Scheduled Monuments›England›RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area

RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area

England
List entry 1413098
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1413098
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
3.28 hectares
Grid reference
NY5971071917
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area is a Cold War-period military installation located in Cumberland in northern England. The site functioned as part of RAF Spadeadam, established in the 1950s as a remote testing facility for jet engines and aircraft systems. The Engine Test Area at Priorlancy Rigg comprises the physical remains and structures associated with this experimental work, reflecting Britain's post-war investment in aviation technology development during the early nuclear age. The site represents an important aspect of twentieth-century defence infrastructure and technological advancement in the English uplands.

RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1413098. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area?

RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area is a Cold War-period military installation located in Cumberland in northern England. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1413098.

Who is responsible for protecting RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area?

RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1413098.

What other scheduled monuments are near RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Eight Roman inscriptions in the Roman quarry in Combcrag Wood, 350m south of Hadrian's Wall (6.9 km), Roman signal station on Mains Rigg (6.9 km), Nether Denton Roman fort, associated vicus and length of Stanegate Roman road (7.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area report
Or see a real report first
Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Eight Roman inscriptions in the Roman quarry in Combcrag Wood, 350m south of Hadrian's Wall
6.9 km
Roman signal station on Mains Rigg
6.9 km
Nether Denton Roman fort, associated vicus and length of Stanegate Roman road
7.4 km
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the field boundary west of Coombe Crag and Banks Green Cottage and the road to Lanercost at Banks in wall miles 51 and 52
7.4 km
Chapel Rigg Roman temporary camp
8.1 km
Hadrian's Wall and vallum between Banks Green Cottage and the road to Lanercost at Banks and the road to Garthside in wall miles 52, 53 and 54
8.4 km
Medieval fishponds and moat at Denton Hall
9 km
Lanercost Augustinian priory, precinct wall and medieval standing cross base
9.1 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area

RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area stands on Border Group, bedrock that formed in the Meramecian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate argillaceous rocks and limestone.

The wider landscape

Around RAF Spadeadam: Priorlancy Rigg, Engine Test Area

Hadrian's WallArchaeological site · ~14.8 milesBattle of Solway Moss 1542Battle (1542) · ~13.6 miles
All Scheduled Monuments