Two conjoined ring cairns on Synald's Knoll, 140m north-west of OS trig pillar.

Reasons for Designation

A ring cairn is a prehistoric ritual monument comprising a circular bank of stones up to 20m in diameter surrounding a hollow central area. The bank may be kerbed on the inside, and sometimes on the outside as well, with small uprights or laid boulders. Ring cairns are found mainly in upland areas of England and are mostly discovered and authenticated by fieldwork and ground level survey, although a few are large enough to be visible on aerial photographs. They often occur in pairs or small groups of up to four examples. Occasionally they lie within round barrow cemeteries. Ring cairns are interpreted as ritual monuments of Early and Middle Bronze Age date. The exact nature of the rituals concerned is not fully understood, but excavation has revealed pits, some containing burials and others containing charcoal and pottery, taken to indicate feasting activities associated with the burial rituals. Many areas of upland have not yet been surveyed in detail and the number of ring cairns in England is not accurately known. However, available evidence indicates a population of between 250 and 500 examples. As a relatively rare class of monument exhibiting considerable variation in form, all positively identified examples retaining significant archaeological deposits are considered worthy of preservation.

Despite evidence of some disturbance by past exploration, the two conjoined ring cairns on Synalds Knoll survive well and are good examples of a relatively rare class of monument in England. The two cairns will preserve archaeological evidence relating to the use and development of the site and environmental evidence allowing an understanding of the landscape in which it was constructed. The barrows are of similar age to several other sepulchral monuments which occur on The Long Mynd and, as such, contribute information relating to the intensity of settlement and type of land-use in this area of upland during the Bronze Age.

Details

The monument includes the remains of two contiguous ring cairns situated on Synald's Knoll. The more westerly is the larger of the two and is visible as a well defined circular mound of stone and earth construction with an overall diameter of 14.4m. The mound sides rise steeply to form a rounded and partly collapsed stone rim standing up to 1.2m high surrounding a central crater 5m in diameter. This central hollowed area is disturbed and confused as a result of exploration at some time in the past and the maximum depth of 0.7m may be the result of this exploration. However a slight step in the crater sides at 0.2m below the rim edge probably represents the original level of the central platform. The barrow is joined at its south-east quarter to a second smaller ring cairn 9.6m in diameter. This comprises a well defined circular bank of stone and earth construction, 2.5m wide and 0.5m high surrounding a central hollow 4.6m in diameter and 0.3m deep. Athough no longer visible at ground level, a ditch approximately 2m wide, from which material was quarried during the construction of the monument surrounds the ring cairns.

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.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

19090

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Record no. 01241,

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