Two round cairns, 375m north-west of Uplaw Knowe
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1008276
- Date first listed:
- 29-Mar-1994
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:
- Biddlestone
- National Park:
- NORTHUMBERLAND
- National Grid Reference:
- NT 90805 08878
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 the centre of one of the cairns, the two round
cairns north-west of Uplaw Knowe survive well. The importance of the monument
is increased by the survival of a third cairn and a Bronze Age cross dyke in
the immediate vicinity; taken together they provide a clear indication of the
extent of Bronze Age settlement in the area.
Details
The monument includes two round cairns of prehistoric date situated on a level
saddle on a narrow ridge above the Alwinton Burn. The most easterly of the two
cairns measures 5m in diameter amd stands to a maximum height of 0.6m high.
The second cairn, situated 8m to the west is more substantial than the first
and measures 11m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of 1m. There is a
large shallow hollow in the upper surface of the north-west quadrant, the
result of an unrecorded partial excavation.
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:
- 25017
- Legacy System:
- RSM
Sources
Other
NT 90 NW 13,
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