Thornborough Henges

The Thornborough Henges are an unusual complex of three aligned henges near Thornborough in North Yorkshire. The henges are thought to have been part of a Neolithic and Bronze Age 'ritual landscape' comparable with Salisbury Plain and date from between 3500 and 2500 BC .

The three henges are around 550m apart on an approximate northwest-southeast alignment, although there is a curious 'dogleg' in the layout. Altogether, the monument extends for more than a mile. Each henge has a diameter of around 240 metres.

Archaeological excavation of the central henge has taken place. It has been suggested that its banks were covered with locally mined gypsum. The resulting white sheen would have been striking and visible for miles around. A double alignment of pits, possibly evidence of a timber processional avenue, extends from the southern henge.

The Northern henge is currently overgrown with trees, though it is the best preserved. The Central and Southern henges are in poorer condition and the monument is best viewed from the air. Although the henges are Scheduled Ancient Monuments they are privately owned and not publicly accessible.

The Central henge lies on top of an earlier Neolithic cursus monument and recent investigations have revealed that the area saw considerable prehistoric activity.

The dogleg in the layout appears to cause the layout of the henges to mirror the three stars of Orion's Belt. The exact purpose of the henges is unclear though archaeological finds suggest that they served economic and social purposes as well as astronomical ones.

Planned quarrying threatens to destroy much of the monument's setting. The site lies within the wider Nosterfield quarry area being exploited for gravel by Tarmac Northern Ltd.. Although the henges themselves are not threatened, their immediate surroundings, which contain much contextual information about them, are as of 2004, intended for future quarrying. A grassroots campaign led by local people and concerned archaeologists is attempting to persuade Tarmac and North Yorkshire County Council to guarantee the protection of the area. British planning and archaeology guidelines prefer preservation in situ of archaeological remains. In cases where this is not possible, such as quarrying, preservation by record is an option, involving archaeological excavation. Campaigners argue that wide area excavation and subsequent quarrying will destroy the ritual landscape completely. As the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 forbids any attempt to damage a Scheduled Monument and PPG 15 advises planning authorities against applications that damage the setting of one, it is possible that this will be used to argue for the preservation of the henge area.

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