Reasons for Designation
Within the upland landscape of Cumbria there are many discrete plots of land
enclosed by stone walls or banks of stone and earth, most of which date to the
Bronze Age (c.2000-700 BC), though earlier and later examples also exist. They
were constructed as stock pens or as protected areas for crop growing and were
sometimes subdivided to accommodate stock and hut circle dwellings for farmers
and herdsmen. The size and form of enclosures may therefore vary depending
upon their particular function. Their variation in form, longevity and
relationship to other monument classes provide important information on the
diversity of social organisation and farming practices amongst prehistoric
communities. They are particularly representative of their period and a
substantial proportion of surviving examples are considered worthy of
protection.
The prehistoric enclosure north of Little Pie survives reasonably well and is
a good example of this class of monument. An unusual aspect of this site is
its use of a natural feature - the base of a crag - to form one side of the
enclosure. It lies close to other prehistoric monuments and thus indicates the
importance of this area in prehistoric times and the diversity of monument
classes to be found here.
Details
The monument is a prehistoric enclosure occupying a gently sloping shelf on
the fellside north of a rocky summit known as Little Pie. It is located at the
south eastern end of a large area of open moorland known as Burnmoor which
contains an abundance of prehistoric remains. The monument includes an
irregularly-shaped enclosure having a boundary wall of largely turf and
bracken covered stones and rubble which measures 0.75m - 2m wide and up to
0.3m high. On the south eastern side the boundary of the enclosure appears to
have been formed by the base of a crag. The enclosure measures a maximum of
160m by 110m internally and contains an area of approximately 1.4ha.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23694
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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.
End of official list entry
