Arbor Low

Arbor Low is a Neolithic henge in the Derbyshire Peak District, standing on a limestone plateau called the White Peak. The monument consists of a stone circle surrounded by earthworks and a ditch, with about fifty large limestone blocks forming an egg-shaped ring. Some stones reach nearly three metres tall, though most lie flat, and one remains partially upright. The site includes a central cove of smaller stones and is enclosed by a bank and ditch with two entrances. Few henges in Britain are as well preserved as Arbor Low. The henge dates from the Late Neolithic period, with the stones added later, possibly before 2000 BCE. Excavations in the early 20th century found human bones near the cove and tools such as flint scrapers and arrowheads. A Bronze Age round barrow stands nearby, built using material from the henge’s earth bank. The site links by an earth ridge to the earlier Neolithic oval barrow of Gib Hill, three hundred and twenty metres away. Statutory protection was granted in 1882, and small stone markers still mark the protected area. Visitors find a quiet landscape of grassy banks and scattered stones, with wide views across the surrounding countryside. The flat stones lie in patterns that hint at their original upright positions. The central cove and the two causeway entrances add to the site’s sense of ancient purpose. The nearby Bronze Age barrow shows how later people reused the site. The henge stands on private farmland, so access is controlled, but the setting remains undisturbed.