Reasons for Designation
The East Moors in Derbyshire includes all the gritstone moors east of the
River Derwent. It covers an area of 105 sq km, of which around 63% is open
moorland and 37% is enclosed. As a result of recent and on-going
archaeological survey, the East Moors area is becoming one of the best
recorded upland areas in England. On the enclosed land the archaeological
remains are fragmentary, but survive sufficiently well to show that early
human activity extended beyond the confines of the open moors.
On the open moors there is significant and well-articulated evidence over
extensive areas for human exploitation of the gritstone uplands from the
Neolithic to the post-medieval periods. Bronze Age activity accounts for the
most intensive use of the moorlands. Evidence for it includes some of the
largest and best preserved field systems and cairnfields in northern England
as well settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles and other
ceremonial remains which, together, provide a detailed insight into life in
the Bronze Age. Also of importance is the well preserved and often visible
relationship between the remains of earlier and later periods since this
provides an insight into successive changes in land use through time.
A large number of the prehistoric sites on the moors, because of their rarity
in a national context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connections,
will be identified as nationally important.
Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age
(c.2000-700BC) constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple
burials. They are a relatively common feature in upland areas and are the
stone equivalents of earthen round barrows of the lowlands. Their
considerable variation in form and longevity as a monument type provide
important information on the diversity of beliefs and social organisation.
The cairns WSW of Carl Wark hillfort are complex examples. The dominant
cairn is relatively undisturbed. The presence of two possible kerbs is
relatively rare and the structure indicates that there are separate
phases of construction. Further information on the structural history of the
monument will survive as well as evidence of the burials placed within it.
The monument also lies within an area rich in other prehistoric remains and
will contribute to our understanding of the prehistoric use of these
moorlands.
Details
The monument includes the remains of two or three stone cairns situated in a
prominent location on shelving ground. The monument overlooks several
prehistoric field systems, the subject of separate schedulings, in this area.
The cairns lie in an unusual formation in that one (at the north end) appears
to overlie the remains of one, or possibly two, other cairns.
Alternatively, this may be a single cairn, or two cairns, to which a platform
has been added on the southern side. The cairns are partially turf covered but
much of the stonework is exposed. The whole complex of the remains is oval in
shape, measuring approximately 12.5m by 6m. The most complete and dominant
cairn is roughly circular and stands almost 1m high and is of 5.5m to 6m in
diameter. It is mostly complete and in good condition, but shows signs of a
slight disturbance at its centre. To the south of the dominant cairn are
two sub-rectangular kerbs partially overlain by loose weathered stone.
This may be tumble from the dominant cairn or, more probably, the remains of a
second cairn which appears to partly underlie the more complete cairn to the
north. This second cairn stands to a height of 0.3m.
The imposition of the dominant cairn on the other two appears significant and
may indicate that it had a different function. It is possible that the two
smaller original cairns were originally clearance cairns with a later funerary
cairn later constructed to overlie them.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.
