DB Specific Record

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***SWAAG_ID***	796
Date Entered	06/04/2014
Updated on	07/04/2014
Recorded by	Tim Laurie
Category	Burial Mounds and Cairns
Record Type	Archaeology
Site Access	Public Access Land
Record Date	01/04/2014
Location	Semerwater Lake Edge,Stony Raise Cairn and Multi period Settlements on Greenber Edge
Civil Parish	Bainbridge
Brit. National Grid	SD 955 870
Altitude	420m
Geology	Lower Carboniferous strata of the Yoredale Series capped by Namurian strata (Millstone Grit) on the highest ground,(Kendall and Wroot 1924)
Record Name	SWAAG Visit to Semerwater and Walk from Carpley Green to Stony Raise and Greenber Edge to
Record Description	This is a photographic record of a visit by SWAAG Members on a fine spring day to Semerwater Lake Edge followed by a walk to see Stony Raise, one of the largest of all prehistoric cairns in the North of England and to visit the complex of shieling type settlements which are located at an elevation of 420m over a distance of approximately 1km on the broad elevated moorland terrace to the east of Stony Raise Cairn. The Group convened at Semerwater lake Edge at 10.00am when the mists were rising and the lake very quiet. Semerwater Lake Edge has been the focus of prehistoric human occupation and activities from early post glacial time. Evidence for these activities include a large volume of humanly worked animal bones which arise from the disposal into the lake (so as not to encourage scavenging of camp sites by predators) of butchered and partially worked bones of different species including Red Deer, Wild Ox, wolf or Dog a microlithic assemblage of Later Mesolithic Character together with a fair number of arrow points of Neolithic and Bronze Age Date. The spectacular find from Semerwater was of a decorated bronze spearhead of Middle Bronze Age ,Irish Type found by a school party when the level of the Lake was lowered for dreging operations during 1937, beneath a flat stone close to the causeway of a probable Crannog Lake Dwelling (see SWAAG Record to follow). All these finds are currently on display at the Dales Countryside Museum. Lithic finds and a series of fossil finds made during this walk are to be recorded as separate records to follow this record. The Greenber Edge Settlement Complex has been surveyed by RCHME Newcastle and, in the absence of any excavation, they concluded that the whole complex comprises at least five prehistoric round house (Phase One) which underlie a Main Phase Two consisting of four distinct farmsteads each comprised of rectangular buildings of characteristic medieval form within curvilinear enclosuresbounded by low stone banks. Finally the Phase Two enclosures are overlain by ruined stone walled post medieval sheepfold Phase Three Structures. This phasing was acknowledged as provisional and it is possible that there exists an element of Romano British Occupation with circular hut structures as the one example which has been excavated, without record see Image No 27 below .
Dimensions	See photos
Additional Notes	This Record is an informal diary of features seen during the walk and should be read in conjunction with SWAAG Record 795 which provides further details of the sites visited, archaeological finds and the locations of sites in the vicinity of Semerwater.
Image 1 ID	5315 Click image to enlarge
Image 1 Description	Semerwater seen from the road to Carpley Green
Image 2 ID	5306 Click image to enlarge
Image 2 Description	Reflections on Semerwater and view towards Raydale.
Image 3 ID	5305 Click image to enlarge
Image 3 Description	Semerwater Lake Edge with wave-cut platforms on glacial erratic limestone boulders.
Image 4 ID	5307 Click image to enlarge
Image 4 Description	Semerwater. Decorated bronze spearhead of Irish Type. Middle Bronze Age. Found 1937 by school party when water level lowered, below flat stone near causeway to possible crannog. North Shore. Now in the Hawes Museum.
Image 5 ID	5308 Click image to enlarge
Image 5 Description	Humanly modified and butchered animal bones including horn cores and bone of wild cattle (Bos primigenius),teeth of Red Deer, dog or wolf all found at Semerwater Lake Edge, now in the Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes.
Image 6 ID	5309 Click image to enlarge
Image 6 Description	Neolithic arrowpoints from Semerwater Lake Edge, now in the Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes.
Image 7 ID	5310 Click image to enlarge
Image 7 Description	Mesolithic artefacts from Semerwater Lake Edge, now in the Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes.
Image 8 ID	5314 Click image to enlarge
Image 8 Description	This was a very fine day for a walk in the Pennines! View westward towards Carpley Green from Greenber Edge.
Image 9 ID	5312 Click image to enlarge
Image 9 Description	Possible burnt mound seen from the Stake Road. To be confirmed.
Image 10 ID	5313 Click image to enlarge
Image 10 Description	Seek and ye shall find. Sometimes, when you are lucky.
Image 11 ID	5316 Click image to enlarge
Image 11 Description	The Group approach Stony Raise Cairn which is heavily reduced by quarrying west of the stone wall which crosses the cairn.
Image 12 ID	5317 Click image to enlarge
Image 12 Description	The reduced but visible perimeter of the great cairn west of the modern wall.
Image 13 ID	5318 Click image to enlarge
Image 13 Description	Hillary considers the possible cist grave, possibly that recorded by Fothergill 1805 as containing 'in a hollow' possibly a cist as containing only: 'several human teeth and a large bead'. (Keith Blood and Derek Cator, 1996 'Settlement at Greenber Edge' RCHME Newcastle.)
Image 14 ID	5319 Click image to enlarge
Image 14 Description	Stony Raise east of the wall.
Image 15 ID	5320 Click image to enlarge
Image 15 Description	Addlebrough seen from Greenber Edge across Thornton Mire
Image 16 ID	5321 Click image to enlarge
Image 16 Description	The eastern enclosures. View towards Stony Raise.
Image 17 ID	5322 Click image to enlarge
Image 17 Description	The enclosures with reduced cairn in foreground.
Image 18 ID	5323 Click image to enlarge
Image 18 Description	Cist or kennel? Small cairn within the Phase 3 Enclosures.
Image 19 ID	5338 Click image to enlarge
Image 19 Description	Thornton Mire and the glacial overflow channel below Greenber Edge seen from the track below Addlebrough and return to Carpley Green
Image 20 ID	5325 Click image to enlarge
Image 20 Description	John stands on the northern perimeter of a Phase 1 Prehistoric Round House. The Group stand on a Phase 2 enclosure bank.
Image 21 ID	5326 Click image to enlarge
Image 21 Description	Jacqui on Phase 2 enclosure bank
Image 22 ID	5327 Click image to enlarge
Image 22 Description	Eastern half of the Greenber Edge settlement complex
Image 23 ID	5328 Click image to enlarge
Image 23 Description	Enclosures with wall passage features.
Image 24 ID	5329 Click image to enlarge
Image 24 Description	Detail of wall passage
Image 25 ID	5330 Click image to enlarge
Image 25 Description	Phase 2 Medieval Rectangular building with faced wall.
Image 26 ID	5332 Click image to enlarge
Image 26 Description	Hillary looks back at the Group approaching the Medieval Phase 2 rectangular building
Image 27 ID	5333 Click image to enlarge
Image 27 Description	Circular building, one of three conjoined circular structures. The interior of this structure was excavated during the excavations at Bainbridge Fort. No records exist of this work but the finds included Roman Pottery sherds,I was informed.
Image 28 ID	5334 Click image to enlarge
Image 28 Description	Phase 2 medieval rectangular building with view across Wensleydale
Image 29 ID	5335 Click image to enlarge
Image 29 Description	Ann with her lithic finds, see separate SWAAG record to follow, for formal photographs and details.
Image 30 ID	5336 Click image to enlarge
Image 30 Description	This group of five lithic finds from molehills includes a very fine unpatinated flint tanged arrowpoint (Green 1984,Sutton Type E barbs absent) of Late Neolithic to Mid Bronze Age 2500-1200BC date, a flint scraper, a white patinated flint flake and two flakes of black Pennine chert.