Details

The monument includes five carved gritstone rocks which lie close together on
the ridge between Dryas Dike and Delves Beck, Middleton Moor, 840m ESE of
Blackhill House. They are all small, and some are partly obscured by heather.
The westernmost rock (accurate NGR SE1092351269) measures 0.65m by 0.6m by
0.2m. It has ten cup marks with a long curving groove spiralling between the
cups carved on one face.
The southernmost rock (accurate NGR SE1093151264) is 1m by 0.4m by 0.25m. Six
cup marks and a meandering groove are carved on the top surface while two
further cups are located on the east face of the rock.
The northernmost rock (accurate NGR SE1093151278) is 1.1m by 1m by 0.35m with
a complex design of three cup and ring marks in a row near the western edge of
the rock, two further cup and ring marks, 18 cups and three grooves.
The central rock (accurate NGR SE1093651274) measures 0.4m by 0.2m with a
single cup mark. A second cup-like feature is natural.
The easternmost rock (accurate NGR SE1093851274) measures 0.35m by 0.25m by
0.2m. Two cup marks are visible although others may be hidden by heather.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Prehistoric rock art is found on natural rock outcrops in many areas of upland
Britain. It is especially common in the north of England in Northumberland,
Durham and North and West Yorkshire. The most common form of decoration is the
`cup and ring' marking where expanses of small cup-like hollows are pecked
into the surface of the rock. These cups may be surrounded by one or more
`rings'. Single pecked lines extending from the cup through the `rings' may
also exist, providing the design with a `tail'. Other shapes and patterns also
occur, but are less frequent. Carvings may occur singly, in small groups, or
may cover extensive areas of rock surface. They date to the Late Neolithic and
Bronze Age periods (2800-c.500 BC) and provide one of our most important
insights into prehistoric `art'. The exact meaning of the designs remains
unknown, but they may be interpreted as sacred or religious symbols.
Frequently they are found close to contemporary burial monuments and the
symbols are also found on portable stones placed directly next to burials or
incorporated in burial mounds. Around 800 examples of prehistoric rock-art
have been recorded in England. This is unlikely to be a realistic reflection
of the number carved in prehistory. Many will have been overgrown or destroyed
in activities such as quarrying. All positively identified prehistoric rock
art sites exhibiting a significant group of designs will normally be
identified as nationally important.

The carvings on these rocks survive well and form part of the prehistoric
landscape of Middleton Moor.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Feather, S, 'Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin' in Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin, , Vol. 11,no.4, (), 32-33
Feather, S, 'Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin' in Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin, , Vol. 11,no.4, (), 83
Feather, S, 'Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin' in Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin, , Vol. 11,no.4, (), 32-33
Feather, S, 'Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin' in Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin, , Vol. 11,no.4, (), 32-33
Feather, S, 'Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin' in Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin, , Vol. 11,no.4, (), 83
Feather, S, 'Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin' in Bradford Archaeology Group Bulletin, , Vol. 11,no.4, (), 32-33

Source: Historic England