Round cairn and medieval settlement 150m south of Solomons Isle

Reasons for Designation

Round cairns are prehistoric funerary monuments dating to the Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC). They were constructed as stone mounds covering single or multiple burials. These burials may be placed within the mound in stone-lined compartments called cists. In some cases the cairn was surrounded by a ditch. Often occupying prominent locations, cairns are a major visual element in the modern landscape. They are a relatively common feature of the uplands and are the stone equivalent of the 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 amongst early prehistoric communities. They are particularly representative of their period.

The medieval settlement is of a type common throughout the upland areas of south west England and may represent a shepherd's shelter and enclosure or a small croft containing a farm building and associated yard associated with small scale agricultural settlement. The round cairn and medieval settlement 150m south of Solomons Isle survive comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to their construction and use over time.

Details

The monument includes a round cairn and medieval settlement, situated on a ridge known as Tor Noon. The round cairn survives as an oval stone and earth-built mound measuring up to 23m long by 17m wide and 0.8m high. The surface is uneven and it has been cut on the southern side by a field boundary. There are at least ten visible stones from an inner retaining circle with a diameter of approximately 12m. To the east of the centre is a cist, defined by two side stones and one end stone. This measures up to 1.5m long, 0.8m wide and 0.8m deep. To the west a large stone may be the displaced coverstone to the cist.

The medieval settlement to the north survives as a roughly rectangular enclosure, measuring approximately 18m long by 14m wide, defined by earth and stone banks of up to 0.7m high. There is a small rectangular building located in the north east corner of the enclosure. The settlement is probably associated with a field system which formerly surrounded it.

Sources: HER:- PastScape Monument No:-424256 and 424342

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

CO 747

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.