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Os grid reference TN.9839 3672. From the A697 at Milfield head off onto a country lane in a north-easterly direction onto Bar Moor a few miles west of Lowick; about halfway between these two villages and just north of the B6525 road Roughting Linn woods and waterfall. Here can be found a quarry with an outcrop of rocks bearing prehistoric rock-art in various forms, and just to the west the site of an ancient fort or enclosure.
Luckily for us the limestone outcrop has not been disturbed by the quarrying that has taken place here at Roughting Linn, also spelt Rowting Linn. The site is quite impressive, perhaps the best known rock-art in Northumbria. The slab-stones are rich with carved rock-art in many different forms. These are said to date from the Stone-Age. There are over 60 lesser-known rock carvings but over 100 very interesting rock-art carvings. These include radiating lines, arcs that are multiple in numbers, cup and grooves, cups in the form of rosette patterns (similar to mazes) and many cup-marks on their own.
The site was first discovered back in 1852 by Mr William Greenwell who submitted his information to the Archaeological Institute at Newcastle, but unfortunately his report and findings were never published. The first drawing of the rock-art at Roughting Linn was published in 1865 by Mr George Tate.
The thinking is that thousands of years ago this site was connected with some form of spirituality, magic, birth and death; the various art forms representing something that was regarded as very sacred to the ancient people who lived here.
Just to the west of the carved rocks there is a prehistoric hillfort (possibly Iron-Age in origins). This has three rows of ramparts and ditches which are quite clearly defined at the eastern side; on top there is an enclosure. The connection with this hillfort and the carved rock formations has not, as yet, been explored to any degree.
References:
Greenwell, William., - Pamphlet on Roughting Linn, Northumbria, 1852.
Luckily for us the limestone outcrop has not been disturbed by the quarrying that has taken place here at Roughting Linn, also spelt Rowting Linn. The site is quite impressive, perhaps the best known rock-art in Northumbria. The slab-stones are rich with carved rock-art in many different forms. These are said to date from the Stone-Age. There are over 60 lesser-known rock carvings but over 100 very interesting rock-art carvings. These include radiating lines, arcs that are multiple in numbers, cup and grooves, cups in the form of rosette patterns (similar to mazes) and many cup-marks on their own.
The site was first discovered back in 1852 by Mr William Greenwell who submitted his information to the Archaeological Institute at Newcastle, but unfortunately his report and findings were never published. The first drawing of the rock-art at Roughting Linn was published in 1865 by Mr George Tate.
The thinking is that thousands of years ago this site was connected with some form of spirituality, magic, birth and death; the various art forms representing something that was regarded as very sacred to the ancient people who lived here.
Just to the west of the carved rocks there is a prehistoric hillfort (possibly Iron-Age in origins). This has three rows of ramparts and ditches which are quite clearly defined at the eastern side; on top there is an enclosure. The connection with this hillfort and the carved rock formations has not, as yet, been explored to any degree.
References:
Greenwell, William., - Pamphlet on Roughting Linn, Northumbria, 1852.
Last edited by Sunbright57 on Mon Jan 14, 2013 2:45 pm; edited 2 times in total
