Yorkshire’s ‘Stonehenge of the North’ – the Thornborough Henges complex, near Ripon – has opened to the public as the henges have been gifted by Tarmac into the ownership of Historic England, reports The Examiner Live.
image: English Heritage website
…‘probably the most important single ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkney Islands in Scotland’…
The Examiner Live writes:
A massive monument known as the “Stonehenge of the North” has been gifted to the nation and opened up to the public.
Historic England and English Heritage said they have secured the future of the Thornborough Henges complex, near Ripon, North Yorkshire following an agreement with the construction firm Tarmac to give part of the site to the nation. The agreement dates back to 2016 when it was part of a wider planning agreement, forged after years of controversy over quarrying by the firm in the surrounding area.
On Friday, English Heritage will take control of the site and will be welcoming the public to the massive Neolithic monument – a move welcomed by Prime Minister and local MP Rishi Sunak. The full site consists of three giant, circular earthworks – or henges – which are each more than 200m in diameter and date from 3500 to 2500 BC.
Historic England said the Thornborough Henges site is “probably the most important single ancient site between Stonehenge and the Orkney Islands in Scotland”, describing it as the “Stonehenge of the North”. The central and southern henges have been gifted by Tarmac into the legal ownership of Historic England, the Government’s heritage adviser, as part of the National Heritage Collection which includes Stonehenge, Iron Bridge and Dover Castle.
They are being managed by English Heritage…
