Archaeological sites which tend to be overlooked by some people are, surprisingly, the places in which our ancestors lived; and then when we do come across such remains they are looked upon as merely ‘domestic’ sites, i.e., that they serve much the same function as our modern houses do. This assumption is both simplistic and naive, as neolithic to Iron Age cultures had very different notions and ingredients about their living quarters. In many settlement remains, the dead were kept with the living; whilst some living quarters were also the abodes of ‘spirit.’ Although we cannot apply this notion across the board, aspects such as these have to be remembered when we try assessing the nature and function of something we see, somewhat profanely, as mere ‘settlements.’ Also remember that people in neolithic through to Iron Age periods were nomadic. There is a notion prevalent in some archaeological circles that when agriculture first arrived in the UK in neolithic times, that it was adopted across the country by all and sundry straight away – which is rather myopic. Much like the North American tribal cultures, small tribal groups here would move from their Spring and Summer settlements to others in the colder seasons, then back again (following the same traditional routes) when Nature’s signs indicated (migration of birds, etc). It’s very unlikely there was a 365-day period where people stayed in the same area. Such a transition took many centuries to become fixed (modern Romany gypsies are the last nomadic cultures of Europe, showing that the notion of ‘settlement’ for everyone is not necessarily the natural order). So prehistoric settlements are important, not merely as sites where communities stayed for periods of time, but also enacted social rituals that were an endemic part of domestic life.
- Addlebrough, Bainbridge, North Yorkshire
- Annanshaw Brae, Elvanfoot, Lanarkshire
- Avon Reservoir, Dean Moor, South Brent, Devon
- Backstone Beck, Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Backstone West, Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Bad Chailleach, Little Gruinard, Ross & Cromarty
- Barrasford Common, Barrasford, Northumberland
- Bastow Wood, Grassington, North Yorkshire
- Bingley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Black Hill, Crawfordjohn, Lanarkshire
- Black Hill Enclosure, Middleton Moor, North Yorkshire
- Blubberhouses Moor, North Yorkshire
- Blue Scar, Arncliffe, North Yorkshire
- Bodsbury Hill, Elvanfoot, Lanarkshire
- Broadbank Earth Circle, Thursden, Burnley, Lancashire
- Burton Moor, West Burton, North Yorkshire
- Campside Wood, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- Cannings Cross Farm, All Cannings, Wiltshire
- Carle Gill, Leadhills, Lanarkshire
- The Carrs, Ovenden, Halifax, West Yorkshire
- Castercliff, Nelson, Lancashire
- Castle Hill, Kirklees, West Yorkshire
- Castle Hill, Upper Cumberworth, West Yorkshire
- Castle Stead, Cullingworth, West Yorkshire
- Castlestead Ring, Cullingworth, West Yorkshire
- Catstones Ring, Harden, West Yorkshire
- Chapel House Field, Kilnsey, Consistone, North Yorkshire
- Chapel House Wood, Kilnsey, Conistone, North Yorkshire
- Coldstone Beck, Burley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Corbury Hill, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- Corrycharmaig, Glen Lochay, Killin, Perthshire
- Counter Hill, Addingham, West Yorkshire
- Cow Close, Skirethorns, Threshfield, North Yorkshire
- Cow Gill, Bordley, North Yorkshire
- Crawshaw, Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Crookedstane, Elvanfoot, Lanarkshire
- Crosley Wood, Bingley, West Yorkshire
- Crow Well, Denton Moor, North Yorkshire
- Dewbottoms, Arncliffe, North Yorkshire
- Doddin, Watermeetings, Lanarkshire
- Drake Law, Abington, Lanarkshire
- Dumpit Hill Enclosure, Hebden, North Yorkshire
- Duncroisk, Glen Lochay, Killin, Perthshire
- Dyke Hills, Dorchester, Oxfordshire
- Easington Fell Ring, Newton, Lancashire
- Ellershie Hill, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- Elvanfoot Settlement, Lanarkshire
- Elvanfoot West Settlement, Lanarkshire
- Fair Oak Circle, Whitewell, Chipping, Lancashire
- Foster Clough Delph, Midgley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Gastonend Wood, Abington, Lanarkshire
- Glenochar, Elvanfoot, Lanarkshire
- Grass Woods, Grassington, North Yorkshire
- Great Skirtful Ring, Burley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Green Crag East, Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Green Crag Slack, Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Green Plain, Blubberhouses Moor, North Yorkshire
- Hammond Close, Threshfield, North Yorkshire
- Hawksworth Moor Camp, Hawksworth, West Yorkshire
- Helwith Bridge, Stainforth, North Yorkshire
- High Close Pasture, Grassington, North Yorkshire
- High Hill, Sigsworth Moor, Fountains Earth, North Yorkshire
- High Mark, Bordley, North Yorkshire
- Hollin Tree Hill, Askwith Moor, North Yorkshire
- Horncliffe Circle, Hawksworth Moor, West Yorkshire
- Horse Close Hill, Skipton, North Yorkshire
- Hurl Burn, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- Innischoarach, Glen Lochay, Killin, Perthshire
- Ivy Chimneys, Witham, Essex
- Kealcup Hill, Bordley, North Yorkshire
- Kimpergill Hill, Grassington, North Yorkshire
- Lael Forest, Braemore, Ross & Cromarty
- Langcliffe, Kettlewell, North Yorkshire
- Lanshaw, Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Lea Green, Grassington, North Yorkshire
- Lantern Holes, Bordley, North Yorkshire
- Lodge Hill, Elvanfoot, Lanarkshire
- Marchup, Addingham, West Yorkshire
- Mellon Udrigle, Ross & Cromarty
- Middle House Pasture, Waterhouses, Malham, North Yorkshire
- Moor Lane, Threshfield, North Yorkshire
- Mossy Dod, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- Normangill Rig, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- North Ring, Mucking, Stanford-le-Hope, Essex
- North Shortcleuch, Elvanfoot, Lanarkshire
- Oldfield Hill, Meltham, West Yorkshire
- Outgang Hill, Kilnsey, Conistone, North Yorkshire
- Prior Rakes, Malham Moor, North Yorkshire
- Proctor High Mark, Bordley, North Yorkshire
- Raven’s Peak, Blubberhouses Moor, North Yorkshire
- Reed Gill, Camps Water, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- Rivock, Riddlesden, Keighley, West Yorkshire
- Rough Haw, Flasby, North Yorkshire
- Round Dikes, Addingham, West Yorkshire
- Royd Edge, Meltham, West Yorkshire
- Rushy Beck, Burley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Rybury Hill, All Cannings, Wiltshire
- Sand, Applecross, Ross & Cromarty
- Rushy Beck West, Burley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Scot Gate Pasture, Conistone, North Yorkshire
- Shay Gate, Wilsden, West Yorkshire
- Sheep Scar, Giggleswick, North Yorkshire
- Sheriff Hill, Malham, North Yorkshire
- Shooting House Hill, Askwith Moor, North Yorkshire
- Shorkley Hill, Malham, North Yorkshire
- Skelshaw Ring, Easington, Lancashire
- Slade, Blubberhouses Moor, North Yorkshire
- Snowden Carr Settlement, Askwith, North Yorkshire
- Snowden Moor Settlement, Askwith, North Yorkshire
- South Kirkby, South Yorkshire
- Springfield Lyons, Chelmsford, Essex
- Stanbury Hill, Bingley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Stanwick Fortifications, Stanwick-St-John, North Yorkshire
- Stead Crag, Burley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Stoop Hill, Askwith Moor, North Yorkshire
- Stridebut Edge, Malham, North Yorkshire
- Studfold Ring, Amplethorpe, North Yorkshire
- Swinston Hill, Dinnington, South Yorkshire
- Tattersal Pasture, Bordley, North Yorkshire
- Tooter Hill, Bacup, Lancashire
- Torlery Edge, Malham Moor, North Yorkshire
- Torr Mor, Applecross, Ross & Cromarty
- Townhead, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, Argyll
- Tullich, Glen Lochay, Killin, Perthshire
- Werneth Low, Hyde, Lancashire
- Wharncliffe Moor, Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire
- Whelphill, Crawford, Lanarkshire
- Woofa Bank, Burley Moor, West Yorkshire
- Yarnbury, Grassington, North Yorkshire
© Paul Bennett, The Northern Antiquarian
