New Rock Art Discoveries within the Tees Valley and Wensleydale

Pictures and information supplied by Paul Brown

Since the comprehensive study of rock art of Durham, Swaledale and Wensleydale (Beckensall and Laurie. 1998), further research has expanded the recorded sites and revealed new clusters within previous unrecorded areas.  Situated within the Tees Valley this new area of rock art consists of eleven sites. The motifs are of simple design including ‘cups’ and cups with single rings although two examples have more than eighty cups, these motifs and other features are to be included in a publication that is currently in preparation, P.M. Brown and  T. C. Laurie.

Dousgill  Feldom Ranges,  Tees Valley.
The collapse of an old field wall has revealed three rock art fragments. Two of these fragments can be pieced together to form what was most likely an original boulder that  had twelve well-formed cups on the upper surface. The third fragment, part of a larger boulder, has motifs on its top that consist of a cup with linking groove surrounded by double penannulars. This boulder has on its sloping surface, two cups with rings and at least three isolated cups, all show signs of erosion.  These boulders, while out of their original context undoubtedly form a more complex distribution of rock art within the area.
  The fragments have been removed and will form part of an exhibition at the new Visitor Centre planned at Catterick Garrison.   Publication in preparation, B& P Brown.

 

Wensleydale
  Two recorded sites within the dale include one situated at the summit cairn on Addlebrough, and the other in pastures below.
A third recent discovery has been located at the mouth of the valley  by Philip Abramson who whilst conducting an archaeological survey noted a cup-marked rock within a church yard. This information was conveyed to the author who after  further searches of the locality have revealed two others. Evidence suggests that Bronze Age Barrows  may have existed within this area, and it is possible that  the cup marked boulders may have some association with these. 
Publication in preparation, B&P Brown.

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