Stanton Moor is a small upland area in the Derbyshire Peak District of central and northern England, lying between Matlock and Bakewell near the villages of Birchover and Stanton-in-Peak. It is known for its megaliths and erratics.
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The moor has four Bronze Age stone circles, of which the best known is Nine Ladies. To its north lies "Stanton Moor I" (the "North Circle"), and to its south are "Stanton Moor III" (the "Central Circle") and "Stanton Moor IV" (the "South Circle"). These other circles are largely overgrown and have few remaining stones. A further circle, Doll Tor, lies a short distance west of the moor.
English Heritage has recently commissioned a conservation plan for Stanton Moor from the Peak District National Park Authority.[1]
Elsewhere on the moor lie a number of cairns. Several major erratics are found around its edge. From north, clockwise, these are the Duke of York Stone (in which the legend "Y 1826" is carved), the Cat Stone, the Duchess of Sutherland Stone, the Gorse Stone, the Heart Stone, the Cork Stone and the Andle Stone.
The moor's sandstone has been quarried for many years, and has left several old dormant quarries around the moor. Recent attempts to re-open dormant quarries failed after much local and national protest.[2]
On the eastern edge of the moor is the Reform or Earl Grey Tower, built by William Pole Thornhill and dedicated to the Reform Act 1832.
On the north side of the moor is a large TV transmitter which broadcasts to Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester. It has recently been upgraded with the new tetra police radio antenna.[3]
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