Lea Green cairn

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Historical Environment Record No:
MYD4031
Parish:
Grassington
OS Grid Reference:
SD995663
Dale:
Lower Wharfedale
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Description

Lea Green cairn MYD4031 (c) YDNPA, 2023

Lea Green cairn MYD4031 (c) YDNPA, 2023

A large turf covered stone cairn situated at the north end of Lea Green above Grassington. It is situated on top of a small natural hillock. When it was excavated around 1893 it was found to have two circular walls within it, the outer 12 metres in diameter, the inner 5 metres. A central circular grave pit was found containing a crouched skeleton lying on its right side with a 7.5cm long bone awl. This burial is likely to have been of early Bronze Age date. Three apparently secondary burials were found around the central burial and have been assigned an Iron Age date although now this is subject to doubt. Finds from the excavation are in the collections of the Craven Museum.

Source:

Raistrick, Arthur (1937) ‘Iron Age settlement in west Yorkshire’ Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. Vol 34 pp115-50

King, Alan et al (1995) Early Grassington. An Archaeological and Historical Trail. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society

Location

From the Grassington National Park car park (charge) walk into the market place and up the road on the left hand side. At the cross roads by the Town Hall turn left on Chapel Street. Just before Town Head farm turn right up a track labeled Dalesway Footpath. Follow the Dales Way Footpath for just over 1/2 mile. The path first crosses some fields and then climbs across open grass land before dropping down into a hollow. When you reach a stone step stile in a wall look back to the left and the cairn is about 50 metres away. It is an indistinct pile of stones difficult to distiguish from the patches of limestone pavement.

Public Transport Details

Nearest town/village: Grassington. Call Traveline on 0870 608 2 608 to plan your journey. After the welcome message key in 885 for North Yorkshire information.

Accessibility

Some steep inclines. Footpaths are stony, rough and muddy in places. Squeeze stiles and gates. Site not easy to find.