Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882

Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882

Act of Parliament
Long title	An Act for the better protection of Ancient Monuments
Citation	45 & 46 Vict. c. 73
Introduced by	John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury
Dates
Royal assent	18 August 1882
Status: Amended
Text of the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database

The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (as it then was). It was introduced by John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, recognising the need for a governmental administration on the protection of ancient monuments, and was finally passed after a number of failed attempts on heritage protection acts. The gradual change towards a state-based authority responsible for the safeguarding of the Kingdom's national heritage manifested itself through the appointment of the first Inspector of Ancient Monuments in 1882, General Pitt-Rivers.

The Schedule

The 1882 Act contains a schedule of the initial 68 sites that were covered by the legislation. This schedule exclusively focussed on pre-historic monuments, and covered some of the most famous such sites in the country, alongside some that were felt to be at particular risk at the time.

England and Wales

There were 26 English sites listed in the Schedule, in just 10 counties, including seven sites in Wiltshire. Welsh monuments were represented by one site in each of north, south and west Wales.

Site Name	1882 Description	Site type	Period	Location
Plas Newydd Burial Chambers	The tumulus and dolmen, Plas Newydd, Llandedwen, Anglesea.	Chambered tomb	Neolithic
Wayland's Smithy	The tumulus known as Wayland Smith's Forge, Ashbury, Berkshire.	Long barrow	Neolithic
Uffington Castle	Uffington Castle, Uffington, Berkshire.	Hillfort	Iron Age
Long Meg and Her Daughters	The stone circle known as Long Meg and her Daughters, near Penrith, Addingham, Cumberland.	Stone circle	Bronze Age
Castlerigg stone circle	The stone circle on Castle Rigg, near Keswick, Crosthwaite, Cumberland.	Stone circle	Late Neolithic
Low Longrigg Stone Circles, Boot?	The stone circles on Burn Moor, St. Bees, Cumberland.	5 Stone circles	Bronze Age
Nine Ladies	The stone circle known as The Nine Ladies, Stanton Moor, Bakewell, Derbyshire.	Stone circle	Bronze Age
Arbor Low	The tumulus known as Arborlow, Bakewell, Derbyshire.	Henge	Neolithic
Hob Hurst's House	Hob Hurst's House and Hut, Baslow Moor. Bakewell, Derbyshire.	Round barrow	Bronze Age
Minninglow	Minning Low, Brassington, Derbyshire.	Round barrow	Neolithic
Arthur's Stone	Arthur’s Quoit, Gower, Llanridian, Glamorganshire.	Chambered tomb	Neolithic
Uley Long Barrow	The tumulus at Uley, Gloucestershire.	Long barrow	Neolithic
Kit's Coty House	Kits Coty House, Aylesford, Kent.	Long barrow	Neolithic
Hunsbury Hill	Danes Camp, Hardingstone, Northamptonshire.	Hillfort	Iron Age
Castle Dykes Enclosure	Castle Dykes, Farthingston, Northamptonshire.	Hillfort enclosure	Iron Age to Roman
Rollright Stones	The Rollrich Stones, Little Rollright, Oxfordshire.	Megaliths	Neolithic and Bronze Age
Pentre Ifan	The Pentre Evan Cromlech, Nevern, Pembrokeshire.	Chambered tomb	Neolithic
Stanton Drew stone circles	The ancient stones at Stanton Drew, Somersetshire.	'2 Stone circles	Neolithic
Stoney Littleton Long Barrow	The chambered tumulus at Stoney Littleton, Wellow, Somersetshire.	Chambered tomb	Neolithic
Cadbury Castle	Cadbury Castle, South Cadbury, Somersetshire.	Hillfort	Iron Age
Mayburgh Henge	Mayborough, near Penrith, Barton, Westmoreland.	Henge	Neolithic or Bronze Age
King Arthur's Round Table (henge)	Arthur’s Round Table, Penrith, Barton, Westmoreland.	Henge	Neolithic
Stonehenge	The group of stones known as Stonehenge, Amesbury, Wiltshire.	Henge	Bronze Age
Old Sarum	Old Sarum, Wiltshire.	Hillfort	Iron Age
Avebury	The vallum at Abury, the Sarcen stones within the same, those along the Kennet Road, and the group between Abury and Beckhampton, Abury, Wiltshire.	Henge	Neolithic
West Kennet Long Barrow	The long barrow at West Kennet, near Marlborough, West Kennet, Wiltshire.	Long barrow	Neolithic
Silbury Hill	Silbury Hill, Abury, Wiltshire.	Mound	Neolithic
The Devil's Den	The Dolmen (Devil’s Den), near Marlborough, Fyfield, Wiltshire.	Chambered tomb	Neolithic
Barbury Castle	Barbury Castle, Ogboume, St. Andrews, and Swindon, Wiltshire.	Hillfort	Iron Age

Scotland

The 1882 Schedule included 21 monuments, the majority of which are prehistoric sites. Two are Neolithic, five Bronze Age, eight Iron Age and six from early Christian/Pictish periods, although two of the prehistoric stones also have notable early Christian additions. Those sites now in the care of Historic Scotland are indicated with '(HS)'.

Site Name	1882 Description	Site type	Period	Location
Inverurie Cemetery, four symbol stones	The Bass of Inverury, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.	Four Pictish Stones	9th century
Tap o' Noth, Rhynie	The vitrified fort on the Hill of Noath, Rhynie, Aberdeenshire.	Hillfort	Iron Age
Newton House, inscribed stone and symbol stone	The pillar and stone at Newton-in-the-Garioch, Culsalmond, Aberdeenshire.	Pictish stones	9th century
Edin's Hall Broch	The circular walled structures called "Edin’s Hall," on Cockburn Law, Dunse, Berwickshire.	Broch (HS)	Iron Age
Pallisaded Huts Nr Lauder Barns	The British walled settlement enclosing huts at Harefaulds in Lauderdale, Lauder, Berwickshire.	settlement	Iron Age
Dun Dornaigil	The Dun of Dornadilla, Durness, Sutherlandshire.	Broch (HS)	Iron Age
Sueno's Stone	The sculptured stone called Suenos Stone, near Forres, Rafford, Elgin.	Standing stone	9th century
Drosten Stone	The cross slab, with inscription, in the churchyard of St. Vigeans, St. Vigeans, Forfarshire.	Pictish stone	9th century
Caterthun	The British forts, on the hills, called "The Black and White Catherthuns," Menmuir, Forfarshire.	Hillforts (HS)	Iron Age
Clava cairns	A group of remains and pillars, on a haugh at Clava on the banks of the Nairn, Croy and Dalcross, Inverness.	Chamber tomb (HS)	Bronze Age
Dun Telve and Dun Troddan	The Pictish Towers at Glenelg, Inverness.	Brochs (HS)	Iron Age
Drumwhirn Cairn and Boreland cairn?	The Cairns, with chambers and galleries partially dilapidated, Minnigaff, Kirkcudbrightshire.	Chamber tombs	Bronze Age
Cat Stane	The Catstane, an inscribed pillar, Kirkliston, Linlithgow.	Inscribed stone	Bronze Age & 5th century
Ring of Brodgar	The Ring of Brogar and other stone pillars at Stennis in Orkney, and the neighbouring pillars, Firth and Stennis, Orkney.	Henge (HS)	Neolithic
Maeshowe	The Chambered mound of Maeshowe, Firth and Stennis, Orkney.	Chambered cairn (HS)	Neolithic
Callanish Stones	The stones of Callernish, Uig, Ross.	Stone circles	Bronze Age & 5th century
Broch of Clickimin	The Burgh of Clickanim, Sound, Shetland.	Broch (HS)	Iron Age
Broch of Mousa	The Pictish tower at Mousa in Shetland, Dunrossness, Shetland.	Broch (HS)	Iron Age
(now in Whithorn Priory Museum?)	The inscribed slab standing on the roadside leading from Wigton to Whithorn and about a mile from Whithorn, Whithorn, Wigtonshire.	Inscribed stone	Early Christian
Laggangairn Standing Stones	Two stones, with incised crosses, on a mound in a field at Laggangairn, New Luce, Wigtonshire.	Standing stones (HS)	Bronze Age & early Christian
Kirkmadrine Early Christian Stones	The pillars at Kirkmadrine, Stoneykirk, Wigtonshire.	Inscribed stones (HS)	6th century

Ireland

In 1882 the whole of Ireland was under British administration Subsequent legislation for Ireland used the terminology of 'Historic Monuments' which continues in Northern Ireland. Three sites in the Schedule are in what became Northern Ireland, one being in County Armagh and two in County Down. The fifteen sites now in the Republic of Ireland are protected by the National Monuments Service and include two world heritage sites. As with England and Wales, the 1882 selection was overwhelmingly what were thought to be prehistoric sites, although there is now uncertainty on the age of many sites.

Site Name	1882 Description	Site type	Period	Location
Navan Fort	The earthern enclosure and mounds called the Navan Fort, Eglish, Armagh.	Ceremonial site	Iron Age, Celtic
Glencolumbkille Cashel	Stone monuments and groups of sepulchral cists in Glen Maulin, Glencolumbkille, Banagh, Donegal.
Grianan of Aileach	The earthern and stone inclosure known as Grimm of Aileach, Burt, West Innishowen, Donegal.
Giant's Ring	The earthen inclosure and Cromlech called the Giant's Ring near Ballylessan, Drumbo, Upper Castlereagh, Down.
Downpatrick Mound of Down?	The earthern fort at Downpatrick (Dunkeltair), Leoale, Down.
Staigue stone fort	Stone structure called Staigue Fort, Kilcrogham, Dunkerron, Kerry.	Ringfort	Iron Age
Greenmount Motte, County Louth	The earthern mound at Greenmount, Kilsaren, Ardee, Kerry.	Motte over a Souterrain	Anglo-Norman and older
Ballina megalithic tomb (Dolmen of the Four Maols)	The stone monument at Ballyna, Kilmoremoy, Tyrawly, Mayo.	Chamber tomb	Bronze Age
Glebe Stone Circles	Cairns and stone circles at Moytura, Cong, Kilmaine, Mayo.	Stone Circles
Brú na Bóinne (Bend of the Boyne) World heritage site	The tumuli, New Grange, Knowth and Dowth, Monknewton and Dowth, Upper Slane, Meath.	Megalithic complex	Neolithic
Hill of Tara	The earthworks on the hill of Tara, Skreen, Meath.		multi-period
Telltown	The earthworks at Teltown (Taltin), Upper Kells, Meath.		Bronze Age
Hill of Ward	The earthworks at Wardstown (Tlaghta), Athboy, Lune, Meath.	Ringfort	Iron Age
Slieve na Calliagh	The two central tumuli on the hills called Slieve Na Calliagh, Loughcrew, Fore, Meath.	Megalithic complex	Neolithic
Heapstown Cairn	The Cairn at Heapstown, Kilmacallan, Tirerrill, Sligo.	Passage tomb
Knocknarea passage tombs & Medb's Cairn	Sepulchral remains at Carrowmore. The cairn called Miscaun Mave or Knocknarea, Kilmacowen, Curbury, Sligo.	Passage tomb	Neolithic
Drumlohan Souterrain & Ogham Stones	The cave containing Ogham inscribed stones at Drumloghan, Stradbally, Decies without Drum, Waterford.
Hill of Uisneach (World Heritage Site)	The stone monument called the Catstone and the cemetery on the hill of Usnagh, Killare, Rathconrath, Westmeath.	Royal innauguartion site

See also

• Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1900
• Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1910
• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
• Reproduced copy of 1882 Act
• List of prehistoric structures in Great Britain

References

• The Construction of Built Heritage ISBN 0-7546-1846-3