| Description | This site is of dubious prehistoric origin. According to local folklore, it was the grave of a Hebden Bridge miller (hence `Miller's Grave') who reputedly committed suicide and was refused burial in Heptonstall church. The cairn comprises a circular mound of loose stones, the base of which is earth covered. The cairn is c.18m. (D.Haigh's measurement in Jan.1994 is 15.25 m.) in diameter and 1.5 m. high. The centre has been mutilated to expose what the O.S. considered to be large upright slabs of natural rock. No evidence of finds from this site.
P.Thornborrow reports that the cairn contains a socketed stone, an upright in which lines up with the sun and the Robin Hood Penny Stone (PRN 5237) 100 m. to the north west, at the summer solstice (do not confuse this Robin Hood's Penny Stone (i.e. PRN 5237) with another stone called Robin Hood's Penny Stone in Warley (PRN 3432)). Miller's Grave was visited by D. Haigh in April, 1993; he comments that the monument is impressive, but has almost certainly been robbed. J.Wright visited in April 1994 and reports that this is a good prehistoric monument, possibly not seriously disturbed.
English Heritage 16/06/1998, Scheduled monument description for SAM 31486: The monument includes a large cairn known as Miller's Grave, situated on the summit of Midgley Moor. The cairn has a diameter of about 15.5m and survives to a height of approximately 1.5m. It is built of medium sized stones piled around a central glacial boulder which has a deep cleft. Stones have been removed from the centre of the cairn to reveal this boulder; this has created a hollow. Some of the stone have recently been piled around this hollow to make a shelter. With the exception of these recently piled stones, the rocks which make up the cairn are well embedded and overgrown with heather.
According to David Shepherd, 'the central element [of Miller's Grave] appears to be either a large split block, or two adjacent, upright blocks. Total mass would be in excess of 10 tonnes.
The rock type is Huddersfield White Rock and the bedding is vertical. HWR outcrops some 250 300 metres south east and 25 metres lower, where there are numerous short edges (exhibiting horizontal bedding) and detached, earthfast boulders.
The 'Penny Stone' (PRN 5237) and the central element of this feature are the only large examples of HWR above the main outcrop. Arguably they may be glacial erratics, but this could not have been in the last (Devensian) glacial period, because there was no moving ice in this area. An obvious possibility is that one or both were manipulated into their present positions.
The cairn, of immediately local, undressed stones is formed around the central rock(s) such that the base of the central element is obscured. There is periodic modern interference with the top stones of the bank which tends to leave them loose. We have not noted a 'socketed stone' as described by Peter Thornborrow (see above), but a characteristic of HWR is that natural erosion takes the form of smooth whorls, hollows and grooves.
Regarding the suggestions that the centre of the cairn has been removed to reveal the central element; this would require a substantial movement (several cubic metres) of material which is not seen anywhere around the site. The nearest upstanding walling is a considerable distance away, as are the nearest shooting butts, and there are no other structures on the moor top. Removal of material seems unlikely. (Shepherd, 2012).
In July 2013 David Shepherd undertook a drawn survey of Miller's Grave a copy of this drawing is on file in the HER. |