Round cairn on the summit of Rasett Hill
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1007214
- Date first listed:
- 31-Oct-1972
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1007214
- Date first listed:
- 31-Oct-1972
- Location Description:
- Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Westmorland and Furness (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Waitby
- National Park:
- Yorkshire Dales
- National Grid Reference:
- NY 73788 05317
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 and a substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of protection. Despite partial early excavation, the round cairn on the summit of Rasett Hill is well-preserved and its form and prominent landscape setting make it a good example. Partial excavation of the cairn has revealed it to be a funerary monument with archaeological deposits relating to its construction and use. The monument is representative of its period and provides insight into the funerary rituals of the Bronze Age period.
Details
The monument includes the earthwork remains of a Bronze Age round cairn situated on the summit of Rasett Hill with views in all directions. The cairn measures approximately 20m in diameter and 1.5m in height and is built from earth and stone. A partial excavation of the cairn in 1866 by Greenwell found the cremated remains of an adult placed in a heap 0.3m across.
SOURCES PastScape Monument No:- 14698 NMR:- NY70NW1 Cumbria HER:- 2019
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- CU 131
- Legacy System:
- RSM - OCN
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 20:11:59.
Download a full scale map (PDF)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.