Ridlees round cairn, 640m north east of Hanging Crag
Overview
Heritage Category: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number: 1008433
Date first listed: 02-Jun-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: Alwinton
District: Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
Parish: Rochester
National Park: NORTHUMBERLAND
National Grid Reference: NT 84262 04308
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.
The round cairn north east of Hanging Crag is very well preserved and contains
significant archaeological deposits. Evidence of the manner of construction,
and the nature and duration of its use will be preserved within and beneath
the mound.
Details
The monument includes the remains of a substantial round cairn of prehistoric
date situated on the eastern summit of Hindsike Hill. The cairn, composed of
stone and earth measures 15m in diameter and stands to a maximum height of
1.3m. There are traces of a stone kerb surrounding the cairn.
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: 25052
Legacy System: RSM
Sources
Books and journals
Charlton, D B, Day, J C, An Archaeological Survey of the MOD Training Area, Otterburn, (1977)
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