500,000-8500 BC Palaeolithic

Much of central England has been covered by ice several times. Consequently, many of the earlier Palaeolithic sites are likely to have been destroyed. One exception is Waverley Wood in Warwickshire. Here, silts and gravels from an ancient river contained handaxes and elephant remains. The site dates to a warm phase at least 500,000 years ago. The handaxes are made from andesite, a non-local rock which today is found in the Lake District. It seems likely that the rock was naturally brought to the area by ice.

The course of this ancient river can be traced from central to eastern England where it flowed into the North Sea, just beyond Great Yarmouth. The river was destroyed during an ice age about 450,000 years ago.

Later sites are found in caves in Derbyshire, particularly in and around Creswell Crags. Several of the sites contain evidence of occupation by Neanderthals, dating to around 50,000 years ago. The caves were also inhabited on several occasions by modern humans during the Upper Palaeolithic. At the end of this period, there are good examples of carved bone and ivory and of rock art.