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Viewing swaag.org website implies consent to set cookies on your computer. Full details Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group
Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775
SWAAG Honorary President:
Tim Laurie FSA

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 *****SWAAG_ID***** 846
 Date Entered 10/01/2015
 Updated on 11/01/2015
 Recorded by Tim Laurie
 Category Rock Art
 Record Type Archaeology
 SWAAG Site Name 
 Site Type 
 Site Name 
 Site Description 
 Site Access Public
 Record Date 20/02/2014
 Location The Bowes Museum.
 Civil Parish Barnard Castle
 Brit. National Grid 
 Altitude 
 Geology Slabs of Fell Sandstone.
 Record Name The Greta Bridge probable cist cover decorated in the cup and ring tradition, subsequently reused as a cover to a Roman Grave.
 Record Description The Greta Bridge cist cover is now relocated to the grounds of the Bowes Museum where it can be seen to lie beneath trees close to the wall to the east of the Main Road Entrance Gates. This slab is decorated with simple cups and grooves in the cup and ring tradition and was discovered some 40 years ago during improvement works to the A66 (The Greta Bridge By-Pass) some 400m east of the new road bridge over the River Greta. This slab was stated to have been reused as the cover to a roman grave, although I have not seen the records or evidence for this and it may well have been the cover to a Neolithic Cist originally. This slab has been trimmed as a grave cover and the small chevron like figure which consists of slight pecked chevron or V shaped on plan grooves are difficult to see. Each arm of the V shaped grooves leads from a small terminal cup mark. The chevron figure is extended by a single groove which terminates in a larger cup. This figure is probably unique in Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Cup and Ring Motifs.
 Dimensions See photo.
 Geographical area 
 Species 
 Scientific Name 
 Common / Notable Species 
 Tree and / or Stem Girth 
 Tree: Position / Form / Status 
 Tree Site ID 0
 Associated Site SWAAG ID 0
 Additional Notes This slab has been recorded previously on this database, however the opportunity was taken to photograph this rock again, under ideal sunlight conditions. Cup and ring marked slabs similar to this example are usually Cist Grave covers and are often decorated on both faces, as for example the Gainford Stone. The Gainford Stone, which is one of the finest examples of British Prehistoric Rock Art, can be seen inside the Museum on display within the Archaeological Collections on the First Floor. It is possible that this slab from Greta Bridge is also decorated on both faces, but unless the slab is lifted, we shall never know!
 Image 1 ID 6027         Click image to enlarge
 Image 1 Description The Greta Bridge Stone. Originally decorated with cups and grooves as the cover slab to a Neolithic Cist Burial, subsequently reused as the cover to a Roman Age Grave in a cemetery by the road leading eastward from the Greta Bridge Fort
 Image 2 ID 6028         Click image to enlarge
 Image 2 Description 
 Image 3 ID 6030         Click image to enlarge
 Image 3 Description 
 Image 4 ID 6031         Click image to enlarge
 Image 4 Description 
 Image 5 ID 6032         Click image to enlarge
 Image 5 Description The chevron like figure at the edge of the slab which appears to have been truncated, possibly when the slab was trimmed as the cover to a grave.
 Image 6 ID 6033         Click image to enlarge
 Image 6 Description The chevron like figure, detail.
 Image 7 ID 6034         Click image to enlarge
 Image 7 Description The Gainford Stone. Sandstone slab decorated on both faces. Probable Neolithic Cist Cover Slab. One face (the face shown)decorated with complex multiple concentric ring figures, the other face decorated with simple cups and connecting grooves. Found during 1932 at Gainford during drainage excavations. For comparison with the Greta Bridge Stone. Photo: The Bowes Museum.
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