Priddy Circles
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| Priddy Circles | |
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| Type: | Stone circle |
| Country: | England |
| County: | Somerset |
| Nearest Town: | Wells |
| Nearest Village: | Priddy |
| OS grid reference: | ST540528 |
| Coordinates: | |
| Condition (out of 5): | 2 |
| Access (out of 5): | 1 |
| References: | Megalithic Portal |
Priddy Circles are a Stone circle or Henge monument near the village of Priddy on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
They appear to be contemporary with Stonehenge, i.e. Neolithic circa 2180 BC.[1] The North Hill location of two round barrow cemeteries, Ashen Hill and Priddy Nine-Barrows which are neighbours of the Circles, would seem to imply that the area to the northeast of Priddy held ritual significance into the Bronze Age.[2]
The four circles consist of a bank and ditch enclosing a flat circular area with more than one entrance. Excavaations carried out between 1956 and 1959 by members of the University of Bristol Speleological Society showed that the banks had stone cores with post and stake holes on either side. Geophysical surveys in 1995 and a magnetometer survey in 2006 are exploring further the make up of the circles. The circles have been listed as Scheduled Ancient Monuments.[3]
[edit] References
- ^ Dunning, Robert (1983). A History of Somerset. Chichester: Phillimore & Co. ISBN 0-85033-461-6.
- ^ Mendip Hills An Archaeological Survey of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Somerset County Council Archaeological Projects. Retrieved on 2006-10-28.
- ^ Firth, Hannah (2007). Mendip from the air. Taunton: Somerset County Council. ISBN 9780861833900.
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