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Europe, British Isles, North-West England, Cumberland, Eamont Bridge, Mayburgh Henge [Map]
Mayburgh Henge is in Eamont Bridge, Cumberland.
Avebury by William Stukeley. Though upon first sight of the place I knew its purport, yet I was more fully convinced thereof when I went to see Mayborough [Map], as called, which is a little higher up the hill, on an eminence higher than any near it, and full west from this place, or circus: it is a vast concavity, of the same diameter as the circles just mentioned, -viz. 300 foot: it is made with an artificial vallum of loose stones, without any ditch, carried with great labour from some other place, and here orderly piled up, so as to make a rampart as high and as broad as that at Abury: in some places the turf, with which it was covered originally, is peeled off: it hopes inward with a gentle descent on account of spectators; outwardly it is as steep as the nature of the materials would suffer, and now covered over with great timber-trees; the entrance is wide, and opens full east, and to the circus. Within this fine plain, which is now ploughed up, have been two circles of huge stones; four remaining of the inner circle till a year or two ago, that they were blown to pieces with gunpowder: they were of a hard black kind of stone, like that of the altar at Stonehenge: one now stands, ten foot high, seventeen in circumference, of a good shapely kind; another lies along; this inner circle was fifty foot in diameter. One stone, at least, of the outer circle remains, by the, edge of the corn; and some more lie at the entrance within side, others without, and fragments all about. Just by the entrance, along the road runs a spring, full east ward.
1725. William Stukeley (age 37) sketched King Arthur's Round Table, Mayburgh Henge [Map] and Little Round Table.
Cumbria and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. 1769. Plan of 1. Mayburgh Henge [Map], 2. King Arthur's Round Table and 3. Little Round Table and
1769. Pennant sketch of Mayburgh Henge [Map] and King Arthur's Round Table.
An Excursion to the Lakes. At about half a mile distance we viewed a place called Maybrough [Map]; — this is a hill, which arises gradually on every side about one hundred and forty paces from the level of the lands below, forming the lower section of a regular cone — The ascent is on every side grown with oaks and ashes, and seems to have been covered with wood for ages; though no very ancient trees remain standing, yet the reliques left by the ax evince it.
— The summit of the hill is fenced round, save only an opening to the east of twelve paces wide; — the fence is very singular, being composed of an immense quantity of loose pebble stones, which seem to have been gathered from the river by their quality, and the similarity there is between them and the gravel of the bed of the Yeoman. — No kind of mortar appears to have been used here, the stones layed uncemented, and in a heap, which at the foot is near twenty paces wide, rising to an edge, in height at this day about eight feet from the level of the interior plain. — Here and there time has scattered a few trees and brush-wood over the pebbles, but in other places they are loose and naked, both on the outside and inslde of the fence. — The space within is a fine plain of meadow ground, exactly circular, of 100 paces diameter; —inclining a little to the westward from the centre a large mass of unhewn stone is standing erect, placed with the smaller end in the earth, on which some little ash trees have taken their growth, by striking their roots into the natural fissures of the stone; — this stone is in circumference near its middle twenty-two feet and some inches, and in height eleven feet and upwards; it is a species of the free stone, and has been gathered from the surface, and not won in any quarry or bed of stone. — The inhabitants in the neighbourhood say, that within the memory of man two other stones of similar nature, and placed in a kind of angular figure with the stone now remaining, were to be seen there, but as they were hurtful to the ground, had been destroyed and removed.
— The traditional account given of this place is in no wise to be credited: "That it was a Roman theatre, where criminals had been exposed to wild beasts; and that those stones were placed for the refuge and respite of the combatant in his unhappy conflict."
— The name of Maybrough induced us to believe, that this had been a Britifh fortification, and that the name was a corruption of Maiden Burg, a title given to many fortresses which were esteemed impregnable, and which were boasted never to have known a conqueror; — but the large stone placed within the plain, and those said to have been defaced within the memory of man, confounded this conjecture, and prompted us to an idea, that the whole was a druidical monument, and the name of it Mayberie1, or Maleberge2. — The elevated plain, the aurrounding woods, and this atrange rude pillar, render it probable, that this was a temple of the druids, where, under the solemn shade of the consecrated grove, they had exercised their religious rites, and taught the multitude; and also held those convocations in which they determined the rights of the people, and administered public justice. — Perhaps when they were driven out of Mona, and fled before the Roman sword, they might fortify their sacred places, and gather their people into such strong holds, to refist the power which had avowed their extirpation.
Note 1. Antiquarians have frequently confounded Bury, for Berie; —the one implying the tomb of fome great or remarkable perfonage; the latter, Bene, being the name of a plain or vale, furrounded with groves and forefts, and held facred by the ancient Britons. Lord Coke.
Note 2. Maleserge, Mon's Placiti; — a hill where the people aflembled at a court like our affizes, which by the Scots and Irifh are called Parley Hills. Du Cange.
The Beauties of England and Wales: Wiltshire and Westmoreland. Mayborough [Mayburgh Henge [Map]] is seated on a gentle eminence on the wests side of Eamont-bridge. It consists of a circular barrier of loose stones, near thirty yards wide at the base, and from twelve to fifteen feet high in the centre: the entrance is on the east, about twelve yards wide, and the area about ove hundred yards in diameter. The barrier is thinly clothed with trees and shrubs. Near the centre of the area is an unhewn column, twelve feet high, and twenty-five feet in girth, In the memory of persons yet alive there were four of these columns: the three that were blasted and broken formed a square with that which remains. Four also stood at the entrance, namely, one at each exterior, and one at each interior corner of the barrier1. "Many of the larger stones," says Dr. Burn, "were taken in the reign of King Henry VI for the repairing of Kendal castle; but this he advances on the strength of mere tradition; and the circumstance of the stones being all of the loose rounded kind, such as the beds of rivers produce, strongly opposes the supposition that the barrier was ever faced with regular ashlar work. Indeed, it has altogether the appearance of being constructed by a people unacquainted with the art of masonry.
Note 1. Hutch. Cumb, 1. 310.
Cumbria and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. 02 Aug 1882. ART. XLII.—On some Earthworks [King Arthur's Round Table, Little Round Table and Mayburgh Henge [Map]] near Eamont Bridge. By WM. Atkinson. Read at that place August 2nd, 1882.
Cumbria and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. Oct 1889. MAYBURGH [Map]. Surveyed by C. W. Dymond.
Cumbria and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. Site and general description.—Mayburgh [Map],1 seated on a wide low mound of glacial drift, consists of a rude circular cincture of small stones inclosing a nearly level grassy area, except on the east side, where an entrance interrupts the continuity of the rampart. In the midst—though not quite in the centre of the inclosure—stands a massive monolith, the only remaining member of a group, or groups, which once formed a prominent feature of the whole work.
Note 1. Pronounced, and often written, Mayborough.
Cumbria and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. 1891. Art. 16. — Mayburgh [Map] and King Arthur's Round Table. By C. W. Dymond, F.S.A.
Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Volume 40 Pages 169 to 206. IN 1938 Professor R. G. Collingwood produced, in these Transactions (xxxviii, 1-31), an Interim Report on the excavations of 1937 at King Arthur's Round Table. Illness prevented him from completing the task, and the final investigation was conducted by the writer, to whom it had been entrusted, between 10th July and 27th August, 1939. Eight workmen were employed throughout, while the experienced Mr. W. Cruddas of Greenhead acted again as foreman. Mrs. Spence undertook the task of Excavations Secretary and Guide, and superintended the filling-in during the anxious days preceeding the outbreak of war. Dr. J. E. Spence devoted the first week of his vacation to joint direction, while Miss M. Cross and Miss K. S. Hodgson gave voluntary help in the more delicate tasks. It was particularly useful to have Mrs. Collingwood's presence for a week during the excavation. Mr. Hay and Dr. Goodchild gave much valuable advice on geological problems. Mr. R. Morton Rigg, as during the first season, undertook the organisation of labour and tools most generously lent by the Penrith Urban District Council. Captain Anthony Lowther, on behalf of Lowther Estates Limited, kindly extended permission to excavate, with the consent of the tenant, Mr. W. Bainbridge of the Home Farm; while H.M. Office of Works authorised excavation of a scheduled monument, a visit being paid by Inspector P. K. Baillie-Reynolds. To all these helpers and to Major Porter, I offer heartiest thanks for their assistance. Among many visitors I had the pleasure of welcoming Messrs. Grahame Clark and J. F. Grimes. Finally three trenches were made through the so-called Little Round Table (see Appendix) and, in co-operation with H.M. Office of Works, the surviving standing-stone in the adjacent circle at Mayburgh [Map] was secured against collapse.
