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.
Details
The monument includes a round cairn located on moorland approximately 400m WNW
of the summit of Winter Hill at the northern edge of the summit plateau and
overlooking a steep drop to the north. It includes a circular earth and stone
mound measuring 19.2m in diameter and up to 0.3m high. Limited excavation of
the cairn during the 1950s located a central stone cairn c.2.5m in diameter
and 1.5m high surrounded by a low outer wall or kerb approximately 18m in
diameter and 0.4m high. The intervening space between the cairn and wall was
filled initially with well preserved fresh vegetal matter then topped with
large inverted turves and finally covered with sub-soil. Analysis of pollen
taken from the excavation has given a date of about 1600-1400 BC for the
cairn's construction.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23709
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
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
