Round cairn 580m north east of The Cockpit, Askham Fell

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 some surface disturbance to the centre of the monument, the round cairn 580m north east of The Cockpit survives reasonably well and will contain undisturbed archaeological deposits within the mound and upon the old land surface beneath. The monument lies within an area of open fell rich in prehistoric monuments, and is situated upon an alignment of funerary monuments stretching for over 1.5km along the natural communication route over a col between Lowther and Ullswater valleys. It thus indicates the importance of this area in prehistoric times and the diversity of monument types to be found here. The monument will contribute to the study of the ceremonial function of cairns and other spatially associated monuments in the area.

Details

The monument is a round cairn located on Askham Fell, 580m north east of The Cockpit stone circle. It includes a slightly oval mound of largely turf-covered stones up to 0.4m high with maximum dimensions of 5.4m by 5.3m. There is a small central depression in the top of the cairn with some earthfast stones protruding.

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:

22519

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Quartermaine, J, Askham Fell Survey Catalogue, (1992), 23-4
Quartermaine, J, Askham Fell Survey Catalogue, (1992), 25

Other
Darvill,T., MPP Single Monument Class Description - Bowl Barrows, (1988)
SMR No, Cumbria SMR, Moor Divock, (1985)

End of official list entry

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