Benty Grange is a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

in the parish of Monyash in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

, England. in size and with at least four grass species and ten other plant species, it is considered of national importance as one of the largest areas of unimproved species-rich neutral lowland grassland in the

Peak District The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivi ...

National Park. The area was confirmed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest on 8 March 2013, following notification of the designation on 19 June 2012. Benty Grange is also the site of a large

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

barrow which on 23 October 1970 was listed as a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...

. It was excavated on 3 May 1848 by the English antiquarian Thomas Bateman, who discovered a richly furnished burial which included the boar crested Benty Grange helmet, and fragments of the Benty Grange hanging bowl. The list entry for the barrow notes that other than this excavation, it is "undisturbed and retains significant archaeological remains."

Description

Benty Grange is a area of grassland in Monyash parish in Derbyshire, England. It covers eight plots of land tended by two owners, David Woolley and Mark Allen, and partially surrounds the Benty Grange farmhouse. Grasses in the area include ''

Cynosurus cristatus ''Cynosurus cristatus'', the crested dog's-tail, is a short-lived perennial grass in the family Poaceae, characterised by a seed head that is flat on one side. It typically grows in species rich grassland. It thrives in a variety of soil types ...

'', ''

Anthoxanthum odoratum ''Anthoxanthum odoratum'' is a short-lived perennial plant, perennial grass, commonly known as sweet vernal grass, that is native to acidic grassland in Eurasia and northern Africa. It is grown as a lawn grass and a house plant, due to its swee ...

'', ''

Agrostis capillaris ''Agrostis capillaris'', the common bent, colonial bent, or browntop, is a rhizomatous and stoloniferous perennial in the grass family (Poaceae). It is native to Eurasia and has been widely introduced in many parts of the world. Colonial be ...

'', and ''

Festuca rubra ''Festuca rubra'' is a species of grass known by the common name red fescue, creeping red fescue or the rush-leaf fescue. It is widespread across much of the Northern Hemisphere and can tolerate many habitats and climates. It is best adapted to w ...

''; some other plants are '' Centaurea nigra'', ''

Ranunculus acris ''Ranunculus acris'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, and is one of the more common buttercups across Europe and temperate Eurasia. Common names include meadow buttercup, tall buttercup, common buttercup and giant but ...

'', ''

Ranunculus bulbosus ''Ranunculus bulbosus'', commonly known as bulbous buttercup or St. Anthony's turnip, is a perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It has bright yellow flowers, and deeply divided, three-lobed long-petioled basal leaves. ...

'', ''

Plantago lanceolata ''Plantago lanceolata'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, ribleaf, lamb's tongue, and buckhorn. It is a common weed on ...

'', ''

Trifolium pratense ''Trifolium pratense'' (from Latin prātum, meaning meadow), red clover, is a herbaceous species of flowering plant in the bean family, Fabaceae. It is native to the Old World, but planted and naturalised in many other regions. Description ...

'', ''

Leucanthemum vulgare ''Leucanthemum vulgare'', commonly known as the ox-eye daisy, oxeye daisy, dog daisy, marguerite (, "common marguerite") and other common names, is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, and an introduced ...

'', '' Lotus corniculatus'', ''

Hypochaeris radicata ''Hypochaeris radicata'' (sometimes spelled ''Hypochoeris radicata'') – also known as catsear, flatweed, cat's-ear, hairy cat's ear, or false Taraxacum, dandelion – is a perennial plant, perennial, low-lying edible herb often found in lawns. ...

'', ''

Rumex acetosa Sorrel (''Rumex acetosa''), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock ("dock" being a common name for the genus ''Ru ...

'', and '' Conopodium majus''. Notification of the designation as a

was made on 19 June 2012. It was confirmed on 8 March 2013, over the objections of Woolley and five other parties in his support. Benty Grange also contains an Anglo-Saxon barrow which was designated a

on 23 October 1970. The barrow has three elements: a central mound approximately high and in diameter, a surrounding fosse about deep and wide, and penannular outer banks around high and wide. Taken together, the entire barrow is approximately . It was excavated on 3 May 1848 by English antiquarian Thomas Bateman, who discovered the Benty Grange helmet and the Benty Grange hanging bowl among the remains of a richly furnished burial.

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked with prot ...

notes in the list entry for the barrow, however, that other for than Bateman's excavation the barrow is "undisturbed and retains significant archaeological remains", and that further investigation would return new information. File:Benty grange helm crop.png, alt=Colour photograph of the Benty Grange helmet, Benty Grange helmet File:2024.12.10 - Benty Grange hanging bowl Sheffield escutcheon (cropped).jpg, Benty Grange hanging bowl

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{NHLE , ref={{harvid, Historic England Benty Grange , desc=Benty Grange hlaew, Monyash , date= , num=1013767 , accessdate=10 February 2018 Anglo-Saxon sites in England Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Derbyshire Scheduled monuments in Derbyshire