Thornborough Henges: Prime minister Rishi Sunak visits ancient Yorkshire monument as it is restored and opened to the public

Earlier this year, previous site owners Tarmac agreed to donate two of the three henges to Historic England for future care and preservation. The third henge, which is the only one covered by woodland, is privately owned as part of a historic estate but currently for sale.

The two henges will now become an English Heritage attraction, and restoration work has been undertaken to repair damage caused by livestock grazing and rabbits.

Mr Sunak was given a tour of the site at West Tanfield, near Ripon, last week.

The three Neolithic earthworks have been described as ‘the Stonehenge of the north’ due to their importance to ritual gatherings thousands of years ago. They date from 3,500-2,500 BC.

They will be free to visit, having been designated assets in the National Heritage Collection. Other parcels of land near the henges were gifted to Historic England by Lightwater Holdings, a construction and leisure business.

The prime minister met volunteers from the Lower Ure Conservation Trust, who are working on the conservation of the mounds. In 2009, the two henges were added to the Heritage at Risk Register due to erosion, but are due to be removed from the list later this year.

Mr Sunak said: “I very much enjoyed joining the teams from Historic England and English Heritage to see how they are working, with local volunteers, to enhance the visitor experience.

“The Henges are a remarkable and still little-known part of this nation’s history and I welcome the efforts to bring that history to life and present it in an easily understandable way for today’s visitors and future generations.”

English Heritage chief executive Mark Stuart-Smith said:“Since these henges came into English Heritage’s care, we’ve welcomed thousands of people to this remarkable monument – and it was a privilege to now host the prime minister. He was fascinated by Thornborough and in how English Heritage is bringing its stories and significance to life. Thornborough is not just an important national landmark but a local one and the community here is playing a key role in caring for the monument - from planting wildflowers to giving tours.

The henges were built near the River Ure and are unique in their size, alignment and degree of preservation.

The northern henge was put on the open market by landowner Richard Bourne-Arton, whose Bradford mill-owning ancestors bought the Tanfield estate for its fishing rights in the late 19th century. English Heritage had declined to buy the site, most of which is wooded, for £200,000.