Arbor Low, Derbyshire
Arbor Low: A Stone Circle & Henge Monument
Nestled in the heart of the Peak District, just a short drive from Bakewell, lies Arbor Low—a Neolithic henge monument often dubbed the “Stonehenge of the North.” (I’d normally kick off on some kind of “But it’s the Midlands” rant, but “Stonehenge of the North” sounds better.) This atmospheric site, set high on the limestone plateau of the White Peak, offers panoramic views of the surrounding moorland and a tangible connection to our prehistoric past.
Arbor Low comprises an oval earthwork henge, approximately 90 by 85 meters in diameter, encircling a stone circle of about 50 large limestone slabs and fragments. Most of these stones now lie flat, though it’s believed they once stood upright, forming a ceremonial space for ancient communities. At the centre lies a ‘cove’ of smaller stones, a feature found only in major sacred sites, suggesting the site’s significance in Neolithic rituals. And it was here that a male skeleton was uncovered.
On the south-eastern area of the bank, a large barrow was added at some point after the henge was built. It’s been excavated multiple times over the last few hundred years, and the top has a large depression that seems to be a result of this.
Another feature that appears attached to Arbor Low is a curving bank and ditch that runs from the south side of the henge. Sometimes referred to as an ‘avenue’ it is not believed to be a part of the ritual monument, and reports suggest something like an old field boundary is more accurate.
5 minutes to the south-west of the henge is Gib Hill, another large Bronze Age burial mound constructed using material from the henge’s bank. Excavations in the 19th century revealed cremation burials and artefacts, indicating the site’s continued use and importance through the ages.
Walking around this particular landscape is a serene experience. Access is through a working farmyard, with a modest £1 honesty box fee. A short walk across fields leads you to the site, where the silence is broken only by the wind and the occasional call of a skylark. Actually, the happy shrieks of our 3-year-old broken the silence quite a few times. But I’m more than fine with that!
Before we visited, I was reading someone’s writings about Arbor Low, and they said that it was a wonderful place to just sit and spend some time hanging out with your ancestors. And I reckon they’ve got it spot on.
