A major archaeological excavation at Harden Quarry, nestled in the Cheviot Hills within Northumberland National Park, has revealed an extraordinary 360-degree view of Bronze Age life, offering the clearest insight yet into early settlement and farming in upland Northumberland.

Archaeologists uncovered a fascinating Bronze Age settlement on a hilltop. They found platforms where roundhouses once stood, along with fields and clearance cairns, or piles of stones cleared by Bronze Age farmers to create fields.

Three burial cairns were also discovered, one built on top of two small, earlier round cairns. The older cairns contained a stone grave box, or ‘cist,’ which likely held a human skeleton (which has not survived the acidic soil). The later cairn included cremated remains, some placed in pots, including one fully intact pot and more burials in nearby pits.

Remarkably, one clearance cairn was dated to around 2400 BC, the very start of the Bronze Age, and much earlier than expected for upland farming in the area. Pottery fragments from a ‘Beaker’ vessel and the cist burial suggest that people were living and burying their dead there as far back as 2400 BC, though further tests will confirm this.

These findings suggest people were farming in the Cheviot Hills earlier than previously thought, reshaping understanding of prehistoric life in the region.

These exceptional finds paint a vivid and comprehensive picture of life and death on the hilltop more than 4,000 years ago.

Clive Waddington at the site of an excavated platform for a Bronze Age Roundhouse

Clive Waddington, Managing Director, Archaeological Research Services Ltd, said:
"The discovery of an earlier burial cairn beneath the Bronze Age ring cairn on the highest point of Bleakmoor Hill, is significant. It suggests Early Bronze Age communities expanded into and started farming these uplands earlier than we imagined, giving us a new timeline for human activity in The Cheviots."

“We still don’t know that much about how people were living in the Bronze Age, particularly in Northumberland. What’s exciting about the discoveries here is that we have almost a full 360-degree view on those early people’s lives. We’ve got where they are living, where they are burying their dead close to the gods, and we have the landscape in which they are farming, which is rare in archaeology.”

Planning permission for an extension to the existing quarry was granted in 2022, following a full assessment of archaeological potential within the area. A comprehensive scheme of archaeological investigation and recording was agreed as a condition of planning approval. The excavation was carried out by Archaeological Research Services Ltd and monitored by Northumberland National Park Authority.

Chris Jones, Historic Environment Officer for Northumberland National Park Authority, welcomed the findings, adding:
"This project demonstrates the value of developer funded archaeology to the National Park’s historic environment. These finds deepen our understanding of the early history of The Cheviots Hills, helping us to better interpret and share this knowledge with the public, including current and future generations."

Christine Venus, Director of Park Management at Northumberland National Park Authority added:
“We’re proud to have enabled these remarkable discoveries as part of our role as planning authority, which is a key means of protecting and enhancing the National Park's special qualities. We look forward to working with Tarmac and Archaeological Research Services Ltd to share these discoveries once the full range of scientific analysis has been completed."

Harden Quarry is renowned for its distinctive Red Felsite stone known as Harden Red; a hard aggregate widely used for road surfacing and other applications. The quarry is operated by Tarmac at Biddlestone, located in Northumberland National Park.

Richard Barradell, Strategic Planning Manager at Tarmac added: “Conserving these incredible discoveries reflects our commitment to development that respects the past while supporting the quarry’s long-term sustainability.”

The discoveries from the site will be preserved and interpreted to broaden knowledge of the Cheviots during the Bronze Age, ensuring that this remarkable chapter of history is shared with future generations.

The finds will feature in an upcoming episode of the BBC’s ‘Digging for Britain’, giving viewers a rare glimpse into the lives of the first settled farmers of the Cheviot landscape.

The programme is due to air on BBC TWO, Wednesday 28 January at 8pm.