<< Our Photo Pages >> Five Wells - Chambered Tomb in England in Derbyshire

Submitted by TimPrevett on Wednesday, 17 January 2024  Page Views: 29553

Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Five Wells
Country: England County: Derbyshire Type: Chambered Tomb
Nearest Town: Buxton  Nearest Village: Taddington
Map Ref: SK1238671044  Landranger Map Number: 119
Latitude: 53.236286N  Longitude: 1.815887W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
 3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
 4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
 4 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
 4

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I have visited· I would like to visit

PAB judy6 SumDoood KieKa elad13 would like to visit

rachelh visited on 11th May 2024 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3

Louisa visited on 1st Jan 2024 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Interesting drone photo taken by E. Allen

Couplands visited on 4th Mar 2023 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3

Marko visited on 22nd Aug 2020 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 3

Catrinm visited on 7th Feb 2017 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Unusual site - well worth a visit. Covered in Julian Cope’s Modern Antiquarian with a suggested image of site before damage.

lscollinson visited on 1st Jan 2010 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 4 Access: 3 Fantastic views from the highest chambered tomb in England.

Humbucker chester1960 rldixon TimPrevett have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 2.67 Ambience: 3.83 Access: 3

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by Humbucker : The pretty eastern chamber of Five Wells looking roughly NE. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Reputed to be the highest megalithic tomb in Britain, Five Wells chambered cairn stands on the false crest of a limestone plateau, 427m (1400ft) high on Taddington Moor, Derbyshire, overlooking the fertile Wye valley.

The chambered cairn is now a shadow of its former self after the mound was removed by wall builders around 200 years ago and after extensive excavation by the local antiquarian Thomas Bateman in 1846. Only one of the chambers is still fully standing.
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Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by chester1960 : Pre dawn light behind Five Wells Tombed Cairn, looking east. Taken on 05 September 2010 (3 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by PaulM : General view of Five Wells Chambered Cairn (Derbyshire) GR:SK124711. Reputed to be the highest megalithic tomb in Britain, Five Wells chambered cairn stands on the false crest of a limestone plateau, 427m (1400ft) high on Taddington Moor, overlooking the fertile Wye valley. The chambered cairn is now a shadow of its former self after the mound was removed by wall builders around 200 years ago and... (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by Blingo_von_Trumpenstein : Another Derbyshire treasure . . . (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by royston7 : Five Wells - the walk up to this is well rewarded (pardon the pun). (1 comment - Vote or comment on this photo)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by chester1960 : Sunrise over Five Wells Tombed Cairn, looking east. Taken on 05 September 2010 (2 comments - Vote or comment on this photo)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by PaulM : The fully standing chamber at Five Wells on Taddington Moor, Derbyshire

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by PaulM : The two remaining chambers of Five Wells on Taddington Moor, Derbyshire GR: SK124711, facing east and west

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by royston7 : Five Wells.

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by royston7 : Five Wells chambered tomb (Remains) situated above the village of Chelmorton (1 comment)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by chester1960 : Looking north-east, taken on 25 august 2011. (1 comment)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by Humbucker : Five Wells showing the dilapidated state of the western chamber. Nevertheless a lovely site to visit.

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by rldixon : Five wells taken april 3rd 2009

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by twentytrees : The finely constructed eastern chamber, without its capstone?

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by twentytrees : Five Wells, all overgrown, wet from summer rain, with wonderfully coloured lichens growing on the stones. The visit confirmed that you can see: South Head in the North East - 10 miles away, Tides Low 4.5 miles away and Minning Low 10 miles away. (2 comments)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by twentytrees : Looking north showing the eat and west chambers. (1 comment)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by LivingRocks : View showing both chambers, March 2005 (1 comment)

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by enkidu41 : Angled view across the eastern chamber showing the 2 metre slabs used in constructing the chamber.

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by enkidu41 : The entrance to the better preserved eastern chamber. The stones lying in front of the portals were possibly part of a the original entrance passage.

Five Wells at Sunrise
Five Wells at Sunrise submitted by Monoman : A dramatic early morning meeting of stones and sky.

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by Monoman : This site has to be one of my favourites at the moment for setting and atmosphere. All the images on here show what an impressive place this is especially at dawn when the stones seem to reach out to the sun.

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by Antonine : Five wells is the highest chambered tomb in Britain, with views north over the Wye Valley and Chee Dale. Photo taken in 2011

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by Antonine : 2011

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by lscollinson : Fantastic views from the highest chambered tomb in England.

Five Wells
Five Wells submitted by Humbucker : The eastern chamber of Five Wells. Very serene atop the hill waiting for the sun to set!

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 911m NNE 20° Blackwell* Modern Stone Circle etc (SK127719)
 1.1km WSW 246° Chelmorton Low* Round Barrow(s) (SK114706)
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 2.3km ESE 106° Taddington Barrow* Round Barrow(s) (SK146704)
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 2.7km W 276° Hob Thirst's Cave* Cave or Rock Shelter (SK097713)
 3.6km N 354° Wormhill, Derbyshire Sculptured Stone (SK120746)
 3.8km W 277° Gospel Hillocks* Long Barrow (SK086715)
 3.9km SW 223° Hind Low* Ancient Village or Settlement (SK097682)
 4.2km SSE 148° Monyash Round Barrow 2 Round Barrow(s) (SK146675)
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 4.8km SSW 192° Cronkston Low* Round Barrow(s) (SK114663)
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 5.1km E 91° Fin Cop* Hillfort (SK175710)
 5.1km E 87° Hob’s House Cave* Cave or Rock Shelter (SK175713)
 5.2km SW 234° Harley Grange Tumulus* Round Barrow(s) (SK082680)
 5.4km WSW 241° Upper Edge* Cairn (SK07656845)
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"Five Wells" | Login/Create an Account | 11 News and Comments
  
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Re: Five Wells by Anonymous on Sunday, 18 June 2023
Visited here today. Well signed from the back of the farm and an obvious gated track up the field to the tombs. Very atmospheric site.
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Re: Five Wells by Catrinm on Tuesday, 21 February 2017
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Atmospheric spot visited 17.02.17... some snow left. Some difficulty finding from Taddington road. Best to head off the obvious trackway up between the two hills and climb up the hill to the right. Didn't see a sign.
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Re: Five Wells by Maybole1599 on Monday, 31 December 2012
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Couldn't get to the site on a visit in November, due to large herd of cows across the path :(
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    Re: Five Wells by rogerkread on Saturday, 11 October 2014
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    As I arrived on foot from Chelmorton the farmer had just moved a very large number of cows into half the adjacent field, maybe it's a regular occurrence. They were quite tightly packed and clearly disturbed and nervous but no problem to walk through - slow and careful, making calming noises. Getting across the electric fence keeping them in only half the field was at least as difficult! But all worth it for the excellent site.
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Five Wells Tomb Access by TimPrevett on Monday, 12 July 2010
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The wall and stile from the track into the fields leading here have collapsed, and can make access more challenging for some, as of 11th July 2010
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Street View by coldrum on Monday, 22 March 2010
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Re: Five Wells by AngieLake on Tuesday, 12 February 2008
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'Guide to Prehistoric England' by Nicholas Thomas is quite an old book (mine's a 1977 reprint), but it is useful for site info. Here's an excerpt on Five Wells:

"An oval barrow, 70 x 65 ft., covers 2 separate burial chambers set back-to-back, each approached by a passage, one from the E, the other from the W. Like all the burial chambers in the Peak these are wedge-shaped, with 2 pillar-like stones defining the break between chamber and passage. Originally both structures would have had roof slabs and the whole covered with a mound. The passage-entrances are simply sharp breaks in the line of the well-built drystone wall which revetted the mound.
At least 12 burials have been found in the chambers, together with a fragment of doubtful early Neolithic and some Peterborough pottery and flint tools. This type of circular mound with chambers approached by passages represents mixed architectural and cultural elements: their derivation is western, perhaps partly Irish. They must belong to the period 2,500 - 2,000 BC."
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Re: Five Wells by TwentyTrees on Friday, 24 February 2006
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Ok. I got my easts and wests mixed up, again! Should read:

'Immediately before this gate there is a sign which points to Five Wells, EAST, across the fields, about 500m.
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Re: Five Wells by TwentyTrees on Thursday, 23 February 2006
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How to get to Five Wells (in response to a request from AngieLake)

Park near the pub (Church Inn) and church at the top of Chelmorton. From there head up past the pub and church.

Where the road ends a path starts, bearing off to the right. This path winds up aorund the hill. When you reach the top of the hill the path goes straigt on towards Fivewells Farm, which you can see about 1km away; you can also see the two portal stones of Five Wells above the walls north-west of where the path meets the track.

The path ends at a track. Instead of going straight on to the farm, go left, northwards, on the track until you reach a gate. Immediately before this gate there is a sign which points to Five Wells, west, across the fields, about 500m.

To visit Chelmorton Low round barrows then at Chelmorton, go left on the path which crosses a stile which is signed for right to roam. Go straight up the hill to find the two barrows - magnificent views all around including Five Wells, Arbor Low and Bull Ring. Take a picnic on a sunny day!
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Re: Five Wells by PaulM on Monday, 02 May 2005
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The good news is the neighbouring landfill site has now closed and is being restored to a green mound (although a digger and associated sheds are still on site) so no more bad smells.

On the down side the big quarry a mile or two to the north seems to be getting bigger...

Paul
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Re: Five Wells by enkidu41 on Wednesday, 27 October 2004
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This double passage grave comprises a circular cairn containing two limestone slab-built chambers 2 metres long standing back to back. Each is approached by a separate passage from east and west. The eastern chamber is the better preserved with two 1.5 metre high fine portal stones still standing. It has, however, lost its roofing slabs. The western chamber is half buried and its portal stones have collapsed inwards to rest against each other.
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