Round cairn on Titlington Pike

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:
1007450
Date first listed:
02-Dec-1993

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Location

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:
1007450
Date first listed:
02-Dec-1993

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 Culture, Media and Sport.

Ordnance survey map of Round cairn on Titlington Pike

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jun-2026 at 04:46:05.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.

End of official list entry

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