and an axe.
In relation to the cremations pottery, a barbed arrowhead and quartz pebbles accompanied one.
The other appeared later and held unspecified Anglian artefacts.
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"A cursus monument at Aston Upon Trent, orientated roughly southwest-northeast and located on the gravels of the trent valley, circa 1 kilometre northwest of the present course of the river.
The cursus appears to be a regular rectangle, the long sides parallel and circa 100 metres apart. The southwest terminal is straight, and meets both sides at right angles. The northeast terminal has not been recorded as a cropmark, but may well have lain in an area which has been quarried away. If so, the cursus would have originally been a little over 1.5 kilometres in length.
The cursus ditch was sectioned in the mid-1960s by D Reaney, though no finds were made. The recorded stratigraphy suggested an internal bank.
Further small-scale excavation occurred in 1986 at a point where the cursus ditch appeared to intersect with a ring ditch (SK 42 NW 59), towards the cursus' south western end. The cursus ditch appeared to run into and cut the ring ditch, and was therefore later in date. The slightness of the ring ditch and the nature of its fill suggests that there is unlikely to have been a mound of any substantial nature in its interior. Finds were few, and none from primary contexts. They comprised a thumb nail scraper, another worked flint, and a few sherds of pottery, identifiable as Grimston and Beaker ware.
Adjacent to the ring ditch is another, not excavated, but also contained within the cursus. In 1995, an existing field drain alongside Acre Lane (in the area circa SK 42442968) was enlarged as part of work associated with construction of the Derby Southern Bypass.
The sides of the drain were recorded archaeologically. The western cursus ditch was not present, suggesting the existence of a gap or causeway. The eastern cursus ditch, though not visible on air photographs at this point, was located. Pollen samples were collected, and a fragment of waterlogged wood is to be used for radiocarbon dating."
Info from English Heritage's www.pastscape.org.uk
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Two decorated stones were found at Ramsor Farm in the late 1990's.
The first, a sandstone slab found while digging a drain, appears to have been broken off a larger stone and is marked with 5-7 cups.
The second found 30m away in the foundations of a wall consists of a cup mark and gutter surrounded by 4 rings and a group of two more similar rings. Badly worn this stone also looked to have been part of a larger design.
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A gritstone slab with 12 cup marks and a curved line was dicovered here in 1996 by a farmer digging a well.
The site is around a mile away from other rock art finds in the area at Ball Cross and Calton Pastures.
The stone as with most of its neighbours is in the Sheffield museum at Weston Park.
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When the cairn above Barbrook I was excavated and restored in the early 1980's four carved stones were found.
a) rectangular slab with a cup and ring marking.
b) triangular slab with 4 cup marks along an edge.
c) single cup mark on small slab
d) slab with 2 cups on one side and one on the other.
All the stones are stored in the Weston Park museum in Sheffield.
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Excavated between 1985-90 by M & K Dalton the cave revealed the burials of 2 infants accompanied by pottery, flint scrapers, animal bones and a small copper axe.
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The stones were said to have been removed by the builder of Riber Castle, John Smedley, as they were an affront to his christian ways.
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W. Storrs Fox excavated the cave in 1911, well sent a couple of local lads into the fissure, they recovered the bones of a subadult(?) and Bronze Age pottery.
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Excavated in the 1950's and 60's the cave deposits held the remains of 2 adults and 4 children accompanied by flint flakes, Neolithic and Bronze Age pottery, a deer antler and animal bones.
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The cave was excavated in the 1950's by Emery and Mills. The finds included the disarticulated bones of what would have been 2 adults and 2 children along with an antler tine, animal bones, chert flakes and pottery from the Early Neolithic. Later Iron Age pottery was also recovered.
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Excavated in the 1830's and then in the 1920-30's by Wilson the cave gave up a wide range of artefacts including Upper Palaeolithic flints, Bronze Age pottery, flints and a jet armlet; along with later Romano deposits and a Saxon hoard.
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"There Riber's mount recalls the Druid's fame,
Altar, and idol-rite, and blood-fed flame ;
Mount stretches over moor, and there o'er all,
Faint as a setting cloud at daylight's fall.."
John Allen, 19th Century.
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An excerpt from:
FROM JOHN O' GROAT'S TO LAND'S END OR 1372 MILES ON FOOT by Robert Naylor and John Naylor 1916.
"One of the poets has described them:
The heavy rocks of giant size
That o'er the land in circles rise.
Of which tradition may not tell,
Fit circles for the Wizard spell;
Seen far amidst the scowling storm
Seem each a tall and phantom form,
As hurrying vapours o'er them flee
Frowning in grim security,
While like a dread voice from the past
Around them moans the autumnal blast!"
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In A.E & E.M Dodds' excellent book 'Peakland Roads and Trackways' they mention the stone as marking a change in direction along the Saxon track called the Old Portway.
The Kings Chair outcrop on the NE horizon pointing where to head next.
I've read elsewhere that the small cross may have been an attempt to christianise an ancient pagan stone...Although on the other hand the cross may indicate the stone's close proximity to the parish boundary and was included in the Rogationtide perambulations as elsewhere in the Peak.
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A slab bearing 24 cup marks was found in a stile nearby and was speculated to have been broken off a larger panel.
Another sandstone boulder with a single cup mark was found in one of the surrounding walls.
Both in Stoke-on-Trent's museum.
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The barrows central pit postman mentions is the result of stone robbing which is also responsible for the hollows on the southern side. Although not fully excavated the finds from the barrow included a rock cut grave, which contained the remains of human bones. More human bones were found elsewhere within the mound along with flint tools, horse bones and teeth and a number of antler tines.
Info: J.Barnatt, B.Marsden.
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The Murder Stone: a standing stone 150m north west of Cornfield Farm.
"...stone erected on a ridge above the brook at Handley Fold. The stone is a triangular natural slab of local gritstone. It is earthfast and stands on the crest of the ridge affording good visibility in all directions except the north east where the view is obscured by higher ground. The stone measures 1.22m at its widest point and 0.44m deep. It stands 1.14m high.
NMR(1995).
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Dolphin trainer for the MoD.
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