Mayburgh Henge

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Mayburgh Henge is a large prehistoric monument in the county of Cumbria in northern England. Mayburgh Henge is just outside the village of Eamont Bridge close to the confluence of the Rivers Eamont and Lowther around 1 mile south of Penrith, just a few hundred yards from the M6 motorway.

Mayburgh Henge is in the care of English Heritage.

The site consists of a single circular bank built using cobble stones from the nearby rivers. The bank is up to 15 feet (6.5 metres) high, and 50 metres across its base with a diameter of around 383 feet (117 metres). Contained within it is a single monolith 9 feet (2.8 metres) high, although in the 18th Century there were four standing stones in the centre, and a further four at the entrance.

No proper excavation has been done at Mayburgh, so it is difficult to date the henge with any certainty, but the presence of Neolithic and Bronze axes found near the site indicate a date in the Neolithic or Bronze Age.

There is no obvious explanation for why Mayburgh was built, but the fact that it is close to the confluence of the rivers Lowther and Eamont have given rise to the theory that it was once a trade centre on a route for stone axe trade from the Neolithic axe factory at Langdale.

Eden Arts Council erected a granite obelisk nearby, called the "Millennium Stone" to mark the year 2000.

The Henge forms part of a selection of prehistoric and historic remains in the surrounding area, including:

• King Arthur's Round Table Henge, 400 metres from Mayburgh Henge.
• Brocavum Roman Camp, Brougham
• Brougham Castle
• Shap Abbey, near Shap