DB Specific Record

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***SWAAG_ID***	950
Date Entered	24/09/2016
Updated on	24/09/2016
Recorded by	Tim Laurie
Category	Settlement
Record Type	Archaeology
SWAAG Site	Eskeleth Low Moor
Site Access	Public Access Land
Record Date	18/09/2016
Location	Seal Houses Low Moor from NY 399019 504577 to NY 399518 504397 and at NY 399362 504775
Civil Parish	Arkengarthdale
Brit. National Grid	NY 3990 5046
Altitude	375m-400m
Geology	Gritstone over shale.
Record Name	Field boundary system, unenclosed settlements and burial monuments on Seal Houses Low Moor, then and now.
Record Description	The photographs below were taken some 20-30 years ago and depict, firstly: a wide ranging field system comprising two long stone dump contour field banks with occasional orthostats. The two substantial field banks cross areas of sandstone scree which surely were originally covered by a deep soil, perhaps a loess soil which has since been removed by erosion. Secondly, the photographs show a double ring cairn and adjacent round cairn and a settlement of two unenclosed round houses located close to the lower of the field boundaries. At the time when these photographs were taken the moor, once heather covered.(The Late Ramsey Hutchinson, pers. com.) had been overgrazed and the heather had been replaced by short turf. In consequence archaeological features were plainly and prominently visible. This is no longer the case, all features are now invisible or nearly so. They are now lost under thick, full height coarse grasses, bracken and rushes. All the photo images below were taken many years ago when the Moor was probably over grazed. A few photographs (eg Image No 2 and the final Images, Nos 23-26 which were taken recently depict the moor as seen today.
Dimensions	See photos
Additional Notes	This record is intended to draw attention to the condition of some open Pennine moorland tracts following reduction of the numbers of sheep grazing. Some 20-30 years ago I photographed the early, as yet undated field system, the ring cairn. the cairn and and round house settlements seen in the photos below. At this time, the moors were generally over-stocked and this Moor, once heather covered had reverted to rough grassland. In consequence,the archaeological landscapes of Seal Houses Low Moor were plain to see during a pleasant walk across short upland grassland turf. Following reduction of sheep numbers over the Pennines generally, the short pleasant turf of Seal Houses Low Moor is today un-grazed. Full height rank grassland of the most vigorous grasses- Deschampsia and Molinia with large areas of Soft Rush which will smother less vigorous grasses. These coarse grasses and rushes now entirely cover the archaeological features which are rendered completely invisible. Furthermore, it is now almost impossible to walk through the long grass, rush and bracken which covers much of the moor.
Image 1 ID	6915 Click image to enlarge
Image 1 Description	Lower of the two coaxial field boundaries on Eskelleth Low Moor follows the upper edge of the screes above the road
Image 2 ID	6939 Click image to enlarge
Image 2 Description	Today, just one short length of this same Field Boundary is visible before becoming lost beneath long grass and bracken.
Image 3 ID	6914 Click image to enlarge
Image 3 Description	As seen 20 years ago, the lower of the two coaxial field boundaries on Eskelleth Low Moor follows the upper edge of the screes above the road
Image 4 ID	6916 Click image to enlarge
Image 4 Description	Lower of the two coaxial field boundaries on Eskelleth Low Moor follows the upper edge of the screes above the road
Image 5 ID	6917 Click image to enlarge
Image 5 Description	Upper of the two coaxial field boundaries
Image 6 ID	6918 Click image to enlarge
Image 6 Description	Field boundary crossing scree, note the clearance was from the downslope up to the boundary.
Image 7 ID	6919 Click image to enlarge
Image 7 Description	Field boundary crossing scree, at NY99400473
Image 8 ID	6920 Click image to enlarge
Image 8 Description
Image 9 ID	6921 Click image to enlarge
Image 9 Description	Field boundary at sheep fold.
Image 10 ID	6922 Click image to enlarge
Image 10 Description	Round House close to track up to Kitley Hill
Image 11 ID	6924 Click image to enlarge
Image 11 Description	Round House in pasture close to the unenclosecd road below High Eskelleth.
Image 12 ID	6936 Click image to enlarge
Image 12 Description	Coarse, rank grasses conceal all archaeological features and make walking over the moor very difficult.
Image 13 ID	6925 Click image to enlarge
Image 13 Description	Plane table survey of the round cairn with two adjacent ring banks thought at first to be ring cairns but now considered to be two round house enclosure banks. Copyright: Timothy.C.Laurie.
Image 14 ID	6926 Click image to enlarge
Image 14 Description	Slide image of the cairn and ringwork taken many years ago.
Image 15 ID	6927 Click image to enlarge
Image 15 Description	Andrew Fleming at the Ring Cairn and Cairn.
Image 16 ID	6928 Click image to enlarge
Image 16 Description	Cairn and Ring Cairn
Image 17 ID	6929 Click image to enlarge
Image 17 Description	Cairn and Ring Cairn
Image 18 ID	6930 Click image to enlarge
Image 18 Description	Cairn and Ring Cairn
Image 19 ID	6931 Click image to enlarge
Image 19 Description	Cairn and Ring Cairn
Image 20 ID	6932 Click image to enlarge
Image 20 Description	Cairn and Ring Cairn with view down through Arkengarthdale
Image 21 ID	6933 Click image to enlarge
Image 21 Description	Ring cairn or round house No 2 at this location
Image 22 ID	6934 Click image to enlarge
Image 22 Description	Cairn and Ring Cairn
Image 23 ID	6935 Click image to enlarge
Image 23 Description	The Lower field boundary is invisible below bracken and rank Molinia and Deschampsia grasses today
Image 24 ID	6936 Click image to enlarge
Image 24 Description	The Lower field boundary is invisible below rank Molinia and Deschampsia grasses today
Image 25 ID	6937 Click image to enlarge
Image 25 Description	The Lower field boundary is invisible below Bracken and rank Molinia and Deschampsia grasses today
Image 26 ID	6938 Click image to enlarge
Image 26 Description	The Lower field boundary is invisible below Bracken and rank Molinia and Deschampsia grasses today
Image 27 ID	6940 Click image to enlarge
Image 27 Description	The Lower field boundary is invisible below Bracken and rank Molinia and Deschampsia grasses today
Image 28 ID	6941 Click image to enlarge
Image 28 Description	The Lower field boundary is invisible below Bracken and rank Molinia and Deschampsia grasses today