More information : SE 12594506. Twelve Apostles (NAT). Stone Circle (NR)
(Remains of) (NAT). (1)
The 'Twelve Apostles', a Bronze Age stone circle, scheduled as an
ancient monument, is 52 feet in diameter the stones being
erected upon an earthen bank 4 feet wide and up to 2 feet high.
There are now only 12 stones but it is likely that there were
originally 20, possibly the peristalith of a burial. (2)(3)
SE 12594506. Slightly below and to the NE of an east-west ridge
at about 381m OD, are the remains of a stone circle known locally
as the "Twelve Apostles".
The original diameter (see illustration) would appear to have
been about 15.0m between stone centres; though there are twelve
stones visible, only two of them are now apparently in situ, the
remainder lying loose on the surface. Piles of smaller stones
near their bases are possibly the remains of packing stones
though there are no traces of any hollows or sockets for the
recumbent stones.
The impression gained of the interior is of a very shallow
circular depression (no more than 0.5m maximum below the
surrounding ground) now fairly level with sandy earth and slight
heather cover but no trace of any internal features. There are
now only barely discernible traces of what might have been a low
bank around the outside of the stones in the NE. This hollowed
appearance and lack of bank (which was apparently quite evident
in 1929 from Raistrick's report) has most probably been caused by
visitors to this popular site walking over the ground. The low
bank must have been entirely of earth as there are no traces of
any rubble etc around the perimeter. There is also no trace of a
ditch.
This has undoubtedly been a true free-standing stone circle
(possibly with a slight outer bank) and not the peristalith of a
burial cairn as suggested as there is no trace of debris or
material internally or between the stones.
Surveyed at 1:10 000. (4)
The Twelve Apostles, Ilkley Moor (sic). In 1971 a group of amateurs
re-erected the fallen stones, destorying any archaeological
context: The stones fell again and are lying beside their damaged
sockets, with one excavation. which is probably in its
prehistoric setting. The site suffers severe visitor erosion,
formerly hidden beneath heather, it is now an area of bare
trampled soil. (5)(6)
SE 1261 4506. Twelve Apostles stone circle, Burley Moor. Scheduled
RSM No 25313 (formerly WY/166B) (7)
Described by Barnatt in his gazetteer as an embanked stone circle. (8)
The feature described above is visible as a structure on air photographs and was mapped as part of the Lower Wharfedale NMP project. The bank was not discernible on the aerial photographs available to the project but the circle of stones, centred at SE 12614506, was able to be mapped.
(9)
Please note that the address information provided in source 6 is superseded, although that source refers to the stones at "Ilkley, Ilkley Moor" The Twelve Apostles lay inside the parish boundary of Burley as constituted in 2011. (10)
At the time of amending this record i n2011, online access to information on the designation noted above (scheduling) is available through the National Heritage List for England. (11) |