Round cairn on Titlington Pike
Overview
Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number: 1007450
Date first listed: 02-Dec-1993
Map
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Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
District: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
Parish: Hedgeley
National Grid Reference: NU 08768 15999
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 disturbance to its centre, the round cairn on the summit of
Titlington Pike survives reasonably well. Evidence of the manner of
construction, and the nature and duration of its use will be preserved within
and beneath the mound. The monument is one of a group of contemporary
monuments in the vicinity; taken together they provide a clear indication of
the extent of Bronze Age settlement in the area.
Details
The monument includes a round cairn of Bronze Age date, situated on the summit
of Titlington Pike commanding extensive views in all directions. An OS trig
pillar has been erected on its north-western side. The cairn, which has become
spread, is 24m across and stands to a maximum height of 1m. The cairn has a
hollow at its centre, the result of an unrecorded partial excvation. The OS
trig pillar is excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath it is
included.
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: 21018
Legacy System: RSM
Sources
Other
71,
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 Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official listing