17-637: The River Barle runs from the Chains on northern Exmoor , in Somerset , England to join the River Exe at Exebridge , Devon . The river and the Barle Valley are both designated as biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest . On the Chains above Simonsbath is a 3-acre (1.2-hectare) former reservoir known as Pinkery Pond. It was formed in the 19th century when John Knight and his son dammed
34-520: A palynological record of a mid to late Flandrian vegetation history on Exmoor. The pollen sequence in the peat is calibrated by radiocarbon dating. On the Chains above Simonsbath is a 3 acres (1.2 ha) reservoir known as Pinkery Pond. It was formed by John Knight and his son in the 19th century by damming the River Barle. The pond was originally intended to be 7 acres (2.8 ha). Its purpose
51-715: A group of similar stones. Menhirs' size can vary considerably, but they often taper toward the top. Menhirs are found across Europe, Africa, and Asia, with a concentration in Western Europe , notably in Ireland , Great Britain , and Brittany . Theories concerning their purpose remain speculative, with hypotheses ranging from druidic rituals to territorial markers or elements of an ideological system. Some menhirs feature engravings , including anthropomorphic figures and symbols, and are often associated with ancient religious ceremonies and burial chambers . The word menhir
68-473: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Menhir A menhir ( / ˈ m ɛ n h ɪər / ; from Brittonic languages : maen or men , "stone" and hir or hîr , "long" ), standing stone , orthostat , or lith is a large upright stone , emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the European middle Bronze Age . They can be found individually as monoliths , or as part of
85-509: Is also unknown. It is known, however, that they buried their dead and had the skills to grow crops, farm and make pottery, stone tools and jewelry. Identifying the purpose or use of menhirs remains speculative. Until recently, standing stones were associated with the Beaker people , who inhabited Europe during the European late Neolithic and early Bronze Age —later third millennium BC, c. 2800 –1800 BC. However, recent research into
102-705: Is the name given to the north-west plateau of Exmoor , Somerset , England . This plateau lies above the 1,500 feet (457 m) contour line, and includes the source of the River Barle . It lies roughly within a triangle of land between Simonsbath , Challacombe and Lynton and has few distinguishing features. The highest point is at Chains Barrow - 1,599 feet (487 m). It is a Geological Conservation Review site, recognised as being nationally important for its south-western lowland heath communities and for transitions from ancient semi-natural woodland through upland heath to blanket mire . The Chains provides
119-416: Is unknown though likely to be part of a failed irrigation scheme. Close to the pond are the remains of a small canal which would support the irrigation theory. Long Chains Combe is the site of several standing stones which have been designated as scheduled monuments . 51°10′N 3°48′W / 51.167°N 3.800°W / 51.167; -3.800 This Somerset location article
136-425: Is used, with peul meaning "stake" or "post" and van which is a soft mutation of the word maen which means "stone". In Germany and Scandinavia the word Bauta is used (e.g., de:Bautastein and no:bautastein ) and this occasionally makes its way into English with the term "bauta stone". Almost nothing is known of the social organization or religious beliefs of the people who erected the menhirs. Their language
153-738: The kingfisher and Knaplock and North Barton is one of the only sites of great burnet on Exmoor. The river itself has been recorded as a habitat for the Eurasian otter . Salmon and trout are regularly fished from the Barle. For much of its route, the river's banks are the path of the Two Moors Way footpath. The upper reaches of the Barle have favourable rapids which appeal to whitewater kayakers . The rapids are Graded at 2 (3-) which beginner to intermediate kayakers and canoeists paddle. Chains (geological site) The Chains
170-682: The age of megaliths in Brittany strongly suggests a far older origin, perhaps back to six to seven thousand years ago. During the European Middle Ages, standing stones were believed to have been built by the giants who lived before the biblical flood . Many of the megaliths were destroyed or defaced by early Christians; it is estimated that some 50,000 megaliths once stood in Northern Europe, where almost 10,000 now remain. Menhirs have also been found in many other parts of
187-1069: The centuries, they have variously been thought to have been used by druids for human sacrifice, used as territorial markers, or elements of a complex ideological system, used as mnemonic systems for oral cultures, or functioning as early calendars. Until the nineteenth century, antiquarians did not have substantial knowledge of prehistory, and their only reference points were provided by classical literature. The developments of radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology have significantly advanced scientific knowledge in this area. Menhirs are widely distributed across Europe, Africa, and Asia, but are most numerous in Western Europe; particularly in Ireland, Great Britain, and Brittany , where there are about 50,000 examples, and northwestern France, where there are some 1,200 further examples. Standing stones are usually difficult to date. They were constructed during many different periods across prehistory as part of
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#1732787066553204-652: The devil to win a bet. The bridge is 180 feet (55 m) long and has 17 spans. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building . In Dulverton the river is crossed by the Barle Bridge . The river flows through the Somerset Wildlife Trust 's Mounsey Wood Nature Reserve and Knaplock and North Barton SSSI, first notified in 1954, which are within Exmoor National Park . These sites are home to species such as
221-632: The larger megalithic cultures in Europe and near areas. Some menhirs stand next to buildings that have an early or current religious significance. One example is the South Zeal Menhir in Devon, which formed the basis for a 12th-century monastery built by lay monks. The monastery later became the Oxenham Arms hotel, at South Zeal, and the standing stone remains in place in the snug bar at
238-556: The previous pictures. It is not known if this re-use was deliberate or if the passage grave builders just saw menhirs as a convenient source of stone. Where menhirs appear in groups, often in a circular, oval, henge , or horseshoe formation, they are sometimes called megalithic monuments. These are sites of ancient religious ceremonies, sometimes containing burial chambers. The exact function of menhirs has provoked more debate than practically any other issue in European prehistory . Over
255-587: The river at that point. Vestiges of a small water channel sometimes referred to as a 'canal' can be seen nearby. Wheal Eliza Mine was an unsuccessful copper and iron mine on the river near Simonsbath. The river passes under a late medieval six-arch stone Landacre Bridge in Withypool , and the Tarr Steps , a prehistoric clapper bridge possibly dating from 1000 BC. The stone slabs weigh up to 5 tons apiece. According to local legend, they were placed by
272-537: The world. Many menhirs are engraved with megalithic art , some with anthropomorphic features. Other common carvings are identified as images of stone axes , ploughs, shepherds' crooks, and yokes; and are named after these motifs. However, these identifications are not secure except for those of the stone axe images, and the names used to describe them are largely a matter of convenience. Some menhirs were broken up and incorporated into later passage graves , where they had new megalithic art carved with little regard for
289-459: Was adopted from French by 19th-century archaeologists. The introduction of the word into general archaeological usage has been attributed to the 18th-century French military officer Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne . It is a combination of two words of the Breton language: maen and hir . In modern Welsh , they are described as maen hir , or "long stone". In modern Breton, the word peulvan
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