Drove Cottage Henge

Drove Cottage Henge
Drove Cottage Henge shown within Somerset
Location:	Somerset, England
Coordinates:	51°14′44.37″N 2°37′59.47″W / 51.2456583°N 2.6331861°W / 51.2456583; -2.6331861Coordinates: 51°14′44.37″N 2°37′59.47″W / 51.2456583°N 2.6331861°W / 51.2456583; -2.6331861
Area:	Mendip Hills
Built:	During the Neolithic Period
Architectural style(s):	British pre-Roman Architecture
Scheduled monument
Official name: Henge 370m north east of Drove Cottage[1]
Designated:	April 8, 1997[1]
Reference #:	29764[1]

Drove Cottage Henge (sometimes called Hunter's Lodge Henge)^[2] is a Scheduled Ancient Monument in the Priddy parish of Somerset, England. It is located 370 metres (1,210 ft) north of Drove Cottage.^[1] The site is a ceremonial Neolithic location.^[3] Since this henge is one of only around 80 henges throughout England, it is considered to be nationally important.^[1]

Description

Drove Cottage Henge is situated in a valley. The bank circumscribing the henge is about 11.5 metres (38 ft) thick and .4 metres (1.3 ft) high, with a diameter of around 54 metres (177 ft) when measuring from the outsides of the banks. Just inside this bank is a ditch 6 metres (20 ft) wide and .3 metres (0.98 ft) deep, enclosing a circular central area about 19 metres (62 ft) in diameter. In the northern portion of this central area is a low-lying mound^[1] in front of the exit, which appears as a break in the outside bank.^[1][4]

Jodie Lewis noted in 2005 that "Examples of southerly and north-north-westerly orientations, apropos Stockwood and Hunter's Lodge, are documented at other Class I henge sites, but are not common".^[5] Harding and Lee in 1987 said of it "HUNTERS LODGE, Priddy ST 559 498: Sub-oval enclosure, surviving as an earthwork, situated at the head of a shallow valley."^[6]

This whole site has become hard to see because repeated ploughing has heavily damaged the archaeological site, including the turf cover.^[3][4]

Nearby archaeological sites

Four barrows are relatively close to Drove Cottage Henge.^[4] One is a disc barrow and a Scheduled Ancient Monument (designation #13840).^[7] Another is a bowl barrow and a Scheduled Ancient Monument (designation #13871).^[8] Another, also a bowl barrow, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (designation #13872).^[9] The final barrow is probably a bowl barrow, but it may be a spoil dump. It too is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (designation #13873).^[10]

See also

Somerset portal

• Neolithic Europe

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Extract from English Heritage's Record of Scheduled Ancient Monuments" (PDF). Somerset Historic Environment Record. magic. http://www.magic.gov.uk/rsm/29764.pdf. Retrieved 1 January 2011. 
2. ^ "Drove Cottage Henge". Henge in England in Somerset. Megalithic Portal. http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=4958. Retrieved 1 January 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Mendip Hills". English Heritage. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/research/landscapes-and-areas/protected-landscapes/mendip-hills/. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "Henge 370m NE of Drove Cottage, Hillgrove Road, Priddy". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset Government. http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=24154. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
5. ^ Jodie Lewis, Monuments, ritual and regionality: the neolithic of Northern Somerset (Archaeopress, 2005)
6. ^ A. F. Harding, G. E. Lee, Henge monuments and related sites of Great Britain: air photographic evidence and catalogue (1987)
7. ^ "Disc barrow, 610m NE of Drove Cottage, Priddy". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset Government. http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=24140. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
8. ^ "Bowl Barrow, 550m SE of Southfield Farm, Priddy". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset Government. http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=24157. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
9. ^ "Bowl Barrow, 470m SE of Southfield Farm, Priddy". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset Government. http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=24156. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 
10. ^ "Bowl Barrow, 570m SE of Southfield Farm, Priddy". Somerset Historic Environment Record. Somerset Government. http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=24158. Retrieved 2 January 2011. 

External links

• A view of the site