Cairn 570m east-north-east of Wittondean Farm
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1008699
- Date first listed:
- 25-Feb-1993
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Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Scheduled Monument
- List Entry Number:
- 1008699
- Date first listed:
- 25-Feb-1993
Location
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Northumberland (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Whitton and Tosson
- National Grid Reference:
- NU 06010 00048
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 being truncated on its southern side, this cairn survives well and it retains archaeological deposits relating to the construction of the cairn and the nature and duration of its use. Additionally, it is one of a group of Prehistoric monuments which survive on this area of moorland and it will contribute to our understanding of Prehistoric settlement and activity in the area.
Details
The monument includes a cairn of Bronze Age date situated near the top of a north facing slope. The cairn survives to a maximum height of 0.9m and measures 12m in diameter. The mound is constructed of stone and earth; traces of several large stones around its edge represent the remains of a retaining circle.
MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 20890
- Legacy System:
- RSM
Sources
Other
No. 2341,
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.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 25-Jun-2026 at 17:40:34.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.