Langdale Erosion Research Programme. Project Brief

On the slopes around the Langdale and Scafell Pikes are the remains of a large Neolithic axe factory, which used a narrow band of fine grained volcanic tuff as its source material. The factory was the most productive of all the British, prehistoric stone axe factories; its products have been found in large quantities all over Britain and even from the continent. The monuments are of international importance.

There are over 580 discrete production sites within 35 groups. The sites comprise large quantities of worked, waste flakes generally in association with quarries or working floors and have the characteristics of a fine mobile scree. As long as the waste material remains in situ, it can reveal much of the 4,500 year old production practices. However, man of the sites are on 45 degree slopes and are vulnerable to the forces of erosion; their survival to date has depended upon a thin layer of protective turf. At a significant number of the sites there has been observed a decline in the extent of this turf cover since the start of the present archaeological programme in 1984 and these monuments are now under threat.