Western Howes, Danby High Moor
Historical and Educational Articles for Lion Inn to Grosmont
Looking towards the Lion Inn (on the far Ridge Top) from the Esk Valley Walk at its nearest approach to the Western Howes
Western Howes, Danby High Moor, Coast to Coast
The Western Howes are a trio of prehistoric Round Barrows that occupy the top of a 415m rise between White Cross (Fat Betty) 1/3m to the south, Young Ralph Cross 400m to the West, and Westerdale Head 1200m to the north west. The Esk Valley Walk passes within 50m to the east of Western Howes.
Most Round Barrows are funerary and date from the Late Neolithic period to the Late Bronze Age, mostly between 2400-1500 BC. They were raised as earthern heaps, often with surrounding ditches. They either covered single burials or many burials and were often spaced close to similar Round Barrows, making them a cemetery. Because of their age they are usually protected as historic monuments.
Western Howes is a Grade II Scheduled Monument consisting of 3 separate Barrows. There is no footpath directly to them, and the ground is miry. This specific location is the northern edge of the central watershed of the North York Moors. From here the ground to the north declines towards Castleton Rigg. Some of the artefacts found in one of the Barrows are held by the British Museum.
Boundary Stone
From the White Cross the Esk Stoney Way leads north, towards the Castleton Rigg. After only 100m from White Cross a Boundary Stone with a whitewashed top can be seen peeking from the heather. Not far beyond the three Barrows of the Western Howes can be seen.
Western Howes Danby Moor
Two of the three Howes are strikingly visible from the Esk Valley Walk near to the White Cross. The third is further back and a little lower down the hill. Save on a very dry day the moorland is prohibitive of a closer look.
Westmost of the Western Howes
This Barrow is the smallest of the trio. It, and the other Barrows, were carefully investigated by the Vicar of Danby, Canon Atkinson, in 1863. Its diameter is 6m and it is 0.3m high. There is a small hollow in the centre caused by the Vicar's excavation. Cremated bone and charcoal were found in this Round Barrow above a naturally sited stone.
Centre Barrow
The central Barrow is the largest of the three. It is 11m in diameter and 1m tall. During an examination by Canon Atkinson in 1863 (the Vicar of Danby) of this Barrow he was able to uncover a stone cairn within the Barrow's centre. It was encased by large flat slabs with a diameter of 4m. Within he found two Bronze Age cremation urns, one of which embodied cremated bone, a granite battle-axe, a small cup, a bone toggle and parts of four bone pins. The other also contained cremated bone and two burnt bone pins.
Funerary Urn Western Howes
One of the collared funerary urns found in the inner cairn of the central Round Barrow comprising the Western Howes. It is now at the British Museum. Its collar is described as being decorated with a twisted cord double zigzag, becoming rough filled triangular pattern enclosed between pairs of twisted cord lines. It is 11.8 inches high. The second funery urn and also the accessory cup are also held at the British Museum.
Coast to Coast Trail Guide
Hiking the Coast to Coast
"Hiking the Coast to Coast" is a digitally enhanced eBook available from Apple Books for all people who have either a Mac, an iPhone or an iPad, and is designed to accompany you on your walk of the Coast to Coast path. The trail guide contains Ordnance Survey maps and other advanced mapping features, step by step directions, hundreds of colour photographs, details of the route, its conditions in different weather and research snippets relating to places of interest along the way.
