Ancient Monuments

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Standing stone on Standingstone Rigg

A Scheduled Monument in Kingwater, Cumbria

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.041 / 55°2'27"N

Longitude: -2.5557 / 2°33'20"W

OS Eastings: 364582.205

OS Northings: 571968.546178

OS Grid: NY645719

Mapcode National: GBR BBL4.HR

Mapcode Global: WH90M.QK5D

Entry Name: Standing stone on Standingstone Rigg

Scheduled Date: 24 February 1998

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1017733

English Heritage Legacy ID: 28572

County: Cumbria

Civil Parish: Kingwater

Traditional County: Cumberland

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Cumbria

Church of England Parish: Gilsland St Mary Magdalene

Church of England Diocese: Carlisle

Details

The monument includes a standing stone of prehistoric date, situated on the
summit of a hill. Its prominent location commands extensive views in all
directions, including south west to the Lake District and north to the
southern uplands of Scotland. The standing stone is fashioned from a sandstone
block which is oriented north to south. At its base the stone measures 0.42m
by 0.32m and, narrowing to a point at the top, it stands to a maximum height
of 1m.

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

Standing stones are prehistoric ritual or ceremonial monuments with dates
ranging from the Late Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age for the few
excavated examples. They comprise single or paired upright orthostatic slabs,
ranging from under lm to over 6m high where still erect. They are often
conspicuously sited and close to other contemporary monument classes. They can
be accompanied by various features: many occur in or on the edge of round
barrows, and where excavated, associated subsurface features have included
stone cists, stone settings, and various pits and hollows filled in with earth
containing human bone, cremations, charcoal, flints, pots and pot sherds.
Similar deposits have been found in excavated sockets for standing stones,
which range considerably in depth. Several standing stones also bear cup and
ring marks. Standing stones may have functioned as markers for routeways,
territories, graves, or meeting points, but their accompanying features show
they also bore a ritual function and that they form one of several ritual
monument classes of their period that often contain a deposit of cremation and
domestic debris as an integral component. No national survey of standing
stones has been undertaken, and estimates range from 50 to 250 extant
examples, widely distributed throughout England but with concentrations in
Cornwall, the North Yorkshire Moors, Cumbria, Derbyshire and the Cotswolds.
Standing stones are important as nationally rare monuments, with a high
longevity and demonstrating the diversity of ritual practices in the Late
Neolithic and Bronze Age. Consequently all undisturbed standing stones and
those which represent the main range of types and locations would normally be
considered to be of national importance.

The standing stone on Standingstone Rigg is well preserved and is a good
example of its type. Its prominent location enhances its importance and will
add to our understanding of the Bronze Age landscape in the region.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
NY67SW 01,

Source: Historic England

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